After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: A Slight Taste

She took Yan Huaixi’s fingertips into her mouth.

To temporarily escape this strange atmosphere, Yu Yingxia set down her chopsticks and stood up. Yan Huaixi intended to follow, but Yu Yingxia placed a gentle, restraining hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll go by myself. I’ll be right back.”

Yu Yingxia wanted a moment of distance; she certainly wasn’t going to let the other woman shadow her.

Left behind with a face full of confusion, Yan Huaixi wondered: Was my gaze too blatant just now? It seemed fine. At least it was more subtle than the things Yu Yingxia draws.

Perhaps her little rabbit knew a lot from books but failed when it came to actual practice. Yan Huaixi curled her lips into a smile. How adorable.

Her gaze carried a searing heat. Yu Yingxia hurried out of the private room, and even after closing the door, she felt as if that half-smiling gaze was still burning through the wood. She touched her cheek with a cold hand and thought to herself: How spineless.

Yan Huaixi was clearly teasing her. She couldn’t afford to be lured in!

After taking a few deep breaths and patting her face to focus, Yu Yingxia walked toward the stairs. She flagged down a waiter, asked for the Peach Blossom Cake, and instructed him to deliver it to their room.

The waiter hurried to the kitchen. Yu Yingxia didn’t go back immediately; she looked up toward the second floor, where the air felt a bit too thin for her to breathe comfortably.

Yan Huaixi seemed odd today. Could it be a lingering side effect of reading that book?

Yu Yingxia bit her lip. Yan Huaixi’s reaction wasn’t what she expected. She thought that since Yan Huaixi had repeatedly warned her against having “indecent thoughts,” the book would have made her uncomfortable, creating distance between them.

Instead, the reaction was the polar opposite. Yan Huaixi hadn’t kept her distance; it was as if Yu Yingxia had been sprayed with catnip Yan Huaixi’s eyes were soft, sticky, and lingering.

So strange…

“Thwack!” Suddenly, a thin black shadow flashed past her. Sensing danger, Yu Yingxia froze in her tracks.

A pitch-black chopstick grazed her face and embedded itself deep into the wall.

“Crash!” A loud bang followed as a nearby table was flipped. Two men began shouting, and a moment later, they were in a full-blown brawl.

Yu Yingxia’s heart settled slightly. It was just collateral damage, not a premeditated ambush. She paused, realizing with a start that her standards for “safety” had dropped significantly.

“The Venerable gave us ten thousand high-grade spirit stones, and you only give me three thousand? Greedy bastard! I don’t care if we’re brothers, I won’t stand for it!”

The argument next to her continued. Because of an unfair split of resources, the two brothers were fighting. One had thrown the chopstick as a weapon; the other dodged, and Yu Yingxia had nearly paid the price.

Their cultivation was at the Refining Essence into Qi stage a full major realm higher than Yu Yingxia. Usually, they could walk over anyone in a mortal town like this. Perhaps because of that, they were reckless. They had no idea they had nearly harmed someone protected by a truly untouchable power.

Yu Yingxia looked at them. She caught a specific word: “Venerable.” In the cultivation world, this title was usually reserved for those at the Refining Void and Combining with Dao stage. Who would hire these two low-level, malevolent-looking goons?

As she pondered, a killing intent descended from the second floor. The chopstick in the wall was suddenly yanked out by an invisible force. Yu Yingxia stepped back, watching as the utensil flew back with lethal speed, piercing straight through the shoulder of the man who had thrown it.

A blood-curdling scream echoed, and the smell of blood instantly filled the restaurant.

“Who is it?!” The brother who wasn’t hit flipped another table, looking around warily. Despite their greed, the brothers were united against outsiders.

His gaze quickly locked onto Yu Yingxia, as the chopstick had flown from her direction. Yu Yingxia met his murderous glare with genuine innocence.

However, her cultivation was so weak that he dismissed her immediately. He began searching for other suspicious characters. The restaurant manager hurried out to play peacemaker. This was a mortal establishment; it didn’t have the protective arrays of cultivation-world inns. If these cultivators really fought, they’d tear the building down.

The brothers scanned the first and second floors with sinister eyes. They hadn’t sensed a speck of spiritual power before the attack. Either the person was a master of stealth, or their power far exceeded their own.

Being so close to the Tianqiu Sect, they knew a hidden master could be lurking anywhere. They stayed cautious and didn’t escalate further.

“Big brother, look at that woman… is she the one on the bounty poster?” The one with the pierced shoulder hissed through the pain.

How many spirit stones was the reward again? they exchanged via voice transmission.

A lot. But now isn’t the time. The Tianqiu Sect has been watching closely lately.

Yu Yingxia felt goosebumps at their gaze. The brothers no longer looked like brawlers; they looked like hungry wolves eyeing prey.

She felt a brief moment of tension, but then she remembered Yan Huaixi was on the second floor. If you have the guts, try something.

Let’s go. Don’t cause a scene. We’ll follow her.

The brothers feigned acceptance of the manager’s apology, took some “compensation” spirit stones, and left. Yu Yingxia watched them go with a heavy gaze. She was being hunted again.

The manager apologized to her as well, offering to waive the meal’s cost and hurrying the kitchen for the cake. Someone willing to spend so many spirit stones on food was either powerful or well-connected; he couldn’t afford to offend her.

Yu Yingxia didn’t make things difficult. She took the freshly made Peach Blossom Cake and returned to the room.

Yan Huaixi’s expression was notably darker. The familiar stench of a corpse-refiner had ruined her mood. If she hadn’t been worried about Yu Yingxia’s appetite, that chopstick wouldn’t have hit a shoulder—it would have gone through a skull.

“Sister, the cake is here.” Yu Yingxia placed the plate down.

She felt Yan Huaixi take her other hand. She looked up, and at that moment, Yan Huaixi reached up to brush her cheek.

“Were you frightened?” Yan Huaixi’s voice was soft.

“No, it was a small scene.” Compared to being hunted by professional assassins and bitten by corpses, a flying chopstick was nothing.

Yan Huaixi seemed to think the same. She frowned slightly. In the cultivation world, killing and being killed were daily occurrences. Yu Yingxia needed to get used to it like the initiation rites of the Changsheng Gate, where everyone had to face the cruelty of the world.

She should have let Yu Yingxia experience this earlier, yet she always hesitated, wanting to ease her into it. These people were good teaching materials, but when they actually appeared, Yan Huaixi only felt irritation.

“Bounty poster.” That phrase had piqued Yan Huaixi’s “interest.” She wanted to see who dared put Yu Yingxia on a poster, and which “Venerable” was hiring these bottom-feeders who reeked of living corpses.

“Good. Sit down and eat.” This time, Yan Huaixi made Yu Yingxia sit right beside her. Before Yu Yingxia could protest, a soft Peach Blossom Cake was pressed against her lips.

The cake was pink and delicate, looking very appetizing. Yan Huaixi, however, had little interest in the cake itself in her eyes, there was a delicate pink right here that surpassed them a thousandfold.

Yan Huaixi fed her the cake but didn’t pull her hand away. The cakes were small, perfect for a single bite. Because she didn’t retract her hand, Yu Yingxia’s lips closed over the cake and the fingertips holding it.

Yu Yingxia’s eyes widened. For a moment, she forgot to react, and thus didn’t notice Yan Huaixi’s fingertips lightly grazing her lips.

She quickly bit the cake and pulled back to create space. Yan Huaixi loved this reaction. Just as she was about to pull her hand back with a smirk, Yu Yingxia moved faster, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe Yan Huaixi’s hand.

This living ancestor has a cleanliness obsession! Not hating my touch doesn’t mean she can tolerate this! Yu Yingxia concentrated on cleaning Yan Huaixi’s fingertips, even using her spiritual power to manifest a small stream of water to rinse them.

When she finished and looked up, she found Yan Huaixi’s expression had changed. She looked… disgruntled? She even shot Yu Yingxia a glare.

“I’m sorry,” Yu Yingxia apologized quickly. “I’ll be more careful next time. I won’t touch your hand.”

She assumed the displeasure came from the cleanliness obsession. Yan Huaixi was both annoyed and amused by this naive, literal-minded rabbit.

You know so much from those books, yet why do you always miss the point? Yan Huaixi wanted to sigh.

“It’s fine.” Yan Huaixi pulled back her clean hand and pinched Yu Yingxia’s cheek to vent her small frustration. She then ate a piece of cake herself, though it felt flavorless.

Yu Yingxia breathed a sigh of relief, glad Yan Huaixi wasn’t holding a grudge. This “escaped a disaster” look made Yan Huaixi want to bite her for real—just to show her whether she found her “disgusting” or not.

After a while, Yu Yingxia leaned in and whispered, “Sister, did you hear those two mention a ‘Venerable’?”

Yan Huaixi nodded. “They were shouting so loud, how could I not?”

“I think their spiritual power didn’t seem like the righteous path. Why would a high-level cultivator in this place hire two demonic practitioners?” Yu Yingxia was practically pointing her finger at the head of the Tianqiu Sect.

“Not entirely stupid.” Despite her annoyance, Yan Huaixi didn’t hold back on praise.

“They reek of living corpses. Very strong. For a moment, I thought I was back in the corpse pits of the Changsheng Gate.” Yan Huaixi leaned back. The two men had arrived after them, and their arrival had polluted the air of the whole restaurant. She was only able to stay because the “peach blossom” scent of the girl beside her warded off the stench.

“Are they core figures?” Yu Yingxia lowered her voice. “Should we follow them to find the refiner’s lair?”

“No need. Your situational awareness still needs work. Didn’t you notice they’ve targeted you?” Yan Huaixi tapped her forehead. Images immediately flooded Yu Yingxia’s mind.

She recalled the brothers whispering. She hadn’t used her spiritual power to enhance her hearing then, so she hadn’t heard their conversation. But Yan Huaixi had recorded it and now replayed it in her head.

“Bounty poster…” Yu Yingxia murmured. She hadn’t expected to be a wanted woman while just sitting at home.

No—she remembered now. She had always been a thorn in the side of those corpse refiners. They blamed her for ruining their plans and letting the “immortals” destroy their dens. They wanted revenge. If they could send assassins, they could certainly print a poster.

“They are waiting in the alley next to the restaurant right now. They’ll follow you as soon as you leave and strike when the area is quiet.” Yan Huaixi’s voice grew cold. Fools. So many of their perimeter people died horribly, yet they still haven’t learned?

Yu Yingxia turned a bit pale. Her biggest use to Yan Huaixi seemed to be acting as bait whether for Yan Zheng or for these refiners.

Yan Huaixi thought of a hundred ways to extract a confession through torture before noticing Yu Yingxia’s paleness.

“Scared?” Yan Huaixi rubbed the top of her head. “I’m right here. What is there to fear?”

Yu Yingxia took a deep breath. Right. Yan Huaixi was watching. If only for her remaining value, she wouldn’t be tossed to the wolves.

“Okay. I’ll go out as the bait and lure them in.” She balled her fists under the table to psych herself up.

Yan Huaixi frowned. She reached out and stroked Yu Yingxia’s cheek. “Don’t overthink it. Fill your stomach first.”

Yu Yingxia was clearly affected; she ate half her usual amount before losing her appetite. Yan Huaixi’s displeasure deepened, to the point where the two figures lurking outside felt an inexplicable pressure.

“Big brother, I feel like something is wrong,” the younger brother said, having just bandaged his shoulder. “Is there poison on the wound? I can’t breathe.”

“Poison? Don’t be a coward. It’s just an ant at the Foundation Establishment stage. Are you that nervous?” The older brother felt it too his heart was racing but he assumed it was excitement over the payout. “Look, the prey is coming out!”

A girl in a simple blue dress walked out into the crowd, seemingly defenseless. The brothers used a magical tool to mask their presence and followed.

She wandered the streets, stopping occasionally to look at rouge or ask the price of vegetables. She took her sweet time.

“This is taking forever. Is she going to shop until nightfall?”

“Be patient. Nightfall is better for us. No need to hide.”

As the sun began to set, the girl finally bought the most expensive rouge and headed home. The brothers were overjoyed and followed.

As they passed a teahouse, the mournful sound of a pipa drifted out. Though they knew nothing of music, they thought it sounded pleasant. They didn’t realize the melody was leading them step-by-step into hell.

Finally, they saw their prey enter a modest courtyard. The brothers shared a look. One set up a soundproofing barrier; the other unsheathed a blade and scouted the house. Confirming the girl was alone, they both burst in and struck.

Blood splashed onto their faces. They saw the mountain of gold in their minds, their smiles turning gruesome. The pipa music continued, no longer mournful, but shrieking like a ghost.

The blood-crazed brothers didn’t notice the music was haunting them, sounding as if it were coming from right beside them even though they were far from the teahouse.

The pain is what finally snapped them out of it. They opened their mouths, but only blood gushed out.

“How…” They both looked down to see they had been impaled by blades.

The courtyard and the girl in blue vanished. They were in a filthy, abandoned pigsty. No one was around. They looked at each other and realized they had stabbed each other.

They staggered back and began trying to heal. The wounds weren’t fatal yet.

But that was only if no enemies were watching.

As they pulled the blades out, before they could even form a defense, the filthy earth beneath them turned into a swamp. A churning black power dragged them down inch by inch.

“Good girl, don’t look.” Yan Huaixi covered Yu Yingxia’s eyes, then reconsidered and pulled her into a firm embrace, covering her ears as well.

“My methods with people like this aren’t gentle. You’d need calming tonic for days if you saw it.” Her voice was a tender whisper in Yu Yingxia’s ear.

In contrast, the air was filled with bone-grinding crunches and horrific screams.

Despite her ears being covered, Yu Yingxia heard enough. She clung tightly to Yan Huaixi.

“Sister… don’t forget to make them tell us everything they know,” she whispered into Yan’s chest.

Yan Huaixi enjoyed the dependency. As the screams faded, she reached out and ripped the souls from the two men. An interrogation was a waste of time; for filth like this, Soul Searching was the only way.

“I won’t forget.” These two had terrified her little rabbit; she wasn’t going to let them off easy.

“They were just ants at the Refining Essence stage. I can crush them with a single thought. Why would I ever let you take the risk? Silly girl.” Amidst the chilling sounds of the soul search, Yan Huaixi loosened one hand to tease Yu Yingxia’s ear.

The girl who had left the restaurant was merely a puppet illusion she had crafted. Only an equal could see through it; using it on these two was overkill. There had never been a need for Yu Yingxia to be the bait.

Yu Yingxia’s ear turned bright red under Yan’s hand.

Yan Huaixi noticed. She gave a low laugh. From a distance, it looked as if she were kissing the temple of the person in her arms.

“Yingxia, you misunderstood me. Have you thought about how to compensate me?”

The “bad cat” would never miss an opportunity to press her advantage.

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