The Vicious Female Supporting Character and The Sadistic Heroine Got Together [Through the Book] - Chapter 40

Cloudwind Pavilion:

In the dimly lit hall, Tang Suan reclined languidly on a long couch, feigning sleep. She wore a black and crimson robe, her dark hair styled into an elegant bun secured with a silver hairpin, exuding an air of noble, icy detachment. Her eyes remained tightly shut, one hand propping up her head.

“Get in here!” Mudan, clad in a scarlet robe and wielding a longsword, shoved the woman forward.

Trailing behind Mudan was Qiuzhi, similarly dressed in black and carrying a longsword, her gaze icy as she watched the woman being dragged in.

“Don’t touch me! I can walk myself!” the woman snarled, glaring at Mudan.

“Then hurry up and move!” Mudan retorted. “You’ve defied your superior and shown no remorse. Just wait and see how the Pavilion Master punishes you!”

“How have I defied my superior?” the woman retorted. “I merely spoke the truth. Tang Suan doesn’t deserve this position. A wild girl who appeared out of nowhere? What right does she have to be Pavilion Master?”

This time, Mudan didn’t reply. She simply stared pointedly behind the woman.

Sensing Mudan’s gaze, the woman instinctively glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes met Tang Suan’s, now wide open, and her legs buckled in terror. She immediately dropped to her knees, begging for mercy.

The woman kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, “Pavilion Master, I was wrong! I’ll never dare to do it again…”

Mudan scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “Begging for mercy already? I thought you’d keep up your stubborn act. If I’d known you’d crumble so easily, who was it badmouthing the Pavilion Master just now?”

Tang Suan glanced at the trembling woman kneeling on the ground before turning to Mudan. “What happened here?”

Mudan quickly bowed to Tang Suan before pointing at the woman. “Pavilion Master, this audacious wretch dared to slander you, claiming your position is illegitimate and that you’re unworthy to lead Cloudwind Pavilion. She even insisted her mistress is the true master of the pavilion.”

“Who is her mistress?” Tang Suan asked.

“Second Pavilion Master Cang Qinglan,” Qiuzhi replied, finally breaking her silence.

Tang Suan paused, surprised. “Is that so?”

Whether it was their collective imagination or not, the woman visibly shuddered at the mention of Cang Qinglan’s name, as if deeply frightened.

Tang Suan rose and walked to stand before the kneeling woman, looking down at her. “Raise your head.”

The woman obediently raised her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly. It was clear she was terrified.

Tang Suan smiled gently and asked, “I don’t believe we’ve ever met. Why were you cursing me behind my back?”

The woman pressed her lips into a tight line, biting down on them. Suddenly, she spat out fiercely, “Because you’re not worthy of being the Cloudwind Pavilion Master!”

“Insolence!” Mudan, known for her fiery temper, slapped the woman hard across the face. “Who do you think you are, you lowly wretch, to judge the Pavilion Master’s worthiness? She’s the sole heir of the Former Pavilion Master! That alone makes her the rightful leader of the Cloudwind Pavilion!”

Tang Suan studied the woman for a few seconds, then smiled again. “Mudan is right. What right do you have to judge me? But since you refuse to acknowledge my authority, why don’t you summon your mistress? Let’s see if she thinks I’m worthy.”

The woman’s face paled at the mention of Cang Qinglan. She shook her head frantically, pleading, “No, no! I was wrong! Please don’t tell my mistress…”

Tang Suan remained unmoved, completely ignoring her pleas.

Realizing Tang Suan wouldn’t let her off, the woman steeled her resolve and attempted to bite her tongue and commit suicide. Fortunately, Mudan’s sharp eyes caught the movement in time, preventing her from succeeding.

“Pavilion Master, hurry! She’s trying to bite her tongue and kill herself!” Mudan shouted.

Hearing this, Tang Suan immediately turned around. “Stop her at once!”

At her command, Mudan and Qiuzhi worked together to pin the woman firmly to the ground.

Moments later, Cang Qinglan arrived.

As soon as she entered the hall, she saw the woman bound tightly on the floor. But she only glanced at her before continuing toward Tang Suan.

Reaching Tang Suan, Cang Qinglan bowed deeply. “Greetings, Pavilion Master!”

Tang Suan, who had been reclining lazily on a long chair, opened her eyes at the sound. Recognizing Cang Qinglan, she said slowly, “You’ve come.”

Cang Qinglan raised her head and met her gaze.

Tang Suan sat up. “Perfect timing. Did you see the person at the entrance? She’s one of yours, isn’t she?”

Cang Qinglan didn’t deny it. “Yes.”

“Do you know what she’s done?” Tang Suan asked.

Cang Qinglan hesitated before answering, “No.”

Tang Suan noticed her hesitation and a faint smile curved her lips. “Is that so? In that case, let Mudan give you a thorough account.”

Mudan, standing nearby, stepped forward. “Yes, Pavilion Master.”

Mudan quickly recounted the entire sequence of events.

After listening quietly to Mudan’s explanation, Cang Qinglan said, “Pavilion Master, I implore you to investigate thoroughly. I never instructed Qingque to do such a thing.”

Qingque… that must be the woman’s name, Tang Suan thought.

Hearing Cang Qinglan’s words, Tang Suan smiled. “I never accused you of instructing Qingque to slander me. Why are you so quick to defend yourself?”

Cang Qinglan paused, then repeated, “I still implore you, Pavilion Master, to investigate thoroughly.”

Tang Suan flicked her wide sleeves and pondered for a few seconds, tilting her head. “Here’s what we’ll do. Since Qingque believes I’m unworthy to be Pavilion Master and that you deserve the position, let’s settle this in front of everyone. We’ll duel, and the victor—the one with superior martial prowess—will be the rightful Pavilion Master of Cloudwind Pavilion.”

Cang Qinglan immediately protested, “Pavilion Master, absolutely not! This is impossible…”

Tang Suan gazed at Cang Qinglan, a cold smile playing on her lips. She claims she doesn’t want it, but deep down, she desires this more than anyone. Qingque’s outburst, followed by my command, is exactly what she wanted, isn’t it?

With a wave of her hand, Tang Suan declared, “Enough! My decision is final and will not be changed. Summon everyone here immediately!”

Before long, members of Cloudwind Pavilion began to arrive one after another. They gazed at the scene before them, murmuring in confusion, their hearts filled with bewilderment.

Tang Suan rose to her feet, standing proudly before the crowd. Her voice rang out clearly, “Everyone’s here now. Shall we begin?”

Seeing Tang Suan’s demeanor, the murmurs from the crowd grew louder. One member, gathering his courage, asked, “May we ask what has happened, Pavilion Master?”

Tang Suan glanced at him before turning her gaze to Mudan.

Mudan immediately understood the unspoken command. She stepped forward and recounted the events that had just transpired.

After she finished speaking, Tang Suan continued, “Did everyone hear that? I know many of you doubt my qualifications, believing a young girl like me isn’t fit to lead you. I’m aware that you’ve always looked to the Second Pavilion Master for guidance, hoping she would become the next Pavilion Master. Very well, then. Today, I will test my skills against the Second Pavilion Master to prove whether I truly deserve this position!”

The moment these words left her lips, nearly everyone present dismissed Tang Suan as overconfident. In their eyes, she had only recently begun learning martial arts. Even if she had mastered the legendary, peerless techniques, she couldn’t possibly have mastered them in such a short time.

Looking at Second Pavilion Master Cang Qinglan, one couldn’t help but acknowledge her mastery of Gu. A single Gu worm could make life worse than death. Even if she wouldn’t dare use Gu on the Pavilion Master, her Insect Control Art was not to be underestimated.

Everyone knew Cang Qinglan cultivated a vast swarm of Gu Butterflies, also known as Blood Butterflies. In battle, she would command these creatures to feast on her enemies’ blood.

These Blood Butterflies, driven mad by the scent of blood, were virtually indestructible—neither blade nor flame could extinguish them. Once they latched onto a target, they became like a bone-deep ulcer, corroding flesh and bone while draining their victim’s lifeblood.

After Mudan finished her explanation, Tang Suan remarked, “Is that so? If that’s truly the case, then I’m quite looking forward to it.”

The two women proceeded to the training grounds, followed by the rest of the group.

Facing Cang Qinglan, who stood opposite her adorned in silver ornaments, her silver hair flowing freely beneath a hooded cloak, Tang Suan drew her longsword and pointed it at her. “Come,” she challenged. “Show me all your techniques. Don’t hold back!”

Cang Qinglan asked, “Pavilion Master, are you truly certain about this?”

Hearing her words, Tang Suan suddenly said, “Wait, wouldn’t betting just the Pavilion Master’s position be a bit boring? How about this: if you win, I’ll cede the position to you. If I win, you give me two Gu worms?”

Cang Qinglan’s heart tightened at Tang Suan’s request for Gu worms. These were her painstakingly cultivated treasures—how could she simply hand them over?

Yet, when she considered that the Pavilion Master’s position was worth far more than a few Gu worms, her resolve wavered.

Sensing Cang Qinglan’s inner conflict, Tang Suan smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask for too much. Just one Gu worm capable of controlling people and a Concentric Gu will do!”

At these words, Cang Qinglan immediately looked up, her face etched with shock. She glanced around, but the expressions of the surrounding crowd remained unchanged, as if they hadn’t heard Tang Suan’s words.

As Cang Qinglan’s confusion deepened, Tang Suan explained, “Relax, I’m using the Sound Transmission Technique. They can’t hear our conversation.”

With that, Tang Suan soared into the air, her sword slashing toward Cang Qinglan. Cang Qinglan immediately tilted her head back and assumed a defensive stance. Even so, she was forced to retreat several steps under the relentless assault.

Tang Suan showed no mercy, seizing the opportunity to unleash a relentless barrage of attacks on Cang Qinglan. Soon, Cang Qinglan found herself cornered, forced into a defensive position.

It’s time to strike back, Cang Qinglan thought.

But before she could retaliate, Tang Suan, wielding her longsword, launched another frenzied assault.

She’s gone mad! Completely lost her mind! Cang Qinglan screamed inwardly as Tang Suan attacked with reckless abandon.

Yet this very madness presented her with an opening. Initially, Cang Qinglan had dismissed Tang Suan’s challenge as mere bravado, a momentary outburst of arrogance. She hadn’t taken the fight seriously at first, holding back her full strength, which had allowed Tang Suan to overwhelm her with her relentless attacks.

What Cang Qinglan hadn’t anticipated was Tang Suan’s increasingly diverse techniques and lightning-fast movements. She was barely able to parry, forcing her to finally unleash her full power.

Seizing a brief lull in Tang Suan’s assault, Cang Qinglan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes now burned with a dark, frenzied intensity.

Tang Suan pointed her sword at Cang Qinglan. “You still have time to concede.”

No, how could she concede? She hadn’t used her final move yet. It wasn’t over. Hearing Tang Suan’s taunt, Cang Qinglan’s eyes flashed crimson.

“I won’t concede!” she roared. “I haven’t lost yet!”

The moment her words left her lips, the ground beneath them cracked open, and the earth began to tremble violently.

Panic seized the crowd. “She’s using that move! Run!” they screamed, fleeing in terror.

As they fled, they couldn’t help but conclude that forcing Cang Qinglan to unleash her ultimate technique proved the Pavilion Master was no ordinary opponent.

But who would ultimately win?

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