Reborn as a Human Cauldron, But I'm the Top - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Past Re-enacted, A Change of Face

Shen Yirong felt completely seen through.

Suppressing the panic in her heart, Shen Yirong looked at the distant mountains and exclaimed, “Someone is falling!”

Song Yin’s gaze scrutinized Shen Yirong’s face, but the face only showed normal alarm.

Song Yin looked away. She didn’t look at the falling child; she simply gazed deeply at the summit obscured by the clouds and mist.

Seeing that the other person was no longer focused on her, Shen Yirong’s heart instantly relaxed. The child who had just fallen from the peak managed to grab a vine on the cliff and was swinging wildly in the fierce wind.

It was twelve-year-old Song Yin.

How could a frail child withstand such a gale? In her previous life, Shen Yirong couldn’t bear it and cast a spell to stop the wind.

Sure enough, the wind was no longer fierce.

A hint of soft light appeared in Song Yin’s eyes. In her youth, she truly believed the wind would remain gentle, but later realized it was just an illusion.

Ghosts can deceive people’s senses, and people can deceive too—deceiving others, deceiving themselves…

The light in Song Yin’s eyes slowly faded.

Shen Yirong felt the other person was in a bad mood. Fearing involvement, she quietly moved a few steps to the side. The tiny movement startled Song Yin.

“You’re afraid of me.”

Shen Yirong’s body stiffened. She couldn’t gauge the temperament of this Protector. Giving Xu Lang those two slaps earlier was quite terrifying, but that was directed at Xu Lang. Toward her, the Venerable One’s favorite, she had been very polite and respectful. Yet, after just a short nap, the Protector’s temperament had changed.

Could she have been replaced? Or is the person in front of me a ghost in disguise?

Shen Yirong’s fingers moved slightly. A subtle, pale ray of light landed near Song Yin. The light circled once and dissipated. Clearly, the person in front of her was not a ghost.

Despite many negative suspicions, it was best not to alert the enemy now.

Her eyes darted around, and Shen Yirong posed another question, “My Lady seems unhappy. Is it because of the scenery before us?”

Song Yin naturally noticed the faint ray of light. Her eyes flickered, but she didn’t expose the small action.

The Demon Lord, slightly mollified, had a much weaker aura, though the smile-that-wasn’t-a-smile on her face was still chilling, “Do you know where this is?”

Shen Yirong, “I don’t know.”

She looked again at the cluster of mountains, then shook her head, “I’ve never seen it. Where is this?”

“This is the Great Peace Sect, the place I hate the most.”

Shen Yirong seemed to understand, so the other person was simply in a bad mood.

The Demonic Palace and the Great Peace Sect were mortal enemies, but the word “hate” seemed to carry a personal grudge beyond simple rivalry. Shen Yirong became curious, “What does my Lady hate?”

The child on the distant mountain peak was still struggling to climb up. Her pure white clothes were torn by the rocks, but she didn’t seem to care, her eyes still resolute.

Song Yin smiled. Ghost entities could make people re-experience past scenes, but they had no power over Song Yin, so they were merely observers here.

Song Yin had almost forgotten this episode from the past.

She looked at her former self and suddenly smiled, “I hate someone.”

This hatred carried an ambiguous meaning. Shen Yirong immediately became even more curious. She mentally ran through everyone she knew and finally settled on it possibly being Senior Sister Mei.

She heard the Sect Master say that in the early years, Senior Sister Mei had caused many romantic entanglements while traveling. Those people gathered at the gates of the Great Peace Sect, threatening to commit suicide, and nearly tore down the Sect’s already unstable gates.

The Sect Master had no choice but to summon Senior Sister Mei, who was still in secluded cultivation.

Upon seeing Senior Sister Mei emerge, those people became even more frantic. Some even tugged at Senior Sister Mei’s sleeve, saying they didn’t want to live anymore.

Senior Sister Mei was born with the Dao of Emotionlessness. Seeing them speak like this, she raised her sword, ready to grant their wish. If the Sect Master hadn’t stopped her in time, the head of that lovesick person would have been rolling on the ground.

Of course, she was just a cultivation vessel and didn’t know anyone named Mei Xin, the Venerable of Emotionlessness.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Deep affection is always betrayed. Poor souls.

Shen Yirong’s fear suddenly lessened, replaced by pity.

The hostility was no longer intense. Shen Yirong felt that, having read so much about love and hate in her past life on the internet, perhaps she could offer some guidance, even though she herself had never been in a relationship.

With the strange courage of someone who hasn’t eaten pork but has at least seen the pig run, Shen Yirong moved closer and asked, “Who does my Lady hate?”

Song Yin turned back. The eyes of the person before her were bright and shimmering, carrying a vitality that her Master lacked. Her Master’s eyes were stagnant, placid water, whereas this person’s eyes concealed the colors of spring and the reflection of a lake, sparkling brightly in the warm breeze.

Different.

Song Yin’s heart sank. The flow of time in this illusion was fast. The climbing girl was already slumped on the flat ground at the summit. She braced herself with her hands behind her, panting heavily. Although she looked disheveled, her eyes shone with startling brightness.

There was no luxurious palace at the summit, only an inconspicuous dilapidated house faintly visible in the clouds, steeped in the glow of the setting sun.

The girl recovered her strength and stood up, carefully tidying her messy hair. After retying her hair ribbon, she looked down at her ripped clothes, a hint of awkwardness showing.

She stood motionless outside the house for a long time before finally walking step by step to the open door and kneeling down.

Song Yin could easily break this illusion and crush all the vengeful ghosts, but now she watched quietly, watching her former self, and watching the departed person walk out of the room.

That person’s white robes fluttered in the wind. Her thin lips were tightly pursed, and she was cold and pale.

Shen Yirong also saw her former self and sighed inwardly, yet she saw an indescribable emotion in Song Yin’s eyes, and her hands were slightly trembling.

No way? Could this messy romance not be Senior Sister’s but hers?

Shen Yirong’s face turned pale with fright, but then she realized there were two people on the peak, so perhaps it wasn’t her but Song Yin’s past. Song Yin was once part of the Great Peace Sect too.

Right! It must be like this!

Instead of dwelling on wild guesses, it was better to ask directly. Shen Yirong plucked up her courage and asked again, “Who does my Lady hate?”

Song Yin came back to her senses. Seeing apprehension well up in those eyes similar to her Master’s, she suddenly smiled, “That person’s appearance is similar to yours. Aren’t you surprised?”

She had forgotten about that. Shen Yirong’s heart jolted. Meeting the probing gaze, she quickly found a reason and said calmly, “I was focused on the Protector’s worry and didn’t look at the situation on the mountain. Hiss! That person’s appearance does match mine. Who is that?”

Shen Yirong’s acting was truly superb. If it could deceive Song Yin before, it remained flawless now.

Song Yin scoffed lightly, “The Sword Venerable, Shen Yirong.”

A well-timed astonishment appeared on Shen Yirong’s face. She reached up to touch her face and muttered, “I’m actually this similar to the Sword Venerable.”

Then her face paled, “Then the Venerable One…”

Song Yin found the fear on her face suddenly amusing, and finally allowed a slightly faint smile to appear, “Are you afraid? I can help you escape.”

This was merely a cat-and-mouse game. Whether this person was a spy from the Great Peace Sect or not, as long as she reached out and snapped her slender neck, she wouldn’t have to think about these issues anymore.

Song Yin watched Shen Yirong’s neck with interest.

Shen Yirong was wearing the green robe distributed by the Demonic Palace for cultivation vessels, embroidered with willow leaves at the collar. The willow leaves moved up and down with their owner’s breathing, paired with the exposed porcelain-white skin near the neckline, which was indeed somewhat eye-catching.

Danger.

Shen Yirong sensed danger. She took a step back and righteously refused, “Thank you for the Protector’s kind offer, but my heart belongs entirely to the Venerable One. Even with this face, I do not wish to avoid her. Please consider you never said this, and I never heard it.”

Song Yin was stunned, seemingly not expecting her to talk such nonsense.

This spy would say anything to stay in the Demonic Palace.

Song Yin laughed softly, her eyes sweeping over Shen Yirong’s features, “You’ll die, you know. Aren’t you afraid?”

Yes! Terrified to death!

But this Protector would definitely not be so kind. If she showed even a hint of wanting to escape, she might be killed on the spot. The other person’s killing intent was already very obvious.

Besides, she still hadn’t figured out who the person the Protector hated was. If it really was her, using the identity of Song Yin’s cultivation vessel could shield her for a while. Even if she was just a toy for Song Yin to vent her anger on, her life wasn’t something a mere Protector could decide.

What is going on? In my past life, I rarely left the house. The only people who regularly visited were Senior Sister and the Sect Master occasionally, and then there was Song Yin.

How did that attract a messy romance too?!

Shen Yirong felt her guess was correct, but a cold hand gently clasped her neck. It was too cold, sending a shiver through her.

A slightly pleasurable low laugh sounded in her ear, “You’re so eager to die, why don’t I send you on your way?”

Shen Yirong grabbed the other’s wrist with both hands, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free from the constraint. Her breathing slowly became difficult.

Shen Yirong gritted her teeth, “Aren’t… aren’t you afraid the Venerable One will blame you!”

“Hmph,” Song Yin sneered. Just as she was about to end this boring farce, a flying sword sliced across the side of her face.

The familiar sword energy made her relax her grip, but the flying sword pursued her again.

Shen Yirong clutched her neck, coughing, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, she controlled the flying sword with her fingers.

Shen Yirong’s face turned cold. Since this person was determined to kill her, there was no need to pretend anymore. She would fight for her life.

The flying sword’s momentum was fierce. Failing to strike once, it attacked again. It was about to pierce Song Yin’s chest, but the sword stopped.

Song Yin batted the sword away. A gust of palm wind arrived suddenly. What she saw was the face of the departed, getting closer and closer.

At this moment, even the expression was similar.

Song Yin opened her mouth, wanting to call out “Master,” but she couldn’t. She forgot to resist.

Shen Yirong’s strike only knocked the person down. She knelt beside Song Yin, seeing the person unharmed, hating her own weak cultivation.

She summoned her sword, tightly gripping the hilt, ready to pierce the heart of the person beneath her.

But the face changed. Li Xiu’s appearance slowly faded, replaced by that face, so familiar it had become a nightmare.

Shen Yirong was startled. Her long sword diverted its path, stabbing into the ground next to Song Yin’s neck, disappearing into the black hair splayed on the dirt.

The two stared at each other in silence.

On the illusionary peak in the distance, the girl’s voice was light and cheerful, her joy piercing through the clouds and mist.

“Am I the Immortal Venerable’s only disciple?”

A clear, cold voice replied, “Yes.”

The girl’s face subtly flushed red. She stared at the Immortal Venerable’s hand hanging by her side, and then boldly reached out and grasped it.

The immortal frowned, about to shake her off. The girl looked up and smiled, “Can I call you Master now?”

The immortal paused slightly, lowering her gaze.

“…Mhm.”

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