Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 120

“A Love Bug!” Li Ting was the first among those present who couldn’t remain seated. She suddenly sprang up from her cushion, her hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She looked as though she might leap forward and grab Su Linglong by the collar to demand a full explanation.

Those eyes, usually cold and detached, were now burning with a fierce rage and an unbelievable, agonizing pain.

However, Su Linglong merely shook her head weakly. From beneath her veiled hat, her voice carried the weight of suffering and guilt: “I don’t know the exact details. I only know that the Love Bug can influence a person’s emotions… the person remains the same, but every action can be manipulated by the bug master…”

Li Ting was shocked. She had never imagined that such a sinister thing existed in the martial arts world.

And her sect leader, whom she respected like a mother… was she afflicted with such a thing?

No wonder… so that was it…

“Aside from the Seventh Prince, who else?” Li Ting’s eyes were bloodshot. She gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist, wishing she could unsheathe it right then and run those shameless scoundrels through.

Su Linglong looked ashamed: “I’m sorry… I… don’t know much…”

Beside them, Si Xiaoxiao felt a twinge of jealousy seeing Li Ting so concerned about the former sect leader. Her internal vat of vinegar overturned again. She snapped open her folding fan with a “shua” and fanned herself with a forced air of nonchalance, wearing that infuriatingly playful grin. She even went as far as waving her hand and interjecting, “There’s me! Although I didn’t participate in the bug poison, I deserve credit for that final sword strike, you know~”

This was typical of her bluntness—frank to the point of provocation.

Li Ting snapped her head around, glaring at Si Xiaoxiao with a gaze so piercingly cold it carried a literal killing intent. However, being interrupted by Si Xiaoxiao’s antics strangely caused her surging emotions to stabilize slightly. She took a deep breath and delivered a harsh warning: “Don’t worry. I won’t let you keep your life for much longer either.”

“Heehee, but you can’t beat me!”

Seeing that she had successfully pulled the hatred back onto herself, Si Xiaoxiao smiled blissfully. Although she wasn’t the Saintess’s most beloved person yet, being the most hated wasn’t a bad consolation prize. As they say, it’s a fine line between love and hate!

One had to admit, Si Xiaoxiao’s childish way of acting out to get her crush’s attention was a bit “tea-like” (manipulative/pretentious).

Li Ting was too angry to deal with Si Xiaoxiao. She couldn’t touch her right now, but a new target for revenge had appeared, giving her other matters to attend to. Thus, she continued questioning Su Linglong: “When will the Seventh Prince be coming this way? Would you be willing to join me in another assassination attempt?”

Su Linglong froze, looking hesitant. On the contrary, Si Xiaoxiao almost jumped out of her skin. She snapped her fan shut and, without a second thought, reached out and tapped Li Ting’s head with the fan’s spine. It was a gesture both spoiled and slightly aggrieved: “Why ask her! Why not ask me?”

A flicker of cunning flashed in Li Ting’s eyes, as if she had been waiting for Si Xiaoxiao to say exactly that. She tilted her head back, her cold gaze meeting Si Xiaoxiao’s directly, carrying a desperate, “sink-or-swim” kind of test: “Are you willing to help as a way of atonement?”

In her eyes, Si Xiaoxiao was unfathomable. If they could join forces against the Seventh Prince, their chances of success would surely increase.

Si Xiaoxiao, who was currently unable to use her martial arts due to the “Affection Level” restriction, felt a bit guilty. She feigned composure and said, “For this month, you belong to me! You must strike wherever I point! Who gave you permission to act on your own!”

A sudden realization struck Li Ting, and she asked, “Did the leader of the Tiger-Shaking Sect participate as well?”

The Seventh Prince’s control over the Hehuan Sect leader was likely the same as his control over the Linglong Pavilion. He wanted to establish a puppet; he wanted to clip the wings of the world’s women. You people view these women as idols and goals? Then I’ll let you see your idols obsessed with “love” and falling into depravity!

At the same time, controlling the Hehuan Sect meant controlling a very important resource: access to women.

Recalling the filth she had seen on that “River and Mountain” boat, Li Ting seemed to understand Si Xiaoxiao’s motive for bringing her on this journey.

Was it to atone for the sect leader she killed?

At this thought, the way Li Ting looked at Si Xiaoxiao became a bit more complex—mixed with scrutiny, doubt, and even a trace of… an emotion she hadn’t yet recognized herself.

“Don’t look at me with that disgusting expression!” Si Xiaoxiao rubbed the goosebumps on her arms, acting “tsundere” as she said, “Don’t go making up stories in your head! If you want to thank someone, thank yourself!”

She wasn’t lying; after all, it was Li Ting “Version 1” who had gathered the information. She had no desire to accept unearned gratitude.

Seeing her deny it so fiercely, Li Ting let out a cold snort and turned her head away again, her voice stiff: “Of course I’ll thank myself. After all, some people only sit on the boat and eat, while I was the one actually boarding the ship to kill people.”

“Oh,” Si Xiaoxiao responded flatly. She lifted her wine cup and took a gulp, mentally beating up a “Li Ting” doll in her mind. If only this brat’s affection level weren’t so low, she would have loved to clear the field herself!

Though she lacked martial arts backup, Si Xiaoxiao trusted her own intellect. She spoke up: “Actually, I know where that trash Seventh Prince went!”

“Where?” Seeing Si Xiaoxiao playing hard to get, Li Ting cooperated and asked.

Si Xiaoxiao put her hands on her hips triumphantly, her chin slightly raised: “Didn’t we kill his ‘good brother’? He’s probably gone to pay his respects at the funeral. He’ll have all his top experts with him, likely out of fear that we’ll come for him too.”

“Then shall we go wreak havoc at the funeral?” A cold light flickered in Li Ting’s eyes, her spirit eager for the fray.

But Si Xiaoxiao said, “No! Who cares about your revenge? I’m going to continue sending out my ‘Heroine Invitations’! And I have to finish sending them within this month; the schedule is tight enough as it is.”

Li Ting clenched her fists tightly, her face full of confusion and resentment: “So… you don’t want to kill them either?”

In truth, Li Ting wanted to say that with Si Xiaoxiao’s profound martial arts skills and her inscrutable intelligence network, if they all worked together against the Seventh Prince, there should be a glimmer of hope.

But…

Li Ting’s heart quickly sank. She shouldn’t pin her hopes for revenge on another enemy. Si Xiaoxiao had no obligation to help her.

Between them, there was only a one-month relationship of mutual utility.

But… if she didn’t borrow the other’s strength, by her own power alone, she simply couldn’t…

Damn it, I am still too weak…

A crushing sense of powerlessness seized her once more.

To her surprise, Si Xiaoxiao’s clear, flamboyant voice suddenly rang out, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds: “Of course I want to kill those bastards too.”

Her voice was bright and bold, her tone matter-of-fact, carrying an infectious strength.

A glimmer of hope instantly flashed in Li Ting’s eyes. She instinctively grabbed Si Xiaoxiao’s wrist and asked urgently, “Then what should we do?”

Si Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected there would come a day when Li Ting would actually ask her what to do. Feeling quite smug and remembering her current role as the “big sister,” she struck a pose of seniority, thought it over carefully, and replied with immense gravity: “Naturally, we must first avoid their direct edge and bide our time.”

Li Ting had been full of anticipation, hoping for some brilliant, earth-shattering strategy. When all she got was such an obvious platitude, she felt like a punctured balloon. She let go of Si Xiaoxiao’s hand in disappointment, her tone turning cold: “Nonsense.”

Seeing her face change so instantly, Si Xiaoxiao felt a surge of grievance and irritation. It wasn’t her fault her “Grandmaster-level” account was locked!

In a fit of pique, the words slipped out of her mouth before she could think: “If you just liked me a little more, what would killing a person even matter!”

However, to Li Ting’s ears, those words carried a completely different, literal meaning.

She instantly recalled the experience of being bundled up and sent to Si Xiaoxiao’s bed by her subordinates. Her heart sank, and her face went deathly pale. She assumed that Si Xiaoxiao was indeed a lecherous woman, and that the purpose of saying this now was clearly to demand her body as the price for help with her revenge.

A massive wave of humiliation washed over her, but compared to that, the fire of revenge burned even more fiercely.

Li Ting’s dark eyes stared deeply into Si Xiaoxiao’s. There was struggle and resolve within them, finally coalescing into a desperate, “sink-or-swim” calmness. As if using every ounce of strength she possessed, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly, she asked: “If I like you… you’ll be willing to help me kill people?”

Si Xiaoxiao looked at her suddenly pale face and those eyes swirling with hidden undercurrents. Although she felt the atmosphere had turned a bit strange, she still nodded firmly. Her eyes were clear and her tone sincere: “Of course.”

She wanted to cut down that trash too—not for any other reason than for the “original” Si Xiaoxiao who had idolized the Hehuan Sect leader. Besides, it wouldn’t be that difficult; she’d likely only need to recover about 80% of her internal power.

However, she had miscalculated the subtlety of the ancients. The phrase “like you” had been interpreted by Li Ting as a transaction.

Li Ting closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling violently. She bit her lower lip so hard she nearly drew blood. Her gaze gradually became hollow yet determined. Finally, she made her choice: “Fine!”

Si Xiaoxiao was puzzled. What does “fine” mean? She’s agreeing to rest and build up strength?

What a smart Li Ting. She smiled happily, only to see that Li Ting wasn’t looking at her at all. Instead, Li Ting turned her gaze to Su Linglong: “Manager Su, I wonder if you could arrange a room for the two of us.”

Si Xiaoxiao still didn’t realize anything was wrong. She added breezily, “We’ve been traveling all day and we’re a bit tired. We’ll trouble you, Manager Su.”

Su Linglong’s gaze flickered between the two of them. She didn’t ask questions, merely nodding steadily. “Please follow me, ladies.”

She led them to a lavishly decorated room on the second floor, filled with the light scent of incense. She didn’t linger, offering a slight bow and pointing toward the hall. “If you require anything, just call for Xiao Cui outside.”

Li Ting waved her off. “No need for service.”

Su Linglong said no more, gave them one last meaningful look, and quietly withdrew with her maidservant. Before leaving, she considerately pulled the door shut.

With a soft click, only the two of them remained in the room.

Si Xiaoxiao remained her carefree self, curiously inspecting the exquisite decorations: the mahogany carved bed, the embroidered screen, the glass mirror on the dressing table… Then, a realization finally hit her—this room… why was there only one bed?!

She turned around, intending to call back the departing Su Linglong to request another room, but the sight before her rendered her instantly speechless.

Standing behind her with her back turned, Li Ting had already begun to stiffly untie her belt. She shed her moon-white martial arts robe, tossing it carelessly onto a nearby embroidered stool with a soft thud.

Next, her slender fingers, slightly calloused, moved with a tremor toward the ties of her inner tunic. Under the lamplight, the elegant lines of her neck and a small patch of dazzlingly fair skin on her back were exposed to the air, rising and falling slightly—revealing the immense turmoil within.

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