After Being Entangled By the Obsessive Heroine [Quick Wear] - Chapter 39

Fan Hua’s expression was a mix of emotions, eventually settling on an undisguised murderous intent toward Qin Rong.

She put away her sword and took a whip from her waist. She swung it, creating a graceful arc in the air that crackled with a faint electric current.

With demonic energy filling her entire body, she no longer hid who she was.

She had been at the Jade Purity Sect for ten years and had almost forgotten she was a demon.

Yes, she was a demon. She was different from those aloof, noble sect disciples. She could use any means necessary to eliminate her enemies.

A demon did not have to follow the rules; they only had to achieve their goal.

The red whip came at her, crackling with an eerie, dark blue flame. It was “Purgatory Fire,” a demonic flame that, once it touched a person, would instantly engulf their entire body until nothing but ashes were left.

Qin Rong, holding Xian Ning, retreated and blocked the whip with her sword, then lunged back at Fan Hua.

The best defense was a good offense, and she wouldn’t let herself be cornered.

To take Xian Ning with her, she had to make sure Fan Hua had no power to stop her. Otherwise, they would never get out.

The air in the room was thick with sparks and clashing energy. The sword Qi and demonic energy intertwined, and a low metallic clang would occasionally ring out. Xian Ning watched with her heart in her throat, not daring to make a sound for fear of distracting Qin Rong.

The two were evenly matched. With the demon realm’s energy, Fan Hua was not losing to even the more powerful Qin Rong.

This was not a good place for a duel, as Qin Rong was at a disadvantage.

If it weren’t for the demonic energy she still had, she probably wouldn’t have lasted even this long. Demonic energy could erode spiritual power, disrupting blood flow and draining a person’s magic.

Xian Ning had been here for so long, and other than her body feeling weak and her steps unsteady, she hadn’t felt any other adverse effects because her cultivation was so low. She didn’t have much spiritual power to begin with.

Qin Rong was different. After her breakthrough, her spiritual energy was likely more potent than before. Lingering here was no good for her; she had to end this quickly.

Qin Rong knew this as well, so she held nothing back with every move.

Fan Hua wanted to kill her, and she had no intention of being merciful.

As they fought, the candles in the room were all extinguished. The pale moonlight streamed in through the windows, allowing Xian Ning to make out the two figures.

Qin Rong’s face was an unnatural pale color, and her condition seemed off. Xian Ning could only feel anxious, hoping the battle would end quickly.

Fan Hua’s whip struck the door, creating a long crack and letting in another beam of moonlight. Only then did Xian Ning see the injuries on Qin Rong’s body.

There were several long, thin cuts on her arm, and a scorched mark as well. Was it from the Purgatory Fire? But she hadn’t seen any fire.

Xian Ning’s heart pounded, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

They couldn’t stay here any longer. She had to get Qin Rong out, or she would die here.

“Fan Hua, do you really love me?”

The question distracted Fan Hua for a split second. Qin Rong seized the opportunity and stabbed her in the shoulder blade with her sword, forcing her to retreat a few steps.

Xian Ning rushed forward to support Qin Rong, her gaze at Fan Hua cold and complicated.

“You say you love me, but you imprison me against my will; you say you love me, but you cast a forgetfulness spell on me; you say you love me, but you want to kill the person I love.”

“Fan Hua, this isn’t love.”

With that, Xian Ning and Qin Rong made their way out, their steps unsteady, held up only by sheer willpower.

Xian Ning was also at her limit. Even with her low spiritual power, demonic energy would still erode her body. If it weren’t for her determination to get Qin Rong out, she would have collapsed long ago.

As soon as they stepped out of the palace, the dim light around them suddenly turned red.

Confused, Xian Ning looked up. A blood moon hung in the sky, as if it wanted to devour everything.

A buzzing sound filled Xian Ning’s head, followed by a jumble of whispers, screams, and the sound of fire, all mixed together, turning her brain into a mess. She could distinctly feel her temples throbbing.

Xian Ning instantly knew the forgetfulness spell was acting up, but this time was different.

It wasn’t as painful, but something was being stripped from her body.

A feeling of unfamiliar dread washed over her. Xian Ning clutched Qin Rong’s arm, her voice laced with urgency. “Qin Rong, no matter what happens to me, you have to get me out of here.”

Qin Rong squeezed her hand back, her grip firm and warm, as if she could give her endless strength.

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you behind.”

Xian Ning soon found out where this strange feeling of dread came from.

The palace was surrounded by demon soldiers. Standing at the front gate was the same beast that had brought Xian Ning here. It looked completely different from before, its lantern-like eyes glowing red and its face twisted into a vicious expression.

Its three-meter-tall body stood like a small mountain, blocking their way out.

Fan Hua slowly walked out, her whip dragging on the ground and leaving a trail of blue-and-black sparks.

“Since you say I don’t love you, then be a willing vessel for me.”

After saying that, she spat out a mouthful of blood, and her long dark hair turned white in an instant. Before Xian Ning could be surprised, her vision grew blurry.

Her mind became clouded, and many important memories began to slip away.

Qin Rong caught her as she was about to fall and pulled her tightly into her arms. “Don’t be afraid. I will get you out of here.”

Xian Ning glanced around, realizing that Fan Hua had set this all up to lure Qin Rong into a trap using her.

Now, with Qin Rong injured and her own condition uncertain, they probably couldn’t escape.

Xian Ning could already feel her body fading. No matter how hard she held onto Qin Rong’s hand, she couldn’t feel her warmth.

“Leave me. You have to go. She won’t hurt me.”

Xian Ning wasn’t sure. The Fan Hua she knew was gone, completely consumed by her madness. She might kill her out of anger. But there was no other way.

She couldn’t let Qin Rong die for her.

Qin Rong hugged her even tighter, her voice trembling. “What are you talking about? Trust me, alright?”

Xian Ning nodded, her mind becoming even more chaotic. Many memories she didn’t have before began to flash through her mind like a slideshow.

Qin Rong held the back of her head and whispered softly, “Rest now. When you wake up, we won’t be here anymore.”

She couldn’t leave alone. Even if Fan Hua wouldn’t hurt Xian Ning, she couldn’t leave her here.

Fan Hua had to have a reason for casting the forgetfulness spell on Xian Ning, and she had a guess as to what it was.

Fan Hua said she would use Xian Ning as a vessel. It seemed she wanted to use her body to revive the demon clan’s sacred artifact, the Heavenly Spirit Jade.

The demon lord had gone mad during her cultivation years ago, and her body was weakening. As a result, the demon clan had been in decline for a century, and thanks to the balance of power, the three realms had been at peace.

But recently, the demon clan had been making frequent moves. The elders of the Jade Clarity Sect and many other elite cultivators from other sects had been sent out to deal with them.

The demon lord was still sick, so it wasn’t her doing.

Qin Rong’s gaze fell on Fan Hua, whose power had been forcefully increased and was now suffering a severe backlash. She scoffed as she watched Fan Hua’s hair turn white in the night breeze.

“Is this your way of showing her love, by making her a vessel? You truly are a great lover.”

Qin Rong was usually aloof and reserved, but when it came to insults, she never lost.

Fan Hua was completely insane. She didn’t even look at Qin Rong, her crimson eyes fixated on Xian Ning in her arms.

“She belongs to me. She belongs to me…” she muttered, her expression becoming morbidly deranged. With a flick of her wrist, her red whip came at Qin Rong like a venomous snake.

“Crackling” sounds of fire filled the air. The Purgatory Fire lit up the night like day as the surrounding demon soldiers prepared to fight.

Xian Ning could hear everything but couldn’t open her eyes. Her mind was a blank slate, her consciousness wandering in a fog, unable to find a way out.

Qin Rong held Xian Ning and fought off Fan Hua’s attacks with one hand.

Fan Hua’s cultivation was cut in half, yet she was still able to hold her own. The real challenge was how to break through the demon soldiers and the beast to get Xian Ning out safely.

She could get hurt, but Xian Ning couldn’t.

Xian Ning’s current state was fragile, and any external stimulus could have a serious and unknown consequence.

If she really became a mindless vessel, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Heavenly Spirit Jade was an ancient relic. Xian Ning’s spiritual energy was too weak to nourish it, so in the end, it would use her flesh and blood to unleash its power.

It was called a sacred artifact, but in the hands of the demon clan, it had likely already been corrupted into an evil one. If it were truly activated, no one knew what would happen.

So, for the sake of peace in the three realms, Fan Hua’s madness had to be stopped.

Fan Hua’s target was Xian Ning. She had wanted to take her back whole, but in her clash with Qin Rong, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to do it alone.

Qin Rong’s strength was formidable after her breakthrough. Fan Hua had to forcefully increase her power just to be able to fight her to a draw. It was impossible to win against her now.

With that in mind, she pulled back her whip, her feet lightly touching the ground as she retreated. She stood under the corridor, looking down at Qin Rong.

“Today, I will have Xian Ning. And you, you will die here.”

Qin Rong elegantly twirled her sword, her voice full of disdain. “Try me. Let’s see if I can tear down this whole demon palace before I die.”

Fan Hua’s voice was cold. “You have a death wish!”

With a single look from her, the demon soldiers, who were on standby, swarmed toward Qin Rong, surrounding her. Another group appeared on the courtyard walls, bows and arrows in hand, with the same dark blue Purgatory Fire burning at their tips.

Qin Rong’s eyes narrowed as she became highly vigilant, her killing intent fully exposed.

Ever since the demonic energy invaded her, she had been searching for a way to get rid of it. She couldn’t find a solution and was forced to leave Xian Ning.

Then, she had a thought: why get rid of it? Why couldn’t she refine it instead?

As she integrated the demonic energy into her own body, she had a breakthrough.

Strictly speaking, she was no longer an immortal or a demon but rather half-immortal, half-demon. That was why the Purgatory Fire from Fan Hua’s whip only burned her flesh and didn’t turn her to ash.

While the Purgatory Fire couldn’t harm her foundation, with so many demon soldiers, it was still going to be difficult to get out of there unscathed.

She could only hope her master received her message and arrived soon, or else…

Qin Rong glanced at Xian Ning in her arms, and the demonic energy around her surged, frightening off the surrounding demon soldiers.

Fan Hua saw the demonic energy on her and gave a crazy, sinister smile.

“I wonder what those righteous sects will think when they find out their proud future star of the immortal realm is a monster who’s neither immortal nor demon. I can’t wait to see.”

Qin Rong sent a stream of sword Qi straight at her. Fan Hua quickly dodged, but a wisp of her hair was still cut off.

“You should worry about yourself instead. With your cultivation halved, I’m afraid your demon lord father will be even less pleased with you.”

Fan Hua’s face hardened. She said coldly, “Kill her!”

She knew that in the process of killing Qin Rong, Xian Ning would inevitably get hurt, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to get the vessel she had nurtured for over a decade back. Otherwise, if she lost her value, she would truly be cast out of the demon clan.

She would never let that happen!

She was destined to be the future supreme ruler of the demon clan, leading them to conquer the three realms!

Arrows rained down on her. The dark blue flames looked grotesque under the blood moon, like hellish ghouls with bared fangs.

Holding Xian Ning, Qin Rong was a little restricted. An arrow pierced her arm, and her flesh quickly scorched, turning into a shriveled mess.

Xian Ning heard a “squish,” the sound of the arrow hitting her flesh like a signal. Her brain began to function again.

It hurts…

It hurts so much…

Her head felt like a drill was boring into it, stirring up her bones and brain matter. Her temples felt like they had nails driven into them. The pain was so intense it made her lose her senses.

But even with the pain, her body was stiff and she couldn’t move.

The pain quickly spread to her entire body. Xian Ning felt like every bone was breaking, her blood flowing backward, and her flesh tearing.

She wasn’t a whole person anymore, but many pieces.

Her meridians were snapping one by one, and Xian Ning let out a muffled groan of pain. Qin Rong quickly checked on her, but a stray arrow shot her in the heart.

Warm blood dripped onto Xian Ning’s face. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a pale Qin Rong, blood seeping from her lips, smiling at her.

“Do you remember me?”

Her voice was incredibly gentle, as if they weren’t surrounded by demon soldiers but were having a conversation on a bright, sunny morning.

Xian Ning’s nose tingled and her eyes grew warm. She blinked, enduring the pain, as her answer.

A wider smile bloomed on Qin Rong’s face. She turned around and let her sword fly. It severed the throats of all the demon soldiers firing arrows from the city walls.

She had been holding back for Xian Ning’s sake, but now that Xian Ning was awake, she could focus on fighting her way out.

Xian Ning was covered in a cold sweat from the pain. She couldn’t even stand, but to let Qin Rong fight without worry, she took out her own sword, propped herself up with it, and stood in a safe spot behind her, allowing Qin Rong to fight with all her might.

The tearing of her body continued. She could even hear the “crack, crack” of her bones.

While Qin Rong was distracted, Fan Hua slowly approached Xian Ning, holding the Heavenly Spirit Jade in her hand, her eyes filled with a fanaticism and greed she had never shown before.

Soon, she would become the demon supreme.

When that happened, the three realms would bow at her feet. Xian Ning would be easy to handle.

After all her bones and meridians had snapped, Xian Ning finally couldn’t hold on anymore and fell to the ground. She lay there like a puddle of mud, death her only end.

Qin Rong saw what was happening and tried to go to her, but she was surrounded by too many demon soldiers to break free.

Fan Hua approached her, looking down with narrowed eyes.

“My dear junior sister, you won’t have to suffer for much longer.”

A transparent white jade, the size of a quail egg, appeared in her palm. She forced open Xian Ning’s mouth and made her swallow it.

Xian Ning was too choked to speak. After a long moment, she finally managed to swallow it down.

“What did you just feed me?”

Freed from Fan Hua’s grip, Xian Ning tried to reach down and spit it out, but the jade was already gone.

Fan Hua’s voice was filled with a sick glee. “It’s a good thing. When you’ve nourished the Heavenly Spirit Jade, we’ll become the supreme rulers of the three realms together.”

Xian Ning had no desire to become the supreme ruler of anything, but Fan Hua was insane and couldn’t be reasoned with. She didn’t bother to waste her breath.

The pain suddenly subsided. In an instant, her broken meridians reconnected, and her bones healed at an incredible speed. A flood of spiritual energy coursed through her body, finally gathering in her dantian.

Her stagnant cultivation surged, her power level increasing one step at a time, easier than turning a page in a book.

Her body was surrounded by a warm glow, and Xian Ning, feeling so comfortable, closed her eyes without thinking.

When her physical eyes were closed, her spiritual eyes opened. She could clearly see the meridians inside her body and the white jade she had just swallowed.

The white jade continuously gave off a gentle spiritual energy, transferring it to all parts of her body, unblocking the meridians that had been blocked for so many years. That was why her cultivation was improving so quickly.

So this jade was a good thing?

Fan Hua realized her mistake too late. She had meant to use Xian Ning’s body to nourish the Heavenly Spirit Jade, but she hadn’t expected Xian Ning to absorb it instead.

She grabbed Xian Ning by the collar and slammed her palm into her dantian, trying to get the jade out.

The Heavenly Spirit Jade was shocked and fused with Xian Ning even faster. Her body, in self-defense, let out a burst of spiritual energy that threw Fan Hua back several meters.

The demon soldiers close to Xian Ning weren’t spared, either. They were all blown away, falling heavily to the ground and not moving again.

Qin Rong was relieved to see that Xian Ning was not hurt, but seeing the sudden spike in her spiritual power, her heart sank again.

The Heavenly Spirit Jade was an evil artifact. What if Xian Ning forgot everything?

What could she possibly say to convince her that she was only trying to help her by taking her away?

Qin Rong’s sword Qi flew, taking care of the remaining demon soldiers. Then she rushed to Xian Ning’s side.

“Xian Ning, are you alright?”

Xian Ning looked at her. She was about to say she was fine, but her body uncontrollably moved to attack her. She lightly pushed Qin Rong back with a palm, telling her to stay away.

Then, her mind began to spiral into chaos, and she felt the same sensation from the forgetfulness spell acting up again.

This time, the sounds were even louder and more chaotic. The shrill screams made her feel like she was in hell.

Fan Hua climbed up from the ground, wiped the blood from her lips, and laughed triumphantly.

“As expected, a mere mortal cannot refine a sacred artifact like this. Xian Ning, you truly are my chosen vessel.”

Qin Rong got closer, only to be pushed back by Xian Ning again and again. Xian Ning’s expression was one of pain. She didn’t want to hurt Qin Rong, but she couldn’t control herself.

Soon, the demonic energy was so thick that her face was no longer visible. Xian Ning’s eyes had turned a deep crimson, filled with a cold killing intent.

She was like a machine without any emotion, absorbing the demonic power of the demon soldiers.

“Xian Ning, don’t do this! Don’t let an evil artifact control you!”

Xian Ning turned to look at her, her expression seeming to soften for a moment. Qin Rong was filled with hope and was about to say more, but Xian Ning was already in front of her, her hand wrapped around Qin Rong’s throat.

There was only a desire for slaughter in Xian Ning’s heart. Her grip tightened. Qin Rong’s face turned red, and she was getting less and less air.

“Whoosh!” A bamboo arrow with feathers at its end pierced Xian Ning’s brow. The crimson in her eyes slowly faded. After a few seconds of confusion, she fell backward.

Qin Rong didn’t think of herself and reached out to catch her.

Peng Lian arrived with the elders of the Jade Purity Sect. The demons had mostly been subdued by the other sects.

Peng Lian checked on Xian Ning, pulled the bamboo arrow from her forehead, and said, “She seems fine for now. Take her somewhere with abundant spiritual energy. Call for me if anything else happens.”

“Thank you, Master,” Qin Rong said.

Peng Lian sighed and said, “I watched her grow up. How could I just stand by and watch? Now go.”

Qin Rong left with Xian Ning, leaving the rest to her master and the elders.

Fan Hua rushed to stop them, but after two steps, she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.

*******

Xian Ning had a very long dream. In it, someone called her “sister” sweetly, and they did many intimate things together, but she could never see their face.

“Sister, it’s time to wake up.”

The voice was long and ethereal, as if from a distant past. Xian Ning opened her eyes, tearing up from the bright light.

She sniffled and tried to wipe away her tears, only to realize her hand was being held.

Qin Rong instantly woke up. Seeing her awake, she was surprised and delighted. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, “My dear junior sister, you’ve finally woken up!”

“Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

“Do you… do you remember me?”

The last question was asked in a meek, uncertain voice.

Xian Ning felt playful and deliberately put on a confused expression. “Who are you?” she asked.

Qin Rong’s expression changed. She leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

“I’m your wife. We’re in a relationship where we can do this.”

Xian Ning thought to herself, “Thank goodness this is a cultivation world where you can just use a simple cleansing spell. Otherwise, a kiss right after waking up would be a bit much.”

She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around Qin Rong’s neck, and deepened the kiss.

Qin Rong had only meant to do this as a way to claim her, but as they kissed, she couldn’t stop.

It had been two months since they had seen each other. This intimate act was like a match to a fire, every part of her body was burning.

Their lips and tongues intertwined, their breaths mixing together, and their breathing grew hurried, making the atmosphere even more charged.

Qin Rong pulled away from her before Xian Ning ran out of air and asked, staring into her moist eyes:

“Is this okay?”

Xian Ning looked at the blush on the corners of her eyes and said slowly, “Of course. But…”

She pushed Qin Rong onto the bed, leaned down, and whispered in her ear,

 “It has to be my turn to lead.”