The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 7

“Who?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, still dazed, and repeated the question.

“Bai Fenghuo! Are you deaf, you idiot?!” The Iron Puppet clanked furiously, its tiny body tugging at Yun Chuanzhi as if trying to uproot a massive radish.

“I can hear you,” Yun Chuanzhi said, pushing the icy puppet off him, utterly bewildered. “Bai Fenghuo is the Sect Leader of Mount Everlasting, protected by countless venerable barriers within its territory. Who could possibly harm her?”

“Besides, even if someone did, why wouldn’t you seek help from the Sect Leader or Elders instead of bothering me, a powerless Immortal Servant?”

“Why do you have to talk so much?” the Iron Puppet muttered under its breath. “You’re not new to Mount Everlasting. How could you not know about the Sect Leader’s feud with Bai Fenghuo?”

“She’d rather die than beg the Sect Leader for help!”

Bai Fenghuo’s feud with the Sect Leader?

In Avici City, Yun Chuanzhi had often listened to fallen immortals from the Qianyuan Realm tell stories of the realm’s tumultuous history over the past millennia. As one of the three major powers, Mount Everlasting had inevitably been mentioned, along with whispers of past secrets.

Now, as she carefully recalled those tales, fragments of memory began to surface.

Bai Xiaochen, the current Sect Leader of Mount Everlasting, was Bai Fenghuo’s Senior Sister. A century ago, they had both become disciples of Sect Leader Mingcun, their bond as close as siblings.

Bai Fenghuo possessed exceptional talent and innate gifts, earning Sect Leader Mingcun’s favor and rapid promotion. At a young age, she was appointed the Young Sect Leader of Mount Everlasting, enjoying unparalleled prestige.

Tragically, this golden era was short-lived. During a demon-hunting expedition, Sect Leader Mingcun and Bai Fenghuo were trapped in a demonic cave. No one knew what transpired within, only that when they emerged, Sect Leader Mingcun was a stiff corpse, her chest pierced by Bai Fenghuo’s unique spiritual weapon—the Giant Que Sword, the only one of its kind in the world.

Everyone, including Bai Xiaochen, refused to believe that Sect Leader Mingcun, a cultivator at the Transformation God Stage, could have been killed by a mere demon. In the entire Qianyuan Realm, few could match her in battle.

Overnight, the blame for the murder fell upon the young Bai Fenghuo. She offered no defense, allowing herself to be imprisoned in Mount Everlasting’s infamous Purgatory, a prison said to be inescapable. That night, a fierce storm raged, and the wails of ten thousand ghosts echoed through the mountain, mingling with the girl’s agonizing screams.

The screams transformed into wild, maniacal laughter that kept everyone awake that night. The next morning, when the prison was opened, the once radiant young woman’s hair had turned white, and she had descended into madness. She slaughtered all the cultivators sent to escort her, turning Mount Everlasting into a mountain of corpses and a sea of bl00d—a scene too gruesome to bear.

Yet Bai Fenghuo ultimately survived. Her salvation came in the form of a secret letter left by Sect Leader Mingcun before her death. The letter contained a pardon, guaranteeing Bai Fenghuo’s life regardless of her crimes.

After this incident, Bai Xiaochen ascended to the position of Sect Leader, and Bai Fenghuo was exiled to become the Sect Leader of Fifth Peak. Stripped of her former authority, she revealed her true nature, indulging in every conceivable evil. Her volatile temper and bloodthirsty nature earned her the reputation of a complete scoundrel.

That was the gist of the story, though the truth remained shrouded in layers of fact and fiction. As Yun Chuanzhi recalled these events, she finally understood the “grudge” the Iron Puppet had mentioned.

No, this isn’t just a grudge—it’s a bl00d feud of the deepest kind.

“I’m going to find Ling Shui,” Yun Chuanzhi said, rising to her feet. The Iron Puppet gripped the hem of her skirt again.

“I already looked for her. Ling Shui took leave these past two days to visit her family. Bai Fenghuo doesn’t like people getting close to him. Besides Ling Shui, you’re the only Immortal Servant who attends to her personally. Don’t delay any longer!”

The Iron Puppet forcefully dragged Yun Chuanzhi outside. Left with no choice, Yun Chuanzhi reluctantly followed.

The daytime weather had been mild, so even after nightfall, it wasn’t cold. The mountain breeze carried the scent of newly sprouted grass, ruffling the stray strands of hair at Yun Chuanzhi’s forehead.

Though small in stature, the Iron Puppet moved with surprising speed. Its clanking footsteps grew irritating, so Yun Chuanzhi simply picked it up and placed it on her shoulder, following its directions.

Initially, a full moon hung overhead, its light spilling over the eaves to illuminate the stone-paved road and steps. But as they walked, the moon was gradually obscured by wind-driven clouds, plunging the surroundings into deeper darkness. The path underfoot transformed into a rugged mountain trail.

They had clearly reached a remote part of the rear mountains, far from the brightly lit Kun Dan Sect. Yun Chuanzhi glanced at the winding, seemingly endless mountain path ahead, then turned to look at the puppet.

Though the puppet’s expressions were limited, its iron eyebrows were now furrowed deeply, conveying a palpable sense of worry.

As Yun Chuanzhi approached, she could detect a faint fragrance emanating from the Iron Puppet, identical to the scent on Bai Fenghuo. Though suspicion lingered, she pressed onward.

The surrounding environment grew increasingly desolate, clearly indicating they had ventured deep into the mountain forest. Wild trees and dense undergrowth obscured their path in all directions, leaving only the intermittently visible clouds overhead to guide their way.

Yun Chuanzhi silently memorized their bearings. After another incense stick’s worth of time, a towering ancient tree loomed before them, its trunk as wide as four or five outstretched arms. A hollow in the trunk led to a cave roughly ten meters square.

One side of the cave had been carved open, facing a bottomless ravine. Standing inside, they could hear the ceaseless roar of the river surging through the valley below.

The moon emerged from behind the clouds, its silvery light illuminating half the cave floor. A figure lay prone in the moonlight, an arm as pale as a lotus root exposed and shimmering under the lunar glow.

“Bai Fenghuo!” the Iron Puppet cried out, leaping from Yun Chuanzhi’s shoulder. Waving its stubby limbs, it stumbled over to Bai Fenghuo and began shaking her vigorously.

Bai Fenghuo, who was usually so delicate, what was she doing in this desolate mountain cave in the middle of the night? Yun Chuanzhi approached cautiously, tapping her arm.

“Sect Leader, Sect Leader.”

The skin beneath her fingertips was as cold as ice. Yun Chuanzhi’s heart skipped a beat. Abandoning any pretense of formality, she gripped Bai Fenghuo’s shoulders and flipped her onto her back.

The man’s eyes were tightly shut, her face as pale as frost, and her lips were frighteningly pale. Only her thick, dark eyelashes stood out against her pallor, casting a dense shadow across her eyelids.

Thank heavens, he’s still alive, Yun Chuanzhi thought, relieved. Otherwise, I’d be in serious trouble. She watched the pulse throbbing in Bai Fenghuo’s neck and let out a sigh of relief.

“What happened to the Sect Leader?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, her anxiety fading. She dropped Bai Fenghuo back onto the ground and brushed imaginary dust from her hands.

“Be gentler!” the Iron Puppet roared, carefully cradling Bai Fenghuo’s head. “Bai Fenghuo has a chronic illness that flared up today. Many within and outside the sect covet her position, so he’s kept it secret from everyone, even the Medical Immortals.”

“You must never reveal this to anyone. Keep your head down.”

“Oh,” Yun Chuanzhi said, crossing her legs and sitting down on the ground. “Then calling me here was pointless. I know nothing of medicine and can’t even carry her. You’d be better off going down the mountain to find Ling Shui.”

“You’re right,” the Iron Puppet replied, its voice brimming with restless energy. Before Yun Chuanzhi could say another word, it had already bounded out of the cave, leaving her no chance to speak.

Yun Chuanzhi shouted after it several times, “Wait!” but only her echoes answered.

“Absurd,” she muttered, glaring at the unconscious Bai Fenghuo for a long moment. Her eyes narrowed gradually.

If I kill Bai Fenghuo now, would that finally end all the trouble? Cui Ergou’s Body Offering wish only asked me to reform Bai Fenghuo, not to keep her alive.

If Bai Fenghuo dies, could I finally live? I could secretly escape Mount Everlasting and live a carefree life.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she slowly raised her hand and placed it on Bai Fenghuo’s throat. The man’s neck felt warmer than her arm, like a piece of jade warmed by the sun.

She unconsciously began stroking the jade-like skin, unaware of the slight curl in Bai Fenghuo’s fingertips hidden beneath her sleeve.

No, Yun Chuanzhi thought abruptly.

She jerked her hand back and clenched it in her other palm. This method wouldn’t work. Even if she managed to escape the endless peaks and valleys of Mount Everlasting, the Iron Puppet would simply announce her name, and she’d be captured again.

And was Bai Fenghuo truly unconscious?

Yun Chuanzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, lowered her gaze, and leaned closer.

The woman’s face was almost bloodless, appearing genuinely ill, and her pulse was faint. But for a cultivator with such potent spiritual energy, feigning near-death would be trivial.

Lost in thought, Yun Chuanzhi had closed the distance to a mere inch, close enough to see the fine texture of the woman’s skin and the faint, luminous downy hairs on its surface.

“Sect Leader,” she whispered near Bai Fenghuo’s ear, her breath stirring the hair at her temple. Bai Fenghuo’s fingertips trembled again.

“Sect Leader, how are you feeling? Should I fetch the Medical Immortal?” Yun Chuanzhi asked, feigning concern as she took Bai Fenghuo’s hand and rubbed it between her palms. “You’re so cold. Aren’t you freezing?”

Bai Fenghuo’s hand appeared bony and angular, yet it felt remarkably soft and smooth in Yun Chuanzhi’s grip, exuding a delicate fragrance. Yun Chuanzhi found herself kneading it almost compulsively, rubbing her fingertips until they flushed a rosy pink.

“You have to hold on. That metal monstrosity will be back soon. You can’t die,” Yun Chuanzhi whispered, biting her lip and beginning to sob softly.

The woman’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly—a detail most would have missed. But Yun Chuanzhi’s keen eyes caught it. A smirk tugged at her lips as she intensified her performance, weeping with even more heartfelt sincerity.

“Sect Leader, wake up…” Yun Chuanzhi sobbed, pulling the woman into her arms. She cradled her against her chest, her hand touching her cheek, kneading her noble and beautiful face like dough. “This lowly servant is timid… I’m terrified.”

The texture was surprisingly pleasant. Yun Chuanzhi kneaded until her hand ached, then gently laid her back down.

What was Bai Fenghuo afraid of again? Her mind drifted, and an idea struck her.

“Sect Leader, don’t worry. This lowly servant learned some emergency techniques down the mountain. I’ll help you breathe. You’ll definitely hold on until Sister Ling Shui returns!”

With that, she took a deep breath, leaned down, and pretended to align her mouth with Bai Fenghuo’s.