The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 55

Although the incident primarily affected Ruan Ning herself, being suddenly showered with concern from both individuals made her feel unexpectedly guilty.

She forced an awkward smile and offered an apologetic chuckle. “Ten years ago, I came ashore to play and saw a little girl drowning. I tried to channel my internal energy to sustain her, but I realized my energy couldn’t be transferred into a human body.”

“I attempted to stabilize her vitality with my inner core, planning to retrieve it once she recovered. But before I could, I encountered those demon-hunting cultivators…”

After hearing this, Yun Tai Zhenren also wore a sympathetic expression and explained to Ye Zhixia, “When I found her, she was indeed injured likely by Song Shiqi and his group.”

Moved by Ruan Ning’s kindness in saving a life at the cost of her core, Ye Zhixia softened her tone and even began brainstorming ways to help her in her mind.

She no longer dwelled on how the demon core had been lost. Instead, she crossed her arms and skeptically asked Yun Tai Zhenren, “Then why has her spiritual sea recently expanded, and her demonic power partially recovered?”

Yun Tai Zhenren pondered for a long moment before suddenly snapping her fingers, her gaze shifting mysteriously as she stared at Ye Zhixia. “Liuli Caiyun!”

The little rainbow cloud “whooshed” into view before the trio.

“Take Little Shimei out for a spin!” Yun Tai Zhenren commanded.

Assuming this was some privacy measure for whatever the elder had planned, Ye Zhixia obediently rode the cloud for a short trip.

About half an incense stick’s time later, she returned to Yun Tai Zhenren’s quarters and politely knocked before entering.

The moment she stepped inside, she found both women studying her with intense curiosity.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, puzzled.

Yun Tai Zhenren stood with her hands behind her back, facing Ye Zhixia directly. “I suspect the fluctuations in Ruan Ning’s demonic power are linked to you. Sending you away earlier was to confirm this.”

Ye Zhixia closed the door behind her and hurried forward. “And? Did you confirm it?”

Ruan Ning nodded. “The moment you left, my demonic power began fading again.”

A realization seemed to dawn on Ye Zhixia.

According to Yun Tai Zhenren, this little shimei had an incomplete soul. When the sect first found her, she couldn’t even recall her origins only that her name was Xiaxia.

Later, aside from wholeheartedly mastering martial techniques, she couldn’t retain a single word of internal cultivation methods. Despite possessing a decent water spiritual root, she couldn’t even guide qi into her body.

Moreover, when Ye Zhixia transmigrated into this body, she hadn’t inherited any of the original owner’s memories.

“Could it be?!” Her eyes widened as she stared at Ruan Ning. “The person you saved back then was me!”

Ruan Ning met her gaze but neither confirmed nor denied it, her eyes instead filled with worry and reluctance.

Yun Tai Zhenren suggested, “Let me examine your body, and we’ll know for sure.”

Ye Zhixia patted Ruan Ning’s head reassuringly. “If your core is inside me, I’ll return it to you immediately.”

Yun Tai Zhenren channeled her spiritual energy, and a faint blue light swept over Ye Zhixia from head to toe.

“Nothing?” she murmured in surprise.

She checked again, then finally confirmed, “There’s no trace of an inner core in Little Shimei’s body.”

Ruan Ning exhaled deeply in relief.

Her worried expression melted into one of contentment. “Then it seems Little Shimei simply has a unique constitution that helps restore my energy.”

Ye Zhixia suddenly glanced at the white stone pendant on her chest. Perhaps the reason she could enhance Ruan Ning’s inner energy was due to the remaining fragment of the white stone, now only one piece missing.

Yuntai Zhenren, frantic, slapped Ruan Ning on the back. “You didn’t find the inner core, yet you still look happy?”

Ruan Ning’s eyes were slightly dazed. “Whether it’s this junior sister or that little girl from back then, if their inner cores were taken out, would they be in mortal danger?”

Only then did Ye Zhixia and Yuntai Zhenren realize that Ruan Ning was simply kind-hearted by nature. Even after suffering harm herself, she was still concerned about others’ safety.

Wasn’t this far more righteous than Song Shiqi, who indiscriminately slaughtered demon clans without distinguishing right from wrong?

Yuntai Zhenren quickly explained to Ruan Ning, “In the mortal world, it might be dangerous. But in Qiyan Sect, I can channel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to try and preserve her life.”

“Based on the last time I sent you back to the sea, without your inner core, you can’t hold your breath underwater. So, you must retrieve it.”

Ruan Ning looked at Ye Zhixia again.

Now, they were grasshoppers tied to the same rope, they couldn’t act separately.

But finding the inner core wasn’t something that could be done overnight, and Ruan Ning wasn’t sure if Ye Zhixia would be willing to take the risk with her.

Ye Zhixia stood by the bed, patting Ruan Ning’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you to find it. And while we’re at it, we can bring that little girl back for treatment.”

Yuntai Zhenren nodded. “The two of you care so much for others’ lives, it seems saving you both back then was indeed fate.”

With that, he took out a few pills. “These Water-Avoiding Pills can only last two hours underwater. Use them in emergencies.”

He also handed some trauma medicine to Ye Zhixia.

Ye Zhixia had no spiritual power and was prone to external injuries. Moreover, the spiritual energy of other cultivators couldn’t be transferred into her body, so healing relied solely on these medicines.

The two took the pills and, under Yuntai Zhenren’s arrangement, moved into the same guest room.

Yuntai Zhenren said that living together day and night would help Ruan Ning’s inner energy grow.

After saying this, he even gave Ye Zhixia a meaningful glance.

Ye Zhixia lowered her gaze to the ground, hiding the smile that threatened to surface.

Meanwhile, ever since learning that Ye Zhixia was willing to accompany her to find the inner core, Ruan Ning walked so close to her that their arms brushed.

On one hand, the closer they were, the faster her inner energy recovered. On the other, she was willing to trust this junior sister from Qiyan Sect who had helped her several times.

Normally, cultivators could forgo sleep after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, simply meditating to rest. But Ye Zhixia couldn’t even draw in spiritual energy, let alone establish a foundation.

Ruan Ning, lacking an inner core, still needed sleep to replenish her energy.

Though they shared a bed, they politely slept under separate quilts.

With Yuntai Zhenren overseeing Qiyan Sect, Ruan Ning slept soundly.

However, beads of sweat formed on Ye Zhixia’s forehead. In her dream, Song Shiqi was hunting her down.

She ran desperately forward, but her legs became entangled in the weeds Song Shiqi summoned, causing her to fall.

Song Shiqi, now beside her, unleashed his oppressive aura again, rendering her immobile.

She could only raise her hands in surrender.

With a cruel smile, Song Shiqi lifted his sword and thrust it toward her.

Ye Zhixia woke with a start, her breathing ragged and her heart pounding.

Only when she recognized the room’s furnishings in the moonlight did she realize it had all been a dream.

When she tried to move, she realized she was still frozen in the same position from her dream utterly unable to budge.

Shifting her gaze toward the bed, she finally saw the reason: Ruan Ning was an incredibly restless sleeper!

Ruan Ning slept on Ye Zhixia’s left side. In her sleep, she had kicked her own blanket to the foot of the bed and burrowed into Ye Zhixia’s covers instead.

Ruan Ning lay on her side, facing Ye Zhixia, her left leg slipping beneath Ye Zhixia’s left thigh and resting atop her right leg.

Ye Zhixia’s arms were raised, while Ruan Ning’s left arm stretched straight out, pressing firmly against both of Ye Zhixia’s wrists near her neck.

Their entangled posture resembled two wrestlers locked in a hold, leaving Ye Zhixia completely immobilized.

Ruan Ning’s warm breath brushed against Ye Zhixia’s shoulder, lulling her deeper into drowsiness. She had intended to turn over, but before she could, she drifted back into sleep.

In her new dream, she was still lying motionless on the ground, but now the scene had shifted to a sunlit meadow, bathed in golden warmth.

Two fuzzy caterpillars crawled along the inside of her arm, tickling her skin. She wanted to brush them off with her other hand, but she still couldn’t move.

The next morning, Ye Zhixia awoke groggily to find Ruan Ning already dressed and waiting for her in the room.

She hurried to get up, only to wince at the soreness in her muscles. Instinctively, she rubbed the back of her neck.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well last night?” Ruan Ning asked with concern.

Ye Zhixia: “…No, I slept fine. Just still a little tired.”

Ruan Ning grinned teasingly. “Lazybones.”

Ye Zhixia thought of how Ruan Ning had sprawled all over her in the night and couldn’t help but chuckle.

They agreed that their first stop would be the place where Ruan Ning had first encountered the little girl.

A decade had passed since then, the girl would surely be grown by now. But with no other leads, they had to start from where they had first met.

For the first leg of their journey, Ye Zhixia carried Ruan Ning swiftly away on a shimmering rainbow cloud. Master Yuntai had even cast a temporary concealment barrier over the cloud to mask their presence.

Once they reached a relatively safe distance, they descended to the ground.

Their landing spot was a town still some distance from the coast.

Several fishing villages dotted the shoreline, and they would need to inquire in each one. This town happened to be conveniently located near all of them.

Ye Zhixia was tall and lean, her hair tied high in a ponytail. Sharp eyes framed by sword-like brows gave her a striking presence, and years of martial training had broadened her shoulders and back.

Ruan Ning, aiming for discretion, had disguised herself as a peasant woman.

When they stepped into a tavern, a waiter eagerly greeted them. “You two look new here visiting Qinlin Town for leisure?”

Ye Zhixia nodded graciously, offering a polite smile. “Would you kindly recommend some dishes for us?”

Impressed by her dignified bearing, the waiter quickly seated them by the window.

Before long, a server brought their food.

Ruan Ning, ever observant, noticed the odd glances the staff kept giving them. She beckoned the waiter over and asked, “Is there something unusual about our appearance or behavior?”

The waiter hesitated before covering his mouth and whispering, “If what I say frightens you, Madam, I hope you and your companion won’t hold it against me.”

Ye Zhixia waved a hand dismissively. “Speak freely.”

The waiter finally felt at ease to speak up: “Lately, in Qinlin Town, there have been frequent disappearances of young people. Since you two are new here and unfamiliar with the area, it’s best to be careful.”

The two exchanged glances before Ye Zhixia looked at the waiter with confusion and asked, “Disappearances of young people?”

The waiter leaned in closer and lowered his voice: “Every word I say is true! The lady is as beautiful as a flower, so the hero must protect her well.”

Hearing the terms “hero” and “lady,” the two felt a bit awkward but didn’t know how to address it.

Ruan Ning didn’t want to dwell on such trivialities and quickly thanked the waiter: “Thank you for the warning. We’ll definitely look out for each other.”

Seeing that they had taken his words to heart, the waiter exchanged a few polite words before turning to leave.

“Did they order wine? Why is the hero’s face so red?” the waiter muttered to himself on his way back to the kitchen.

Just as Ruan Ning picked up her chopsticks, the day’s main event at the tavern began.

In the center of the hall, a makeshift stage had been assembled from several tables, and the storyteller leaped nimbly to stand atop it.

The storyteller appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, yet her expression was solemn and composed.

Before she could even speak, a chatty patron below teased, “Oh, Xiao Guizi, have you graduated already?”

Xiao Guizi didn’t have a storyteller’s clapper but instead held a pair of large, round cymbals.

Ruan Ning: ?

“Clang!” The sound rang out.

Ye Zhixia instinctively reached out to cover Ruan Ning’s ears, afraid the noise might startle her.

Xiao Guizi opened with a bold statement: “How dare that Huang brat spout such nonsense! Today, he’d better watch out for the big yellow dog at his doorstep!”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Then, her tone turned serious.

“Today, all of you esteemed guests have gathered here such is fate.”

“Yesterday, Old Lady Gui mentioned that beyond ten miles east of the city lies Danyun Village, near the Abyss of Ten Thousand Realms. Once abandoned and overgrown with weeds…”

“Yet for the past five hundred years, the Abyss of Ten Thousand Realms has remained peaceful, and Danyun Village has transformed from barren land into a place of lush mountains, clear waters, and fertile soil.”

“Seeing this, the people agreed to settle there, turning Danyun Village into a secluded paradise.”

“Clang!” The cymbals sounded again as her voice gradually rose.

“But the world is unpredictable. Five years ago, a group of mysterious cultivators arrived in Danyun Village. Since then, the village has become a one-way passage people enter but never leave, cutting off all contact with the outside world. Some speculate it may have become a living hell!”

“Recently, there have been occasional disappearances in the city, and on dark, windy nights, eerie howls can be heard coming from Danyun Village.”

“In my opinion, it’s the incompetence of the authorities, allowing those evil cultivators to wreak havoc!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the innkeeper hurried over, pulling Xiao Guizi off the stage with a worried expression. “My dear ancestor, didn’t we agree not to criticize the authorities? How am I supposed to keep this little shop running?”

…

Ye Zhixia quickly finished the food in her bowl, then leaned closer to Ruan Ning and whispered, “East of the city happens to be the direction toward the coast. Why don’t we start our investigation there?”

Ruan Ning guessed that Ye Zhixia wanted to look into the situation in Danyun Village and agreed, “Sure.”

Then she suggested, “Should we gather more information now?”

Ye Zhixia lowered her eyes gently, bringing her face close to Ruan Ning’s ear as she asked, “If Danyun Village is a one-way passage, where would the information come from?”

The innkeeper, watching the two whisper intimately from behind the counter, became even more convinced that his earlier address of “hero” and “madam” had been correct.

In his mind, he began weaving a tale of a wandering swordsman who, venturing through the mortal world, had been captivated by a simple peasant woman and fallen deeply in love.

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