The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 1

Heavenly Origin Realm, Illusionary Mist Forest.

Yun Xiao deftly navigated the forest’s central region. Whenever a foolish Demonic Beast dared to block her path, she would transform her lower body into a jade-green flood dragon’s tail and lash out, instantly clearing the way.

Gradually, her pace slowed. She leaned against a massive tree, its trunk so wide it would take two people to encircle. A delicate blush spread across her exquisite face, accentuating her radiant beauty. A thin layer of mist veiled her peach-blossom eyes, their corners tinged with a hint of desire.

While vigilantly scanning her surroundings, she channeled her Spiritual Power to suppress the discomfort surging within her.

The Illusionary Mist Forest wasn’t just home to Demonic Beasts; it also attracted Human Cultivators seeking training. Having barely been reborn, she had no intention of dying so soon.

Sensing two distinct Spiritual Energy fluctuations, Yun Xiao turned her head. Two Human Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage were approaching.

Unaware of her presence, the pair began conversing as if no one else were around.

“Those Heavenly Evolution Sect disciples are truly mad. Nearly half of them have left the sect solely to hunt down a Jade Flood Dragon. I wonder what heinous crime that dragon committed to incur such wrath?”

“I heard that Jade Flood Dragon nearly killed Xie Yunfan, the Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign’s most cherished disciple. After Xie Yunfan regained consciousness, he offered a substantial reward for information leading to the dragon’s whereabouts.”

“If I remember correctly, Xie Yunfan achieved Core Formation over twenty years ago. He’s unmatched among his peers, so the Jade Flood Dragon’s cultivation must be above the Spirit Condensation Stage—equivalent to the Divine Transformation Stage for us cultivators.”

“Knowing this path is a near-certain death sentence, yet they still press on. It shows just how generous Xie Yunfan’s reward must be.”

“Every cultivator has enemies, but only he’s making such a spectacle of it. I suspect there’s more to this than meets the eye.”

Yun Xiaotao’s eyes lit up. If she weren’t afraid of revealing her position, she would have rushed out to praise that Fellow Daoist.

Indeed, she was the Jade Flood Dragon they spoke of—the one who had critically injured Xie Yunfan. Her original body’s mother had been that very dragon.

She had been a graduating Alpha student from Water Star. Five days ago, her roommate tricked her into going to a hotel, where she discovered it was a trap orchestrated specifically for her.

The room reeked of potent Omega pheromones, the door was locked, and she was forced into a heat cycle.

Overwhelmed by negative emotions, she became violently agitated, smashing everything in sight.

She lost track of time until a voice rang out from outside the window: “Kneel, confess your sins, and sign the agreement. Only then will I give you the suppressant.”

Completely losing her rationality, she charged toward the source of the voice, pounding her fists relentlessly against the bulletproof glass that blocked her path.

After finally shattering the stubborn glass, she lunged through the opening. When she regained consciousness, she had transformed into the Jade Flood Dragon.

Wait a minute… Heavenly Evolution Sect, Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign, Xie Yunfan, Jade Flood Dragon… Why did these names sound so familiar?

This seemed to be the setting from that male-lead harem cultivation novel her best friend had been ranting about. The story followed a male protagonist who transmigrated as a mortal with a Heavenly Gold Spirit Root. He became the disciple of the formidable Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign, and blessed with overwhelming fortune, he encountered endless opportunities. Eventually, he ascended to immortality with his entire harem in tow.

In the novel, the Jade Flood Dragon, who shared her name, harbored a deep hatred for the male lead, whose sword had slain her mother. After cultivating her power, she sought revenge, but each attempt failed due to various circumstances, ultimately meeting the same fate as her mother.

Yun Xiao swallowed hard. Not only had she transmigrated, but she had become the villainess.

No wonder the original owner’s spirit had warned her three days ago: “This is both Destiny and Calamity. To attain the Great Dao, you must settle your karmic debts.”

At the time, she had been confused, but now she understood. Even if she didn’t actively seek out the male lead, he would never let her off the hook.

The suppressed desire surged back, interrupting Yun Xiao’s thoughts.

Cursing under her breath, she skillfully channeled her spiritual power and hurried toward the Ice Plains.

After the original owner’s soul dissipated, Yun Xiao had merged with her memories.

The discomfort she felt now stemmed from her first heat cycle. According to the original owner’s mother, the Jade Flood Dragon Clan’s first heat lasted two months. To avoid mating, one had to soak in an ice pool.

The Ice Plains were still half a month’s journey away. In her current state, she doubted she could cover such a distance.

Should I find a body of water and try soaking first?

Leaving the Illusionary Mist Forest, Yun Xiao focused her senses, carefully detecting nearby water sources.

The Illusionary Mist Forest was rich in resources, attracting Human Cultivators from all over for training. To avoid them, choosing a more remote location would be safer.

With a plan in mind, she channeled her spiritual power and headed straight for the fifth mountain peak ahead.

Why not travel in her dragon form? Although she possessed a Magic Artifact to conceal her true form and cultivation level, only a handful of Demon Cultivators in this world could manipulate Thunder and Lightning. Her human form offered greater flexibility. The Spirit Realm had far more Human Cultivators with mutated Thunder Spirit Roots than Demon Cultivators. If danger arose, she wouldn’t be restricted by her dragon form.

Besides, after living as a human for over twenty years, traveling in her dragon form still felt awkward.

Her body grew increasingly uncomfortable, and she failed to notice her footing. By the time she realized what was happening, she had already fallen off the mist-shrouded cliff.

The sensation of weightlessness terrified her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, frantically conjuring a Spiritual Energy shield around herself while praying the valley wasn’t too deep.

Splash! Water erupted in a high spray.

The cool, enveloping comfort of the water drew a soft moan from Yun Xiao.

Wait, why is there a pheromone scent here?

Sensing danger, she swiftly dodged aside, her head surfacing. She saw a woman in white robes, her brows like distant mountain peaks, eyes like autumn pools, a delicate nose, and lips like crimson cinnabar. Her icy aura deterred casual approach.

A gentle breeze carried the rich fragrance of jasmine to Yun Xiao’s nostrils, unleashing primal desires. She found herself involuntarily drawn to the woman. “You—”

The woman’s phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent. Her hands formed a seal, and the pool’s water coalesced into a three-meter-long water sword that lunged at Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao’s eyes widened. “Not again.”

She immediately sidestepped the water sword, but to her surprise, it seemed to have eyes of its own, curving back to strike her.

Abandoning evasion, she channeled her Spiritual Energy and severed the water sword with a swift strike.

The woman refused to relent, forming another hand seal and attacking Yun Xiao.

Defending with her own magic, Yun Xiao explained, “I mean you no harm. I only wish to use this Cold Pool.” Seeing the woman’s relentless assault, she retreated further. “Just one day. I’ll leave immediately after.”

She had intruded and disturbed the woman, so it was understandable why she was angry. Unfortunately, her body wouldn’t allow her to continue her journey, and she could only hope the woman would grant her request.

The woman’s cheeks flushed crimson, and her hand seal formation slowed slightly, but her intensity remained undiminished. “Hand over the antidote.”

Yun Xiao stared blankly at the woman, blurting out, “I’m not poisoned.”

Catching the faint jasmine scent in the air, she belatedly realized the woman’s meaning and scratched her head in embarrassment. “I didn’t poison you.”

The woman remained unconvinced, forming a deadly hand seal for a final strike.

Yun Xiao’s right side throbbed with heat, the agitated energy eroding her rationality inch by inch. She shook her head, but it was no use.

Steeling her resolve, she bit her tongue hard. Seeing no way to evade the attack, she had no choice but to counter the woman’s killing move with Thunder and Lightning.

Before the woman could complete her new hand seal, Yun Xiao summoned a bolt of lightning and hurled it at her.

The woman dodged the lightning, which struck the Cold Pool with only a fraction of its power. The Thunder and Lightning energy rapidly spread throughout the entire pool.

The thunder and lightning felt like a tickle to Yun Xiao, but it was far less gentle with the woman.

Even though the woman activated her Flight Technique in time, she was still a step too late. A small cluster of lightning surged up from her toes, and in the blink of an eye, her three thousand strands of black hair, which had been clinging to her body, stood straight up.

Catching the woman’s furious glare, Yun Xiao guiltily averted her gaze and mumbled defensively, “I didn’t poison you. You’re just… you’re just having a heat cycle.” Remembering this was the ancient era, she quickly corrected herself, “It’s like… it’s like when Demonic Beasts go into heat.”

Earlier, she had used her Divine Sense to examine her body and indeed found an Alpha’s scent gland on her right hip.

This explained why she could smell the Omega’s pheromones.

She tilted her head slightly. Was this setting even in the original novel?

And is the scent gland on my hip from the original body, or did I bring it from the modern world?

The woman’s eyes were as cold as frost, as if she were about to flay this trespassing Demon Cultivator alive. Ignoring the lingering lightning crackling around her, she demanded sharply, “What do you know?”

The frantic throbbing of her scent gland, combined with the Jade Flood Dragon Clan’s lustful nature, brought Yun Xiao to the brink of collapse.

Yun Xiao lowered her head, desperately trying to hide her expression from the woman. Her voice came out hoarse, “Our goals are the same. We both want to use the Cold Pool to alleviate our discomfort. If you let me stay here for one day, I’ll immediately withdraw the Thunder and Lightning from the pool.”

The woman turned away, concealing her increasingly flushed face. Her Phoenix Eyes were bloodshot as she gritted her teeth, “If you’re still here tomorrow, I’ll kill you.”

Yun Xiao exhaled in relief. With a flick of her wrist, the Thunder and Lightning in the Cold Pool instantly coalesced into a thick rope that burrowed into her fingertip.

She bit her tongue, preparing to channel Spiritual Energy to the other side of the pool, when her gaze swept over the woman’s graceful figure and the exposed, creamy shoulder. She found herself rooted to the spot.

Forcing herself to look away, she struggled to regain control. Before she completely lost her composure, she brazenly asked, “There’s a way for both of us to escape this torment. Do you want to hear it?”

The words were barely out of her mouth before she regretted them.

Her Omega mother’s words echoed in her ears: Don’t resent her. I knew she was promiscuous and fickle before we were together. She didn’t deceive me—I gambled and lost. I accept my fate, but I still hope you won’t easily succumb to pheromones.

She refused to become the kind of person she despised.

The woman turned her back to Yun Xiao and re-entered the pool, biting her lower lip so hard her hands, submerged in the water, dug into her own flesh. She forced out a single word: “Speak.”

Yun Xiao remained silent, clenching her jaw as she channeled her Spiritual Energy.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, the woman glanced sideways and saw Yun Xiao stumbling away. Enraged, she immediately formed a hand seal to trap Yun Xiao. “Speak! What method is this?”

Knowing the woman wouldn’t let her go without an answer, and with her mind still clouded by lust and fury, Yun Xiao’s eyes welled with tears.

Was she going to die again?

No, she didn’t want to die. She still wanted to ascend one day, tear through the Void, and return to the modern world to see her mother.

Clenching her fists, Yun Xiao ventured, “Let me mark you.” Fearing immediate rejection, she added, “I… I’ll take responsibility.” Before the woman could respond, Yun Xiao broke free from her restraints and slowly approached her.

Sensing no immediate danger, she quickened her pace slightly.

Reaching the woman’s back, only a sliver of clarity remained in Yun Xiao’s eyes. Her voice trembled as she asked, “May I?”