Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 47

The four seasons are distinct in the mortal world, and the same holds true for the cultivation world. When the first wisp of biting air drifted through the atmosphere, it heralded the end of autumn and the arrival of winter.

Since that day of retreating in disgrace from the Demon Realm, Zhen Xuzi had coughed up a mouthful of blood and fallen back into a coma for many days. Upon waking, he discovered that his cultivation had plummeted from the Void-Hollow stage down to the Integration stage.

After a series of disasters, his Dao Heart had finally shattered.

The Sect Leader remained bedridden, his disposition growing gloomier by the day. Major sect affairs were handled by Elders Lingxu and Chenxu. Over time, the Lingxiao Immortal Sect fell into a state of profound depression.

Zhen Xuzi did not appear for many days. When he finally did, he was so thin he resembled a mere skeleton. His hair, which had previously retained a few black strands, was now entirely white.

His aura was sinister and his gaze venomous; no one would associate him with the previously transcendent, immortal-looking old man. The first thing he did upon reclaiming control of the sect was to order the “abnormal” disciples to be sent secretly to other sects to commit bloody massacres under the name of the “Demon Race.”

Elder Chenxu had no objections, but Elder Lingxu felt this move was a bit too radical. The three argued incessantly, but ultimately, Zhen Xuzi’s opinion prevailed.

Zhen Xuzi stood at the peak of the mountain, his sinister gaze piercing through the swirling mist to look across the vast world, finally landing in the direction of the Demon Realm.

Since the demons refused the “toast” of peace only to drink the “forfeit” of war, he didn’t mind letting them suffer another catastrophe.

On the other side, Guan Luowei landed in a deep forest. Just as she steadied herself, a monster beast charged at her.

“Highness! Careful!”

With a woman’s shout, Guan Luowei turned to see the newcomer. It was Zong Xian; she had unexpectedly fallen into the same place.

Guan Luowei’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly. She didn’t strike; she simply released her Great Transcendent pressure. The charging beasts paused in unison before turning tail and fleeing so fast it was staggering to behold.

Winning without a fight, Zong Xian’s eyes brightened. She was about to step forward when Guan Luowei suddenly looked at her.

Those eyes were undoubtedly beautiful—when she raised them slightly, the faint red at the corners of her lids formed a sharp, cold arc, revealing pupils that seemed to hold crushed starlight. Zong Xian thought that if those eyes were to smile at someone, countless people would spend a fortune for that single look.

Unfortunately, those eyes rarely held mirth. Most of the time, they were as still as a deep well, devoid of emotion—except for moments like this, where they flashed with a startling coldness like a blade in the snow. That coldness was no less than a knife to the heart, causing Zong Xian to freeze.

In an instant, she realized a certain possibility, and her face went deathly pale.

However, Guan Luowei only looked at her coldly, her gaze devoid of any extra emotion. She spoke: “This is the last time.”

Zong Xian felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Yes, how could Her Highness not notice her small trick? She should have known the moment she acted. Regret, remorse, self-reproach… all sorts of emotions swirled within her, but thinking back to Guan Luowei’s gaze, those feelings turned into indignation.

There wasn’t even disappointment in Her Highness’s eyes—only coldness, a bone-chilling frost.

“Why?” Zong Xian stared straight into her eyes, as if seeking to release all her resentment. “Highness, why?”

Guan Luowei glanced at her and turned to leave.

“Everything she can do, I can do! My love for you is not a bit less than hers! I am taller, stronger, and have a better figure! I can even give my life to protect you, but she can’t—she can only be protected by you! Why can’t you just look back at me? Why?!”

Zong Xian was indignant and confused. She didn’t understand. From any angle, she was better than that girl, so why didn’t Her Highness like her?

Even now, Guan Luowei’s footsteps didn’t falter for her. Zong Xian watched the solitary, cold back, her lips trembling. Moments later, as the woman’s figure was about to vanish, her words drifted back on the wind.

“Because you are not her.”

The flat tone, devoid of any rise or fall, crushed all her persistence to the bottom of the valley. She didn’t like her simply because she wasn’t her.

How affectionate, how beautiful, and how utterly enviable.

Zong Xian almost wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t. She looked up at the flying beasts and the blue sky, looking like she had lost her soul. The woman’s silhouette was gone. Zong Xian wiped her face, only to realize that at some point, tears had flooded her eyes and drenched her face.

When Ling Chenyan woke up, she found herself lying on a soft, large bed. The room was luxuriously decorated, and even the curtains around the bed were made of shark scales, shimmering as they reflected the light.

Ling Chenyan hissed as she sat up. Habitually touching the top of her head, she let out another hiss—a large, bulging bump stood out there like a “crane amidst a flock of quails.”

She remembered. When she was thrown out of the array, her forehead hit a rock. Then she saw a figure in bright red; was that person her savior?

While she was thinking, the door opened. A woman in a red dress, covering her mouth with a round fan, walked gracefully toward her. Seeing her sitting up, the woman handed the fan to the two maids behind her and hurried forward. “You’re awake?”

Ling Chenyan blinked. Looking at the woman’s delicate and charming face, she felt she had seen her somewhere before. Given the red dress, this must be her savior. Ling Chenyan suppressed her confusion and gave a proper bow. “Thank you for saving my life, Miss.”

To her surprise, the woman helped her up, her crimson lips curling into a smile as she winked. “Don’t recognize me?”

Ling Chenyan tilted her head, and a flash of insight hit her. She stared with wide eyes. “It’s you!”

This woman was none other than the one she had met briefly in Xiling City—the one who gave her the communicator.

“Why… why are you here? No, wait, where is this?” Ling Chenyan had too many questions.

The red-dressed woman smiled and signaled for the maids to leave. Once the door was closed, she stared at Ling Chenyan’s face. “This is the Monster Domain. My home is here, so naturally, I am here.”

Ling Chenyan’s eyes widened. “You’re a monster?”

The woman curved her fox-like eyes in a charming smile, leaning close. “Don’t I look like one? Hmm?”

Ling Chenyan backed away in a fright, laughing sheepishly. “You do, you do. You must be from the Fox Tribe, right?”

The woman wasn’t annoyed. She sat back and said, “Clever. You saw through me already.”

Ling Chenyan rubbed her nose, thinking anyone with eyes could see that.

“By the way, how should I call you? And did you find anyone else besides me?” Ling Chenyan asked urgently, remembering the fingertips that had brushed her sleeve in the array.

“My name is Hua Buxiao, but you can call me Hua Niang.” The woman’s gentle gaze was like glue on Ling Chenyan. “As for anyone else, I didn’t find them. But if it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have picked them up anyway.”

Ling Chenyan sniffled, feeling something was slightly off about her words. She tried to gesture: “Did you really not see a woman who looks like an ice mountain? She’s about…”

“I didn’t,” Hua Niang interrupted. “In my eyes, there is no one but you.”

Ling Chenyan: “…” Something’s wrong. This woman is wrong.

She laughed sheepishly and moved to lift the covers. “Thank you for saving me, Miss Hua Niang. But I must go find my Highness now, or she’ll be worried.”

Hua Niang kept a smile on her lips. She unhurriedly held down the corner of the blanket and pretended to be hurt, covering her face with her sleeve. “But I will be worried if I don’t see my Lady (Wife) too.”

Ling Chenyan was struck by lightning. She pointed at herself, then at Hua Niang, stammering, “I… you… Wife?”

Wait, since when?

Hua Niang lowered her sleeve and gave a shy smile. “Not yet, but I plan to marry you tomorrow.”

A question mark slowly floated over Ling Chenyan’s head. She suddenly realized she might not be able to leave.

Hua Niang watched her silence and didn’t speak. She just stared at Ling Chenyan’s face and slowly turned red, sighing, “My Lady’s face is truly intoxicating.”

Ling Chenyan gave an awkward laugh. It seemed Hua Niang had fallen for her face and intended to “marry” her. Her eyes darted around, and she backed away again, contorting her face. “Look, I’m actually not pretty at all. I’m very ugly.”

With that, she made several funny faces, intentionally crossing her eyes and twisting her mouth to ruin her image.

Unexpectedly, Hua Niang burst out laughing. “My little Lady is so cute. Stop playing, you’ll tire yourself out.”

Ling Chenyan: “…”

She slowly dropped her hands. “Is it that urgent? Isn’t tomorrow too fast? A wedding should be solemn, right? You surely haven’t prepared everything?”

Hua Niang curled her lips. “It’s not fast. I’ve been enamored with you for a long time; I can’t wait to marry you. As for the wedding supplies, don’t worry—we have everything ready.”

Ling Chenyan: “?” Ready?

Seeing her confusion, Hua Niang found her even more adorable. She laughed, “I just married my 328th concubine yesterday, but then I picked you up on the way back. It must be fate.”

Ling Chenyan’s eyes nearly fell out of her sockets. 328 concubines? This woman… her kidneys must be made of steel.

Ling Chenyan’s gaze instinctively swept toward Hua Niang’s waist, making the woman blush. “What are you looking at? Tomorrow, I’ll take off my clothes and let you look all you want, how about that?”

Ling Chenyan retracted her gaze instantly, waving her hands frantically, her face turning red. “No, no, no! My feelings for you are very pure, not like—”

“Shh.” Hua Niang placed two fingers lightly over Ling Chenyan’s lips. “My feelings for you aren’t pure at all. Alright, little Lady, since you’re awake, get some rest. A wedding is exhausting; I don’t want you to have no strength left by the time night falls.”

She gave Ling Chenyan a suggestive look and sauntered out with a swaying waist.

Ling Chenyan: “…”

Once the woman was gone, Ling Chenyan scrambled out of bed. The moment the door opened, two maids and a line of guards looked at her, casually shaking the cold, glinting blades in their hands.

Ling Chenyan: “…Sorry to bother you. Goodbye.”

She slammed the door shut and clutched her head in a panic. What now?

[Sys, quick, how do I escape?!]

The System looked at the guards. [Host, accept your fate. This defense is ‘mosquito-proof’ level.]

Ling Chenyan: [If mosquitoes can’t get in, can the Big Villain?]

[Probably, but she’s currently in the eastern Monster Forest, and you’re in the Fox Clan territory. There’s quite a distance.]

[How far?]

[About as far as from the Demon Realm to Xiling City.]

The teleportation array from the Demon Realm to Xiling took two days; traveling on foot would take forever! By then, I’ll be long gone.

The more anxious Ling Chenyan felt, the calmer her mind became. [Sys, how about I hijack her tomorrow night and force her to let me go?]

[You can’t beat her,] the System stated.

[Then I’m doomed! Aaaaaah! Am I really going to be concubine number 329?!]

[No, host. The fox is planning to make you her first wife.]

[Oh, lucky me.]

Ling Chenyan spent a frantic night. As dawn broke, she was hauled to a dressing table to have her hair done and makeup applied. She naturally refused to cooperate, so the group tied her up securely and began the process.

Ling Chenyan: […Holy crap.]

Once she was made up while tied, the women prepared to strip her to put on the bridal gown. Ling Chenyan stopped them: “Wait! I’ll do this myself! I promise I won’t run!”

Under the suspicious gaze of the monster women, Hua Niang opened the door and smiled. “Listen to my Lady.” The little monsters bowed and left.

When Hua Niang first saw the made-up Ling Chenyan, the amazement in her eyes didn’t fade for a long time. She stared obsessively. “Good. Truly worthy of being my Lady.”

Ling Chenyan backed away warily. Hua Niang didn’t approach. She just smiled. “Don’t be shy. I won’t touch you now.”

The most precious things are saved for the night.

Watching Hua Niang exit the room, Ling Chenyan plopped onto a stool and tossed her hairpins onto the table. [Damn it, Sys. Looks like I have to fight to the death tonight.]

As she spoke, a flash of inspiration hit her. she said excitedly: [Sys! I just thought of a brilliant plan to avoid a fight!]

[What?]

Ling Chenyan giggled. [A secret. You’ll find out tonight.]

The Fox Clan was exceptionally lively today because Hua Buxiao, the priestess who had taken 328 concubines, was finally marrying a First Wife! In the Fox Clan, marrying a first wife meant the person was settling down for one individual; it meant she would never take another concubine, and the previous ones would be sent home.

At this news, countless people wanted to set off fireworks.

Hua Niang knew nothing of this. She was joyfully preparing for the wedding, simplifying every procedure. Considering Ling Chenyan might be unwilling to perform the bows, she even skipped that part.

The Priestess Hall was festive. Hua Buxiao drank with the guests from day until night. Finally, when the darkness was at its deepest, she returned to the bridal chamber. She smelled of wine, having clearly had a lot, but her mind was clear. Carrying excitement and nerves, she walked into the room.

“My Lady, my Lady.”

She called twice, but no one answered. Hua Niang assumed the girl was just ignoring her. She wasn’t annoyed; as she walked into the inner chamber, she indeed saw the woman sitting by the bed with a red veil over her head.

Hua Niang’s heart thudded faster, her pace quickening. It was only when she stood before the woman that the reality truly sank in.

With trembling hands, she called out again: “My Lady.” Still no response.

The smile on Hua Niang’s face grew wider. She began to lift the veil, saying, “My Lady, don’t be mad at me. I will treat you well in the future.”

The red veil was finally lifted, revealing the stunning face beneath. Hua Niang instinctively held her breath. Suddenly, the person looked up and smiled at her. Before the smile could even form on Hua Niang’s own face, there was a loud POOF.

The beautiful bride in the wedding dress vanished. In her place, a two-meter-long giant sword floated before her eyes, spinning around smugly.

Author’s Note:

Ling Chenyan: Surprise! Were you expecting that?