After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Rumors

Yu Yingxia had called Yan Huaixi “Sister” before, but being teased and forced into it was a first. She felt inexplicably shy.

However, she had to play along. If she didn’t, she feared her dinner bowl might one day contain a few “experimental” poisons. She didn’t believe for a second that the people serving Yan Huaixi were the kind-hearted sort.

“S-Sister… please, help me talk to Doctor Jiang,” Yingxia whispered, tugging gently on Yan’s sleeve.

Yan Huaixi watched her act more obediently than she ever did around Yang Xunzhou and felt satisfied. “Fine. I’ll have a word with her.”

Yingxia sighed in relief, but then a rustling sound came from the nearby wall.

“Who’s there?!” Her guard shot back up. She looked up and saw Yang Xunzhou scrambling over the wall.

Yan Huaixi had sensed her presence long ago and wasn’t surprised at all.

“Sister Yang? What are you doing? Acting like a thief in your own home?” Yingxia asked, bewildered.

“I don’t want to be a thief…” Yang Xunzhou had climbed over by hand, not daring to use even a shred of spiritual energy. She looked very guilty indeed. “Good Sheng, help your sister out!” She jumped down and grabbed Yingxia’s hands imploringly.

“Sister Yang, did you finally get caught?! Have the victims of your books come for revenge?” That was Yingxia’s first thought. If the answer was yes, she was going to pack her bags and Yan Huaixi and flee immediately.

“Don’t worry, her coming here was an accident. As long as she doesn’t see my spiritual energy or my face, it’ll be fine. I can’t find anyone else to help right now. If she finds me, we’re both doomed!” Yang’s eyes were teary and pathetic.

Then, Yang noticed the cold gaze of “Elder Miss Yu.” Crap! Did my words just prove I corrupted her sister? I’m trapped between a wolf and a tiger!

“Ahem…” Yingxia peeked at Yan. Yan’s gaze was intimidating, but Yang had a point—they were in this together.

“Sheng, if you want to help, go ahead. Don’t worry, your sister is here for you,” Yan said, squeezing Yingxia’s palm with the air of a reliable elder.

Yang was moved. She was glad she’d kept “Sheng” around; now the Elder Miss would have to take her side. But Yingxia felt Yan’s words carried a double meaning. However, time was pressing. She had to intercept the person who had Yang so terrified.

They returned to the bookstore via the back alley. On the way, Yang explained the situation.

“A demonic beast from the mountains came tunneling through the earth. Some ‘certain person’ chased it all the way here. She and Daoist Fang (Fang Yuetong) teamed up to kill it. My bookstore’s front wall collapsed, but at least no one was seriously hurt. I’ll have to close for a few days.”

“Who is this ‘certain person’?” Yingxia asked.

“Her name is Nie Xuan. She’s the one outside with the heaviest killing intent. Just pretend you don’t know her. Why am I so unlucky that a beast would lead her straight to me?” Yang hid in a small back room. “I’m leaving it to you. Tell her you’re the owner… No, Daoist Fang is there, she’ll know you aren’t. Tell her the owner is traveling and you’re the manager. If she offers compensation, say it’s not needed!”

Yingxia nodded. She and Yan Huaixi shared a look before heading to the storefront.

The poor bookstore was a mess. A giant worm-like beast had burst through the floor, only to be turned into a pincushion by two different types of spiritual energy.

Yingxia actually felt a bit relieved. If this Nie Xuan was an old acquaintance of Yang’s, the last thing they needed was for her to find any familiar handwriting in the ruins.

Fang Yuetong, who was examining the beast, nodded to them. “The beast is tainted with demonic energy. Stay back so you don’t get hurt.”

Yingxia stopped. Her focus wasn’t on the beast, but on the stranger standing on the other side. She had blood-red eyes with slitted pupils, and her killing intent was suffocating.

Nie Xuan noticed the gaze and looked up. Seeing she had frightened a “mortal,” she immediately looked away.

Yingxia rubbed her arms. Thanks to Yan’s “killing intent training,” she didn’t collapse, but it was close.

“Apologies. Are you from this bookstore?” Nie Xuan’s voice was cold but polite—a stark contrast to her appearance.

“I am,” Yingxia replied.

“I tried to kill it in the mountains, but it was too fast. I only caught it here. I can compensate you for the damage…” Nie Xuan’s voice turned awkward at the word ‘compensate.’

“No need. You protected the town. Besides, the owner wanted to expand anyway. This just saves us the demolition work,” Yingxia lied, following Yang’s script.

Yan Huaixi stared at the saber at Nie Xuan’s waist. So it’s her. By seniority, she’s Yang Xunzhou’s niece. With Yang’s strength, she shouldn’t need to hide from a junior… there must be a ‘juicy’ story here.

“Strange,” Fang Yuetong muttered, pulling a demonic stone from the beast’s stomach. “It didn’t become demonic naturally. It swallowed this.”

“I saw many corpses in the mountains,” Nie Xuan added. “They were all turning into zombies. I burned them. Are all the lands under the Tianqiu Sect like this?” Her genuine confusion made Fang Yuetong want to bury her head in the sand.

“It’s… a special time right now,” Fang whispered.

Nie Xuan didn’t press the issue. She turned to Fang. “Since we both killed it, shall we split it?”

“If you need the corpse, take it. But I need a favor: take me to where you saw those corpses.”

Nie Xuan, who was clearly broke and needed the beast to trade for spirit stones, agreed immediately. Before leaving, she turned back to Yingxia. “Do you need help rebuilding?”

“No, no! I’ve already hired workers,” Yingxia said quickly.

As Nie Xuan prepared to leave, fate played a prank. She spotted a half-buried book under the rubble. A single word on the cover made her stop dead.

Crap, Yingxia thought. She rushed forward to “tidy up.”

“Wait!” Nie Xuan lunged. Her eyes flared with beast-like traits—she was a half-demon. She snatched the books from Yingxia’s arms so forcefully that Yingxia stumbled.

Yan Huaixi caught her, her expression turning glacial. She gripped Yingxia’s hand a little too tightly. Yingxia patted Yan’s hand to soothe her.

“Where is it?” Nie Xuan growled, flipping through the books. “I saw it! Why isn’t it here?”

“What are you looking for?” Yingxia asked, feeling a pang of guilt at the woman’s near-tearful desperation.

“A book! I saw it right here!”

Yingxia feigned a search and handed her a similar-looking book. “This one?”

“No…” Nie Xuan looked lost.

Of course it wasn’t. Yan Huaixi had swapped it out with a silent, perfect sleight of hand.

“I must have been mistaken,” Nie Xuan sighed, her pupils returning to normal. She pulled out a portrait. It was Yang Xunzhou. “Have you seen her?”

Yingxia shook her head. But Fang Yuetong, the honest one, started to speak: “Isn’t this—”

Yingxia shook her head like a rattle, and Fang luckily caught the hint and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

Nie Xuan tightened her grip on the scroll. “She’s really not here… If you see her, tell her: it wasn’t me who betrayed her. If you deliver the message, I’ll reward you handsomely.”

Yingxia felt pity. Her gut told her Yang Xunzhou was probably the one at fault here. “It’s just a message. We’ll tell her if we see her.”

Once the “wolf” and the “Samoyed” left, Yang Xunzhou poked her head out.

“Sister Yang, what’s the misunderstanding between you two?” Yingxia asked.

“Sigh… Sheng, I can’t see her. Not because of what she said—even if she did tell her aunt about my whereabouts, I wouldn’t blame her. But if I show my face, we’re all in trouble. I’m going to lay low for a while. Take care of the bookstore. Keep the ‘special’ books hidden!” Yang vanished before Yingxia could ask more.

“I’ve never seen her so rattled,” Yingxia mused.

“The feud between the Nie and Yang families isn’t simple,” Yan Huaixi said. “So the rumor might be true…”

“Rumor?”

Yan smiled. “Call me ‘Sister’ again.”

Yingxia obliged immediately.

“There were rumors in the South that Yang Xunzhou was… ‘involved’ with several Nie sisters, and then with the child she raised. Finally, the youngest sister, who became the Nie Clan Head, chased her with a blade.”

Yingxia choked on her own saliva. Yan patted her back. “How are you sillier than Fang Yuetong? Choking on air.”

“It’s just… that’s ridiculous!” Yingxia gasped. She’d rather believe Yang was being chased for writing “Forbidden Love” fanfiction about the Nie sisters.

“Who knows how much is true?” Yan stood up. “I’ll find my books, then we go. Jiang Li is waiting.”

Yingxia looked toward the window. Jiang Li was there, staring at her with eyes that seemed to burn with fire.

Yingxia felt like a “Favored Consort” who had led the King astray, while Jiang Li was the “Loyal Minister” watching the kingdom crumble.

Yingxia instinctively hid behind Yan Huaixi. Predictably, the fire in the “Minister’s” eyes burned even hotter.

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