After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Found

It turns out that even the legendary demon head has a tender side.

Wen Xin pushed Yu Yingxia away with maximum speed, causing the white-haired monster to lunge into empty air. Yu Yingxia crashed into a nearby rock; the sharp pain made her vision go dark, and the metallic taste of blood rose in her throat. But the situation allowed no time for breath the lethal danger was right on her heels.

Realizing the monster was fixated solely on Yu Yingxia, Wen Xin quickly drew its attention, then used a displacement spell to teleport Yu Yingxia to her side just before the beast could strike again.

They managed to open a gap, but the creature had developed sentience. After this trick was used twice, it saw through the pattern. Being toyed with by “ants” and having its meal snatched away repeatedly enraged the bloodthirsty beast.

“ROAR!”

The white-haired monster unhinged its jaw, spewing a thick, gore-like mass of corpse Qi. The Qi expanded in mid-air into a massive web. In that instant, Wen Xin sensed that every path of retreat had been sealed!

Their companions rushed forward, using every technique to break the web from the outside, but the net was unnervingly elastic; every attack was simply bounced away.

The monster’s frame suddenly bulked up. It leaped high above Yu Yingxia and Wen Xin. Trapped by the blood-net, the two could only watch as the monster descended like a falling mountain. Wen Xin poured all her spiritual power into a defensive barrier, but the crushing pressure made cold sweat pour down her face. She knew she couldn’t take this hit.

Even if she survived, Yu Yingxia…

A cruel grin appeared on the monster’s rotting face. Its aura shifted; a pitch-black edge wrapped around its body. What was once a mountain of flesh became a focused, lethal blade. Wen Xin’s power might have held against a blunt force, but against a piercing point, it was useless.

The monster let out a gravelly, muffled sound likely a mockery.

Yu Yingxia piled up her remaining talismans, unsure if Yan Huaixi had left any other safeguards or if she would survive this. As the air-shredding power closed in, she felt death approaching. Her mind went blank, except for one final flash: a silhouette in red. If I die like this, I still feel a bit of regret and lingering attachment.

The monster’s gaping maw, dripping with saliva, was inches away. But just as it was about to crush them, a streak of blood-red light flashed. The monster vanished.

No one saw where the light came from. The monster was slammed into a distant wall with such force the masonry collapsed. Its body began to dissolve into a massive hole, leaving only a head and twitching limbs.

The creature that had driven them to despair was powerless against this single strike. As the red light hit, several blood-colored butterflies fluttered down, landing on the net trapping the girls. As they dissolved into starlight, the net disintegrated just like the monster.

The advancing army of living corpses screeched to a halt. The high-level ones at the front, sensing the shift in the food chain, began to back away in terror. The relationship between hunter and prey had been reversed.

Nearby, a red figure emerged from the center of a shattered blood pool. The half-transformed corpses lay motionless around her she had clearly given them a merciful end. Stepping out of the gore, she looked more demonic and ethereal than the blood on the floor. Almost everyone instinctively averted their eyes.

Furious at being separated from her “rabbit,” the greatest demon head of the cultivation world had been venting her rage on these creatures. When she finally sensed Yu Yingxia, it was because the protective ward she’d left behind had shattered.

Something dared to threaten her rabbit’s life.

She had already forced the giant “watchdog” outside to commit suicide. She had entered the door the cultivators broke, only to be teleported elsewhere. Now, walking through the blood, she finally found her pitiful little rabbit.

Yu Yingxia stumbled forward, her body reacting faster than her mind. Before she realized it, she had lunged into Yan Huaixi’s arms.

The murderous aura surrounding Yan Huaixi vanished instantly. Her gaze softened. Just a short time away, and she’s already so disheveled and miserable.

“Don’t be afraid. Those things can’t hurt you anymore.” Yan Huaixi gently stroked her loose hair, smoothing it out before producing another red hairpin to tie it up. In this bloody, lethal palace, her movements were leisurely and tender, as if she were in her own home.

And indeed, no monster was stupid enough to approach the center of the most dangerous aura in the dungeon.

Wen Xin sighed in relief as she stood up. Seeing the warm, harmonious atmosphere, she decided not to disturb them just yet. She glanced at her companions as if to say: See? I told you this was the path of life.

The other cultivators were baffled. They had no idea who this senior was—the one who could one-shot a Refining Spirit and Returning to Void monster.

“Isn’t that the girl’s sister?” someone whispered. “The relative of the bookstore owner?”

Despite Yang Xunzhou’s guarantee, the Judicial Hall had quietly investigated the sisters. The younger sister had a stellar reputation; even the local children loved her. They couldn’t link her to the legendary, poisonous “Protector Yu.” The older sister was known to be bedridden and had only recently begun walking.

But looking at this power… she was at least at the Great Circle of Returning to Void, or perhaps even a Refining Void and Combining with Dao Sovereign.

Wen Xin, she was the one confronting that person earlier, wasn’t she? If I’m not mistaken, her identity is… the team leader whispered via voice transmission.

Wen Xin signaled him to be silent. Don’t speak, don’t ask. Just follow my lead.

You know who she is, and you still plan to travel with her?

Why not? Look at our injured brothers. Can we get them out on our own?

The grim reality forced the leader to bow his head. Their survival didn’t depend on the path they took, but on Yu Yingxia.

Yan Huaixi ignored their secret communications. Having found her rabbit, she was in a decent mood. Since they had kept Yu Yingxia safe, she wouldn’t settle scores for their hidden motives—for now.

“Don’t cry. Look, your eyes are swollen.” She lifted Yu Yingxia’s face, wiping the tears with her thumb.

Escaping certain death had left Yu Yingxia’s emotions in a state of upheaval, but she was embarrassed by her lack of control. She stepped back slightly and wiped her eyes.

“I… I just got sand in them,” she lied softly.

Yan Huaixi noticed a trace of blood at the corner of Yu Yingxia’s mouth. Her expression instantly turned icy. That white-haired beast died too easily. She wiped the blood away with a handkerchief.

“If you’re still angry, part of that beast’s corpse is still over there. Want me to take you to stab it a few times?”

Yu Yingxia shook her head quickly. No thanks, that thing is disgusting.

Yan Huaixi’s gaze softened. She took Yu Yingxia’s hand. “Then let’s go. We need to find the exit.”

The warmth of Yan Huaixi’s palm steadied her heart. As Yu Yingxia squeezed back, she noticed a fresh scar on Yan Huaixi’s hand.

“You’re hurt? Was it… him?” She lowered her voice, mindful of the Tianqiu Sect members nearby. She pulled up Yan Huaixi’s sleeve to find a scar stretching from her palm to her wrist.

A Sovereign of her level had incredible self-healing. If the scar was still visible, it meant the original wound had been deep and devastating. Yu Yingxia’s eyes grew hot again. She had no interest in stabbing a dead monster, but if the target were Yin Duo, she wouldn’t be polite.

“If you keep crying, you really will turn into a rabbit demon.” Yan Huaixi teased her, earning a glare from her “pet.”

“He’s hurt much worse. Thanks to your sneak attack earlier, I only ended up with this small scratch.” Yan Huaixi hid the wound back under her sleeve. As she spoke, the wound healed out of sight.

Indeed, a little injury makes the soft-hearted rabbit worry more. She suppressed the urge to smirk.

“Where is he now?”

“Fled. He knew fighting me now would be a loss, so he didn’t linger.” Yan Huaixi had the chance to chase him, but Yin Duo had used a teleportation array. If she had followed, what would have happened to the Yu Yingxia left behind?

Avenge the dead, or save the living?

In that split second, the hairpin had shattered. Yan Huaixi’s reason, nearly consumed by hate, had returned. The dead cannot return, and as long as she lived, there was plenty of time for revenge. But her fragile rabbit couldn’t survive here alone. She knew what was more important.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Yu Yingxia asked, unable to check her body in public.

“Just minor injuries. Don’t look so grim; I nearly cut him in half. My wounds are nothing compared to his.” Yan Huaixi alternated between playing the victim and boasting like a cat returning from a successful hunt.

Yu Yingxia sighed. She couldn’t tell if there were internal injuries anyway. She’d have Doctor Jiang check her once they escaped.

“My injuries aren’t serious, but yours might be,” Yan Huaixi said, her voice turning grave. Her years in power gave her an air of absolute authority that made Yu Yingxia nervous.

“Me? I’m fine. Thanks to Wen Xin… and your protection.” Yu Yingxia quickly added “Sister” to the list when she saw Yan Huaixi’s brow furrow. “I just took a few tumbles.”

“Your constitution can’t compare to mine.” Yan Huaixi squeezed her palm. “Your body is barely that of a healthy mortal. A tumble can cause internal damage. Look at the blood on your lip—you definitely have internal injuries. I need to check you thoroughly when we get back, including external bruises.”

Yan Huaixi’s fingertips brushed over her back and waist, stopping just before going higher. Yu Yingxia shivered was it pain or something else? Then another thought hit her.

External check? Does that mean taking off my clothes?

Yu Yingxia’s face flushed red. The words were perfectly reasonable and clinical, but for some reason, they sounded… suggestive. Have I been around Yang Xunzhou for too long? I must have caught it from her. Sister Yan just wants to be a ‘good’ sister; I shouldn’t think such things.

To hide her guilt, she nodded firmly. “Okay.”

Her obedient, “pure” expression made Yan Huaixi feel a flicker of moral guilt but only a flicker.

From a distance, Wen Xin thought: Sisters? Really? I’ve never heard of her having a sister… so is this a ‘special’ kind of sister? Wen Xin wasn’t surprised by the relationship, but she was shocked that the “demon” Yan Huaixi—who was said to be no longer human—had such a tender side. She began to wonder: were the rumors true? Most of them came from Elder Yin, who had fought Yan Huaixi the most. If the storyteller is a monster, can the story be trusted?

She felt relieved. The enemy of my enemy is a friend. Even if Yan Huaixi was a demon, her sect was gone. How much threat could she pose compared to the traitors within the Tianqiu Sect? The trusted elder had created this hell; the most important thing was to get the intel out. For that, seeking Yan Huaixi’s protection was a small price to pay.

Yan Huaixi sensed Wen Xin’s gaze and shot a cold look back—nothing like the look she gave Yu Yingxia.

“Senior… thank you for your help,” Wen Xin said, choosing her words carefully. She pretended not to know Yan Huaixi’s identity.

Yan Huaixi looked at the group. “I should thank you for saving my sister. Let’s go together. If I’m not mistaken, the exit is at the altar.”

“The altar?” one of the less informed cultivators asked.

“What did you think this place was?” Yan Huaixi sneered. Her patience was for Yu Yingxia alone. She wanted these people to see exactly what Yin Duo had built.

“This is… where a traitor raises living corpses,” Wen Xin said, refusing to say the name.

“And why do you think he raises so many? It’s not for an army to conquer the world; he doesn’t have the patience for that.” Yan Huaixi pulled a flute from her storage pouch.

“Then why?” No one could understand. A Great Elder had power, status, and resources. What more could he want? The only thing he lacked was immortality. But doing this? The Heavens would strike him down before he ever became an immortal.

“Because he’s dying. He’s done enough evil in his life that the backlash and curses have cut his lifespan in half.” Yan Huaixi placed the flute to her lips. A soothing melody drifted out. Under her music, the restless monsters fell into an eternal sleep.

To become immortal, Yin Duo had destroyed many ancient families not just the Yan family. But dying families have their ways; his curse was partially the Yan family’s handiwork.

Wen Xin was stunned. This ‘demon’ is giving these suffering monsters a gentle death. Compared to Yin Duo, Yan Huaixi looked more like a righteous cultivator. The reputation of the Tianqiu Sect was about to be stained forever.

The flute melody silenced the low-level corpses. The higher-level ones, sensing her power, fled. Only a few mindless ones tried to block her path, and she swatted them aside like pebbles.

They reached the center of the palace. Powerful presences watched from the dark, but none dared approach. The altar at the center was high, reached by ninety-nine stairs. After the frantic escape, Yu Yingxia’s legs felt like jelly. She stumbled on the first step, nearly falling.

Wen Xin moved to help, but a chilling gaze fell on her hand. She quickly withdrew. Yu Yingxia was steadied by an invisible force of spiritual power.

Fine, Wen Xin thought, the ‘special sister’ is off-limits. I’ll stay far away.

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