The Vicious Female Supporting Character and The Sadistic Heroine Got Together [Through the Book] - Chapter 41

Tang Suan’s face lit up when she saw Cang Qinglan preparing to unleash her ultimate move.

Watching Cang Qinglan across the battlefield, about to summon the Blood Butterflies, Tang Suan thought to herself, Is this finally it? All this waiting hasn’t been in vain.

Cang Qinglan glared at Tang Suan, her eyes burning with battle spirit. She pressed her right thumb to her lips and bit down hard, drawing a rush of blood.

Cang Qinglan dropped to one knee, her blood-soaked hand moving across the ground in a rapid, swirling motion. In moments, a crimson summoning array materialized beneath her.

So it’s drawn with blood, Tang Suan mused inwardly. Makes sense, though. How else would you summon Blood Butterflies?

In truth, Cang Qinglan had never needed to draw a summoning array before. A simple blow on her specially crafted bone whistle would bring countless Blood Butterflies fluttering to her side.

But tonight, she was determined to fight Tang Suan to the bitter end.

Soon, a buzzing filled the air. Tang Suan looked up to see a swarm of Blood Butterflies darkening the sky, their wings beating as they converged on Cang Qinglan.

Cang Qinglan, who had been gesturing with her hands, snapped her eyes open and fixed her gaze on Tang Suan. Her voice rang out clearly, “Pavilion Master, prepare to face my attack!”

Tang Suan smiled, offering no reply.

The swarm of Blood Butterflies circled Cang Qinglan, poised to strike at her command with lightning speed.

Lately, Shen Chou had been bored out of her mind at Li Changsheng’s residence.

Just as Li Changsheng was away from the estate, and the weather was perfect for an outing, Shen Chou seized the opportunity. She slipped out unnoticed while the servants were distracted.

Little did she know, her escape would lead her straight into the middle of a major gossip event. After wandering around for a while, Shen Chou was about to head back when she unexpectedly ran into Li Changsheng on the road.

This has really lifted my spirits. I should make it a habit to get out more often, Shen Chou thought to herself as she walked.

She had just looked up when she spotted a familiar figure.

Li Changsheng? What’s he doing here? Oh no, is he looking for me? What should I do now? Shen Chou was about to duck into hiding when she realized Li Changsheng didn’t seem to have noticed her.

Huh, he doesn’t seem to see me? Shen Chou cautiously peeked out from behind a wall, her hands gripping the brick, and watched Li Changsheng walk alone deeper into the alley.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Chou decided to follow him discreetly.

She had just reached the corner when she heard a woman’s voice, startling her into hiding again.

Listening closely, Shen Chou recognized the voice. Tilting her head thoughtfully, she realized it was none other than Tang Yi’s.

Tang Yi? What was she doing here? Shouldn’t she be at the General’s Residence? Wait, when did she start associating with Li Changsheng?

Shen Chou gradually realized she had stumbled upon something significant. Driven by intense curiosity, she continued eavesdropping.

Seeing Li Changsheng arrive as promised, Tang Yi said shyly, “Your… Your Highness, you’ve come.”

“Mm,” Li Changsheng replied.

Li Changsheng’s attitude is so perfunctory, Shen Chou couldn’t help but think.

She recalled how Li Changsheng had spoken so eloquently and passionately in her presence, then compared it to his current terse demeanor toward Tang Yi. Anyone who saw this would say the contrast is truly stark.

Before Shen Chou could finish her mental rant, she heard Tang Yi, her face flushed, say, “Your Highness, you promised me that if I helped you frame Tang Suan and get her demoted, you would take me as your Secondary Consort. Do you remember?”

The moment these words left Tang Yi’s lips, Shen Chou was stunned.

So that’s it! I knew it! You two really did conspire to frame A-Suan and get her demoted! Hearing this, Shen Chou’s expression immediately turned indignant.

If not for her lingering reservations, she would have rushed forward to give Tang Yi a piece of her mind right then and there.

What Shen Chou hadn’t anticipated was that Li Changsheng’s bargaining chip to secure Tang Yi’s cooperation was the position of Secondary Consort.

Yet, upon reflection, it made perfect sense. In the original novel, Tang Yi had been as hopelessly devoted to Li Changsheng as the original Shen Chou, willingly becoming his blade and committing countless atrocities for him. Driven by jealousy toward Tang Suan, she had relentlessly tormented and framed her, seizing everything Tang Suan possessed.

The more Shen Chou thought about it, the angrier she became. Staring at Li Changsheng’s retreating figure, she felt an overwhelming urge to spit at him and demand, “What makes you so special?”

What merit did Li Changsheng possess to deserve the devotion of so many, who would willingly walk through fire for him? Yet he remained oblivious to their sacrifices, his heart consumed solely by his ambition for the throne. Truly, he was both heartless and detestable.

This time, Li Changsheng finally turned to face Tang Yi. But his first words were utterly unexpected: “When did I ever say any of this to you?”

Tang Yi froze in shock.

Before she could react, Li Changsheng continued with a smile, uttering the cruelest words: “And who are you to presume to discuss matters of state with me?”

At that moment, only two words remained in Shen Chou’s mind: Holy shit! She exclaimed inwardly, What a bastard! What a bastard! Li Changsheng is the very definition of someone who turns on you without a second thought.

Tang Yi’s tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, “Did you forget what you promised? You said you’d marry me as your Secondary Consort once everything was done! How could you forget?!”

Li Changsheng glared at her, his eyes wide with fury. “Are you deaf? I said I don’t remember! Can’t you understand that?”

With that, he turned to leave. Shen Chou, terrified, quickly spun around and pressed herself against the wall.

Seeing Li Changsheng about to leave, Tang Yi rushed forward and grabbed his hand, trying to stop him.

“No! You did promise!” Tang Yi insisted. “You may not remember, but I do. Li Changsheng, if you refuse to marry me, then we’ll both go down together. I’ll ruin your reputation, and you won’t escape unscathed either!”

Li Changsheng turned back, his face twisted into a menacing sneer. “Is that so?”

Watching this, Shen Chou suddenly felt a chill of fear. Would Li Changsheng kill Tang Yi in his rage?

Not that she genuinely cared about Tang Yi’s safety. Her real concern was that Tang Yi’s death would eliminate a crucial witness needed to bring Li Changsheng down.

I wonder how Tang Suan is doing now? According to the System, she should have become the Pavilion Master of Cloudwind Pavilion by now.

Shen Chou suddenly thought of Tang Suan. If she could report this situation to Tang Suan, it might prove immensely helpful to her.

If she could obtain evidence of Li Changsheng and Tang Yi’s conspiracy to frame Tang Suan, leading to her demotion, she might be able to bring Tang Suan back sooner.

Even if Tang Suan couldn’t return immediately, Shen Chou could act as an inside agent, relaying intelligence to her. This would help prepare for Li Changsheng’s downfall. The more Shen Chou thought about it, the happier she became.

“Impossible! Impossible! This can’t be happening!”

Cang Qinglan watched in disbelief as the Blood Butterflies fell from the sky like crimson maple leaves, instantly disintegrating into ash. Her eyes widened in shock.

“What’s so impossible about it?” Tang Suan asked coldly, pointing her longsword at Cang Qinglan. “I’ve won!”

“I don’t believe it! I haven’t lost! I can still continue the duel!” Cang Qinglan shrieked hysterically, repeatedly performing ancient, mystical hand gestures.

But no matter how many times she tried, it was futile. The moment the Blood Butterflies materialized, they were consumed by flames.

Cang Qinglan completely broke down. “What did you do?” she demanded, her voice cracking. “Why is this happening?”

“Nothing special,” Tang Suan replied. “As you can see, you’ve lost.”

Cang Qinglan suddenly recanted. “No! I’ll never admit defeat unless you tell me what you did!”

“Fine,” Tang Suan said, shrugging helplessly. Turning to Cang Qinglan, she added, “Since you’re so eager to know, come with me.”

The two women entered the hall before the assembled crowd.

Just inside the hall, after only a few steps, Cang Qinglan stopped and called out to Tang Suan’s retreating figure, “Can you tell me now?”

“Patience,” Tang Suan replied, waving her sleeve as she settled into a seat.

She realized Cang Qinglan was fiercely competitive, driven by an insatiable desire to win. But such people were the easiest to manipulate.

Seeing Tang Suan lounging comfortably, Cang Qinglan frowned. “Stop playing coy and just tell me!”

“Your Blood Butterflies are indestructible by ordinary flames,” Tang Suan explained. “Do you know why I could burn them? Because I didn’t use ordinary fire. Your Blood Butterflies are indeed formidable, which is why ordinary flames couldn’t harm them. So I had to use something else.”

“What kind of fire did you use?” Cang Qinglan pressed urgently.

Tang Suan countered, “Do you really think I’d tell you? So you can devise countermeasures against me later?”

Cang Qinglan fell silent. Tang Suan was right; she desperately wanted to know what kind of fire Tang Suan had used so she could modify the Blood Butterfly to overcome its fear of her flames.

Seeing Cang Qinglan’s downcast expression, Tang Suan suddenly changed her tone. “Actually, telling you wouldn’t hurt…”

At the mention of a game, Cang Qinglan immediately perked up, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as she fixed her gaze on Tang Suan.

Tang Suan continued, “As I said before, ordinary flames are useless against your Blood Butterfly. But other, more specialized fires might work.”

With a snap of her fingers, a cluster of blue-purple flames danced around her fingertips.

She looked at Cang Qinglan, who was watching her intently. “But this flame… this one would work. Do you know what it is?”

Cang Qinglan shook her head. She had never seen such a flame before.

Tang Suan explained, “Of course you wouldn’t know. This is the fire within my body—my Natal Flame. Have you heard of the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth? According to these elements, people can possess different constitutions. My power belongs to Fire.”

After hearing Tang Suan’s explanation, Cang Qinglan said, “Pavilion Master, I’ve lost, and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. From this day forward, Cloudwind Pavilion will have only one Pavilion Master—you, Pavilion Master!”

Hearing this, Tang Suan extinguished the flame and nodded in satisfaction. She turned to Cang Qinglan and said, “Once they enter, repeat those words to them as well.”

Cang Qinglan replied, “Yes, Pavilion Master.”

Tang Suan turned her back to Cang Qinglan, a sly smile playing on her lips.

In truth, there was no such thing as a Natal Flame. She wasn’t some demon-slaying immortal from a fantasy novel; it was merely a trick to deceive Cang Qinglan.

She would never reveal to Cang Qinglan how she had truly defeated her Blood Butterfly.

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