Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 50

Hu Yingying advanced step by step, drawing closer.

Her shadow stretched across the floor of the dark chamber, growing larger and larger, sending a chill down Gu Sheng’s spine.

Gu Sheng had concealed herself and Hu Li in a corner using an Invisibility Array, but the Bone-Eroding Spike’s devastating wound to her soul made it increasingly difficult to maintain the array for long.

She glanced up at Hu Yingying, who was about to touch the edge of the array. Her breath caught in her throat as she prepared to forcibly activate a Teleportation Array, intending to send herself and Hu Li out of the chamber. But just then, Chen Yidong suddenly entered the room.

“Your Majesty, I just saw a dark figure heading to the second floor,” Chen Yidong reported.

Hu Yingying’s foot froze mid-step. She turned to face Chen Yidong, her voice icy as she demanded, “Why didn’t you capture them first before reporting? Are you afraid you might have let them escape?”

With that, she swiftly strode toward the exit.

Chen Yidong followed behind, explaining, “Your Majesty, the figure moved too quickly. I couldn’t catch up before they entered the second floor. Besides, you’ve forbidden anyone from entering the second floor, so I came to inform you immediately.”

*******

The second floor of the Bamboo Tower had once been the residence of the Fox Clan’s former king. Ever since Hu Yingying ascended the throne, this place had become an unspoken forbidden zone for the entire Fox Clan. No one dared to set foot here except Hu Yingying herself.

Hearing this, Hu Yingying’s lips curled slightly. She couldn’t fault Chen Yidong any further. After entering the second floor, she dismissed her with a wave of her hand. “I’ll handle this matter tonight. You may return to your duties.”

As she spoke, she cast a powerful Restriction outside the second floor, then vanished alone into the darkened corridor.

Meanwhile, Chen Yidong, who had been standing behind her, lingered for a moment to ensure Hu Yingying wouldn’t return. Satisfied, she slipped back into the hidden chamber on the third floor.

Inside, Gu Sheng had lost her grip on the Invisibility Array and lay unconscious.

Hu Li hoisted Gu Sheng onto her back, then retrieved Little Coal Ball from her Storage Bag. The little creature, now noticeably plumper, was tasked with scouting ahead for danger.

Unfortunately, Little Coal Ball, despite its perfect score in evasion, had a terrible sense of direction. It led them on a wild goose chase, circling back to the very hidden chamber they had started from.

******

Hu Li choked back her words, silently stowing Little Coal Ball back into her Storage Bag. She then turned to question the System, which had been eerily quiet lately.

To her surprise, her once-massive System had vanished from her Sea of Consciousness.

Or rather, without its Electronic Panel, the System was now completely transparent and formless within her Sea of Consciousness, leaving no trace of its presence.

“System, are you there?” Hu Li asked.

The System lay flat on its back, hands folded over its stomach, utterly devoid of motivation. “No.”

Hu Li stared in disbelief.

She wanted to poke the System and get it back to work, but its transparent form and utterly dispirited tone left her at a loss for how to proceed.

Left with no other option, she pinned her hopes on herself.

Hu Li stepped out of the dark room again, randomly chose a direction, and strode forward with renewed determination, searching for the room she had entered through the window earlier.

Before she could find the room, however, she rounded a corner and collided head-on with someone.

Chen Yidong?! Recognizing the newcomer, Hu Li immediately raised her longsword, holding it defensively before her.

Seeing this, Chen Yidong realized Hu Li had misunderstood her intentions. 

“I’m not here to capture you,” she quickly explained. “I’m here to help you escape.”

******

Hu Li raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You’re Hu Yingying’s person, and I tried to kill you earlier. Why would you be so kind?”

As she spoke, she slowly backed away, planning to slip away while Chen Yidong was distracted.

But Chen Yidong grabbed Hu Li’s hand. “This isn’t for you,” she said. “It’s for her.”

Without giving Hu Li a chance to ask more, Chen Yidong waved her sword. In a flash, the three of them vanished from the Bamboo Tower, reappearing in the Bamboo House.

In the small kitchen downstairs, Hu Si was still brewing medicine, dozing off and completely unaware of the sudden arrival of the three women in the courtyard.

Hu Li and Chen Yidong exchanged awkward glances, the silence between them thick with tension.

After a long moment, Hu Li cleared her throat and lowered her gaze. “Thank you,” she murmured.

She knew the reason Chen Yidong had injured Gu Sheng earlier. Now that the woman had helped them again, Hu Li felt a pang of guilt.

Chen Yidong hadn’t expected Hu Li to thank her. Her ears flushed slightly as she replied, embarrassed, “I was the one who hurt the Young Highness in the Bamboo Forest Maze. I was wrong to begin with and should apologize.”

*****

Hu Li lowered her head even further. “It’s not entirely your fault,” she murmured.

She knew Gu Sheng’s nature well. If Gu Sheng wanted to target Chen Yidong, there was no escape from her schemes.

In this instance, Chen Yidong had indeed been somewhat wronged.

Unaware of these hidden complexities, Chen Yidong felt a pang of guilt upon hearing Hu Li’s words.

“I acted impulsively,” she admitted, nodding slightly. “There’s no need to defend me.”

[How long will the Fox Spirit and Chen Yidong keep being so polite? She’s already seduced Su Weiyun using Gu Sheng’s identity. Is she now planning to develop a Fox Clan storyline?]

[Who’s Su Weiyun?]

[The third female lead from Great Ming Lake.]

[Li Li goes to a place, seduces a female supporting character. Is she planning to seduce all the female supporting characters in the Cultivation World?]

[Li Li is the real deal: kids choose one, she wants them all.]

[The Lecher should worship her as his master.]

[I thought the love triangle was over, but now I realize it’s just been upgraded.]

[Only Sheng Sheng can tolerate Li Li’s flirtatious nature.]

[Sheng Sheng can endure it, but if the Fox Spirit doesn’t tend to her soon, she might just kick the bucket right now.]

*******

“Kick the bucket?!” Hu Li’s heart lurched as she read the comment. “Let’s go inside,” she said to Chen Yidong, then swiftly carried Gu Sheng up the bamboo steps and into the second-floor bedroom.

In the bedroom, Hu Li gently laid Gu Sheng on the bed and carefully began removing her clothes.

The wound on Gu Sheng’s shoulder had indeed reopened, the blood soaking through her dark dress. But the dark fabric made it difficult to spot the injury at a glance.

Hu Li swiftly stripped off Gu Sheng’s dress and tossed it into a copper basin at her feet.

Next, she partially removed Gu Sheng’s inner robe, grabbed the white gauze and hemostatic medicine left by the Clan Physician from a nearby low table, and rebandaged the wound.

With the wound rebandaged, Hu Li hid the bloodstained gauze beneath the black dress in the copper basin. Then, she slowly began peeling off Gu Sheng’s bloodied inner robe.

The robe proved difficult to remove. At one point, Hu Li accidentally tugged at Gu Sheng’s wound, eliciting a muffled groan and waking her.

Gu Sheng gazed at Hu Li, who was pressed close against her, and after a moment of silence, said, “Untie the sash around my waist. It’ll be easier to take off.”

Hu Li’s hand froze on Gu Sheng’s back, her face flushing crimson in an instant. Slowly, her hand slid down, finding the sash and untying it to help Gu Sheng remove her inner robe.

Once the robe was off, Hu Li realized Chen Yidong was still present. She quickly covered Gu Sheng with a thin blanket, then swiftly retrieved a fresh inner robe from her Storage Bag and handed it to Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng put on the clean robe and lay back down on the bed.

Hu Li tucked the blanket around her, then tossed the bloodstained robe into a copper basin. Finally, she used a Blaze Spell to incinerate everything in the basin.

With these tasks completed, Hu Li sighed in relief and sat on the edge of the bed.

Beside her, Chen Yidong, who had been observing Hu Li’s seamless series of actions, finally snapped out of her daze.

“You two are very familiar with each other,” she said, her tone carrying a deeper meaning. “It seems you really are a couple.”

Gu Sheng: …

Hu Li: ?!

[Chen Yidong is so direct.]

[These two have already been to bed together. How could they not be familiar?]

[Waaah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen my two wives play! Waaah, Author, food, I’m hungry!]

[Author, food, I’m hungry!]

[Author, food, I’m hungry!]

*******

Hu Li stared at the room filled with floating comments: Author, food, hungry! Author, food, hungry! She wanted to scream, “Shut up! This isn’t something I can do alone!”

“Did I say something wrong?” Chen Yidong asked, noticing Hu Li’s sudden change in expression.

Then, she thought, Perhaps their relationship hasn’t reached the point I imagined. A secret hope bloomed within her: If that’s the case, I still have a chance.

A faint smile tugged at her lips as she indulged in her own fantasies.

Hu Li watched Chen Yidong’s shifting expressions, and for some reason, she felt like she could hear the Left Protector’s inner thoughts.

A mischievous idea sparked in her mind. “Left Protector,” she replied, “you haven’t said anything wrong.”

Chen Yidong, who had already imagined herself confessing her feelings to Gu Sheng under the moonlight, froze. What did she say? The smile vanished from her face as she processed Hu Li’s words.

Hu Li chuckled, ready to crush Chen Yidong’s hopes for Gu Sheng. But just as she was about to speak, a commotion erupted outside.

“Your Majesty, what brings you here?” Hu Si’s voice called from downstairs.

Immediately afterward, Hu Yingying’s voice rang out: “Li Li is injured. What’s wrong with me coming to check on her?”

*******

Hu Yingying had already searched the second floor of the Bamboo Tower. Hu Zhizhi’s belongings were all present, and there were no signs of anyone fleeing. She quickly realized Chen Yidong was lying.

Moreover, the entire Fox Clan knew of Chen Yidong’s feelings for Hu Li. After a moment’s reflection, Hu Yingying understood exactly who Chen Yidong was lying for.

Initially, when she learned Chen Yidong had injured Gu Sheng with the Bone-Eroding Spike, she assumed they had fallen out and planned to groom Chen Yidong as her pawn.

But now it seemed Chen Yidong’s relationship with the Fox Clan Young Highness remained strong.

Furthermore, her search of the secret chamber revealed that the Fragrant Bloom Antidote was missing, further confirming her suspicions about the pair.

Hu Yingying ascended to the second floor of the Bamboo House and strode directly into the bedroom.

Inside, the three occupants turned to look at her simultaneously, each with their own thoughts.

“Oh, the Left Protector is here too,” Hu Yingying remarked, her tone like an elder teasing a junior, though inwardly she thought, These two are definitely in cahoots.

Hearing this, Chen Yidong hastily bowed to Hu Yingying, her voice tinged with guilt as she said, “This one feels deeply remorseful for injuring the Young Highness. I came to check on her well-being.”

*******

Hu Yingying raised an eyebrow. “What a coincidence. I’ve come to check on Li Li’s injuries as well.”

As she spoke, she approached the bed and reached out to pull back Gu Sheng’s blanket.

But just as her hand was about to touch Gu Sheng, Hu Li shoved her away, stepping in front of Gu Sheng to shield her.

“Your Majesty, isn’t this a bit too intrusive?” Hu Li said coldly.

Hu Yingying stumbled slightly, taking a step back.

Then, she looked up at Hu Li, her gaze suddenly turning icy. She unleashed her oppressive aura, forcing Hu Li to kneel. “I’m concerned about my own child. What business is it of yours, outsider?”

Hu Li was, after all, the Fox Clan Young Highness, the daughter of the Former King. Hu Yingying couldn’t casually harm her in front of the Fox Clan.

But Hu Li was different—a backgroundless outsider whom she could manipulate at will.

With this thought, Hu Yingying scoffed softly at Hu Li, then sat beside Gu Sheng to examine her injuries. To her surprise, she found nothing amiss.

Moreover, the room was spotless, with no trace of blood, further indicating that Gu Sheng’s wounds hadn’t reopened.

Another crucial point: she hadn’t detected even a trace of demonic energy in the secret chamber, making it highly likely that Gu Sheng had never entered it.

*******

Finally, and most importantly, there was the Bone-Eroding Spike’s potency. Normally, a Remnant Soul struck by such a spike would be incapacitated for at least half a month.

Given these factors, Gu Sheng couldn’t possibly have stolen the antidote tonight.

Hu Yingying frowned slightly as she tucked the blanket around Gu Sheng again, then smiled. “Since Li Li is safe, I can rest easy.”

Her gaze shifted to Hu Li, kneeling nearby, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.

I almost forgot about her. If Gu Sheng hadn’t stolen the antidote, then Hu Li was the most likely culprit.

However, when Hu Yingying had released her oppressive aura earlier, she had also tested Hu Li’s Spiritual Power. The cultivator was so weak she could barely be considered one—utterly incapable of infiltrating the secret chamber.

After considering all possibilities, Hu Yingying couldn’t find any logical explanation and temporarily dismissed Hu Li as a suspect.

Having achieved her purpose, Hu Yingying exchanged a few vague pleasantries with Gu Sheng before taking her leave.

As soon as Hu Yingying departed, the three occupants of the room breathed a collective sigh of relief, believing they had weathered the storm.

Little did they know, Hu Yingying was inherently suspicious. Once she harbored doubts about one of her pawns, she would never let them off easily.

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