After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Disguise

As before, the ghost-servant did not reveal its form. It remained hidden in the darkness, a shadow clinging to other shadows.

Perhaps because she had Yan Huaixi as her backup this time, Yu Yingxia was much calmer than during their first encounter. Recalling Yan’s nightly lessons, she quietly circulated the power within her body and concentrated it in her eyes.

In that instant, the world changed. Yingxia’s face went pale for a second. The alleyway was filled with a thick, putrid soul-energy, a viscous power that wrapped around her like a spiderweb. Yingxia didn’t usually consider herself a germaphobe, but she felt like one now.

Suppressing the urge to retch, she maintained her composure and searched through the muck as Yan had taught her. Sure enough, amidst the black sludge, she spotted a humanoid shadow the center of the power. This was the entity’s true form.

Her fingers twitched. If only I were stronger, she thought, I could pin it here myself. But she shook the thought away; this was Yan Huaixi’s territory. Yan was likely using this ghost to track the enemy back to their lair.

Yingxia discovered another surprise: in the silence, she felt a faint vibration from the ghost-servant. Along with that vibration, a sliver of emotion leaked from its soul. When her own power brushed against it, a feeling of “guilt” flowed into her.

She realized with a start: I can read its emotions! Immortal cultivation was truly miraculous. She wasn’t sure if this was a common trait of soul cultivators or a specific perk of the manual Yan Huaixi had given her.

But why was it feeling guilty? Was it because of what she just said?

Yingxia’s mind raced. Before the ghost could speak, she struck first: “The Master must have noticed the anomaly on my end immediately. I’ve been thinking the Master monitors Yan Huaixi’s every move, so he should have sent someone to check on me the moment things went south. Yet, I received no word from you.”

She paused, narrowing her eyes. “Could it be… that some ‘ghost’ was too afraid to die and dragged its feet until now?”

It was a total bluff, but with Yan nearby, she felt bold. The ghost-servant’s reaction was violent; waves of guilt and panic radiated from it. Yingxia knew she had hit the mark.

“I must report this to the Master.”

“Nonsense! Protector Yu, do not speak such lies!” the ghost-servant shrieked, its voice rising in a display of blustering cowardice. “I am loyal to the Master! How could I be a coward? Besides, Yan Huaixi is a toothless tiger now. Why would I fear her?”

Fear her? It was practically dying of fright.

Realizing it had overreacted, the ghost coughed to hide its lapse. “Protector Yu, do not be angry. I was monitoring the situation from the perimeter. I saw you were safe, so I stayed back to avoid detection. You know Yan Huaixi has been unusually active lately. The Master ordered us to stay hidden and not alert the enemy. I only approached when it was safe.”

Safe? Yingxia watched it babble. It was safe, alright but only because she was the bait.

“Fine. I will be the one to explain the situation to the Master. When the rewards are handed out, I’ll make sure you get your share,” the ghost said hurriedly, trying to prevent her from filing a formal complaint.

The ghost had been terrified. When the Master’s soul-fragment inside Yingxia vanished, the Master knew instantly. The ghost’s first thought was that Yan Huaixi had discovered Yingxia was a mole and shredded her. Knowing Yan’s reputation for ruthlessness toward traitors, it hadn’t dared to come near.

However, the Master had been suspicious that the soul-fragment was destroyed by an “Immortal” who shouldn’t exist in this world. The ghost-servant thought the Master was just being paranoid due to past trauma—Ascended Immortals don’t interfere with the mortal realm. Only now, seeing that the storm had passed and Yingxia seemed normal, did it dare to resurface.

If Yingxia snitched, the Master would realize the ghost had been faking its reports to save its own skin. That would mean being sent back to the “refining furnace.”

“Let’s put other matters aside,” the ghost said, deepening its voice. “I need to know: how was the Master’s treasure destroyed?”

“Why ask? You know the answer,” Yingxia snapped. “In this place, who else but Yan Huaixi could destroy the Master’s treasure?”

The ghost was silenced by her bluntness. “I’m just surprised. If she found out, how are you… still alive?”

“You mean, why haven’t I been killed yet?” Yingxia finished the thought.

“Yan Huaixi is merciless,” the ghost muttered. “I’m curious what method you used to survive her.”

“What you really want to know,” Yingxia said, cutting to the chase, “is if I betrayed the Master and traded his secrets for my life, isn’t it?”

“…” Yes, exactly.

“If I had done that, Yan Huaixi would have thrown me out as bait to catch ‘big fish’ like you. So, do you think my every move isn’t being watched? Do you think your arrival escaped her notice?” Yingxia suddenly pointed behind the dark figure. “Guess if she’s standing right behind you.”

The shadow shuddered violently. It tensed up, likely planning a hundred escape routes. When it finally summoned the courage to whip around, the alley was empty.

It had been played. But instead of anger, it felt a wave of relief at having cheated death.

Yingxia suppressed a smirk. That’s for threatening me last time.

“If I had truly betrayed the Master, it wouldn’t be empty air behind you it would be Yan Huaixi.”

The ghost was now completely rattled. “I-I didn’t mean to doubt you, Protector Yu. It’s only human to be curious. You understand, right?”

“Since you’re so curious, I’ll satisfy you,” Yingxia said, acting the part of the seasoned mole. “Surviving Yan is simple. I’ve been by her side for decades; she still trusts me. I simply distanced myself from the Master’s object. I swore I was infected by an artifact at the auction and shifted all the blame onto the Tianqiu Sect. She has her doubts, but she won’t act without proof. After all, I’m the only person she has left to use.”

“And she didn’t kill you?”

“I have my own ways. Not that I’d tell you—you couldn’t learn them anyway.” Yingxia stood with her arms crossed, looking profound and untouchable.

The ghost tried to peer into her mind, but it encountered only a blur of chaos. Strange, I can’t see through her? I have the Master’s power I should see through any soul. It concluded that the Master had chosen her for a reason.

“I see. But the Tianqiu Sect…” the ghost mused. “They are the Master’s collaborators. Is it wise to throw mud at them so openly?”

“You’re wrong,” Yingxia interrupted, looking at the ghost with feigned frustration. “They aren’t collaborators; they are tools. Does the Master want to share the spoils with them? Once Yan Huaixi is dead, does he really want to split the prize?”

The ghost was stunned. It knew the Master’s nature he wanted to use Yan to ascend; he’d never share that.

“In Duo is an old fox,” Yingxia continued. “If we don’t push him, he’ll suck us dry. Instead of letting him compete for the prey at the end, it’s better to let him and Yan Huaixi tear each other apart now. We can just sit back and watch. As for the mud as long as we don’t talk, who will know it came from us? Do you think Yan and Yin Duo are going to have a heart-to-heart chat about it?”

The ghost was sold. “You’re right. Our job is to protect the Master’s interests. If Yin Duo can pave the way, all the better.”

“Exactly. But your coming here is risky. Yan is paranoid. I’ve shifted the blame for now, but she doesn’t fully trust me. We got lucky this time, but we can’t count on it again. We need a more discreet way to communicate.”

“You’re right,” the ghost agreed. It pulled out a complete human fingerbone, wreathed in dark energy. “The Master has something for you. This can also relay information.”

Yingxia recognized it as a human bone immediately. She suppressed the urge to gag and took it.

“If the Master has a message, it will appear on this bone,” the ghost demonstrated. The bone moved, its tip “writing” words in Yingxia’s palm.

Yingxia’s skin crawled. The words were: There is a spirit in the bone. Pierce Yan Huaixi’s soul with it to seal her soul arts.

“This is your new mission. Complete it as soon as possible. Once you succeed, I will move you to safety immediately. The Master will take over from there, and you can retire with your rewards.”

It was a beautiful lie. Yingxia knew that the moment she acted, Yan Huaixi would likely kill her before she could even blink, and neither the ghost nor Yan Zheng would lift a finger for a “used” pawn.

“The Master’s foresight is unmatched,” Yingxia praised, playing along. “Yan’s soul arts have been a problem; this solves everything.”

“The Master knows the Yan clan better than anyone. A mere junior cannot stop him. Do your work well. Someone is coming; I’ll be nearby. Use the bone if you need me. Good luck.” The ghost vanished instantly.

The moment the dark energy dissipated, Yingxia’s legs turned to jelly. She stumbled, but instead of hitting the ground, she fell into a soft embrace.

“So pathetic. Scared witless by a tiny ghost-servant?” Yan Huaixi’s voice was teasing. She looked down to see Yingxia’s eyes were rimmed with red. “I was right here. What was there to fear?”

Yan was very pleased with the performance. Yingxia had maintained her cover and secured a weapon designed specifically to kill her. Yan Zheng specializes in arts against his own bloodline, Yan thought. He might be more troublesome than the Tianqiu Sect.

“I wasn’t scared. I just stood too long,” Yingxia mumbled.

“Right, right. Too much standing,” Yan teased, not calling her out.

Yingxia regained her footing, but Yan didn’t let go. Yingxia pulled out the fingerbone. “Master, I don’t know what this is. Be careful.”

Yan used her energy to take the bone. She had sensed its danger the moment it appeared; her own power seemed to recoil from it. If I were truly stabbed by this, it would be a problem.

“Well done.” Yan patted Yingxia’s back like she was soothing a child. “I finally see how you’ve fooled them. Just now, even I couldn’t tell which of your smiles were real and which were fake.”

Yingxia froze. She had almost died several times because of Yan’s suspicion. “I am loyal to you!” she blurted out, nearly swearing an oath.

“Don’t be afraid. I didn’t say I doubted you,” Yan comforted her.

Yingxia felt like her heart was a toy in Yan’s hands, being squeezed and pulled. It was an emotional rollercoaster.

“You should trust me more,” Yan whispered in her ear, her warm breath making Yingxia’s ear turn bright red. “I’m not a tiger. I won’t eat you.”

Yingxia ducked her head. You’re exactly like a big cat—dangerous, fond of pranks, and sometimes way too cuddly.

“I understand,” Yingxia whispered.

Yan rubbed Yingxia’s pale cheeks until some color returned. “I treat you as a real sister. As long as you don’t betray me like those others, you are safest by my side. There’s no need for nerves—unless you have a guilty conscience.”

Yan’s eyes twinkled. “Yingxia, I hope that one day, you’ll trust me enough to see me truly as a sister, and not be so jumpy.”

And then, Yan thought, I hope you’ll tell me your real secrets. Like who sent you here, and why.

Yingxia’s heart pounded. She was used to being called “Protector Yu” or her full name, but the soft, intimate way Yan just said “Yingxia” made a crack appear in her mental defenses.

This is… a bit much to handle.

“Mm,” she responded softly.

Stay calm, she told herself. Even if she’s being sincere, she just wants a sister. Keep your feelings in check, or you’ll be the one crying in the end! She repeated this like a mantra until her heart rate stabilized.

On the bright side, being Yan Huaixi’s “sister” meant safety, the removal of the Puppet Seal eventually, and the protection of a Void-Reaching powerhouse. It was a winning deal—as long as she controlled her heart.

“Master, where is Doctor Jiang? Wasn’t she with you?” Yingxia asked, desperate to change the subject.

“Her? She took what you said to the ghost-servant seriously and started getting noisy, so I sent her away.” Yan followed the lead, moving the topic to Jiang Li. Her subordinate was a genius at poisons but lacked common sense; she actually believed Yingxia was conspiring with the ghost.

“She took it seriously…” Yingxia felt a headache coming on. “Master, you have to explain it to her, or I’m afraid she’ll poison me.”

Yan didn’t agree immediately. She smiled like a mischievous cat. “Call me ‘Sister’ once, and I’ll go talk to her.”

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