After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Entry into the Path

“I… I wasn’t trying to set you up. Is there some misunderstanding?” Yu Yingxia held the bowl of sweet soup, looking utterly confused. She reviewed everything she had said and done; it all seemed perfectly normal.

However, Jiang Li’s current state reminded Yingxia of a video she had seen in her previous life: a group of marmots screaming and huddling in a corner because a human got too close. Jiang Li bore a mysterious resemblance to those marmots right now.

Yingxia wanted to laugh, but she knew it would hurt the doctor’s pride. This woman had saved her life, after all. She had to endure!

“Misunderstanding?” Jiang Li hissed, hiding her hands in her sleeves to ensure Yingxia couldn’t shove the bowl into them. “If I did what you suggested, I’d probably be sent to spend next year digging in the spirit-stone mines!”

“The mines? Why?”

Jiang Li scrutinized Yingxia. Seeing only pure confusion rather than mockery, she realized this girl truly didn’t understand how terrifying the Master could be. Wait, she thought, wasn’t Yu Yingxia the one who handled the Master’s ‘dirty work’ back at the Longevity Sect? Can someone who does those things really have eyes this pure? Or is she just a master of disguise?

Jiang Li grew wary. She had read many novels where the “Evil Minister” sets traps for the “Loyal Official,” leading to the downfall of the kingdom. Was Guardian Yu setting a trap for her?

“The Master has a foul temper and won’t listen to me,” Jiang Li said, watching Yingxia closely. “But she trusts you. Why don’t you go? If you fail, I’ll think of something else.”

If she’s trying to set me up, she knows the consequences and won’t go herself, Jiang Li reasoned. If she actually goes, she’s either braver or more naive than I thought.

“Actually, the Master probably trusts you more,” Yingxia murmured, her eyes dimming with a touch of bitterness that made her look quite pitiful.

Jiang Li wasn’t hard-hearted. Seeing this, she wavered. Maybe I should just coat the pills in more sugar? Before she could speak, Yingxia nodded.

“I’ll go. I’ve gained some experience in coaxing her to take medicine lately.” Yingxia carried the soup toward Yan Huaixi’s room.

Wait, she’s actually going! Jiang Li followed her, and when she saw Yingxia reach for the door without hesitation, she grabbed her sleeve. “Miss Yu, don’t be impulsive. Let me think of another way.”

“It’s fine. The Master is actually quite easy to talk to; she won’t do anything to me,” Yingxia comforted her.

No… your understanding of the Master is fundamentally flawed! Jiang Li wanted to pull her back, but the door suddenly swung open. No one was there—it had been opened by spiritual power. The Master had found them.

It was too late. Jiang Li let go of the sleeve. “Where’s the medicine?” Yingxia asked.

Jiang Li handed over a jade bottle. “Two pills a day.”

“Understood.” Yingxia took the bottle and walked inside. Jiang Li stayed at the door, peeking in, heart in her throat.

Inside, Yan Huaixi was meticulously carving a piece of Red Crystal Jade. Dust and fragments littered the table.

“Didn’t I tell you to rest? Why are you in the kitchen again?” Yan had smelled the familiar peach blossom fragrance and the sweetness in the air. She had been so preoccupied with Yingxia’s recovery that she had forgotten her daily habit of sweet soup.

“Because I heard from Dr. Jiang that you haven’t taken your medicine in days,” Yingxia said, setting the bowl down.

Yan’s hand paused. “Her medicine tastes terrible,” she complained softly.

Outside, Jiang Li felt a massive ‘black pot’ of blame drop onto her shoulders!

Yingxia looked exasperated. “How bad can a pill be? It’s better than liquid medicine.” Knowing Yan’s trauma regarding medicine, Yingxia kept her voice gentle. “Dr. Jiang brought these to help you recover faster. Our enemies are closing in; the sooner you regain your strength, the safer you’ll be.”

Yan’s expression softened. Honestly, the moment Yingxia walked in, she had intended to give in.

“Besides, if you don’t take your medicine, there will be no more sweet soup.”

Yan huffed. In this world, only Yu Yingxia dared to threaten her like this. “My hands are dirty,” Yan said, looking at the jade dust on her fingers.

Without needing another word, Yingxia took a pill and held it to Yan’s lips. “It’s alright. My hands are clean. I’ll feed you.”

Yan slightly parted her lips and took the pill. It melted instantly, filling her mouth with a bitter, medicinal tang. She winced, but Yingxia immediately brought a spoonful of sweet soup to her lips. Yan took a sip, and the bitterness was suppressed.

She used to gag at the taste of medicine. Somehow, it had become bearable.

“Master, Dr. Jiang mentioned that while I was asleep, someone ‘forced’ you to taste medicine… is that true?” Yingxia asked. Given the difficulty she had feeding Yan and Jiang Li’s fear, she couldn’t imagine anyone bold enough to force the “Living Yama” to do anything.

“Forced me?” Yan froze. She looked at Yingxia, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the girl’s lips. She realized exactly what Jiang Li had been referring to. She suddenly choked on the sweet soup, coughing until her face turned red which conveniently hid the sudden heat in her cheeks.

“Don’t listen to her nonsense! Who could force me?”

“I thought so too,” Yingxia agreed.

At the door, Jiang Li was stunned. It was that easy? If it’s this simple, what have I been suffering for all these years?!

She watched as Yingxia spoke to the Master like one would coax a child a perfect blend of logical reasoning and light-hearted threats. Jiang Li knew that if anyone else tried this, the Master would likely be insulted or enraged. Only Yu Yingxia could say these things.

What do the novels call a person like her? Oh, right a ‘femme fatale.’ But that didn’t feel right. Yingxia was acting entirely in the Master’s best interest. A ‘Goddess of Mercy,’ perhaps? Jiang Li almost laughed at her own thought.

She became curious. What was Yingxia’s status in the Master’s heart? Trustworthy subordinate? They were all that. But no one else got this kind of treatment. And that “medicine tasting”… no matter how unguarded the Master was, no one could bite her lips like that unless she allowed it.

Jiang Li went silent. She remembered a “special” novel she had read one about a Saintess and her Female Master that made her face turn red for days. She shook her head. No way… they couldn’t be like that, right?

She decided to go mix a potion to clear “distracting thoughts” for herself.

Inside, the atmosphere was harmonious. As Jiang Li prepared to slip away, she heard Yan Huaixi say: “Go to my bed.”

Jiang Li nearly tripped over the threshold.

Yan Huaixi glanced toward the door, a smirk playing on her lips. Yingxia nearly dropped the bowl.

“You wanted to cultivate, didn’t you?” Yan continued smoothly. “Do it here. I’ll protect your law. It will prevent any accidents during your first time practicing the Soul Path.”

Yingxia felt like she had been tricked. Yan Huaixi loved to tease her when she was in a good mood, and Yingxia still wasn’t used to it.

“Is Guardian Yu disappointed?” Yan narrowed her fox-like eyes, twining a lock of Yingxia’s hair around her finger.

“No, Master. I am beyond grateful.” Yingxia lowered her head.

Yan chuckled and let her “toy” go, motioning for Yingxia to sit on the bed.

“The Soul Path is the hardest of the ten thousand paths to comprehend,” Yan explained, suddenly serious. “The soul is a cultivator’s most fragile point. One can discard the body, but never the spirit. To master the Soul Path is to be feared by all.”

She warned Yingxia of the risks: mistakes in other paths lead to ‘Qi Deviation,’ but mistakes in the Soul Path lead to the soul shattering into a thousand pieces, or even complete annihilation. “Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes. I’ve decided,” Yingxia replied.

“Then begin. I am right here beside you. You may enter a strange space called your ‘Soul Realm.’ It is the reflection of your heart. Do not stay too long the first time. Control your intent to leave quickly, understood?”

Yan’s gentle voice provided an immense sense of security. It also made Jiang Li, who was just passing by the door again, get goosebumps. The relationship between them is definitely… interesting!

Bang! With a flick of Yan’s finger, the door shut, cutting off the outside world.

With Yan’s protection, Yingxia entered a meditative state. She accessed the memories left by Yan Qingxu. The technique was profound, but thanks to the Ancestor’s clear “teacher-style” explanations, Yingxia grasped the trick quickly.

Weak soul-power began to swirl around her. Yan Huaixi sat up straight, shocked. She actually succeeded! Countless geniuses in the Yan family had tried to decode this “Immortal Path” manual and failed. Even she had failed.

Why had the Ancestor chosen an outsider? Was there something special about Yingxia? Yan couldn’t guess the Immortal’s thoughts, but she realized one thing: Yingxia was deeply fated with the Yan family.

This thought made her lips curl upward. Ancestor… if this person was a threat to your descendants, you wouldn’t have chosen her, right?

Yingxia dove into the depths of her soul and saw her Soul Realm for the first time. It was a vast, sunless grassland filled with bright, clear light a sign of an open and honest heart.

“Amazing,” she whispered. She poked a blade of grass, and as she thought about it, a flower bud bloomed before her eyes, opening into a pinkish-white flower.

She lost track of time, fascinated by the magic. When she finally remembered Yan’s warning, a wave of exhaustion hit her. She lacked the strength to pull herself out.

But Yan was there. Sensing something was wrong, Yan’s power reached into the Soul Realm and “fished” her out.

Yingxia opened her eyes to see Yan looking slightly red-faced with anger. “I’m sorry, Master! I got distracted by the Soul Realm and lost track of time.”

“If I had done that as a child, my palms would have been beaten raw,” Yan said, knocking on Yingxia’s forehead. “Your soul is still fragile. Overstaying puts a massive burden on it. You could have collapsed!”

“I know I was wrong,” Yingxia pleaded softly, clutching her sleeve. Yan’s anger evaporated instantly.

“Just remember: you must set up defenses in your Soul Realm. Don’t let outsiders in.” Yan had been surprised to find no resistance when she entered. Usually, a Soul Realm has natural barriers.

“I understand. But I knew it was your power, so I didn’t resist,” Yingxia said, her eyes clear and devoid of any hidden meaning.

But Yan knew better. She couldn’t help but overthink it—usually, only Dao Companions in “Dual Cultivation” allowed each other into their Soul Realms so freely.

“Ahem… you must have that awareness. It’s fine for me, but don’t you dare let anyone else in, no matter how much you trust them. Understood?”

Yingxia promised she would be careful.

“Now that you’ve entered the path, you need a secondary method of attack. I use music. You can pick what interests you, or… you could learn from me?” Yan looked quite interested in that last suggestion.

Yingxia immediately waved her hands in panic. “Master, I am terrible at music. I once tried the Erhu, and people said I could pull the dead back to life. I can’t hit a single note. I’m afraid I’d irritate you so much your old wounds would reopen. Let’s forget that!”

Yan was a teacher most would kill for, but Yingxia couldn’t subject her ears to her music. She remembered her music teacher in her past life nearly crying; she had to save Yan from that fate.

“…Fine, then,” Yan said. Yingxia looked so serious that Yan didn’t doubt her. She decided to spare her own ears.

“The common choices are weapons, or special paths like the ‘Literary Saint’ who used calligraphy to interfere with fate. But you…”

Yan leaned into Yingxia’s ear, her voice dropping to a suggestive, intimate whisper. “You can use your paintings. Though, you’ll have to draw some… proper things to use as weapons.”

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