The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 29

After swapping the hostages back, Yun Xiao was about to trap the group when Lu Bo, that old bastard, suddenly hurled a handful of Thunderclap Orbs at her.

She dodged the attack, but when she looked back, not a single person—not even a bird—remained.

Cangwu stomped his foot in fury. “No way! I’m challenging that old geezer to a one-on-one duel!”

Yun Xiao grabbed Cangwu by the collar, her tone exasperated. “Who do you think you’re challenging? That old bastard is even more troublesome than Yunhua. You can’t win.”

Cangwu clenched his fists, blinking. “Then you deal with the troublesome one. I’ll crush those with weaker cultivation.”

Yun Xiao suppressed a smile and agreed, “Fine.”

Cangwu relaxed his fists and patted Xiangyun, who was clinging to his shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

Xiangyun flipped over, revealing her blue-white scales. “Not dead yet,” she replied weakly.

She was filled with regret. If she had known these two were such a handful, she would never have targeted them in the first place.

During the recent exchange of hostages, the old man who had captured her and Cangwu actually tried to kill them. If Cangwu hadn’t reacted swiftly and Yun Xiao hadn’t unleashed her Killing Domain, Xiangyun would likely be meeting the Sea God right now.

What a bunch of bullcrap Tribulation Immortals! Liars and villains!

Cangwu’s peripheral vision was immediately drawn to the shimmering blue scales. He held Xiangyun in his hand, admiring her as he remarked, “You Merfolk can stay out of water for so long without drying out?”

Feeling his gaze growing increasingly intense, Xiangyun frantically twisted her body, trying to flip back over.

That wicked Cangwu was actually pressing his finger against her abdomen, preventing her from moving.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Yun Xiao, pleading for help. “She’s bullying me.”

Yun Xiao offered helpfully, “Then bully her back.”

“You’re both bullying me!” Tears streamed down Xiangyun’s face, splashing onto Cangwu’s hand.

Cangwu felt a burning sensation where the tears landed. He withdrew his hand from Xiangyun, pursing his lips. “Such a grown-up, still crying like a baby.”

Xiangyun quickly flipped over, escaping Cangwu’s grasp. She tried to scramble onto Yun Xiao’s shoulder, but Yun Xiao blocked her.

Yun Xiao cast the Dust Cleansing Spell on her shoulder and said with mock seriousness, “Since you and Cangwu seem to be getting along so well, why don’t you stick with him?”

She had no desire to be known as the “Demon Cultivator with a Fish on Her Shoulder.”

How undignified.

Sensing a surge of spiritual energy, Yun Xiao’s eyes narrowed warily. Was this Fang Zhiluo, still bitter, returning to settle the score?

As that familiar yet foreign white figure materialized, Yun Xiao’s hand clenched at her side, her lowered lashes trembling slightly, a complex mix of emotions swirling in her eyes.

In a single breath, she swiftly composed herself, forcing a smile. “Fine by me. Saves me the trouble of coming after you for that sword strike and palm strike.”

Fang Zhiluo’s shoulders twitched slightly, her gaze still fixed on Yun Xiao, her voice hoarse. “I… I’m sorry.”

Yun Xiao threw her head back and laughed loudly, then abruptly cut off the sound, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “What? You think a simple ‘sorry’ can erase your debt for trying to kill me?”

“You were the one who stabbed my Elder Sister in the back!” Cangwu roared, transforming into his true form and lunging at Fang Zhiluo.

The miasma at the bottom of the cliff made her skin crawl. If she and her sister hadn’t accidentally fallen into the Small World, her sister would have been killed long ago by this woman and that Xie bastard.

Yun Xiao watched the distant battle without blinking, realizing that Fang Zhiluo had already reached the mid-Tribulation Transcendence stage, while Cangwu remained at the peak of Tribulation Transcendence. Even in his true dragon form, he stood little chance of gaining the upper hand.

Moreover, Fang Zhiluo was skilled in formations, further diminishing Cangwu’s odds of victory.

She couldn’t understand why Fang Zhiluo was still only defending, never retaliating, and dared not lower her guard.

Once Fang Zhiluo deployed a formation, Yun Xiao would unleash her Killing Domain, providing the perfect opportunity to test whether a formation master could break through it.

Cangwu was formidable, and Fang Zhiluo couldn’t afford to underestimate him.

Knowing Yun Xiao was watching, she maintained a steady tone. “Yun Xiao, I know you harbor resentment, but you deceived me first, then deliberately released the Black Heaven Giant Python. I… I…” How could she not be angry and resentful?

The rest of her words died in her throat as she caught the mocking curve of Yun Xiao’s lips.

Yun Xiao had changed. The Yun Xiao she once knew would never have looked at her with such an expression.

“I’ll ask you just one question: Did my Elder Sister ever harm you in the slightest?” Cangwu’s voice trembled with indignation. Though she had spent most of her time dormant within her egg, she had witnessed her Elder Sister’s unwavering kindness toward Fang Zhiluo every time she awoke.

That despicable Xie Yunfan harbored nothing but malice toward my Elder Sister. Fang Zhiluo not only refused to help her but repeatedly obstructed her efforts.

It’s only because my Elder Sister has such a gentle temperament. If it were me, I would have pinned Fang Zhiluo to the ground and beaten him senseless long ago.

Fang Zhiluo stammered, his lips trembling, “I… I didn’t.”

“Yet you stabbed my Elder Sister with your sword, seven inches deep! Hmph, she saved your life more than once. Is this how you repay your savior, you ingrate?” Cangwu, his fury boiling over, spat a massive fireball at Fang Zhiluo.

Fang Zhiluo formed a hand seal, neutralizing the fireball.

A sharp, stinging pain erupted in his chest. Yes, he thought, I kept saying Yun Xiao was my benefactor, yet I stabbed her with my sword.

Can Yun Xiao ever forgive me?

He gazed at her with desperate hope, but Yun Xiao remained impassive, refusing even to meet his eyes.

Before reaching the Divine Transformation stage, whenever he took the Pheromone Suppression Pill during the Flood Season, Yun Xiao’s every smile and frown would haunt his thoughts.

He had believed that once he became a Divine Transformation Cultivator, he could suppress the discomfort of the Flood Season without relying on the Pheromone Suppression Pill.

He was wrong. Even with his Divine Transformation cultivation, he couldn’t withstand the Flood Season’s torment.

Year after year, Yun Xiao’s image had become deeply rooted in her heart, impossible to uproot.

She even suspected that what Yun Xiao had injected into her glands back then wasn’t pheromone, but a curse.

Yun Xiao had already confirmed that Fang Zhiluo wouldn’t retaliate today, making Cangwu look like a pathetic clown.

She spoke, “Cangwu, let’s go.”

With that, she turned to Fang Zhiluo. “I’ll spare you for now. We’ll settle this another day.”

Pain flickered in Fang Zhiluo’s eyes. She hesitated, then asked, “What can I do to earn your forgiveness?”

Yun Xiao’s interest was piqued. After a moment’s thought, she suggested, “Why don’t you stab yourself twice first? If that makes me happy, I might actually forgive you.”

Though the incident had occurred long ago, the pain of being stabbed by Fang Zhiluo and then pushed off Broken Cliff remained vivid in her memory.

She had almost bared her heart to Fang Zhiluo, yet Fang Zhiluo had so easily believed the words of that hypocrite Xie Yunfan.

As Cangwu had pointed out, she had indeed concealed her identity, but she had never harmed Fang Zhiluo in the slightest.

Even so, Fang Zhiluo still refused to trust her.

She didn’t know what heart-wrenching pain truly felt like; she only knew that the physical pain she endured then paled in comparison to even a fraction of the anguish in her heart.

Wounds could heal, but could a shattered heart ever be mended?

Fang Zhiluo couldn’t miss the teasing in Yun Xiao’s words. She stumbled back half a step, her eyes burning with pain. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“Why are you putting on this act?” Yun Xiao flashed to Fang Zhiluo’s side, gently lifting her chin. Seeing the tears glistening in Fang Zhiluo’s eyes, she continued, “Could it be you want to say you regret it?”

Without waiting for a response, Yun Xiao used the Instantaneous Shift Technique and vanished before Fang Zhiluo’s eyes.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to take Cangwu with her.

Fang Zhiluo stared blankly in the direction Yun Xiao had disappeared, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. She choked out, “I regret it. I… I broke off the engagement with him.”

Two hours later, in Flower City.

Yun Xiao reclined lazily on a chaise lounge, occasionally tossing a piece of Spirit Fruit into her mouth, utterly content.

Cangwu, having grown bored with playing, approached and propped his chin on one hand, staring at Yun Xiao. “Elder Sister, are you finding it hard to strike that Fang girl?”

Yun Xiao sipped her tea and countered, “She didn’t retaliate when you attacked her. It would be the same if I did.”

“Wouldn’t that make it easier for you to take revenge?”

Yun Xiao shifted her posture and offered an analogy. “Imagine someone infuriates you so much you’re about to explode. But instead of fighting back, they just stand there and let you hit them. Even if you hurt them, would that really dissipate the anger in your heart?”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Cangwu admitted, sensing something was off but unable to pinpoint it.

Xiangyun, perched on Yun Xiao’s shoulder, rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “In the end, she just can’t bring herself to do it. If it were that Xie fellow, he would have drawn his sword and struck long ago.”

Cangwu nodded in realization. “She’s right, Elder Sister. You’re lying to me.”

She leaned down and shook Yun Xiao’s shoulders, her voice filled with exasperation. “You taught me: ‘Treat respect with tenfold respect, and repay malice with double malice.’ She stabbed you seven inches deep, yet you still can’t bring yourself to retaliate?”

Yun Xiao, dizzy from the shaking, sighed helplessly. “I’m not lying. The next time we meet will be when I challenge her to a duel. Then I will settle the score for that sword strike and palm strike.”

If she didn’t avenge this, she would dishonor the drop of essence bl00d Cangwu had forced out of her young body.

A Demon Cultivator’s essence bl00d is formed from their entire flesh and bl00d. After losing that drop of essence bl00d, Cangwu’s body was severely damaged. Even with top-grade spirit herbs and meticulous care, it took her fifty years to fully recover. Otherwise, given Cangwu’s innate talent, she would have already reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage.

Cangwu asked skeptically, “You’re not lying to me?”

Yun Xiao nodded firmly.

Only then did Cangwu relax, picking up Xiangyun. “Let’s go play in the city.”

Yun Xiao retrieved a Storage Pouch and tossed it to Cangwu. “Take this. Buy anything that catches your eye. Fighting is strictly forbidden in the Market City. If the patrol catches you, you’ll face either a verbal reprimand or a few days in the dungeon.”

Cangwu grabbed the Storage Pouch and strode off. “Got it.”

Watching Cangwu leave, Yun Xiao leisurely finished the Spirit Fruits from her fruit platter. She casually picked up a Spirit Fruit pit from the table and flicked it toward the ceiling. “Even eavesdroppers meet a bad end.”

Exposed, Peacock Maiden Ji Ruxue transformed into human form and landed gracefully, showing no embarrassment at being caught.

She tilted her chin slightly. “The Clan Leader requests your presence.”

Yun Xiao reclined back on her chaise lounge, replying nonchalantly, “I’m not going.”

Ji Ruxue spoke with haughty superiority. “You—the Clan Leader’s invitation is an honor. Don’t be ungrateful.”

“I won’t go.”

Ji Ruxue glared furiously at Yun Xiao, but Yun Xiao remained unmoved. Remembering the Clan Leader’s instructions, Ji Ruxue forcibly suppressed her anger and said through clenched teeth, “The Clan Leader said he can help you take revenge.”

Yun Xiao’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, producing a rhythmic, muffled sound.

Having grasped the key point, a faint smile curled her lips, her peach-blossom eyes gleaming with a sharp edge. “Go back and tell your Clan Leader that I can take revenge myself. He should abandon any such notions. I won’t interfere in matters between the human and demon races.”

While releasing Xie Yunfan back to the Heavenly Evolution Sect had complicated her revenge, it didn’t require assistance from others.

Moreover, the Demon Clan Leader’s sudden offer of help at this juncture revealed his ulterior motives.

His calculations were practically leaping off the abacus beads and slapping her in the face.

Ji Ruxue’s anger finally broke through her restraint. “You’re a demon yourself!” she snapped fiercely. “You know better than anyone how deeply the humans despise us. Do you really think you can wound two Supreme Elders of the Heavenly Evolution Sect and escape unscathed?”

“The Four Great Sects have always united against common enemies. At the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s command, they’ll swarm you. Yes, your cultivation is high, and you awakened your Domain early, but what good will that do? Two fists can’t defeat four hands. You can’t possibly win against them.”

Yun Xiao raised her gaze to meet Ji Ruxue’s eyes, speaking calmly, “The higher one’s cultivation, the more they cherish life. If they truly can’t understand and insist on throwing their lives away,” she lifted her hand slightly, “I’d be happy to grant their wish.”

She didn’t agree with Ji Ruxue’s implication. From what she knew, the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s arrogance over the past two centuries had fostered deep resentment among the disciples of the Three Great Sects. They would never easily agree to the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s request.

Therefore, convincing the Three Great Sects to launch a joint attack against her wouldn’t be easy.

Moreover, her words weren’t false. The higher one’s cultivation, the more they clung to life. It was the same principle as mortals growing old and wanting to live longer. After finally reaching a point of smooth sailing, it would be a pity to die in vain.

However, Ji Ruxue’s words had reminded her that the Heavenly Origin Realm was no longer the same as it had been five hundred years ago. Just as the Demon Clan Leader sought to use her to ignite a great war between the human and demon races, could the Heavenly Evolution Sect be doing the same?

When the snipe and clam clash, the fisherman profits. Once a great war erupted, the Heavenly Origin Realm would be reshuffled. The Heavenly Evolution Sect was no longer content with its current position; it wanted to become the dominant force.

No, the longer I delay, the more complications will arise. I need to kill Xie Yunfan sooner rather than later.