The Abused-Novel Female Lead Holds a Mad Brush - Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Beep Beep Beep
Yu Jiaxue had no idea that before the entrance trial had even begun, she was already being eyed by a certain giant white bird.
At that moment, Yu Jiaxue was blending into the crowd, chatting with the System in her mind.
“Speaking of which, I haven’t asked you yet, Host: what made you choose to become a Brush Cultivator?”
“What else could it be?” Yu Jiaxue replied without a second thought. “To become a world-renowned grand master artist, of course!”
Who didn’t harbor a fairy tale dream of dominating the world with sublime drawing skills?
Back when she worked as a client ordering game art in her past life, she had already been itching to try it herself. Now, she could finally fulfill her dream!
System: “…”
“Would the host consider changing her goal?”
It wasn’t trying to look down on anyone, but this target might be slightly too ambitious.
The System did a quick calculation: rather than attempting to achieve this goal, its host would have a much higher chance of success if she simply followed the classic angst-novel script and played the original heroine.
Its host was smart, and smart people ought to have a realistic level of self-awareness…
“Change it? Why on earth would I change it?”
Having resolved two major crises in a row using her brush, Yu Jiaxue was bursting with confidence. “Look at me before—sure, there were a few minor hiccups, but didn’t everything I drew turn out amazingly successful in the end? I’ve said it long ago: there is nothing easier in this world than drawing!”
She has self-awareness, sure, but not much.
The System fell silent.
If turning a mirror into a durian counted as magnificent artistic skill, then Yu Jiaxue was indeed exceptionally gifted.
Just as the person and the System were each trying to convince the other, a serene, refined voice cut through the noisy crowd. Clear and soothing like a mountain spring, it sounded as if spoken directly beside everyone’s ears, instantly bringing peace and tranquil composure to their minds.
“Greetings to all fellow Daoists.”
Everyone raised their heads in unison to look over. On the circular platform a short distance away—where nothing had been standing just moments before—two figures had materialized at some unknown point.
A man and a woman, both possessing peerless, immortal beauty.
The man wore a wide-sleeved long robe of deep azure embroidered with gold thread. A monocle rested on the bridge of his nose, gleaming with a faint light, while a scroll of books floated serenely behind him. The woman wore a trailing dress of pale yellow satin, a silver silk sash draped over her hands, with a waxing crescent moon floating behind her, making her resemble a fairy straight out of the Moon Palace.
Their movements were extraordinarily elegant, carrying themselves in every way like divine beings.
With a gentle sweep of the man’s wide sleeve, the white mist ahead dispersed only to gather again. Within the mirror-like water surface shrouded in smoke and fog, grand mountain peaks stood tall, with mist encircling their midsections. Pavilions and towers appeared and disappeared amidst the clouds, while the crisp chirping of birds occasionally echoed softly through the valleys, long and melodious.
Jade towers and grand palaces, steeped in ethereal immortal qi.
This was the Xihe Sect.
“Noble and refined we stand, as the sun shines over Xihe for ten thousand years.”
The male disciple’s voice was clear and upright, carrying a natural sense of authority. The female disciple glanced at the young applicants below who were already growing visibly nervous, letting out a soft, elegant smile. “To meet all of you here today is surely an omen of great fortune.”
In an instant, she smoothed over the tense atmosphere that had been teetering on the edge.
Yu Jiaxue clearly heard several sharp gasps of awe ripple through the crowd.
Such an entrance was simply too stunning. Even Yu Jiaxue couldn’t resist drawing in a sharp breath of her own.
The System’s heart instantly skipped a beat.
It had remained around precisely because it harbored this exact concern.
Transmigrating into a book was never an easy process.
After all, it meant being thrust into a completely foreign environment. No matter how well a host seemed to adapt on the surface, under such a heavy psychological impact, it was hard to guarantee they wouldn’t lose their internal balance, giving rise to inner demons. In the end, they would either stray onto the wrong path, fall into self-loathing and blacken, or even destroy themselves.
Such occurrences were commonplace in the Transmigration Bureau.
“Host…”
Before the System could finish its thought, it heard Yu Jiaxue murmur in her mind with a tone filled with deep reverence: “Zero, go prepare and find an opportunity…”
“I want to make an entrance just like that next time!”
Dressed in gorgeous clothes, surrounded by swirling mist, and accompanied by a beautiful senior sister!
Gasp, so magical, so cool to flex!
She loved it so much!
System: “[…Get out.]”
It knew it!
All that talk about “low self-esteem” or “cultural shock” was completely fake!
Her host’s mind didn’t contain any of those complex thoughts at all; it was filled purely with wanting to show off!
Not far away, while the junior disciples below were busy explaining the rules, Xi Luzhi swept her lovely eyes over the crowd and smiled gently. “Junior Brother Du, it seems a few very interesting young Daoists have arrived this year.”
The two of them had deliberately staged such a dramatic entrance to observe the disciples’ reactions in that split second.
It was fine to feel yearning, admiration, or even a tiny hint of envy.
The only things forbidden were despondency, jealousy, or harboring resentment in one’s heart.
With just a single glance, the character of many applicants was laid completely bare.
Du Shuangxiao kept a stern face and asked, “Has Senior Sister Xi discovered some promising talent?”
Taking on this task as guiding disciples for the entrance trial was partly a duty to the sect, but naturally, they also wanted to secure some benefits for their own respective peaks.
For instance, getting an early look to spot any promising candidates—especially younger disciples whose temperaments matched their own peak’s style—so they could move quickly and claim them first.
Xi Luzhi curled her lips upward. “She is very special. Didn’t Junior Brother Du notice her?”
Without waiting for Du Shuangxiao to reply, Xi Luzhi shook her head and deliberately added, “I don’t believe you missed her.”
Du Shuangxiao: “…”
Du Shuangxiao: “…Mm, I saw her.”
This time, it was Xi Luzhi’s turn to be surprised.
Du Shuangxiao was habitually serious and upright to a fault. It was hard to imagine he would actually play along with her words.
Xi Luzhi had fully expected a response along the lines of “Senior Sister should not gossip about others behind their backs.”
“It was very obvious.” Du Shuangxiao felt a bit helpless. Recalling the look in that young female Daoist’s eyes just now, he felt a faint shudder go down his spine.
Du Shuangxiao wasn’t accustomed to discussing others behind their backs, especially when the subject was a female disciple.
However, the feeling that single glance gave him was entirely unprecedented, leaving even the usually taciturn Du Shuangxiao unable to suppress the urge to confide.
“I know that during entrance trials like this, there are always a few ambitious disciples. As long as they harbor no malice, having such drive isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But just now…”
Du Shuangxiao hesitated, stopping mid-sentence.
“That female Daoist’s gaze was somewhat different. She didn’t seem to possess the usual yearning for seeking immortality and the Dao, nor did she look like…”
Du Shuangxiao truly found it hard to continue. He was a rigid man who rarely spoke much, and his train of thought was unusually jumbled.
To be perfectly honest, imagining the meaning contained in Yu Jiaxue’s gaze was a challenge for someone like Du Shuangxiao.
“Nor did she look like she was captivated by the appearance of the two of us,” Xi Luzhi laughed, taking over his sentence.
“That look in her eyes… rather than admiration, it looked as if she couldn’t wait to stand up here on the high stage right alongside us… To harbor such a thought is truly an intriguing little Daoist.”
Xi Luzhi saw it very clearly. Yu Jiaxue was different from those people; there was no desire for power or cultivation realm in her eyes whatsoever.
Du Shuangxiao’s cheek twitched. “Senior Sister doesn’t mind?”
He was a rigid person, unable to comprehend the pleasure of such carefree whimsicality.
Xi Luzhi shook her head and consoled him, “Junior Brother Du needn’t worry. I don’t think she’s here to tear us apart; she’s just here to join us.”
Du Shuangxiao: “…”
That makes me even more worried, okay?!
“Look, she isn’t even listening to the rules of the entrance trial. She’s completely focused on watching us.”
Xi Luzhi sighed with emotion. “It shows she’s a honest, good-natured child at heart!”
Du Shuangxiao: ???
Where on earth is she honest and good-natured?!
The way she looked at me clearly felt like she couldn’t wait to kick me off so she could take my place!
Du Shuangxiao had a bellyful of words, but due to his reserved nature, he couldn’t bring himself to utter a single one. He could only endure the burning gazes of Xi Luzhi beside him and Yu Jiaxue below, stiffly nodding his head once more.
For some reason, his lower back felt a bit sore, as if he had been struck by something heavy.
Of course, there was one point Du Shuangxiao had to admit: the reason he and Xi Luzhi could discuss her like this was because both of them could sense that Yu Jiaxue indeed possessed an exceptionally pure heart.
She did not fear authority or grand power, nor did she envy those in high positions.
There wasn’t a single shred of malice in her glance—only a bit of curiosity.
Even Du Shuangxiao couldn’t help but wonder: how could there be a disciple like this?
In the white jade capital of the heavens, stand twelve towers and five cities.
Immortals brush my head, binding my hair to grant eternal life.
The so-called “immortal cultivators” were nothing more than seekers of the Dao. Some sought longevity, while others sought fateful encounters.
Even if they sought neither, they would usually find it hard to relinquish mundane fame and fortune. Yet in the gaze this female disciple directed at him, she seemed utterly uninterested in seeking the Dao or immortal status, nor did she yearn to ascend the grand platform.
It was merely…
As rigorous and composed as Du Shuangxiao usually was, his face couldn’t help twisting slightly for a moment at the thought.
System 999, who had quietly snuck over to eavesdrop, nodded its head numbly.
—Yes, you guessed right. She literally just wants to stand up on the stage to flex.
