The Villain Fox's Sickly Beauty Master - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Endless Reincarnation.

As soon as Jiang Jinheng finished speaking, Zi Lou immediately stood up from the ground, no longer looking like she did just moments ago. However, her eyes were still empty. If 007 were to describe it, it would be like a machine.

Seeing her say “Yes” and then vanish without a trace, Jiang Jinheng was a little worried that her appearance might be seen and arouse suspicion. In this state, she was truly too strange.

“Don’t worry, Host. As long as she leaves your immediate vicinity, she will appear normal, but her mind will only execute the commands you have given her.”

If that were true, it would be a relief.

Thinking this, Jiang Jinheng touched the icy snake tail on her wrist and remembered that this trouble was still by her side. She didn’t know anything about the entanglements between Fentian and this person. Compared to Zi Lou, she felt she was more likely to reveal flaws in front of Xi Yin.

But it didn’t matter. She still had a lot of Aura of Destiny left. If Xi Yin posed a threat after waking up, she would just ask 007 for another Puppet Silk.

Jiang Jinheng calculated this in her mind, but she was also thinking about the time Zi Lou needed to complete the mission.

She hadn’t anticipated the current situation at first and had already sent notifications to all the sects. It was inevitable that those people would notice such a commotion, or that Zi Lou’s methods would be too messy, allowing them to use a secret method to spread the news and scare the enemy. That would be bad.

Fortunately, her Master had participated in sealing the Secret Realm back then and had passed the sealing method to her before leaving. Now, she would have to try reinforcing the existing seal with another layer to see if she could block their messages here.

She acted immediately. Jiang Jinheng immediately went to find the formation’s core. She still remembered her Master saying that following the direction where the red sun sets in the Secret Realm all the way to the end was the core of the sealing formation.

…

Fu Yi walked alone for a long time before reaching the flower pond Jiang Jinheng had mentioned. Along the way, Soaring Heaven didn’t know what tantrum it was throwing again, making a fuss as if it wanted to fly out of the scabbard. She was a little afraid, so she took out a white cloth from her storage ring and wrapped the sword up.

Although she knew that this couldn’t completely stop it, Fu Yi did it for peace of mind. After all, with Jiang Jinheng’s words, she assumed this spiritual sword wouldn’t dare to hurt her.

After walking for a long time, as soon as she stepped into this area, Fu Yi felt her body’s vitality restored, which was quite miraculous. She walked around the flower pond, which was about ten square feet, for a long time but didn’t find anything peculiar. She only felt that the water light on the pond was colorful and dappled, making the water surface look very beautiful.

Fu Yi stared intently for a while and suddenly felt her head swell, inexplicably fainting.

When she regained consciousness, she only felt that she was submerged in water, and her body was very light. Looking up, the sun was high, and the sunlight shone on her face through a few feet of water. Beside her were various water grasses growing at the bottom of the water. Looking up, the water was sparkling, and the sound of flowing water was in her ears. She always seemed to want to reach out and grab something, but in the end, she only found emptiness.

Who am I? Where am I?

It seemed to take a long time for Fu Yi to recall the answers to these questions and remember the unforgettable person and events.

The surroundings were silent, strangely silent. Her heart was also strangely calm. Thinking of those unforgettable things that had been stuck in her heart, the overwhelming hatred was gone.

Could it be that this is the world after death, and everything just now, the so-called rebirth, was just an illusion? And the current powerlessness is the reality.

Suddenly, an unspeakable grief filled Fu Yi’s chest. A fleeting dream, why was it so real? No wonder Master was so good to me, seemingly walking towards me without hesitation before every choice. It turned out to be just my delusion.

Fu Yi felt like she was crying, but she couldn’t feel it. Her body was drifting up and down. Her ears gradually couldn’t hear any sound, and even her eyelids drooped, about to close.

Just then, she suddenly heard a very clear sword cry. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw a sword, wrapped in white cloth, struggling and falling, occasionally appearing above the water surface. Fu Yi couldn’t remember what this was for a moment. Then, she saw the sword use its sword qi to shatter the white cloth, revealing a cold, gleaming blade.

This is… the sword that killed her.

Fu Yi only felt a chill run through her. She watched the sword drop from the water surface, pointing straight at her heart, but she didn’t move, as if waiting for the arrival of judgment.

Anyway, I’m already dead. It doesn’t matter if I’m stabbed again. But this sword really doesn’t want to let me go even in death.

Fu Yi desperately wanted to force a smile, but she couldn’t. However, just as the sword was about to fall on her heart, it changed direction and rushed toward the water surface again.

“Soaring Heaven.”

Along with the sword’s movement, Fu Yi seemed to hear a strange shattering sound. The moment the sound rang out, everything in front of her blurred, gradually turning into a black expanse. Fu Yi finally remembered the sword’s name and the strange floral fragrance she smelled at the flower pond before she fainted.

Consciousness blurred again.

The second time she woke up, the scene had changed again.

She still couldn’t remember who she was or where she was.

Fu Yi looked at the coming and going attendants. Her gaze paused when it landed on the three large characters “Profound Cloud Palace” written on the plaque not far away.

These people seemed unable to see her. She was like a solitary ghost, floating here lonely. Fu Yi even noticed that an attendant had just passed straight through her body without any obstruction.

The people around were chattering about something. Fu Yi paid attention and summarized their words, finally figuring out what was about to happen.

Today seemed to be the 300th birthday of the palace’s owner. They were hurriedly preparing for the birthday celebration that would take place soon.

Just as Fu Yi grasped this information, she suddenly saw a woman rushing towards this place from outside the palace, her hair tied up high. She was wearing a deep, dark Xuan-colored robe that stung her eyes.

The girl’s expression was not as joyous as the attendants’. Instead, she looked panicked, glancing back as she ran, as if a flood or a ferocious beast was chasing her.

For some reason, this sight made Fu Yi’s chest tighten. She quickly followed. When she arrived inside the palace, she saw an Immortal in cyan robes and another woman in a plain skirt talking and laughing. Her gaze paused again.

Upon seeing these two people, inexplicable ripples stirred in Fu Yi’s heart. It was a feeling she couldn’t quite describe, especially when she looked at the cyan-robed Immortal standing closer to the front.

An anxious and panicked female voice interrupted Fu Yi’s thoughts. She turned her head and saw it was the woman she had been following.

“Master, your disciple has something to report.” As she spoke, the person looked up, her gaze searching behind the person she called “Master,” staring straight at the woman in the plain skirt, resolutely and decisively.

“Previously, Mo Tong harbored malicious intentions, but your disciple, out of respect for Master, did not escalate the matter. But now, he has colluded with the Demonic Cult and intends to betray the sect. Your disciple truly cannot ignore it any longer.”

Mo Tong…

Such a familiar name. Every time she spoke it, she could feel a dull ache in her heart, but Fu Yi had no idea why.

Hearing this, the cyan-robed woman’s expression seemed to become serious, and the smile on her face was gone.

“Oh? Tell me, how did he collude with the Demonic Cult?”

The person kneeling beneath the platform seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere in the palace. She stood up without hesitation, drawing her sword and pointing it directly at the woman in the plain skirt.

“Xi Yin, as the Saintess of the Demonic Cult, what is your purpose in coming to my Azure Vast Immortal Sect and colluding with a disciple of my sect?”

The woman called Xi Yin’s expression also tightened, but she made no unnecessary movements, only clutching the robe of the person in front of her tightly. In an instant, a cyan-blue spiritual sword knocked the sword out of the person’s hand. When the sword tips clashed, a clear sword cry was emitted.

“Who allowed you to draw your sword and point it at someone without distinguishing right from wrong?”

“Master…”

The person looked bewildered, seemingly mixed with some disappointment. After lowering her head and blinking, she picked up her sword again.

“Whether Master believes it or not, once I kill this demoness, everything will be clear.”

She seemed to hold great determination, but she was still struck down to the ground after a few moves. Watching “Master” walk toward her with a sword, her face was filled with unwillingness.

“Fu Yi, you said Xi Yin is the Demon Realm Saintess, but what is your identity? The remnant of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, huh?”

This sentence turned the face of the person on the ground pale. She ignored the bloodstains on her body and grabbed the corner of the person’s robe, explaining frantically.

“Master, I don’t know why this happened, but I grew up in the Immortal Sect, slaying demons and protecting the Dao. I have never done…”

Her words were left unfinished as the gray-blue sword plunged into her body. Along with the stab, her face was filled with disbelief, and she sank into despair, lying straight down, watching the person who stabbed her walk further and further away. Her eyes never closed again.

Watching the entire farce as an outsider, Fu Yi felt like she was in the midst of it, feeling angry and sad.

But she had no physical form and no ability to stop anything from happening. She could only watch the cyan-robed woman wipe the bl00d off her hands and walk back up to the high platform, and then watch a man come in from outside the palace and drag the bloodied figure on the ground away.

Afterward, everything in front of her collapsed. In just an instant, she seemed to have arrived at another place.

It was terrifyingly quiet here, dark and damp. Only the occasional sound of water dripping from an unknown source could be heard.

Fu Yi followed the only light source, but eventually found the woman who had been dragged away earlier.

A fire lamp seemed to be burning beside the person, but it was a spectral blue color, looking eerie. Her face was haggard. She was confined in a cage, her hands and feet tightly bound by chains. The cage was suspended in mid-air, and beneath it was a bottomless body of water.

Fu Yi could roughly imagine how this setup was intended to torture people. However, after a long time, she realized that even as an observer, she could be tormented too.

This person could only stay in the cage, and she could only watch her like this. Fu Yi stayed here for a long time, wandering around for a long time, so long that she lost track of time. But as soon as she stepped out of a certain range, the surroundings would turn pitch black, and she would be sent back.

After this repeated over a dozen times, Fu Yi was also tired. She hugged her knees and sat down, quietly watching her.

It was dark and sunless here, and there was nothing but a woman chained up.

After an unknown amount of time, Fu Yi heard the sound of a door opening. Her head unconsciously turned towards the source of the sound.

She recognized the newcomer—it was the man who had dragged the person away in the palace.

He talked to the chained woman for a while, then fed her something unknown.

Not long after, the woman locked in the prison suddenly shrank in size, finally transforming into a red fox with several tails.

When the woman presented her beast form to the man, Fu Yi clearly saw a greedy light on his face. A voice kept ringing in her heart, constantly urging her to kill him.

However, she only had a spiritual form. How could she lay a hand on him? She could only watch helplessly as a tail was severed, and in the pitch-black cage, a sticky pool of bl00d, hidden in the darkness, appeared.

From this moment on, time seemed to flow differently, seemingly much faster than before. Everything in front of her quickly rushed past like clouds and smoke.

What remained unchanged was that Fu Yi still couldn’t leave this space, only watching her.

Time flew by. The woman in the cage became less and less human, and her body grew weaker and weaker. Even the spectral blue fire lamp flickering above also shrunk and dimmed.

Every now and then, the man would come here, and each time he left, he would take something from the woman.

Sometimes it was her heart and lungs, sometimes it was bones and flesh, and there were the remaining tails. What remained unchanged was that he would always speak at length before taking anything, even though he received no response, he never forgot.

Gradually, everything that could be taken seemed to have been taken. Fu Yi admired her vitality. Being treated this way, and regularly suffering the torture of being submerged in the water prison, she was surprisingly still clinging to life.

The last thing taken was probably a demonic core.

Fu Yi shouldn’t have recognized it, yet she did.

Before taking the demonic core, the man spoke as usual, his speech longer than usual, and his face more self-satisfied. But Fu Yi still couldn’t hear him, just like always.

But this time, the woman was not indifferent.

Since being forced to stay here, this was the first time Fu Yi saw her so angry. Watching the chains wildly flail around, “empty” eye sockets actually shed tears of bl00d. Unknowingly, she was also silently sobbing.

Tears blurred her vision. The spectral blue fire lamp seemed to have gone out, but the surroundings were not dark at all. She experienced a moment of ringing in her ears, followed by the surging sound of chattering, and her vision became clear again.

Fu Yi looked up at the plaque in front of her. It was still those three large characters.

She seemed to have returned to the very beginning.

She seemed to remember who she was.

The same location, the same people, the same events were happening.

The scene that had just unfolded before her eyes seemed to be replaying again. The difference was that this time, Fu Yi remembered who she was.

She was the woman who was stabbed with a sword in the palace, and then had her heart dug out and bones broken.

This time, she tried to touch these people, to stop those events, but she was still like a ghost, only able to pass through their bodies, watching the tragedy unfold again, powerless.

When the demonic core was dug out again, Fu Yi arrived at the palace for the third time.

Her eyes were much redder than the first time, bloodshot, and even her breathing was no longer even. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling. But this time, she had a sword in her hand.

Fu Yi recognized it because she had just watched this sword plunge into her chest twice, but she didn’t know why it was in her hand.

However, there was a slight difference. The ice-blue color on this sword seemed a little purer.

But these differences were negligible.

This time, Fu Yi vented her resentment of powerlessness on this sword, bending it, breaking it, trying everything. Yet, it would still return to her hand at the next node, only the light on the sword seemed to dim a little each time.

After many times, Fu Yi was also tired. She just held it and watched the “story” that belonged to her, which she had already watched more than twice.

The fourth time, Fu Yi no longer wanted to break the cycle. She just wanted to escape this reincarnation.

The spiritual sword beside her seemed to sense her thoughts and emitted a buzzing sword cry. With the sound of the sword cry, Fu Yi miraculously noticed that the chattering children beside her seemed to look in her direction, and then walked away as if they were clueless.

This discovery revitalized Fu Yi’s spirit. What she couldn’t do, perhaps this sword could.

Fu Yi began to wonder about the reason why she had been trapped in this place, but besides remembering who she was, she couldn’t remember anything else.

Is it to change the outcome of her death? How should she change it then?

Fu Yi instantly thought of one person: Mo Tong.

So, in the fourth reincarnation, Fu Yi killed Mo Tong. She watched the astonishment on the man’s face, and the bl00d burst from his chest. She suddenly felt extremely satisfied and laughed very loudly.

This was the first time she had laughed during her experience as an observer.

But the joy didn’t stay on Fu Yi’s face for long, because she found that she had skipped the remaining chapters and directly started the fifth reincarnation.

If she couldn’t kill Mo Tong, then it could only be to kill… that woman.

After all, she was the source of everything, and the things Mo Tong did afterward might have all been under her instruction.

Fu Yi was very clear in her mind, but her execution was not as decisive as the first time. Fu Yi knew that opportunities waited for no one, because once she left the palace, she would never see her again.

Despite this, Fu Yi still found it difficult to strike. She hesitated, wondering if it might actually be Xi Yin.

At the last moment, Fu Yi still aimed her sword at Xi Yin, wanting to take a gamble. As expected, she failed.

The world collapsed again, and Fu Yi started the sixth reincarnation.

It seemed that with each failure, her body would become weaker, and the light of the sword in her hand would also dim.

This time, Fu Yi told herself she couldn’t be soft-hearted anymore.

But when she was about to strike, she felt hazy all over. There was a voice in her ear, seeming to call her “Yi’er.”

Who could it be?

At this moment, Fu Yi heard another alluring voice, seemingly coming from her heart.

“Do it. Kill her, and you won’t be trapped in this endless illusion.”

“Didn’t you hate her the most? Hated this kind of hypocrite who says one thing and does another.”

“To kill her with your own hands, hasn’t that always been your greatest wish?”

No… I just wanted an explanation…

I just wanted to ask that woman why she gave me warmth when I was inexperienced, and then hurt me the most when I entrusted everything to her.

Fu Yi realized for the first time that her emotions seemed to have something different mixed in.

But under the interference of the alluring voice, her face grew paler and paler.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she still plunged the sword in.

After this sword, liberation did not come. What greeted Fu Yi was the seventh reincarnation.

This time, Fu Yi noticed a crack appearing on the blade of the sword in her hand, and she seemed to be losing the strength to even lift the sword.

Watching the scenes flash by like a revolving lantern, Fu Yi suddenly lost her target.

Everyone important who had appeared here, those she despised and hated, Fu Yi had killed them all, but it had no effect.

Each time she slumped, it was accompanied by boundless despair. Fu Yi couldn’t help but wonder why she was trapped in this endless cycle of reincarnation.

No, there is one more person.

A conjecture mixed with disbelief. Fu Yi climbed up from the ground, dragging the long sword forward. At this moment, time had progressed to the point of being locked in the water prison. Fu Yi looked at the other self chained up in front of her, her expression complicated.

This sword appeared in her hand in the third reincarnation, and it had gone through four reincarnations until now. Counting it up, only the four of them had appeared in these situations.

Now that a crack has appeared, can it not hold up anymore?

The first time, she damaged the sword; the second time, she retaliated against Mo Tong; the third time, she killed Xi Yin, who looked the most innocent; and the fourth time, she pointed the sword at Master.

This fifth time should be reserved for herself.

Fu Yi remembered the alluring voice that kept urging her to strike—

Because she kept remembering this matter, unable to forget it, she developed an obsession, which gave rise to an inner demon, and that was why she was trapped in this endless reincarnation.

Dwelling on the past was useless. Just like the first and second times, she couldn’t change the past. She could only be an observer of history. In this predicament, the one she should eliminate the most was herself.

Fu Yi suddenly understood. When she opened her eyes again, she merged into the body in front of her. Numbness and fatigue swept over her entire body.

The moment she was about to close her eyes, Fu Yi used all her strength. Listening to the sound of flesh and bl00d being cut open, she let the sword blade plunge into her body.

This time, her pair of dark, expressionless eyes, tinged with bl00d and tears, seemed to see a ray of light called hope.

If her past self was the one trapping her present self here, then she would be cruel—kill her past self.

…

Just as Jiang Jinheng finished reinforcing the seal on her side, 007’s sharp burst of noise came from her mind, also startling her.

“What’s wrong?”

Although 007 was indeed loud and boisterous, Jiang Jinheng had never seen it so urgent.

“Host, since you mentioned it last time, the system space has been running a small window monitoring Fu Yi’s situation. I usually don’t look at that data much, but you spent a longer time reinforcing the seal this time, and I was a little bored, so just now I discovered that all of Fu Yi’s monitoring data has turned into question marks. There is no valid data anymore.”

Hearing this, a bad premonition surged in Jiang Jinheng’s heart.

“What does turning into question marks mean?”

Seemingly feeling somewhat guilty, 007’s reply was much quieter.

“It means that this person has either left this minor world, or… has disappeared from this world.”

As an original inhabitant of this minor world, the first possibility was naturally not an option for Fu Yi.

How could this be…

Jiang Jinheng was momentarily dazed, then quickly calmed down.

“Can you find out when and where her monitoring data disappeared?”

007 sprang into action, diligently searching for the data to report to Jiang Jinheng. The final result was that the monitoring data disappeared at the flower pond marked on the map.

While 007 was working, Jiang Jinheng had been rushing in that direction. She used the two Swift Talismans she carried with her. Upon arriving at the location, she finally realized the reason.

The flowers planted beside that flower pond were none other than a patch of Manjusaka flowers (or Red Spider Lilies).

Realizing this, Jiang Jinheng immediately held her breath and closed her senses, avoiding the influence of the floral fragrance.

No wonder this kind of Heaven Treasure was not obtained by anyone on the map’s notation—it was because of it.

The inherent hallucinatory effect of the Manjusaka flower would cause people to lose consciousness. Coupled with the accompanying Phantom Dream Pool, it would cause people to fall into a triple Dream of Losing One’s Life, each layer deeper than the last, and each layer harder to escape. It was a proper forbidden flower. Legend has it that it only grew in the deepest, lightless depths of the Demon Abyss in the Demon Realm.

There was also a saying that it originally grew in front of the Underworld, by the side of the Bridge of Helplessness, and therefore had the ability to connect life and death and control reincarnation.

Jiang Jinheng had only seen this knowledge in forbidden books.

Jiang Jinheng didn’t know why this kind of hell flower was planted here and bloomed so densely and crimsonly. Paired with the colorful water ripples and the lush flowers and plants around it, it made people unaware of any sense of danger.

Or perhaps, the sights she could see were due to its outstanding hallucinatory effect.

Before this, Jiang Jinheng had even considered human interference, but she hadn’t considered the issue of the location.

A spiritual sword lay beside the flower pond. Cracks had already appeared on the blade, and the sword’s spiritual light was no longer present. Jiang Jinheng recognized it as Soaring Heaven at a glance. She collected it, brushed her palm over it, and a faint look of distress flashed in her eyes.

“You kept your promise and did your best.”

Hearing Jiang Jinheng’s words, Soaring Heaven’s blade subtly vibrated, seemingly responding, but it was no longer as energetic as before.

007 also learned about the flower’s dangers from various sources and felt even more remorse.

“It’s all my fault for marking those resources on the parchment scroll without considering what kind of danger she might fall into.”

“No.” Jiang Jinheng sighed softly, slightly lowered her eyelids, thought for a long time, and then separated a clone: “It’s not your fault. I was the one who told her to come here. It was my lack of consideration.”

Her disciple was only sixteen years old, inexperienced, and limited in ability, yet this was not the first time she had encountered danger in this Secret Realm.

007 had said that Mo Tong, as the Child of Destiny of this minor world, would not die so easily. But she had changed the direction of the script orchestrated by the Heavenly Dao, making it difficult to determine whether it would harm others.

Thinking this, Jiang Jinheng pointed to the clone, and also took off the snake coiled around her hand, handing it to her, along with a jade thumb ring that 007 had given her when they were first bound: “I did not inject a primordial spirit into this body. You will manage it for the foreseeable future. After all, the Demon Realm is stirring, and their every move still needs to be watched. Zi Lou’s identity can still be utilized. Remember to have her fabricate information according to the schedule and report back to the Demon Race. As for the rest, you decide for yourself.”

“If I can’t return, this body will also disappear. I apologize to you, but I genuinely want to be impulsive this time. When that time comes, you can bind to someone else to do the mission. I know you can choose others.”

“Host, what are you doing?!”

007 didn’t know what was going on with Jiang Jinheng’s manner of giving final instructions. It spun around anxiously, but then heard her say another sentence.

“After all, you are the one I trust the most now, Little Qi.”

After saying that, 007 watched from the system space as Jiang Jinheng leaped into the pond.

…

The third time she woke up, Fu Yi had not lost any memories. In fact, the previous two experiences in her mind were still deeply imprinted.

This time, she was back to when she was ten years old.

And this time, Fu Yi was not an observer. She had sensation and touch. She was a living, breathing person.

Before she could fully react, several children pushed her into the cold pond, calling her a demon star, a wild spawn, and a motherless thing.

Fu Yi didn’t know how long she would be stuck in such a similar place, but with the experience of the previous two times, she no longer wanted to suppress the dissatisfaction in her heart. Some things she needed to confront rather than hide.

Her excellent physique allowed her to quickly swim out of the pond. Ignoring the scornful looks, Fu Yi fought with the “leader” among the group.

Those people seemed stunned by her actions. After a long while, they heard calls for help and realized they needed to assist. But by then, Fu Yi had already beaten the person’s face into a swollen pig’s head.

Although Fu Yi still ended up with some injuries, those bullies scattered and ran away. Children of this age, who usually stayed in the sect, had well-cultivated parents, and were strictly protected. The most vicious method they could think of was plotting to push her into the cold pond today. They never expected Fu Yi to truly fight to kill.

Watching them gradually running away, Fu Yi couldn’t help but laugh.

In her childhood, she always held back her temper because of the malicious words hanging on their lips, silently enduring and taking the blame upon herself, thinking that she was truly destined to be lonely and disliked by everyone.

But what if I open up? It’s just being alone in the world. I can live well by myself. Moreover, her mother was once the paramount Immortal Venerable admired by everyone in the sect, who had made so many contributions to protect the Immortal Sect. Now, they were stepping on her and humiliating her in every way. No matter how she calculated it, the fault lay with them.

With everything sorted out, many things became clear. Only then did Fu Yi dimly recall that it was this incident that led her to know her Master, the immensely beautiful Immortal Venerable Luan Qiu.

Since she was trapped here and couldn’t leave anyway, Fu Yi really wanted to know what the outcome would be if she hadn’t met that woman here.

Thinking this, she lifted her leg to leave, but she was stopped by a voice.

“You little child are quite interesting and ruthless enough.”