Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 50

The biting autumn wind whistled outside, and Ling Chenyan, wrapped tightly in her robes, paced back and forth in the hall, occasionally peering toward the entrance.

Hua Niang reclined bonelessly on her lounge chair, dressed in her brilliant red gown. One hand propped up her cheek, and her fox-like eyes followed the girl’s movements. Having shed her gentle disguise, her entire aura was now one of wanton laziness. After the girl peered out for the umpteenth time, Hua Niang finally took a breath, dropped her snow-white wrist, and spoke: “Stop pacing. You’re making me dizzy.”

Ling Chenyan halted and turned to look at Hua Niang, her eyes bright as stars. Her urgency and anticipation were practically overflowing from her gaze.

Hua Niang looked away, unable to bear the sight, and said dismissively, “What’s the rush? Look at you, acting so ‘cheap’ for her.”

Ling Chenyan wasn’t annoyed. She giggled and sat down beside Hua Niang. “It’s just been so long since we last met. I’m a little excited.”

“You might be excited, but she might not be.” Seeing her smiling like an idiot, Hua Niang couldn’t help but poke her forehead with an index finger. “If you rush to love someone this much, you’re going to get scammed so badly later.”

“What love?” Ling Chenyan’s gaze darted around as she rubbed her forehead. “I don’t ‘love’ her. Besides, Her Highness isn’t that kind of person.”

“You don’t understand.” Hua Niang sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “People always look down on things that come easily. Especially for those in high positions—the harder something is to get, the more they like it. A girl should be a bit more reserved.”

As Hua Niang stared at the luxurious ceiling, a silhouette gradually appeared in her mind, but it quickly turned into the girl’s face. Ling Chenyan poked her head out from behind her, looking down at her with glowing eyes. “Sister Hua! Tell me your story!”

Guan Luowei hurried toward the Fox Clan with the monster girl. The closer she got, the faster her heart beat, and her speed increased involuntarily. The monster girl’s cultivation was far inferior; she had to exert every ounce of her strength just to keep up.

“Slow down, we’re almost there,” the girl managed to say.

Unexpectedly, the ice-cold woman glanced at her, suddenly scooped her up, and said, “Direct me.”

The girl: “…” I’ve seen people in a hurry, but never this much.

But with someone carrying her, she was happy to take it easy. A journey that should have taken a day was squeezed into half a day. By the time they reached the Fox territory, it was already twilight. The sky in the Monster Domain was darker than in the cultivation world; at twilight, it was nearly night.

Guan Luowei followed the girl’s directions and rushed toward Ling Chenyan’s location. She paused at a corner to tidy her robes, trying to appear less disheveled and desperate. Once composed, she stepped into the hall.

An instant before she entered, Hua Niang sensed her arrival. Her eyes shifted, and a mischievous idea surged. She looked at the girl’s face and suddenly reached out, pressing Ling Chenyan’s head down. Their faces were extremely close, yet they didn’t actually touch.

Ling Chenyan let out a startled cry and jerked back. Just as she was about to ask what she was doing, she looked up and saw the woman standing at the door—clad in snow-white, with a gaze colder than the ice of mid-winter.

Ling Chenyan froze.

Guan Luowei stood at the entrance, her demonic energy surging in an instant. The wooden doorframe shattered into splinters, and the demonic energy swept the debris forward, rushing toward the woman on the lounge chair with unstoppable force.

Hua Niang, a playful glint in her eyes, flipped over to dodge the move. Before she could speak, the demonic energy struck again, even more violently than before. Seeing the raw power, Hua Niang’s eyes widened. She twisted her graceful waist to dodge, but the energy was like a frenzy, attacking from all sides and leaving her nowhere to hide.

In an instant, the expensive tables, chairs, chandeliers, and pearls in the hall were obliterated, reduced to shards.

Ling Chenyan had been swept to Guan Luowei’s side by the demonic energy at the very beginning. The events moved so fast that by the time she reacted, the hall was swaying and on the verge of collapse.

Ling Chenyan stared wide-eyed, finally realizing what was happening. She ground her teeth, thinking that Hua Niang truly deserved it—of all people to provoke, why choose Guan Luowei? Isn’t that just asking for a beating?

But if this continued, a misunderstanding would turn into a full-blown conflict. She hurriedly shouted, “Highness, stop! There’s nothing between us! We didn’t kiss!”

Guan Luowei turned to look at her, the calm returning to her eyes. Just as Ling Chenyan let out a sigh of relief, Guan Luowei sent one more strike flying toward Hua Niang. After dodging so many attacks, Hua Niang was finally hit by this last one. With a boom, she was sent flying into the rubble.

Dust billowed. Ling Chenyan was dumbfounded.

In a fit of anger, she glared at Guan Luowei, then ran to the spot where Hua Niang was buried. She dug through the debris with effort and managed to pull Hua Niang out.

Seeing the girl’s desperate concern, Guan Luowei’s heart sank. She raised her cold gaze toward the two of them.

Ling Chenyan had already pulled Hua Niang out. “Are you alright, Sister Hua?”

Hua Niang stood up from the wreckage, her clean face now streaked with grey. She spat out some dust and was about to say she was fine when she looked up—CRASH—the entire reception hall collapsed completely.

Ling Chenyan: “…”

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Ling Chenyan could feel Hua Niang’s hand trembling.

Hua Niang shook off Ling Chenyan’s hand, her voice shaking with rage: “Is this really necessary?! I was just playing a joke, and you tore down my damn house!”

Ling Chenyan tried to intervene: “Calm down, Sister Hua. Her Highness didn’t strike for no reason…”

It would have been better if she hadn’t spoken. Hua Niang glared at her fiercely. “You two are truly something! One robs my treasury and digs up my graves, the other destroys my living room and rips off my doors! My place is only this big, and you two have completely wrecked it!”

Ling Chenyan looked away guiltily. Guan Luowei, hearing this, realized the situation wasn’t exactly what she had imagined.

However, remembering Hua Niang’s actions just now, she still didn’t apologize. With a wave of demonic energy, she pulled Ling Chenyan back to her side. Simultaneously, a card floated toward Hua Niang.

“One hundred million spirit stones for the life-saving fee. Additionally, however many stones this room and your treasury are worth, I will compensate you in full.”

Hua Niang’s cursing stopped. She wiped the dust from her face and took the card. “There’s really a hundred million?”

Guan Luowei nodded.

Hua Niang’s eyes lit up, then she cleared her throat. “Fine then. I’m giving her back to you. The money for the room and treasury is separate, but don’t think I’ve forgiven you!”

Guan Luowei nodded. “Is another two hundred million enough?”

Hua Niang: “?”

Her eyes sparkled, and the word “Enough” was about to leave her lips when Ling Chenyan stepped forward. “Stop. Everything from your treasury is in here, except for those two He Huan fruits I accidentally ate. I’m returning it all.”

She handed over a spatial bag. “It’s all here. The bag is yours too. That should cover the two fruits, right?”

“He Huan fruits?” Before she could take the bag, Guan Luowei spoke up coldly: “You ate them?”

Ling Chenyan’s eyes darted. “I didn’t know what they were. I ate them by accident.”

Guan Luowei narrowed her eyes. Ling Chenyan spotted Hua Niang’s eyes shifting again. Before the talkative fox could speak, she blurted out: “I ate them, and to break the effect, I went to dig up her ancestral graves. But I was stopped. Nothing happened. I’m perfectly ‘clean’!”

Guan Luowei’s tense body slowly relaxed. She let out a soft “Mm” from her throat.

Hua Niang watched Ling Chenyan’s nervous display and rolled her eyes. “Fine, she’s back with you now. Take her away quickly; even one more day of her is annoying.”

Guan Luowei ignored the remark and nodded. “Thank you.”

She moved to lead Ling Chenyan away, but Ling Chenyan tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Wait a second.”

She trotted back to Hua Niang with a shy smile. “Sister Hua, um, we want to see the Monster King. Can you introduce us?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Hua Niang—who had been happily looking at the card—froze for an instant. She turned to the two of them and said flatly, “What business do you have with the Monster King?”

“Nothing major,” Ling Chenyan said. “Just something to discuss.”

Hua Niang looked between the two of them, surveying them for a moment. “Find someone else to introduce you. I don’t have time.”

“How can that be? You look pretty free to me.”

As soon as she said it, Ling Chenyan felt Hua Niang’s annoyed gaze. She gave a flattering smile. “I mean, you’re beautiful and kind-hearted; you wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing, right?”

Truthfully, they could find Medusa themselves, but having a local monster introduce them would make a huge difference.

Just as Hua Niang was about to refuse, her body suddenly shuddered. Her vision blurred, and she nearly fell. Ling Chenyan hurried to support her, but Hua Niang waved her off, gasping with her head down: “What’s the date today?”

Ling Chenyan looked confused. A cold voice from behind answered for her: “The fifteenth.”

Hua Niang’s eyes snapped open. She looked up at the full moon in the sky, then hurriedly lowered her head, muttering a curse under her breath: “Damn it.” She had actually forgotten such an important day.

While Ling Chenyan was still wondering, Guan Luowei had already walked to her side. Watching the fox tails Hua Niang couldn’t control from emerging, she said with a nuanced gaze: “A Natural Charm-Bone.”

Ling Chenyan looked up in confusion. Guan Luowei’s eyes flickered as she asked, “Do you need to be taken to the Cold Pool?”

Hua Niang already had three tails showing uncontrollably. Her face was flushed, and she bit her lip hard as if enduring something intense. She looked up at Guan Luowei and whispered shakily, “Please.”

Guan Luowei swept them both up with demonic energy. Following Hua Niang’s directions, they arrived at a secluded spot in the back mountains, where a pool of water shimmered coldly under the moonlight. Once Hua Niang was placed by the pool, Guan Luowei led Ling Chenyan away.

Under the moonlight, Ling Chenyan huddled in Guan Luowei’s arms and whispered in her ear: “What is a ‘Natural Charm-Bone’?”

Guan Luowei held the girl with extreme self-restraint. “It is a talent, and a torment. Those with it are mostly women; they are naturally gifted in the path of charm arts. When practiced to the Great Transcendent stage, every move they make is intoxicating. It is said they can make even a Great Transcendent cultivator fall for them with a single look.”

Ling Chenyan nodded. “That’s impressive. But why is it a torment?”

Guan Luowei pursed her lips. “Because it makes one desperately need Yang energy. Without enough, they will feel as if ten thousand ants are devouring their heart every fifteenth of the month.”

There was another part Guan Luowei didn’t say: those with this bone have extreme physical desires. If unsatisfied, they will be driven into a frenzy for intimacy on the night of the full moon. But she felt the “pure” sword spirit shouldn’t hear such things.

“That’s so tragic,” Ling Chenyan sighed. She suddenly added, “As a sword spirit, shouldn’t I have a lot of Yang energy?” After all, a sword is one of the most masculine and rigid things in the world.

Guan Luowei paused, her voice sounding odd: “What are you planning to do?”

“Sister Hua saved me; I should repay her. Since she needs Yang energy and I have plenty, I can just transfer some to her, right? It would save her from the pain.”

Ling Chenyan figured that although Hua Niang kept trying to flirt with her, she really had saved her life and was patient enough to let her rob her and dig up her graves. If she could help with a simple transfer of energy, she was willing.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, Guan Luowei stopped in mid-air.

The woman released her hold. Her voice was flat: “You feel that much heartache for your ‘Sister Hua’?”

Under the moonlight, the woman’s expression was unreadable, and her clear eyes seemed veiled and obscure. Only her tightened lips betrayed her displeasure.

Ling Chenyan was a bit stunned. “It’s just transferring some energy?”

Guan Luowei lowered her gaze to the oblivious girl, and her anger mostly dissipated. She pulled the girl back into her arms and continued flying toward their temporary lodging. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

Ling Chenyan sensed something was wrong from Guan Luowei’s expression. She asked the System: [Sys, does ‘transferring Yang energy’ involve… that kind of stuff?]

System: [Congratulations, you got it.]

Ling Chenyan: *[…] *

No wonder Guan Luowei told me not to worry about it. Combined with her previous words, Ling Chenyan stole a cautious look at Guan Luowei. She’s definitely unhappy now.

They soon reached the inn. The candles inside were bright. Ling Chenyan, having been in the wind for a long time, buried herself in the bedding immediately after entering, leaving only her eyes to observe Guan Luowei.

Guan Luowei sat on a stool, poured a cup of steaming tea, and handed it to her. Ling Chenyan instinctively smiled, took the tea, and drank. “Thank you, Highness.”

Guan Luowei nodded. Once the tea was finished, she took the empty cup and turned back to the table. “More?”

Ling Chenyan shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“Mm.”

The tea cup hit the table with a soft thud. Ling Chenyan suddenly asked, “Highness, why are you alone? Where are Tong Di and Zong Xian?”

Guan Luowei sat down and poured herself some tea. “I can’t contact Tong Di.” Likely, he had been picked up by someone as well.

Ling Chenyan nodded. “And Zong Xian? Can’t reach her either?”

Guan Luowei’s movement paused. She set down her cup and looked straight at the girl. “Stay away from her in the future.”

“Hmm?” Ling Chenyan blinked. “Okay.” She didn’t ask why.

Because the System told her: [Guan Luowei failed to catch you in the array because Zong Xian pushed you away.]

[Oh, I see,] Ling Chenyan realized belatedly. [Holy crap, was it because of Guan Luowei?]

[Bingo.]

Ling Chenyan: […Talk about collateral damage.]

Guan Luowei, hearing the girl’s inner thoughts, felt a bit helpless. She looked up and said, “She will receive her due punishment when we return to the clan…”

Halfway through her sentence, Guan Luowei suddenly frowned. She looked at the bridal gown Ling Chenyan was still wearing with an uncertain expression. “That outfit…”

Ling Chenyan realized she was in trouble. She quickly shed the robes and hid under the covers. “I haven’t changed in days; it’s a bit dirty.”

But Guan Luowei wouldn’t be fooled. She walked closer, picked up the clothes from the floor, and her expression cooled. “A wedding dress?”

She raised her eyes to the girl.

Ling Chenyan: “…” Under that gaze, she couldn’t lie. She said stubbornly, “Well… Sister Hua wanted to marry me… but we didn’t actually do it. I just wore the dress. We didn’t bow, there were no rites, and nothing happened between us.”

She held up three fingers solemnly. “I swear.”

Guan Luowei just looked down at the dress in her hand and muttered to herself: “‘Sister Hua’?”

It was only two words, but Ling Chenyan could hear the immense jealousy in them.

“I mean Hua Niang,” Ling Chenyan said, her eyes shifting. She reached out and tugged at Guan Luowei’s sleeve. “Highness, sit down. I’ll tell you everything from the beginning.”

Guan Luowei paused, but she actually sat on the edge of the bed. Ling Chenyan, wrapped in the covers, sidled closer and began her animated storytelling. When she got to the “bridal night,” her eyes were curved with pride:

“The moment she lifted the veil, I turned into a sword! Highness, you should have seen the look on her face—she was blank for seconds! Hahaha, it was so funny!”

Ling Chenyan was laughing happily, but she didn’t hear a laugh from Guan Luowei. She looked up to see the woman staring at her with a half-smile.

“Lifting the veil? ‘Sister Hua’?”

Ling Chenyan: “…” My big mouth.

Seeing the woman’s cold face as she rose to leave, Ling Chenyan panicked. She grabbed the woman’s hand to speak, but she was tripped up by the blankets. She lunged forward, falling directly into Guan Luowei’s arms.

Guan Luowei instinctively caught her. In the next moment, the girl looked up to speak, but Guan Luowei’s gaze shifted and she froze.

The girl’s outer robe had been discarded on the floor; she was wearing only her inner garment. Because of the fall, her collar had spread open, revealing skin even whiter than the fabric. At such close proximity, the girl’s jade-like collarbones and the hint of her budding curves were right before her eyes.

Almost instantly, Guan Luowei averted her gaze, the tips of her ears looking ready to catch fire.

Ling Chenyan realized the situation and looked down. A mischievous light twinkled in her eyes. Instead of fixing her collar, she intentionally leaned closer to the woman’s burning ear, her warm breath fanning against it:

“Highness… Sister Guan… Sister Guan~ look at me. Let me explain.”

Her breath was like orchids. Guan Luowei’s breathing quickened, but she still refused to turn her head. “Let go,” she said softly, her voice almost a pant.

Even in this state, this cold woman was still trying to restrain herself.

Ling Chenyan smiled. She looked at the averted profile and the vivid red mole beneath her eye. “Sister Guan, you smell so good.”

Guan Luowei closed her eyes and didn’t answer.

Mirth rippled in Ling Chenyan’s eyes. She slowly reached out and touched Guan Luowei’s cheek, feeling a sticky moisture—sweat. She was actually this nervous. Ling Chenyan licked her lips, watching the woman’s trembling lashes. Her fingertip gently traced that red mole, her voice sounding like a playful pout:

“Master… why won’t you look at me?”