I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script

Bai Roushuang had just relaxed for a moment when her breath caught in her throat again.

"You... you, you..." Her hand trembled as she pointed at the human-shaped figure on the ground, her soul practically screaming three questions: "How did you steal him out? Why did you steal him out? How dare you steal him out?"

"Step one, observe his movements, follow..." Xu Shulou began her usual methodical explanation.

"Stop, stop, stop," Bai Roushuang hastily interrupted. "Be serious."

Xu Shulou lowered her head. "I ambushed him while he was playing with his concubine. It wasn’t honorable, and I’m not proud of it."

"..." Without thinking, Bai Roushuang offered comfort. "Still, that’s pretty impressive."

Xu Shulou immediately lifted her head and beamed at her. "All for the sake of the goal. If it turns out we’ve wronged him, I’ll go and apologize properly."

"..."

Hearing the commotion, Gao Ming pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, only to find himself even more bewildered than Bai Roushuang.

He had spent years scheming, seeking help from countless people, yet had made no progress at all.

But Xu Shulou? After hearing his story for less than two hours, she had already hauled the Black Tortoise Tower’s leader out.

You’re really too damn efficient.

Since the bedroom was already occupied, Xu Shulou simply carried the Black Tortoise Tower leader into the kitchen and laid him flat on the table. Paired with the gleaming cleaver nearby, the usually lofty leader now looked like nothing more than a slab of pork waiting to be butchered.

Bai Roushuang thought that if he woke up now, he’d probably faint again on the spot.

Especially since the dim lighting of the night made the scene even eerier, with Gao Ming having encircled him with a ring of flickering candles.

Xu Shulou rolled up the man’s pant leg and showed the others. "I checked—no signs of decay on his legs. It’s not possession."

Gao Ming stepped forward excitedly, rubbing his hands together, but hesitated, unsure where to start. After feeling around the man’s face and confirming it wasn’t a disguise, he stopped.

The group exchanged glances. "No leads?"

Gao Ming gave a bitter smile. "I was too young back then. I don’t remember if my father had any birthmarks or anything like that."

"Not your fault. If he really wanted to impersonate someone, he could’ve faked a birthmark too," Xu Shulou mused. "Do you have any truth-serpenting poison?"

Gao Ming shook his head. "No such thing exists in this world."

Bai Roushuang chimed in with a wild suggestion. "How about a love poison? Once he’s completely devoted to you, you can start asking questions."

Gao Ming stared at her in horror.

Bai Roushuang frowned. "Why hesitate?"

Gao ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Ming muttered, "There’s still a chance he’s my real father. That idea is a bit too... stimulating."

"..."

"Besides, I don’t actually have any love poison on hand." Gao Ming had only studied how to counteract poisons, never intending to use them for harm. Since such poisons were rare, he naturally didn’t have any.

Bai Roushuang sighed in disappointment. "Let’s strip him and see if we can find any clues."

"Then... should the two of you step aside for a moment?"

Xu Shulou nodded. "Alright, I’ll rest for a bit. Call me if you need anything."

She pulled two lounge chairs from her Qiankun Bracelet, handed one to her junior sister, and then reclined leisurely under a tree.

It was early autumn in the mortal realm, and the courtyard was filled with the sweet scent of osmanthus blossoms. Xu Shulou stretched comfortably, and after a long day, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Gao Ming gaped at her. Here they were, in the heart of Black Tortoise Tower’s territory, with the leader and a left protector lying in the courtyard—both of whom she had personally kidnapped—and yet she could sleep so peacefully. What kind of nerve was this? What kind of audacity? What kind of... madness?

Bai Roushuang glanced around but found nothing left for her to do, so she lay down beside her senior sister, gazing up at the starry sky and the bright moon hanging high above.

Back when she was struggling to survive in the brothel, how could she have imagined ending up like this?

Today, every step seemed to lead deeper into danger, yet she felt none of the fear she once had.

With her senior sister by her side and a sword in hand, it felt like there was nowhere in the world she couldn’t go—even the most treacherous lairs were worth a try.

Once, she had longed for a dependable man to buy her freedom and give her a home where she could settle down. Now, she’d rather roam the world with her sword, finding peace wherever she went.

Gao Ming looked up through the kitchen window and saw Bai Roushuang lost in thought—until suddenly, she began practicing her swordplay in the courtyard.

A breeze swept through, and a fully bloomed osmanthus flower drifted down, landing on Xu Shulou’s forehead and waking her. The sky was just beginning to lighten. She picked up the delicate blossom, considered it for a moment, then took a bite.

Bai Roushuang, witnessing this, couldn’t help but laugh. "Senior Sister, don’t eat the osmanthus. I’ll make you some osmanthus tea later."

Xu Shulou stretched. "Just curious what fresh osmanthus tastes like. Any progress with Gao Ming?"

"None," Bai Roushuang shook her head. "He’s debating whether to wake the man up and question him."

Xu Shulou stood and straightened her robes. "If the Black Tortoise Tower leader really managed to deceive so many people, he’s likely too composed to slip up under simple questioning."

"Then what do we do?" Bai Roushuang fretted. "We can’t just kill him without proof, right? Not that I’d mind, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t allow it."

Xu Shulou shook her head. "Gao Ming probably wouldn’t either. After all these years of struggle, he’s after the truth."

They returned to the kitchen, where the Black Tortoise Tower leader had gone from being a slab of pork to a slightly more exposed slab of pork. Gao Ming sat nearby, looking utterly tormented.

Xu Shulou reassured him, "Don’t rush. Let’s start from the beginning. Why didn’t anyone believe you? There must be something about the leader that convinced everyone. What was it? Maybe we can find a flaw."

Bai Roushuang gave her a sidelong glance. The analysis made sense, but shouldn’t this conversation have happened before Xu Shulou so decisively kidnapped the man?

Gao Ming reined in his agitation. "He could wield my father’s life-bound artifact."

"That..." Bai Roushuang frowned. "If he could use a life-bound artifact, honestly, I’d have doubted you too."

Xu Shulou thought for a moment. "Actually, I’ve read in ancient texts that if you obtain a cultivator’s heart’s blood, you can briefly control their life-bound artifact."

Bai Roushuang looked puzzled. "But where would he get so much heart’s blood? Even if he stored some before killing the original owner, it wouldn’t last this long..."

The two exchanged glances, arriving at the same conclusion. "He kept the real leader, Gao Zhuo, alive somewhere? Regularly drawing his blood?"

Bai Roushuang shuddered. Without a shred of evidence, they had conjured up a horrifying conspiracy.

Gao Ming’s face paled. "But... in the last two years, I haven’t seen him use the life-bound artifact at all."

Bai Roushuang froze. "You mean... the real leader might already be..."

The ghastly look on Gao Ming’s face stopped her from finishing the sentence.

"Let's not panic just yet," Xu Shulou suggested. "I can disguise myself as the Tower Master and search his study. Even if we don't find traces of imprisonment, there might be other clues. Do you remember his handwriting or the books he preferred? After all these years of stability, he may have let his guard down and left some oversight in private. Also, compare how he handles Tower affairs now with records from when he first took office—there must be some discrepancies."

"The study is off-limits even to his most favored fifth brother. There are magical artifacts guarding the entrance, and mere disguise might not fool them," Gao Ming shook his head. "Besides, how could I ask you to take such risks for me again?"

Xu Shulou waved her hand dismissively. "At this point, we can't just carry the Tower Master and the Left Protector back and pretend nothing happened. Let me make the trip first, and we'll discuss the rest when I return."

She altered her appearance once more. Over the past few days, this disguise artifact had practically become more familiar to her than her own lifebound sword.

The moment she stepped out of the courtyard gate, she nearly collided with a young woman descending from a flying artifact, carrying a bamboo basket. Not wanting to complicate matters, Xu Shulou lowered her head and moved past her—only to hear the girl exclaim in surprise, "Senior Brother Gao, is that you?"

Was this the Black Tortoise Tower Master's junior sister? Xu Shulou paused, then replied nonchalantly, "I came to see that disgraceful child. Junior Sister, what brings you here?"

The girl froze. "What disgraceful child? What are you talking about? Senior Brother Gao, it's been so many years since we last met. Why are you suddenly bringing up such nonsense?"

She eyed the figure before her with suspicion.

This was the first time Xu Shulou had encountered a bottleneck in her impersonation. Several strategies flashed through her mind, but unfortunately, the two most feasible options at the moment were either to bolt or to feign madness by collapsing on the spot.

Just as she considered laughing it off and claiming she had mistaken the girl due to an eye injury from a recent fight, the courtyard gate creaked open, revealing Bai Roushuang's head peeking out. "I heard voices—oh? Who is this young lady?"

The woman frowned. "And who are you? Why are you in Big Brother Gao's home?"

Big Brother Gao? Senior Brother Gao? Xu Shulou covered her face, momentarily unable to decipher the relationship. Fortunately, Gao Ming also poked his head out. "Yue Ling, why are you here again? Didn’t I tell you to—"

The girl pressed her lips together. "I know you told me to leave for my own good—you were afraid your father would kill me if he found out I’m from the Joyous Union Sect, the 'seductress' who ruined your meridians. But you became like this because you saved me. How could I ever abandon you? I made a basket of water chestnut cakes for you, Big Brother Gao. Please eat them while they’re still warm."

The Joyous Union Sect? Yue Ling? Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang exchanged glances, a sense of absurdity creeping into their minds. "You’re Yue Ling from the Joyous Union Sect?"

The very Yue Ling whom Sect Leader Luo Hongtang had mentioned before they departed for Ruzhou City—the one who had stayed by Gao Ming’s side to care for him.

The Yue Ling whom Song Ping had referenced when recounting the feud between the Black Tortoise Tower and the Joyous Union Sect—the girl saved by "the son of the Black Tortoise Tower Master, who intervened when a rogue cultivator assaulted a Joyous Union disciple, only to have his meridians shattered and become a cripple."

After arriving in Ruzhou, they had never encountered this person and had nearly forgotten her name. Yet here she was, appearing in this very place—and addressing the Tower Master as "Senior Brother."

Yue Ling looked puzzled. "Senior Brother Gao, why do you sound so strange? It’s as if you’ve only heard my name but never met me before."

Gao Ming snapped to attention and pressed urgently, "Yue Ling, why do you call him 'Senior Brother'?"

"I suppose I shouldn’t anymore," Yue Ling sighed. "It’s been so many years since you were expelled from the Joyous Union Sect. Just an old habit, I suppose. Gao Zhang, how have you been all these years?"

Gao Zhang. Gao Zhuo. In Xu Shulou’s mind, two previously disconnected paths suddenly linked together.

Twin brothers… Gao Ming’s simplest and most outrageous speculation now seemed the most plausible.

All that talk of possession or shapeshifters—she had overcomplicated it.

Gao Ming’s father, who had become a different person, the Black Tortoise Tower Master who swore to annihilate the Joyous Union Sect—everything fell into place.

"Gao Zhang? What do you mean, Gao Zhang?" Gao Ming flushed crimson, trembling with agitation. "You’re saying his name is Gao Zhang?!"

Yue Ling took a step back, startled by his reaction. "Yes, I couldn’t possibly forget. Senior Brother Gao—I mean, Gao Zhang—was once our sect leader’s personal disciple. Later, he was expelled for scheming over a spirit mine and… a senior sister. After that, the Joyous Union Sect never accepted male disciples again. Of course, I remember it clearly."

Xu Shulou remained silent, but a convoluted and bizarre tale had already taken shape in her mind.

Years ago, a banished disciple of the Joyous Union Sect—whether by chance or design—encountered his long-lost elder brother. One was an outcast, the other the Black Tortoise Tower Master. Their faces were similar, but their fates could not have been more different.

Gao Zhang then conceived a wicked plan. He imprisoned his brother, murdered his sister-in-law, neglected his nephew, and spent decades masquerading as the Tower Master.

At first, he might have needed to use disguise techniques to match his brother’s appearance perfectly. But over time, he could gradually shed the pretense without anyone noticing…

Later, when the Joyous Union Sect—the very sect that had cast him out—fell into his hands, he saw a perfect opportunity.

Revenge. The spirit mine. Eliminating future threats…

Of course he would know about the spirit mine the sect leader had carefully concealed—the very one he had coveted back when he was still a disciple.

If events unfolded as in Xu Shulou’s dream, the entire Joyous Union Sect would be wiped out, leaving only Luo Fusheng, who was too young to have ever met him. All the sect’s wealth and techniques would fall into his hands.

In the end, under Lu Beichen’s influence, Luo Fusheng would even reconcile with him.

And that detestable nephew? Reduced to a cripple.

Truly, a life of fame, fortune, and triumph.

Xu Shulou had no way of knowing what the real Black Tortoise Tower Master had been like. She could only piece together a vague image from Gao Ming’s descriptions—"a father who sheltered me from storms," "deeply devoted to my mother," and the Black Tortoise’s remark about "an enthusiastic young man," along with the previous Tower Master’s praise of "a successor chosen for his virtue."

Perhaps, upon reuniting with his long-lost brother, he had been warm and joyful, completely unsuspecting. Perhaps he had even planned to introduce him to his wife and son…

And yet, such a man had vanished without a trace in the river of time. His identity stolen, his only child exiled to a cramped courtyard and bullied by cousins, his beloved wife slandered and murdered—reduced to the "ruthless woman" of idle gossip…

Xu Shulou could only sigh softly. "This is not a pleasant story at all."