The Villainous Supporting Character Ended Up with the Female Lead - Chapter 12

As night descended, Xu Zijin pushed open the window. The rustling of old leaves in the courtyard added to the desolate atmosphere.

Yun Hanmian had been gone for so long that Xu Zijin couldn’t help but grow suspicious of her own Junior Sister.

The conflicting accounts from the physician and Sect Leader Yun, the tragic incident that left her the sole survivor, and Elder Ye’s blatant hostility—all these facts lay before Xu Zijin. Today’s actions by Yun Hanmian only deepened her wariness.

Could someone as kind as Bai Ke truly be a Demonic Cultivator who kills without blinking an eye?

Xu Zijin dared not dwell on the thought. She focused her gaze on the potted plants on the windowsill, pruning and arranging them with meticulous care.

Senior Sister.

A gentle voice sounded from behind her. Xu Zijin turned around in surprise to find Yun Weiyan sitting cross-legged on the bed, wrapped in a quilt.

Junior Sister, are you feeling better? Xu Zijin quickly closed the window, fearing the cold night wind might chill Yun Weiyan, whose body remained weak after her recent illness.

Yun Weiyan ignored her greeting and abruptly changed the subject.

I’m so hungry, Senior Sister. I want some sweet cakes, or even just some rice and dishes would do.

Well—

Xu Zijin hesitated for a moment before relenting and relaying Yun Hanmian’s warnings to Yun Weiyan verbatim.

So, even Sect Leader Yun suspects I’m a Demonic Cultivator now, right? Yun Weiyan’s expression darkened as she pulled the quilt tighter around herself. Lowering her head slightly, she asked Xu Zijin again in a muffled voice

Senior Sister, don’t you believe me?

Though framed as a question, the words were delivered with unwavering conviction. Xu Zijin met her junior sister’s luminous gaze directly.

Those beautiful, pure black eyes seemed to plead with her, conveying a deep sorrow.

Xu Zijin found herself momentarily speechless.

Yun Weiyan sat quietly on the bed, her gaze fixed on the senior sister who had always cherished and protected her. Tears gradually blurred her vision as she bit her lip, refusing to utter a word.

A sudden pang struck Xu Zijin’s heart. Her junior sister’s tears fell like pearls from a broken string, each drop tracing a path down her jade-like cheeks.

And each drop seeped into Xu Zijin’s heart.

The overwhelming remorse threatened to erode the last vestiges of reason in her mind.

To Xu Zijin, Bai Ke was more than just a sister—she was family.

Especially after the Lantern Festival, when Bai Ke had nearly sacrificed her entire cultivation to shield Xu Zijin from the Demonic Cultivator’s dark mist attack.

Such a loyal and righteous person could never be a Demonic Cultivator!

Seeing Xu Zijin’s expression soften, Yun Weiyan, who had grown intimately familiar with her senior sister’s character during their nearly half-month of close companionship, pressed her advantage

Senior Sister—

Xu Zijin stood frozen, watching Yun Weiyan offer her a bitter smile.

Today is my birthday. Could you… could you stay by my side and keep me company?

The facade of rationality finally crumbled under the surge of bitterness that welled up in her heart.

Xu Zijin’s eyes rimmed with red as she inwardly berated herself.

Xu Zijin, you fool! Your Junior Sister has always cared for you so deeply, showering you with kindness and support. How could you let others’ suspicions make you doubt her?

Yun Weiyan concealed the coldness in her eyes, glancing indifferently at Xu Zijin. Yet her face maintained a pitiful, vulnerable expression as she plotted how to cleverly extract the Spirit Root.

Xu Zijin is currently at the late Golden Core stage. According to our calculations, if you were to engage her in direct combat, you would have at least a 0.01% chance of victory.

The System continued its earnest analysis for Yun Weiyan.

The probability of successfully poisoning her is 0%, as the Host possesses no poison. The probability of a successful ambush is 3%, given the low success rate of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator facing an opponent over a major cultivation realm…

I have my own plans.

Yun Weiyan reached out from under the warm covers to rub her temples. Though the situation was vexing, it wasn’t entirely without a solution.

[ What’s the plan?  the System asked, unusually curious about her strategy given the Host’s perilous situation.

Hearing the Host’s slightly smug tone, it clearly heard her utter four words

Face the challenge head-on.

Xu Zijin’s face flushed with shame as she bowed deeply to Yun Weiyan, clasping her hands in apology.

Yun Weiyan bit her lower lip and shook her head at Xu Zijin, yet Xu Zijin felt a faint, inexplicable prick in her heart.

Junior Sister, rest well in bed. Senior Sister will go fetch you some food.

Softening her voice to reassure Yun Weiyan, Xu Zijin rose and left the courtyard, rolling up her sleeves as she headed to the small kitchen to personally prepare a bowl of hot noodle soup for her junior sister.

Xu Zijin had heard that the people of the Ninety-Nine Eighty-One Cities had a custom of eating longevity noodles on their birthdays.

Most of the residents of these cities, like Bai Ke, had severed their Path of Immortality, regressing from cultivators to ordinary mortals.

Though Xu Zijin didn’t know how to knead dough, she wished her junior sister a long and prosperous life.

Are you saying Bai Ke’s Spirit Root is completely intact? She shielded Xu Zijin from a Demonic Cultivator’s attack—how could her Spirit Root possibly remain undamaged?

Ye Yazi grew increasingly agitated, slamming her palm on the table and unconsciously raising her voice.

Could it be that a mere Foundation Establishment junior has tricked the Ye Clan’s ancestral jade pearl?! But her Spirit Root doesn’t resemble that of a Demonic Cultivator at all!

Elder Ye, please calm down. Let’s hear Sect Leader Yun’s explanation first, Xu Yue quickly interjected, trying to restrain Ye Yazi’s impending outburst.

The Ye Clan, one of the nine great aristocratic families, had their ancestral treasure outsmarted by an unknown junior like Bai Ke. How could someone as proud and arrogant as Ye Yazi not be furious?

Even though Xu Yue desperately wanted to save face in Anyang City, she had no choice but to yield to Yun Hanmian.

Xu Yue had personally rescued Bai Ke and brought her back to Anyang City. Initially, she harbored reservations about the girl, but after a thorough investigation revealed no issues, she allowed Bai Ke to remain.

Xu Yue had even planned to promote Bai Ke to Inner Sect Disciple and eventually take her as her own disciple.

On one hand, Xu Yue wanted to stabilize the Outer Sect Disciples, showcasing her benevolence and earning a good reputation. On the other hand, she sought solace for her conscience, still haunted by the deaths of the thirty-three.

If Bai Ke truly were a Demonic Cultivator…

Xu Yue took a deep breath, her mind racing with speculations about her future standing within the sect.

Yun Hanmian observed their expressions and gently tapped the table, resuming the earlier topic

Based on her unique Spirit Root, I suspect she might be an accomplice of the Demonic Cultivators.

Elder Xu, Elder Ye, consider this carefully the Demonic Cultivators annihilated her entire sect, yet she alone survived. Bai Ke was already a disciple of Floating Beam, and with that identity as cover, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to collude with the Demonic Cultivators from within the sect.

Yun Hanmian slowly voiced the theory that had been swirling in her mind for some time. Ye Yazi’s expression turned serious as she asked

What about the Lantern Festival incident? Was that a staged performance between her and the Demonic Cultivators?

It doesn’t seem that way to me, Xu Yue interjected, refilling the wine cups of the two elders across the table. After taking a small sip of the fine wine, she paused thoughtfully before continuing

Could it be that she refused to align herself with the Demonic Cultivators? In their rage, they planned to eliminate Bai Ke during the Lantern Festival, but the dark mist spiraled out of control and struck Zijin instead?

Bai Ke’s deep affection for Zijin led her to willingly sacrifice herself for her?

Xu Yue’s words plunged Yun Hanmian and Ye Yazi into deep contemplation.

Bai Ke’s devotion to Xu Zijin was undeniable, evident to everyone, not just the three of them.

Rumors even circulated within the sect that Bai Ke was actively pursuing Xu Zijin’s affections.

Moreover, Xu Yue’s speculation held some merit, yet the matter of Spirit Roots was like a tangled ball of thread—the more one tried to unravel it, the more complicated it became.

Yun Hanmian could only be certain that Bai Ke was somehow connected to the Demonic Cultivator.

Just as the three were pondering how to lure out the Demonic Cultivator again, Xu Zijin, who had been hiding in the shadows behind the door, crept out of her Shizun’s courtyard.

On her way to the kitchen, Xu Zijin had been wrestling with her conscience. She finally decided to inform Yun Hanmian first.

She had always promised Sect Leader Yun to watch over her Junior Sister.

Even though she was only temporarily leaving the room, Xu Zijin felt she was breaking her word.

As she approached the courtyard, she overheard Sect Leader Yun and her Shizun’s conversation.

Xu Zijin channeled her spiritual energy, held her breath, and pressed her ear against the door.

After hearing her Shizun’s speculation about Bai Ke, the joy gradually erased the turmoil in Xu Zijin’s heart.

She raced back to the kitchen, carefully placed the bowl of noodle soup into a food box, and happily carried it toward the room.

Passing a withered leaf clinging precariously to a branch, Xu Zijin plucked it off, turning it over in her hands several times.

In just five more months, summer will return, she thought. Junior Sister once said she loved the early summer scenery. I’ll definitely take her out to enjoy it properly.

Host, are you ready?

My mind is made up.

Yun Weiyan wiped the silver-gleaming blade in her hand with a silk handkerchief. She remembered that Xu Yue had given her this knife.

Footsteps gradually approached the door. Yun Weiyan rose and positioned herself behind it, holding her breath and focusing her senses as she waited for Xu Zijin’s arrival.

Junior Sister! Look what I brought you—

Before Xu Zijin could finish her sentence, a sharp blade pierced through her chest.

Xu Zijin stared blankly at Yun Weiyan, her mind blank. Her hand still clutched the food box containing longevity noodles.

Ju-Junior… Sister?

Seizing the moment while Xu Zijin was still stunned, Yun Weiyan withdrew the knife and plunged it into Xu Zijin’s heart again.

Bl00d splattered across Yun Weiyan’s face, but she seemed unfazed. With her other hand, she tore open Xu Zijin’s dantian and ripped out her Dual Spirit Root.

F-For… for…

The excruciating pain of having her Spirit Root torn from her body prevented Xu Zijin from forming a coherent sentence. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the person who was killing her.

She looks just like my Junior Sister…

But Bai Ke would never do something like this. Who is she? Who is this person in front of me?

Xu Zijin dared not confront the answer in her heart.

There were truths she sensed deep within, yet refused to acknowledge.

Without hesitation, Yun Weiyan devoured Xu Zijin’s Dual Spirit Root. The spiritual energy within her surged violently, and her dantian finally felt the long-lost nourishment.

Ignoring Xu Zijin’s face contorted in agony, Yun Weiyan licked her lips with satisfaction, as if still savoring the exquisite taste of the Dual Spirit Root.

Why?

Yun Weiyan repeated Xu Zijin’s words, forcefully driving the blade another inch deeper. She glared at Xu Zijin with disdain and sneered, Because—

She deliberately drew out the word, her face splitting into a dazzling smile. The half of her face untouched by bl00d resembled a vengeful ghost crawling out of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons.

Because I’m a Demonic Cultivator.