The Villain Recognizes the Female Lead as His Master [Transmigration] - Chapter 6

After meticulously counting up all the debts Chi Jinnian had accrued over time, the old shopkeeper frowned and said, “Young Master, look, you can’t just ‘favor’ my little shop alone. Couldn’t you ‘spread the wealth’ a bit more?”

This time, it was Chi Jinnian’s turn to feel like vomiting blood. Not only had she inexplicably transmigrated into the role of a villainess in a novel, but now she was also saddled with a mountain of debt out of nowhere!!

Chi Jinnian directly grabbed paper and a pen from the counter, wrote out an IOU, signed her name at the bottom, and shoved it into the shopkeeper’s hands. “Shopkeeper, including this time, I promise to settle all the debts this month. I swear on my name, Chi Jinnian. Does that work for you?”

The shopkeeper stared at the delicate handwriting and the bold signature of “Chi Jinnian” on the IOU. Any words of refusal died in his throat. With the young master of the demon realm personally writing out a promissory note, what else could he do but accept his fate? Reluctantly, he pulled out the spirit stone bills.

Yi Hui Hall wasn’t just a pawnshop, it was actually a trading house. The three-story building centered around a jade platform in the main hall. The first floor was lined with scattered seats, while the second and third floors were private booths. It was clear that the higher the floor, the more luxurious the booths, likely reserved for bidding and high-stakes transactions.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shao sat in an inconspicuous chair in a corner of the hall, carefully observing her surroundings. She noticed that the people around her seemed quite different from herself.

Their features were more pronounced, deep set eyes and high brow bones, much like her little disciple. The difference was, while they shared her black hair, her disciple’s hair was a chestnut-brown, almost reddish.

Just then, a man and a woman sat down at the table next to her without warning.

The man sounded impatient. “I’m here on official business today. There’s no need for you to tag along. I can handle it alone.”

The woman beside him tugged at his sleeve, pouting. “I just wanted a chance to see you!”

“You could’ve waited until I finished my work and came to visit you. Wouldn’t that have been the same?”

“I, I wanted to be with you. I wanted to spend more time together ”

Yuan Shao couldn’t bear to listen any further. It was just a woman sweet talking her lover, all saccharine and affectionate.

At that moment, Chi Jinnian came bounding over cheerfully, holding a stack of silver notes. “Shizun, look! I got so much money for just one bracelet!”

Yuan Shao’s gaze fell to Chi Jinnian’s wrist it was bare, the bracelet gone. “Why did you sell it?”

“To buy you a house!” Chi Jinnian stuffed the silver notes into Yuan Shao’s hands. “We agreed that you’d wait until your powers recovered a bit before returning to the sect. But you still need a place to stay, right?”

“But why don’t we just go back to the sect?”

Go back to the sect? That was impossible. If they returned now, all the lies Chi Jinnian had told would be exposed. If Yuan Shao found out that she had been fed the Heart-Losing Pill and was supposed to be married off to a weasel demon, wouldn’t she immediately strike her down?!

According to the original novel’s plot, a classic overpowered female protagonist’s triumphant story once Yuan Shao ascended, it would mark the end of the story. So, Chi Jinnian had to help her.

Only when Yuan Shao ascended and Chi Jinnian returned to reality would she be truly safe. As long as she remained in this book, she was still the villainess, a disposable side character who could be cut down at any moment by the radiant female lead.

“No rush, Master is seriously injured right now. It’s best to rest and recuperate for a while before returning. If malicious people were to find out that an esteemed immortal like you is in such a state, they might seize the opportunity to attack the Upper Cultivation Realm. Material losses and damaged magical artifacts would be minor concerns, what truly matters is avoiding unnecessary casualties.” Chi Jinnian spoke with utmost sincerity.

For a moment, Yuan Shao felt the banknotes in her hand grow as heavy as boulders. She truly was the worst master in the world, not only had she been indifferent to her disciple in the past, but now she had to rely on her disciple for rescue in times of danger. Even their lodging had to be secured by her disciple selling off personal belongings.

This master of hers, seemed rather inadequate.

“There’s no need for this. I can just find a cave in the mountains, it’s all the same. Quickly take the money back and retrieve your belongings.” Yuan Shao tried to return the banknotes to Chi Jinnian, only to have them pushed back again.

“How could that be acceptable? Mountain caves are harsh environments, not to mention the risk of encountering demons and monsters. How could I, as your disciple, rest easy knowing you’re in such a place? Master must find a quiet and comfortable place to cultivate in peace, so you can recover your spiritual power as soon as possible. Only then can you properly protect the people. This isn’t just for you, Master it’s for the sake of all living beings.” Chi Jinnian’s eyes burned with sincerity as she spoke earnestly.

Yuan Shao could no longer push the banknotes away. Instead, she grasped Chi Jinnian’s hand firmly. “Rest assured, in the future, this master will definitely redeem your belongings for you.”

Chi Jinnian quickly waved her hands. Why bother redeeming the male lead’s things? If Yuan Shao were to find out she had any entanglement with him, wouldn’t that just invite trouble?

“No need, no need! I wasn’t particularly fond of it anyway, I’d been meaning to sell it for a while but kept forgetting. Thanks to Master, I’ve finally resolved this matter!”

This was the truth. That bracelet wasn’t just an accessory, it was a ticking time bomb! The sooner she got rid of it, the better!

Yuan Shao blinked lightly and gave a slight nod.

Chi Jinnian took Yuan Shao to see a three-courtyard estate named Taoyuan Peach Blossom Spring. The main house alone had four rooms, more than enough space.

Taoyuan, a paradise away from the world. It was a good name.

“Does Master like it?” After a quick tour, Chi Jinnian first sought Yuan Shao’s opinion. “If Master finds it acceptable, then this is the one.”

The house was located at the end of a street, far from the market, ensuring a peaceful environment.

In modern terms, this was practically a downtown mansion! Who would’ve thought that her dream of buying property, so difficult to achieve in reality, could be fulfilled so easily in a book?

“As long as you like it,” Yuan Shao replied.

Seeing Yuan Shao’s approval, Chi Jinnian decisively handed the four-thousand-spirit-stone banknote to the seller.

With the house purchased, it was time to furnish it. Chi Jinnian took Yuan Shao to the furniture shop on East Street and immediately asked the shopkeeper where the most expensive items were. Then, they visited the fabric store and the general goods shop, purchasing bedding, kitchenware, and all daily necessities in one go.

“Does Master like this?” Before buying anything, Chi Jinnian would ask Yuan Shao’s opinion. The moment she detected Yuan Shao’s approval, she would immediately pay, leaving the estate’s address for delivery. Just like that, the five thousand spirit stones they had obtained that afternoon were completely spent by evening.

After dinner, the two returned to the house as darkness fell. Chi Jinnian first retrieved the meditation cushion she had bought earlier and placed it on a chair. “Master, please sit here for a while. I’ll tidy up the room before you come in.”

Chi Jinnian resembled a parent sending their child off to university, eager to handle everything for her “child.”

“No need. This master can manage on her own.” Yuan Shao held Chi Jinnian back. “You must be exhausted after all this running around. Go rest.”

“No need!” Before Yuan Shao could stop her, Chi Jinnian had already grabbed the bedding and entered the room to prepare the bed for her master.

Though Yuan Shao was the protagonist of the grand narrative, she was still a young woman with a delicate constitution, unsuited for hard surfaces. Thoughtfully, Chi Jinnian laid out three layers of padding, creating a soft depression that would cradle anyone who sat on it. After hanging the gauze canopy, she finally led Yuan Shao inside.

“Master, try the bed. If this rosewood one isn’t suitable, we can buy a pearwood one tomorrow.” Chi Jinnian wiped the sweat from her forehead, her dewy skin shimmering under the lamplight.

“Jinnian?” Yuan Shao murmured. “Your name is Jinnian, if I remember correctly?”

Having lost her memories, Yuan Shao only recognized one person in this world her little disciple. Yet even the girl’s name had come from the mouth of that weasel spirit.

Yuan Shao asked cautiously, afraid that any misstep might bring tears to the girl’s eyes again.

Perhaps it was because her disciple’s eyes were so striking bright and luminous. When they turned red, it felt like a drop of ink staining pristine white paper, marring perfection.

“Master, my name is Chi Jinnian. Chi as in pond, Jin as in brocade, Nian as in remembrance.” As she spoke, Chi Jinnian traced the three characters of her name in the air with her finger. “My mother said that when I was born, my father wasn’t by her side. She missed him dearly, so she gave me this name. Master can just call me A’Nian.”

Jinnian a splendid remembrance. It truly was a beautiful name.

“There’s only one bed here,” Yuan Shao remarked skeptically. She wasn’t in a hurry to test the bed’s comfort; instead, she noticed Chi Jinnian had only prepared one room. “What about you?”

“Master never allowed me to get close before. I won’t disturb you here just focus on your cultivation in peace.” Chi Jinnian turned back to adjusting the bedding. “Once Master regains some of her power and rebuilds her foundation, we’ll return to the sect.”

That made sense. Recalling the couple from earlier that day, the way the woman had gazed softly at the man, longing to stay by his side, it was entirely different from how Chi Jinnian now avoided her.

“But as I am now, I’m no different from an ordinary mortal. Rebuilding my foundation won’t be easy.” Yuan Shao’s clenched fist slowly loosened and fell to her side.

“I believe in you, Master.” Chi Jinnian’s eyes burned with conviction as she lifted Yuan Shao’s hand and pressed it against her own chest. “As the esteemed Elder Qinghua, you are extraordinary. And I, your disciple, will spare no effort to assist you in returning to your peak.”

Chi Jinnian’s words were sincere, this wasn’t some empty promise like those her former boss had fed her. She faintly remembered that the original body’s father, the Demon Realm’s sovereign, possessed a miraculous elixir called the Condensed Emerald Pill. It was said to greatly enhance one’s spiritual power upon consumption.

Although the original text stated that this elixir would also end up in Yuan Shao’s hands, if Chi Jinnian personally presented it to her, wouldn’t it help offset some of her past wrongdoings? A heart-losing pill is still a pill, and the Emerald Condensation Pill is also a pill. One pill exchanged for another, it could be considered balancing the scales of merit and fault.

For some reason, having gained her disciple’s trust, Yuan Shao gave a slight nod, feeling as though something had struck her heart. Her lips pressed together tightly, and a faint blush unexpectedly crept across her cheeks.

Indeed, summer had arrived, and even the evening breeze carried a hint of stifling warmth.