The Villain Recognizes the Female Lead as His Master [Transmigration] - Chapter 15.1

Outside the window, the night was as tranquil as water. The bright moonlight spilled over the earth, adding a layer of hazy beauty. In the courtyard of Taoyuan, two rows of kapok trees stood tall. It was the peak of their blooming season, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of the flowers into the room, where it lingered on the hems of the occupants’ robes.

Inside, Yuan Shao gazed at the young girl before her, whose fiery red dress mirrored the vibrant petals outside, creating an illusion that the very air had grown warmer.

It was then that she noticed the room had been filled with many new items quilts, pillows.

It seemed her little disciple truly intended to stay. Realizing this, a flicker of joy stirred within Yuan Shao. The long, lonely nights would no longer be spent listening to the wind outside to pass the time.

This… seemed rather nice.

Just as she was about to respond to Chi Jinnian’s question, the girl lowered her head and spoke first: “Shizun, I won’t disturb your rest. Don’t worry, I brought my own bedding. I’ll sleep on the floor. Could you… could you not send me away?”

Sleep on the floor? Yuan Shao’s heart twinged. Wouldn’t she catch a chill?

“I’m not trying to send you away,” Yuan Shao said, tucking a loose strand of Chi Jinnian’s hair behind her ear. “I just”

Before she could finish, Chi Jinnian perked up with excitement. “Really?! I can stay?! Thank you, Shizun! Don’t worry, I won’t take your bed!”

With that, she promptly laid out her bedding on the floor beside the bed.

Yuan Shao watched her little disciple’s cheerful demeanor and thought perhaps she didn’t want to be too close. Still, since everything in the room had been arranged by her, if anyone should sleep on the floor, it ought to be the master, not the disciple.

She moved closer to Chi Jinnian and casually remarked, “The floor… isn’t it cold?” You don’t have to sleep there.

“Not at all!” Chi Jinnian pulled out two more layers of bedding. “It’s summer, and I brought three quilts. Shizun, don’t worry about me.”

“Oh.” Yuan Shao watched as Chi Jinnian finished spreading all three quilts and began adjusting her pillow. She spoke again, “A young girl sleeping on the floor… won’t you catch cold?” The bed is spacious enough.

“Shizun, really, this is already much better. I used to sleep on chairs when I worked overtime!”

The moment the words left her mouth, Chi Jinnian realized her mistake. Before Yuan Shao could react, she quickly changed the subject. “But Shizun, there is something I’d like to ask of you.”

She pulled out a thin red cord from her sleeve. “Shizun, I get scared easily at night and often have nightmares. Could you tie the other end of this cord around your wrist? Knowing someone is on the other end will help me feel at ease, and maybe I’ll have sweet dreams.”

In truth, Chi Jinnian was afraid that Wei Yang’s men might come under cover of darkness to harm Yuan Shao. The cord, according to the shopkeeper of Yihui Hall, was made of ice-silk, unbreakable and fireproof. If anyone did come at night, she would be alerted immediately.

At this moment, Yuan Shao felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. Through their time together, she could tell that A’Nian was a timid person. She didn’t dare to dwell too deeply on how the young girl had spent all those nights during their years at the sect. Without a word, Yuan Shao rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair left wrist, and gestured for Chi Jinnian to tie the ribbon around it.

And so, master and disciple settled down for the night, one above and one below.

That night, Chi Jinnian lay staring at the dark ceiling beams, carefully piecing together the recent events of the plot.

Earlier, when she had told Wei Yang about outsiders appearing near the Water Mirror, it wasn’t baseless. The Water Mirror was a mysterious place within the demon realm. Legend had it that a formidable serpent resided there. This serpent was originally the Black Tortoise of the heavens, but after violating celestial laws, it was stripped of its divine powers, transformed into a snake, and banished to the mortal realm, ending up in the demon world. To protect itself, it created its own domain within the Water Mirror.

That giant serpent, once a divine beast of the Ninth Heaven a century ago, still possessed a gallbladder that was an exceptional elixir, even in its fallen state. However, due to the serpent’s immense power, no one had ever succeeded in retrieving it over the years.

In the original story, Yuan Shao had accidentally stumbled into the Water Mirror, encountered the serpent, and engaged in a fierce battle. Having lost all her magical abilities, Yuan Shao was no match for it. At the critical moment, the male lead, Su Tingxi, appeared. Together, they defeated the serpent, extracted its gallbladder, and restored a significant portion of Yuan Shao’s powers.

From then on, the male and female leads reunited, embarking on a sweet and thrilling journey of leveling up and battling monsters as a couple.

By Chi Jinnian’s calculations, Su Tingxi should have arrived near the Water Mirror by now. Earlier, she had deliberately leaked this information to Wei Yang, hoping he would guide the male lead into the Water Mirror sooner. Then, she would bring Yuan Shao there as well. Once the leads reunited and Su Tingxi took Yuan Shao back to the Upper Cultivation Realm, her mission would be complete. She could retreat and return to her peaceful life in the demon realm.

On the other hand, if Yuan Shao remained with her in the demon realm, it wouldn’t just hinder her cultivation, it would derail the entire plot.

This way, she was stepping aside for the male lead while also facilitating their reunion. As for the female lead, she had protected her for so long and was now personally delivering her to the male lead. By any measure, this counted as a virtuous deed. Given Yuan Shao’s compassionate nature in the original story, she might just spare her life when the finale arrived right?

At this thought, Chi Jinnian irritably turned over. What a mess this was!

But the movement seemed to wake Yuan Shao beside her.

“Is the ground too hard? Or is something troubling you?” Yuan Shao asked.

“Did I disturb you, Master? I’m sorry, I’ll be quieter.”

“What’s on your mind? Can you tell me?” Yuan Shao turned to face her disciple, though the latter had her back to her now.

“Master, I, I want to go somewhere. Will you come with me?” Chi Jinnian traced circles on the bedding with her finger, pondering how to explain the Water Mirror to Yuan Shao.

But Yuan Shao didn’t even ask where she simply replied, “Alright.”

“?” The immediate agreement startled Chi Jinnian into sitting upright, meeting Yuan Shao’s gaze. The faint moonlight from outside the window reflected in her eyes, making them glow softly.

“Master, aren’t you going to ask where we’re going?”

“Why ask? If you want to go, you must have your reasons. If you don’t say, I won’t ask. If you want to tell me, I need not ask.” Yuan Shao replied without hesitation.

Her eyes were bright, too bright for Chi Jinnian to meet directly. So she lay back down, returning to her position with her back turned.

Not long after, Chi Jinnian spoke again, “Master, there’s something I want to ask you.”