Transmigrating to become Hua Qiangu

Under Bai Zihua's meticulous tutelage, Hua Qiangu continued practicing her sword-flying technique with great joy. She was determined to master this skill as soon as possible, to prove those who looked down on her wrong, especially Ni Mantian! At this moment, she felt both an eager desire to learn sword-flying and a slight worry about whether she could truly achieve her goal. After all, this skill was no simple matter. But she was determined to prove herself. That desire burned like a raging flame within her, searing every nerve, making her impatient to ride her flying sword, soar freely through the sky, and declare to everyone that Hua Qiangu was not to be trifled with, and that she was capable of establishing herself on Changliu Mountain.

On this bright and sunny day, with a sky as blue as a jewel, it was the perfect weather for cultivation. Hua Qiangu arrived early at the open space where she usually practiced. Holding her longsword, she took a deep breath and, following her master's instructions, slowly channeled her spiritual energy into the sword, attempting to keep it steadily suspended in the air.

"Heave-ho! Rise!" Hua Qiangu gritted her teeth and pushed out her spiritual power with all her might, and the sword finally rose shakily. Seeing this, a hint of joy appeared on her face, and she quickly leaped onto the sword.

But flying on a sword is not so easy. As soon as Hua Qiangu stood firmly on the sword, the sword began to sway in the air as if it were drunk.

"Oh no, what am I going to do! Stay calm, stay calm!" Hua Qiangu gripped the sword hilt tightly, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her heart filled with anxiety. She kept repeating to herself, "What's going on? Why can't I control myself? I clearly did what Master said, I can't mess this up again, or people will laugh at me, especially Ni Mantian, she'll definitely say I'm incompetent again. Humph, I must stay calm!" At this moment, her anxiety was like a surging tide, wave after wave crashing against her reason. Worry and panic intertwined, like a giant net binding her tightly, making it hard for her to breathe. She felt like a small boat adrift in a raging storm, about to be capsized at any moment, drowned by merciless ridicule and contempt.

However, the sword did not obey her commands at all, and it shook more and more violently. Suddenly, it tilted and "whoosh"ed down towards the ground.

"Ah! Help!" Hua Qiangu screamed in terror, her eyes tightly shut. She felt herself plummeting downwards, her heart pounding in her chest. Her mind was a chaotic mess, filled with fear. She thought, "It's over, it's over! I'm going to fall terribly this time. If I get hurt, it'll delay my cultivation. And will Master be disappointed in me? How could I be so stupid!" The fear was like a monstrous beast in the darkness, its jaws gaping wide, seemingly about to devour her whole. Her body trembled slightly from extreme fear, every nerve stretched to its limit, as if it would snap at any moment. Her heart was filled with fear of the unknown consequences, self-loathing for her incompetence, and deep guilt for disappointing her master. These emotions tightened like a noose, causing her excruciating pain.

At this critical moment, a white figure streaked across the sky like lightning, instantly landing beneath Hua Qiangu. Bai Zihua's expression was cold yet resolute, as he stretched out his arms and steadily caught the falling Hua Qiangu.

Due to the force of the fall, Hua Qiangu crashed into Bai Zihua's arms. The two spun around in the air a few times before slowly regaining their balance. At that moment, Hua Qiangu's panicked eyes met Bai Zihua's deep and cold eyes. Time seemed to stand still as their eyes locked.

Hua Qiangu's face flushed crimson in an instant. She frantically tried to say something, but no words came out. Her heart pounded like a rabbit's, thinking, "Oh dear, how could this happen? I'm so close to Master! His eyes are so deep! I… my face is burning! Oh no, this is so embarrassing! Will Master think I'm frivolous? After all, this all of a sudden… Oh, how shameful!" Her heart was a jumble of emotions—embarrassment, shyness, panic, and nervousness all surging within her. The shyness flowed like molten lava through her veins, making her face burn even hotter, almost hot enough to fry an egg; the embarrassment was like a sharp sword piercing her pride, making her want to disappear into the ground; and the panic and nervousness were like a flock of startled birds, raging in her chest, making her breathless and unsure what to do with her hands and feet.

Bai Zihua, caught off guard by this close contact, was slightly taken aback. He could clearly feel Hua Qiangu's rapid breath on his face, and a strange ripple stirred within him. He thought to himself, "This little bone, how could she be so reckless? That situation was truly dangerous. If I hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. But… this sudden closeness has stirred a kind of panic I've never felt before. Her eyes are so pure yet filled with fear, and I'm… a little unsure what to do." At this moment, deep within him was a worry for Hua Qiangu's safety, a worry like a cold winter wind blowing through his heart, prompting his immediate rescue. But at the same time, this sudden intimacy stirred his emotions, a sense of panic he'd never felt before creeping up on him, like an invisible hand gently plucking at the strings of his usually calm heart, leaving him somewhat bewildered. On the one hand, he admonished himself that as an immortal of Changliu, he should remain calm and composed and not let such matters of love and affection disrupt his path of cultivation; on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel the aura emanating from Hua Qiangu. That pure aura, yet tinged with a hint of panic, seemed to make his heart beat a little faster. This made him both annoyed by his abnormality and inexplicably intoxicated by it. These contradictory emotions intertwined and collided in his heart, causing his brows to furrow slightly involuntarily.

Just as the two were still immersed in the awkwardness and panic of this sudden close contact, another accident happened! Because of the fright just now, Hua Qiangu leaned forward suddenly, and her lips actually pressed against Bai Zihua's cheek.

"Ugh!" Hua Qiangu's eyes widened, her mind went completely blank, and she was utterly stunned. Her heart was in turmoil, screaming repeatedly, "Oh my god, what have I done? I actually kissed Master! What am I going to do? What am I going to do? Master will definitely hate me! How could I be so clumsy? I've messed things up terribly! It's all over!" At this moment, her panic had reached its peak. Fear, regret, self-blame, and embarrassment erupted like a volcano, engulfing her in endless pain. She felt as if she had committed an unforgivable crime. All her respect and love for her Master had transformed into self-hatred. She hated her recklessness, her clumsiness, and felt she could never face her Master again. A deep sense of despair, like a heavy gloom, enveloped her entire world, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Bai Zihua was also stunned. He never expected such a thing to happen. A look of astonishment flashed across his face, but he quickly regained his cold and stern expression. His heart was also in turmoil, thinking, "This...this Xiao Gu actually...actually kissed me. Although it was just an accident, why do I have such a strange feeling in my heart? This shouldn't be happening. I am the Immortal of Changliu, and she is my disciple. How can I let such a trivial matter disturb my mind? But...this feeling is so clear, it's really making me a little uneasy." At this moment, the astonishment in his heart was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating a huge wave. On the one hand, he was shocked by this sudden intimate act, feeling that it completely violated the master-disciple ethics he had always adhered to; on the other hand, that strange feeling was quietly taking root in his heart, making him both resistant and unable to resist savoring it. He was both annoyed by the disruption to his state of mind and confused by the unexpected feelings that had arisen. He didn't know how to face his own heart or how to face Hua Qiangu. This contradictory emotion made his face even colder, and a complex look that was hard to detect flashed in his eyes.

After a long while, Hua Qiangu finally reacted. Like a frightened little rabbit, she suddenly broke free from Bai Zihua's embrace, stood aside with her face flushed, and stammered, "Master, I...I didn't mean to! Really, I...I was just too scared, so...so that's why...oh dear!" As she spoke, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Bai Zihua coughed lightly, his expression somewhat unnatural, and said, "It's alright, just be more careful next time." But in his heart, it was like a calm lake that had been disturbed by a small pebble, creating ripples that he couldn't calm down. He silently warned himself, "Bai Zihua, Bai Zihua, you must steady your mind. Don't let such matters of love and affection disrupt your cultivation. Xiao Gu is just a child; this was just an accident. Don't overthink it." However, despite constantly reminding himself of this, an indescribable emotion still lingered in his heart, making his feelings extremely complicated. He hoped that Hua Qiangu could forget about this incident as soon as possible, yet he couldn't help but recall the touch of that moment and her panicked eyes. This contradictory feeling made him sigh slightly, as if he were sinking into an invisible quagmire, the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.

Just then, Huo Xi happened to pass by and saw this scene. Her eyes widened instantly, her mouth gaped open enough to fit an egg, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! What... what's going on? Xiao Gu, you and Master... this is too exciting! Haha!"

Upon hearing this, Hua Qiangu's face turned even redder. She stomped her foot and shouted at Huo Xi, "Senior Brother Huo Xi, don't spout nonsense! It's not what you saw. I just fell off my sword. Master only saved me. This... this was purely an accident! Humph!"

Huo Xi raised an eyebrow dismissively and said with a grin, "Oh, an accident? What a coincidence! Haha! But speaking of which, Xiao Gu, this can be considered a close encounter with Master. How did it feel? Hehe!"

"Huo Xi!" Bai Zihua frowned and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense here, hurry up and go cultivate!"

Seeing Bai Zihua's unfriendly expression, Huo Xi shrank back in fright and hurriedly replied, "Yes, Master, I'll go right away, I'll go right away!" After saying that, she slunk away.

Hua Qiangu lowered her head, not daring to look at Bai Zihua, filled with remorse. She muttered to herself, "Oh dear, this is terrible! I've made such a fool of myself. Master will definitely think I'm incredibly stupid and reckless. How am I going to face him in the future?" She kept blaming herself, "I should have been more careful. If I had mastered the sword-flying technique better, this wouldn't have happened. Master is definitely extremely disappointed in me now. I must work harder to improve my image in Master's eyes." At this moment, the regret in her heart was like a heavy lead weight, making it hard for her to breathe. The self-blame was like a sharp knife, piercing her heart again and again. She felt that she had lost all face in front of her master. The good image she had wanted to build in her master's heart had vanished. She was afraid that her master would look at her differently from now on and would no longer teach her as carefully as before. This fear and worry made her feel extremely depressed. She even began to doubt whether she was really suitable to cultivate on Changliu Mountain and whether she really had the ability to change her original tragic fate.

Bai Zihua seemed to see through her thoughts, sighed softly, and said, "Xiao Gu, don't take it to heart. Cultivation is bound to have its ups and downs. Learn from this mistake in the future." Looking at Hua Qiangu's dejected appearance, he felt a pang of pity, thinking, "Xiao Gu is usually very hardworking and ambitious. Although she made a mistake this time, it can't be entirely blamed on her. It's just that this unexpected event has indeed made the situation a bit awkward. I hope she can adjust quickly and not let it affect her state of mind for cultivation." At this moment, he felt both tolerance and understanding for Hua Qiangu, a tolerance like the warm spring sun shining on her heart, bringing her warmth and comfort; and helplessness at having his own state of mind disturbed. He was helpless that he could have such complex emotions because of such an accident, feeling that he should be more detached, but reality left him somewhat at a loss. This helplessness made him frown slightly, and a faint trace of melancholy appeared in his eyes.

Hua Qiangu raised her head, looked at Bai Zihua gratefully, and said, "Thank you, Master. I understand. I will definitely work harder in my cultivation and never let such a thing happen again!"

Just then, Ni Mantian walked over. She saw Hua Qiangu and Bai Zihua standing together from afar, and a surge of intense jealousy welled up inside her. As she got closer and saw Hua Qiangu's flushed face, she became even more furious, saying sarcastically, "Oh, what's wrong? Hua Qiangu, what tricks are you playing now? Why is your face so red? Humph!"

Hua Qiangu frowned and said irritably, "Ni Mantian, I didn't play any tricks. I just fell off my sword, and my master saved me. What's it to you? Stop being sarcastic."

Ni Mantian curled her lip in disdain and said, "Hmph, you want to learn sword flight? Don't you even know your own aptitude? All you do is cause trouble for your master. You're a disgrace!"

Bai Zihua's expression darkened slightly upon hearing Ni Mantian's opinion. He said seriously, "Ni Mantian, how can you speak like that? Xiao Gu is also working hard to cultivate. Although she made a mistake this time, her ambition is commendable. As her fellow disciple, you should encourage her instead of mocking her."

Upon hearing this, Ni Mantian quickly lowered her head and said, "Yes, Master, this disciple knows her mistake." But in her heart, she thought, "Hmph, Hua Qiangu, just you wait, I'll make sure you can't stay on Changliu Mountain any longer!"

Seeing Ni Mantian's unwilling expression, Hua Qiangu secretly vowed in her heart: "Hmph, Ni Mantian, just you wait, I will definitely master the sword flight technique and make you look at me with new eyes. Then let's see if you still dare to treat me like this!"

Afterwards, Bai Zihua gave Hua Qiangu a few more instructions regarding cultivation before turning and leaving. Watching Bai Zihua's departing figure, Hua Qiangu felt a mix of emotions: regret for the embarrassing moment, gratitude for her master's concern, and a firm determination to master the sword-flying technique. She silently vowed, "Master, don't worry, I will definitely work hard. I will remember this forever, and I will never let you down again. I will let everyone know that I, Hua Qiangu, am not so easily defeated!"

She took a deep breath, picked up her sword again, and said to herself, "Hmph, I must learn this sword-flying technique, so that others won't laugh at me anymore!"

So, Hua Qiangu began a new round of practice. This time, she was more serious and focused than before, because she knew that only by becoming stronger could she gain a foothold in Changliu Mountain and rewrite her original tragic fate!