After Transmigrating, the Female Lead Went Dark (GL) - Chapter 20

The opposition from the sect leaders to Xiao Xinyue marrying the Demon Sect Leader was entirely within her expectations, so she wasn’t anxious. Instead, she began privately persuading them one by one.

When she met with the Chief of the Changti Gang, she asked him, “With the Demon Sect remnants gathering, the Changti Gang will be the first to bear the brunt. Does the Chief not wish to secure peace between the righteous and demon paths with the minimal loss?”

When his gang’s interests were mentioned, the Chief hesitated. “But won’t your marriage to the Demon Sect Leader be seen as colluding with the Demon Sect?”

Xiao Xinyue counter-questioned, “The Xiongnu frequently invaded the Han territory in the past, yet the Han eventually chose ‘harmonious marriage’ with them. Does that mean the Han colluded with the Xiongnu?”

The Changti Gang Chief couldn’t cite historical precedents and arguments as skillfully as she could. Furthermore, he genuinely didn’t want to step up and incur losses for his gang, so he tacitly agreed to stay out of the matter. After all, it’s the Saintess of the Moshan Sect who’s marrying the Demon Sect Leader. If the Moshan Sect is ever attacked for this, it won’t have much to do with him.

Next, Xiao Xinyue met with Cheng Xiyang, the Sect Master of the Yaoshan Sect. Her approach was completely different from what she told the Changti Gang Chief. She said with a serious expression, “This secret is only known to my Master and me. Now that I’m telling the Sect Master, I ask you not to leak it.”

Cheng Xiyang’s heart skipped a beat. He was extremely curious but waved his hand. “Such confidential secrets should not be easily entrusted to me. If something goes wrong, I’m afraid I can’t bear the responsibility.”

Xiao Xinyue said, “The Sect Master and my Master are among the few Grandmasters in the martial arts world. You have diligently handled the major affairs of the martial arts world and maintained order in the righteous path for so many years. You are a person of high virtue and one of the few elders I can trust. Therefore, I specifically ask the Sect Master to lend me a helping hand…”

Cheng Xiyang accepted the flattery, saying contentedly, “Well, tell me. Though I may not be able to help you much, I can certainly keep a secret for you.”

Only then did Xiao Xinyue’s furrowed brow relax. Like she had found her backbone, she whispered, “Actually, the Sect Leader currently imprisoned in the Moshan Sect’s back courtyard is not the real Demon Sect Leader.”

Cheng Xiyang gasped. “Is what you say true? How can that be?”

“She looks very much like the Demon Sect Leader, so I was initially deceived too. Later, when she asked me to carry her out of the Demon Palace, I thought she was plotting something, but she didn’t take the opportunity to attack me.

“Suspicion grew in my heart, but I didn’t think of her being a fake until she was locked in the dungeon. I monitored her day and night, and that’s when I noticed a clue.

“Appearance, voice, and demeanor can all be deceptive, but reactions in the face of danger cannot. My Master and I both tested her: She doesn’t know martial arts and has no inner energy whatsoever.

“The terrifying thing about the Demon Sect Leader is that she already possessed decades of inner energy at a young age and struck viciously, with many experts dying by her hand. In the whole world, someone her age with that level of inner energy cultivation is truly unique.

“Tell me, how could a helpless, fragile woman be that Demon Sect Leader?”

Cheng Xiyang was eight parts convinced after hearing her analysis, but he still had doubts. “But what is the Demon Sect’s purpose in replacing the real Sect Leader with a fake one? And if the person doesn’t know martial arts, aren’t they afraid of being exposed?”

“Just as the righteous path can infiltrate the demon path with spies and secretly plan the extermination of the Demon Sect, the Demon Sect can naturally plant pieces in the righteous martial arts sects. They used our plan to exterminate the Demon Sect as an opportunity to perform the ‘cicada shedding its shell’ trick. They wanted us to believe the real Sect Leader was dead so that while we are complacent, they can secretly plot a counter-attack.”

Cheng Xiyang found this extremely plausible. He had wondered why the Demon Sect Leader hadn’t fought with Xiao Xinyue, Zhuo Zidan, and the others after they stormed the Demon Palace. It turned out she hadn’t surrendered because she knew the tide had turned; she simply had no martial arts and dared not fight!

“Since she is a fake Sect Leader, why keep her, and even marry her?” he asked.

Xiao Xinyue repeated the same arguments she had given Ling Guqing. Cheng Xiyang realized that, as Xiao Xinyue explained it, the reasons for her marrying the fake Sect Leader became compelling.

However, he shared Zhuo Zidan’s thought. “But there’s no need for you to marry her. It would be more appropriate to find a man to marry her, such as your sect’s Fifth Elder.”

Xiao Xinyue had first noticed Zhou Zhuying’s unusual attitude towards Zhuo Zidan, and now Cheng Xiyang offered a similar suggestion. She was inwardly displeased, though her expression remained neutral.

She said, “The sacrifice would be too great for the Fifth Elder. Moreover, after a man and woman marry, if they divorce, the gossip and pressure they face will always be greater than that faced by two women.”

Cheng Xiyang thought to himself: The pressure and criticism faced by two women marrying are the greatest!

However, Xiao Xinyue was talking about the aftermath of a divorce, meaning she had already thought of an exit strategy.

And indeed, regarding remarriage after divorce, a marriage between two women was much simpler than one between a man and a woman.

If two women divorced, others would consider them to still be virgins (in the broader cultural sense of ‘unclaimed’ or ‘untainted’), and their next spouse wouldn’t hold a grudge; but if a man and woman divorced, the woman was often regarded as not a virgin, and her subsequent husband might harbor resentment.

Cheng Xiyang had no further reason to object to her plan and stated, “In that case, Saintess, when you set the wedding date, I will attend the banquet.”

Xiao Xinyue smiled slightly. “Thank you, Sect Master.”

Cheng Xiyang waved his hand and sighed. “Your marriage is such a joyous occasion, but it is a pity…”

He was deliberately bringing up the tragedy of the Xiao family’s massacre, reminding her not to forget such a grave hatred.

Xiao Xinyue’s eyes darkened. A moment later, deep hatred shone in her eyes. “I will not forget this blood feud. I will endure for a while longer, and as soon as I find an opportunity, I will certainly avenge the lives of the dozen people in my Xiao family!”

“Good. Your temperament is steady, and you can endure for the sake of the bigger picture. I believe that in time, you will surely execute the real Demon Sect Leader and avenge your family.” Cheng Xiyang turned to advise her, “But you must also take care of your body and not push yourself too hard…”

“Xinyue understands.”

Xiao Xinyue changed her rhetoric to target the weakness of each sect leader she met, thus persuading them one by one.

Even though a few old stubborn ones still disagreed, the other sect leaders had already tacitly approved the marriage, rendering their opinions insignificant. If they continued to object, they would risk conflict with the other sects. Weighing the pros and cons, they realized that remaining silent was the most beneficial course of action for their own sects.

And so, the marriage between Xiao Xinyue and Zhou Zhuying was settled, and the process began following the traditional Three Letters and Six Rites.

The news could not be concealed, and the various sects had no intention of keeping it a secret for the Moshan Sect. Furthermore, Xiao Xinyue’s plan required the Demon Sect remnants to know, so the news quickly spread through the populace and soon reached the Demon Sect remnants.

The Demon Venerable Li Dang also received the news—he knew much earlier than the Demon Sect remnants. This made him even more furious than the news of the sect’s destruction. In his rage, he even killed the subordinate who brought him the message.

“Xiao Xinyue, Saintess of the Moshan Sect, you truly are something!” Li Dang gnashed his teeth, then let out a roar that sent nearby birds and beasts fleeing.

After the roar, he gradually calmed down. Seeing this, a subordinate cautiously stepped forward and asked, “Demon Venerable, should we gather our forces and attack the Moshan Sect to rescue the Sect Leader?”

“There’s no need. She has a Gu parasite I placed in her. Even if Xiao Xinyue has captured her, she cannot extract any more benefit from her,” Li Dang said coldly.

“But many disciples believe the Sect Leader has defected, and they are losing their will to fight.”

“Hmph! Let those fools in the righteous path believe that the Demon Sect has reformed!”

“Using their own plans against them—truly worthy of the Demon Venerable!” the subordinate praised.

Li Dang’s face changed, and he struck the subordinate from a distance, injuring him with a blast of inner energy. “Get out!”

“…Yes!” The subordinate fled in terror, spurting a mouthful of blood as soon as he reached the doorway, then falling straight to the ground.

“Achoo!” Zhou Zhuying rubbed her nose and mumbled, “Someone must be thinking about me.”

But what does it matter who is thinking about her? She’ll soon belong to the female lead!

The Sect Leader looked into a full-length bronze mirror and marveled at the craftsmanship of the wedding dress she was trying on. “The workmanship is incredible. The stitches are so fine and neat!”

“This is a product of Yunxi Pavilion, and Yunxi Pavilion’s clothing is famous throughout the world for its exquisite and meticulous craftsmanship. I heard it’s because Yunxi Pavilion has special sewing tools,” the female disciple said with envy while admiring the dress on her.

The Sect Leader thought: How can any sophisticated sewing tool compare to a sewing machine?

Speaking of a sewing machine, she has so much free time. Should she figure out how to invent one? If she could build it, she could become rich enough to rival a nation just by selling sewing machines!