The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 34

Yun Chuanzhi’s culinary skills were far from refined. In her previous life, she had limited ingredients to work with, and most of the chicken, duck, and fish she acquired were simply roasted before being devoured. This chicken soup was her first attempt at simmering.

Fortunately, Bai Fenghuo had no special requests, making the preparation effortless. She stir-fried the remaining vegetables and radishes over high heat, seasoning them with salt at the peak of the flame to preserve their natural flavors.

After toiling in the kitchen for over an hour, Yun Chuanzhi emerged, drenched in sweat, carrying a tray of food. By then, the sun had climbed above the treetops. Bai Fenghuo sat alone in the desolate courtyard, Ling Shui stood behind her with her hands clasped behind her back, and Cheng Jinshu squatted beside the artificial rockery, sweating profusely as she played with crickets.

Jiang Manor’s courtyard was in a state of disrepair. The green bricks were covered in fallen leaves and cracks, and a stone table stood beside the dried-up pond, its surface pitted and uneven. Of the four stone benches surrounding it, three were broken, leaving only one barely intact, which Bai Fenghuo occupied.

Yet even in this dilapidated setting, the woman retained an air of elegance and nobility, as if she herself were a living landscape. Her slender fingers delicately held a cup of clear tea as she lowered her gaze and brought it to her lips.

Yun Chuanzhi’s steps faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her pace, carrying the full food tray up the stone steps.

“Er Gou, you’re finally better!” Cheng Jinshu exclaimed, tossing aside her cricket and leaping up to help carry the dishes.

As she brushed past Yun Chuanzhi, she lowered her voice to say, “Don’t leave me alone with her again. Look, I’m sweating so much it’s dripping down my chin.”

“If you didn’t want to help, why blame me?” Yun Chuanzhi shot her a sidelong glance before shoving the entire tray into Cheng Jinshu’s hands. She then sauntered ahead, lowering her head to sit.

However, all three stone stools were broken. She looked left, then right, but found no place to rest her bottom.

Her thick eyebrows drooped, and she widened her eyes to gaze at Bai Fenghuo.

Bai Fenghuo paused mid-sip, lifting her gaze over the teacup to meet Yun Chuanzhi’s pleading eyes. The girl’s dejected expression reminded her of the pug she’d seen at the market earlier.

Cui Ergou, the pug… Bai Fenghuo chuckled to herself, her mood lightening. She decided to make an exception and waved her hand, repairing the stone stool.

“Thank you,” Yun Chuanzhi said, bowing slightly before turning to beckon Cheng Jinshu. “Put it here.”

Cheng Jinshu, who had witnessed the entire exchange, slowly approached with the food tray, feeling as if she were still dreaming. Her mouth hung open, words caught in her throat.

Cheng Jinshu knew Bai Fenghuo’s temperament well. Leaving aside the past, ever since she became Sect Leader, she had never shown kindness to anyone. The Immortal Cultivators in the sect didn’t even dare to lift their heads when she was around.

Yet, when Cui Ergou had asked for help earlier, there had been a faint smile in Bai Fenghuo’s eyes.

Cheng Jinshu didn’t dare delay. She carefully placed the food tray on the table and retreated to stand beside Ling Shui.

“Why are you standing?” Yun Chuanzhi patted the stone bench beside her, surprised. “Aren’t you going to sit down and eat?”

Cheng Jinshu and Ling Shui exchanged glances, silently signaling each other. Has this girl lost her mind? they thought. How could we, mere rogue cultivators and Immortal Servants, possibly sit at the same table as the esteemed Sect Leader Bai?

Bai Fenghuo, naturally noticing their hesitation, set down her teacup and relented. “Sit down with us.”

Only after hearing her explicit permission did Cheng Jinshu and Ling Shui lift their robes and cautiously take seats on either side of him.

Yun Chuanzhi sensed their discomfort, but she was genuinely hungry and didn’t bother with further formalities. She quickly arranged the bowls and chopsticks, then reached out with a smile. “Eat, everyone, eat!”

With that, she picked up her chopsticks and reached for the glistening, emerald-green stir-fried vegetables. Suddenly remembering her manners, she withdrew her hand.

“Please, you first,” she said, thoughtfully pushing the dishes toward Bai Fenghuo.

“You’re quite sensible,” Bai Fenghuo said. “Eat.”

But as she gracefully picked up her chopsticks, half the plate of greens had already been snatched away by Yun Chuanzhi.

Bai Fenghuo’s chopsticks hovered in mid-air. She wanted to scold the girl, but seeing how Yun Chuanzhi looked as if she’d starve if she didn’t eat immediately, she let it go.

The dream-teller said her past life was that of a ruthless tyrant who slaughtered without mercy. Yet she devours her food like someone who’s terrified of going hungry.

Bai Fenghuo watched her for a long moment before finally rolling up her sleeves, revealing her snow-white wrists—a sight she rarely showed to anyone. She used a spoon to fish out the tender, stewed chicken leg from the soup and placed it in Yun Chuanzhi’s bowl, right beside her hand.

Yun Chuanzhi looked up in surprise, only to receive a cold, “This Seat doesn’t care for meat. It’s too greasy.”

Across the table, Ling Shui and Cheng Jinshu didn’t dare lift their heads, furiously chewing on radish chunks.

The meal ended in an eerie silence. Yun Chuanzhi, who had been starving all night, finally set down her chopsticks, satisfied. Only then did Bai Fenghuo, who had long since stopped eating, speak: “Are you finished? If so, come with This Seat to a certain place.”

She swept to her feet, turning to Ling Shui and Cheng Jinshu. “You two as well.”

In Youji City, Hidden Sword Street bustled with activity like ants before a storm. Even high-ranking officials and nobles rode in self-propelled sedans, their creaking wheels echoing down the long thoroughfare.

“I’ve always wondered how these things work,” Cheng Jinshu said, tugging Yun Chuanzhi along. “They’re called Self-Propelled Sedans, and they’re filled with intricate gears and mechanisms. There are only three or five of these in all of Youji City—treasures left behind by our Grandmaster.”

“It’s such a pity,” she sighed. “The Grandmaster’s mastery of arcane arts and craftsmanship was unparalleled, yet no one has inherited her skills.”

It’s just mechanical engineering, Yun Chuanzhi thought. Sister Guiren had taught her the basics of Artifact Refinement, including mechanics. Building a sedan like this would be complex, but with the right materials and spiritual energy, she could probably manage it.

Yun Chuanzhi kept her thoughts to herself, nodding in agreement.

Bai Fenghuo, walking ahead, glanced at the sedan and quickly looked away.

The four of them had transformed their appearances. Yun Chuanzhi, Ling Shui, and Cheng Jinshu were disguised as maids from a wealthy household, dressed in matching goose-yellow ruqun. Bai Fenghuo, however, wore a crimson robe and a veil draped behind her ears, posing as a refined and demure young lady.

After transforming her body, Yun Chuanzhi could finally look people straight in the eye. She now stood smiling, glancing left and right, occasionally teasing the sparrows kept outside the mansion, thoroughly enjoying herself.

“We’re here,” Bai Fenghuo announced, stopping beneath an elegant arched gate set into a red wall. The gate, made of pear blossom wood, saw a steady stream of people passing through. A gust of wind sent scattered papers swirling across the ground.

Ling Shui bent down to pick up a sheet and read aloud, “Welcome Spring Courtyard: Flower Token. Miss, this is an opera house. Shall we go inside?”

Bai Fenghuo glanced up at the plaque above the red wall and shook her head. “No need. The person I’m looking for isn’t inside.”

“But they’re nearby,” she added. “Ling Shui, you and Cheng Jinshu patrol this street. If you sense the aura of a cultivator with higher cultivation than yours, inform This Seat immediately.”

As she turned to speak, Yun Chuanzhi pulled out the communication horn he’d used to contact Cheng Jinshu earlier and waved it at Bai Fenghuo. “Miss, use this. It prevents spiritual energy fluctuations during speech, so we won’t be detected.”

Bai Fenghuo’s face remained hidden behind her veil, but her willow-leaf eyes widened slightly in surprise. She nodded once.

“Come with me,” she said to Yun Chuanzhi.

Outside the Opera House’s courtyard wall ran a narrow, winding alleyway, its entrance sheltered by fish-scale-patterned eaves. Peering inside revealed only a murky darkness. Bai Fenghuo covered her face and slipped into the alley, Yun Chuanzhi following close behind, lifting her skirts as she ducked under the eaves.

“Miss, what are we looking for in here?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, narrowly avoiding stepping in dog droppings and hopping aside, clutching her skirts.

“Someone,” Bai Fenghuo replied, her brow furrowed. The alley’s stench made her pinch her nose.

“The person who broke into your room last night?” Yun Chuanzhi pressed.

Bai Fenghuo neither confirmed nor denied. They soon reached the alley’s dead end, where a hidden clearing lay between the courtyard walls, sheltered by overhanging eaves. Piles of wood, stones, and even old books filled the space, forming what appeared to be a makeshift shelter.

As Yun Chuanzhi bent down to peer inside, a dark figure darted out like a gust of wind. She reacted swiftly, reaching to grab it, but Bai Fenghuo moved faster. A Dao Immortal Wind swept past her, and the figure was instantly bound tightly in Duan Ling’s silk ribbons.

“I was right—it’s just a child,” Yun Chuanzhi huffed.

The bound figure barely reached Bai Fenghuo’s thigh, its skin withered and black, its face gaunt except for its gleaming white teeth. It opened its mouth and let out a series of guttural cries, its eyes burning with a fierce, feral light, like a wild wolf cub cornered in the mountains.

“One more sound, and I’ll cut out your tongue,” Bai Fenghuo sneered, her gaze even more ferocious than the child’s.

“Miss,” Yun Chuanzhi said cautiously, raising her hand, “I don’t think she has a tongue to begin with.”

At this, Bai Fenghuo waved a Dao Immortal Wind toward the child. An invisible force pried open the child’s mouth, revealing an empty cavity.

No wonder they chose her to frame us, Yun Chuanzhi thought. She can’t even speak, and she doesn’t look like she can write. We’ll never get any answers from him.

“Can you read minds?” Yun Chuanzhi asked Bai Fenghuo.

“No,” Bai Fenghuo replied flatly, summoning a luminous sword in her palm. “Since we can’t get anything out of him, let’s just kill him.”

“Wait!” Yun Chuanzhi quickly stopped Bai Fenghuo, holding out her hands and forcing a strained smile. “I have an idea.”

While she wouldn’t mind killing the others, this child was only seven or eight years old, and her circumstances seemed particularly tragic. She couldn’t bear to see her die at Bai Fenghuo’s hand without even trying to get answers.

Besides, if she died, their only lead would vanish.

Yun Chuanzhi unfastened the wooden box Bai Fenghuo had given her from her waist. Though small, the box functioned like a Qiankun pouch, capable of holding many items. She opened it and rummaged through its contents, pulling out a round, helmet-like object.

“What is this?” Bai Fenghuo asked.

“This is called the Truth Helmet,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, placing the helmet on the child’s head. The moment the cold iron touched the child’s skin, the dark blue interior faded, becoming transparent like flowing water.

“Anyone who wears this helmet will speak without reservation, revealing everything they know.”

As she spoke, a faint smile flickered in Bai Fenghuo’s eyes. She gazed thoughtfully at Yun Chuanzhi, saying nothing.

Yun Chuanzhi didn’t notice her gaze. She knelt down and asked the child, “Were you the one who infiltrated our residence yesterday?”

The child remained silent, continuing to snarl and bare her teeth. But a child’s voice, emanating from the helmet above her head, answered, “Yes.”

The moment the voice spoke, the child froze, her cries ceasing abruptly. She gaped like a fish trapped in frozen lake ice, unable to move.

Ignoring him, Yun Chuanzhi continued, “Did you kill those people in the city?”

“No.”

“Then someone instructed you to infiltrate our residence, plant the stolen goods, and frame us?”

“Yes.”

“Who was this person? Do you know them?”

“No.”

Yun Chuanzhi glanced up at Bai Fenghuo before adding, “What did this person look like? Do you know their name?”

The child remained frozen in shock until Yun Chuanzhi asked her the question. Her gaunt face suddenly paled, her eyes widened like copper bells, and her tattered clothes trembled violently with her body.

“That sister…” she stammered, “her face was whiter than snow, her bl00d-red eyes were bigger than fists, and she was… about eight feet tall…”

An eight-foot-tall sister? Fist-sized eyes? A face whiter than snow? Yun Chuanzhi felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced at Bai Fenghuo, who, though silent, had also visibly paled.

“Miss,” Yun Chuanzhi asked softly, “are there ghosts in Youji City?”

“Rarely,” Bai Fenghuo replied tersely, then glanced at the sky, her expression hardening. “Someone’s coming.”

She swiftly retracted the silk ribbon, and the child scurried back to her hovel like a frightened dog. Bai Fenghuo had no time to spare. She recited a Heart Incantation to seal her spiritual energy and conceal her aura, then grabbed Yun Chuanzhi’s hand and hurried toward the light.

Yun Chuanzhi rarely saw Bai Fenghuo so tense, and her own anxiety grew. She stopped asking questions and simply followed, head bowed.

Halfway there, Bai Fenghuo abruptly halted, leaning against the wall. A wry smile curved her lips, a mixture of mockery and resignation. “Just as I suspected.”

“What is it?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“Those old fogeys from Celestial Emperor City,” Bai Fenghuo murmured with a faint smile, letting her hands fall to her sides. “They haven’t even convicted me yet, but they’re already sending Venerables to capture me.”

People from Celestial Emperor City? No wonder Bai Fenghuo had sealed her spiritual energy. The newcomers’ cultivation level must far surpass hers; otherwise, with her arrogant and overbearing nature, she wouldn’t have bothered to restrain herself.

At that moment, the communication device at Yun Chuanzhi’s waist vibrated. Cheng Jinshu’s urgent voice crackled through: “A large group of Immortal Cultivators has entered the city!”

Even without the warning, Yun Chuanzhi could sense the overwhelming pressure growing stronger as it approached. In an instant, the figures had reached the alley entrance.

We’re in this together now, Yun Chuanzhi realized. If she’s captured, I won’t escape either.

“This way,” she suddenly said, abandoning all decorum. She grabbed Bai Fenghuo’s wrist and yanked her behind a patch of overgrown weeds. “We need to hide.”

Bai Fenghuo’s arm stiffened. Before she could protest Yun Chuanzhi’s audacity, she was struck speechless by what Yun Chuanzhi pointed to.

“A dog hole?” A mocking smile spread across her crimson lips. “Cui Ergou, you want This Seat to crawl through a dog hole?”

“Do you want to live or not?” Yun Chuanzhi snapped, her urgency overriding all restraint. With that, she ducked down and squeezed through the tangled weeds.

Good, very good, exceedingly good. Bai Fenghuo didn’t know whether to be angry or furious. In the end, she bit her lip to restrain herself, closed her eyes, and bent her noble spine in a deep bow.

She didn’t remember how she had squeezed through the hole, only that she had bitten her lower lip so hard it nearly drew bl00d. When she opened her eyes, the audacious Little Immortal Servant was clutching her sleeve, dragging her toward a pile of miscellaneous objects.

“What are you doing now?” Bai Fenghuo finally understood what it meant to have anger with nowhere to vent, her chest tightening with stifled rage.

“You can’t use your spiritual energy, and the Immortal Cultivators are guarding the entrance. We have to hide somewhere until they leave,” Yun Chuanzhi explained in a low voice.

They were in the courtyard behind the Welcome Spring Courtyard, where goods were stored. The faint strains of opera music drifted from the Opera House. Piles of goods rose like mountains on either side, including tables, chairs, embroidered shoes, folding fans, and even larger stage props.

“Here,” Yun Chuanzhi spotted a sedan chair draped with a red curtain and pulled Bai Fenghuo inside. The chair rocked briefly before settling into stillness.

Bai Fenghuo remained silent, sitting beside her. The interior of the sedan chair was smaller than usual, making the two women feel cramped. Their shoulders brushed, their legs pressed together. Yun Chuanzhi, being lighter, nearly ended up sitting on Bai Fenghuo’s lap.

The woman’s fragrance wafted over Yun Chuanzhi, as expected. Suddenly, Yun Chuanzhi felt her earlobes grow warm. Gripping her knees, she tried to remain calm and said, “Miss, your scent might give us away.”

“I’ve already removed the scent,” Bai Fenghuo replied softly near her ear.

The fragrance intensified, enveloping Yun Chuanzhi’s neck. Now, not just her ears but her entire body flushed crimson. Though she couldn’t understand why the scent lingered in her nostrils, she didn’t ask again.

Bai Fenghuo leaned back against the cushioned seat, her gaze drifting to the girl’s bright red ears. The tension that had been in her eyes vanished completely. A faint smile played on her lips, the sunlight filtering through the curtains dancing in her eyes.

She suddenly murmured, “Do you know… what a bridal sedan chair is?”