The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 25

Marrying such a notorious man…

Sensing the killing intent, Xie Yunfan fought desperately, mentally calling out to Old Qiu.

“If I die, you’ll be annihilated too,” he managed to squeeze out.

Old Qiu replied, “I can only help you escape.”

As long as the green hills remain, there’s no need to worry about firewood. He mentally recorded this debt to Yun Xiao, planning to settle the score after leaving the Secret Realm.

Yun Xiao’s Thunderous Roar shattered the Formation Plate, unleashing a billowing cloud of dust.

Through the haze, she glimpsed a figure fleeing in panic.

She immediately gave chase, but lost Xie Yunfan’s trail completely within fifteen minutes.

Typical Male Lead—even in this situation, he still manages to escape.

Frowning, Yun Xiao returned to the Black Heaven Giant Python. “I should have warned you earlier,” she said with mixed feelings. “He’s not so easy to kill. But I’ve retrieved your hard-earned fortune for you. Since we share a common enemy, I might as well help you get your revenge.”

With the Defensive Formation gone, a swarm of cultivators descended, surrounding Yun Xiao and eyeing the Tenth-Tier Demonic Beast’s corpse.

Even in death, its body was worth tens of thousands of High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Yun Xiao let out a soft “heh” and suddenly unleashed her overwhelming aura.

It was a pressure comparable to that of a Divine Transformation cultivator. The highest cultivation level among the gathered cultivators was only the late Nascent Soul Stage, making them no match for Yun Xiao. A wave of hesitation swept through their ranks.

The Bearded Man roared, “Attack! I refuse to believe we can’t take down one little wench with all of us here!”

Yun Xiao’s eyebrow twitched slightly. With a single strike of Thunderous Spread, the Bearded Man was drenched in bl00d, his Nascent Soul shattered.

She smirked wickedly, her eyes icy. “If you’re going to attack, hurry up. I have things to do.”

The Bearded Man had been a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, yet he fell to Yun Xiao’s single sword strike. The remaining cultivators, who had been considering their options, quickly abandoned their plans. After mumbling apologies, they swiftly retreated.

Once the crowd had dispersed, Yun Xiao retrieved her Spirit Beast Pouch and stored the Black Heaven Giant Python inside.

Just as she was about to leave, a white-robed figure caught her eye.

Yun Xiao froze, her lowered lashes trembling slightly. A flicker of pain flashed through her eyes.

I’ve warned myself not to cling to this anymore. She’s given me her answer. Why does my heart still ache for her?

Fang Zhiluo surveyed the aftermath of the battle, then hesitantly approached, her words catching in her throat. “Do you know where Martial Uncle Xie went?”

The earth-shattering sword strike was a technique uniquely created by the Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign. Having witnessed Xie Yunfan use it before, she suspected the fierce battle here was related to him.

She didn’t suspect Yun Xiao. Yun Xiao had still been in Jade Void Master’s Cave Abode when she left. Even with the aid of a Swift Travel Talisman, Yun Xiao couldn’t have caught up to her so quickly.

Yun Xiao’s heart clenched painfully. She turned away to hide her face from Fang Zhiluo, but couldn’t mask the bitterness in her voice. “What? Aren’t you going to ask if he died by my sword?”

Fang Zhiluo took two more steps toward Yun Xiao, his expression grave. “Yun Xiao, his master is the Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign, and he was the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s top disciple, highly respected among his peers. If you killed him, the Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign will never forgive you, nor will the Heavenly Evolution Sect.”

Yun Xiao laughed, but the smile vanished instantly. She turned to meet Fang Zhiluo’s gaze, her tone mocking. “So, should I apologize to him too?”

“Yun Xiao, you know that’s not what I meant,” Fang Zhiluo said, his eyes concealing emotions she couldn’t decipher. “It’s not worth making the entire Azure Cloud Sect your enemy over him.”

Yun Xiao shifted closer, stopping just a step away from Fang Zhiluo. Unable to resist, she probed, “If I told you I had a bl00d feud with him, would you still try to dissuade me?”

Fang Zhiluo’s eyes widened in surprise, her brow furrowing. “How could you have a bl00d feud with him? You two were—”

Yun Xiao cut her off. “He stole the Black Heaven Giant Python’s lair and then used a life-saving Sword Talisman to kill it. What else is he capable of?”

Her words flowed so smoothly, it was clear Xie Yunfan had done this sort of thing before.

Fang Zhiluo choked, unable to find a defense.

Yun Xiao’s gaze flickered. A’Luo truly is someone who can distinguish right from wrong.

If it were someone else close to Xie Yunfan, they might have said, “Serves that beast right for relentlessly pursuing Junior Martial Ancestor Xie.”

How could she not admire someone like A’Luo?

“Are you truly willing to marry someone with such a tarnished reputation?” Yun Xiao asked, her eyes lowering.

She was afraid—afraid of seeing resolve and anger in Fang Zhiluo’s eyes.

Fang Zhiluo stepped back, turning her head away. Her voice was stiff as she said, “This isn’t just about me and him.”

Yun Xiao nodded with a bitter smile. “You’re right. You’re the Azure Cloud Sect’s Eldest Senior Sister, bearing the weight of the entire sect on your shoulders. Without you, the Azure Cloud Sect would descend into chaos.”

With those words, she turned and walked away.

She repeatedly warned herself: Don’t look back. What does it matter if your heart is moved? Before the Azure Cloud Sect, you are nothing.

Fang Zhiluo opened her mouth to call Yun Xiao back, but remembering her earlier words to Yun Xiao, she swallowed the words that had risen to her lips.

Yun Xiao didn’t hurry toward the Secret Realm’s exit. With over a month until the realm’s opening, she decided to wander a bit longer.

If she stumbled upon unexpected treasures, all the better. If not, she could at least avoid A’Luo.

She admitted to herself that this was cowardly, but she couldn’t control her heart. Every time she saw A’Luo, her emotions were stirred by her.

Until she could master her feelings, avoidance was the only option.

As for Xie Yunfan, whether today’s incident had occurred or not, he would never have let her go. Though she hadn’t taken his life today, she had claimed most of it. It would take him at least a year or two to recover.

By then, she would have successfully weathered the Divine Transformation Lightning Tribulation and stabilized her cultivation.

Finding nothing of interest nearby, Yun Xiao simply claimed an unoccupied Cave Abode, activated its Defensive Formation, and focused entirely on Pill Refinement.

Only by keeping busy could she avoid thinking about A’Luo.

When the hourglass she had set earlier ran out, Yun Xiao immediately stowed her Alchemy Furnace and headed straight for the Secret Realm’s exit.

Along the way, she changed her appearance again, transforming into an ordinary-looking male cultivator.

As expected, Xie Yunfan emerged from the Secret Realm and immediately embellished his account of Yun Xiao’s actions within the realm to Elder Cui, who had come to retrieve the group.

Elder Cui, a late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator, listened to Xie Yunfan’s words with imposing authority, his gaze sweeping over the female cultivators as they emerged, but he detected nothing amiss.

Standing beside Elder Cui, Xie Yunfan received a hint from Old Qiu and suddenly exclaimed, “I know! She must have used a Magic Artifact to change her appearance!”

“Her aura… she has no aura! And she’s concealing her cultivation level with another Magic Artifact!”

Yun Xiao, blending into the crowd, tensed as Elder Cui’s Divine Sense swept over her.

Vice Alliance Leader Hu of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance counted the numbers. Forty-five had entered, but only twenty had returned—over half had been lost.

He sighed, then raised his voice, “Everyone, I’ll take my leave first.”

The token in Yun Xiao’s hand was originally from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. She had transformed it to resemble its original owner, even altering her cultivation to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage. No one noticed the discrepancy.

Upon boarding the Spirit Boat, she didn’t linger on the deck. She presented the Spirit Herbs she had prepared in advance to Vice Alliance Leader Hu. After he recorded them, she immediately retreated into the ship’s cabin.

As the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s Spirit Boat departed, Xie Yunfan, barely able to stand, staggered toward Fang Zhiluo and demanded, “Where’s the female cultivator who was with you? Where are you hiding her?”

Having sensed Elder Cui’s Divine Sense earlier, Fang Zhiluo had already guessed that the elder was searching for Yun Xiao.

She didn’t know how Yun Xiao had evaded Elder Cui’s detection, nor whether she had already left. All she knew was that Xie Yunfan’s accusation had drawn countless gazes upon her.

Just as she was about to answer, Daoist Yuhui intervened.

“Elder Cui, are you going to allow your sect’s disciples to slander the Azure Cloud Sect like this?”

Elder Cui quickly interjected, “Please forgive my junior brother, Junior Sister. He suffered terribly at that female cultivator’s hands in the Secret Realm, which has driven him to irrationality.” He turned his stern gaze to Xie Yunfan and said, “Junior Brother, apologize at once!”

Xie Yunfan’s lost composure gradually returned, yet he remained unwilling to apologize. He raised his head and declared, “Junior Sister, you are unaware that Martial Nephew Fang has repeatedly embarrassed me, her fiancé, in front of outsiders. The other disciples of your sect have done the same. A child’s failure to discipline their teacher reflects poorly on the teacher. Junior Sister, you owe me an explanation.”

Elder Cui’s brow furrowed deeply. His junior brother’s words not only criticized the Azure Cloud Sect’s disciples but also trampled on Yu Hui’s dignity.

Daoist Yuhui’s lips curved into a smile, but his eyes glinted with cold light. A mid-Divine Transformation stage pressure bore down on Xie Yunfan. “You presume to lecture me merely because of your seniority in the sect? If you want an explanation, have Yunhua come himself. I’ll ask him how he’s been raising his disciples.”

Elder Cui cursed Xie Yunfan inwardly for his foolishness, then forced a smile. “Junior Sister, please calm down. The lesson has been taught. For my sake, spare him this time.” As he spoke, he repeatedly shot warning glances at Xie Yunfan.

Xie Yunfan burned with resentment, but knowing his cultivation was inferior to Yu Hui’s, he reluctantly conceded, “My words and actions were improper. Daoist Yuhui, please forgive me.”

Yu Hui snorted coldly. Only when Elder Cui spoke again did he release his oppressive aura, his voice icy. “Zhi Luo, tell me yourself—how did you embarrass Yunhua’s closed-door disciple?”

Fang Zhiluo recounted the events in detail, omitting nothing.

Elder Cui felt he had completely lost face after centuries of maintaining his dignity. If Xie Yunfan hadn’t been Yunhua’s disciple, he would have turned and left the moment Xie Yunfan made such a foolish mistake.

“You did the right thing,” Yu Hui said, glancing at Elder Cui. “Reason must prevail over sentiment to ensure fairness. Senior Brother, what do you think?”

Before Elder Cui could reply, Yu Hui continued, “Everyone has heard. It’s not that our Azure Cloud Sect disregards the long-standing friendship between our sects. It’s simply that Yunhua’s closed-door disciple’s actions were utterly despicable. Our disciples would rather die than collude in such depravity.”

She turned her gaze back to Elder Cui. “I will report this matter truthfully to the Sect Leader.”

Elder Cui opened his mouth to speak, but Yu Hui had already boarded the Spirit Boat, followed closely by the Azure Cloud Sect disciples.

The murderous glint in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Ultimately, he suppressed his anger and swept away with a flick of his sleeve.

The Heavenly Evolution Sect disciples, equally humiliated, scrambled onto their own Spirit Boat.

Ten days later, Yun Xiao leaped awkwardly from the Spirit Boat, tearing off four Swift Travel Talismans as she fled toward the nearby desolate mountains.

Seeing Vice Alliance Leader Hu pursuing her, she offered an explanation: “Don’t worry, I obtained the Token through legitimate trade. Hiding in the Rogue Cultivator Alliance to evade the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s pursuit was my mistake, but I also surrendered a substantial quantity of Spirit Herbs. Just turn a blind eye and pretend you saw nothing.”

Vice Alliance Leader Hu sneered. “The meager offerings you surrendered wouldn’t be enough to make me offend the Heavenly Evolution Sect for your sake.”

Yun Xiao finally understood: Vice Alliance Leader Hu was either trying to extort benefits from her or planning to kill her and seize her treasures.

She had foolishly believed this old fox was risking his life to pursue her in the name of justice for the male cultivator.

From her Storage Pouch, she retrieved five Thunderclap Orbs and hurled them at Vice Alliance Leader Hu.

A single Thunderclap Orb could kill a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. With five of these orbs, Vice Alliance Leader Hu would be either dead or crippled.

Ignoring his curses, Yun Xiao tore off five Swift Travel Talismans and continued her escape.

Once Vice Alliance Leader Hu escaped, he would undoubtedly spread word of her whereabouts, exaggerating claims of her possessing supreme treasures. This would make her a target for relentless pursuit.

No, I need to get much farther away before facing the Tribulation Lightning.

Yun Xiao changed her appearance, concealed her cultivation level and aura, and five days later found a remote, desolate mountain.

Before she could even prepare, a bolt of Purple Lightning as thick as a water bucket struck her.

Her body couldn’t withstand the force, so she transformed into her Flood Dragon form.

Remembering the Purple Lightning’s destructive power, Yun Xiao endured the searing pain and channeled the lightning into her Dantian to refine it.

Wiping the bl00d from the corner of her mouth, she gazed up at the final, rumbling Heavenly Lightning gathering overhead, her eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

The closer she got to the end, the more colossal the Thunder became. Even using Magic Artifacts for defense would be futile.

In that case, I might as well endure it head-on and treat it as body refinement.

Yun Xiao had overestimated herself. The earth-shattering thunder struck her, the pain so intense she rolled on the ground. Bowl-thick bolts of electricity crackled across her body, and she could even smell the scent of burning flesh.

When the electricity finally dissipated, she had lost more than half her life force.

Sensing fluctuations in spiritual energy nearby, she frowned and hastily shoved several Spring Return Pills and Spirit Replenishing Pills into her mouth.

In the next instant, she retrieved six High-Grade Swift Travel Talismans from her Inner Space and fled in a desperate escape.

Along the way, she did her utmost to avoid the cultivators who were closing in. When evasion proved impossible, she had no choice but to fight.

After a month of this relentless pursuit, she finally managed to shake off the cultivators who sought to kill her and seize her treasures. Finding a temporary safe haven, she began to stabilize her cultivation.

Little did she know that half the Heavenly Origin Realm was searching for her.