She Said That Kisses and Hugs Are Needed for Redemption [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16.1

“Taking such risks aren’t you afraid I might not be able to save you in time?” The dim candlelight filled the corner, casting the silhouettes of two slender figures against the wall.

After hesitating for a long while, Fu Lancen had finally told her that she wanted to use herself as bait to uncover the mastermind behind Xia Xin.

But Lu Xi thought this plan was far too dangerous, and there was no need for them to act so hastily. She continued to persuade, “Today, my informants in the White Orchid Palace sent word that Bai Youran doesn’t seem the least bit concerned about Xia Xin’s fate. That’s highly unusual. I suspect she might very well be the one behind it all. So if you really use yourself as bait and end up in Bai Youran’s hands, wouldn’t you just be walking right into a trap?”

“Besides, Zhiwu has gone to the mortal realm. If you were to get hurt, I might not be able to save you in time.”

After speaking, Lu Xi inwardly cursed the useless System 001 in her mind. If it hadn’t insisted that her true identity couldn’t be revealed yet, she wouldn’t have had to tiptoe around, borrowing Zhiwu’s name to get things done.

The flickering candlelight swayed as Fu Lancen remained hidden in the shadows. “But if we do nothing, what if things spiral out of control? By then, it’ll be too late.”

“And during the days I was missing, Bai Youran was able to live comfortably without my essence blood. She must have found someone else’s to replace it.” In the beginning, Bai Youran had sustained herself by consuming the essence blood of beasts raised by the fox clan. Later, she somehow got hold of a dubious remedy, claiming that as long as she took a bowl of Fu Lancen’s essence blood every month, she could continue living safely.

So, even without her blood, Bai Youran would drink someone else’s. But Fu Lancen’s blood was still the most effective otherwise, Bai Youran wouldn’t have secretly ordered the Fox Tribe and the Heavenly Realm to search for her whereabouts.

Though she didn’t understand why Bai Youran hadn’t immediately captured her for bloodletting after she ascended to the Heavenly Realm, Fu Lancen had a vague feeling that if she didn’t act soon, she might end up cornered.

The candle had burned for a long time.

In the end, Lu Xi agreed to Fu Lancen’s plan.

There was no time like the present. The dimming sky was perfect for carrying out unspeakable deeds.

Lu Xi escorted Fu Lancen to the door. “Be careful.”

Just as Fu Lancen was about to open it, Lu Xi pressed a hand over hers. Under Fu Lancen’s surprised gaze, she raised her fingers and formed a seal. A silvery light flowed from her fingertips and entered Fu Lancen’s brow.

“This is a wisp of my divine soul. It can protect your life.” Once done, Lu Xi released that delicate hand. “Also, you can communicate with me directly through this fragment of my soul.”

Divine soul?

Fu Lancen instinctively touched her forehead, only to discover a miniature version of Lu Xi deep within her consciousness. The tiny figure sat cross-legged in meditation, eyes closed as if in deep slumber.

She never expected Lu Xi to go this far for her. This was a divine soul something that should never be damaged! Yet she had casually split off a fragment and placed it within Fu Lancen’s mind. Didn’t she fear that Fu Lancen might obliterate this tiny figure?

As if reading her thoughts, Lu Xi chuckled. “You’re still young. You couldn’t harm my divine soul even if you tried.”

Fu Lancen was just a little fox, not even three thousand years old. How could she possibly harm Lu Xi, an ancient being whose age was beyond reckoning?

“I’m not little anymore.” Seemingly displeased at being called young, Fu Lancen pouted and reluctantly thanked Lu Xi with some awkwardness: “You’ve helped me many times, and I have no way to repay you except.”

Having read too many novels, Lu Xi instinctively finished the sentence: “except by offering myself in marriage?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them froze for a moment.

Especially the little fox her delicate, rosy cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her small ears twitched slightly, as if they were about to transform into fluffy fox ears at any moment, lively and nimble.

Suppressing her shyness, she murmured in a low voice, “You want me to offer myself in marriage?” Then she gave Lu Xi’s slender frame a once-over, her tone laced with subtle disdain. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t last very long.”

What?!

Lu Xi was shocked. Was this person looking down on her abilities?!

At this moment, Lu Xi actually found herself seriously contemplating that blush-inducing matter. She had read romance novels and watched romantic films before, but she had never learned how two women could find pleasure together.

“You really don’t know?” The mischievous voice of 001 suddenly echoed in Lu Xi’s mind. Noticing her silence, it chuckled. “What a coincidence! I have plenty of materials you might need want me to upload them to your brain?”

Materials? Those kinds of materials?!

Lu Xi shuddered and hastily refused, “No! I’m not actually planning to do anything strange with Fu Lancen. You can keep those materials to yourself!”

Snapping back to reality, she opened the door with a flushed face, not daring to look at the little fox whose ears had turned red. After giving a few casual instructions, she watched as the little fox disappeared into the dim surroundings.

Calming her turbulent emotions, she slowly closed the door. Just as she finally settled down, inappropriate and bizarre images inexplicably surfaced in her mind even with the protagonists’ faces replaced by hers and Fu Lancen’s.

“001!” Lu Xi instantly purged those thoughts from her mind and angrily scolded the unruly system: “You wretched thing! How dare you dump this garbage into my head without my permission?!”

001 sneered, “Woman, how can you say one thing and mean another? I know you actually wanted to see it!”

“Your brainwaves told me you weren’t repulsed by it in fact, your mind even automatically swapped the faces of the two female leads.”

Before 001 could finish, Lu Xi frantically muted its incessant chatter.

As for the automatic face-swapping?

Lu Xi also sneered and muttered under her breath, “Impossible.”

The Boyun Palace covered an expansive area, but it lacked towering, majestic halls, leaving much of the land wild and overgrown with dense forests.

Finding the place where Xia Xin was imprisoned wasn’t difficult. Following the stream behind the wooden hut upstream led to a roaring waterfall.

The trees here, nourished by more celestial dew, stood exceptionally tall and verdant.

Fu Lancen followed the path, glancing at the mist-shrouded waterfall cascading down. Taking a deep breath, she soared into the air.

Passing through the icy spray, she dispelled the protective barrier around her and stepped forward, one foot at a time.

Behind the waterfall lay a hidden cave, its winding walls adorned with enormous pearls that shimmered with dazzling brilliance. After walking along the narrow pebbled path for a long while, the light grew brighter, and the space suddenly opened up before them.

The spacious cave was remarkably dry, with a raised circular platform at its center. A curtain of water cascaded down around it, faintly glimmering with a silvery sheen.

Fu Lancen lifted her gaze and saw a disheveled figure sprawled on the platform, seemingly too weak to move.

Clearing her throat deliberately, she approached the platform and looked down at Xia Xin, who was slowly opening her eyes. A scornful smile curled on her lips. “Xia Xin?”

Struggling to sit up, Xia Xin glared furiously at the woman before her.

“Do you know who I am?” Fu Lancen raised her eyelids slightly, her eyes glinting with a cold light. “You’ve been searching for me in the lower realms for so long. Now that I stand before you, how is it you don’t recognize me?”

As she spoke, Fu Lancen lifted her hand slightly, and the illusion masking her vanished, revealing her true appearance.

With a sidelong glance full of provocation, her arrogant demeanor perfectly captured the image of a petty villain reveling in momentary triumph.

Xia Xin stared at her, then suddenly burst into laughter. “So it’s Princess Lan of Qingqiu! How bold you’ve become! Do you think just because you have Zhiwu, that ancient divine dragon, you can flaunt your true self in front of me without consequence?”

A perfectly feigned look of panic flashed across Fu Lancen’s face. “What do you mean by that?”

Sensing the surrounding energy and confirming that neither Zhiwu nor that mysterious woman were present, Xia Xin’s smile widened.

“Zhiwu has gone to the lower realms. And what about your so-called wife? Why didn’t she come with you to flaunt your power here?”

Fu Lancen seemed oblivious to Xia Xin’s mocking grin. Crossing her arms, she wore an expression of utter disdain. “You’re locked up in the Bo Yun Palace, yet you still act like you’re in the White Orchid Hall? Now, dealing with you is as easy as snapping my fingers!”

“I remember everything clearly, how you and your master humiliated me in Qingqiu, how you stole my status and ascended to the Nine Heavens!”

A crimson long whip materialized in her hand as Fu Lancen took two cold steps forward. With a flick of the whip before the water curtain, she threatened, “Today, I’ll start by venting my anger on you!”

The blood-red whip lashed through the air, its fierce momentum slicing through space as it struck the water curtain. In an instant, it flew toward Xia Xin, aiming straight for her shoulder.

Snap! Xia Xin caught the whip barehanded, dark energy seeping from her grip like an overwhelming tide of night.

“You really think I wouldn’t dare touch you now?” The black energy crawled over Xia Xin’s body as eerie demonic patterns spiraled up her arms, spreading past her collarbones until her entire face was covered in terrifying markings. Wreathed in the dark miasma, she looked nothing like her former celestial self.

“Fool! You didn’t even bother to learn the truth about me before strutting in here to show off!” Xia Xin yanked the whip hard, pulling Fu Lancen off balance and nearly toppling her. A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I was planning to let you prance around a little longer, but since you’re so eager to deliver yourself to me, you might as well come with me!”

The black mist exploded, scattering a shimmering white water curtain in all directions before dissolving into droplets that fell to the ground. Xia Xin, her aura thick with malevolence, leaped off the circular platform and seized Fu Lancen, whose eyes were wide with shock. In the blink of an eye, they vanished from the spot.

Night passed, and the tranquility of dawn was shattered by the frantic clamor of maids from the Bo Yun Palace.

“What’s going on?” Onlookers paused as they saw the palace maids hurrying toward the Ao Wu Palace, curiosity compelling them to follow.

After a long walk, the Ao Wu Palace appeared before the crowd, gleaming under golden light.

A maid from Bo Yun Palace produced a jade token belonging to Lord Zhiwu and handed it to the guards, her expression grave. “This is urgent. I must report to Divine Lord Qiran immediately.”

Seeing the token inscribed with “Zhiwu” glowing brilliantly under the golden light, the guards wasted no time and escorted the maid into the palace.

The crowd, having no reason to follow further, lingered outside Ao Wu Palace, sensing something momentous had occurred and eager to catch the first whispers of gossip.

In the spacious hall, the maid’s voice echoed.

“Those demonic creatures were utterly brazen. Taking advantage of Lord Zhiwu’s absence in the mortal realm, they waltzed right into Bo Yun Palace and took Xia Xin, along with a cleaning maid.”

Upon hearing this, Divine Lord Qiran, seated at the head of the hall, furrowed his brow. He had previously refrained from intervening when Xia Xin was taken by Bo Yun Palace, trusting that Zhiwu would investigate fairly and knowing his wife wouldn’t shield Xia Xin without cause.

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