The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 30

Yun Chuanzhi asked the question casually, but Bai Fenghuo turned to look at her, her dark brows furrowing.

“You really wiped out her entire family?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, startled, patting the back of her chair.

“Don’t be so noisy,” Bai Fenghuo glanced at her, her fingertips tapping rhythmically against her hair bun, as if deep in thought. “This Seat has been cultivating self-restraint recently. I shouldn’t have killed anyone.”

“When did This Seat ever offend you, that you would resort to such desperate measures as attempting to assassinate me?” Bai Fenghuo placed her hands on her knees, leaning forward slowly to close the distance between them.

You Tan’s face was twisted in near-madness, her features contorted as if she wanted to bite off her nose. Yet Bai Fenghuo remained unfazed, leaning closer to study her.

“You vile, wicked Demoness! You’re worse than beasts! You slaughtered every one of my family—dozens of souls—draining them dry like shriveled husks! And now you pretend ignorance?!”

You Tan lunged upward, her knee striking Bai Fenghuo’s chest, but she effortlessly dodged the attack with a swift movement.

“Nonsense,” Bai Fenghuo scoffed, her beautiful face etched with feigned confusion. “This Seat isn’t some mountain fly. Why would I drain your family? Besides, human bl00d is foul-smelling and disgusting. What’s there to drink?”

“Keep making excuses, and I’ll…”

“Enough with the noise,” Bai Fenghuo said, her head throbbing. “If you can’t speak properly, drag her away to feed the demonic beasts. Ling Shui, handle this.”

“Sect Leader…” Ling Shui’s face still showed pity. She knelt beside You Tan and gently patted her shoulder, urging her softly, “Calm down and explain clearly. It’s better than losing your life for nothing.”

“You’ve served the Sect Leader for three years. You should know what kind of person she is. If she did something, she would never deny it. If she denies it, there must be something suspicious.”

You Tan lay prostrate on the ground, her neck arched like a snake’s, her eyes bloodshot and trembling. She fell silent.

Seeing this, Bai Fenghuo drawled, “Since you can speak, then speak properly. What exactly happened?”

You Tan remained frozen in that position for a long moment before finally speaking in a hoarse voice. “My family is from Youji City, at the foot of the mountain. Though not a wealthy clan, we were a prominent household in the city. My Immortal Bone was mediocre, so I entered the Unceasing Mountain Gate as an Immortal Servant to absorb some of the mountain’s spiritual energy.”

“For years, I’ve worked diligently, singing and dancing to please you, all to live longer and one day become a proper Immortal Cultivator, bringing glory to my family.”

“Yet three days ago, my entire family—forty-five souls—perished overnight within our own home! My parents and my infant sister were drained of their bl00d and marrow, leaving not a single survivor!”

Yun Chuanzhi glanced at Ling Shui, whose eyes mirrored her confusion. Neither dared look at Bai Fenghuo, and they could only continue listening to You Tan’s harrowing tale.

“How can you be so certain the Sect Leader is responsible?” Ling Shui asked, her voice trembling.

“This isn’t an isolated incident in Youji City. Several others have suffered the same fate. Each victim died in utter terror, their bodies slashed open and sewn shut with the character ‘禾’—Feng He—stitched into their flesh.”

“I recognize that shape—it’s the emblem of the Kun Dan Sect. So it was you, Bai Fenghuo!”

You Tan’s hoarse scream pierced the air. Bai Fenghuo rubbed her ears, irritated by the shrillness, and raised a hand to silence her. Leaning back in her chair, she said, “Enough. This is getting tiresome. Take her away and keep her under strict guard. Don’t kill her, and don’t let her take her own life.”

Ling Shui nodded, lifted the limp woman from the floor, and led her out of the painted barge.

The opera was naturally canceled. Bai Fenghuo ordered the “Painted Eyebrow Immortal” to be escorted back to her quarters, dismissed the other Immortal Servants, and rose to leave the painted barge. After taking a few steps, she turned back. “Aren’t you coming?”

Yun Chuanzhi finally realized she had been waiting for her and hurried to catch up, opening the Swing Bone above her head.

The wooden umbrella cast a cool shade over their brows as a gentle breeze rustled through the air. Bai Fenghuo didn’t look up, but scoffed lightly. “More of your useless contraptions.”

“How can you call it useless?” Yun Chuanzhi immediately bristled, retorting, “In this sweltering heat, my Swing Bone is incredibly useful!”

“It’s just a Sun-Shielding Incantation. Why bother with such a cumbersome device?” Bai Fenghuo glanced at her dismissively.

“Immortal Cultivators may not need it, but it’s essential for ordinary people,” Yun Chuanzhi insisted, refusing to let anyone belittle her creations. “If I sold these Swing Bones down the mountain, I could easily make ten thousand gold coins a day!”

“Ten thousand gold coins, you say? Then I wonder how much the swing on Wuwu Cliff Top, where This Seat cultivates, would be worth.” Bai Fenghuo spoke with a smile.

Yun Chuanzhi’s defiant spirit instantly deflated. Lowering her gaze, she murmured, “Sect Leader is right.”

“This Seat has never seen such a spineless creature before,” Bai Fenghuo remarked, seemingly genuinely impressed. “It’s quite an eye-opener.”

Spineless? Yun Chuanzhi thought to herself. I’m adaptable, able to bend and stretch as needed.

The two walked silently across the green lawn and stepped onto the pristine white jade steps. Bai Fenghuo led the way, with Yun Chuanzhi trailing half a step behind, her gaze fixed on her back.

Bai Fenghuo suddenly stopped and turned. “If you have questions, ask them. Stop staring at This Seat—it’s rather clingy.”

How did she know I was watching him? Yun Chuanzhi averted her gaze and coughed lightly behind her hand. “I have no questions.”

Bai Fenghuo pressed her advantage, her eyes reflecting the dappled shadows of bamboo leaves. She stepped closer, backing her against the edge of the stone steps, and lowered her gaze. “Aren’t you curious whether This Seat killed those people?”

The woman’s fragrance seemed to solidify into an invisible wall, leaving Yun Chuanzhi nowhere to stand. Her nose nearly brushed against Bai Fenghuo’s chest, forcing her to turn her head and stare at the dark, secluded bamboo path beside them.

This Bai Fenghuo acts on a whim. I’ll have to coax her with kind words, Yun Chuanzhi thought. She opened her mouth. “Did you kill those people?”

“No,” Bai Fenghuo replied with a smile.

“Then it isn’t.”

Yun Chuanzhi felt slightly dizzy from the fragrance, but today’s scent was diluted by the surrounding vegetation, making it unusually faint.

“Aren’t you afraid This Seat might be scheming, lying to deceive you?”

“If you deceive me, so be it,” Yun Chuanzhi sighed, stepping up a stair to meet Bai Fenghuo’s gaze almost levelly. “I don’t like overthinking the words of those around me. If you say it, I believe it.”

“Being deceived would only hurt for a while—nothing significant. But doubting every word and endlessly pondering would be far more exhausting.”

Bai Fenghuo stared intently into her eyes for a long moment before finally saying, “You’re remarkably carefree.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader,” Yun Chuanzhi replied with a bright smile.

Bai Fenghuo let out a soft hum, flicked her sleeve, and turned away, descending the stairs without another word.

Yun Chuanzhi had initially dismissed the disturbance on the painted barge as a mere farce. Yet, after that day, rumors of “Bai Fenghuo’s brutal slaughter of mortals” swept through the entire Sect like a mountain gale. The Kun Dan Sect, once rarely visited, suddenly found itself besieged by petitioners. Apart from Bai Xiaochen, every Sect Leader and Elder who came seeking an audience was turned away at the gate.

Though Bai Xiaochen gained entry, she clearly received a frosty reception. When she stormed out of the hall, her red lips pressed into a tight line, she moved with the speed of wind, slamming the heavy hall doors so hard they flew into the wall.

Yun Chuanzhi and Ling Shui spent a considerable effort prying the doors free.

Leaving aside the door incident for now, a greater calamity struck that very night. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Unceasing Mountain Gate, brandishing a banner that read “A Life for a Life” and demanding justice from Bai Fenghuo.

These were the citizens of Youji City, wailing and demanding that Mount Everlasting hand over the “bl00d-sucking demoness.” The deafening cries of hundreds shook the heavens, piercing the ears of the Immortal Cultivators like thunder.

That night, the Immortal Cultivators tossed and turned, eventually resorting to using their cultivation to sever their senses just to fall asleep.

As days passed, the resentment within the mountain grew more intense. Bai Xiaochen was forced to dispatch several of her personally trained disciples down the mountain to investigate the matter and attempt to quell the anger of both the commoners and the Immortal Cultivators.

On this overcast, rainy day, Yun Chuanzhi awoke to find Bai Fenghuo missing. She took her Swing Bone and sat on the covered corridor outside the hall, gazing at the misty mountain scenery while idly brushing the surface of her umbrella.

The rain fell relentlessly, water dripping from the eaves of the corridor in a continuous stream, washing the grass and leaves below into jewel-like emerald green. Yun Chuanzhi usually loved this kind of misty, drizzly weather, but today, the sound of the rain inexplicably stirred a restless unease within her.

She sighed and pulled a horn-shaped device from her sleeve, holding it to her ear. “Cheng Jinshu, Cheng Jinshu.”

A muffled female voice soon crackled through the horn: “I’m still asleep! What’s all the racket, Cui Ergou?”

“Come to Spring Encounter Pavilion,” Yun Chuanzhi said, gazing at the misty green landscape with a helpless expression. “I need your help with something important.”

A string of curses erupted from the other end. Yun Chuanzhi calmly shook the horn, cutting off the tirade. By the time she tucked the device back into her sleeve, Cheng Jinshu had already materialized through the rain-soaked mist.

“What nonsense are you up to at this ungodly hour?” Cheng Jinshu demanded, her wet hem trailing into the corridor. She planted her hands on her hips, her hair disheveled with stray strands escaping her bun, clearly having just crawled out of bed.

“Lend me some spiritual energy,” Yun Chuanzhi said with a smile, holding up the Swing Bone. “This umbrella was originally made to block the sun, but I want it to repel rain too.”

“Just for this flimsy umbrella?” Cheng Jinshu laughed in exasperation. “Didn’t you awaken your Spirit Root? You can’t even muster this little bit of spiritual energy?”

“I do have some,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, her face betraying no hint of embarrassment. “But my cultivation is still weak, and I need to conserve every bit of spiritual energy for emergencies. For such a trivial matter, I’ll have to borrow yours.”

Cheng Jinshu remained silent for a long moment before reluctantly placing her palm on the umbrella.

The pitch-black umbrella emitted an eerie glow, which quickly faded, leaving it once again an ordinary black.

“Is that all?” Cheng Jinshu asked, her sleepiness now completely gone. She sat cross-legged on the nearby bench, frowning at Yun Chuanzhi, who was cradling the umbrella with obvious satisfaction.

Yun Chuanzhi nodded, running her fingers lovingly over the umbrella’s ribs.

“Crazy girl,” Cheng Jinshu muttered, shaking her head. Then, her tone turned worried. “How’s my aunt doing?”

“The same as always,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, rising to her feet with the umbrella. “Eating, drinking, listening to music—the usual. But she’s been away from the sect these past few days, without saying where she’s going. Sometimes she leaves at dusk and doesn’t return until sunrise.”

Cheng Jinshu nodded, propping one leg up on the bench. “Do you think she really killed those people down the mountain?”

“I don’t think so,” Yun Chuanzhi said, shaking her head. “The Sect Leader always kills cleanly and efficiently. She finds bl00d and gore ugly—why would she bother writing on the bodies?”

“But news of the Unceasing Mountain Gate Leader’s practice of draining mortals has already spread. Even Celestial Emperor City and Muli Divine Peak have sent envoys, who are said to have arrived in Youji City by now.”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded, her inner turmoil intensifying.

Since its inception, the cultivation world had undergone three distinct eras. Initially, during the Bell Spirit Era, countless sects and factions vied for dominance, creating a period of vibrant competition. Later, constant friction between sects erupted into territorial wars, leading to the emergence of the three great sects: Mount Everlasting, Muli Divine Peak, and Celestial Emperor City. This marked the Abundant Cauldron Era.

Now, in the current Qian Yuan Era, Celestial Emperor City, situated at the heart of the Nine Provinces, monopolized the vast majority of spiritual energy and spirit stones. Countless Immortal Cultivators at the Great Ascension stage and above were stationed there, solidifying its position as the supreme sect.

The fact that Celestial Emperor City had dispatched an envoy underscored the gravity of the situation.

“If the Sect Leader is judged to be a demonic cultivator who drains mortals, what will become of us?” Yun Chuanzhi suddenly asked.

Cheng Jinshu pondered. “As a rogue cultivator, I’ll likely be unaffected. But you and Ling Shui, as her personal Immortal Servants, will likely face punishment by association. At worst, we’ll lose our lives. At best…”

“Our Immortal Bones will be stripped, slave marks branded on our backs, and we’ll be banished from Mount Everlasting.”

Yun Chuanzhi forced a wry smile. As a subordinate, my greatest fear is something happening to my master.

Her thoughts made her restless. She abruptly stood up, grabbed an umbrella, and stepped onto the covered walkway. Cheng Jinshu immediately gripped her shoulder. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Down the mountain to check things out. The Sect Leader’s away anyway, so no one should be watching me.”

“Down the mountain? Alone?” Cheng Jinshu’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. “Do you see those towering peaks? By the time you reach Youji City on foot, my child will be old enough to buy steamed cakes.”

“…Fine. Since you’re seeing me this far, I’ll go with you.” After a moment’s silence, Cheng Jinshu grabbed Yun Chuanzhi by the collar.

Yun Chuanzhi’s heart sank. Before she could even cry out, she was airborne, spinning upward into the clouds.

Half an hour later, she collapsed to her knees outside the city walls, rain streaming down her face. Her face was pale and contorted as she dry-heaved violently.

“You really need to work on your stamina,” Cheng Jinshu said, standing beside her, looking refreshed and shaking her head. “How will you manage if you keep throwing up like this?”

Clutching her chest, Yun Chuanzhi looked up at her, her face ashen. “Maybe you should focus on mastering the Wind Riding Technique instead,” she said with a weak smile.

Cheng Jinshu ignored her, pointing excitedly at a vendor pushing a cart near the city gate. “Hey, brown sugar steamed cakes!”

Yun Chuanzhi’s eyes nearly rolled back into her skull.

He knelt by the city wall to rest for a quarter of an hour before recovering. Then, taking Cheng Jinshu’s arm for support, she rose and gazed up at the city gate, her heart stirring with awe.

A magnificent plaque, several meters wide, spanned the towering city wall, bearing the three bold characters “Youji City.” The gate resembled the gaping maw of a colossal beast, flanked by two iron lanterns carved with intricate Mystic Iron patterns. During the day, the lantern flames flickered within these patterns.

Two rows of guards in azure-green armor stood sentinel on either side of the gate, each accompanied by a Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Two massive, two-person-long swords hung on either side of the gate, their cold steel gleaming under the rain.

“Such formidable defenses,” Yun Chuanzhi murmured in awe.

“This city has stood for centuries,” Cheng Jinshu replied softly from behind him. “See those guards? They’re elite troops dispatched by Celestial Emperor City, known as the ‘Walking Gods.’ They protect the city’s inhabitants.”

“If someone loses property or dies, they handle the investigations. These women belong to the Supreme Military Affairs Office of Celestial Emperor City. The Commanders of each city wield even greater authority than the City Lords.”

The Qianyuan Realm was far more complex than Yun Chuanzhi had imagined. As she followed Cheng Jinshu into the flow of people entering the city, she asked, “Then what exactly is the City Lord’s role?”

“The City Lord is different from the Commander,” Cheng Jinshu explained. “The Commander reports directly to Celestial Emperor City, while the City Lord has existed since the city’s founding. They’re usually chosen from among the common people and the position is passed down through generations. By now, the City Lord holds little real power.”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded in understanding.

As they spoke, the two women had joined the queue to enter the city gate. A “Walking God” guard reached out her hand, and Cheng Jinshu produced a document from somewhere and handed it over. The guard glanced at the glowing seal on the paper before allowing them to pass.

A pass? Yun Chuanzhi thought in surprise. Thank goodness for Cheng Jinshu. I’d never have gotten in alone.

They walked through the long arched gate and stepped back into the rain, now inside the bustling Youji City. Wide, straight streets paved with blue bricks stretched out before them, flanked by buildings with double-eaved roofs and vermilion doors that stood solemnly in the rain. Colorful lanterns and signs lined the streets, their vibrant hues undiminished by the downpour, hinting at the city’s extraordinary liveliness.

Yun Chuanzhi was staring at a massive sign that read “Exquisite Delicacies” when she blinked, and the characters on the sign instantly changed to “Freshly Slaughtered Spirit Beasts.”

At that moment, an iron automaton floated past, its legs replaced by two wheels that creaked and groaned as it hauled two sacks of goods into the distance. Yun Chuanzhi hurriedly nudged Cheng Jinshu.

She gave her a dismissive glance. “Didn’t you study Artifact Refinement and excel at mechanisms? What’s so surprising about such a common contraption?”

“But isn’t the Qianyuan Realm all about Immortal Art, looking down on these ‘heretical’ practices?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“That might be true in other cities, but not in Youji City. This city was originally governed by the Mingcun Sect. Nestled in the mountains, farming was difficult, and the land was barren. The people starved and froze daily.”

“Fortunately, a century ago, my grandmaster became Sect Leader and developed a large number of automatons and mechanized vehicles for the people to use in their work. That’s how Youji City prospered.”

“But now, practitioners of Artifact Refinement are few and far between, and most of the remaining mechanisms have fallen into disrepair. It’s remarkable that any of them still exist.”

So that’s the story, Yun Chuanzhi thought, looking around with renewed curiosity.

The rain had stopped, and the streets were now teeming with people. Vendors hawked their wares amidst the rising clamor, and as noon approached, countless stalls spilled onto the wide streets, choking them with crowds.

Yun Chuanzhi was staring transfixed at an elderly woman painting when a loud argument erupted across the street, drawing the attention of many passersby.

Watching the crowd surge toward the commotion, Yun Chuanzhi’s curiosity piqued. She grabbed Cheng Jinshu’s hand and squeezed through the throng.

Taking advantage of her small stature, Yun Chuanzhi ducked under the arms of the onlookers and wormed her way to the front. She discovered the crowd had gathered around a knife-throwing stall. Where targets usually stood, a row of portraits had been hung, each pierced with crookedly thrown knives.

The figure in the portrait wore flowing purple robes, her tall frame imposing. Her face was truly terrifying, with a blue complexion, fangs, and four eyes.

“Er Gou,” Cheng Jinshu said softly, after squeezing beside her and studying the portrait for a moment. “Doesn’t this person look familiar?”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded.

Cheng Jinshu then glanced at the two people arguing with the stall owner, her expression growing more complex. “And doesn’t that elderly woman—the one who’s nearly sixty yet still jumping up and down to yell at the stall owner—look familiar too?”