The Villain Recognizes the Female Lead as His Master [Transmigration] - Chapter 31.1

The first meeting between Chi Lin and Yuan Shao was extremely awkward, to say the least. It could be described as ending on bad terms.

Chi Lin did not give Yuan Shao the Ningbi Dan as promised. After downing a few cups of wine in anger, he stormed off in a huff.

Seeing this, Chi Jinnian had no choice but to escort Yuan Shao back to Taoyuan.

Throughout the journey, Yuan Shao remained mostly silent. Chi Jinnian assumed she was upset about Chi Lin’s cold treatment and didn’t dare ask further. After seeing Yuan Shao to the entrance of Taoyuan, Chi Jinnian didn’t go inside and turned to leave.

But after taking only a few steps, Yuan Shao called out to her.

“A-Nian?”

Chi Jinnian turned back and looked at her quietly. Yet when their gazes met, it was Yuan Shao who lowered her eyes first.

Hesitating for a long while, Yuan Shao finally asked, “Will you come back tonight?”

Chi Jinnian shook her head. “I shouldn’t disturb your rest, Master.”

“I see.” Yuan Shao bit her lip lightly and finally said, “It looks like it might rain. Be careful on your way back.” With that, she turned and entered Taoyuan.

The moment the gate closed, Yuan Shao leaned her back against the door, as if all her strength had been drained, and slowly slid down to the ground.

Before going, she had promised to treat her little disciple well. But now, it seemed she had made her angry.

She really was a failure as a master.

Yuan Shao was right. On the way back, the sky gradually darkened, and a cool wind rustled against Chi Jinnian’s skirt, making a soft swishing sound. As soon as she returned to the Demon Palace, she was summoned by Chi Lin.

Seated on his high throne, Chi Lin did not look pleased to see Chi Jinnian. His gloomy expression was even heavier than the dark clouds gathering overhead.

“Why did you stand in front of Yuan Shao?” Chi Lin asked. “If you had spoken up, I believe she would have taken you with her.”

“Because I didn’t want to go with her,” Chi Jinnian replied. “Father, this wasn’t part of the plan. You said all I had to do was bring her here. Why do you want me to follow her back to the Upper Cultivation Realm? Those people know who I am. What if they expose me in front of Yuan Shao? What am I supposed to do then?”

“Useless!” Chi Lin’s expression turned ferocious in an instant. He strode up to Chi Jinnian, his hand tightening around her neck as if he could crush her like a chick. He looked down on her with utter contempt. “Don’t forget who you are. You are the young mistress of the Demon Realm. How can you shrink back over such a trivial matter?”

He flung her aside. Freed, Chi Jinnian coughed repeatedly, her face flushed from lack of air. For the first time, she looked at Chi Lin with terror in her eyes. She couldn’t understand even a vicious tiger wouldn’t harm its own cub. Why would Chi Lin treat his own daughter like this?

The fear in Chi Jinnian’s eyes seemed to stir a flicker of pity in Chi Lin. He returned to his throne, stroking the dragon head carved into the armrest, and said slowly, “If you don’t follow her, how will I know when she forms her inner core? Besides, Evergreen Sect is the top faction in the Upper Cultivation Realm. If you stay by Yuan Shao’s side and relay information back to me, I can surely conquer it in one fell swoop. When the world changes hands, shouldn’t you, as the young mistress of the Demon Realm, contribute your part?”

“And what about my thoughts?” Chi Jinnian asked. “Father, the grand ambitions you speak of may be important, but have you ever considered whether I am willing? If my identity as a woman is exposed, what kind of situation would I be in? Have you ever thought about that?”

Chi Lin cast a cold glance at Chi Jinnian. “You need to understand, I am not here to discuss this with you today.”

Those words plunged Chi Jinnian’s heart into an icy abyss. For the first time, she realized that even the closest of kin could be sacrificed to achieve a goal.

Seeing Chi Jinnian stubbornly standing in place without speaking, Chi Lin softened his tone slightly. “Nian Nian, you must understand, you are my only daughter. But in matters of great importance, I have no choice but to act this way.”

He stood up to comfort her. “I was too angry earlier, and I apologize.” As his hand reached out to rest on her shoulder, Chi Jinnian took half a step back, leaving his arm hanging awkwardly in the air before he had to withdraw it sheepishly.

“You know, Nian Nian, everything I do is for your mother,” Chi Lin said. “Your mother’s cultivation technique is very similar to Yuan Shao’s. If we can seize Yuan Shao’s inner core, perhaps we can bring your mother back. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for our family of three to reunite and enjoy a harmonious life?”

A harmonious life It was a concept Chi Jinnian had rarely experienced.

Before transmigrating into this book, her father had been a police officer who sacrificed his life during a mission, becoming a martyr. Her mother had given birth to her alone and shouldered the burden of the entire family. The accumulation of years and the pressures of life had taken their toll, and her mother passed away before she could see Chi Jinnian graduate from university.

So, in Chi Jinnian’s world, she had her mother’s companionship in her youth, but later, the only thing that stayed by her side was the toy bear next to her bed.

The idea of a harmonious family felt so distant and elusive, almost unattainable.

Seeing Chi Jinnian’s attitude soften slightly, Chi Lin quickly pressed on. “But have you considered what if Yuan Shao’s inner core isn’t enough to revive your mother? We might need the power of more people then. So, the more influence we gain in this world, the more insurance we have. Nian Nian, don’t you want to see your mother return? Don’t you want our family of three to reunite?”

“But Father, can’t you send someone else? I really don’t want to do this,” Chi Jinnian pleaded. “I, I don’t want it this way.”

As she spoke, Chi Lin seemed to discern the weakness in his daughter’s heart. A weakness made things easier. He chuckled lightly. “If you truly refuse, then as your father, I’ll have to consider other methods.”

Just as Chi Jinnian was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Chi Lin abruptly changed his tone. “The dungeons of our demon realm are quite spacious. A mere Yuan Shao can certainly be imprisoned there. But by then, I’m afraid she’ll lose more than just a small inner core. Nian Nian, what do you think?”

When Chi Jinnian left Chi Lin’s presence, a light rain had begun to fall. She wandered aimlessly alone. Caiyue, who had been waiting at the entrance, hurried over with an umbrella upon seeing her.

“Young mistress, what’s wrong? You don’t look well,” Caiyue said, her eyes filled with concern as she comforted her. “Young mistress, did you argue with the Lord? You shouldn’t defy his orders.”

Chi Jinnian wanted to speak but didn’t know where to begin. In the end, she only said, “Go back, don’t follow me,” before walking away, clutching the umbrella.

At this moment, she felt a hint of envy for the dark clouds in the sky. When the clouds were angry, they could freely thunder and pour down rain without restraint. But what about her? She was filled with grievances, yet she didn’t even have a place to confide in.

The palace maids and guards, upon seeing her, merely gave a slight bow before continuing on their way. No one stopped to ask her, “Young Mistress, where are you going? Are you cold?” But then again, this was nothing but a world from a book. They were all just paper-thin characters, moving according to the thoughts assigned by the original author. Who would stop to care about her?

She didn’t belong here in the first place. Her thoughts, her feelings no one paid them any mind, no one cared.

The rain grew heavier, shifting from a light drizzle to a torrential downpour. The raindrops recklessly splattered against the ground, striking the brick paths, the walls, and the eaves with a fierce clamor. Listening to the sound of rain drumming against her umbrella, Chi Jinxian wandered dazedly out of the palace gates, only to find she had nowhere to go. The most familiar path was the one leading to Taoyuan. Almost instinctively, she followed it.

The streets were empty, as if everyone had retreated indoors to escape the rain.

But as she rounded the final corner, at the entrance to Taoyuan, she spotted a figure in the distance. Hunched over with knees drawn to her chest, the person sat on the steps at the gate. Rain had soaked the hem of her robes, yet she made no move to seek shelter, burying her face in her arms as if lost in her own world.

As Chi Jinnian approached, the rhythmic thump-thump of raindrops hitting the umbrella seemed to catch the other’s attention. Yuan Shao abruptly looked up, and upon recognizing who it was, she scrambled to her feet. With undeniable joy, she wrapped her arms around Chi Jinnian’s shoulders, exclaiming cheerfully, “Ah Nian, you’re back!”

Her cheeks were flushed, her body radiated heat, and the scent of alcohol clung to her. It seemed the few cups of wine Chi Lin had forced on her had taken effect.

The sudden weight nearly sent Chi Jinnian stumbling, but Yuan Shao didn’t seem to notice, clinging tightly to her shoulders while murmuring repeatedly, “You’re back, that’s wonderful. You’re not angry with me anymore.”

It was clear that Yuan Shao was genuinely drunk, already beginning to talk nonsense.

Chi Jinnian didn’t want to argue with a drunkard, so she tried to soothe her, “What are you doing out here? Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t coming back?”

But Yuan Shao seemed not to hear, ignoring the question and continuing to mutter to herself, “Ah Nian, don’t be angry. I never meant to abandon you. Please don’t be mad at me.” Her voice was so faint that Chi Jinnian could barely make out the words.

Chi Jinnian gently extricated herself from the embrace and noticed Yuan Shao’s originally snow-white robes were now drenched, stained with patches of dark and light grime. She reached out to wipe the rainwater from Yuan Shao’s cheeks and finally offered some comfort, “You’ll catch a cold if you stay soaked. Let’s go inside and get you a hot bath.”

“No,” Yuan Shao insisted, gripping Chi Jinnian’s hand tightly. “Ah Nian, are you leaving again?”

Seeing that Yuan Shao had lost all sense of reason in her drunken state, behaving more willfully than a child, Chi Jinnian thought it wouldn’t be worth it if she fell ill because of this. Taking her hand, she said, “I’m not going anywhere. Let me take you inside to change out of these wet clothes, alright?”

Yuan Shao’s dazed eyes lowered to their joined hands, where a jade bracelet adorned with a golden bell jingled softly. A smile spread across her face, and she declared loudly, “Okay!”

Su Tingxi saw Yuan Shao in such a state and quickly helped heat water. With the aid of magic, steaming hot water soon filled the bathtub.

“Master, please go in yourself. I’ll fetch you some dry clothes.”

As soon as Chi Jinxi stepped out the door, she was met with Su Tingxi’s gloomy face. “What happened to her? How did she end up like this?”

“It’s nothing,” Chi Jinxi replied dismissively. “She just had too much to drink. She’ll be fine once she sobers up.”

“Who gave her the alcohol? Was it you?” Su Tingxi’s tone carried a hint of displeasure.

But Chi Jinxi was truly wronged she had tried to stop her but failed. “Don’t look at me like that. Master insisted on drinking. I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t.”

Su Tingxi found it hard to believe for a moment. “She never drinks. How could she today.” As the saying goes, one drowns their sorrows in alcohol. Su Tingxi couldn’t understand what could have troubled his master so deeply that she would resort to this.

Seeing the worry on Su Tingxi’s face, Chi Jinxi comforted him, “Don’t worry. Master told me she plans to return to the immortal sect with you. It should happen in the next day or two.”

“Really?” Those words instantly dispelled the gloom surrounding Su Tingxi. So, his master was willing to go with him, right?