The Villain Recognizes the Female Lead as His Master [Transmigration] - Chapter 14

Yuan Shao’s sudden fainting spell gave Chi Jinnian quite a fright. Fortunately, she reacted swiftly, preventing the other from hitting the ground.

She glanced down at her fingertips no, she hadn’t used any knockout powder. Could it be that Yuan Shao… was also allergic to pollen?

Chi Jinnian quickly summoned a physician to confirm that Yuan Shao was unharmed before feeling at ease. However, even the physician couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for the sudden collapse, suggesting it might simply be exhaustion. After leaving some calming remedies, the physician departed.

Too tired? Could it be from overexertion in cultivation?

This was, after all, the demon realm unlike the immortal-rich Upper Cultivation Realm, where spiritual energy abounded. Here, the air was thick with demonic energy, making cultivation far more arduous.

Looking at Yuan Shao’s pallid complexion, her once-rosy face now only bore a faint trace of color on her lips, thanks to the rouge. Ah, it must be difficult for her to endure this demonic miasma without losing her mind, it was already impressive she hadn’t succumbed to qi deviation!

At present, not only was Wei Yang keeping a close watch on them, but even Huang Er had come sniffing around, lurking near the demon realm day after day.

It seemed the sooner she could send Yuan Shao back to the Upper Cultivation Realm, the better.

Wei Yang, having been showered with pollen and rouge, now had bloodshot eyes and skin covered in angry red scratches. It wasn’t until evening that the irritation slightly subsided. But by then, his face was in no state to be seen, forcing him to cover it with a black cloth to hide his disfigured appearance.

Gritting his teeth in fury, Wei Yang mentally added another tally to Chi Jinnian’s list of offenses.

Yet he wasn’t in a hurry. After all, his goal was Yuan Shao’s golden core. With her currently devoid of spiritual power, reforming a new core wouldn’t be an easy feat.

One thing Chi Jinnian had been right about, there was indeed an outsider’s presence near the demonic water mirror. Since Yuan Shao’s situation couldn’t be rushed, he might as well deal with the intruder first.

In any case, without her powers, Yuan Shao wouldn’t get far.

Even if Chi Jinnian kept a vigilant watch over her day and night, there would inevitably be moments of oversight. When that time came, he’d seize the opportunity to present Yuan Shao directly to the Demon Lord, then all the glory and acclaim would still be his.

The thought made Wei Yang smirk involuntarily, but the movement tugged at his wounded skin, sending sharp jolts of pain through his face.

Chi Jinnian, don’t think just because you’re the young mistress that I can’t touch you. Just you wait sooner or later, you’ll fall into my hands!

With his rage burning unchecked, Wei Yang gathered his men overnight and headed toward the water mirror to investigate the intruder’s origins.

As dusk settled over the sky, Yuan Shao finally stirred awake.

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a lone lantern burning on the pearwood table. Beside its flickering flame sat a woman in fiery red robes, motionless. Bathed in the solitary glow, she seemed tinged with melancholy.

Yuan Shao moved quietly, stepping closer.

Her little disciple had fallen asleep while sitting there. The cosmetics on the table had been cleared away, replaced by a still-warm food box and an additional brocade case. Opening it, she found two medicinal pills inside, just like the ones her disciple always brought to aid her cultivation, exuding a faint bitterness.

It seemed her little disciple had gone out again to procure these things for her. Chi Jinnian rested her cheek on one hand, her thick lashes casting long shadows under the candlelight.

Yuan Shao fetched a robe to drape over her shoulders, but the moment the fabric touched her, those closed eyes snapped open.

“Master,” Chi Jinnian rubbed her eyes. “It’s already dark, you’ve finally woken up.”

Chi Jinnian pulled out a chair for Yuan Shao and poured her a cup of tea. “Master, what happened? Why did you suddenly faint? The physician came but couldn’t find anything wrong. Are you feeling unwell?”

“I don’t know either,” Yuan Shao tried to recall the moments before she fainted but couldn’t remember anything. “I just felt that the sensation of you touching my lips was… familiar.”

Familiar? How could that be? Chi Jinnian thought back to the last time she had touched Yuan Shao’s lips, and suddenly a terrifying image flashed in her mind the Heart-Losing Pill.

The original Chi Jinnian had forced Yuan Shao to take it, and now she was doing everything she could to retrieve the pill.

A pang of dread shot through Chi Jinnian’s heart, and she quickly tried to change the subject.

“Master, I just had food brought in it’s still warm. You’ve been asleep all day; you must be starving.”

Yuan Shao watched as Chi Jinnian opened the food box and laid out the dishes one by one. Among them was a plate of taro puff pastries, which Chi Jinnian deliberately placed closest to her.

Last time at the teahouse, her little disciple’s attentiveness had made Yuan Shao’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. To avoid meeting her gaze, Yuan Shao had buried herself in the snacks, thinking that keeping her head down would hide her flushed face. The taro puffs happened to be within easy reach, so she had eaten a couple more to buy time.

Who would have thought her disciple would mistake it for a preference? Today, she had gone out of her way to find them again. The red circular stamp on the pastries told Yuan Shao they were from the same teahouse.

How thoughtful.

So today, Yuan Shao ate several more pieces of the taro puffs.

The pastries were made by mashing taro into a paste, wrapping it in a dough mixed with milk, and frying it until golden. They were sweet, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Yuan Shao had long since transcended the need for food. Even though she had lost her memories, she didn’t think she would enjoy something so sweet she seemed to prefer lighter flavors.

But now, looking into her little disciple’s sparkling eyes, she found herself thinking for the first time that sweetness… wasn’t so bad.

By the time they finished eating, night had fully fallen. Chi Jinnian poured Yuan Shao another cup of tea, then took out a medicine bowl from an ornate box. She dissolved the contents in water and handed it to Yuan Shao. “Master, this is good for cultivation. They say taking it is equivalent to a year’s worth of spiritual power. Try it!”

Yuan Shao took the dark liquid and drank it in one go. Though it tasted slightly bitter, she immediately felt her spiritual energy surge. “You needn’t trouble yourself with these things in the future. Such elixirs must be rare and hard to come by.”

Chi Jinnian didn’t respond. Instead, she magically produced a piece of pomelo candy and popped it into Yuan Shao’s mouth before smiling. “It’s my duty as your disciple.”

What did it matter? Compared to the Jade-Green Pill, these elixirs were just a drop in the bucket. Earlier, when Chi Jinnian had returned to the Demon Palace, she had discreetly inquired about the Jade-Green Pill’s whereabouts, but still found nothing. As expected, her father, the Demon Lord, was keeping such a treasure tightly guarded. Most likely, only he knew its exact location.

In the original story, during the final battle, the Demon Lord and Yuan Shao clashed, and the Jade-Green Pill fell out. By sheer chance, Yuan Shao consumed it, instantly amplifying her power and allowing her to defeat all the antagonists in one fell swoop.

But Chi Jinnian didn’t want to wait until the grand finale. After all, these were Yuan Shao’s belongings, and delivering them ahead of time would earn her an extra favor.

It seemed the matter of the Ningbi Dan would require further deliberation.

After finishing her meal and taking her medicine, Yuan Shao glanced at the sky outside, thinking her little disciple might be leaving again soon.

As the sweet tang of pomelo candy spread across her tongue, Yuan Shao found herself harboring a selfish thought. It would be nice if her little disciple could stay by her side forever. She wouldn’t have to be alone anymore, passing the time solely through cultivation.

However, earlier at the door, she had overheard that her disciple’s family didn’t approve of her as a mentor. Forcing her to stay would only cause unnecessary trouble. Yuan Shao couldn’t do that.

Instead, she needed to give her little disciple an easy way out, so she wouldn’t feel pressured.

“A-Nian.” Since they had met, Yuan Shao rarely called Chi Jinnian by her full name, this might even be the first time. “It’s getting late. If you wait much longer, the journey back might be difficult.”

Chi Jinnian held the teacup in her hand, making no move to set it down. The small cup spun in circles in her palm as she lowered her gaze and murmured softly, “Shizun, I don’t want to leave today.”

Earlier, Chi Jinnian had already instructed Caiwei to bring over her daily necessities. She knew that once Wei Yang discovered Yuan Shao was in the demon realm, it would only be a matter of time before he found them, even if they moved. But as the young mistress of the demon realm, Wei Yang wouldn’t dare act recklessly for now. If she weren’t around, however, things might be different.

So, until Yuan Shao returned to the Upper Cultivation Realm, Chi Jinnian had to stay by her side at all times to protect her.

“Hmm?” Yuan Shao thought she had misheard.

“I said ” Chi Jinnian lifted her face, her eyes shimmering as she gently tugged on Yuan Shao’s sleeve, her voice soft and pleading. “Shizun, I don’t want to leave tonight.”

“I want to stay. May I?”