After Rebirth, the Heroine is Consumed by Overwhelming Regret Chapter 6

Amidst the cheers of the junior disciples, the immortal boat set off, and the summer hunt began.
They were heading to the usual place, Nanhe Bay. Although the name sounded pleasant, it was actually a demonic land once overrun by ghosts and monsters, with a harsh environment. Because the terrain had abundant water and was covered in swamps, snakes and insects frequently appeared. When their numbers grew, it became easy for fiends to emerge.
Everyone was prepared. They had tightly sealed every opening in their clothing, especially around their trouser legs, shoes, and socks, which were fortified like an iron barrel.
Some girls even wore veils, fearing insect bites that might ruin their looks.
Because large groups came for the summer hunt every year, the major monsters here had long been cleared out. Even if a few slipped through, they were mostly not very aggressive. If encountered, one simply had to avoid them.
Within half a day, they arrived at the location.
Several team leaders disembarked first. After everyone else had gotten off, two leaders stayed behind to provide support, ready to administer medicine to any injured disciples.
The remaining people were divided into groups of eleven: one leader with ten team members. Each group boarded a longboat and ventured deep into the swamp to explore. During their exploration, whether they obtained spiritual herbs and heavenly treasures or defeated snakes, insects, ghosts, and monsters, it would be recorded as points. The more precious the spiritual herbs and the more powerful the prey, the more points they would earn.
By this time the next day, everyone would depart and return. Then, the team leaders would publicly judge which group had earned the most points. That group would win first place.
The winning team would receive rewards from the sect.
All the disciples were excited, rubbing their hands in anticipation. Some hoped to encounter powerful ghosts and monsters to earn points for their team, while others just wanted to stay safe, even if it meant not competing for the reward.
But before that, they had to form groups.
Group formation was mainly by invitation from the team leaders, but team members also had the right to choose their leaders. This back-and-forth selection process continued until all one hundred people were in a team. Only then could the hunt officially begin.
Most leaders would first choose their own junior sect brothers and sisters, then select from the outer disciples. Outer disciples with some ability didn’t have to worry about being picked by a leader who favored them. The most difficult situation was for incapable outer disciples; no one wanted them, and they could only be chosen, not choose.
Si Li was among this last group.
She knew she wasn’t capable enough and could only be chosen. If she passively waited until everyone else was picked, she would immediately be at a disadvantage.
Moreover, Ling Aorui’s team was already almost full.
Only one spot remained, and everyone was eyeing it eagerly. If she didn’t do something, she would miss her chance to join that team.
Fortunately, she knew Ling Aorui very well.
Ling Aorui liked white, so Si Li wore white today. Ling Aorui liked heavy swords, and Si Li happened to be carrying a heavy sword too. Ling Aorui pretended to care for her juniors, so Si Li—
“Senior brothers and sisters,” Si Li said, “I apologize. I sprained my ankle when disembarking just now, so I might not be able to contribute much in terms of combat power. I thought I should mention it in advance, lest you choose me by mistake. It’s alright; I can be the last one to join a team.”
By saying this, she seemed considerate of others, but it was actually a strategy of feigning retreat to advance. The team leaders were in fierce competition, wanting to establish their personas and stand out. If they all made excuses and refused her, it would make them seem petty. With her words, she had pushed herself to the forefront; even if they didn’t want her, they would now have to compete for her.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, several team leaders expressed their willingness to choose her. Si Li smiled and thanked them, then quickly took a step back, saying she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone.
This prompted even more leaders to extend an olive branch, but Si Li still waved her hand, her face full of apology. After she refused twice in a row, some understood: she wasn’t being modest; she simply looked down on them. Their eyes darted towards Ling Aorui.
Among the ten team leaders, only Ling Aorui hadn’t expressed an opinion.
Ling Aorui had been spacing out. Seeing everyone looking at her, she glanced around in confusion. Only when she saw Si Li’s pleading gaze did she extend her hand.
Just as I thought, someone’s come up with a strange trick again this year. Ling Aorui was used to it. Every year, disciples would scheme meticulously to join her team. No matter what they said or did, their ultimate goal was to get in.
She didn’t care about her team members’ combat strength. In her experience, if they truly encountered trouble, these disciples would be utterly useless. It would be good enough if they could simply keep up and not get lost.
The interlude passed, and team formation continued, finishing shortly thereafter.
The summer hunt officially began.
Because Si Li had claimed to be injured, she was placed closest to Ling Aorui—so close she could almost smell the fragrance from Ling Aorui’s body. Such proximity had once been her greatest wish, but now, she only felt disgusted.
Her gaze fell on Ling Aorui’s storage pouch. It was exquisitely crafted, likely the work of a master, and surely contained some powerful magic artifacts.
Her goal was to steal the most powerful magic artifact from it.
For no other reason than her many years of misplaced affection.
She didn’t have truly malicious intentions, nor did she want to go too far. She just wanted Ling Aorui to make a fool of herself in front of everyone, to let them see she wasn’t perfect. That would be enough.
She was tired of seeing Ling Aorui standing on a high pedestal, ordering people around arrogantly.
Today, she would make her fall.
…
Meanwhile, Qi Qing cautiously stepped into the Immortal Lord’s treasured abode. Before she could even marvel at it, she was stunned into silence. This place didn’t resemble a blessed grotto-heaven at all; it looked more like a dilapidated cave. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere. There were even rats, scurrying around casually, completely unafraid of people.
Seeing Qi Qing’s face turn pale as if she’d seen a ghost, Yu Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. “What do you think of my dwelling?”
“Er… Immortal Lord, your taste is… unique. I am truly impressed…” Qi Qing praised insincerely, her own words making her cringe.
“Weren’t you curious about what’s written in the letter?” Yu Yan handed her the jade slip. “Take it and have a look.”
“No, no, I’m not curious.” Qi Qing quickly waved her hands.
This Immortal Lord was surprisingly down-to-earth, not as unapproachable as she seemed. But to have her overstep her bounds and read a letter she shouldn’t—she’d rather not.
“Not curious?” Yu Yan glanced sideways at her. “Let me be frank. Your Heavenly Sword Sect wants to invite me to a ceremony. It’s for… Sect Master Mo’s one thousand two hundredth birthday celebration, is it? I don’t really want to go. What do you think I should do?”
Her voice was languid, the ends of her words lilting upwards, almost as if she were coaxing.
Qi Qing saw her resting her chin on her hand, staring at her, her beautiful eyes holding a hint of a smile. She became so nervous her mind went blank again, and she blurted out, “If you don’t want to go, then don’t. Who wants to attend a stranger’s birthday party anyway?”
As soon as she said it, she realized it was wrong. How could she undermine her own sect? She quickly tried to remedy it, “Um… on the other hand, since they’ve invited you, it might be a bit improper not to go. Perhaps you could leave a message or something, so I can report back when I return. What do you think?”
“Oh? So you want me to go?”
“It’s Sect Master Mo. The Sect Master hopes you will go.”
“I don’t care about him. I only care about you. Do you want me to go?”
“Of course… I’m also a member of the Heavenly Sword Sect. If you are willing to grace us with your presence, I would naturally be happy.”
Yu Yan teased her a bit more. Seeing her little face turn terribly red, she couldn’t help but purse her lips into a smile. This little cultivator is so innocent, she thought. I shouldn’t tease her too harshly.
“If you want me to go, you’ll have to do something for me. Alright?”
Having been led to this point in the conversation, Qi Qing couldn’t very well say no, so she nodded.
“Help me clean up the dwelling. I’m going outside to bask in the sun.” After saying this, Yu Yan stretched lazily and strolled out of the cave, leaving Qi Qing standing there, utterly dumbfounded.
Wait a minute, Qi Qing thought, did I come here to be a cleaner?
For a moment, Qi Qing wanted to just quit. After all, I wasn’t planning on returning to the Heavenly Sword Sect anyway. So what if I offend her?
But after hesitating, she still picked up the broom.
Oh well, she thought. I should see things through to the end.
Once I finish this task, I won’t owe anyone anything.
The dwelling looked spacious, but it wasn’t actually very large, and there weren’t many hard-to-clean spots. Plus, she had magic, so cleaning it wasn’t difficult. Except for filling a few rat holes, which was a bit troublesome, everything else was easy.
Actually, her efficiency at chores was thanks to having taken care of Ling Aorui before. Ling Aorui was a pampered young lady who never did any manual labor, so Qi Qing had to handle all the trivial matters. Although taking care of the person she liked felt sweet, over time, anyone would think of ways to slack off.
And so, Qi Qing discovered many clever shortcuts. She happily shared them with Ling Aorui, but Ling Aorui would only respond with a faint “okay,” never once praising her.
Qi Qing’s desire to express herself gradually faded in the face of Ling Aorui’s silence.
Was Ling Aorui really incapable of caring for others? No. After Hua Jiaolian fell ill, Ling Aorui had been personally taking care of her. The last time they met, Ling Aorui was already able to manage looking after a sick person and get by.
People are always willing to cook for the one they love.
It was just her bad luck that the person Ling Aorui liked wasn’t her.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness. Although since her rebirth, she had tried her best to avoid any involvement with Ling Aorui, here, so far away, her emotional defenses had lowered slightly. Pain, like a flood, seeped through the cracks, unexpectedly engulfing her.
She clearly didn’t love her anymore. She had clearly started over.
Yet, a part of her was still trapped in that place, never able to find true freedom.
“Heh, you did a pretty good job cleaning. Thanks for your hard work.” A voice came from behind her. “I’m even tempted to hire you as my cleaning attendant. How about it? Give it some thought?”
She turned around. Yu Yan stood behind her, her eyes filled with genuine admiration and amazement. The beautiful sunset light shone in from behind her, and in this pitch-dark cave, Yu Yan seemed like the only source of light.