After Transmigrating, the Female Lead Went Dark (GL) - Chapter 25

Xiao Xinyue had naturally heard the name. She said, “So it is the Left Protector of the Qianji Sect, an honor to meet you.”

You Ronglin coldly snorted with arrogance.

So what if the opponent is the one the Sect Leader personally approved of for marriage? In their hearts, the Sect Leader is the most important person; the marriage partner is less significant than the lowest believer in the Qianji Sect!

“My marriage to the Sect Leader is actually so that the righteous and demon paths can coexist peacefully and stop the killing. After all, standing in opposition for over a decade for selfish gain, causing widespread death and hardship for the people, is truly an offense against heaven…”

Xiao Xinyue strongly urged the two sides to shake hands and make peace, but You Ronglin was still thoroughly indignant. “It’s easy for you to say! Didn’t you all still attack Shangushan and destroy our Qianji Sect and abduct the Sect Leader?!”

Xiao Xinyue said helplessly, “That was unavoidable. Since your Sect Leader refused to come out, and we had no opportunity for negotiation, we could only create an opportunity for negotiation.”

You Ronglin swore, “Peh! You are indeed all a bunch of hypocrites!”

Zhou Zhuying also thought the female lead was quite shameless. But the righteous and demon paths are fundamentally opposed. It’s either you kill my family, or I destroy your entire clan. Moreover, the so-called morality of the righteous path is merely a choice based on self-interest; there is no absolute right or wrong.

Xiao Xinyue continued, “Now that the Sect Leader and I are married, as long as you all stop committing wicked acts and stop the indiscriminate killing, the various sects will no longer surround and attack the Qianji Sect, nor will they continue to call for your destruction… How about waiting until after the ceremony is complete, and then I can slowly explain the specific terms to the Left Protector?”

You Ronglin looked towards the sedan chair, waiting for Zhou Zhuying to give a command. The latter said, “Since you’re here, you might as well stay and have a cup of wedding wine!”

“Sect Leader, I’m afraid they are planning to trap us!” You Ronglin said.

Zhou Zhuying looked around. She didn’t know how many people the Demon Sect brought, but there were definitely several times more established righteous sects here. Furthermore, with Xiao Xinyue’s prior arrangements, they were already the turtles in the jar.

Xiao Xinyue said, “Left Protector need not worry. My only intention is to invite you in to attend the wedding ceremony of the Sect Leader and myself and to share a cup of celebratory wine. As long as you behave and are honest, we will absolutely not attack you. After the ceremony, whether you stay or leave is up to you. I, Xiao Xinyue, am a woman of my word.”

Though You Ronglin considered the righteous path to be a bunch of hypocrites, Xiao Xinyue’s reputation had always been good. Judging from her actions of not harming their Sect Leader, she didn’t seem like someone who would play dirty tricks.

Therefore, after discussing it with the Demon Sect remnants who came to rescue the Sect Leader, they agreed to leave only a few people outside as backup, while the rest followed the wedding procession.

Xiao Xinyue saw the leading disciple of the Yaoshan Sect and smiled slightly. “Senior Brother Liang, I ask you to grant me this favor. Today is my big day, and it’s not suitable to see blood.”

The young man’s gaze swept over the sedan chair, then met Xiao Xinyue’s eyes. He returned the smile. “Naturally!”

With that, he led the Yaoshan Sect disciples away.

They were guests today, and since the host had ordered against pursuing the Demon Sect’s disruption, they, as guests, naturally couldn’t cause trouble on someone else’s turf.

Xiao Xinyue then instructed the Moshan Sect disciples to settle the injured people. Once the wedding procession returned, she went back into the sedan chair to continue the wedding.

“The Sect Leader was so imposing just now,” Xiao Xinyue looked at the Sect Leader with a half-smile.

“Right? Did I fool them?” the Sect Leader quickly asked.

“You fooled them. Well done.”

The Sect Leader was delighted and muttered under her breath, “It scared me half to death! I was worried they would realize I wasn’t the real Sect Leader!”

Xiao Xinyue smiled and said nothing.

The events on the street quickly spread within the Moshan Sect. However, upon hearing that Xiao Xinyue had successfully stabilized the Demon Sect remnants who came to rescue the Sect Leader, the expressions of people from the various sects varied.

Someone whispered, “I didn’t expect the Saintess’s move to actually work. With the Demon Sect Leader in hand, those Demon Sect remnants couldn’t resist at all.”

“It seems the Saintess’s decision was correct.”

“Yes, the Saintess truly has foresight.”

As these praises rang out, the expressions of a small handful of people were not so pleasant.

Zhuo Zidan was one of them, as were disciples from various sects who hated the Demon Sect. As for Ling Guqing, her face was always expressionless, so no one could discern her true feelings.

Fortunately, no one paid attention to those with poor expressions. As the parade ended, the procession returned to the sect. Hearing that the Demon Sect remnants had followed, everyone from the righteous sects was on high alert.

The floral sedan stopped, and Xiao Xinyue and Zhou Zhuying stepped out hand-in-hand.

Both women were naturally beautiful:

The Demon Sect Leader was known as “Fire-Illuminated Lycoris” (Huo Zhao Bi’an). (Bi’an is the Lycoris flower, rumored to be the flower of hell. Since the road to the underworld is covered with Lycoris flowers, which are as red as a raging fire, it’s also called the “Fire-Illuminated Road.”) The Sect Leader was beautiful, but she was also sinister and ruthless, hence the use of the Lycoris flower to describe her beauty.

As for the Saintess, she was dignified and graceful, with an elegant, orchid-like temperament. Her personality seemed gentle but was actually decisive and ruthless, like the sound of a cold spring running through a gorge.

Now, both were dressed in red, with subtle makeup, exuding a distinct charm that made it difficult for people to look away.

Zhou Zhuying noticed these gazes and pouted.

I knew the female lead would look captivating today—and she does!

Little did she know, the Moshan Sect disciples, who thought she was fierce, were also captivated upon seeing her. Didn’t they say the Sect Leader was fierce and ruthless? Why is she so stunningly beautiful?!

Some people were suddenly moved to tears. “Wuwuwu, the Saintess and the Demon Sect Leader standing together is so pleasing to the eye! I never thought I’d live to see the two great beauties of the martial world get married!”

Naturally, his comment drew sharp criticism from a fellow disciple. “What are you getting emotional about? Two great beauties getting married means two fewer prospects for the men of the world!”

The man glared at his fellow disciple. “Do you think they would have had a chance to marry them if they weren’t getting married to each other? Tell me, who in this world is worthy of our Saintess? Whichever man married her, I would feel like a beautiful flower was stuck in cow dung.”

Fellow disciple: “…”

Although their impression of the Demon Sect Leader was very poor, they had to admit that purely in terms of looks, only beauty with beauty was truly pleasing to the eye.

The crowd’s attention quickly shifted with the appearance of the Demon Sect members. Their long-standing animosity towards the Demon Sect meant drawing their swords was an almost instinctual reaction ingrained in their souls. The joyous atmosphere suddenly turned cold and fraught with danger.

You Ronglin and the others also instinctively pulled out their weapons, guarding Zhou Zhuying while keeping a wary eye on the righteous path members.

Zhou Zhuying was momentarily stunned by their subconscious action. A warmth flowed through her heart, mixed with a strange sourness.

“Sect Leader, please rest assured. We were not with you when they attacked Shangushan, which is why they were able to abduct you. Now that we are here, we will not allow them to harm you one bit!” You Ronglin declared.

Zhou Zhuying patted his shoulder and said, “Put your weapons away. If they dare to touch any of you, I will not let them off.”

The words were spoken almost automatically. As she said them, she didn’t consider her lack of martial arts, nor did she worry if it would interfere with her continued reliance on the female lead, or what negative opinions the righteous path people would form of her.

Xiao Xinyue merely gave her a deep look.

You Ronglin obeyed and put away his weapon. Only then did Xiao Xinyue speak. “We are deeply honored and grateful that you all could attend our wedding. For fear of missing the auspicious time, we will not greet each of you individually here. However, we have prepared a humble banquet. After the ceremony, we invite you all to honor us by staying for a drink.”

Cheng Xiyang laughed and played along. “The Saintess is right; the auspicious time is approaching, so let’s not delay.”

He instructed the Yaoshan Sect disciples to put away their weapons. People from the other sects also gradually put theirs away. The tense atmosphere eased. The matchmaker seized the opportunity to quickly say some pleasant words to gloss over the incident, then guided the two newlyweds into the hall for the wedding ceremony.

Those who attended the wedding were all sect leaders and their disciples who had been persuaded by Xiao Xinyue. The sects that still held opposing views naturally made various excuses not to come to show their stance. Xiao Xinyue didn’t force them, but at least the people who were present would not cause trouble on the spot.

No one disrupted the wedding ceremony. They successfully performed the bows to Heaven and Earth, the High Seat (Ling Guqing), and finally, the bows between the wives.

The step of escorting the bride to the bridal chamber was skipped, as without the Sect Leader present, this group from the Demon Sect would likely cause an uproar.

However, during the subsequent feast, many guests likely found their food tasteless.

The Sect Leader finally breathed a sigh of relief after the ceremony was complete. The melodramatic scene she had imagined—where “the male lead/female lead suddenly appears during the wives’ bow, gives a heartfelt speech, successfully moves the female lead/male lead, and snatches the bride”—never happened.

She had been on guard against the male lead suddenly rushing up to tell Xiao Xinyue, “Come with me!”

It turned out that the male lead was perhaps so discouraged by the gate-blocking incident this morning that he remained very quiet for now… although his gaze was certainly mournful.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Stealing the male lead’s CP while in the body of the villainess—it feels so immoral! But why does it feel so satisfying?

The “sense of immorality” is such a stimulating flavor!

Xiao Xinyue, completely unaware of the Sect Leader’s thoughts, was holding her hand and welcoming the numerous guests to their seats. Everyone realized that a heated debate was inevitable between them and the Demon Sect, so they all braced themselves.

The members of the Demon Sect and the righteous path naturally chose opposing seating positions. Xiao Xinyue did not try to intervene. Seeing that everyone was seated, she had the food and wine served.

You Ronglin and his group dared not drink the wine and eat the delicacies prepared by the Moshan Sect, and Xiao Xinyue and Zhou Zhuying did not try to force them.

In contrast to the wary Demon Sect members, the righteous path side relaxed and began eating and drinking, deliberately making a show of their eating to antagonize the Demon Sect.

Zhou Zhuying had no time for their minor skirmish. She had only eaten a few of Xiao Xinyue’s Xiaolongbao in the morning and was already starving.

Although Zhou Zhuying preferred Huaiyang cuisine, she could eat most dishes from various cuisines, as long as they didn’t challenge her psychological barrier—such as the insect banquets of the Southwest, the snake soups or water beetles of Lingnan, or overly spicy Sichuan or Hunan cuisines.

She was able to eat the Henan cuisine served by the Moshan Sect. But she noticed that Xiao Xinyue, who usually ate very little when dining with her, had already quietly finished two bowls of noodles.

“Saintess sister, is it because you married me today that you’re in a good mood and enjoying your food so much?” she quietly asked Xiao Xinyue beside her.

Xiao Xinyue: “…”

She nodded, then put down her chopsticks. “Of course. Why doesn’t the Sect Leader eat more?”

“It’s too salty.”

Xiao Xinyue had the kitchen prepare some goat’s milk for her and made sure to rinse every dish in soup before placing it in her bowl.

Although the food lost some of its original flavor from being rinsed, it suited Zhou Zhuying’s preference for mild flavors, and she was full in no time.

She looked up and saw the Moshan Sect elders at their table staring at them. She asked in confusion, “Elders, do you also find the food too salty? Why aren’t you eating?”

The five elders: “…”

No, they found it too sweet and nauseating!

“Ahem, ahem. Saintess, the matter of the Demon… the Qianji Sect should be settled now,” the Grand Elder said. He had initially intended to say Demon Sect but considering the Demon Sect Leader was now their Saintess’s wife, saying that might disrupt their family harmony, so he changed his wording.

Hearing this, Xiao Xinyue looked towards her Master, Ling Guqing, who had remained silent at the main seat. “Master.”

“Mmm. The Grand Elder has a point. You handle it,” Ling Guqing said.

So, under the guise of toasting, Xiao Xinyue and Zhou Zhuying first appeased the various sect leaders, inviting them to return to the Moshan Sect tomorrow for discussions. They then told the Qianji Sect members, “It’s getting late. Why don’t you all settle down at the Moshan Sect for the night? Tomorrow, we will discuss the matter of peace here in the Hall of Joyous Celebration.”

You Ronglin asked, “Where are the Qianji Sect disciples you captured previously?”

“You will see them tomorrow.”

You Ronglin looked at Zhou Zhuying. Seeing that she gave no special instructions, he could only agree for now.

With this matter settled, the various sects still needed to hold closed-door meetings, so they left early. After Xiao Xinyue and Zhou Zhuying settled You Ronglin and his group, they saw no further tasks and took their leave of Ling Guqing.

Back in their courtyard, the Sect Leader suddenly became nervous. “Ayy, Saintess sister, does this count as a delayed ‘escort to the bridal chamber’?”

Xiao Xinyue looked at her with a laugh. “It seems the Sect Leader is impatient.”

“I am not!” The Sect Leader then suddenly ran behind Xiao Xinyue. “Saintess sister, carry me on your back. This phoenix crown is so heavy. I’ve been wearing it all day; I feel like my cervical spondylosis is acting up.”

“I won’t. The Sect Leader is too heavy,” Xiao Xinyue said, changing her usual compliance with the Sect Leader’s requests, and walked straight ahead.

The Sect Leader, hearing this, was displeased. “You’re the one who’s heavy! I barely ate anything tonight!”

Xiao Xinyue chuckled, then suddenly turned back. Before the Sect Leader could react, she lifted her in a bridal carry.

“Ah!” The Sect Leader cried out softly. She was startled. If the phoenix crown wasn’t threatening to fall off, she would have tightly wrapped her arms around Xiao Xinyue’s neck. “What are you doing?”

“The bridal chamber!” Xiao Xinyue smiled mischievously.

The Sect Leader: “…”

A little excited?

Author’s Notes:

Sect Leader: What are you doing?

Saintess: Doing you!

Sect Leader: ???

Note: The term “Fire-Illuminated Lycoris” is from Baidu Baike.