After Marrying the Disabled Demon Lord as a Substitute, I Ran Away with His Child - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Xuan Mo did not want to see Fu Gui, but Fu Gui could not give up her attempts to get close to Xuan Mo and Zuo Siqiu.

Three days later, after failing once again to see Xuan Mo, she appeared on the road Zuo Siqiu took to the “Black Shop” at the foot of the mountain to buy materials. Her desire to see Xuan Mo was actually a smokescreen, because the person she truly needed to see was Zuo Siqiu.

Fu Gui stood by the roadside, her bloodless face—tinged with a faint purplish-blue—cold as ice. She was extremely annoyed.

In the world of cultivation, it was common for people to go into seclusion for years or even centuries, but when they weren’t in seclusion, they usually moved about within their sects. Yet, in all her time at the Xuanyun Sect, Zuo Siqiu had never been seen walking around. She spent all day in the Leader’s cave dwelling, either staying inside or sitting at the entrance watching that large rooster wander about.

Fu Gui didn’t know that Zuo Siqiu was a transmigrator—and a famous “homebody” in her circle of friends before she crossed over. As long as a shut-in has something to pass the time, why would they ever want to go out shopping? Furthermore, Zuo Siqiu was now a person with a pet to raise.

However, Zuo Siqiu would occasionally go to the Black Shop to restock materials. This time, Yan Jiaojiao was busy, so she went out alone with the chicken. She was in a cheerful mood, holding the leash extending from the rooster’s neck ruff, playing with the “husband” name pun all along the way.

“Husband, stop browsing, let’s go home quickly.” “Husband, did you see another little bug? Come on, I’ll take you to catch it!” “Husband, look at that flower over there, it’s so pretty. Let me pick it and tuck it behind your ear.”

Zuo Siqiu giggled to herself as she played. Thinking about how the rooster’s name had spread throughout the Xuanyun Sect, she wondered if the spirit pet would one day develop true sapience and try to usurp Xuan Mo’s position to reclaim its own name.

Fu Gui, who had been hiding nearby, was supposed to step forward, but her feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground. Before her own tragedies occurred, she too had lived such a carefree and free-spirited life. But now, she had to become the one to harm Zuo Siqiu. She took a deep breath, calming her emotions and letting her heart turn cold. Then, she took the step from which there was no turning back.

“I didn’t expect the Sect Leader’s wife to have such… rustic interests.”

Zuo Siqiu gasped and nearly died of fright when she heard the voice and turned around! The person behind her had the skin of a corpse and wore white robes—she looked exactly like a female ghost crawling out of a coffin!

The thought that “ghosts fear rooster blood” flashed through Zuo Siqiu’s mind. She immediately snatched up the large rooster and held it out in front of her.

The rooster, which had been searching for bugs in the grass, let out a confused “Cluck, cluck, cluck?”

Fu Gui forced her lips into a friendly smile. “Madam, do not fear me. I am Fu Gui. You must have heard Yan Jiaojiao mention me quite often.”

Zuo Siqiu peered from behind the rooster at the ghost-like woman. “Yan Jiaojiao has indeed been mentioning you lately, saying you’re in love with the Lord.”

So this was Fu Gui—the villainous accomplice of the Bixia Sect Master. Knowing who she was made Zuo Siqiu slightly less afraid. She pulled the rooster into her arms and looked at Fu Gui. “If you like the Lord, go ahead and pursue him. As long as you can manage it, I don’t mind.”

Behind a tree some distance away, Yan Jiaojiao was holding Xuan Mo’s wheelchair, whispering an explanation into his ear. “Lord, this is because the Madam trusts you implicitly! She knows you won’t be moved by Fu Gui’s pursuit, which is why she is so fearless.”

Xuan Mo simply told Yan Jiaojiao to shut up!

Back on the path, Zuo Siqiu’s words left Fu Gui speechless. Zuo Siqiu added, “If you don’t want to smile, then don’t. That fake smile is tiring for you and it doesn’t look good.”

Fu Gui dropped the smile instantly. “The Madam seems to have a grievance against me.”

How could she not? Zuo Siqiu knew where Fu Gui came from and that she intended to bind the female lead and the Demon Sovereign together so that some… unspeakable things could happen. Before doing that, Fu Gui would surely have to get rid of her first.

Seemingly trying to mend the misunderstanding, Fu Gui produced a small pouch. “This is a gift for the Madam. I only came today to tell you that you needn’t be hostile. I have no intention of harming you, and I no longer harbor those old feelings for the Lord.”

Zuo Siqiu took the small pouch. She wanted to see exactly what this person was trying to give her. After thanking her, Zuo Siqiu headed back toward the mountain gate. Fu Gui did not follow; she had apparently completed her task.

From afar, Yan Jiaojiao remarked to Xuan Mo, “It seems the Madam not only adores you but trusts you completely! She isn’t even afraid of a love rival.”

Xuan Mo sneered. “Did you push me out today just to watch this?” Yan Jiaojiao could only submissively push him back to the sect.

…

Returning to Xuan Mo’s dwelling, Zuo Siqiu went straight to the seclusion area. She needed to refine pills, but first, she wanted to see Fu Gui’s “gift.”

She sat on the floor and poured several pills from the pouch into her palm. They were perfectly refined Foundation Building Pills and Golden Core Pills—extremely precious for Zuo Siqiu, who was currently at the mid-stage of Foundation Building. The former would stabilize her current level, while the latter would increase her chances of a successful breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.

However, Zuo Siqiu felt something was wrong with the Foundation Building Pill. She picked one up and squinted to examine it closely.

A ripple of spiritual energy came from behind her, followed by Xuan Mo’s voice. “Are you afraid Fu Gui poisoned the pills?”

Zuo Siqiu turned in surprise. “How did you get in here?”

Xuan Mo: “This is my seclusion area.”

Zuo Siqiu: “…” Right.

Unsure of Xuan Mo’s stance on Fu Gui, she curled her fingers over the pill. “Does the Lord think she wouldn’t do such a thing?”

Xuan Mo: “Do I look like someone who can’t distinguish right from wrong in your eyes?”

Zuo Siqiu: “So you’ve also noticed something strange about her?”

Xuan Mo replied, “She disappeared for years without a word and suddenly returns to the sect with a completely changed personality, repeatedly trying to get close to you. Is that not enough to make me suspicious?”

Zuo Siqiu’s mind raced. She finally decided to reveal some of the novel’s content to Xuan Mo, framing it as the original owner’s experience. “When I was refining pills at the Bixia Sect, I saw her appear near my Master.”

“Lord, you know my Master has always wanted to marry his daughter to you. Do you think Fu Gui’s return has something to do with the fact that you didn’t marry my Third Senior Sister?”

Xuan Mo didn’t seem surprised at all. Instead, he looked at her hand. “And what did you find in those pills?”

Zuo Siqiu opened her palm. A spirit pill lay against her porcelain-white skin. “I just feel these Foundation Building Pills are odd, though I haven’t figured out how they differ from normal ones yet.”

Xuan Mo said, “Since you feel something is off, do not take them.” He suddenly tossed a small vial to her. Zuo Siqiu caught it and opened it to find thirty peak-grade Foundation Building Pills!

“Lord, you are so generous!”

Even if Xuan Mo hadn’t given her any, she wouldn’t have touched Fu Gui’s gift. She looked at the suspicious pill and shared her theory. “Maybe my Master wants Fu Gui to kill me with these. Then the Lord becomes a widower, and he can offer a ‘replacement’ to comfort your grieving heart.”

Xuan Mo: “Grieving heart? ‘Beloved wife’?”

Zuo Siqiu: “…At least in front of outsiders, we are a very loving couple!” She had put so much effort into his image, helping him establish a “mighty man” persona while their reputation as a devoted couple spread throughout the cultivation world.

Xuan Mo thought for a moment and nodded.

Zuo Siqiu continued, “So these pills should be toxic, it’s just that my current cultivation isn’t high enough to detect it.”

Xuan Mo instantly vaporized the pill in her hand, leaving not even ash behind. “Fu Gui harbors ill intent. I will send someone to deal with her immediately.”

“Wait, Lord, don’t!” Zuo Siqiu argued. “Since my Master wants me dead, we shouldn’t just cut the thread he’s let out. We should follow it to catch him red-handed. That’s the only way to solve the problem for good.”

If she could take down the Bixia Sect Master, the final boss of the novel would be dealt with, and she wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore.

Xuan Mo looked at her, his eyes dark and unfathomable. “He is your Master. Are you not afraid of him?”

Zuo Siqiu said, “Of course I’m afraid. But I’m more afraid of dying. No matter how I feel about him, he wants me dead. So why shouldn’t I fight back? There might be a chance for survival.”

She handed the remaining pills to Xuan Mo to destroy. Then she swallowed one of the pills he had given her. Feeling the medicinal power surge within her, she said, “Lord, I’m going into seclusion to refine pills.”

She then added tentatively, “I bought some You Mountain Spirit Fruits this time; they smell incredibly sweet. If I refine pills with that flavor for you, can it count for more toward my debt?”

Xuan Mo responded with a cold, rejecting sneer.

Zuo Siqiu gave him a secret glare. “I’m starting my seclusion now. Please leave, Lord.”

Xuan Mo said, “I will act as your protector.”

Zuo Siqiu: “!!!” “Does a protector charge money or put it on the tab?”

Xuan Mo: “…No.”

Zuo Siqiu: “Then thank you, Lord!”