After I Lost My Memory, I Was Coaxed into Marriage by a Yandere - Chapter 13

Chi Wei pulled Xin Rong toward a nearby corner.

Xiao Tan propped her hands on the table and rested her head in her palms, secretly praying that no matter what Chi Wei had seen, she would not tell those Taoists about Xiao Yanyi.

Otherwise, the enemies of that black bear spirit would soon be joining it in the underworld.

“Taoist Xin, I heard you say earlier that your group was chasing a serpent demon? Did that demon do something evil?” Chi Wei asked under a tree, finally voicing the doubt in her heart.

“That is correct. That serpent demon, why would a regular person like you ask about such things?” Xin Rong did not want to waste time; she feared Chi Wei would be unable to sleep at night if she knew.

“We have crossed paths again, which means that serpent demon must be in this area. I am afraid of running into it. If it is truly wicked, I want to flee early and leave this region.” Seeing Xin Rong in a hurry to pack, Chi Wei shifted her tone. “Or perhaps, since you are so powerful, you could let me travel with you for a while. Once we reach a more populated area, I will go my own way.”

“Haha, you are a clever one. Just stay by my side. My Master is waiting for us ahead, so it will be fine.” Pleased by Chi Wei’s words, Xin Rong was willing to chat a bit more. “That serpent demon practiced demonic arts in Ling County and slaughtered an entire village. If you really encounter it, run as fast as you can. If you cannot escape, kneel and beg for mercy.”

“It is quite a coincidence, actually. Ling County is only a few dozen miles away from your Yanbo Port.”

“An entire village? Does that not mean dozens of people died?” Chi Wei exclaimed.

“More than that. Over a hundred.”

Xiao Yanyi is so powerful; can Taoist Xin even handle her?

“Alright, the three of you can rest easy and follow me. Once we meet up with my Master, you will be safe.”

Xin Rong left after saying those words.

Chi Wei thought it over but ultimately did not reveal the fact that Xiao Yanyi was a demon. She felt it was still unclear who was stronger between Xin Rong and Xiao Yanyi, and she did not want to cause these people to lose their lives because of a single sentence.

She decided to watch and wait.

She brought the cooked noodles to the table in front of Xiao Yanyi. Xiao Yanyi looked up with a faint, calm glance, and silence became a wordless confrontation between them.

Eventually, Chi Wei was the first to give in.

She sat opposite Xiao Yanyi, leaned forward, and lowered her voice. “What exactly do you want? I am telling you, Taoist Xin has profound magical powers. She was the one who subdued that black bear spirit with five hundred years of cultivation just now. If you are wise, you will leave immediately. Since you healed my eyes, we can let this matter go.”

Beside them, Xiao Tan let out a snicker. Caught by Xiao Yanyi’s glance, she quickly pursed her lips.

“I want nothing,” Xiao Yanyi said as she pulled the bowl of noodles toward her and slowly lifted a mouthful with her chopsticks. “I am here to ensure your safety.”

“Ensure my safety?” Chi Wei sneered. “If that is the case, why have you hidden the fact that you are a serpent demon? To tell you the truth, Taoist Xin’s Master is waiting just ahead. At the slightest sign of trouble, they will rush here. If you do not fear death, then leave quickly.” How could she believe an entry of good intentions from a demon who had been full of lies from the start?

Xiao Yanyi swallowed a mouthful of noodles and said tonelessly, “Since you want to play, I will play with you a while longer, until you are willing to come back.”

“You truly refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!” Chi Wei stood up abruptly, threw down those harsh words, and flicked her sleeve as she walked away. Before leaving, she pressed her palm lightly on the table, leaving behind five silver taels.

These two spirits cannot even afford a bowl of noodles, yet they spend money so recklessly. It seems it is not easy for a demon to save money either.

Those thirty silver taels were earned by her and Xiao Tan together; one way or another, the other deserved a share. She could not let these two demons turn to evil and harm people just because they were penniless; if that happened, would she not be a sinner?

Xiao Tan ate only half a bowl of noodles before putting down her chopsticks listlessly.

Without meat, it simply lacked flavor.

“What exactly was she saying just now?” Xiao Tan swung her legs and muttered softly. “That big black bear clearly only had three hundred years of cultivation. Could those Taoists really not see even that?”

Xiao Yanyi’s bowl was already empty. She put down her chopsticks, her expression suggesting she wanted more. “She was bragging to scare you, and you could not tell? I truly do not know if you are genuinely foolish or just pretending.”

Xiao Tan’s swinging legs stopped for a moment. She tilted her head and asked, “Since she wanted to scare us, why did she not just ask Taoist Xin to catch us? Could it be” Her eyes suddenly lit up with a mischievous glint. “Does she actually have feelings for you? Geesh, I really do not get it, especially since she already knows you are a demon.”

These words caused Xiao Yanyi to startle slightly.

She instinctively looked up at Chi Wei, who was not far away, bowing her head to feed grass to the donkey. The woman’s silhouette was thin, but her movements were careful, her stray hairs swaying gently in the breeze. Xiao Yanyi watched, momentarily forgetting to look away.

She had originally been certain that Chi Wei said those things simply because she feared Xin Rong and the others would be no match for her and would meet with misfortune. But with Xiao Tan pointing it out, the scales in her heart shifted slightly toward the other side.

After the hottest part of the afternoon passed and Xin Rong’s group had finished their rest, the party set off again toward the city.

Chi Wei led the donkey and stayed close to Xin Rong. Her brow was furrowed as she looked back from time to time; the pair followed at the end of the line.

Every time she looked back, Xiao Yanyi would give her a shallow smile. Xiao Tan learned from Xiao Yanyi and smiled at her too, enthusiastic and carefree. Chi Wei did not dare look for long and immediately turned back.

Those Taoists had heard about the relationship between Chi Wei and Xiao Yanyi from Xin Rong, so they could not help but tease a bit along the way.

One said, “A quarrel at the head of the bed is settled at the foot; there is no hurdle you cannot get over, so do not be angry with your wife anymore.” Another joined in, “In this heat, she is following you all this way with a child. How devoted!”

Devoted?

Chi Wei did not think so.

After hearing Xin Rong describe the habits of serpent demons, she was convinced that Xiao Yanyi was clinging to her only to absorb her essence.

As for why she did not choose someone else, perhaps she found others’ appearances not to her liking or not as clean as her own. Otherwise, why would she have spent so much silver on the ship every day to make her bathe?

In the face of this teasing, she only shook her head with a bitter smile, unwilling to say more.

When others tried to ask further, she turned her back and let out a long sigh. Seeing her somber expression and then looking at the delicate face of Xiao Tan, which looked nothing like Chi Wei’s, the crowd fell silent. They assumed Xiao Yanyi was following Chi Wei with a child that was not Chi Wei’s own, completely misunderstanding the situation.

In just half a day, the Taoists’ perception of the “beautiful wife” had quietly shifted.

While stopping for a rest by a large river, Chi Wei was crouching by the bank filling her water skin. A Taoist who had been listening to the gossip all way approached her and whispered comfortingly, “My mother said long ago that women who are too beautiful cannot be trusted. Chi Wei, you have truly suffered.”

Xin Rong was standing nearby. Hearing this, she gave the man a light kick. “Watch your words! Do you not understand the principle of not speaking ill?”

After saying that, she quickly pulled the tactless young Taoist away.

Chi Wei did not understand the underlying meaning the Taoist intended, so she did not respond. She filled the water skin and was about to stand up when she caught a glimpse of a figure standing quietly behind her. It startled her so much her hand shook, nearly dropping the water skin.

Xiao Yanyi’s expression was somewhat strange, and her voice was low. “Is this how you speak of me to outsiders?”

“What do you mean?” Chi Wei did not understand and tried to step aside to leave.

“Do you know how important a woman’s reputation is?” Xiao Yanyi did not stop her, but her voice was not as calm as usual; there was a hint of suppressed sadness. “If these people today were not Taoists but neighbors, those rumors alone would be enough to drown me in spit.”

Chi Wei pursed her lips. She found it hard to believe that a demon capable of slaughtering an entire village would care about reputation or chastity. However, she truly did not understand what Xiao Yanyi was talking about.

“What does your reputation have to do with me?” Chi Wei stopped, turned around, and cleared her throat, fixing her gaze on her. “Nothing substantial has ever happened between us, right?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she tensed her own breath, her hand behind her back gripping the water skin tightly. Even though she said that, she had indeed shared a bed with Xiao Yanyi for several days. During that time, Xiao Yanyi had bitten and kissed her; ultimately, it was her own essence that had suffered.

Xiao Yanyi’s eyelashes fluttered, and she actually lowered her gaze slightly.

Chi Wei caught this fleeting moment of evasion, and the frustration in her heart suddenly surged, turning into an inexplicable confidence. She took two steps forward, staring straight into the other’s flickering eyes. “We only slept together for a few nights. Just act as if it never happened. I will not hold it against you, and you should stop chasing me.”

The feeling of being deceived was not pleasant; it felt like something was stuck in her chest, both bitter and stifling.

She did not want to stay any longer and turned to leave.

Amidst the sound of shoe soles crushing riverbed gravel, Xiao Yanyi’s low voice came from behind:

“Even so, can you just let those Taoists say that Xiao Tan is a daughter you had with someone else, and that I am chasing you relentlessly?”

Chi Wei’s footsteps faltered, but she did not look back and headed straight toward the crowd. Since Xiao Yanyi cared about this, she might as well offer no explanation. It would be best to make her angry enough to leave early.

For the rest of the journey, they encountered no more demons or ghosts.

Xiao Yanyi did not come to talk to Chi Wei again.

The two of them simply followed at a distance. As the sun began to sink in the west, the mountain chill grew heavier.

For some reason, the powerful Xiao Yanyi was walking with a slight limp.

Could she be injured?

Seeing that the path out of the mountains was still far off, the two figures behind grew smaller and smaller.

She clearly wanted to get rid of these two demons, yet Chi Wei’s heart felt an inexplicable tug, fearing they might encounter trouble in these deep mountains if they left the group.

It must be that their fragile appearances were too deceptive. It was truly frustrating.

She walked to Xin Rong’s side, just about to ask when they would reach the city, when she saw a ruined temple standing quietly at a bend in the mountain road ahead. She swallowed her words.

Xin Rong also saw the temple and called out to the group, “There is a temple ahead. Let us make do there for the night! We will certainly enter the city before noon tomorrow. It has been hard work, so please bear with it for one night, sisters.”

“These woods are a bit strange. Remember not to leave the temple at night. Even if you have to relieve yourself, it is best to go in pairs.”

Once inside the ruined temple, the Taoists took up their respective duties. Some gathered dry grass, while others built fires and cooked, busy but orderly. Chi Wei did not want to be lazy, so she rolled up her sleeves to help wash vegetables and add firewood.

By the time the wild greens and mushrooms gathered in the mountains were cleaned and stewed in the pot, she finally had a moment to stand up and look around.

Where were those two clingy demons?

She grabbed someone passing by. “Did you see the woman and the child who were following me?”

The person shook their head and walked away.

She asked several more people, and they all said, “It seems they never entered the temple from the start? In these deep mountains, should we go out and help you find them?”

Chi Wei shook her head and said, “No need,” while thinking to herself that it was better if they were gone.

But even when the rich aroma of porridge filled the air, the two still had not appeared.

She looked at the deepening night outside the temple door, and that indefinable agitation in her heart began to spread.