Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 9

She could hear Wei Nanyi’s thoughts!

Shen Su was so startled she couldn’t speak, her eyes fixed on Wei Nanyi.

Wei Nanyi, who had been examining the Jade Fox closely, noticed the astonished gaze on her face. She quickly shifted her attention from the fox to Shen Su and asked, “Miss Shen, what’s wrong?”

The moment Wei Nanyi turned, an eerie silence fell. Shen Su could no longer hear her thoughts.

Instead of answering, Shen Su strained her ears, listening intently for a while longer, but the voice remained silent.

She pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to ask Wei Nanyi about Guiyan in front of the Mantis Demon. “Nothing,” she said.

Wei Nanyi smiled and took Shen Su’s hand.

It wasn’t her imagination. Wei Nanyi was subtly guiding her closer to the Jade Fox.

Shen Su gazed at the Jade Fox. Though carved from jade, the craftsmanship was exquisite. Every strand of fur was lifelike, and the emerald eyes seemed to shimmer with a living light.

She couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke the Fox’s back, but before her fingers could touch it, the Mantis Demon seized her wrist. “Do you know where the Formation Gate is?”

Formation Gate? What Formation Gate?

A moment of confusion flickered across Shen Su’s face, and the Mantis Demon, seeing it, released her hand with a frustrated sigh. “You’re useless.”

The Demon’s grip had been surprisingly strong. Even the brief squeeze left the back of Shen Su’s hand red and throbbing. She rubbed it gently, wincing.

It seemed the Mantis Demon and Bee Demon were searching for the Formation Gate to enter the Formation. But Wei Nanyi’s words still echoed in her mind, leaving Shen Su puzzled. Weren’t they already inside the Formation? Why would they need to find a gate?

Could it be a Formation within a Formation?

The book had described Formation deployment as an extremely demanding art. Most cultivators never reached the level required to study Formations in their entire lives. Moreover, researching Formations was incredibly time-consuming, so only a select few cultivators dedicated themselves to this pursuit. However, the original male lead possessed extraordinary talent, excelling not only in cultivating the Dao but also in Pill Refinement and Formation deployment. A Formation nested within another Formation was a feat only achievable with advanced techniques.

In the original owner’s memories, the Shen Family had been merchants for generations, ordinary people through and through. How could their ancestral home possibly contain two high-level Formations?

“Miss Shen,” Wei Nanyi said, her gaze fixed on the reddened back of Shen Su’s hand, her expression tinged with sorrow.

A crystal-clear thought surfaced in Shen Su’s mind: Wei Nanyi undoubtedly knew the location of the Formation Gate, but she would never reveal it to these two Demons.

Shen Su watched as the Mantis Demon and Bee Demon searched the Ancestral Hall for what seemed like an eternity.

Frustrated by their failure to find the Formation Gate, the Mantis Demon slammed his fist against one of the hall’s supporting pillars, cursing loudly, “This damned Formation! The Gate shifts every time! Dammit! I can’t find it again!”

His blow was forceful, causing a small crack to appear in the pillar.

Fearing he might destroy the hall in his rage, making their search even harder, the Bee Demon quickly grabbed the Mantis Demon’s arm. “Boss, the Gate must still be in the hall. We may not find it now, but we will eventually. Let’s proceed with the Soul Transfer first. Without the Shen Family’s bloodline, entering the Formation would be pointless.”

The Mantis Demon abruptly raised its head, its gaze locking onto Shen Su. Gritting its teeth, it snarled, “Very well! Make your move!”

Wei Nanyi, though frail, showed no fear in the face of the Demonic Creature’s ferocious glare. She tugged again at the embroidered handkerchief wrapped around Shen Su’s hand, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, Miss Shen.”

Wei Nanyi seemed determined to protect Shen Su, despite her even more fragile frame.

But they were quickly separated by the Mantis Demon. As Wei Nanyi released her grip, she tugged once more at the handkerchief.

Watching Wei Nanyi drift further away, Shen Su suddenly felt as if a massive stone had been placed on her shoulders, crushing her delicate body to the ground. The Bee Demon settled into a cross-legged position, facing Shen Su directly.

A dim yellow aura materialized within the Ancestral Hall, gradually rising and swirling around the Bee Demon. Through the glowing haze, Shen Su saw crimson veins spreading across the Bee Demon’s translucent wings, multiplying until they completely filled the delicate membranes.

The Bee Demon’s pupils gradually turned bl00d-red, and crimson droplets began to trickle from the corners of its eyes, coalescing into crimson pearls that floated toward Shen Su.

Soul-swapping, as the term suggests, typically refers to the exchange of two souls. In this world, however, when a demonic creature swaps souls, it forcibly crushes the living person’s soul until it perishes, allowing the demon soul to possess two bodies.

The Mantis Demon and his kind desired the Shen Family’s bloodline, but Shen Su refused to cooperate. Their best option was to seize her body and control her completely.

However, the soul-swapping process was excruciatingly painful, and success was far from guaranteed. Judging by the Mantis Demon’s words, Shen Su’s parents and ancestors had all perished during previous attempts. Now, it was her turn.

The Bee Demon’s eyes grew increasingly crimson, and more red pearls swirled around Shen Su, gradually pressing into her body. These pearls were fragments of the Bee Demon’s soul; once they fully merged with Shen Su, the soul-swap would be complete.

Yet after only two pearls had forced their way in, no more could penetrate. Fine beads of sweat began to bead on the Bee Demon’s forehead, and the Mantis Demon’s expression darkened. “Strange,” he muttered. “How can her soul possess such formidable power?”

Shen Su heard the Mantis Demon’s voice.

Having discovered the usefulness of her enhanced hearing, Shen Su also realized she possessed an unusually strong soul—likely a perk exclusive to transmigrators. All things considered, things weren’t entirely hopeless.

The thought had barely formed in her mind when the Mantis Demon appeared behind the Bee Demon. A pale green orb of light materialized in his palm, pressing against the Bee Demon’s back. Her pupils dilated violently, her bl00d-red eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, growing increasingly grotesque and terrifying.

“Ah!” The Bee Demon let out a piercing scream. The light coiling around her body flared brighter, and more bl00d pearls streamed from her eyes. Cracks split her skin, and crimson droplets oozed from the fissures. Her aura intensified, and the bl00d pearls surged into Shen Su’s body, one after another.

Shen Su’s breathing grew labored. She could feel her soul being compressed, a dull ache spreading through her chest. The terror of death gripped her heart. Suddenly, a frantic voice cut through the chaos: “Miss Shen, don’t be afraid!”

Hearing Wei Nanyi’s voice brought a brief respite to the agony in Shen Su’s chest, but the pain soon returned.

The voice alone couldn’t soothe her torment. She wished Wei Nanyi would touch the back of her hand again, tug at the embroidered handkerchief wrapped around her wrist.

Ah, the embroidered handkerchief.

The images in her mind gradually sharpened. She remembered Wei Nanyi repeatedly tugging at the handkerchief in her hand.

Shen Su froze.

Her hands were close, but the pain in her body and the oppressive aura of the demonic creature made it nearly impossible to move her limbs. She could only rely on the trembling of her fingers to slowly inch closer to the handkerchief.

During Wei Nanyi’s previous tugs, she seemed to have deliberately loosened the fabric. Shen Su struggled with one hand, and before she could even reach the handkerchief, it slipped from her palm.

The wound on Shen Su’s hand hadn’t yet healed. The moment the handkerchief fell away, the dim yellow light in the room was instantly shattered. Crimson mist erupted from Wei Nanyi’s body, and Shen Su once again saw the swarming larvae. The creatures lunged toward her, their slender bodies scattering the crimson pearls. Dozens of ravenous larvae even began devouring the pearls directly.

As the bl00d-red pearls containing the soul were scattered and devoured, the Bee Demon opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of black bl00d. She reached out to the Mantis Demon, crying, “Boss, Boss, save me!”

The Mantis Demon was momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events. “Demon souls! How can there be so many demon souls?”

Shen Su had nowhere to escape. She could only watch helplessly as the larvae crawled over her wound, greedily sucking her bl00d.

Wei Nanyi had quietly approached Shen Su while the Mantis Demon was still stunned. She knelt down, picked up the embroidered handkerchief, and re-tied it around Shen Su’s hand. The moment the wound was covered, the larvae transformed back into a bloody mist and vanished.

Wei Nanyi couldn’t withstand such intense exertion. After just a few hurried steps, her face had paled considerably, and her throat felt tight and suffocating. “Miss Shen, cough… are you alright?”

Having had her bl00d drained, Shen Su’s face was pale, but her soul felt much lighter. The dull ache pressing against her chest had vanished. She coughed twice and shook her head, still shaken.

The remaining bl00d-red pearls in the Ancestral Hall floated toward the Bee Demon’s swaying body and suddenly burrowed into her flesh.

The Bee Demon’s already shattered body tore open into even larger bloody wounds. Clutching the gushing bl00d, she stared blankly at the Mantis Demon. “Boss, save me!”

The Mantis Demon finally reacted, angrily lunging at Wei Nanyi. “What exactly are you?!”

Before he could reach her, the Bee Demon behind him suddenly tore through his shoulder bone. The Mantis Demon twisted around in disbelief. “Third Sister, have you gone mad?!”

The Bee Demon didn’t respond. Her pupils were dilated, as if she had lost her mind. She raised her other hand to strike at the Mantis Demon, catching him off guard and forcing him to scramble away in disarray.

Shen Su asked Wei Nanyi in disbelief, “Madam, has the Bee Demon gone mad?”

Wei Nanyi murmured, “She has indeed gone mad. The demon soul within me shattered her soul.”

Shen Su understood.

Wei Nanyi had previously mentioned something within her body craving her bl00d. These demon souls must be it. Souls, whether human or demonic, are fragile. Wei Nanyi couldn’t control the demon souls, nor were they inherently aggressive. However, by exploiting their hunger for Shen Su’s bl00d, she had provoked them to leave her body and shatter the Bee Demon’s soul.

No wonder Wei Nanyi hadn’t revealed the embroidered handkerchief earlier, but waited until nearly all of the Bee Demon’s soul had left its body before reminding Shen Su to pull it open.

Watching the Bee Demon, now devoid of consciousness, Shen Su tugged Wei Nanyi backward. “Madam, what if she attacks us too?”

Wei Nanyi gazed at Shen Su with gentle eyes. “Miss Shen, you already carry her demon bl00d within you. The creature won’t attack you for now.”

Shen Su instantly relaxed, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Bee Demon, frustrated by its inability to catch the Mantis Demon, suddenly charge toward them. Shen Su frantically tried to dodge, the thought flashing through her mind that Wei Nanyi might have miscalculated. But then she realized the Bee Demon’s true target was Wei Nanyi, standing beside her.

In the Ancestral Hall, only Shen Su carried demon bl00d of the same origin as the Bee Demon. Wei Nanyi had, in truth, only devised a path to survival for Shen Su alone.