The Villainess Always Wants to Cuddle With Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 35

“How is she?” Ling Jun asked, her expression momentarily startled before her brow furrowed in concern. Jian Qiongjun’s health weighed heavily on her mind. Since childhood, regardless of her original identity as Jian Lingjun, she had long regarded Jian Qiongjun as her own mother.

To outsiders, this matter seemed like a baseless rumor, as none of the Cuiyue Sect disciples knew of it. Ever since Ling Jun had snuck down the mountain to play as a child, Yunyin had taken over the night patrols on the fifteenth of each month. Last month, on the full moon of the fifteenth, Yunyin was on duty. While patrolling near the Sect Leader’s residence, she had overheard something she shouldn’t have. After a moment’s deliberation, Yunyin asked, “Do you remember the fifteenth?”

Of course she remembered—the day her mother had been afflicted by the blade’s fire. Ling Jun nodded slowly, her expression darkening.

Beside her, Jian Qigui raised her gaze to Yunyin, her face betraying no worry as she silently rubbed her thumb back and forth across the pad of her index finger.

“That night, while patrolling near the Sect Leader’s residence, I heard incessant coughing from within,” Yunyin recounted, her voice measured. “The coughs echoed long and deep. Out of concern, I knocked and asked if she was alright.”

On the fifteenth day, Jian Qiongjun didn’t go to the Cold Pond in Cuiyue Mountain? Ling Jun frowned deeply and interjected, “Was my mother in her chambers on the fifteenth?”

Yunyin nodded. “I knocked for a long time, but there was no response. The coughing inside persisted, so I had no choice but to push the door open. The Sect Leader was slumped over the low table, coughing violently. On the table were scattered droplets of bl00d, like snowflakes…”

“Coughing up bl00d?” A hairline crack appeared on Jian Qigui’s usually impassive face.

Hearing this, Ling Jun slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet. “I can’t wait any longer! I’m returning to Cuiyue Mountain immediately!” What was there to wait for? She was coughing up bl00d! If it was consumption, even with Jian Qiongjun’s formidable martial arts and inner strength, she needed timely medical treatment! Otherwise, even a Great Golden Immortal couldn’t save her! And this was ancient times, with its primitive medical techniques!

“Junior Sister, don’t be hasty. Let me finish,” Yunyin said, raising her hand to signal Ling Jun to wait.

Ling Jun was so anxious that beads of sweat trickled down her temples. Despite her impatience, Yunyin’s insistence forced her to sit back down and listen to the end.

“The Sect Leader was indeed weak on the fifteenth, but what followed was truly baffling. The next day, when I went to check on her, her complexion was rosy and healthy, showing no signs of illness…” Yunyin observed Ling Jun’s expression, her voice trailing off until it faded completely.

“Pulmonary tuberculosis?” Jian Qigui interjected, his deep eyes probing Yunyin’s evasive gaze.

“Yes, exactly. After that day, the symptoms never recurred. The Sect Leader forbade me from mentioning it to anyone, but I’ve been so worried that I had to tell you both.” Yunyin pressed her lips together, having kept these words bottled up for far too long. At Cuiyue Mountain, she dared not speak of it to anyone, not even her master, Fan Xing.

As she finished speaking, the window lattice and half-open door rattled in the breeze, occasionally carrying in a breath of verdant green. The snow had long melted, and fresh buds were sprouting on the bare branches.

Ling Jun gazed out the window, trying to clear her mind of distractions. She pressed the tip of her tongue against her teeth, sensing something was amiss. Jian Qiongjun’s symptoms were unheard of—only weakness on the fifteenth of each month, recurring every half-month. If there were no other abnormalities except for those days, could it be related to the Ice Lotus Manual?

The human trafficker in Pingcheng County needed to be dealt with, and Jian Qiongjun’s condition required attention too! Ling Jun’s gaze shifted, her eyes brimming with the same vibrant determination as the newly sprouted buds on the branches outside her window.

As the silvery moonlight passed the third watch of the night, the surrounding landscape resembled an ink wash painting, its shades of gray and black creating a distinct aesthetic. The shadows of the trees stretched long and dark under the moon’s silvery glow, merging into the deep gray of the roof tiles. Within this tapestry of varying darkness, a shadow moved with purpose, defying the uniform stillness that shifted with the moonlight. Its jade-tipped toes tapped lightly against the air, breaking the monotony of the long, silent night.

Finding the human trafficker was easy—he was the one in Pingcheng County who had been loudly lamenting the loss of his child. Ling Jun landed on the roof, lifted a curved tile, and peered inside. An elderly woman lay asleep in the main room; this must be her. After checking the other rooms, she found four children huddled together in one side chamber and a tall, burly man in the other. Weighing her options, Ling Jun first tossed a packet of Tendon-Softening Powder at the burly man, then sprinkled sleeping powder to deepen his slumber.

Returning to the old woman’s roof, Ling Jun treated her in the same manner.

“Just kill her and save us the trouble.”

The sudden words sent a chill down Ling Jun’s spine. She recognized the voice instantly—it was Jian Qigui. Turning around, she saw Jian Qigui standing a short distance behind her.

“Easy for you to say. Whether to kill or not, it’s still a human life.”

Jian Qigui sat down beside Ling Jun, her gaze earnest as she met her eyes. “She’s committed countless atrocities. Letting her live only prolongs the suffering. Better to end it swiftly.”

Ling Jun and Jian Qigui had always held differing views on this matter, or rather, on Guan Qigui’s perspective. The “Qi Gui” believed that anything they found objectionable should simply be eliminated to remove the eyesore. Ling Jun, on the other hand, believed in the diversity of life, each creature entitled to its own way of living.

“A person lives a lifetime, experiencing both warmth and cold. This world offers both sweetness and bitterness; only by knowing bitterness can we truly appreciate sweetness. Jian Qigui, my greatest fortune in this life has been meeting you. What about you?” A faint, gentle smile graced Ling Jun’s lips as the night breeze stirred the strands of hair at her temples. Her tenderness was so profound, so unlike that of someone living in this world, that it stirred the heart of one who had wished for death, granting them a renewed sense of life.

The wind howled in her ears, like the mischievous laughter of children playing pranks. As it whipped up dust devils, the sound echoed like a lost melody, reverberating in waves. Jian Qigui heard the first part clearly, unwilling to argue with Ling Jun over differing opinions. But the second half felt like a distant call from an endless wilderness.

And you?

Jian Qigui parted her lips, momentarily stunned. She understood that everything Ling Jun had said was true—she had never truly loved her, treating her only as a childhood friend with whom she shared everything. Yet that single sentence—The greatest fortune of my life was meeting you—stirred her heart, causing Red Luan to flutter wildly.

“I don’t believe in ghosts, gods, or destiny,” Jian Qigui said, her gaze deepening like a whirlpool, drawing anyone who looked into the intricate web she had woven. “But if I hadn’t endured hardship, how would I have met you? So… I believe now. I was destined to face this trial, all to cross paths with you.” Having witnessed the filth and degradation in the mud, Ling Jun was her last sanctuary of purity. If she had to believe in something, she wouldn’t choose Buddha or deities, but she would undoubtedly believe in Ling Jun. She glanced down at her palm, her eyes dark and resolute. “And from now on, my fate—the fate I can grasp in my own hands—will be decided by me!”

Is this a love confession? It’s almost unbearably beautiful. She admitted that there were moments when Jian Qigui stirred her heart, but it was merely a fleeting flutter, destined to remain just that. Ling Jun smiled, her beauty radiant, as two clear tears traced paths down her cheeks in the night wind. The disappointment in her eyes couldn’t be concealed, and she casually wiped them away. Composing herself, Ling Jun turned and stepped out of the children’s room, Jian Qigui following with a furrowed brow.

The room’s furnishings were spartan: a weathered round table worn smooth by time and a bed crowded with children. Iron shackles encircled the children’s slender ankles, and upon closer inspection, mottled bruises stained their tender flesh, the edges fading from purple to pale yellow.

Lacking internal energy, Ling Jun pointed to the shackles and said, “Qi Gui, help the children remove these shackles.”

“Of course.”

As she spoke, the Cold Ice Sword flashed, severing the shackles one by one. Jian Qigui’s eyes flickered with a faint light. She is Ling Jun’s sword, and this is her duty…

The clatter of the falling shackles roused the children. The girl sleeping on the outer edge gathered the three children beside her, her gaze wary and her voice sharp, “Who are you?!”

Ling Jun withdrew a string of copper coins from her robe and placed it on the round table. Her sharply defined crimson lips parted slightly as she spoke, “I’ve already subdued the male and female human traffickers next door. You have a full day and night. This string of coins is for you—use it for travel expenses or whatever you need. It’s yours.”

Jian Qigui stared in stunned confusion. She couldn’t grasp the meaning behind Ling Jun’s words. Was she planning to abandon these children to fend for themselves? But Ling Jun’s attitude yesterday had been so different… What was she really…?

“Is this true?” The girl on the outer edge raised her eyebrows, her eyes gleaming with suspicion, before her brow furrowed into a deep frown. Clearly, she was only half-convinced by Ling Jun’s words.

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you,” Ling Jun replied. “The world is vast—perhaps our paths will cross again. Farewell!” With that, she flashed onto the roof tiles, Qi Gui hurrying after her.

The girl leaped off the bed and took two steps forward, gazing up at the roof. “Miss! I believe you! Take us with you! Miss…”

There was no response, only the clamorous night wind carrying the sounds of the city.

Before Ling Jun could get too far ahead, Jian Qigui called out to the resolute figure striding forward, “What about the children? Is this all?”

Ling Jun turned back, her voice calm, “I gave them a choice. That’s enough.”

“And the human trafficker?” A flicker of hesitation crossed Jian Qigui’s eyes. She couldn’t quite understand Ling Jun anymore.

Ling Jun stood against the wind, hands clasped behind her back, a crescent moon of a smile curving her lips. “A mild punishment. The magistrate will receive a formal complaint tomorrow.”

“Just that?” Jian Qigui pressed, her brow furrowing deeper.

“Remember what I said earlier? What I truly cherish is their vitality. In my eyes, all lives are equal—the equality of all beings. When someone commits a wrong, they must face the consequences.” The more Ling Jun pondered, the clearer her own heart became. She finally understood her deepest convictions.

As she spoke, a silvery-gray light radiated from Ling Jun’s body. The white pearl at Jian Qigui’s wrist suddenly glowed, humming and trembling incessantly.

At that moment, Jian Qigui felt as though Ling Jun had ascended to a higher plane. Bathed in the moon’s silver radiance, she moved like a fleeting meteor across the night sky, radiating an entrancing, ethereal glow. All beings are equal… She didn’t just say it; she lived it. This boundless love was her faith.

Ling Jun, facing Jian Qigui, clearly saw the White Pearl shimmering on her wrist. Her pupils constricted slightly as she quickly turned away, concealing the alarm in her eyes.

“Let’s return to Cuiyue Mountain.”

“Alright.”

How did that White Pearl end up on Jian Qigui’s wrist?! Ling Jun bit her lower lip, her eyes shadowed with concern. The Ice Lotus Steps she used to glide through the night sky faltered, her movements becoming erratic.

What exactly is the origin of that pearl?