Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 3

The number of cultivators passing through Fallen Moon City had increased. It was common to see cultivators flying on their swords, streaks of golden light crisscrossing the sky. Shen Su, finding the glare of the golden light irritating, simply stayed indoors, not taking a single step outside.

She wondered when the male lead, Yu Muhan, would finally make his appearance, join the cultivators from Approaching Immortals Mountain on their cultivation journey, and restore peace to Fallen Moon City.

Her fingertips lightly brushed the thin paper as she turned the page. The jet-black characters leaped into her eyes, and a layer of frost settled between her brows.

For the past few days, Shen Su had been meticulously studying the books of this world, familiarizing herself with concepts beyond her previous understanding. Fortunately, the Shen Family’s vast resources had allowed her to uncover some truly useful information. The book she held now detailed the origins of Fallen Moon City and, more importantly, hinted at a faint hope for her escape.

Fallen Moon City had once been one of Approaching Immortals Mountain’s martial arts arenas. Due to frequent battles, the city’s Jade Marrow, which protected it, had vanished, causing the spiritual power within the city to spiral out of control. Consequently, Approaching Immortals Mountain abandoned the arena. As the strongest sect in the Cultivation World, Approaching Immortals Mountain commanded countless followers and admirers. The first settlers of Fallen Moon City were those who had failed to gain entry to the sect, but over time, the population became increasingly composed of ordinary people.

From a distance, Fallen Moon City resembled a broken scythe. The western district thrived with bustling activity and vibrant life, while the eastern district languished in poverty, its terrain treacherous. Between them lay a vast desert, yellow sand swirling endlessly.

Ironically, while the city’s prosperity centered in the west, its main gate stood in the east.

According to historical records, the western district lay too close to Approaching Immortals Mountain. When the mountain abandoned Fallen Moon City, they deliberately sealed off the western exits. This area should have become desolate, but remnants of Jade Marrow’s spiritual power lingered there. Even ordinary people preferred to settle in the west, despite the arduous journey from the eastern district.

For cultivators, crossing the hundred-mile stretch of desert between the western and eastern districts was a mere moment’s work. But for ordinary people, traversing this sandy expanse was an impossible feat. Fortunately, benevolent ancestors had built a narrow path through the desert, marked by piles of stones, to guide travelers between the two districts. However, the path was too narrow for carts or carriages; only human feet and the hooves of donkeys and horses could tread it steadily. Straying from the path risked being blinded by the sand and losing all sense of direction. Consequently, those who entered the western district rarely ventured out again, while outsiders, drawn by rumors of lingering spiritual power, flocked inward, causing Fallen Moon City to grow increasingly populous.

No wonder the white horse was so hard to sell. How could its frail frame possibly traverse the yellow sands?

In the original novel, the narrative perspective always followed the male lead. As the Chosen One with an exceptional aptitude for cultivation, he surpassed ordinary people from the moment he appeared. Through his eyes, Shen Su had never realized how difficult it was for an ordinary person to leave Fallen Moon City.

Now, recalling Cui Tao’s vehement reaction to her plan to leave, Shen Su couldn’t help but chuckle. Cui Tao shouldn’t have been so hasty; given her own frail constitution, leaving would be just as challenging for her.

This cultivation world was truly unkind to ordinary people.

Damn this world!

Shen Su had considered pursuing the Immortal Path, but cultivation required innate talent. Cultivators without talent died even faster. Moreover, the Cultivation World was limited in size, with constant conflicts of interest between the various sects. Once she stepped onto the Immortal Path, she would inevitably have to interact with the male and female leads. Antagonizing them meant certain death, while befriending them could also lead to doom. She knew she stood no chance against the male and female leads or the villains.

Cultivation was unwise. She’d be better off staying in Fallen Moon City and living out her days in peace.

It was still over a century before the massacre of Fallen Moon City, more than enough time for her to be buried.

Shen Su harbored no grand ambitions, seeking only a peaceful life. However, achieving this required first unraveling Cui Tao’s schemes and uncovering the true nature of the Beauty she had taken in.

Her thoughts drifted to the figure on the bed. Though several days had passed, the Beauty, transformed from a white horse, remained unconscious, showing no signs of awakening.

Cui Tao had repeatedly urged Shen Su to move the Beauty to another room, but Shen Su insisted on keeping her in her own chamber, while she herself slept on a wooden chair each night. The reason was simple: she had yet to determine whether the Beauty was human or demon and refused to miss even the slightest transformation.

The original owner of this body had been frail, but her healing ability was surprisingly good. The scattered red marks left by the white horse on her delicate skin had already vanished, leaving her hands once again jade-white and smooth.

The Beauty’s healing, however, was far less impressive. Three days had passed, yet the rescued Beauty remained in a deep slumber. Her palms and feet, coated with medicinal ointment, were wrapped in bandages, concealing the gruesome wounds.

Shen Su set down her book and strolled to the bedside.

After days of unconsciousness, the weariness on the beauty’s face had faded slightly. Yet even in her deep slumber, her brow remained tightly furrowed, as if burdened by endless worries.

For some reason, the unfamiliar voice she had heard that day echoed in her mind: “From this day forth, you are no longer a Goddess, but a lowly beast. You shall now experience the hardships of a weak life.”

Shen Su remembered hearing that voice when her ponytail had pierced the back of her hand, and her bl00d had stained the white horse’s fur. Could there be a connection between these events?

The beauty exuded a gentle aura, mingled with an elegant fragrance. If one were to call her a Goddess, it would be more believable than calling her a Demon.

Yet in the Cultivation World, those worthy of being called Goddesses must possess cultivation levels sufficient to sustain eternal life. How could they age?

Though the beauty didn’t appear ancient, she was certainly no longer young, and she lacked any divine presence. But then Shen Su recalled the latter half of the voice’s words, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

A Goddess fallen into a beast! Could it really be such a coincidence?!

Shen Su remembered it clearly: in the original novel, the root of the great villain Jiang Xu’s love for the male lead stemmed from her losing her horse in Fallen Moon City. The male lead, Yu Muhan, had grown up in Fallen Moon City and, with his kind heart, offered to help the anxious Jiang Xu find her horse. Once the horse was recovered, Jiang Xu fell in love with Yu Muhan.

The reason that horse held such significance for Jiang Xu was simple: it was the transformed spirit of her own mother.

Later in the story, Jiang Xu did indeed slaughter countless lives and massacre entire sects, driven by love turned to hatred. However, this hatred wasn’t solely directed at Yu Muhan for his unattainable affection; it stemmed even more from her deep-seated resentment toward her father.

Jiang Xu’s father, Jiang An, was the current Grand Elder of Approaching Immortals Mountain and would later become Yu Muhan’s master.

While Jiang An treated Yu Muhan exceptionally well, this couldn’t erase the fact that he had once harmed his own wife and daughter.

The original text offered only fleeting glimpses of Jiang Xu’s mother, Wei Nanyi, but these fragments were enough to piece together a tragic tale. Wei Nanyi had been the Eldest Senior Sister of Approaching Immortals Mountain, blessed with extraordinary talent and considered the most promising candidate to succeed the Sect Leader. Jiang An, her junior brother, was arranged by their master to become her cultivation partner, and they had a daughter—Jiang Xu.

No one knew that Jiang An had once loved a snake demon. During one of their secret trysts, the demon’s demonic nature flared, causing it to bite and injure dozens of disciples from Approaching Immortals Mountain. Wei Nanyi ultimately intervened, slaying the snake demon. Though the demon had provoked the incident, Jiang An held Wei Nanyi accountable for its death. Unfortunately for him, he was no match for her.

As the previous Sect Leader neared the end of his life, Jiang An devised a sinister plan: the “Wife-Killing Path Exchange.”

He manipulated Jiang Xu to trap Wei Nanyi, imprisoning her and gradually shattering her spiritual bone. Using the fragments, he forged a new Nascent Soul. Driven by resentment for Wei Nanyi’s decisive and arrogant slaying of the snake demon, he collected a hundred types of demon bl00d, refined them, and force-fed them to her. This severed her Immortal Path, corrupted her bloodline, and began transforming her into a lowly beast.

She could hardly be considered a Demonic Creature, as she struggled to gather even a trace of spiritual power.

By then, the previous Sect Leader of Approaching Immortals Mountain was already on his deathbed. By the time she discovered the truth, it was too late. Powerless to seek justice for Wei Nanyi, he could only help Jiang Xu escape Approaching Immortals Mountain with Wei Nanyi, who was as good as dead. Fortunately, Jiang An lacked the courage to commit patricide, allowing the previous Sect Leader to pass the Sect Leader position to Junior Sister Jiang An.

From then on, Jiang Xu wandered with Wei Nanyi, enduring the constant transformations of his mother into various livestock. This harsh existence forged an indomitable spirit in the young man. After ten grueling years, his cultivation had advanced significantly, and he had even discovered a method to temporarily restore Wei Nanyi to her human form. It was then that he resolved to return to Approaching Immortals Mountain to seek justice. Though the previous Sect Leader was gone, the mountain still had its Supreme Elder. Jiang Xu held no authority within the sect, but Wei Nanyi did.

However, Jiang Xu’s troubles began the moment he arrived in Fallen Moon City. He lost his horse almost immediately, and then discovered that by taking the Yu Ling Sword—Approaching Immortals Mountain’s most powerful divine artifact—when they fled, he had become a target of the sect’s relentless pursuit. This forced him to flee Fallen Moon City with Wei Nanyi.

Yet the sword had originally belonged to the previous Sect Leader. Fearing Jiang Xu’s inability to defend himself, she had gifted him the blade, never imagining it would bring him such misfortune. Still, the sword had undoubtedly played a crucial role in Jiang Xu’s ability to kill so many enemies.

Seeking a path to survival and vengeance, Jiang Xu joined the Demonic Sect, believing this would give her the power to protect Wei Nanyi. However, in the Secret Realm, she sacrificed her cultivation to save the male lead, only to encounter Jiang An and the female lead, who had also come to rescue him. Jiang Xu watched helplessly as Jiang An killed Wei Nanyi, who had transformed into a rabbit, driving her to near madness. Yet the male lead dismissed her grief as an overreaction, claiming his master had merely killed a rabbit.

No one believed that the once most talented disciple of Approaching Immortals Mountain had become a rabbit devoid of spiritual power. They saw only a soulless beast, ignoring Jiang Xu’s despair.

Jiang An used Wei Nanyi’s spiritual bone to forge a new Immortal Path and, by sacrificing Wei Nanyi’s life, fully embraced the Path of Ruthlessness, his cultivation soaring to unprecedented heights. Jiang Xu saw little hope for revenge. Forcibly merging with the Yu Ling Sword’s Sword Soul, she transformed herself into a half-human, half-weapon being, fully embracing demonic power. She killed Jiang An and annihilated Approaching Immortals Mountain, but ultimately fell beneath the male lead’s sword.

By the end of the book, Shen Su felt no hatred for the villain who had slaughtered nearly every character. If she were Jiang Xu, she might have gone even madder.

Jiang An had always treated Jiang Xu with indifference. Jiang Xu had grown up under Wei Nanyi’s care, nurtured by her motherly devotion. Even the man she loved could never surpass the importance of the woman who had given her life.

From the perspective of most characters in the book, Jiang Xu was the epitome of evil. Yet from Jiang Xu’s perspective, Jiang An was the true villain, through and through.

So, was she actually Wei Nanyi?

If she were Wei Nanyi, everything seemed to make sense. However, according to the book, Wei Nanyi shouldn’t have been able to maintain a human form in front of her for such an extended period.

Shen Su gazed at the smooth back of her hand, the voice in her mind growing clearer.

If I let her bl00d touch me again, would I hear more voices?

Slowly, Shen Su raised her hand and bit a thin slit into the back of it. As bl00d seeped onto her skin, she didn’t hear any new voices. Instead, the sleeping beauty on the bed suddenly opened her eyes. Those dark, luminous eyes met Shen Su’s gaze directly, her delicate, thick lashes fluttering gently. Her expression swiftly shifted from confusion to terror.

“No!”

It was that voice.

Shen Su had finally heard the beauty speak. As expected, it matched the soft, feminine voice she had heard earlier, though her reaction was far more violent than anticipated.

Shen Su was about to offer a few comforting words when the familiar red mist drifted into her vision again. This time, she saw clearly that the mist originated from the beauty before her. Just as the shadow of a larva flickered into existence, the beauty seized Shen Su’s hand and tucked her injured hand beneath the quilt. The moment the wound was concealed, both the larva and the red mist vanished.

The scene from the sedan chair flashed through Shen Su’s mind, and she nearly bit her tongue.

She had acted too impulsively earlier.

However, it seemed the larvae disappeared when they couldn’t see her wound. Her earlier accidental attempt to cover the injury with her embroidered handkerchief in the sedan chair had, by sheer luck, been the right move.

The beauty gripped Shen Su’s hand tightly, pressing it beneath the quilt. Beneath the fabric lay the beauty’s soft, supple body. Focused solely on rescuing Shen Su, she hadn’t noticed where she had pressed Shen Su’s hand.

The soft, full sensation left Shen Su’s mind momentarily blank. The tips of her ears flushed crimson as she silently tucked the embroidered handkerchief between the quilt and the beauty’s body.

Realizing her mistake, the beauty hastily released Shen Su’s hand.

Shen Su wrapped her hand in the handkerchief before withdrawing it. The lingering warmth in her palm made the tips of her ears burn even hotter.

The beauty opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, a delicate cough escaped her lips.

Her face flushed crimson, a delicate blush blooming across her pale, fragile features. Tears welled in her eyes, their shimmering, watery depths radiating a vulnerable, heart-wrenching appeal. Shen Su’s mind buzzed, the fingertips that had just brushed against the Beauty’s skin now burning with heat.

The Beauty’s coughs grew more violent, faint streaks of bl00d seeping from the corners of her lips. Alarmed, Shen Su quickly helped her sit up, gently patting her back to ease the tightness in her chest. Yet the Beauty clutched Shen Su’s embroidered handkerchief even tighter, as if terrified it might slip and reveal her injured hand. Her words, however, contradicted her actions: “Cough… Miss, please stay away. The thing inside me craves your bl00d.”

Shen Su glanced at the hand gripping hers, ignoring the first half of the Beauty’s warning. “Thing? What thing?” she pressed.

The Beauty parted her lips slightly, as if wanting to confide everything to Shen Su, but before she could speak, tears began to fall.

Warm droplets of tears landed on Shen Su’s arm, searing a wound into her heart. A sudden, faint itch rose in her throat. Shen Su’s fingers instinctively pressed against her neck, suppressing the urge to scratch.

Her voice trembled with a soft, tearful sob: “Miss, you bought me and saved me. I don’t want to harm you.”