Fighting The Male Lead For The Female Lead (Transmigrated Into A Book) - Chapter 1

The stone cave was dark and damp. Water dripped onto the rocks with soft, steady taps, the sound echoing through the long, deep cave. From the darkness farther in came the fierce crack of a whip, accompanied by the clatter of iron chains being yanked taut.

“If it weren’t for you, how would my journey have been this difficult?!” The person standing on the bank held a long whip, her face dark and stormy.

Inside the water prison was a disheveled woman, chained to the stone wall by two iron chains as thick as wrists.

“And you still dare negotiate with me?!” With a cold laugh, the black whip lashed toward the person in the water prison again—only to be swept up midair by a flash of green light.

“Who’s there?!”

A figure walked out from the shadows. When the whip-wielder saw who had arrived, delight lit up her face, and she went forward. The person who had kept ruining her plans had already been caught. At last, she was finally going to belong to her.

“Step back.”

The whip-wielder’s smile froze.

The person who had endured the whipping without uttering a word suddenly burst into wild laughter, the sound dripping with mockery.

So what if I’m gone? The female lead still looks down on you.

Hearing the ridicule in her laughter, the whip-wielder’s gaze turned vicious. She spun around and raised the whip again. “Shut up!”

The long whip was caught once more.

“Martial Uncle seems to be looking for you.”

The woman’s mocking laughter filled the vast, hollow cave until the target of her ridicule finally left. Only then did the laughter slowly fade. She returned to her half-dead state, not even sparing the remaining person on the bank a single glance.

Splash, splash. Someone stepped into the water.

Wading through it, they came toward her.

Something soft wiped the dirty blood from her face.

“Although I was shocked at the time, I actually didn’t find it strange. Because you’ve always been someone who refuses to follow the rules. Somewhere deep down, I always felt that sooner or later, you would do something earth-shattering…”

Her drooping eyelids trembled faintly. Yes. She was someone who disliked rules, yet she had happened to fall in love with someone who followed them perfectly.

As if thinking of something, she suddenly showed an expression that looked like both crying and smiling. Her voice was dry and hoarse as she said, “Senior Sister… always loves lecturing people.”

………………………………………………………………………

Towering trees cast deep shade, and shrubs grew thick in clusters. Unless someone was deliberately paying attention, it would be very difficult to notice the small figure hidden under the bushes.

Lan Fei’er had already been hiding under the tree for a while. She was staring at a small cave not far ahead, hesitating over whether she should go closer and take a look.

Ever since she transmigrated into this godforsaken book, she had been living with extreme caution, observing the protagonist and all the named characters, constantly paying attention to the direction of the plot.

As an unnamed passerby who had never even appeared in the book, it would be an exaggeration to say she was in grave danger. After all, no one would go out of their way to trouble a random passerby like her for no reason. But to say she was safe was not necessarily true either. In cultivation novels, whenever two sects clashed, hundreds or thousands of people could die at the drop of a hat—and weren’t those people made up of passersby just like her? That was why she had to keep an eye on the plot’s direction at all times, so she could prepare in advance. She did not want to die.

She had been here for two months, and throughout that time, she had always kept her distance from key figures like the male and female leads. Part of the reason was that her talent was too low, making her far too inconspicuous among the many disciples. She simply had no chance to interact with them. But that was exactly what she wanted. After all, the closer one got to the protagonist, the more dangerous it became. If the male lead found out she had also transmigrated here and knew the plot of the entire book, she could not guarantee that this fellow countryman would not kill her to silence her.

Do not blame her for guessing at human nature with the worst possible malice.

After all, her life was her own. Aside from herself, she could not trust anyone.

Back to the matter at hand—should she go over and take a look or not?

Lan Fei’er stared at the cave entrance and thought it over. Just now, she had seen the male and female leads enter one after the other.

According to the book’s development, the next scene should be a melodramatic one. The female lead had been afflicted with that not-for-kids poison, and the male lead, having no other choice, could only use that not-for-kids method to cure her.

The novel described the male and female leads as already having feelings for each other before this, so this incident simply pushed things along and confirmed their relationship. As the protagonist Sheng Baihe’s first woman, Wen Wuning might not be the one among the women in his harem with the highest cultivation, the best talent, the most appearances, or the greatest help to him in the future, but she still firmly held the position of the harem’s mistress.

Because of certain reasons, Wen Wuning had always been an irreplaceable cinnabar mole in the male lead’s heart.

But based on Lan Fei’er’s observations, the situation between the two of them just now had seemed a little strange. She could not quite say what was strange about it. Although Lan Fei’er was cautious and prudent, there were times when she acted on instinct.

Just like now. Since she could not stay put and wanted to go over for a look, she crept closer.

Pushing aside the grass blocking her way, Lan Fei’er crawled out of the bushes.

The two of them had entered the cave around ten minutes ago. Barring any surprises, they should be getting down to business by now. If that was the case, their alertness should not be very high at the moment. Although she thought this, Lan Fei’er still did not rashly run to the cave entrance.

Paying attention to the movement around her, she focused entirely on her ears and listened carefully to the sounds coming from inside the cave. Holding the shabby little sword issued to every disciple in the sect, she took small steps forward. When she reached the entrance, she pressed her back against the cave wall and crouched down, listening intently to what was happening inside.

“Senior Sister, are you all right?” It was the male lead’s voice.

Lan Fei’er frowned. In the book, the male lead had originally come from a scholarly family. Later, his family declined, but even so, he carried a rare scholarly elegance not often seen in cultivators. Add to that his outstanding talent, intelligence, diligence, and gentle treatment of others—although the cultivation method he practiced was domineering and fierce, and his mind could be considered quite deep, it was precisely that contrast that made countless young men and women fall head over heels for him. They either followed him and became his underlings, or they wanted to become his women.

It was also this unconventional protagonist setup that made the story seem especially fresh, refined, and unpretentious among all those stallion harem novels, leaving a deep impression on Lan Fei’er.

To be honest, Lan Fei’er did not think there was anything wrong with such a man becoming the protagonist and capturing the hearts of so many girls. He truly was outstanding and exceptional.

But the person who had transmigrated into him…

Lan Fei’er’s expression turned somewhat indescribable. This fellow countryman knew the plot, so he definitely knew that the female lead had been drugged at this moment, and he also knew what would happen next.

The male lead’s voice had originally been refined and scholarly, but when this line came out of his mouth, it gave off a fake, sleazy feeling. Lan Fei’er did not know whether that was only because she had already formed a biased impression.

Putting away her wandering thoughts, she turned her attention back to the cave.

“I’m fine.” It was the female lead’s voice. Her usually cold voice now carried a hint of agitation, and she certainly did not sound fine.

“Senior Sister, your condition doesn’t look good. You must have fallen victim to that demon creature’s trick just now. Sit down first. I’ll take a look for you.”

“No need.”

“Senior Sister—”

“I said, no need!”

With such a huge reaction, Lan Fei’er had no idea how the male lead was going to push her down next. Outside the cave, she clicked her tongue inwardly and kept paying attention.

“Senior Sister, you’ve been afflicted with an aphrodisiac poison. Only… can cure it.”

The male lead spoke vaguely, but anyone would know what he had left unsaid.

The cave suddenly became deathly quiet. Even the female lead’s agitated breathing seemed to vanish. Lan Fei’er held back the urge to peek inside and pressed her ear against the stone wall beside the entrance.

The sound of a sword being drawn suddenly rang out from inside, especially clear.

A sword was drawn? Who drew a sword? Lan Fei’er felt baffled, her ear almost stuck to the stone.

“Sheng Baihe, if you dare say even half another word, I’ll make you regret it today.”

The longsword pointed at him gleamed coldly, but that chill was not even half as icy as the sword owner’s eyes. Sheng Baihe felt frustrated. How was this different from what had been promised? Didn’t the book say Wen Wuning had long secretly given her heart to him, and at this moment, she would half-resist, half-yield, and go along with it?!

Outside the cave, Lan Fei’er was also somewhat confused. Wen Wuning’s attitude was a little off.

Even though Wen Wuning was radiating coldness from head to toe right now, and no matter how one looked at her, she did not seem like someone who had secretly given her heart to him long ago, Sheng Baihe, whose otaku brain had been muddled by beauty, simply assumed she was too proud and arrogant to lower herself.

It was normal for him to think that way. The current Sheng Baihe was a single-since-birth otaku who had never even touched a girl’s hand, let alone a top-tier beauty like Wen Wuning in both appearance and temperament. Who could sit calmly in the face of such a beauty? Not to mention that, in the book, Wen Wuning was the mistress of his harem. So after he realized he had transmigrated into the book, he had long since regarded Wen Wuning as his wife.

“Senior Sister, I’m doing this for your own good.” As he spoke, he took advantage of the instant Wen Wuning’s mind drifted slightly because of the drug. With one step forward, he struck her acupoints, then caught the beautiful woman as she went limp. With warm, soft jade in his arms, Sheng Baihe immediately felt his blood surge upward, and the mask on his face almost crumbled completely.

Wen Wuning had already been tormented by the drug until her head spun and her heart grew restless and irritable. Now that her acupoints had suddenly been struck and she could not move, she immediately became alert. She glared at Sheng Baihe furiously. “What are you doing?!”

Holding the fragrant, soft beauty tightly in his arms, Sheng Baihe felt as if he was about to ascend to heaven on the spot. Reluctantly, he placed her on the pile of dry grass, then put on a sanctimonious appearance and said, “Senior Sister, you’ve been drugged. I have no choice either. Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility. After we leave this place, I’ll definitely go to your father and ask for your hand in marriage.”

Wen Wuning stared at him blankly. It was not because his words had moved or shaken her, but because she simply could not believe that she would actually encounter such a thing. Nor could she believe that Sheng Baihe, who had always been gentle and refined, would take advantage of someone in danger! Wen Wuning’s eyes nearly split with rage as she gritted her teeth and said, “Sheng Baihe, you filthy, shameless bastard! If you dare touch me, I’ll cut you into a thousand pieces!”

The hand reaching toward Wen Wuning’s waist paused. Sheng Baihe was frightened by her fierce, unyielding appearance. But once the arrow was on the string, it had to be released. Besides, he firmly believed that the book’s plot could not be wrong. In this place, he had cured Wen Wuning’s poison using this method, and afterward, Wen Wuning had not pursued the matter. Instead, she had become even more obedient to him. Thinking this, Sheng Baihe felt reassured.

Beauty Wen’s usually cold face had been tormented by the poison until it was flushed pink. Her pitch-black eyes were moist, yet she was still putting up a strong front. Sheng Baihe sneered inwardly, his mind filled with thoughts entirely unsuitable for children. In a little while, no matter how fierce and unyielding this beauty was, she would still melt into a pool of spring water.

Thinking this, Sheng Baihe no longer had any reservations. He reached out, tugged open Wen Wuning’s waist sash, and tossed it lightly aside.

“Sheng Baihe, I will definitely kill you!!”

Lan Fei’er could not see what was happening inside, but she could hear it. She lowered her brows and crouched down. She could roughly guess what the situation inside was.

She just had not expected Wen Wuning’s reaction toward Sheng Baihe to be like this. According to the book, Wen Wuning was indeed a flower on a high peak—intelligent and cold. But that was only toward other people. Toward the protagonist, she was merely an ordinary young girl in love. Her attitude at this moment should not be like this.

Lan Fei’er could no longer stay crouched there. The female lead’s voice, almost forced out from between her teeth, kept coming from inside. Lan Fei’er regretted it. She should never have followed them here to watch.

But if she left now, she could not leave with a clear conscience.

Yet if she did not leave, what could she do? This was the development of the plot in the book, and the person inside was the protagonist. He was not someone she could afford to offend.

Lan Fei’er’s heart was torn between heaven and man. Her ears were filled with Wen Wuning’s desperate, tragic curses as she lost her composure, along with the sound of fabric being torn.

Lan Fei’er tightened her grip on the sword in her hand. She glanced at the forest opposite them, gritted her teeth, bent low, and ran over. At the same time, she cursed inwardly, I’m never coming to watch the excitement again when I have nothing better to do!

Inside the cave, after knowing Wen Wuning could not see him, Sheng Baihe completely shed his disguise. His eyes gleamed like a hungry wolf’s as he stared at the beauty on the dry grass. If he had not transmigrated here, in his original world, he would never have encountered such a beauty in his entire life, let alone have her lying there for him to do whatever he wanted. His heart felt as if a fire was burning in it, burning through his reason. Like a starving wolf, he tore at Wen Wuning’s clothes in a frenzy.

Suddenly, there was movement outside the cave. Instinctively alert, he lifted his head, and reason immediately returned. At the same time, fear surged in his heart. He had been too careless. With beauty before him, he had almost forgotten what kind of place this was. This was a mustard-seed space, a pocket dimension full of danger. One careless mistake could cost him his life. Although he was now the protagonist, he still had to be careful.

He glanced at the beauty on the ground, licked the corner of his mouth, and stood up. He would first make sure nothing was wrong, then come back and slowly enjoy her. In any case, there was no way this person could escape today.

Outside the cave, Lan Fei’er was hiding in the grass and working hard to conceal her presence. When she saw Sheng Baihe come out of the cave, look around, and fly off in another direction, she immediately jumped out and ran into the cave.

As soon as she entered, she saw Wen Wuning lying on the pile of grass, her clothes in disarray. Although her clothes were messy, it looked as though nothing that should not have happened had happened yet.

“Who’s there?!” Wen Wuning’s voice was hoarse, carrying both vigilance and doubt.

Even under these circumstances, Wen Wuning could still sense that the aura of the person who had come was different. It was not Sheng Baihe.

Ignoring the unusual hoarseness in that voice, Lan Fei’er gave her own name.

“Senior Sister, it’s me, Lan Fei’er.”

She strode forward and removed the waist sash covering Wen Wuning’s face, preparing to help her dress properly. But beneath it, she saw a pair of red, wet eyes. Lan Fei’er froze faintly, then pretended she had not seen them. She lowered her head and quickly helped Wen Wuning straighten her clothes and tie her belt.

“Senior Sister, I don’t know how to release acupoints, so I can only take you away first.” As she spoke, she helped Wen Wuning up, letting one of Wen Wuning’s hands rest on her shoulder while she wrapped an arm around her waist.

Wen Wuning did not know Lan Fei’er. She was not even very familiar with this name or this face. But she recognized the Daoist robe Lan Fei’er wore. She was a disciple of the Wen family.

“Bring my sword.”

Lan Fei’er did not waste words. Supporting Wen Wuning, she walked over and hooked the sword up with her foot. With a clang, the sword flew upward. She grabbed it, then brought Wen Wuning out of the cave without another word.

Even if she was a weakling, she was still a cultivator after all. Her physical strength was definitely better than that of an ordinary person. Carrying one person was still more than manageable.

However, this mustard-seed space was full of danger everywhere, and in Wen Wuning’s current state, it was not suitable for them to run around outside. The best thing would be to find a safe place and hide.

The breathing beside her ear grew rougher and rougher. Lan Fei’er turned her head and saw Wen Wuning’s face flushed deep red, her eyes unfocused.

She knew that the only reason Wen Wuning had not shown the not-for-kids side of the poison was because she was forcibly enduring it.

“Senior Sister, Senior Brother Sheng went in that direction. He should come back soon. I’ll take you somewhere else to hide.”

“Mm.” Wen Wuning answered vaguely, then warned, “Hurry.”

As the legitimate daughter of the Wen family, and with excellent aptitude, Wen Wuning’s prestige among those of her generation was second only to her eldest brother, Wen Ran.

With such an identity, combined with her naturally cold personality, whenever she spoke, she either said nothing at all or naturally carried a commanding tone.

This was exactly the case now.

At such a critical moment, Lan Fei’er did not bother arguing with her.

Since she had now taken this disaster onto herself, there was no way to throw it away. All she could do was work hard not to get burned by the fire and let Sheng Baihe know she was the one who had ruined his good deed.

Lan Fei’er hurriedly brought Wen Wuning into the forest.

Less than half a quarter of an hour later, Sheng Baihe returned after finding nothing unusual, only to see that the pile of grass was completely empty. If Wen Wuning’s fragrance had not still lingered in the cave, he would almost have suspected he had gone to the wrong place.

Someone had taken his woman away?!

Sheng Baihe was furious beyond measure. Wen Wuning’s acupoints had been struck by him, so it was absolutely impossible for her to leave on her own. She could only have been taken away by someone else!

In his heart, Wen Wuning had already become his woman. If some other man took advantage of her, he would never be able to accept it. Moreover, as the protagonist of this book, someone had actually made him suffer a setback. No matter who the other party was, Sheng Baihe walked out of the cave with a sinister expression. “Once I find you, I’ll definitely cut you into a thousand pieces.”