Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 35

“It’s not a Ghost Wedding, it’s the City Lord’s wedding,” Gu Sheng said, standing behind Hu Li. She couldn’t help but interject after hearing Hu Li scare herself half to death.

Hu Li mechanically turned her head, her eyes blurry with tears. “C-City Lord?”

Gu Sheng nodded, her heart sinking.

Beside them, the Fudi Demon crossed his arms and leaned forward, watching the wedding procession. He didn’t notice the tension between Hu Li and Gu Sheng.

As the last member of the procession disappeared from sight, he turned to face Hu Li and Gu Sheng, scoffing lightly. “The City Lord is cursed to bring misfortune to his wives. Even dogs wouldn’t marry him. I wonder which poor family is unlucky enough to have their daughter wed this scoundrel.”

Hu Li snapped out of her daze and asked curiously, “What kind of misfortune?”

The Fudi Demon led them down the street, explaining as they walked. “Oh, you know—death, madness, none of them meet a good end. But honestly, he marries a new wife every ten days or so. I’m quite envious.”

Hu Li pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “Envious, huh? Then why don’t you marry him yourself?”

Fudi Demon glanced at Hu Li and said bluntly, “He may be a wife-killer, but honestly, if I were a woman, I wouldn’t mind marrying him for a few days of luxury. After all, he’s the wealthiest man in Evernight City. Many women who aren’t afraid of death marry him for that reason alone.”

Hu Li couldn’t tolerate Fudi Demon’s self-righteous hypocrisy any longer.

She kicked him sharply and snapped, “Are these women truly unafraid of death, or are they forced into it? You bastards have no idea, do you?”

If it were up to me, she thought, I’d castrate Fudi Demon and make him experience it firsthand.

Stung by the kick, Fudi Demon raised his hand to retaliate, but the Puppet String tightened, sending a searing pain through his heart.

Forced to take a deep breath and calm himself, he swallowed his anger and decided not to argue with Hu Li.

“Alright, My Lady, I misspoke,” he said, lowering his hand to slap his own mouth a few times. He forced a servile smile and quickly changed the subject. “So, how do you plan to tell the City Lord about the Demon Abyss?”

Hu Li stopped in front of a hairpin shop, shoving Fudi Demon away. “I’ll tell you later,” she said.

*******

With that, Hu Li pulled Gu Sheng into the shop.

Inside, the counter was overflowing with a dazzling array of hairpins. Though the shopkeeper wore a mask, her figure suggested she was a woman.

She glanced at the two women entering hand-in-hand and asked with a hearty laugh, “What kind of hairpin are you looking for?”

Hu Li lowered her gaze, studying the pins in the display case. “Something delicate, something that suits her,” she replied.

The shopkeeper nodded in understanding, opened the case, and retrieved a Dangling Pearl Hairpin, its entire length a deep, inky blue. She handed it to Hu Li.

Hu Li took the hairpin and examined it closely. She had to admit, the Dangling Pearl Hairpin did indeed complement Gu Sheng’s features.

Still, noticing Gu Sheng’s crimson dress, Hu Li couldn’t help but ask, “Shopkeeper, how did you know this hairpin would suit her? Shouldn’t a red dress pair better with something like this Red Jade Hairpin with its plum blossom accents?” Hu Li pointed to the Red Jade Hairpin.

The shopkeeper chuckled softly. “Fairy, though I can’t see your faces clearly, judging by your mannerisms and conversation, I’d venture to guess you’ve swapped dresses. That’s why this hairpin suits the other fairy better.”

The shopkeeper guessed right, but not entirely.

******

[Laughing my ass off! The Fox Spirit is so flamboyant, while black is so reserved. It really doesn’t suit her.]

[Actually, they could just swap dresses.]

[I want to see them sleep together and then accidentally wear each other’s dresses the next day.]

[If Hu Li, with her love-struck brain, actually wore Gu Sheng’s dress, she’d probably tell everyone she met, “How did you know I’m wearing my wife’s dress?”]

[Help! I can picture that so clearly!]

[LOL! Imagine the morning they swap dresses, and by noon, the entire Cultivation World knows what they did last night!]

Hu Li: ……

“Um—” Hu Li began, hoping she could salvage her image.

Gu Sheng glanced at her indifferently, took the Dangling Pearl Hairpin from the Shopkeeper, and handed it to Hu Li, cutting her off. “Help me fix my hair.”

Hu Li inexplicably felt guilty as she nodded and removed the Red Jade Hairpin, replacing it with the Dangling Pearl Hairpin in Gu Sheng’s hair.

The Shopkeeper rested her head on her hand, watching the pair. The expression beneath her mask clearly conveyed three words: I ship it.

Observing the adorable couple, she retrieved a Scarlet Dangling Pearl Hairpin from the counter, its crimson hue perfectly complementing the dark blue one. She slid it across the counter to Gu Sheng, who was about to pay.

“Fairy, buy the pair,” the shopkeeper said, “I’ll give you a discount.”

Hu Li glanced at Gu Sheng, who remained expressionless. “We’ll take them all,” Gu Sheng said.

Hu Li felt a little embarrassed. “Actually, you don’t have to buy these for me.”

Gu Sheng placed the Red Jade Hairpin and the Scarlet Dangling Pearl Hairpin into Hu Li’s hand. “It’s your Spirit Stones we’re using,” she said calmly.

Hu Li: “…Oh, right.”

She silently tucked the hairpins into her Storage Bag, thinking to herself, I need to sell that giant diamond I swindled from the Fudi Demon ASAP.

Outside the hairpin shop, the Fudi Demon leaned against the stone lion by the entrance, waiting impatiently. When he saw the two women emerge, he hurried over to Hu Li. “Little Ancestor, where are we headed next?”

Hu Li glanced at him. “To the bride’s house—the one the City Lord is marrying.”

The Fudi Demon let out a confused “Huh?” but still led them to the Ye Family, where the wedding procession was headed.

The Ye Family courtyard was draped in red silk. In a corner of the rear courtyard, someone had pried loose several bricks, revealing a low, narrow tunnel just large enough for a person to crawl through.

Ye Qingtang ripped the Phoenix Coronet from her head and flung it onto the grass. Then, she tore off her heavy, crimson outer robe and tossed it beside the coronet.

With everything prepared, she took a deep breath, ready to crawl through the low hole.

But her gaze snagged on the Phoenix Coronet and bridal robes, and she froze.

Her father had commissioned the coronet from a master craftsman, and he had painstakingly gathered the Seven-Colored Sea Pearls strung across the robes. Each piece was priceless, imbued with his heartfelt intentions.

Ye Qingtang’s father’s face flashed through her mind. In the next instant, her hands darted toward the coronet and robes, swiftly plucking off every valuable pearl and golden bead with lightning speed.

If it weren’t for the tediousness of picking out the gold threads, she would have torn the entire garment apart on the spot.

That biased, greedy, lecherous old man, she thought bitterly. Even stripping him of these scraps is letting him off easy.

She crawled angrily through the hole, spat at the Ye Family compound behind her, and muttered, “Selling your own daughter, you old bastard. Go sell yourself to the City Lord instead.”

With her thoughts settled, she tossed her hair back and prepared to leave.

But then, a pair of hands suddenly landed on her shoulders.

A chill ran down Ye Qingtang’s spine as she turned to face the newcomers: two women and one…

Hmm… She couldn’t quite make out what the half-naked figure with fur pants was supposed to be.

Still, anyone was better than the Ye Family’s pursuers.

“Who are you?” Ye Qingtang asked.

Hu Li released her arm, her reply concise: “I’m here to take your place in the marriage.”

Ye Qingtang blinked in surprise.

Is Hu Li crazy? Why would she volunteer to be a sucker like this?

“If you want to take my place, go ahead. The Phoenix Coronet and wedding robes are inside. They’ll have to do,” Ye Qingtang said casually, turning to leave.

Seeing that she had the bride’s approval, Hu Li didn’t try to stop her. She bent down to crawl inside.

But just as she poked her head through the opening, Ye Qingtang yanked her back out. “The City Lord’s Manor is a den of demons. Are you sure about this?”

She felt it was wrong to let an innocent woman take her place in such a situation.

Hu Li met Ye Qingtang’s gaze beneath her mask and nodded firmly. “I’m sure. Even if it’s a den of demons, I have to face it.”

Ye Qingtang had never imagined there were still selfless heroes like Hu Li in the world. She couldn’t help but admire her. “Then be careful,” she said.

With a swift movement, Ye Qingtang vanished into the shadows at the end of the street.

*******

Hu Li stared blankly after Ye Qingtang, who had vanished like the wind. After a moment of shock, she ducked inside.

Gu Sheng and the Fudi Demon followed closely behind, entering the Ye Family residence as well.

[In the original story, after Ye Qingtang ran away, the Fudi Demon sold Sheng Sheng to the Ye Family, who then forced her to marry the City Lord.]

[Sheng Sheng suffered terribly at the City Lord’s Manor. sobs]

[It wasn’t just suffering—Sheng Sheng nearly died there.]

[Exactly! The Fudi Demon caused Sheng Sheng to develop an Inner Demon, yet he used the money from selling her to live a life of luxury and comfort.]

[The Fudi Demon must die!]

Hu Li and Gu Sheng exchanged a glance before simultaneously turning their gazes toward the Fudi Demon.

Still oblivious to the gravity of the situation, the Fudi Demon squatted on the ground, poking at the wedding gown with a twig. “My Lady,” he asked Hu Li, “are you planning to marry in her place yourself, or have this Little Fox Demon take your place? If you ask me, you should let her go. With her pretty face, she’ll surely bewitch the City Lord.”

[The Fudi Demon’s intentions toward Sheng Sheng are truly sinister.]

[He’s playing minefield roulette, hitting every single one of Hu Li’s triggers with pinpoint accuracy.]

[The Fudi Demon is in grave danger.]

“Gu Sheng, give me the Storage Bag,” Hu Li transmitted telepathically.

*******

Gu Sheng looked up at Hu Li, reached down to unfasten the Storage Bag from her waist, and handed it over. Hu Li retrieved a Disguise Talisman from the bag.

This Disguise Talisman was one Hu Li had acquired during the Immortal Sect Grand Competition by acting as a middleman, using her Illusion Technique to profit from the price difference.

Originally, she had planned to return to the Black Market and sell this High-Grade Disguise Talisman, but she never expected it would come in handy now.

She placed the Disguise Talisman in the Fudi Demon’s hand, her eyes narrowing into a sly smile. “Fuzi,” she said, “the one being forced into this marriage isn’t me, and it’s certainly not her. It’s you. Didn’t you say yourself that if you were a woman, you’d marry the City Lord? Well, here’s your chance. You’d better seize it.”

Hu Li clapped the Fudi Demon heavily on the shoulder, each word dripping with icy contempt.

The Fudi Demon stiffly turned his head toward Hu Li, dropping the branch he held. He was about to retort, “He wouldn’t seize it,” when the Ye Family arrived.

The clamorous sounds reached their ears. Hu Li and Gu Sheng exchanged a glance, silently cast Shrinking Spells, and transformed into two rice-grain-sized figures, leaping onto the Fudi Demon’s shoulder.

The Fudi Demon was trapped. With a pained expression, he activated the Disguise Talisman, transforming into Ye Qingtang’s likeness, and reluctantly climbed into the bridal sedan chair.

He was going to fulfill his dream.

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