After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Bait

Jiang Li watched Yan Huaixi depart, her shock far outweighing the sadness of losing her novel. She stood frozen in place for a long time.

As the night grew silent, within the range of Yan Huaixi’s barrier, she could feel two distinct powers blending in the nearby room.

In the cultivation world, there are usually two possibilities for this: one is guided meditation, and the other is… dual cultivation! The energy coming from the room felt far too “sticky” and intimate to be a simple guidance of spiritual energy. It was a lingering, intertwining dance of soul power!

Jiang Li didn’t know that Yingxia had switched to the Soul Path. She assumed that unless both parties were soul cultivators, no one’s energy would behave this intimately during practice. This fusion of power… it was clearly Soul Dual Cultivation!

She had just seen it in that novel! The artist had drawn it so vividly that even a woman of her age felt her heart race. Consequently, the moment she sensed the anomaly in the room, her thoughts were immediately led astray by the scandalous plotlines of her books.

Jiang Li’s face went blank. She didn’t know whether to thank her Master for not treating her like an outsider or to question if she was living in a dream. What does the Master like about Yu Yingxia? she wondered. Besides her face, I can’t think of anything.

Even if it were just for her looks, the Master was surrounded by beauties of every style. Why did it have to be Yu Yingxia?

This was a major problem. Her comrades back at the organization didn’t know about this. To put it bluntly, every single one of them detested Yu Yingxia. If they accidentally offended her while she held the Master’s favor, and she whispered “pillow talk” into the Master’s ear to get back at them… what then?

Sigh. Even if the Master forbade me from sending news back, I have to find a way to warn them.

“A-choo!”

At the end of her first stage of practice, Yingxia suddenly sneezed.

“Caught a cold?” Yan Huaixi frowned. She had shielded the area with spiritual energy, so it shouldn’t be possible. Nevertheless, she draped a cloak over Yingxia’s shoulders. Yingxia’s constitution, ravaged by poison for so long, was likely weaker than a mortal’s.

“Maybe I caught a draft while seeing Fang Yuetong out?” Yingxia guessed.

She had no idea someone was badmouthing her, let only that Jiang Li had already re-categorized her life as an “Adult-Only” feature film. In the near future, almost every one of Yan Huaixi’s subordinates would view her as a “femme fatale” who took advantage of the Master’s recovery to shamelessly crawl into her bed.

“You have plenty of spiritual energy now. You must learn to circulate it to ward off the cold. Once it becomes a habit, you won’t need me to do it for you,” Yan said, placing a thin protective shroud over her.

“I understand,” the “good student” nodded.

“Are you rested? We need at least five more rounds of consolidation tonight.”

“I’m not tired, it’s just…” Yingxia hesitated, her expression complicated.

“Is something wrong?” Yan reached out to check her vitals.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable, it just feels… strange,” Yingxia said shyly. “Whenever your power guides me, the places where our souls touch feel… very itchy.”

Yingxia was ticklish, especially at her waist, and now it seemed her soul shared the trait.

Yan Huaixi’s expression turned slightly odd. “Ahem… that’s normal. Your soul is fragile and sensitive; it’s natural to feel some discomfort when another soul approaches. Usually, soul cultivators aren’t disturbed during practice, but if you want to progress quickly, you need guidance. You’ll have to endure it.”

In truth, Yingxia’s soul felt like a soft, peach-blossom-scented cloud, so Yan had “kneaded” it a couple of extra times. Yingxia’s soul was indeed more sensitive than most, leading to the strong reaction. For soul cultivators, this was an act of boundary-crossing intimacy, but since Yingxia knew nothing about the Soul Path, Yan indulged herself a little.

Under Yan’s tutelage, Yingxia’s progress was explosive. She consolidated her foundation and was already showing signs of advancing further. Even Yang Xunzhou was stunned. One day, Yang walked circles around Yingxia, clicking her tongue in wonder.

“Sister Yang, what are you looking at?” Yingxia asked, feeling like a zoo animal.

“I’m looking at your cultivation speed. Are you sure you only have three spiritual roots? Most single-root geniuses can’t keep up with you.” Yang couldn’t find anything special about Yingxia no unique constitution, no medicinal pills yet her foundation was rock solid.

Just then, Jiang Li arrived at the bookstore. Hearing the question, she muttered from a distance: “Of course it’s fast. They’re dual-cultivating every single day.”

Dual-cultivating with a Void-Reaching expert! Even a five-root trash could fly to the heavens! Jiang Li thought. But Yingxia, have some restraint! The Master’s internal injuries are still healing!

Yingxia felt a sudden chill. She turned to see Jiang Li looking at her with an incredibly guilty and strange expression.

“???” Yingxia was baffled. Jiang Li had become bizarre lately, avoiding her like a slippery eel. Whenever Yingxia tried to clear the air, Jiang Li would vanish.

Yingxia decided to take matters into her own hands. She used a “Soul-Painted” technique—a new skill she had learned. As Jiang Li tried to sneak away, she tripped over a pitch-black rock that appeared out of nowhere. It was a manifestation of Yingxia’s art.

“Doctor Jiang.” Yingxia approached with a smile that made Jiang Li’s hair stand on end. “Why have you been dodging me lately?”

“I-I’m not! I’ve just been busy mixing new medicine!” Jiang Li stammered.

“Fine. If you won’t tell me, I won’t force you,” Yingxia sighed. Then she added, “Sister, why don’t you help me ask her?”

Jiang Li gasped. She looked up to see Yan Huaixi leaning against the bookstore entrance, watching her with a playful, dangerous smile. The others were right! Jiang Li thought. Yu Yingxia is a smiling tiger with a honeyed tongue and a hidden dagger!

Before Yan could “interrogate” Jiang Li, the ground vibrated. Yan immediately scooped Yingxia into her arms and flashed to the back of the store. Yingxia instinctively clung to Yan’s neck, the scent of medicine and faint fragrance filling her senses. Her face flushed red.

Jiang Li was pulled out by a strand of spiritual power just as a massive explosion rocked the front of the store.

“Sister Yang is still inside!” Yingxia cried.

“She’s fine. An explosion of this level won’t hurt her,” Yan said, setting Yingxia down. She narrowed her eyes at the gathering shadows.

As the explosion drew the town’s attention—including Fang Yuetong’s dark shadows crept toward the alleyway behind the store.

Suddenly, the light dimmed. An icy wind kicked up, smelling of rot. Yingxia rubbed her arms, preparing to summon her shield, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to look for Yan Huaixi, but her heart stopped.

Yan and Jiang Li had vanished. She was completely alone in the alley.

The sounds of the street were replaced by an eerie, whistling wind. Yingxia tried to run, but her legs felt like they were sinking into mud. Her weak spiritual energy was useless.

When did Yan disappear? Did she notice? Yingxia panicked for a second before she remembered the tap on her shoulder. Wait… Yan tapped me before she vanished. Was it a signal?

“Protector Yu, you look rather pathetic after only a few days.”

A familiar, grating voice rang out. Yingxia clenched her fists, then slowly relaxed them. It was one of Yan Zheng’s ghost-servants.

She realized Yan Huaixi was nearby. She had been left as live bait to draw out the enemy. She’ll save me if things get too dangerous… right? Yingxia hoped.

“It has been a few days,” Yingxia said, adopting a resentful expression to mask her nerves. “Despite you being in the city, no one came to help me when Yan Huaixi attacked. I thought the Master had abandoned me.”

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