Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 6

Fallen Moon City was currently teeming with cultivators from various sects, all searching for the Chosen One. Among them were disciples from Approaching Immortals Mountain, the very sect now hunting Jiang Xu, making this place undeniably unsafe.

Shen Su appeared as delicate as a lotus flower, its stem easily snapped by a gentle breeze. In this cultivation world, she possessed no means of self-defense.

Jiang Xu might be her salvation.

Shen Su’s original plan had been to stay far away from the Male and Female Leads and Jiang Xu. However, an unpredictable element had entered her life: Cui Tao, a demon with unclear motives who constantly threatened Shen Su’s life. Moreover, she had already met Jiang Xu.

Though this deviation from her plan was unexpected, it might present an opportunity.

Cui Tao had vanished the moment Jiang Xu appeared. The most plausible explanation was that she sensed Jiang Xu’s danger and feared him.

Growing increasingly lucid, Shen Su gently reached out and tugged at Wei Nanyi’s skirt.

She clutched Wei Nanyi, but when she lifted her gaze, it was Jiang Xu she addressed. “Wait. Weren’t you going to repay your debt?”

Jiang Xu lowered his gaze. The terror that had filled Shen Su’s eyes had already faded into calm. For an ordinary person, Shen Su’s emotions returned to equilibrium remarkably quickly.

She definitely had ulterior motives!

Jiang Xu frowned slightly, then gently raised her palm. A golden light sliced through the fabric of Wei Nanyi’s robe where Shen Su had been gripping it. “I said later.”

Shen Su was left holding only a scrap of pale fabric. She stared at it, forcing a bitter smile.

It was clear to everyone that Jiang Xu’s talk of repaying kindness was just empty words, said only to placate Wei Nanyi. She had no intention of wasting time here.

Wei Nanyi didn’t want Jiang Xu treating her benefactor this way. She had always taught Jiang Xu to be grateful, believing her daughter had taken the lesson to heart. But Jiang Xu’s attitude toward Shen Su was far too harsh.

She couldn’t help but reach out and tug Jiang Xu’s sleeve. “Xu’er.”

Jiang Xu only showed more emotion when speaking to Wei Nanyi, but even then, she refused. “A-Niang, this place is truly dangerous.”

Shen Su squeezed the fabric in her hand. She wasn’t good at forcing people to do things against their will, nor did she have the power to make Jiang Xu do what she didn’t want to. She was about to give up; there would always be other ways. There was no need to anger Jiang Xu.

Defeated, she didn’t speak again.

The hand holding the embroidered handkerchief fell to her face, gently wiping away the sticky bloodstains. Yet, her peripheral vision caught sight of Wei Nanyi’s injured hand and those eyes brimming with concern. Suddenly, she found the courage to speak again. “Miss Jiang, helping me with this small matter shouldn’t take long, given your capabilities. I know you’re eager to continue your journey, but while you may not need rest, the madam does. She’s still wounded and has been without food for days, leaving her severely weakened. I’m just an ordinary person, but my family has some wealth. I can provide food and hire a physician. Why not let the madam recuperate here for a few days?”

“Shut up!” Jiang Xu interrupted Shen Su before she could finish.

At Jiang Xu’s sharp rebuke, Shen Su’s lips seemed to be sewn shut with fine, invisible thread, rendering her utterly mute.

This must be another Cultivator’s technique.

Jiang Xu was a powerful individual, and Shen Su was powerless to influence his decisions. Even her right to speak had been stripped away. Overwhelmed by helplessness, she could only resign herself to her fate. She finally understood why everyone in the Cultivation World pursued overwhelming power. Once one embarked on the Immortal Path, they were surrounded by Cultivators. Without sufficient strength, they would be at the mercy of others, subject to constant humiliation.

She didn’t look at Jiang Xu again, her beautiful eyes fixed on Wei Nanyi’s injured palm. In her haste to rush out, her hand must have snagged on something, tearing the cloth wrapping her palm and exposing the raw, gaping wound.

If she had merely wanted Jiang Xu’s help before, now she genuinely wished Jiang Xu would allow Wei Nanyi a few days to recover.

Everything in the original novel was written from the male protagonist’s perspective. The only descriptions of Jiang Xu were words like “obsessive” and “mad.” It only mentioned Jiang Xu’s deep love for her mother, but dedicated little ink to depicting their interactions. In Shen Su’s eyes, Jiang Xu seemed utterly lacking in consideration. In truth, if Jiang Xu had looked more closely, she would have noticed that Wei Nanyi, though standing, was practically leaning against her chest, her face pale and weak. Because of the injuries to her feet, the embroidered shoes Shen Su had prepared for her barely touched the ground, and her exhausted expression suggested she might collapse at any moment.

Perhaps she should have realized sooner: if Jiang Xu were truly considerate, Shen Su would never have found Wei Nanyi barefoot and covered in wounds.

Wei Nanyi was like a delicate white flower, swaying in the wind and rain, her fragile petals easily crushed by even a blade of grass.

Jiang Xu watched Shen Su, forced into silence but still radiating stubborn defiance, and scoffed. “My A-Niang was never as delicate and weak as you…”

Jiang Xu trailed off abruptly, remembering that his A-Niang was no longer the omnipotent Goddess she once was. Now, she was merely an ordinary woman, her body even weaker than most. She was sick, injured, so vulnerable that even a child could easily kill her.

Transformed into a beast, Wei Nanyi couldn’t speak, couldn’t cry out in pain. Jiang Xu fed her whatever he ate, but as an ordinary person, she needed a physician and herbal medicine, not the cultivation pills meant for cultivators.

Shen Su’s words had struck a raw nerve in Jiang Xu’s heart. His gaze toward her grew increasingly hostile. He wasn’t particularly good, but he wasn’t entirely bad either. When he first arrived in Fallen Moon City, he still held a sliver of goodwill toward people. But almost immediately, he learned that Approaching Immortals Mountain was hunting him down, his horse was stolen while he was drinking tea, and then he encountered a persistent young man who insisted on helping him find it. His luck had been disastrous.

She had initially trusted the young man, but he kept leading her in circles, nearly bringing her face-to-face with Bai Ruoyi.

The young man didn’t recognize Bai Ruoyi, but she certainly did—the current Sect Leader’s personal disciple from Approaching Immortals Mountain.

Encountering Bai Ruoyi would have been a death sentence.

Betrayed by the young man’s treachery, she showed him no mercy. She shattered his leg bones and tossed him into the pigsty, finally finding some relief. But then she unexpectedly ran into Shen Su.

Shen Su appeared as innocent and harmless as the young man, but Jiang Xu knew she had ulterior motives for rescuing Wei Nanyi. Moreover, she was clearly more than she seemed. Jiang Xu remembered how she had broken the young man’s leg bones. The youth had writhed in fury, vowing repeatedly, “If I don’t avenge this, I’ll die a beast!” Yet Shen Su, nearly strangled to death by Jiang Xu, showed not a trace of animosity. Despite her recent panic and terror, she now sat calmly, negotiating terms. If not for the lingering tear tracks beneath Shen Su’s eyes, all evidence of her earlier distress would have vanished completely.

A person capable of concealing their anger and hatred is truly terrifying. Jiang Xu had learned this firsthand from Jiang An.

She disliked Shen Su, but everything Shen Su said was true. Only when Wei Nanyi regained her human form could Jiang Xu fully grasp how utterly her once all-powerful A-Niang had been destroyed.

Even if she remained in Fallen Moon City, Jiang Xu had ways to conceal herself for a time. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to evade Jiang An’s spies for so many years while on the run.

Wei Nanyi remained Jiang Xu’s greatest weakness.

Jiang Xu finally relented. “What do you want me to do?”

Shen Su felt the pressure on her lips ease. She cast a deep look at Wei Nanyi before replying, “A demonic creature has been lurking in my manor for years. I hope Miss Jiang can investigate her motives. If she intends to harm me, I implore Miss Jiang…”

Shen Su paused, meeting Jiang Xu’s increasingly impatient gaze. She continued slowly, “I implore Miss Jiang to kill her.”

Shen Su wasn’t a cruel person, but Cui Tao posed too great a threat to her.

Shen Su revealed everything about Cui Tao. Jiang Xu clicked her tongue softly. “So, who has been lying dormant all these years? Her, or you? You fear her, yet you can still pretend nothing’s amiss, addressing her as mistress and servant.”

Wei Nanyi sighed softly. “Xu’er, Miss Shen is utterly defenseless. To have survived so long beside a demon, she must have lived with extreme caution and hardship. Why must you attack her with every word?”

Wei Nanyi was a kind-hearted soul, her concerns completely different from Jiang Xu’s. Shen Su lowered her gaze slightly and murmured, “Unlike Miss Jiang, I have no power to resist demons. I don’t know what she seeks, but since she hasn’t harmed me, I could only maintain the status quo, lying dormant and waiting for an opportunity. Miss Jiang, you are the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”

Her tone was sincere, but Jiang Xu’s smile grew increasingly mocking. “Don’t underestimate yourself. Even if you lack special abilities, your mind is still quite sharp. You may be frightened by events, but you recover your composure remarkably quickly. You hardly seem like a delicate young lady.”

Shen Su could feel Jiang Xu’s gaze lingering on her, the oppressive force nearly making her heart leap from her chest. She hadn’t expected Jiang Xu to be the first to suspect her true identity. She was indeed no delicate Miss; she was a soul who had died in her own world, adrift and seeking survival in this one.

This opportunity was rare, and she only wished to live out her remaining years in peace.

Jiang Xu stayed with Wei Nanyi. Shen Su had arranged for the physician and medicinal herbs days in advance, and the meals were prepared with extravagant care to satisfy Jiang Xu’s tastes. Only when the table was laden with rare delicacies did Jiang Xu realize how modest Shen Su had been when she claimed to have “a little money.”

Cultivators typically scorn material wealth, but most still needed to experience the mortal world for their cultivation. Those who hadn’t achieved great mastery couldn’t completely sever their need for sustenance. Money was essential for daily necessities like food, lodging, and travel, and even more so for those on the run.

When Jiang Xu left Approaching Immortals Mountain, she carried only the Yu Ling Sword and a Storage Ring. For years, she and Wei Nanyi had lived a nomadic existence, often sleeping under the stars and eating whatever game they could catch. Jiang Xu’s cooking skills were rudimentary, and she herself hadn’t enjoyed a proper meal in ages.

While Jiang Xu didn’t crave luxury, she had once lived a pampered life.

Staring at the rare dishes on the table, she suddenly looked up at Shen Su. “After this is done, you’ll pay me.”

Wei Nanyi frowned repeatedly. “Xu’er…”

In Wei Nanyi’s heart, Shen Su was a benefactor who had treated them exceptionally well. How could she ask her for money?

Shen Su, however, agreed immediately. “Of course.”

Seeing Shen Su’s ready acceptance, Jiang Xu’s face tightened. He leaned in close to Wei Nanyi’s ear and whispered, “A-Niang, once I trick her out of her money, I’ll buy you something delicious.”

He lowered his voice to a barely audible murmur, but Shen Su’s keen ears caught every word.

The wheedling tone made Shen Su’s hand, which was holding silver chopsticks, tremble slightly. She quickly lowered her head to hide the smile that threatened to spill from her lips.

Should I point out to this great villain that openly demanding money isn’t exactly “tricking” someone?

Still, she was a little surprised. They seemed quite poor.

She remembered from the original novel that when Jiang Xu descended the mountain, the previous Sect Leader had given him the Yu Ling Sword and a Storage Ring filled with Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones. This had sustained Jiang Xu’s decades of frenzied cultivation. Surely there was something in there besides items only a cultivator could use? Didn’t they have anything they could sell for money? What kind of hardship had Wei Nanyi endured all these years?

And then there was the fact that Wei Nanyi didn’t even have shoes…

Shen Su’s hand clenched slowly beneath the table. She suddenly looked up and declared, “Miss Jiang, after we succeed, I’ll give you half of my family’s fortune!”