The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 6

The woman completely ignored the girl’s pleas for mercy, raising her stick high and striking down again.

Yun Xiao couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She cast a spell to freeze the woman in place.

Unable to move, the woman erupted in curses: “You b1tch! What did you do to me? Release me at once!”

Yun Xiao ignored her and stepped forward to help the girl up from the ground.

The girl’s accidentally exposed arm was covered in bruises, making it easy to imagine the extent of injuries hidden beneath her clothes.

Yun Xiao subtly cast a Spring Return Technique on the girl, restoring some color to her pale face.

When the girl met the woman’s glaring eyes, she flinched like a startled bird and hid behind Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao felt a mix of heartache and fury. She turned to confront the woman: “She’s just a child! How could you bring yourself to do this?”

The woman regained her mobility, her face lighting up with relief. She stumbled back several steps, turned her head away, and muttered under her breath, “Just a worthless girl. I’ll beat her when I want, scold her when I want. Mind your own business, busybody.”

Cultivators possessed keen hearing and sharp eyes. Yun Xiao heard every word. Her fists clenched tightly. “She’s worthless? What are you then? A worthless old hag?”

“As a woman yourself, you should understand the hardships women face. But what have you done? Beating and scolding her constantly, starving her to skin and bones. How can such a cruel person exist in this world?”

The crowd that had gathered couldn’t bear to watch any longer either, and they began pointing and criticizing the woman.

“I warned her before. How can a child endure such beatings? It’s a sin!”

“After raising her all these years, just a few more years until she could marry. Why bother?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a stepmother. I’ve never seen a mother with such a cruel heart.”

“A little girl like that can’t eat much. Look how starved she is!”

The crowd chimed in, each adding their own condemnation of the woman.

Yun Xiao’s brow furrowed deeper with each word. From their remarks, she now understood the abysmally low status of girls in this era.

She had only seen one girl so far, but she knew countless others must be suffering unseen.

Rage and frustration welled up within her—anger at these people for treating the girl as less than human, and frustration at her own inability to change their deeply ingrained prejudices.

A’Luo lowered her gaze to the girl and softened her tone. “The Immortal Affinity test will be held tomorrow and the day after. You should go and try your luck.”

A faint spark of light flickered in the girl’s dull eyes. “Me? Can I really go?” she asked timidly.

A’Luo nodded. “Anyone under twelve is eligible to participate.”

The girl’s eyes brightened further. She glanced furtively at the woman’s direction and shook her head. “No, Mother won’t let me.”

Yun Xiao swallowed the words “Why don’t you test her Spirit Root first?” as she noticed the growing crowd gathering around them.

Instead, she pulled out a small piece of silver and dangled it before the woman’s eyes.

The woman’s gaze followed the silver, her eyes gleaming with avarice.

“This girl has caught my eye,” Yun Xiao said. “Consider this silver her wages for serving us these next two days. Do you agree?”

If she didn’t say this, she knew the gossips would twist the story after she left, potentially ruining the girl’s life.

In this world, women already faced enough hardship. She couldn’t let her own carelessness condemn this girl to a lifetime of misery.

A’Luo couldn’t help but feel surprised. She had expected Yun Xiao to hurl the silver coins at the woman, declare, “I’m taking her,” and leave.

But the moment Yun Xiao produced the silver, the woman abandoned her resentment and anger, nodding eagerly with a smile. “Willingly, I’m willing! Keep her as long as you like.”

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she added, “If you find her useful, I might even sell her to you.”

Before Yun Xiao and A’Luo could reply, the woman pointed at the girl who had peeked out earlier. “Serve these young ladies well! If you’re not diligent and they return you, I’ll beat you to death!”

The girl quickly withdrew her head, her small body trembling uncontrollably.

Yun Xiao gently patted the girl’s shoulder, her words carrying a deeper meaning. “Don’t be afraid. You’re under my protection now. Anyone who dares to mistreat you will pay tenfold, a hundredfold.”

The woman flinched, nodding obsequiously with a fawning smile.

Having refused the attendants sent by the City Lord’s Manor, Yun Xiao led the girl into the inn, A’Luo following behind, and requested two rooms.

The girl’s short, ill-fitting clothes were clearly too small. Yun Xiao summoned a waiter and asked him to purchase two sets of proper attire for the girl.

The girl was overwhelmed by this sudden kindness, wanting to refuse but too afraid to speak.

Suddenly remembering the Spirit Testing Orb she had found in a storage pouch, Yun Xiao quickly retrieved it and beckoned the girl, who was standing at a distance.

The girl walked over, staring intently at the Spirit Testing Orb without blinking. “It’s so pretty,” she murmured.

“Place your hand on it and focus all your senses on the orb,” Yun Xiao instructed.

The girl hesitantly placed her small hand on the orb.

After a moment, two pillars of light—one blue, the other brown—illuminated, revealing her Dual Spirit Root: Water and Earth.

The height of the light pillars indicated that both her Spirit Roots possessed high purity.

In the Heavenly Origin Realm, where Spiritual Energy was far scarcer than it had been ten thousand years ago, having fewer Spirit Roots meant requiring less Spiritual Energy for cultivation, thus facilitating faster progress.

The purity of one’s Spirit Roots determined the speed at which they could absorb Spiritual Energy. With her exceptional aptitude, the girl was qualified to enter the inner sect.

Had she possessed a single Spirit Root, she would have been accepted as a Personal Disciple by an Elder or Peak Lord without needing to wait for the Foundation Establishment Grand Competition—just as the Male Lead had been.

The girl, unaware of the significance of the glowing orb, gazed in wonder at the two pillars of light.

Yun Xiao couldn’t resist pinching the girl’s cheek, her heart softening at the child’s adorable expression. She explained in simple terms what the light pillars meant and the benefits of becoming a Cultivator.

To avoid misleading the child, she also warned her about the dangers Cultivators might face.

The girl asked anxiously, “If I become a Cultivator, will I get enough to eat?”

Yun Xiao mentally cursed the woman again, then patted the girl’s head with pity. “Of course. You can eat as much as you want there.”

Yun Xiao belatedly realized she had never joined a Sect. If she said the wrong thing, not only would she lose face, but she would also disappoint the girl.

Feeling guilty, she glanced at A’Luo sitting across from her, hoping for a definitive answer.

A’Luo turned her head away. “Before Foundation Establishment, the Sect provides disciples with Spirit Food.”

“Then I want to become a Cultivator!” the girl exclaimed urgently. She longed to eat her fill and never go hungry again.

Driven by this single-minded desire, many years later, the Cultivation World would produce a Cultivation Art Practitioner who wielded a wok as their natal magic artifact.

Yun Xiao didn’t correct her, secretly planning to teach the woman a lesson before leaving.

A’Luo saw through Yun Xiao’s intentions and warned, “Cultivators are forbidden from harming mortals.” She turned her gaze to the girl. “She might not even be grateful.”

These words struck Yun Xiao like a blow to the head. In modern times, being bitten by the hand that feeds you was all too common.

In ancient times, filial piety was revered as the foundation of governance. The girl had inevitably been indoctrinated with these values. If Yun Xiao attacked the woman, she would become the villain.

Fine, Yun Xiao thought. Let the girl resolve her own grudges. I’ve done what I can, and my conscience is clear.

The girl didn’t fully understand. Afraid Yun Xiao and A’Luo would abandon her, she stammered, “I can eat less too,” holding up a finger. “Just one meal a day is enough.”

Grumble…

The girl lowered her head, terrified that Yun Xiao and A’Luo would no longer take her to cultivate immortality. She was on the verge of tears.

“Nonsense! Children need to eat well to grow tall,” Yun Xiao said, rising to open the door and step outside. She called down the stairs, “Bring a meal up here.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Returning to the room, Yun Xiao saw the girl was no longer so tense. She smiled and ruffled the girl’s hair. “You still haven’t told me your name.”

“Pan… Pandi.”

Yun Xiao rolled her eyes, not wanting the girl to feel ashamed of her name in the future. “Would you like a prettier name?” she asked.

The girl nodded eagerly. She had always disliked her name.

Yun Xiao stroked her chin thoughtfully for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “Heaven pities the hidden grass, humanity cherishes the late-day sun. How about Wanqing?”

The girl jumped up and down with joy. “Wanqing, Wanqing! I love this name! Thank you, Elder Sister!”

Meanwhile, having obtained A’Luo’s approval, the City Lord hurriedly ordered his subordinates to spread the news.

Time was short, so they had to skip the more remote villages.

Even so, a considerable number of children came to the Bell Tower that day to test their Immortal Affinity.

In previous years, the Sect would send over a dozen disciples for the testing. This time, only A’Luo and Yun Xiao were present.

Considering this, the City Lord dispatched twice the usual number of personnel, some to maintain order and others to assist A’Luo and Yun Xiao.

Seeing the City Lord’s meticulous arrangements, Yun Xiao silently gave him a mental thumbs-up.

Over the past few centuries, Spiritual Energy had become increasingly scarce, resulting in many children being born without Spirit Roots.

If this was the case even in the Heavenly Origin Realm, how much worse must it be in the Mortal Realm, where Spiritual Energy was already scarce?

By noon, only three children had been found to possess Spirit Roots, and all were mottled, mixed Spirit Roots.

Fortunately, the afternoon yielded two Dual Spirit Roots and one Mutated Thunder Spirit Root.

A’Luo’s usually calm expression broke into surprise when she saw the purple pillar of light, her eyes shining with delight.

The next day, even more people arrived to test their Immortal Affinity, forming a queue that stretched down the street.

With more people came more opportunities. Sure enough, two Single Spirit Roots, five Dual Spirit Roots, seven Triple Spirit Roots, and over a dozen Quadruple and Quintuple Spirit Roots were discovered.

As the sun began to set, the queue continued to grow. The City Lord, watching anxiously, hesitated before approaching A’Luo cautiously. “Immortal Maiden,” he said, “these people have traveled great distances, hoping to find Immortal Affinity for their children. Would you consider testing everyone who’s here?”

“Very well,” A’Luo replied.

As the City Lord turned to leave, A’Luo spoke again, “My fellow disciples will arrive in five days and travel to various towns to test for Immortal Affinity.” The unspoken implication was clear: those who missed this opportunity could seek out nearby towns.

The Sect had offered no explanation for their decade-long absence in sending disciples to test for Immortal Affinity.

The City Lord nearly wept with relief, finally able to give the people an answer.

Yun Xiao fully supported A’Luo’s decision.

They even tested the villagers who arrived late, continuing until dawn.

To everyone’s surprise, more people kept coming.

Before A’Luo and Yun Xiao could speak, the City Lord bellowed, “The two immortals have urgent matters to attend to. We’ll have to skip those who came late this time.”

He quickly changed his tone, “In five days, the immortals’ fellow disciples will travel to various towns to test for Immortal Affinity. If you truly want your children to have a chance at Immortal Affinity, go to a nearby town and wait.”

Hearing this, those who had been regretting their missed opportunity broke into smiles, showering the City Lord with thanks.

Leaving a letter and a bottle of medicinal pills for the City Lord, A’Luo and Yun Xiao publicly departed on their Flying Spirit Tool.

After inquiring in two towns without finding the Medicinal Materials they needed, the pair headed straight for Southern Yunnan.

As they approached, they sensed a thick Demonic Qi permeating the city.

Demonic Qi meant Demonic Cultivators were causing trouble.

Yun Xiao turned to A’Luo and asked, “Should we intervene?”