Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 71

The Old Demon Emperor’s words were largely a joke, and most didn’t take them seriously. After three rounds of drinks, many demons were already swaying. Although cultivators can expel alcohol to prevent drunkenness, on such a rare celebratory day, everyone let themselves go.

Even the young Chiefs were feeling the buzz, most notably Ling Tian. While everyone else was slumped over, he slammed his hand on the table and, with tears and snot streaming down his face, tried to lunge toward Guan Luowei, wailing, “Princess! My Princess!”

Fortunately, Shaoyou caught him by the collar just in time and pulled him back. He gave a slight bow and an apologetic smile to Guan Luowei. “Highness, Ling Tian has had too much. I’ll take him back to rest.”

Guan Luowei nodded, her bright eyes clear. She didn’t look back at the dramatic Ling Tian; instead, her gaze fell on Ling Chenyan, who was sneakily trying to pour herself another drink. Guan Luowei tapped her knuckles lightly on the tabletop.

Ling Chenyan looked up with the guilt of a thief, blinked, and said, “Highness, you should look at His Majesty too. Don’t just stare at me.”

The Old Emperor quietly pulled back his hand from a wine jug and cleared his throat solemnly. “I don’t need looking after. But you—you’re still growing; you need more supervision.”

Ling Chenyan looked at the Old Emperor and smiled sweetly. “I’m young; drinking a bit more won’t hurt.”

The Old Emperor met her gaze, and Ling Chenyan didn’t back down. Their eyes met in mid-air, sparks of a silent rivalry flying between them.

Guan Luowei watched them with a hint of amusement, though her expression remained calm. “Mm. Neither of you is allowed to drink anymore.”

Mutual destruction. Both Ling Chenyan and the Old Emperor lowered their heads dejectedly.

Guan Luowei wouldn’t let them drink, but she herself took cup after cup. It wasn’t that she wanted to, but the demons, out of sheer admiration, toasted her one by one. She couldn’t refuse their goodwill, so she accepted them all.

Ling Chenyan grumbled under her breath about “the officials being allowed to set fires while the commoners aren’t allowed to light lamps.” Seeing Guan Luowei’s bright eyes grow increasingly misty, she took advantage of the distraction to pour herself a cup openly. She raised it toward Guan Luowei. “Highness, I toast you.”

Guan Luowei’s eyes seemed veiled by a thin shroud of silk. She glanced at her and raised her own cup. Ling Chenyan felt a bit sheepish; her little scheme obviously hadn’t escaped Guan Luowei, but fortunately, the woman didn’t call her out.

The banquet lasted until the middle of the night. Using the excuse of being drunk, Guan Luowei had Ling Chenyan support her back to the Demon Palace.

Ling Chenyan had one arm around Guan Luowei’s slender waist and held the hand Guan Luowei had draped over her shoulder with the other. Guan Luowei was a head taller than her, and most of her weight leaned on Ling Chenyan. The scent of sweet fruit wine mingled with her natural cool fragrance—an intoxicating combination.

Although she was supporting her, Ling Chenyan didn’t feel much weight. She simply thought Guan Luowei was too thin. Her hand on the woman’s waist couldn’t help but squeeze slightly; even through the layers of clothing, she could feel firm muscle and distinct bone. She really was too lean.

After the squeeze, Ling Chenyan felt a bit embarrassed. But looking at the woman leaning unresponsive on her shoulder, she thought: Luckily, she’s drunk. A secret smile touched her lips. “Highness, just bear with it a little longer. We’re almost at the palace.”

Guan Luowei let out a soft “Mm” and kept her head down, silent, though her grip on Ling Chenyan’s hand remained very tight.

Finally, Ling Chenyan managed to get her onto the bed. The “drunken” woman collapsed back, her dark hair splayed out against the sheets. Her porcelain skin and jade-like features looked like a washed ink painting—noble, elegant, and so beautiful it was hard to look away.

Ling Chenyan leaned against the edge of the bed, propping up her chin to observe her. Even in a drunken state with flushed cheeks, the woman’s features held a sense of aloofness. Ling Chenyan’s gaze moved from the thick lashes down to the rosy, moist lips, then slowly to the slender neck hidden by her collar.

She hesitated, then reached out to undo the button on the collar. To her surprise, the moment her hand moved, it was caught in a firm grip.

Ling Chenyan froze. She looked up to see that the woman had opened her eyes at some point. Those obsidian-glass eyes were misty with intoxication as they stared fixedly at her.

Ling Chenyan tried to pull her hand back. “Highness, you’re awake? I was going to help you change and wash up.”

Guan Luowei sat up, her gaze flickering away. “I can do it myself.”

“Wait.” Ling Chenyan blocked her movement, a secret smile playing on her lips. “Highness is drunk and not quite clear-headed. Why not let me… serve you?”

She didn’t say “help”; she used the suggestive word “serve.”

Guan Luowei averted her eyes and insisted, “I can manage.”

Ling Chenyan blinked her lashes, her eyes drooping with a hint of grievance. She whispered, “Fine. I suppose Your Highness doesn’t lack for people. In that case, forget it.” She stepped aside to let Guan Luowei pass.

She deliberately turned her head away. Sure enough, a moment later, she heard Guan Luowei’s voice: “Yanyan… you should help me after all.”

The scheme worked. Ling Chenyan wore a triumphant grin, but she kept her face straight. “Didn’t Your Highness say you could manage?”

Guan Luowei didn’t speak; she just stared at Ling Chenyan with those misty, watery eyes. Ling Chenyan actually saw a trace of “wronged puppy” in them. Her heart softened immediately. She sat back down on the edge of the bed, looking at the “vulnerable” woman.

“Fine,” Ling Chenyan continued, her eyes swirling with mischief. “It’s only because it’s you, Highness. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t bother.”

Guan Luowei was clearly pleased by this, a faint smile appearing on her lips. Ling Chenyan smiled back, though hers was full of guile. Oh, my silly Highness, you’re about to be taken advantage of, yet you’re smiling so soul-stirringly.

Ling Chenyan kept her composure. “Highness, since I am serving you, you must listen to me.”

Guan Luowei tilted her head, looking at her with confusion. Ling Chenyan almost laughed; this cute head-tilt—was this the same Princess who usually scared people away without saying a word?

“First, you must take off this outer robe, or I won’t be able to wash you properly.”

Guan Luowei paused, then actually reached out to undo her own robe. Ling Chenyan watched with greedy eyes. Perhaps due to the alcohol, the woman’s movements were clumsy. She fumbled for a long time and only undid one button.

Ling Chenyan leaned in with a “kind” look. “Highness, you’re drunk. Let me.”

Guan Luowei dropped her hands, allowing the girl’s fingers to reach her neck. Ling Chenyan felt a surge of secret joy as her knuckles drew closer to the button. But just an inch away, she felt a sudden hook around her waist. The next moment, she was pulled into Guan Luowei’s lap.

The woman held her from behind, chin resting on her shoulder, pinning her in a tight embrace. The grip was so firm Ling Chenyan could barely breathe. Feeling the hot breath against her neck, she was about to ask what she was doing when a low, dejected voice sounded in her ear:

“Why didn’t you go with that woman?”

It took Ling Chenyan a moment to realize which woman she meant. Then, it clicked—she understood where Guan Luowei’s insecurity came from. Her confidence came from her own power, but today’s appearance of that “Ancestor” had reminded her that there is always a higher heaven.

That woman was so powerful that even Guan Luowei wasn’t sure she could win. If that woman had decided to snatch Ling Chenyan away, how could Guan Luowei have protected her? She couldn’t even defeat the people of this world yet, let alone that “System”—the mastermind who brought Ling Chenyan to her side in the first place.

Guan Luowei was terrified. She was afraid Ling Chenyan would leave, afraid Ling Chenyan would find her not strong enough, and even more afraid that when someone tried to take her, she wouldn’t have the strength to take her back.

Ling Chenyan felt the tightness of the arms around her and cursed herself. She had been so busy thinking about drinking and teasing that she’d forgotten to look at Guan Luowei’s heart. Her heart ached. She patted the woman’s arm soothingly and turned her head to look at her. “Because of you. Wherever you are, I am. I don’t want to be apart from you, so I won’t go with anyone else.”

Guan Luowei muttered, “But what if one day you want to leave this place and go home?”

Ling Chenyan froze for a second, then smiled. “No, Highness. If I ever have to leave, I’ll take you with me, okay?”

Guan Luowei’s arms finally loosened slightly. “Okay.”

Seeing the woman was comforted, Ling Chenyan relaxed, and her mischievous streak returned. She looked at the woman’s profile and teased, “Highness, what would you do if I left without saying goodbye one day?”

It was a casual remark, but it made Guan Luowei pull her tight again. After a long silence, she whispered in a pitiful tone: “Then I would find you. If I can’t find you in the cultivation world, I’ll go elsewhere… until I find you.”

Ling Chenyan bit her lip. “And once you find me?”

The woman paused. “I’ll ask you why you left me behind.”

Ling Chenyan had expected her to say something about imprisoning her—that’s how she usually answered. But in her drunken state, every answer was out of expectation. If she left, Guan Luowei wouldn’t blame her; she would just find her and ask, with that heart-wrenching vulnerability: Why?

Like a loyal dog that had been abandoned, finally finding its master and asking only “Why?” because it was too afraid of being left again to even be angry.

Ling Chenyan’s heart twisted. She turned around in Guan Luowei’s arms to face her and hugged her neck. “Highness, why are you so silly?”

Guan Luowei looked at her with wet eyes. “Will you leave me?”

Ling Chenyan’s breath hitched. She initiated a kiss on those rosy lips. “No.”

The rest of her words were swallowed. Ling Chenyan found the woman’s kiss quite skillful; before long, her head was spinning. She was still thinking about Guan Luowei’s neck, so she pulled back to gasp for air. “Highness, I… mmph…”

Her tender lips were taken again. Unknowingly, the front of Ling Chenyan’s dress had been mostly undone. It wasn’t until she felt a cool breeze on her chest that she realized her clothes had slipped down. Her face turned a vivid red.

“Highness…” she scolded, though her voice was soft and weak, “You’re going too far!” She covered herself and stared at Guan Luowei with watery eyes.

Guan Luowei’s gaze was shimmering, her eyes edged with an intoxicating red. Suddenly, she lowered her gaze, looking heartbreakingly sad. “Yanyan… don’t reject me, okay?”

Her voice was low and dejected, exactly the same as when she said “don’t leave me.”

Ling Chenyan’s heart melted. She couldn’t stand seeing her look this way. She hooked her arms around the woman’s neck, kissed her cheek, and whispered shyly, “Don’t… don’t take too long…”

Receiving permission, a light flashed in Guan Luowei’s eyes. As she looked at the shy, dazed girl in her arms, she scolded herself for deceiving her, yet she truly couldn’t restrain herself any longer.

Ling Chenyan was laid down gently on the bed. The woman leaned over her, kissing her from cheek to neck as if she were the world’s most precious treasure. Guan Luowei had seen all the scenery of the cultivation world, yet none of it compared to the view of the girl at this moment.

Ling Chenyan arched her head back, biting back the shameful sounds rising in her throat. Suddenly, a sharp sensation made her whole body shiver. She gripped the woman’s neck tightly and let out a broken cry.

Guan Luowei smiled, her gaze hazy and seductive. Ling Chenyan realized she’d been played and bit the woman’s shoulder in retaliation, but she had no strength left. Her eyes were wet, and tears gathered at the corners.

Guan Luowei is truly going too far.

Author’s Note:

Guan Luowei: As they say, the books truly do hold a “Golden House” (valuable secrets?).