After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 28

“We’ve arrived. Please rest here for a while, honored guests. I must go assist with other matters, so I’ll take my leave now.” The fox-eared woman winked at Xu Jingqiu before scurrying away, narrowly avoiding Yin Ruolan’s simmering anger. The three were left to settle in the spacious room.

“Hah, I’ll go check on the others first. They probably haven’t had a moment to relax during this journey,” Yin Ruolan said.

Xu Jingqiu sat down while holding the little white tiger, nodding in response. “Alright, just let us know if you need anything. We’ll be right here.” She closed her eyes to meditate, preparing for the upcoming treatment.

Wen Banxia glanced at Xu Jingqiu, deliberately ignoring Yin Ruolan’s silent warning, and chose a spot not too far from Xu Jingqiu to sit, feeling slightly more at ease.

Seeing that Xu Jingqiu didn’t seem to notice, Yin Ruolan suppressed her frustration. After ensuring the other demons were safe, she returned and sat beside Xu Jingqiu, looking somewhat weary understandably so, given the numerous events that had unfolded over the past few days, all of which had taken a toll on her.

Bai Yi hadn’t left with Bai Xuan and remained comfortably nestled in Yin Ruolan’s arms, blissfully enjoying Xu Jingqiu’s gentle strokes, purring contentedly. However, when Yin Ruolan sat down, the little tiger bristled and bared its teeth at her. Under Yin Ruolan’s sharp glance, it quickly quieted down, not daring to make another sound.

Hearing the commotion, Xu Jingqiu opened her eyes and watched the standoff between the two with amusement, allowing Yin Ruolan to lean against her without protest. “Is everything alright over there? Are the others doing okay here?”

Yin Ruolan shifted closer to Xu Jingqiu, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “Yes, they’re all resting now. The journey through the outer and middle layers was quite draining.”

“Mm, indeed,” Xu Jingqiu replied, her tone as calm as ever. “You seem unhappy?”

Yin Ruolan stiffened briefly before quickly regaining her composure. “No, I’m just tired.”

Xu Jingqiu chuckled softly, not hesitating to call her out. “Is it because of that fox-eared woman? Don’t I know you well enough? So, are you unhappy?” she pressed again.

Yin Ruolan buried her face deeply into Xu Jingqiu’s shoulder, her voice muffled. “Yes, she keeps flirting with you. She’s too frivolous, and it bothers me. Besides, I’m right here.”

But the fox-eared woman acted as though she didn’t exist. What’s more, due to some collaborative requirements with the leader of the local beast tribe, Yin Ruolan couldn’t openly start a fight and could only passively endure it. She suspected the fox-eared woman had anticipated this from the start, which was why she had been provocatively flirting from the moment they met, completely ignoring both Yin Ruolan and Xu Jingqiu’s rejections.

There was no way it wasn’t intentional.

At this, Xu Jingqiu also felt a headache coming on. Although she had expected fox-eared people to be more open-minded, she hadn’t anticipated this level of boldness. She had already rejected the woman’s advances several times, both overtly and subtly, but it seemed the fox-eared woman was selectively deaf and exceptionally skilled at playing dumb. “Let’s try to avoid her from now on. We can leave whenever you want.”

“Or would you prefer to have a private talk with her?”

Unexpectedly, Yin Ruolan shook her head this time, showing no intention of doing so. “It’s best to avoid getting involved with her. That fox woman is no simple character. If I’m not mistaken, she has some connection to the threads of fate. From now on, keep your distance.”

If her intuition was correct, that fox woman likely possessed the ability to see through fate. She dared to say that the fox woman had deliberately clung to Xu Jingqiu because she had noticed something. However, Yin Ruolan couldn’t see through this fox, and rashly making a move against her would not only damage the relationship between their races and create more enemies but also bring unpredictable consequences.

Getting entangled with fate never leads to a good outcome.

She suddenly felt a pang of regret for coming here. That fox spirit would undoubtedly become a nuisance in the future. No, she was already a nuisance. Whether out of mischief or genuine affection, the fox spirit always seemed to hover around Xu Jingqiu. If Yin Ruolan hadn’t been there to protect her, who knows what the fox might have done?

But was it possible that the fox had truly foreseen something? Yin Ruolan couldn’t help but ponder this, even though Xu Jingqiu had temporarily escaped the influence of fate. But what about the future?

No one could say.

“Alright,” Xu Jingqiu nodded, assuring her. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my distance from now on. And I definitely won’t agree to anything she says. What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”

Yin Ruolan snapped out of her thoughts, still feeling listless. “I was wondering if she saw something, like you.”

“No. For me, falling in love once in a lifetime is enough,” Xu Jingqiu said. After speaking, she paused for a moment, feeling inexplicably confused, but quickly regained her composure and stroked the little white tiger in her arms again.

Yin Ruolan nodded, reassured. She glanced at Wen Banxia, who had been sitting quietly beside them and had suddenly drifted into a daze. Her eyes darkened slightly, but she said nothing. The three of them sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

It was Xu Jingqiu who broke the strange silence first. After resting for a while and estimating that the time was almost up, she asked, “Why did you agree to Bai Xuan’s proposal for cooperation? You must know, even if you didn’t agree, they would still proceed with the treatment. After all, my amnesia doesn’t benefit them in any way.”

Yin Ruolan didn’t answer immediately but instead countered, “Why are you so curious about this?”

“Maybe it’s just a feeling that things aren’t as simple as they seem. And didn’t Sister, Wen Banxia mention it? The demon realm isn’t doing too well right now. Taking in the fox tribe at such a time must be putting pressure on the demon realm, right?”

Hearing the change in how Xu Jingqiu referred to Wen Banxia, Yin Ruolan couldn’t help but smile faintly at the latter’s disgruntled expression. She didn’t deny it. “There is some pressure. The demon realm is barely maintaining balance as it is. Cooperating with the fox tribe does add to the burden, but there are benefits as well.” To be precise, the pressure on her had increased significantly. The demon realm currently relied on her to maintain a fragile balance with Penglai.

At this moment, Wen Banxia, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke up: “I thought you didn’t know humans and demons have always been in opposition. Humans refuse to acknowledge the existence of demons, viewing them as mere subordinates, while demons are unwilling to submit. I believe you understand what it would mean for Penglai to find out about this, right?”

Yin Ruolan raised an eyebrow and suddenly chuckled. “Of course, but you know even better that even if we had no connection with the demons, Penglai would never let the demon race off the hook.” The same goes for you.”

“Because we’ve both disrupted the arrangements of fate, right?” Wen Banxia also gave a faint smile, but it quickly faded, returning to her previous state as if lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Xu Jingqiu observed the two of them thoughtfully, seemingly unfazed as she continued to pet the cat, though in reality, she was pondering their brief exchange.

They had both disrupted the arrangements of fate? Did “both” refer only to these two, or did it include Chen Yulan?

After Wen Banxia fell silent again, Yin Ruolan continued, “Demons excel at cultivating spiritual herbs, even celestial ones. From what I understand, your memory loss stems more from a soul injury, correct? So even if this treatment works, it won’t last long.”

“In such a situation, establishing a cooperative relationship is more beneficial for both me and them. I provide them with assistance, and they help cultivate the spiritual and celestial herbs we need.”

“Most importantly, the demons of the past were not weak. However, the demon race is divided into many clans, each with its own leader, unwilling to submit to one another. With their strength scattered, they naturally become vulnerable though the current demon race is truly ineffective even when united. Still, they are a force to be reckoned with.”

Yin Ruolan looked at Wen Banxia with a faint, ambiguous smile. “The Young Sect Leader should know this well, right? A single spark can start a prairie fire. This is what Tianzhi is doing now these seemingly weak minor sects may appear insignificant, but in sufficient numbers, they can shake Penglai.”

“Indeed, the Demon Lord has many considerations. I am impressed,” Wen Banxia replied with a feigned smile. In truth, after all that had been said, it all came down to Xu Jingqiu.

Yin Ruolan didn’t really need to worry about Penglai now, she could live quite comfortably on her own. Neither Penglai nor the Heavenly Dao dared to openly oppose her, only restraining her in secret. So why was she doing all this?

Because Penglai wanted Xu Jingqiu dead, so she wanted Penglai destroyed. She couldn’t do it alone, so even if it cost her greatly, she would still seek an alliance with the demons.

Because Xu Jingqiu needed the power of the demons.

Could she accomplish so much? Wen Banxia asked herself and realized she couldn’t. She had truly lost in many ways.

And hadn’t she said it before? Falling in love once in a lifetime was enough. She had already lost her chance the moment she became an “older sister.” Perhaps it was better for both of them if she remained an “older sister” in the shadows.

Not interfering with each other, living their own lives, and then, in some unnoticed corner, quietly grieving and shedding tears, swallowing the bitter fruits they had sown.

Seeing Wen Banxia suddenly grow despondent again, Xu Jingqiu couldn’t help but wonder what had caused her sadness: “You!”

Before she could even utter a word, the fox-person from earlier reappeared. Under Yin Ruolan’s dark, furious glare, the fox-person gave a charming smile.

“Divine One, the healing ritual is ready. I hope you have rested well.”

Xu Jingqiu glanced at Yin Ruolan, signaling her to calm down, then turned to Wen Banxia. Wen Banxia forced a smile and said softly, “I’m fine. Go ahead.”

“Alright.” Xu Jingqiu stood up, gently placing the little white tiger on the ground. The small tiger trotted closely by her feet, its short legs struggling to keep up. Only after Xu Jingqiu was out of sight did Yin Ruolan turn her attention to Wen Banxia.

“What are you moping about?” Yin Ruolan asked bluntly.

Wen Banxia: “Couldn’t you use a nicer word?”

“Alright then, what are you thinking about while staring at my esteemed consort?”

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