Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 1

“Miss! A celestial being!”

The urgent, excited cry shattered the courtyard’s tranquility.

Shen Su’s hand, holding the birdcage, paused momentarily. Following Cui Tao’s pointed finger, she glanced skyward and saw only a fleeting golden streak tear across the horizon before vanishing without a trace.

Just as she was about to lower her gaze, an anomaly erupted where the golden light had passed. Golden mist coalesced in the air, slowly condensing and stretching into slender golden threads. These threads converged to form a massive golden net that gradually faded into the sky.

But had it truly vanished?

She stared intently at the sky, a flicker of curiosity rising in her eyes.

Suddenly, a pitch-black eye flashed across Shen Su’s vision. The pure, ink-like darkness plunged her into a momentary trance, as if she had stepped into the night. Her gaze gradually unfocused, and the sounds around her drifted further and further away.

Ding.

The ringing in her ears jolted Shen Su awake. Her pupils contracted sharply as she hastily lowered her head.

A wave of frustration washed over her chest. Her empty hand instinctively reached toward her inner robe, but she failed to find the life-saving medicine wrapped in sugar paper.

Shen Su’s empty hand suddenly clenched, her slender, pale fingertips turning white from the force. She muttered under her breath, “Damn it.”

She had a mild sweet tooth and always carried candy with her. But this world had none of her favorite treats, though it had plenty of man-eating beasts.

After Shen Su’s accidental fall, she opened her eyes to find herself transmigrated into a Xianxia world. Before she could even celebrate her new life, she was already pondering where she’d be buried after her inevitable death.

This wasn’t mere paranoia; the book she’d transmigrated into was deeply flawed.

The book, titled “The Goddess’s Favor,” sounded like a romance novel dressed in Xianxia trappings. In reality, it was a tragic tale—a tragedy for the supporting characters.

The male lead, Yu Muhan, possessed extraordinary talent and was both righteous and deeply affectionate. Yet, nearly all his companions on his cultivation journey, except for the female lead, met gruesome ends. The female lead, Bai Ruoyi, was kind, gentle, and universally beloved. This very popularity led to the main supporting characters in the original story vying to save her from the great villain, each meeting a more gruesome death than the last.

In this book, every supporting character who befriended the male and female leads met a tragic end. While the protagonists weren’t entirely to blame, the true culprit was Jiang Xu, the great villain. Driven by love turned to hatred, he slaughtered the protagonist’s group and nearly wiped out all the women in the Cultivation World.

In the Cultivation World, ordinary people were highly vulnerable. They could easily become prey for demonic creatures and monster beasts, or fall victim to demonic cultivators. Shen Su should have resolutely pursued the Immortal Path to gain the means to protect her life. However, the risks of cultivation in this world were too great. Even if she miraculously survived encounters with demonic creatures and monster beasts, and evaded the internal strife within sects, she would ultimately die at the hands of the completely corrupted Jiang Xu. Perhaps, as an ordinary person, staying far away from Immortal Sects, the male and female leads, and the great villain would be her best chance at survival.

Shen Su was currently in Fallen Moon City, which lay near Approaching Immortals Mountain, home to the Cultivation World’s First Immortal Sect. Before Jiang Xu’s descent into madness, this area had been relatively safe. But after his rampage began, the hundred-mile radius around Approaching Immortals Mountain became the first to suffer. After all, Jiang Xu’s enemies and loved ones were all gathered there, and Fallen Moon City was their birthplace.

Living in the birthplace of both the arch-villain’s enemies and his beloved was a deadly predicament.

“Miss, Miss, what are you thinking about?” Shen Su’s thoughts were interrupted by a childish voice. Her gaze shifted to the girl before her, who was repeatedly calling her “Miss.”

The original owner of this body had been the eldest daughter of the Shen family in Fallen Moon City. Her parents had both died, leaving behind a substantial inheritance. Though an orphan, she possessed ample wealth to secure her livelihood. However, her gentle nature and sensitive, sorrowful heart led her to wither away from longing for her parents, creating the opportunity for Shen Su to transmigrate into her body.

The girl before her was named Cui Tao, the original owner’s maidservant.

Cui Tao was four years younger than the original owner, barely fourteen herself. Her round, chubby face still retained a youthful innocence. Having been adopted by the original owner’s parents at a young age, she regarded her mistress as her only family. For years, Cui Tao had protected the original owner, ensuring her gentle nature wasn’t exploited and allowing her to peacefully tend to flowers and birds. Tragically, the original owner’s overwhelming grief for her parents ultimately left Cui Tao alone.

Shen Su wasn’t one prone to sudden bursts of kindness. She had simply experienced the pain of abandonment herself.

She couldn’t explain the soul-swapping to Cui Tao, nor could she tell her about the hidden dangers within the book. But she was willing to show the girl some kindness.

Shen Su placed the birdcage she was carrying on the table and said to Cui Tao, “Cui Tao, let’s leave Fallen Moon City.”

The book described Jiang Xu’s attack on Approaching Immortals Mountain, where bl00d flowed like rivers for hundreds of miles. Fallen Moon City was too close to the mountain; it was no place to settle down permanently. As a book transmigrator without a Golden Finger, she had no way to guarantee that she and Cui Tao could survive Jiang Xu’s wrath.

Thinking of Golden Fingers, Shen Su suddenly recalled the earlier incident. She had seemed to be pulled into a hallucination by those eyes, but a sudden sound had snapped her free from that confinement.

Shen Su couldn’t identify the sound, but the moment it rang out, her consciousness instantly cleared.

Could this be her Golden Finger?

Cui Tao rubbed her fingertips together, her expression conflicted. “M-Miss, where do you want to go? Fallen Moon City is so close to Approaching Immortals Mountain. Wouldn’t we have a better chance of seeking immortality here?”

Shen Su was taken aback. She had assumed that Cui Tao, who had been so devoted to her in the original owner’s memories, would eagerly follow her. To her surprise, Cui Tao seemed reluctant. However, everyone had their own aspirations. If Cui Tao wished to pursue the path of immortality, Shen Su wouldn’t force her to come along. Still, even if Cui Tao wanted to join an Immortal Sect, Approaching Immortals Mountain wasn’t a good choice. In fact, none of the four major Immortal Sects were safe options. Jiang Xu’s blade would show no mercy; the once-flourishing sects would be reduced to ruins, their disciples scattered in flight, with countless casualties.

Smaller sects were safer than larger ones.

Shen Su wouldn’t stop Cui Tao from cultivating immortality, but she herself only wanted to avoid the male and female leads and Jiang Xu, and live a peaceful life.

“Cui Tao, I have no desire to seek immortality,” Shen Su said, her voice gentle but her tone resolute.

The Miss Cui Tao remembered was never this firm. In her memories, Shen Su had been sentimental and melancholic, prone to tears at the sight of a falling leaf. Even her voice was weak and frail, despite her lack of any serious illness, sounding even more feeble than that of a sick person.

Shen Su could sense Cui Tao’s change. She should have been pleased, but Cui Tao had just declared she didn’t want to pursue the Immortal Path.

“Why, Miss?! Only by embarking on the Immortal Path can your life extend beyond a mere century!”

Cui Tao’s reaction was excessively vehement. It sounded less like she herself yearned for cultivation and more like she feared Shen Su’s life would be too short.

Just as Shen Su was about to ask for an explanation, a sudden fluttering sound filled her ears.

It sounded like the flapping of wings.

Instinctively, Shen Su glanced at the birdcage. The tiny bird inside was curled up peacefully, resting quietly. Its wings weren’t trembling, let alone making any noise. Moreover, judging by the sound’s volume, it would require the flapping of enormous wings to produce such a sound.

Frowning, she gently pinched her earlobe. The sound didn’t diminish; instead, it grew louder with each of Cui Tao’s insistent questions.

“Miss, why?!”

Flap, flap—

It seemed the more agitated Cui Tao became, the louder the sound grew.

Shen Su eyed Cui Tao suspiciously before asking solemnly, “Cui Tao, do you hear anything like the sound of wings flapping?”

Cui Tao froze, instinctively clutching her arm tightly. She lowered her gaze and said, “Miss, didn’t you want to leave Fallen Moon City? If we’re going on a long journey, we’ll need a good horse. Why don’t we go to the market and take a look?”

As Cui Tao’s composure returned, the sound vanished.

Shen Su became increasingly convinced that it wasn’t a hallucination. Her ears could genuinely hear hidden sounds, and Cui Tao’s attempt to distract her was clumsy, almost too obvious.

It seemed the flapping sound was closely connected to Cui Tao.

Is she a demon?

What rotten luck! Just when Shen Su had decided Cui Tao was a good person, she discovered the “good person” was a demon.

According to the original owner’s memories, Cui Tao was only ten years old when Shen Su’s parents died. For a ten-year-old girl to protect Shen Su from bullying and guard her family’s conspicuous wealth would have been nearly impossible. But if Cui Tao were a demon, it would make perfect sense.

Living in Fallen Moon City with a demon by her side felt like having a knife pressed against her throat. She just didn’t know where they were on the timeline. What if Jiang Xu came to slaughter the city before she could escape?

Even without Jiang Xu, the companion by her side was still dangerous.

Throughout their journey, Shen Su tried her best to avoid glancing at Cui Tao. Although the original owner’s memories painted Cui Tao as an exceptionally kind girl, Shen Su had just arrived in this unfamiliar world, utterly powerless. It was hard not to fear a demonic creature with unknown motives.

However, Cui Tao showed no immediate intention of harming her.

Shen Su relaxed slightly as Cui Tao led her to the horse market. Along the way, they encountered several cultivators.

Whenever Cui Tao spotted a cultivator using supernatural abilities, she would nudge Shen Su to look, as if trying to spark her interest in cultivation. But cultivation required innate talent, and even if Shen Su wanted to pursue it, she might lack the aptitude.

Moreover, according to the original novel’s descriptions, cultivators were extremely discreet, avoiding interference with ordinary people’s lives. They rarely ventured into bustling cities. Yet the sudden influx of cultivators into Fallen Moon City, openly displaying their identities, was highly unusual.

Shen Su stopped Cui Tao. “Cui Tao, don’t you think we’ve encountered far too many cultivators on our way here?”

Before Cui Tao could reply, a horse market vendor approached them. “Miss, you may not know this, but there was an extraordinary celestial phenomenon in Fallen Moon City a few days ago. Rumor has it that a Chosen One has descended, and all the major sects have gathered here to find this Chosen One.”

Chosen One!

Hearing those words, Shen Su finally aligned with the original timeline. A wave of relief washed over her, and she no longer felt any urgency to leave Fallen Moon City.

The current timeline was still at the beginning of the original novel. The male lead had just obtained the Jade Marrow, cleansing his bones and meridians, triggering the celestial phenomenon that had drawn the attention of all the major sects. They had all converged on Fallen Moon City to find him.

The good news was that there were still over a hundred years until the later plot developments of the original novel. Given her mortal lifespan, she could comfortably retire in Fallen Moon City. The bad news was that, according to the original plot, the male lead would meet both the female lead and Jiang Xu around this time. This meant that the male lead, female lead, and the major villain Jiang Xu were all currently in Fallen Moon City.

At this critical juncture, Shen Su should have retreated to her residence, avoiding any possibility of encountering them.

Shen Su desperately wanted to turn back immediately, but the vendor blocked her path. “Miss, are there any horses that catch your eye?”

Shen Su glanced hurriedly at the magnificent horses, suddenly recalling that the male lead had won Jiang Xu’s heart by helping her find her lost horse. This made her even more eager to leave the market. “I’m not buying…”

Just as she was about to skirt past the seller and exit the market, a soft sob reached her ears.

It was a fragile, mournful sound, filled with immeasurable sorrow and despair.

Each sob landed clearly on her earlobe, rolling down to her heart like a soft knife, tearing a bloody gash in that tender place.

Pain. Intense, searing pain.

The pain forced Shen Su to stop. Without asking Cui Tao, she followed the sound, weaving past the towering, muscular horses until she found a snow-white, emaciated mare hidden in a dimly lit corner. Its coat was pure white, smooth and lustrous, but the horse was so thin it looked barely capable of carrying a child.

In this world where everyone revered cultivators, even families with modest means would spare no expense to secure a sliver of immortal destiny for their children, regardless of their aptitude. With countless methods of travel in the Cultivation World, most horse buyers were those who couldn’t attain such opportunities. Their primary need was for transportation and hauling goods, and this mare clearly didn’t fit that purpose. Yet its exquisite appearance prevented the seller from lowering the price, leaving it unsold.

Shen Su, dressed in expensive silk and satin, looked every inch the wealthy young lady. As she approached the white horse, the seller’s already narrow eyes narrowed further, his mind calculating furiously. He hoped to sell this useless horse for the lowest possible price. To his surprise, Shen Su didn’t even bother listening to his sales pitch. Clutching her chest, she pointed at the horse and said, “Cui Tao, pay the man.”

Even after leaving the horse market, Cui Tao still couldn’t understand why Shen Su had insisted on buying this beautiful but impractical horse.

“Miss, this horse looks sickly and doesn’t seem fit for long journeys. And it was so expensive! What use is it?” Cui Tao grumbled, complaining about Shen Su’s extravagant purchase of this purely ornamental creature.

Shen Su knew the real reason. The original owner of her body had no control over finances, so Cui Tao meticulously managed all household expenses. The horse was indeed overpriced; the seller, seeing Shen Su’s immediate interest, had inflated the price to an exorbitant sum, nearly enough to buy a small courtyard house.

The seller was confident Shen Su would buy it, and she did.

If she hadn’t, her chest would have ached.

What Cui Tao didn’t know was that this wasn’t a useless horse, but Shen Su’s life-saving medicine.

After buying the horse, the faint sobbing sounds had diminished significantly.

As Cui Tao continued to complain, the sobbing grew louder.

The horse seemed to understand Cui Tao’s words, but it couldn’t possibly be a demon. Cui Tao herself was a demon, and if the creature had truly gained sentience, Cui Tao wouldn’t have spoken to it that way. Shen Su didn’t want to expose Cui Tao’s true nature; she hadn’t yet figured out Cui Tao’s motives. Without the power to confront demons, maintaining the status quo meant Cui Tao wouldn’t harm her—at least for now. But Shen Su couldn’t bear the intensifying sobs.

With each increase in the weeping, the pain in her chest grew sharper.

Holding the horse’s reins in one hand and clutching her chest with the other, Shen Su said, “Cui Tao, I’m too tired to walk. Go hire a sedan chair.”

She used this excuse to send Cui Tao away, further convincing the demon that the horse was useless. Cui Tao glared at the white horse before hurrying off to find a sedan chair for Shen Su.

Once Cui Tao was gone, Shen Su’s gaze lingered freely on the white horse. She reached out to stroke the soft fur behind its ear. “Don’t cry anymore,” she murmured.

But the sorrowful weeping didn’t diminish, and the pain in her chest intensified. Her breathing grew labored and painful.

The agony drained Shen Su’s strength, forcing her to lean against the horse. Her fingers tangled in its fine, glossy mane as she slowly leaned closer to its ear, whispering, “Be good. I bought you, so you can’t take my life.”