The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 48

“Sect Leader!” Ling Shui cried out in alarm, rushing forward to help. But the straw on the ground was too thick, and her long robes made the effort feel like a grueling journey.

Though the person on the ground wore a veil, their slender, graceful figure left no doubt: it was indeed Bai Fenghuo. Yun Chuanzhi had recognized her immediately, but remained frozen in shock for a long moment.

It was only when Ling Shui called for help that Yun Chuanzhi snapped out of her daze. She took two light steps forward, cradling Bai Fenghuo’s arm as she helped her up.

Bai Fenghuo’s exposed eyes flashed with displeasure, bordering on fury. She flung Yun Chuanzhi’s hand away without a word.

Though she didn’t push Ling Shui away, she refused to lean on her for support. Instead, she brushed the straw from her robes and stood up with elegant composure.

Her silk-like black hair, shimmering faintly, shook from side to side, shedding every trace of dust and straw. Then, she untied her veil, casting not a single glance at Yun Chuanzhi.

She’s angry, Yun Chuanzhi thought, her gaze drifting to the side, guilt rising in her chest.

“Sect Leader, what brings you here?” Ling Shui asked cautiously, standing to the side with downcast eyes. Having left Kun Dan Sect without permission herself, she was equally apprehensive.

Bai Fenghuo seemed to have been holding back for a long time. She exhaled deeply, raised her eyes to survey the surroundings, and said in a cold voice, “Sect Leader Bi and the other Immortal Cultivators entered the territory of Floating Jade Mountain and vanished without a trace. Senior Sister has already sent letters to Celestial Emperor City and Muli Divine Peak, explaining that this Great Demon incident is no ordinary matter and urging the three major Sects to convene for joint deliberation.”

“The Immortal Cultivators are deeply concerned for Sect Leader Bi’s safety. Mount Everlasting is now in a state of panic, with undercurrents of unrest brewing. As Sect Leader, Senior Sister must remain at Mount Everlasting to maintain order and cannot leave. Therefore, she has dispatched This Seat to investigate the situation.”

“If the Spirit Flower representing This Seat suffers any further mishap, she will personally come here,” Bai Fenghuo declared.

It was common knowledge that Bai Fenghuo was a reclusive figure who had always shunned worldly affairs and shown no interest in the affairs of Mount Everlasting. Why, then, had Bai Xiaochen suddenly decided to send her out? Was she not afraid that in her anger, she might lose control and slaughter even more people than the Great Demon itself?

Could it be that Bai Fenghuo had volunteered for this mission?

Yun Chuanzhi stood in a corner, lost in thought. Her mind drifted further and further away before she abruptly snapped back to reality, shaking off the chaotic thoughts.

Just a few days ago, Bai Fenghuo had declared that the lives of others were irrelevant to her—meaning they were irrelevant to her. Why had she suddenly changed her tune? If her words were true, then Bai Xiaochen had indeed ordered her to come here.

After all, Bai Fenghuo’s cultivation and abilities were exceptional, making her the perfect candidate for this task.

“Have Sect Leader Bi and the other Immortal Masters’ Spirit Flowers all been extinguished?” Ling Shui asked, stepping forward with concern.

Spirit Flowers represented each Immortal Cultivator’s life essence. When a cultivator descended from the mountain for trials, they would plant a Spirit Flower—formed from concentrated spiritual energy—in Bright Existence Hall. If the flower withered, the cultivator had perished; if it wilted, they had been injured.

“No,” Bai Fenghuo replied indifferently, her eyes devoid of concern. “They’ve merely faded, now swirling like mist.”

Hearing this, Yun Chuanzhi couldn’t help but interject, “Then what did the Sect Leader discover? And how did you enter this old man’s cellar?”

Her voice echoed clearly through the cavernous cellar, yet Bai Fenghuo ignored her completely. Instead, she strode to a dark corner, picked up a wooden puppet’s arm, and began toying with it.

Fine, fine, fine, Yun Chuanzhi thought, licking her lips and glancing at Ling Shui for help.

Ling Shui also felt awkward. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, cleared her throat, and repeated Yun Chuanzhi’s question.

This time, Bai Fenghuo heard her. She scoffed, tossed aside the puppet’s arm, and produced a handkerchief from who-knows-where to wipe her hands. “If you can’t even conceal your auras, how could This Seat possibly have trouble finding you two?”

“As for that old man, This Seat nearly killed him. But since he’s the only living person in this city, I restrained myself.” Bai Fenghuo circled the cellar, then returned to her original spot. “I also wanted to see what you two were up to, hiding in this stinky cellar.”

Fortunately, Bai Fenghuo’s patience had grown recently, allowing her to refrain from killing. Yun Chuanzhi was initially relieved, but then she suddenly realized something and exchanged a startled glance with Ling Shui.

Finally, Ling Shui spoke up. “Sect Leader, did you say… the only living person in the city?”

But weren’t there still many people hiding in the houses? How could that be…?

“Your cultivation is too weak to sense it,” Bai Fenghuo said casually. “Those howling in the houses are no longer human.”

Yun Chuanzhi remained calm, but Ling Shui’s skin crawled with goosebumps, and her shoulders began to tremble.

Bai Fenghuo ignored Ling Shui’s fear. She suddenly stepped back, her gaze sharpening as she looked up at the heavy iron door above. At the same moment, the rhythmic tapping of a cane echoed, growing steadily louder as it approached.

“Someone else is coming?” Ling Shui whispered, barely audible.

The heavy iron gate creaked open. This time, instead of a person, a basket tied with hemp rope was lowered. A winnowing basket served as a lid, and the faint aroma of food drifted from within.

The old woman was actually bringing them food. Yun Chuanzhi was even more astonished. She glanced at Bai Fenghuo, who showed only her profile. In the dim light, it was impossible to discern the thoughts behind her eyes.

The basket quickly descended. Bai Fenghuo, who had been standing motionless, suddenly took a step back. Several silk ribbons shot out from behind her like arrows, moving so fast they left only afterimages. A heavy object crashed down from above the iron gate.

The object was completely enveloped in layers of white silk ribbons, leaving only a pair of bulging, bloodshot eyes wide with terror. With a thud, it landed amidst flying straw and swirling dust.

It was the old woman who had brought the food. She seemed to have witnessed something horrifying, her eyes bulging as if about to burst from their sockets, the whites streaked with red. She screamed hoarsely, her words fragmented and incoherent.

“Honeycomb… dead… mad… thick fog…”

“Husband… wife… child… eat…”

His words were broken and nonsensical, utterly bizarre. Ling Shui felt a chill run down her spine. Though she remained standing, the color drained from her face, leaving her visibly pale.

Seeing her distress, Yun Chuanzhi stepped forward and patted her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

Bai Fenghuo stood tall, her gaze sweeping down to the old woman on the ground. She lifted the winnowing basket covering the basket, revealing neatly stacked bowls and chopsticks, the food inside fresh and enticing.

“He’s gone mad,” Ling Shui murmured.

“Let’s eat first,” Bai Fenghuo suddenly said.

The situation was spiraling into the bizarre. An hour later, the three of them stood beneath the towering courtyard well. The dim sunlight remained as murky as it had been earlier. The narrow well seemed like the opening of a cage, stretching toward the lifeless sky.

Yun Chuanzhi carried a spotless square table and three chairs from the side room and arranged them neatly beneath the well. She instinctively reached out to help Bai Fenghuo sit down.

But Bai Fenghuo, still nursing her pique, twisted her waist with a graceful flourish, her sleeve brushing past Yun Chuanzhi’s fingertips as she settled into her seat.

Ling Shui began serving the dishes.

Yun Chuanzhi’s outstretched hand hovered awkwardly for a moment before she rubbed her nose. The old man, whom they had brought out of the cellar, was now tied to a rattan lounge chair, her vacant eyes staring up at the withered sky.

“Though the old woman is mad, she can still care for herself. The house is spotless, inside and out,” Ling Shui said, her voice much calmer now, as she neatly arranged the chopsticks and placed them in Bai Fenghuo’s palm.

She added softly, “The books about the puppet master are still open in the room, with only a thin layer of dust. It seems her madness is recent.”

“Living alone in a city full of the living dead would break even an Immortal Cultivator in a few days, let alone an elderly mortal,” Yun Chuanzhi said. “I believe she was still lucid when she set up the wooden puppet at the village entrance. But the overwhelming fear gradually eroded her sanity.”

Yun Chuanzhi, who usually had a hearty appetite, found herself unable to eat. After only a few bites of her steamed bun, she rose and pushed open the door to the pitch-black main hall.

Bai Fenghuo remained seated, slowly eating her meal, paying her no mind.

By the time Bai Fenghuo finished eating, Yun Chuanzhi had emerged from the house, carrying a bundle of miscellaneous items. She approached Ling Shui and gestured for her to relay the information to Bai Fenghuo.

“I found these in a locked room,” Yun Chuanzhi said rapidly. “It seems to have belonged to a married couple. The faded wedding characters are still pasted on the door. There was also a baby’s cradle inside, proving that this courtyard once housed a family of three besides the old man.”

“Look at this woodblock print,” Yun Chuanzhi said, pulling out a framed print and handing it to Ling Shui. “The old woman is the father of the woman in this couple, but now he’s the only one left in the courtyard.”

Ling Shui took the print and examined it closely, frowning. “Then they…”

“We don’t know if they’re dead or were taken,” Yun Chuanzhi continued, her voice slowing as if she hesitated. “When I was searching for you earlier, I peeked through the door cracks and saw the living dead.”

“There were old and young, women and women, but either they were very young children or gray-haired elders. I saw very few young adults of suitable age.”

“You mean some people vanished into the fog?” Ling Shui quickly understood, but her raised eyebrows soon fell. “But what good does that do us?”

Before Yun Chuanzhi could answer, Bai Fenghuo’s voice drifted in, soft and eerie. “It proves that the things in the fog don’t just kill; they also take some people.”

“If we can figure out who they’re taking, we might be able to infiltrate the fog and find traces of the Great Demon.”

“Yes, Sect Leader…” Yun Chuanzhi smiled at Bai Fenghuo, but Bai Fenghuo refused to acknowledge her, continuing to sip her warm tea.

Yun Chuanzhi sighed inwardly. How could a sect leader be so petty?

Still, she had broken her word, and Bai Fenghuo’s anger was justified. Moreover, she needed her help to find Cheng Jinshu. If this standoff continued, it would waste precious time.

Composing herself, Yun Chuanzhi forced another smile and leaned forward to pick up the teapot. “Sect Leader, your tea has gone cold. Let me pour you another cup.”

Just as she reached for the teacup, Bai Fenghuo suddenly raised her hand. The cup spun like a top between her fingers, evading Yun Chuanzhi’s grasp.

The tea splashed onto the ground, and the empty cup shattered into dust, scattering into the wind.

The courtyard atmosphere turned icy. Ling Shui quickly rose to clear the table, then slipped into the main hall under the pretense of gathering the dishes, dragging the muttering old woman along with her.

Yun Chuanzhi’s fingertips trembled as she set down the teapot and exhaled. “Sect Leader, I was wrong.”

“Wrong? What wrong have you committed?” Bai Fenghuo asked with a faint smile, her gaze fixed on Yun Chuanzhi before shifting away with disdain. “Just another disloyal servant. This Seat has seen countless such traitors. Killing them is the only solution.”

“I wasn’t disloyal,” Yun Chuanzhi murmured, afraid to stand too tall. Her back ached from bending over, so she squatted down, gripping the edge of the table with both hands as she looked up at Bai Fenghuo. “But Cheng Jinshu is still a friend. I can’t just abandon her.”

“Friend?” Bai Fenghuo seemed utterly disgusted by the word. She covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes growing colder. “Human hearts are fickle, driven only by self-interest. What pretense of loyalty and righteousness is this?”

“Hasn’t This Seat told you before? No one’s life matters to you except This Seat’s. Since you refuse to listen, don’t blame This Seat for being ruthless.”

As she spoke, Bai Fenghuo raised her hand, her slender fingers clamping around Yun Chuanzhi’s neck like sharp claws. With the slightest pressure, the girl’s face flushed crimson as she tilted her head back, arching backward.

The delicate, vulnerable pulse in her neck throbbed beneath Bai Fenghuo’s fingertips. A mere twist could sever her breath, yet Bai Fenghuo’s fingers trembled for what seemed an eternity, unable to muster the strength to act.

The small stone puppet wriggled free from Bai Fenghuo’s sleeve, scrambling up her arm with a panicked cry. It perched on her wrist, prying at her fingers with its stubby legs kicking wildly, each strike stinging painfully.

“Master, Master, don’t die! Master…” Blackie wailed without tears, its cries grating on Bai Fenghuo’s nerves. Yet she didn’t shake it off.

Hearing the commotion, Ling Shui, the spirit water guardian of the gate, rushed out in a panic and knelt, her head striking the ground with a sharp crack. Bai Fenghuo’s anger and frustration surged, a violent impulse rising within her to obliterate the entire courtyard.

But she didn’t act. The girl in her grasp suddenly went limp, her body sliding to the ground. Bai Fenghuo instinctively released her, jerking her hand back.

After a moment of stunned silence, she knelt beside the fallen girl, frantically checking for a pulse. “Yun Chuanzhi!”