After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Secret Joy

Jiang Li was originally waiting for a signal from Yan Huaixi, but her Master wasn’t playing by the rules. Yan’s eyes were fixed entirely on Yu Yingxia, not sparing a single glance for her physician!

Should I just wait for them to finish their “argument” before coming back in? Jiang Li wondered.

The atmosphere grew increasingly bizarre. Jiang Li felt like her heart was malfunctioning. They say when gods fight, the mortals suffer but since when did Yu Yingxia, whose status was once lower than her own, have the nerve to talk back to the Master?

“Dr. Jiang,” Yingxia said. This time, her voice carried a different kind of weight. Usually, she was a pushover, but once she truly grew serious, the pressure around her was quite intimidating.

“Right,” Jiang Li replied instinctively. She regretted it immediately; if the Master was truly displeased, she could swat her out the door with one palm.

She waited, but the Master said nothing. She seemed to have… yielded.

Jiang Li hid her shock and kept her mouth shut. She retreated as silently as possible, terrified that once the Master snapped out of it, she would silence the witness.

Yu Yingxia didn’t know exactly what had happened to her, but she remembered the sensation of dying several times in her sleep. Someone had constantly forced a metallic-tasting liquid down her throat, and that power had kept her alive.

The “text” provided by the system had described the unique properties of Yan Huaixi’s blood, which represented a painful past Yan never wanted to revisit. Yingxia’s feelings were complicated. Yan Huaixi was a volatile villain who had tried to kill her, yet in her darkest hour, she was also her savior.

It was a life-saving debt she didn’t know how to repay. But now, Yan Huaixi was throwing a tantrum, pushing away all her goodwill.

“Master,” Yingxia sighed softly. “Even if I’ve displeased you, you shouldn’t neglect your own health out of spite.”

“Spite? Who is acting out of spite?” Yan Huaixi replied coldly. She would never admit that she was only sulking because she couldn’t bring herself to beat the culprit.

Even now, Yingxia looked fragile. The illness had left her visibly thinner; her wrists looked like they might snap if touched. This “breakable” appearance made it impossible for Yan to actually settle the score.

“If you aren’t being spiteful, then listen to me,” Yingxia said gently. “Apply some medicine. It will help you heal faster and dull the pain. You are flesh and blood, after all, not a block of wood.”

“Hmph.” Yan Huaixi let out a cold chuckle. So, according to Yingxia, if she didn’t apply the medicine, she was being petty?

As Yan turned a sharp gaze toward her, Yingxia met her eyes with a warm, gentle smile. Her peach-blossom eyes were like a shimmering lake, softly enveloping all of Yan’s sharp thorns. Yan dazed for a moment. Her plan to be difficult vanished, and the irritability in her heart was suddenly smoothed over.

Knock, knock. Jiang Li entered after Yingxia gave the word. She placed the best topical ointment she had on the nightstand. She didn’t have the courage to apply it to the Master herself.

Yingxia wasn’t shy. She opened the small porcelain box to reveal a transparent gold paste that smelled like flowers. Knowing Yan’s trauma, Jiang Li had removed all “medicinal” scents, turning it into something more like a perfume.

Before Jiang Li could slip away, she saw Yingxia without even asking for permission take some ointment and smear it on the Master’s wrist. Jiang Li broke into a cold sweat; for the Master, this was a huge taboo.

But shockingly, Yan Huaixi said nothing. She didn’t pull away or throw her out. From behind, Jiang Li thought her Master looked… strangely well-behaved.

I need to check my eyes, Jiang Li thought. Maybe I need medicine too.

A peaceful silence filled the room as Yingxia applied the ointment. But as soon as Yan realized she had been charmed into compliance by a mere smile, her face darkened again. The “Great Cat” bristled once more.

How can I be so pathetic? No… Yingxia must have used some trick!

Yan yanked her hand back. Seeing Yingxia’s satisfied expression, she snapped, “Happy now?”

Yingxia nodded with a relieved smile. Yan felt like at any moment, the girl would pat her head and say “Good girl,” the way people do with children.

Yan decided she had been too easy to deal with lately. She needed to remind Yingxia of their ranks—but first, she had to ensure the girl wouldn’t collapse again. “You, come check if her poison is fully cleared,” she barked at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li, who was halfway out the door, scurried back to perform a full check-up.

“Poison?” Yingxia repeated, confused.

“Yes,” Jiang Li explained. “You were scratched by a corpse-wight. The Tianqiu Sect’s doctors were hacks; they didn’t clear the root, and it seeped into your organs. You almost died. If it weren’t for the Master’s blood, you’d be a goner.” Jiang Li emphasized Yan’s effort, warning Yingxia to be grateful.

Yingxia looked at Yan sincerely. “Thank you, Master, for saving my life.”

“Heh.” Yan’s laugh was cold. She turned her back. “I only hope I haven’t saved an ungrateful wolf.”

Yingxia looked bewildered. She mouthed to Jiang Li: What’s wrong with her? Who upset her?

Jiang Li thought for a second and mouthed back: You.

Yingxia pointed at herself. Me? But I just woke up! How did I offend this living ancestor?

Jiang Li shook her head. She used to understand 30% of the Master’s thoughts, but since coming to this courtyard, she understood 0%. She mouthed one last thing: Good luck.

After reporting that the poison was gone, Jiang Li fled the scene.

Once alone, the silence returned. Yingxia decided to test the waters. She needed to know how much Yan knew about the traitor of the Yan clan.

“Master, I vaguely remember meeting you before I collapsed. Do you know about the ambush at the auction?” Yingxia touched her neck; it still felt sore. She remembered Yan kneeling before her, but her memory of that moment was blurry.

“I know,” Yan Huaixi said, staring at the distant mountains. “They failed. Yin Duo must be furious.”

“That’s good,” Yingxia sighed. “I saw the last item the Myriad Soul Bone of the Yan clan. But it was ‘dirty.’ Something from it latched onto me. I realized I’d met it before… in the ruins of the Yan ancestral home. It sealed my memories and tried to beguile me into attacking you. I barely escaped it, only to run into those living dead…”

Yingxia sounded so pitiful she almost felt sorry for herself. Is there a way to wash away bad luck in this world? I need it.

Yan Huaixi didn’t respond for a long time. When Yingxia looked up, she saw Yan staring blankly into space. Yingxia had no idea the waves her words had created.

“Master?”

Yan finally snapped out of it. Her voice was husky. She met Yingxia’s clear, confused gaze—a gaze so transparent it seemed to reflect Yan’s own suspicious soul. Her lips trembled.

Usually, Yan would immediately suspect this was a lie crafted to wash away guilt. But the first emotion that rose in her heart wasn’t suspicion it was joy.

If it were true, she had misunderstood everything. The “betrayal” wasn’t real!

Pathic! Yan scolded herself. Who knows if she’s just a master liar? But… what if? If she had almost killed Yingxia over a misunderstanding…

Yan felt she couldn’t bear to look Yingxia in the eye. She needed to investigate the truth immediately! “I… I see,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “I’ll have it investigated.”

If she were wrong, she would compensate Yingxia with anything she asked for… except the things from those “paintings.”

“By the way,” Yingxia added, “that ghost-monster seemed to be named Yan Zheng.”

“Yan Zheng?!” Yan Huaixi felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. That name was a ghost story for the Yan family. It was a name buried in history. “Are you sure? You didn’t mishear?”

“I’m sure,” Yingxia said.

Yan’s heart sank. The traitor who specialized in countering the Yan family’s powers… that explained why her techniques on Yingxia kept failing.

“Your hand!” Yingxia noticed blood seeping from Yan’s clenched fist. She pulled Yan’s hand over and pried open the fingers to find self-inflicted wounds in her palm. “Don’t you feel pain? Why did you squeeze so hard?”

Yingxia reapplied the ointment. “Master, don’t worry. If Yan Zheng is using such underhanded tricks, he isn’t as strong as the legends say. Your ancestor almost destroyed him. As long as you recover quickly, there’s no need to fear him.”

Yan’s heart softened. As a child, elders used to scare her with stories of Yan Zheng taking away naughty kids. Hearing the name had rattled her, yet here was Yingxia comforting her. She let out the first sincere smile in days.

“His power is tricky, but he is like a venomous snake; we must catch him before he bites,” Yan said. She felt an itch in her palm from Yingxia’s gentle touch—a sensation that seemed to travel straight to her heart. She bit her lip to hide the feeling.

“You’re right,” Yingxia said, focused on the wound. “He appeared in the Tianqiu Sect’s auction. He and Yin Duo might be allied… but he’s selfish. He probably hasn’t told Yin Duo your location yet.”

“My ‘corpse’ is valuable. He’ll want to keep me for himself,” Yan sneered. Then she yelped. “Ouch!”

Yingxia had pinched her. “Stop talking about ‘corpses’ and ‘dying.’ It’s bad luck!”

Yan glared at her with her fox-like eyes, but it held no real threat. She was worried about someone else now: Fang Yuetong. If Yan Zheng was hunting Yan bloodlines, the “idiot child” at Yin Duo’s side was his next target. Fang Yuetong was strong, but she was too honest to deal with two old monsters.

“Tsk… troublesome,” Yan muttered.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing. Just a certain someone being so stupid it gives me a headache.”

“Can I help?”

Yan looked at “porcelain doll” Yingxia. “You? Just focus on recovering. You have no cultivation left. If you get caught, I’ll have to bleed for you again. Don’t go outside.” Yan reached out and ruffled Yingxia’s messy hair.

Yingxia didn’t resist. She realized she needed to practice Yan Qingxu’s technique quickly so she wouldn’t be a burden.

She noticed Yan’s mood had improved. It was just like her friend’s black cat—unhappy for no reason, then suddenly fine and wanting to play. Unfortunately, Yan wasn’t a real cat, so Yingxia couldn’t just trap her and “cuddle” her.

“By the way, Jiang Li brought the manuals. Ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand,” Yan said, handing over a book.

“No need, Master. I think I can practice this one,” Yingxia said, producing the two volumes she already had.

“Are you sure?” Yan frowned. Even she couldn’t understand that specific manual.

“Yes. Senior Yan Qingxu told me I could,” Yingxia said, flipping a page. To her surprise, a deep understanding of the text flooded her mind. Yan Qingxu had helped her one last time!

Yingxia’s eyes lit up, but a warm hand suddenly pressed against her forehead. She looked up and saw Yan Huaixi looking at her with genuine concern.

Not hot. The fever hasn’t returned… so why is she talking nonsense? Yan wondered. Which name did she just say? Yan Qingxu?

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