After Transmigrating, the Female Lead Went Dark (GL) - Chapter 35

Although Zhou Zhuying did not like Fu Feifei, at this moment, she did not question her words. Xiao Xinyue had once unintentionally mentioned that they had grown up together. In other words, Fu Feifei knew Xiao Xinyue’s tastes.

Then came the question: why had Xiao Xinyue lied to her and said that she also liked Huaiyang cuisine?

Zhou Zhuying asked, “Then is there anyone else in Moshan Sect who eats Huaiyang cuisine?”

Fu Feifei asked in confusion, “Why are you so hung up on Huaiyang cuisine?”

Zhou Zhuying said with slight confidence, “If I’m going to make Huaiyang cuisine, of course I need to find someone who eats Huaiyang cuisine to share my cooking with!”

Fu Feifei rolled her eyes. “I brewed medicine for Senior Sister Xinyue. She won’t eat the food you make!”

No wonder, Zhou Zhuying thought. So that was why she had been brewing medicine in the courtyard. It turned out she had been brewing it for Xiao Xinyue.

“You brew your medicine, I’ll make my food. If she doesn’t eat it, I’ll eat it myself. It won’t be wasted. But if she doesn’t drink your medicine, are you going to drink it?”

“You!”

“Also, isn’t your medicine burning? Why do I smell something scorched?”

Fu Feifei sniffed, her expression changing slightly. She turned and hurried back to check her medicine pot.

After angering Fu Feifei into running off, Zhou Zhuying laughed “haha” and also tied up her sleeves before starting to make Pingqiao tofu soup. Although this was not Xiao Xinyue’s taste, who told her wound to not have healed yet?

—

By the time Xiao Xinyue saw off the last sect master, the sun was already sinking toward the western mountains.

The disciples left behind by the various sects had still looked reluctant to part earlier, but once they could no longer see their sect masters’ figures, they turned around and started calling out to form groups to go drinking.

One disciple took the chance to invite Xiao Xinyue. “Saintess, I’ve heard that the Ice Hall Jade Pot Wine here is one of the finest wines in the Central Plains. Why don’t you take us to taste a cup or two?”

The other disciples echoed, “That’s right! These days, we saw the Saintess was too busy and never had the chance to drink with you. Today, our masters have finally left. This is a good opportunity!”

There were also female disciples who said, “Do you think everyone loves drinking like men do?”

“How can sons and daughters of the jianghu travel the jianghu without knowing how to drink?”

Xiao Xinyue thought for a moment and said, “It is already late today. Why not tomorrow? Tomorrow, I will invite everyone to drink Ice Hall Jade Pot, as well as our Moshan Sect’s uniquely brewed Moshan Stream Wine.”

“Ai…” The disciples looked slightly regretful.

At this moment, Liang Kong also stood up and said, “The Saintess is probably not suited to returning home late now. Everyone, let us first go drink a few small cups and leave room in our stomachs to drink to our hearts’ content tomorrow!”

“Oh, right!” Everyone also came back to their senses.

Liang Kong then suggested to Xiao Xinyue, “Since we and the Demon—since we and the Saintess’s Wife can also be considered reconciled from now on, why doesn’t the Saintess also bring the Saintess’s Wife to attend tomorrow?”

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere became somewhat subtle, but very soon, someone echoed, “That’s right!”

Xiao Xinyue swept her gaze over this group without changing expression. She also knew that they all harbored their own thoughts. Perhaps some were truly curious about the Cult Leader, while perhaps others had ill intentions and wanted to use this chance to make things difficult for the Cult Leader. There might even be calculations behind them stemming from the interests of their sects.

But this suited her perfectly. From those old foxes, she could pry out very little of the information she wanted. But this group of disciples might give her unexpected surprises.

She smiled and said, “Then I will first ask Madam. If she is willing as well, tomorrow, I will invite everyone together with her to taste Moshan’s fine wine and delicacies.”

After agreeing on the time and place, Xiao Xinyue left. There were also some disciples who disliked liveliness, so they went back first to rest.

The remaining few disciples saw that Liang Kong was also preparing to leave and hurriedly stopped him. “Heir-Disciple Liang, you can’t leave. You have to accompany us for a few cups!”

“That’s right. Once you and Junior Sister Cheng get married, there won’t be an opportunity like this anymore!”

It was hard for Liang Kong to refuse such hospitality, so he said, “Fine, then I will accompany everyone for a few cups first!”

The group found a tavern, ordered some wine and meat, and chatted casually while eating. Before long, the topic shifted to Xiao Xinyue and Zhou Zhuying.

In truth, these disciples were still very puzzled. Borrowing the strength of the wine, they asked the question they had been holding back for a long time. “There are so many young talents, capable people, and extraordinary figures in our martial world. Why did it have to be the Saintess marrying that Demon Sect Leader? Those two women are so beautiful. What a pity!”

“Exactly. She can even put aside the hatred of her entire family being destroyed. Saintess Xiao really can endure.”

At this moment, a disciple from Tianyan Sect grew energetic and said, “Hey, why did I hear that the disaster of the Xiao family’s destruction was not caused by the Demon Sect?”

The other disciples refuted him. “Where did you hear the Demon Sect’s excuse?”

Liang Kong also pricked up his ears, his gaze dark as he looked at the Tianyan Sect disciple.

Being provoked by several people, the Tianyan Sect disciple developed a competitive spirit and said, “The Demon Sect and the Xiao family never had any conflict. Why would they suddenly want to wipe out the Xiao family?”

Several disciples laughed. “Xiao Wuwang, the family head of the Jiangdu Xiao family, had powerful martial arts. His skill of killing people from a distance with one move shook the jianghu. And without profound internal force, that move absolutely could not be done. Among the righteous martial world, only Sect Master Ling of Moshan Sect could match him. Back then, it was precisely this illustrious reputation that frightened the Demon Sect into not daring to step even half a pace into Jiangdu. Since the Demon Sect wanted to bring disaster to the martial world, naturally, they had to act against the Xiao family.”

The Tianyan Sect disciple said, “Since the Xiao family head’s martial arts were so powerful, how many people in the Demon Sect do you think could match him?”

The disciples choked. “This…”

Liang Kong said, “The Demon Sect Leader.”

“Right!” The disciples found a way out and hurriedly agreed.

The Demon Sect Leader had possessed ten years of internal force at the age of eight. In the following ten years, she continuously challenged evildoers in the jianghu and subdued them, making the Thousand Mechanisms Cult the number one sect among the evil path. It was possible that she had trained her martial arts to the grandmaster level during those ten years.

“Let us temporarily list the Demon Sect Leader as the most suspicious culprit! But before the Xiao family was destroyed, something happened in the Demon Sect. I imagine all of you heard of it at the time…” The Tianyan Sect disciple took a sip of wine.

“Hey, what was it again? Give us a hint!”

“In August of the year before the Xiao family was destroyed, the Demon Sect, from the Left and Right Guardians down to the hall masters of each branch, suddenly came out in full force, as if they were searching for someone’s whereabouts.”

“At that time, the whole jianghu was thrown into panic. We do indeed remember this,” Liang Kong said.

The Tianyan Sect disciple said, “Exactly. Don’t you find it strange? The Demon Sect was using the entire cult’s strength to search for someone. How would they have the time to go to Jiangdu and kill people?”

“This… Perhaps it was to conceal their true intentions.”

The Tianyan Sect disciple shook his head. “After learning of the Demon Sect’s movements, all the sects recalled every disciple who had gone out and strengthened their defenses, afraid that the Demon Sect had some plot or scheme. Could it be that the Xiao family had relaxed their vigilance at the time and did not take the Demon Sect seriously? With the Xiao family head’s character, I’m afraid he would not have been so arrogant.

“Under the circumstances where the Xiao family was also on guard, for the Demon Sect to silently kill everyone in the Xiao family overnight would truly have been too difficult.

“There is another point. The Demon Sect had always avoided stepping into Jiangdu. If, during that period, unfamiliar martial artists had infiltrated Jiangdu, the Xiao family would definitely have been on guard and vigilant. It would not have been to the point that the Xiao family’s destruction was only discovered the next day.”

Liang Kong swirled his wine cup and asked, “Then according to you, who did it?”

“It was definitely someone familiar. Only someone familiar entering Jiangdu would not have aroused the Xiao family’s vigilance, making it convenient for the murderer to strike when the Xiao family head was least guarded.”

Although his words made a lot of sense, almost all the disciples present came from famous righteous sects, and their sects had deep connections and friendships with one another. Wasn’t this Tianyan Sect disciple’s argument telling them that a traitor had appeared among the famous righteous sects?!

These disciples automatically substituted their own sects into the suspect’s identity, feeling that the Tianyan Sect disciple was talking about their sects. They immediately jumped in anger. “You’re spouting nonsense! Since it was someone familiar, how could they do something like stabbing someone in the back?”

“Who says familiar people won’t stab you in the back? You are still too naive and do not know how dangerous the jianghu is,” the Tianyan Sect disciple muttered. Then he said loudly, “There is no slaughter in this world without reason. Unless it is a madman who only has the impulse to kill, there must be a purpose. Later, when Saintess Xiao returned to Jiangdu to handle the funeral affairs, she was pursued and attacked. Clearly, the other party had not suddenly developed the thought of killing on the spur of the moment, but had a purpose and a specific target.”

The more the disciples listened, the more they felt that his words made sense, but their mouths still had to argue a little. “What purpose?”

“How would I know? If I knew the truth, I wouldn’t be here wildly speculating with you.”

After saying this, the Tianyan Sect disciple pushed Liang Kong. “Heir-Disciple Liang, back then, didn’t you and the Moshan Sect disciples receive orders from your masters to escort Saintess Xiao back to Jiangdu to handle the Xiao family’s funeral affairs?”

Liang Kong nodded. “Yes. At the time, we were also pursued and attacked, and I became separated from everyone.”

“Then you should know that at the time, the Xiao family was in chaos. Boxes and cabinets had been overturned, but the money had not been lost. Later, it was people who discovered the Xiao family’s tragedy, saw the money, and became greedy, who took advantage of the chaos to steal the money. It can be seen that the murderer’s purpose should have been to search for something, but that thing was absolutely not money.”

Seeing him speak in such detail, Liang Kong nodded, confirming what he said.

The disciples looked at one another. “What did the Xiao family have that was worth the other party wiping out the entire family to find?”

“I am curious too. After all, in all these years, no news has ever been leaked. It can be seen that the Xiao family hid it very deeply and tightly.”

“Could it be a martial arts manual?”

The Tianyan Sect disciple shook his head. “The Xiao family did not have any inherited martial arts. Otherwise, the Xiao family head would not have let Saintess Xiao become Sect Master Ling’s disciple. The Xiao family’s only grandmaster was the Xiao family head, but what he was most skilled in was not fist and foot techniques, but internal force.

“If the murderer wanted that skill of killing from a distance, then as long as he dared use it, wouldn’t he be admitting that he was the murderer? And if he learned it but could not use it, what meaning would there be?

“So I speculate that the Xiao family had some treasure, something even a grandmaster whose martial arts and internal force equaled the Xiao family head’s, or was even higher than his, wanted to obtain.”

Everyone’s curiosity was stirred by him, and they all wanted to know what that treasure was. Thinking of Xiao Xinyue, the only surviving heir of the Xiao family, they wished they could immediately find her and ask.

However, they also knew very clearly that, putting aside whether Xiao Xinyue knew or not, even if she knew, she could not possibly tell them.

Hearts began to stir. The Tianyan Sect disciple coldly watched them start to grow distracted, then said, “Three years have passed. This answer, your fathers and masters must have already figured it out. Otherwise, why would they have relented so quickly and agreed to Saintess Xiao marrying the Demon Sect Leader?”

Each disciple felt as if they had been slapped, and the wine cleared from their heads a little.

That was true. Presumably, their masters had already figured out that the Xiao family massacre was not caused by the Demon Sect as the rumors claimed, which was why they had turned a blind eye.

But why had their masters not told them? They had made them lose face in front of this brat!

What are you acting so smug for? they inwardly cursed the Tianyan Sect disciple.

When they raised their heads and saw that Liang Kong did not look surprised at all, they became a little sour again. Sure enough, only those who became heirs to the sect master’s position could know more insider information.

—

Xiao Xinyue did not know that after she left, these disciples had discussed these matters.

When she returned to her courtyard, she saw the Cult Leader sitting in the room, staring eagerly at the dishes on the table while glancing toward the doorway from time to time.

When Zhou Zhuying saw her come back, she ran toward her. “Sister Saintess, if you came back any later, I would have finished all the food!”

“If you were hungry, why didn’t you eat first? The food must be cold by now,” Xiao Xinyue said.

“Ai, we’re already married. If I ate first and people saw it, wouldn’t they say I don’t know how to care for and be considerate of you?”

Xiao Xinyue smiled.

In truth, no one would care at all how the two of them got along. Presumably, the Cult Leader understood this as well. But she was still willing to do this, and that made a faint light rise in Xiao Xinyue’s dim heart.

“I’ll have someone heat it up again,” Xiao Xinyue said.

Zhou Zhuying did not object.

While the dishes were being reheated, Fu Feifei learned that Xiao Xinyue had returned and hurriedly brought the medicinal soup over to her.

There was no smile on Xiao Xinyue’s face. Her brows were furrowed, clearly not understanding Fu Feifei’s behavior.

Fu Feifei looked pitiful. “Senior Sister Xinyue, I really know I was wrong. Can you be like before? When you ignore me, I feel very sad…”

Xiao Xinyue glanced at Zhou Zhuying. The latter blinked, as if asking why Xiao Xinyue was looking at her.

Xiao Xinyue asked, “How am I treating you differently from before?”

Fu Feifei counted through the times they had spent together in the past. Back then, although Xiao Xinyue had long since been internally designated as the candidate for Saintess and had already begun handling Moshan Sect’s affairs, and although she sometimes dealt with Fu Feifei in an official manner, outside of that time, she treated everyone gently and amiably, like an understanding older sister…

Ever since the Xiao family was destroyed, and Xiao Xinyue encountered pursuit and attack outside, by the time she returned safely to Moshan Sect, half a year had already passed. The disciples within the sect did not know exactly what she had encountered during those six months. They only knew that her martial arts and cultivation had both improved greatly. Afterward, she obtained the Sect Master and elders’ approval and was formally chosen as Saintess.

From then on, Fu Feifei felt that the smiles on Xiao Xinyue’s face became much fewer. Even when she occasionally smiled, Fu Feifei could feel that the smile was not truly from the heart.

Later, Xiao Xinyue became busy, and in a year, there were not many days when she was in the sect. The time they spent together became even less.

Zhou Zhuying listened to the gossip and thought, This really is worthy of a great female lead harem novel. So the female lead had even slept in the same bed as Fu Feifei when they were children!

The Sea King allegations were hammered solid!

Author’s Note:

Cult Leader: Well, well. You even slept with another woman!

Saintess: …When you were a toddler, you slept with your mother. Why don’t you talk about that?

Cult Leader: Are you scolding me?!

Saintess: ?