Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 25

A faint sorrow lingered on Jiang Ruiping’s pale face, but her eyes remained as cold as frost, revealing little trace of longing.

Jiang Ruiping merely tightened her grip on the Yu Ling Sword, as if the blade were a vessel for her emotions. She was determined to bring it back to Approaching Immortals Mountain and keep it by her side.

Falling debris from the tomb chamber avoided Jiang Ruiping as it descended. Her mere presence exuded an indescribable pressure, as if she were bathed in a faint silver light despite not activating any cultivation technique.

The more Shen Su observed, the stranger the situation seemed.

Jiang Ruiping’s cultivation realm was clearly not one that could be easily surpassed. During the original timeline, when Jiang Xu led the siege on Approaching Immortals Mountain, where had Jiang Ruiping been?

It couldn’t be that she had truly perished. After all, the higher one’s cultivation, the longer their lifespan. Given Jiang Ruiping’s level of cultivation, she would never die before all her peers had passed away.

Shen Su continued to study Jiang Ruiping, but Jiang Ruiping spoke no further to her.

She had hoped to reminisce, but Shen Su was not Shen Yiwen.

The wait had grown too long.

Jiang Ruiping’s free hand curled slightly at her side. Her voice, cold as ice, commanded, “Jiang Xu, you must return with me.”

Jiang Ruiping refused to wait any longer.

If it had been anyone else, Jiang Ruiping might have resorted to force immediately. But she patiently waited for Jiang Xu to speak, though the seemingly two choices left him with only one.

Jiang Xu hadn’t avenged his great wrongs and naturally didn’t want to die.

He could still try to escape, but at such close range, there was no chance of breaking free from Jiang Ruiping’s grasp.

Returning to Approaching Immortals Mountain would be more advantageous than harmful for Jiang Xu, but the difficulty lay in having to part with Wei Nanyi.

Jiang Xu relented, his hands severed. He could only glare fiercely at the White-Haired Rabbit. “You have to let me arrange things for her.”

Jiang Ruiping had no intention of wasting any more time here. She sneered, “Just a rabbit. If you can’t find a place for it, why not give it to Shen Su for dinner?”

The moment Jiang Ruiping finished speaking, Jiang Xu’s face darkened to the color of coal. Gritting his teeth, he spat, “Shut up.”

But Jiang Ruiping wouldn’t heed him. She glanced dismissively at the White-Haired Rabbit.

Aside from its snow-white fur and soft appearance, a closer look revealed its delicate bones and lack of fat. Clearly, this wasn’t a plump, succulent rabbit. Though Approaching Immortals Mountain lacked living animals, it had corpses prepared for meals, and every one of them looked far more appetizing than this creature.

Jiang Ruiping, who disliked animals, naturally saw nothing particularly beautiful about the little rabbit.

The more she looked at it, the more disgusted she became. “It barely has a few ounces of meat on it. Not even enough for Shen Su to snack on.”

Her harsh words silenced Wei Nanyi completely.

Jiang Xu’s gaze at Shen Su grew increasingly menacing. Shen Su’s face flushed crimson as she frantically waved her hands. “Senior Jiang, I don’t eat rabbits!”

“You have Fox bl00d in your veins, yet you don’t eat rabbits?” Jiang Ruiping frowned slightly, repeating “How strange” several times.

Having completely lost her patience, Jiang Ruiping lightly flicked Yu Ling Sword, piercing Jiang Xu’s belt with the tip. She lifted him by the belt, dangling him from the sword’s point. “Let’s go. Back to the mountain.”

“Jiang Ruiping, I haven’t settled things yet…”

A-Niang stopped mid-sentence. For them, Jiang Ruiping was just as dangerous.

She awkwardly blurted out, “Rabbit.”

Jiang Ruiping pointed at Shen Su. “Shen Su doesn’t eat rabbits. Why not let her keep it?”

Jiang Xu found this odd. “Your disciple is dead. She’s your disciple’s only descendant. Why aren’t you taking her back to Approaching Immortals Mountain?”

She had overheard Jiang Ruiping’s earlier words and knew that Shen Su’s ancestor had been Jiang Ruiping’s sole disciple.

Jiang Ruiping gazed deeply at Shen Su and said coolly, “I dislike demons. Half-demons are no exception.”

If Shen Su hadn’t been a half-demon, Jiang Ruiping might have been tempted to take her back to Approaching Immortals Mountain. But since Shen Su was a half-demon, Jiang Ruiping abandoned the idea. She wouldn’t break the rules she herself had established.

“The rabbit belongs to Shen Su now,” Jiang Ruiping declared, making no attempt to seek the consent of the three parties involved. She released her grip on the sword hilt, secretly channeling a cultivation technique to forcibly control the Yu Ling Sword, raising Jiang Xu even higher. “Once you’ve settled things, you can come with me.”

Jiang Ruiping clearly had other ways to take Jiang Xu, yet she insisted on using the Yu Ling Sword. This was likely a display of dominance.

Weapons, once bound to a master, obey only their commands. Spirit Tools that have recognized their master are nearly impossible to seize, let alone Divine Tools.

The power of a Divine Tool far surpasses that of a Spirit Tool. Moreover, in the original novel, Ruoqing had been a cheat-like advantage that nearly wiped out the protagonist’s group. Yet Jiang Ruiping was forcibly suppressing the Yu Ling Sword with her own cultivation, bending it to her will despite its already having a master. While Jiang Xu’s current weakness played a role, Shen Su struggled to imagine just how powerful Jiang Ruiping truly was.

Fortunately, Jiang Ruiping harbored no ill will toward Shen Su.

Shen Su had no complaints about Jiang Ruiping simply dumping the rabbit on her. She had wanted to stay with Wei Nanyi anyway.

Following Wei Nanyi and caring for her made little difference.

Wei Nanyi remained silent. She understood that in her animal form, she lacked the ability to live independently. Since Jiang Ruiping was taking Jiang Xu away, leaving her with Shen Su might be the best option for now.

Shen Su was kind, and Wei Nanyi wasn’t entirely useless to her. She could teach Shen Su cultivation as repayment.

Among the four in the tomb chamber, Jiang Xu was the only one dissatisfied. “Jiang Ruiping!”

Jiang Ruiping’s already dwindling patience snapped. She frowned irritably. “Shut up! Nan Yi never whined like this.”

Seeing Jiang Ruiping’s growing impatience, Jiang Xu feared she would really take her away. Her tone softened slightly. “Hmph, Senior Jiang, at least let me say a few words to Miss Shen.”

When Jiang Ruiping saw the hedgehog-like Jiang Xu soften her quills, she instinctively covered her ears, muttering unconsciously, “See? This is how children should speak properly to their elders.”

After speaking, a moment of silence fell in the tomb chamber. Shen Su stared wide-eyed at Jiang Ruiping, who seemed to be coaxing Jiang Xu, though her methods were awkward and only made him more agitated. “I don’t need your help!”

“Hmph,” Jiang Ruiping scoffed, lightly snapping her fingers. With a flick of her wrist, the Yu Ling Sword returned to her hand, and Jiang Xu was once again thrown to the ground.

Jiang Xu had once been arrogant and invincible, but since Jiang Ruiping’s arrival, he had quickly sustained injuries. Both his hands would require a long recovery, yet he had no means of retaliation. He knew he needed the resources of Approaching Immortals Mountain, as well as guidance from Jiang Ruiping or someone else.

No matter how he looked at it, following Jiang Ruiping’s lead was his best option.

After ten years of fleeing, Jiang Xu had no acquaintances outside Approaching Immortals Mountain. In the end, the only person he could trust was Shen Su, whom he had met only recently and had even tried to steal an ear from.

Jiang Xu found this utterly absurd, and he blamed it all on Jiang An.

If not for Jiang An, none of this would have happened.

Returning to Approaching Immortals Mountain would at least allow him to torment Jiang An at every opportunity.

The red robes he wore were already stained with his own bl00d. He approached Shen Su, golden light flickering in his eyes. When their gazes met, a faint golden character for “囚” (prisoner) appeared in Shen Su’s vision, making her body feel heavier. A suffocating pressure built in her chest, causing her heart to race with anxiety.

Jiang Xu remained as fiercely arrogant as ever. “This is a curse seal. If you dare harm me…”

Jiang Xu’s threat toward Shen Su didn’t escape Jiang Ruiping’s notice. “Tch, is that how you ask for help?”

With a casual wave of her hand, Jiang Ruiping dispelled the “囚” character from Shen Su’s eyes, and the oppressive weight on her body vanished.

She had effortlessly broken the curse seal Jiang Xu had placed on Shen Su.

Jiang Ruiping’s protective instincts extended even to Shen Su. Not only did Jiang Xu’s threat fail, but she also earned a stern warning from Jiang Ruiping: “Jiang Xu, Approaching Immortals Mountain is a righteous sect. If you use such forbidden techniques again after returning, I’ll break your hand bones a second time.”

Shen Su watched Jiang Xu’s delicate face flush crimson with suppressed fury, nearly bursting into laughter.

Jiang Ruiping was truly Jiang Xu’s nemesis.

Seething with anger, Jiang Xu’s distrust of Jiang Ruiping deepened. She glanced at the rabbit with a complex expression. “Senior Jiang, could you please excuse us for a moment?”

Though she pleaded, Jiang Ruiping remained unmoved.

Jiang Ruiping refused to indulge Jiang Xu in the slightest. If Shen Su were to follow her, her personality might undergo a drastic transformation—precisely what Wei Nanyi had hoped for.

Wei Nanyi also heard Jiang Xu’s plea. Sensing that Jiang Xu had something private to say to Shen Su, something she didn’t want Jiang Ruiping to overhear, the White-Haired Rabbit shook its head and sighed. “Miss Shen, please ask Martial Uncle Jiang to step aside for a moment.”

Shen Su was surprised. “Me?”

Wei Nanyi nodded. “If you ask, Martial Uncle Jiang might listen. Actually, after Junior Brother Shen left, she wanted to bring him back several times. But she dislikes demons and feared Junior Brother Shen would anger her again by staying with Miss Guiyan, so she never actually went looking for him.”

Skeptical but willing to try, Shen Su turned to Jiang Ruiping and said, “Senior Jiang, Miss Jiang probably has something she wants to say to me. Could you give us some privacy?”

Jiang Ruiping frowned. “She wants to steal your ear.”

True to form, she was still holding a grudge about Jiang Xu’s attempt to steal Shen Su’s ear.

Feeling a flicker of gratitude, Shen Su glanced at the dejected Jiang Xu and forced a small smile. “I don’t think Miss Jiang wants to steal my ear anymore.”

Jiang Ruiping didn’t move immediately. Instead, she asked Shen Su, “Shen Su, is there anyone else in your family?”

Shen Su shook her head. “After my parents passed away, I’m the only one left.”

Hearing that Shen Su was the last of the Shen Family, Jiang Ruiping was visibly moved. She gripped the Yu Ling Sword, her hand trembling slightly on the hilt. “I’ll wait for you outside the tomb chamber.”

And with that, Jiang Ruiping truly left.

Jiang Ruiping, a master of formations and possessing extraordinary strength, found the life gate within the Pixiang Mirror Dragon Formation with ease.

She vanished from sight almost immediately. After she left, Jiang Xu didn’t speak to Wei Nanyi right away. Instead, he used the tip of his shoe to smear bl00d on the ground, drawing strange patterns. Shen Su watched him curiously. “Miss Jiang, what are you doing?”

Jiang Xu glared fiercely in the direction Jiang Ruiping had disappeared. “Preventing eavesdropping by petty people!”

His eyes were bloodshot, his hatred barely concealed.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming aura of the original novel’s villain, but Shen Su found it difficult to suppress her fear in Jiang Xu’s presence. Yet Jiang Ruiping had not only stood up for her but had also helped dispel the curse Jiang Xu had tried to imprint on her. Shen Su felt deeply grateful to Jiang Ruiping.

Shen Su took two deep breaths, barely managing to calm her trembling heart. “Miss Jiang, Senior Jiang isn’t a petty person.”

Jiang Xu found Shen Su’s words laughable. “She’s only protected you a few times, yet you’re already defending her?”

Those crimson eyes locked onto Shen Su, making her breath quicken with unease. She clenched her palms, a flicker of emotion rising in her own eyes. “Senior Jiang has treated me far better than you ever have, Miss Jiang.”