The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 15

Yun Xiao rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “There’s more than one road to Kaiyang Sect. What are the odds we’d just happen to run into him? It’s more likely he was waiting here on purpose.”

Xie Yunfan had already gone this far. If she refused now, it would be impossible to justify.

Fang Zhiluo nodded slightly. “In that case, we’ll be in your care for the journey, Martial Uncle Xie.”

Yun Xiao’s eyes widened, her delicate features radiating displeasure.

Fang Zhiluo glanced at Yun Xiao before closing her eyes and resuming her meditation.

Seeing this, Yun Xiao’s heart sank. She desperately wanted to rush over and kick the annoying Xie Yunfan a few times.

Even if her old injuries had healed, rashly attacking him would only arouse his suspicion.

But letting it go felt like swallowing a lump of resentment.

Suddenly, Yun Xiao turned to Xie Yunfan. “Hey, Xie guy, do you have any Spirit Herbs on you? I’ll take as many as you’ve got. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you in Spirit Stones.” As she spoke, she detached the Storage Pouch from her waist, signaling her sincerity.

Xie Yunfan bristled at her attitude and flatly refused. “No.”

Yun Xiao was about to retort when a Storage Pouch suddenly flew toward her. She instinctively reached out and caught it.

Fang Zhiluo said softly, “Refine your pills.” The unspoken meaning was clear: Shut up and don’t cause trouble.

Yun Xiao extended her Divine Sense into the Storage Pouch. The sheer quantity and variety of Spirit Herbs suggested A’Luo had been saving them for a long time.

Now that A’Luo had given her these hard-earned herbs, Yun Xiao couldn’t bear to put her in a difficult position.

Fine, I’ll let Xie Yunfan off the hook for now.

Once she had fully refined the Spiritual Power within her body and successfully advanced her Cultivation to the Divine Transformation stage, it would be time to settle accounts with Xie Yunfan.

That day, the Spiritual Energy within her had surged violently, threatening to burst her body apart.

Her desperate battle with the Ninth-Tier Giant Crocodile had depleted some of the excess energy, but her body still couldn’t withstand the remaining power. While still conscious, she had sealed the Spiritual Energy within her meridians, one of the primary reasons for their subsequent damage.

Ignoring Xie Yunfan’s occasional glances, Yun Xiao focused entirely on Pill Refinement.

In just five batches, her technique progressed from clumsy to proficient.

Unbeknownst to her, Xie Yunfan, who had been observing her closely, was astonished by her unique Pill Refinement method.

Xie Yunfan asked Old Qiu telepathically, “Have you ever seen such a technique before?”

“Never. Hmm? It’s actually forming pills… but why is there an extra Pill Mark?”

Xie Yunfan examined the pills closely and confirmed that they indeed had one more Pill Mark than usual.

He called out, “Hey, didn’t you want Spirit Herbs? Trade me some pills for them.”

Yun Xiao hadn’t forgotten A’Luo’s remark about the Thunder Mark appearing on the pills she refined. She immediately refused, “No need. A’Luo gave me enough Spirit Herbs. If I’m ever short on something, I can just buy it at Market City.”

Xie Yunfan hadn’t expected Yun Xiao to reject him, and his expression darkened.

“I still have some Spring Return Pills here. Take them.” Even as he spoke, Fang Zhiluo tossed a porcelain bottle containing High-Grade Spring Return Pills to Xie Yunfan.

The pills Yun Xiao refined were too unique to be circulated openly.

Knowing A’Luo was doing this for her sake, Yun Xiao still felt a pang of jealousy. She pulled out a Spirit Fruit and took a large bite, turning to ask Fang Zhiluo, “A’Luo, want one?”

Fang Zhiluo’s mouth watered at the sight of the Spirit Fruit. Maintaining a steady tone, she replied, “No, you eat it yourself.”

Undeterred, Yun Xiao turned to Xie Yunfan. “Want one?”

Xie Yunfan took this as a sign of Yun Xiao’s weakness. Straightening his robes, he said solemnly, “Since you’re offering, I’ll reluctantly accept.”

For once, Yun Xiao didn’t retort. As Xie Yunfan ate the Spirit Fruit, she quietly affixed a Flying Talisman to their Flying Spirit Tool.

Xie Yunfan’s face contorted from the fruit’s sourness. He wanted to lash out, but Yun Xiao and Fang Zhiluo had already vanished.

Realizing he’d been played, Xie Yunfan’s fists clenched until his knuckles cracked, fury burning in his eyes.

Yun Xiao had clearly forgotten all about Xie Yunfan. She insisted on dragging Fang Zhiluo to Market City for a day of rest and resupply before continuing their journey.

The fragrant aromas permeating the air stirred her appetite. Before long, her hands were overflowing with Spirit Food, more than she could carry.

Since Fang Zhiluo wasn’t eating, Yun Xiao stored the excess in her Storage Pouch, saving it for later.

Having experienced the convenience of Talismans, Yun Xiao had grown fond of them. Hearing that Talismans at the Free Trade Market were cheaper than those at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and that cultivators often traded unwanted Spirit Herbs and Spirit Tools there, she immediately became interested and dragged Fang Zhiluo along.

The rumors proved true—the market offered everything imaginable.

Unfamiliar with Talismans, Yun Xiao tilted her head at Fang Zhiluo. “A’Luo, which Talismans should I buy?”

“These Talismans are useless to you,” Fang Zhiluo replied.

Yun Xiao’s enthusiasm deflated. What a wasted trip!

Spotting a Jade Gourd on a stall, her spirits lifted again. She picked it up and asked, “How much for this?”

The stall owner eagerly began his sales pitch: “Immortal, you have a discerning eye! This Jade Gourd comes from the Cave Abode of an Ascended Great Power—”

Impatient with the stall owner’s rambling, Yun Xiao interrupted, “How many Spirit Stones?”

The stall owner stretched out a finger, making an outrageous demand: “One thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.”

Yun Xiao set the gourd down and turned to leave.

The stall owner panicked. “Immortal, don’t rush off! We can still negotiate the price!”

Yun Xiao stopped and countered, “One High-Grade Spirit Stone.”

She had sensed the gourd’s Spiritual Energy earlier. It was at most a Mid-Grade Spirit Tool with a limited internal space, capable of holding about 5,000 kilograms of wine. Offering the stall owner a High-Grade Spirit Stone was already more than fair market value.

The stall owner had initially assumed Yun Xiao and her companion were naive newcomers from a noble sect, easily swindled due to their inexperience. Their High-Grade Magic Robes only reinforced this impression. He hadn’t expected to encounter someone so shrewd.

Reluctant to give up, he feigned reluctance, hoping to squeeze a bit more out of Yun Xiao.

Having grown up in a modest single-parent household in the modern world, Yun Xiao was accustomed to careful spending and haggling. She wasn’t about to be manipulated by the stall owner and turned to leave.

“Hey, wait! I’ll sell, I’ll sell!”

Yun Xiao picked up the Jade Gourd, tossed a High-Grade Spirit Stone to the stall owner, and was about to leave when a woman’s voice called out.

“Fellow Daoist, please wait!” A red-robed female cultivator hurried forward, her gaze fixed on the Jade Gourd in Yun Xiao’s hand. “Would you consider parting with it? I’m willing to pay double the price.”

Yun Xiao swiftly stowed the Jade Gourd into her Storage Pouch, her tone resolute: “Not for sale.”

“Five times the price,” the red-robed female cultivator countered, raising her offer.

Hearing this, the stall owner regretted ever calling Yun Xiao back.

Yun Xiao frowned impatiently. “Not for sale.”

From the moment she saw the Jade Gourd, she felt an inexplicable urge to possess it, trusting her intuition. That’s why she was willing to pay a High-Grade Spirit Stone for it.

The red-robed cultivator’s persistence only reinforced her suspicion that the Jade Gourd held hidden significance.

If it held secrets, why would she part with it?

Besides, she wasn’t short on High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Ignoring the red-robed cultivator, Yun Xiao turned to leave, only to be blocked by the cultivator’s companion, who drew his sword.

Fang Zhiluo unleashed her spiritual pressure on the pair, her voice icy: “Get lost.”

The red-robed cultivator, barely at the early Golden Core stage, nearly buckled under the pressure. She forced herself to stand and stammered, “Senior, please forgive me. I won’t do it again.”

With no further interruptions, Yun Xiao bought some useful Spirit Herbs before returning with Fang Zhiluo.

They randomly chose an inn, and as they entered, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Martial Uncle Xie, she’s the one who snatched the Jade Gourd I had my eye on!”

Yun Xiao turned to see a red-robed female cultivator glaring at her, cheeks puffed up in indignation.

The woman was complaining to none other than Xie Yunfan.

Yun Xiao took a step back, leaned closer to Fang Zhiluo, and whispered, “Look, this man has a fiancée, yet he still flirts with every woman he meets.” She shook her head. “Poor fiancée. She’s not even married yet, and already she’s got a whole field of green grass growing on her head.”

Fang Zhiluo’s brow furrowed slightly. She stared at Xie Yunfan for a moment before calmly turning and walking toward the counter.

Cultivators have sharp ears and eyes. Every word Yun Xiao spoke was heard clearly by both the red-robed woman and Xie Yunfan.

The red-robed woman flushed crimson, pointing her sword at Yun Xiao. “What nonsense are you spouting? I—I have a perfectly innocent relationship with Martial Brother Xie!”

But the shy, bashful look in her eyes hardly suggested innocence.

Xie Yunfan’s gaze remained fixed on Fang Zhiluo, his clenched fists revealing bulging veins.

What was Fang Zhiluo playing at? As his fiancée, she should be jealous of the women around him, not indifferent.

Yun Xiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. “My apologies,” she said, “I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t resist. His seniority in the Heavenly Evolution Sect is quite high, yet you call him ‘Martial Brother’?”

She pointed a finger at Xie Yunfan. “You even agreed? Tsk, tsk, tsk. So pure, truly too pure.”

Noticing the surrounding cultivators pointing and whispering about him, Xie Yunfan snapped, “Enough!” He drew his sword. “You’ve repeatedly tried to sow discord between me and Martial Nephew Fang, and now you’re trying to ruin my reputation with this Fellow Daoist. Do you think I’m made of clay?” With that, he lunged at Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao dodged the attack.

Xie Yunfan switched tactics, determined to make Yun Xiao pay.

The inn erupted into chaos. Lower-cultivation cultivators scrambled to retreat, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Watching the fierce battle, Fang Zhiluo frowned deeply and called out, “Fighting is forbidden in Market City! If the patrol catches you, neither of you will escape!”

This reminder snapped Xie Yunfan out of his rage. He withdrew his sword, glaring coldly at Yun Xiao. “A scholar may be killed, but not humiliated. I will repay today’s humiliation a hundredfold in the future.”

To withstand Xie Yunfan’s killing moves, Yun Xiao had been forced to mobilize vast amounts of Spiritual Energy. Now, the energy she had sealed within her meridians surged wildly through her body.

She wiped the bl00d from the corner of her mouth and forced herself to stand tall. “We’ll see if you have the skill to back up your words.”