Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 14

Wei Nanyi did not agree to Shen Su’s request.

Though somewhat disappointed, Shen Su refused to give up.

Since Wei Nanyi had praised her innate talent, she reasoned that she wouldn’t be a burden. Moreover, her bl00d could help Wei Nanyi. Even if Wei Nanyi didn’t want to take her along, Jiang Xu would likely agree, provided he could control his urge to kill her after learning about the usefulness of her bl00d.

The fox gradually slowed its pace as the lights on the stone walls grew brighter. The patterns etched into the stone gradually transformed into inscriptions. Shen Su glanced at the text and realized it detailed the Mirror Quilt bloodline.

According to the inscriptions, any demonic creature that drank from Mirror Lake on Wild Goose Jade Mountain would experience a degree of bloodline suppression—a restriction that extended beyond just demonic creatures.

Mirror Quilt was the Spirit of Mirror Lake, and every drop of the lake’s water could be considered her flesh and bl00d. The demonic creatures that gained sentience and enhanced their cultivation through the lake’s waters had essentially received Mirror Quilt’s grace. Therefore, it was understandable that their bloodlines would be suppressed.

Shen Su suddenly asked Wei Nanyi, “Madam, if my bloodline reaches the strength of my ancestors, will the demon soul within you fear me? Will it never dare to devour my bl00d again?”

Wei Nanyi remained silent for a moment before saying, “Miss Shen, the waters of Mirror Lake on Wild Goose Jade Mountain are abundant in spiritual Qi. If not for the surrounding dangers and the risk of exploding from consuming too much, the lake would have dried up long ago. Mirror Quilt is the Spirit of Mirror Lake, and her bloodline is essentially the lake’s essence—a hundred times more concentrated in spiritual power. While her bloodline can suppress any demon that has drunk from Mirror Lake, the lake itself is constantly coveted. How much more so a bloodline like hers? What they fear is also what they crave; desire will always overcome fear.”

Shen Su frowned. “Then why did they retreat when they sensed the power of our ancestor?”

“It wasn’t the power of the bloodline that frightened them, but the strength of Miss Guiyan herself,” Wei Nanyi paused before adding, “Miss Guiyan was exceptionally powerful.”

Yet Guiyan still died, even becoming part of the Pixiang Mirror Dragon Formation.

There were no records of Mirror Quilt in the books, nor any mention of sects accepting demonic creatures. In fact, Approaching Immortals Mountain had a strict rule against allowing demons entry. If not for this prohibition, Jiang An and the snake demon wouldn’t have needed to hide their relationship, and perhaps the tragedy that followed could have been averted.

Shen Su couldn’t piece together the full story, but she sensed that the truth was far more complex than it seemed.

If Shen Su had pressed further, Wei Nanyi might have revealed the truth. But she sensed Wei Nanyi’s reluctance to revisit those painful memories.

Discreetly, Shen Su refrained from asking more. Yet Wei Nanyi spoke up, her tone earnest: “Miss Shen, after you leave the tomb chamber, you must keep your wounds well-covered. It would be wise to carry a Bl00d Qi-suppressing sachet. Your bloodline is exceedingly rare, and this is the only way to avoid attracting trouble.”

Shen Su blinked in surprise. “Madam, surely it’s not that serious? The demons outside showed no interest in my bloodline.”

Wei Nanyi’s expression darkened, her voice growing stern. “That’s because their cultivation was too low. They likely didn’t recognize the hidden secrets within your bloodline. They only knew your bl00d could unlock the tomb chamber’s treasures. But if higher-level demons or cultivators were to sense it…”

She paused, her face etched with helplessness.

This time, Shen Su listened intently, though her confusion only deepened. According to Wei Nanyi’s words, how had the original owner of her body survived all these years in Fallen Moon City? Could it be that she had never been injured? Or was it due to the Bloodline Restriction? But if the Restriction concealed Bl00d Qi, how had her bloodline suddenly awakened?

The original owner of this body had never awakened her bloodline in over a decade, yet it awakened the moment Shen Su arrived.

This was utterly bizarre.

Guided by the Jade-Eyed Fox, Shen Su and Wei Nanyi traversed a long corridor. The patterns on the stone walls gradually disappeared as they approached what seemed to be a dead end.

The stone wall ahead was devoid of patterns, replaced by a row of jade-green pearls.

The Jade-Eyed Fox leaped into one of the pearls and vanished, but the two women remained rooted to the spot.

Shen Su pointed to the stone wall blocking their path. “Madam, the Jade-Eyed Fox went in there.”

Wei Nanyi gazed at the glowing jade pearls and said calmly, “Miss Shen, place your hand on them.”

Wei Nanyi’s voice sounded even weaker than before. Before Shen Su could ask, Wei Nanyi grasped her injured hand and pressed it against the stone wall. As bl00d dripped onto the jade pearls, the embedded gems began to rotate, one after another, slowly forming the shape of a fox.

As the fox’s form materialized, a fissure split the stone wall down the middle, revealing a stone gate. Just as Shen Su reached out to push it open, the gate slid back on its own, opening inward.

Beyond the Stone Gate lay the main tomb chamber, which was surprisingly austere. It contained only a few dozen stone pillars carved with intricate patterns, but the most striking feature was the double Stone Coffin placed at the center of the chamber.

The Jade-Eyed Fox reappeared before Shen Su. This time, a group of foxes tugged at the hem of her robe, pulling her swiftly toward the Stone Coffin. Shen Su stumbled forward, nearly losing her balance. Wei Nanyi, who was holding her hand, quickly let go to avoid being dragged along.

In an instant, Shen Su found herself standing beside the Stone Coffin. A loud thud sounded behind her. She glanced back in alarm and saw Wei Nanyi had fallen to the ground, the force of the earlier pull having thrown her off balance.

“Madam!”

Shen Su’s heart raced with worry for Wei Nanyi, but her body felt frozen, utterly unable to move.

“Miss Shen, I’m fine,” Wei Nanyi insisted, though Shen Su could clearly sense she was even weaker than before. If not for her keen hearing, she might not have been able to hear Wei Nanyi’s voice at all.

Shen Su wanted to check if Wei Nanyi had injured herself in the fall, but she remained paralyzed. Finally, frustration boiled over. She glared at the foxes and snapped, “Let go of me!”

The Jade-Eyed Fox truly released Shen Su, but she remained unable to move. The foxes knelt before the Stone Coffin, bowing respectfully. One fox approached Shen Su’s wound, took a drop of her bl00d in its mouth, and darted into the coffin, vanishing from sight. A second fox followed, then a third…

As Shen Su’s bl00d seeped into the Stone Coffin, the coffin began to glow red.

Finally, all the foxes disappeared.

The Stone Coffin opened automatically after the last Jade-Eyed Fox entered with Shen Su’s bl00d. Inside lay a handsome man, cradling a fox in his arms. Beneath the fox’s paw rested a sandalwood box.

The man’s complexion was rosy, and the fox’s fur gleamed, making them appear as if they were still alive. But as the coffin opened, a cloud of white mist rose, and in an instant, both the man and the fox turned to dust. Shen Su remained paralyzed, but Wei Nanyi had already risen to her feet and stood beside her. Apart from the wound on her back, she seemed unharmed, which eased Shen Su’s anxiety.

Wei Nanyi gazed into the Stone Coffin, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. “Junior Brother Shen, Miss Guiyan.”

Shen Su understood now. The figures in the coffin were her ancestors—Shen Yiwen and Mirror Quilt.

But Wei Nanyi had said Mirror Quilt wasn’t a fox demon. Yet the figure lying beside Shen Yiwen was clearly a fox demon.

As Shen Yiwen and Mirror Quilt turned to dust, the box pressed beneath the fox’s paw automatically opened. Inside lay a deep crimson jade tiger and a jade-green thumb ring. The ring appeared unremarkable, but the jade tiger was exquisitely crafted, shimmering with fine gold dust. Shen Su said to Wei Nanyi, “Madam, this tiger doesn’t seem like an ordinary object.”

Wei Nanyi pursed her lips and murmured, “Of course not. This is the City-Protecting Jade Marrow of Fallen Moon City.”

The original text had recorded that Fallen Moon City had once been one of Approaching Immortals Mountain’s martial arts arenas. Due to frequent battles, the City-Protecting Jade Marrow disappeared, causing the city’s spiritual power to spiral out of control. Approaching Immortals Mountain abandoned the arena as a result.

The missing City-Protecting Jade Marrow was actually in her ancestor’s tomb? Could the Shen Family’s ancestors have been thieves?

Had Wei Nanyi deliberately omitted these details to spare her pain? Had she lied to her?

Before Shen Su could voice her questions, the white mist that had emerged from the stone coffin earlier rapidly coalesced before her eyes, condensing into a small, jade-white pearl. It burrowed into the back of her injured hand, and Shen Su could even see the pearl flowing through her meridians. Startled, she jumped back, and Wei Nanyi, equally alarmed, asked, “Miss Shen, are you alright?”

As the White Pearl burrowed into her flesh, Shen Su finally regained her mobility. She pointed to the pearl, now lodged in the inner side of her arm, causing her veins to bulge violently, nearly bursting through her skin. “Madam, I feel like I should be in pain, but… I don’t hurt at all.”

Shen Su genuinely felt no pain, yet the sight of her meridians distending in segments was horrifying.

Hearing Shen Su’s claim of no pain, Wei Nanyi exhaled in relief and reassured her, “This might be a power left to you by your ancestors, Miss Shen.”

The concept of ancestors bestowing power upon their descendants was easily understood, but Shen Yiwen and the others might want to consider a simpler method. This particular approach seemed rather harsh on Shen Su’s eyes and heart.

After circling within Shen Su’s body, the jade pearl finally vanished, appearing to merge into her flesh. Just as Shen Su breathed a sigh of relief, another person’s memories flooded her mind. The surging memories pressed against her skull, threatening to split it apart. She gripped the Stone Coffin, slowly lowering herself to a crouch, gasping for breath.

Wei Nanyi hadn’t anticipated this sudden change. She followed Shen Su, crouching beside her and gently calling out, “Miss Shen, what’s wrong?”

“Madam, I…” Shen Su raised her arm, and before Wei Nanyi’s eyes, the flesh transformed from white to transparent, separating into fine droplets like water barely clinging together. The droplets even seemed to flow before their eyes.

Wei Nanyi froze, assuming Shen Su was terrified by the transformation. She quickly reassured her, “Miss Shen, don’t be afraid. That pearl likely contained Miss Guiyan’s power. As the Spirit of Mirror Lake, Miss Guiyan’s body was formed from condensed lake water. Any changes to your body are perfectly normal.”