The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 30

She had asked the question casually, only to see Bai Fenghe turn back to look at her, her dark brows locked in a frown.

“Did you really wipe out her whole family?” Yun Chuanzhi patted the back of the chair in shock.

“Do not be so noisy.” Bai Fenghe glanced at her, her finger tapping her hair bun incessantly as if deep in thought. “This Seat has been cultivating my character lately; I shouldn’t have killed anyone.”

“When did This Seat ever offend you so much that you’d seek your own death just to assassinate me?” Bai Fenghe placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward slowly, closing the distance between herself and You Tan.

You Tan looked close to madness, her features contorted as if she wanted to bite Bai Fenghe’s nose off, yet Bai Fenghe showed no fear at all, continuing to lean in and watch her.

“You wicked, monstrous enchantress! You are worse than a beast! Dozens of people in my family, young and old, all died by your hand! You drained them into human husks, and now you dare to pretend you know nothing!”

You Tan, driven mad, bucked her knees and jerked her head, trying desperately to ram into Bai Fenghe, but Bai Fenghe simply straightened her back and avoided her.

“Utter nonsense. This Seat is not a mountain gadfly; why would I suck the blood of your family?” Bai Fenghe’s beautiful face was filled with genuine confusion. “Besides, human blood smells foul and reeks of iron; why would I want to drink it?”

“If you dare to quibble further, I—”

“So noisy.” Bai Fenghe felt a headache coming on. “If she cannot speak properly, drag her away to feed the beasts. Ling Shui.”

“Sect Leader…” Ling Shui’s face still showed a trace of pity. She knelt down and patted You Tan, coaxing her gently. “Calm yourself first. Explaining things clearly is better than throwing your life away for nothing.”

“You have followed the Sect Leader for three years; you should know what kind of person she is. If she did it, she would never deny it. If she denies it, then something fishy is definitely going on.”

You Tan lay on the ground, her neck stiff like a snake’s, her eyes red as if weeping blood. She trembled and finally fell silent.

Seeing this, Bai Fenghe said lazily, “Since you can speak now, then tell it well. What exactly happened?”

You Tan remained stiff in that position for a long time before she finally spoke hoarsely. “My home is in Youji City at the foot of the mountain. Though not a wealthy clan, we are a prominent household in the city. My celestial bones are mediocre; to soak in a bit of Mount Buxi’s spiritual aura, I entered the sect as an immortal servant.”

“All these years, I have been diligent, singing and dancing to please you, just so I could live a bit longer and one day become a proper cultivator to bring honor to my family.”

“However, three days ago, forty-five members of my household suddenly died overnight within our gates! My parents and my sister who was still in swaddling clothes—all were drained of their bone and blood! Not a single survivor!”

Yun Chuanzhi looked at Ling Shui; Ling Shui’s eyes were also filled with confusion. Neither dared to look at Bai Fenghe, only listening to You Tan continue her narrative.

“Then how can you be certain it was the Sect Leader who did it?” Ling Shui asked trepidatiously.

“This is no longer an isolated case in Youji City! Before this, several others have met the same fate. Every single one died in a state of extreme terror. Their bodies were sliced open and the character ‘He’ (禾) was sewn into them with needle and thread.”

“I remember that shape. It is the shape of the Gundan Gate seal. Therefore, it was you, Bai Fenghe!”

You Tan’s piercing shriek was deafening. Bai Fenghe, rattled by the sound, rubbed her ears and raised a hand to seal the girl’s mouth. She leaned back against the chair. “Fine, listening to this makes my heart heavy. Take her away and keep her under strict guard. Do not kill her, and do not let her commit suicide.”

Ling Shui nodded, picked up the limp woman, and carried her out of the pleasure boat.

The play was clearly over. Bai Fenghe ordered the “Warbler Immortal” to be sent back, dismissed the other servants, and stood to leave the boat. After taking two steps, she looked back. “Aren’t you following?”

Yun Chuanzhi finally realized she was waiting for her. She hurried behind her and opened the Autumn Swing Bone over their heads.

The shade of the wooden umbrella fell across their brows as a cool breeze blew. Bai Fenghe didn’t look up, only scoffing lightly. “Another one of your pieces of junk.”

“How can it be junk?” Yun Chuanzhi immediately protested. “The weather is so hot; my Autumn Swing Bone is extremely useful.”

“It’s just a matter of a Sun-Warding Spell; why be so troublesome?” Bai Fenghe glanced at her.

“You cultivators don’t need it, but it’s a necessity for the common folk.” Yun Chuanzhi allowed no one to insult her creations. “If I took this Autumn Swing Bone down the mountain to sell, I could definitely make ten thousand strings of cash a day.”

“Ten thousand strings, is it? Then I wonder if the swing on the Wuyi Cliff where This Seat practices is worth ten thousand strings.”

As Bai Fenghe spoke with a smile, Yun Chuanzhi’s momentum instantly vanished. She lowered her eyes and said, “The Sect Leader is right.”

“This Seat has never seen such a spineless person as you.” Bai Fenghe seemed to sigh with genuine wonder. “It is truly an eye-opener.”

How can I be spineless? I am clearly smooth as silk, able to bend and stretch, Yun Chuanzhi thought to herself.

The two crossed a patch of green shade in silence and stepped onto the clean white jade stairs. Bai Fenghe walked in front, with Yun Chuanzhi a half-step behind, her eyes constantly scanning her back.

Bai Fenghe suddenly stopped and spun around. “Ask if you want to ask. Stop staring at This Seat; it’s quite clingy.”

How did she know I was looking at her? Yun Chuanzhi moved her gaze away and coughed into her hand. “I don’t have anything to ask.”

Bai Fenghe wouldn’t let her off. With her eyes reflecting the mottled bamboo shadows, she took a step forward, pinning her against the edge of the stone steps. She looked down and said, “Aren’t you curious if those people were killed by This Seat?”

The woman’s fragrance seemed to condense into an invisible wall, leaving Yun Chuanzhi nowhere to stand. Her nose nearly touched Bai Fenghe’s chest; she was forced to turn her face away, staring at a deep, secluded bamboo path.

Bai Fenghe was a person of whims; one had to coax her with kind words. Thus, Yun Chuanzhi asked, “Were those people killed by you?”

“No,” Bai Fenghe replied with a smirk.

“Then they weren’t.”

Yun Chuanzhi felt a bit dizzy from the scent, but the fragrance today was diluted by the vegetation; it should have been very light.

“Aren’t you afraid This Seat is devious and telling lies to trick you?”

“If you trick me, then you trick me.” Yun Chuanzhi sighed. She took a step up to a higher stair, escaping the dizziness and reaching almost eye-level with Bai Fenghe. “I don’t like overthinking the words of those around me. If it’s said, I believe it.”

“If I’m fooled, it’s just a moment of sadness; it doesn’t matter much. But if I don’t believe a single word, thinking about it constantly is far more exhausting.”

Bai Fenghe stared into her eyes for a long time before finally saying, “You are quite the free spirit.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader.” Yun Chuanzhi broke into a grin.

Bai Fenghe gave a light snort, flicked her sleeves, turned back, and descended the stairs without saying another word.

Yun Chuanzhi had thought the disturbance on the boat was just a farce. Who knew that after that day, rumors of “Bai Fenghe slaughtering mortals” would sweep through the entire sect like a mountain wind. Gundan Gate, which usually saw no visitors, was suddenly swarmed with people. Aside from Bai Xiaochen, every other peak leader and elder was turned away.

Although Bai Xiaochen was allowed in, she clearly wasn’t given a warm welcome. When she exited the hall, her red lips were tightly pursed, and she walked as fast as the wind, slamming the heavy palace doors so hard they flew into the wall.

Yun Chuanzhi and Ling Shui had to exert a great deal of effort just to pull the doors back out.

Leaving the door incident aside, a greater disaster arrived overnight. On the night they pulled the doors out, a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the mountain gate, holding a plaque that read “A Life for a Life” to denounce Bai Fenghe.

Those people were all citizens of Youji City, wailing for Mount Buxi to hand over the “Blood-Sucking Enchantress.” The sound of a hundred people grieving was thunderous, and to the ears of cultivators, it was deafening.

It was said that the cultivators tossed and turned all night, and eventually had to use their powers to strip away their five senses just to fall asleep.

Over time, resentment within the sect grew stronger. Bai Xiaochen was forced to send several of her personal disciples down the mountain to investigate and attempt to calm the anger of both the commoners and the cultivators.

Today was a gloomy, rainy day. Yun Chuanzhi woke up to find Bai Fenghe gone. She simply took her Autumn Swing Bone and sat on the veranda outside the hall. Watching the mountain scenery shrouded in mist and rain, she used a brush to spread something across the umbrella canopy.

The rain fell incessantly. Water accumulating on the veranda roof dripped in steady strings, washing the grass below into a jewel-like emerald green. Yun Chuanzhi usually liked this kind of misty weather, but today, listening to the rain, she felt inexplicably restless.

She sighed and pulled a trumpet-like object from her sleeve, holding it to her ear. “Cheng Jinshu, Cheng Jinshu.”

A woman’s muffled, groggy voice soon came through the trumpet. “I’m still sleeping. Why are you so noisy, Cui Ergou?”

“Come to the Spring Pavilion. I have an important request,” Yun Chuanzhi said, looking at the hazy green landscape in a daze.

A string of curses came from the other side. Yun Chuanzhi flicked the trumpet with a calm face, and the sound cut off. By the time she put the trumpet back in her sleeve, Cheng Jinshu had already appeared, bringing a swirl of mist with her.

“What kind of nonsense are you starting so early in the morning!” Cheng Jinshu landed on the veranda, her clothes damp. She stood with her hands on her hips, her hair messy with stray tufts—it was obvious she had just climbed out of bed.

“Lend me a bit of spiritual energy.” Yun Chuanzhi spoke with a grin, holding up the Autumn Swing Bone. “I made this umbrella for the sun, but now I want it to block the rain as well.”

“Just for this broken umbrella?” Cheng Jinshu laughed in disbelief. “Don’t you have a spiritual root now? You don’t even have this much energy?”

“I do. But my cultivation is low. I have to save that bit of energy just in case. For small things like this, I naturally have to borrow yours.”

Yun Chuanzhi spoke without blushing or stammering. Cheng Jinshu was speechless for a long time before she finally reached out and placed her palm on the umbrella.

The black umbrella emitted a faint glow, which then faded, leaving it looking like a plain, ordinary black umbrella once again.

“Is that it?” Cheng Jinshu had lost all sleepiness after the trip. She sat on the side bench with her knees pulled up, frowning at Yun Chuanzhi, who was hugging her umbrella with a look of pure satisfaction.

Yun Chuanzhi nodded, stroking the umbrella ribs affectionately.

“Crazy girl,” Cheng Jinshu muttered, unable to understand. Then she asked with concern, “How is my Aunt?”

“The same as always. She eats when she should, drinks when she should, and listens to operas when she should,” Yun Chuanzhi replied, standing up with her umbrella. “Except these past few days, she’s rarely at the gate. She doesn’t say where she’s going. Sometimes she leaves at dusk and doesn’t return until sunrise.”

Cheng Jinshu nodded, resting one leg on the bench. “Do you think she really killed those people down the mountain?”

“I don’t think so,” Yun Chuanzhi shook her head. “The Sect Leader’s style of killing has always been clean and efficient. She finds blood-soaked things ugly; why would she have the patience to sew characters onto them?”

“But news of the Mount Buxi Peak Leader devouring mortals has already spread. Even the Emperor City and the Muli Divine Peak have sent envoys. I heard they’ve already arrived at Youji City.”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded, the restlessness in her heart growing stronger.

Since the dawn of the cultivation world, there had been three eras. First was the Zhongling Era, where a hundred schools of thought contended and countless sects rose. Later, friction between sects led to wars over territory until Mount Buxi, Muli Divine Peak, and the Emperor City emerged as the victors, marking the Fengding Era.

In the current Qianyuan Era, the Emperor City, located at the center of the Nine Provinces, occupied the vast majority of spiritual energy and spirit stones. With countless cultivators above the Great Achievement stage presiding over it, it had ascended to become the head of all sects.

If even the Emperor City had sent envoys, this matter was extremely grave.

“If the Sect Leader is officially judged to be a demonic cultivator who preys on mortals, what will happen to us?” Yun Chuanzhi asked suddenly.

Cheng Jinshu pondered. “As a rogue cultivator, I’ll be fine. But you and Ling Shui are her personal servants; you’ll likely be punished alongside her. The worst-case scenario is death. A ‘better’ one would be…”

“Having your immortal bones stripped, branded with a slave mark, and expelled from Mount Buxi.”

Yun Chuanzhi smiled bitterly. Truly, when you’re an underling, the biggest fear is the boss getting into trouble.

The more she thought, the less she could sit still. She stood up abruptly, holding her umbrella, and stepped onto the veranda. Cheng Jinshu quickly grabbed her shoulder. “Where are you going?”

“Down the mountain to take a look. The Sect Leader isn’t here anyway; no one should be watching me.”

“Down the mountain? By yourself?” Cheng Jinshu scanned her from head to toe. “Do you see those overlapping mountain ranges? By the time you walk to Youji City, my kids will be old enough to sell buns.”

“…Fine. I’ll see this through. I’ll go with you.” Cheng Jinshu was silent for a moment before grabbing Yun Chuanzhi by the collar.

Yun Chuanzhi felt a surge of alarm. Before she could even let out a cry, she was hoisted into the air, spinning as they shot into the clouds.

Half an hour later, Yun Chuanzhi was on her knees outside the city walls, her face drenched in rain and her complexion a ghastly shade of green as she gagged violently.

“You really need to exercise this body. Throwing up all the time is no way to live,” Cheng Jinshu said, standing beside her looking refreshed and shaking her head repeatedly.

Yun Chuanzhi clutched her chest, looking up at her with a pale face and a bitter smile. “You really need to practice your wind-riding technique.”

Cheng Jinshu turned a deaf ear, pointing at a street vendor’s cart by the gate. “Hey! Brown sugar cakes!”

Yun Chuanzhi nearly rolled her eyes into the back of her head.

She rested by the city wall for a quarter-hour before recovering. Leaning on Cheng Jinshu’s hand, she stood up and gazed at the city gate, her heart stirring.

A magnificent plaque, several people wide, hung high on the towering wall, inscribed with the words “Youji City.” The gate resembled the maw of a giant beast. Two strings of iron lanterns hung from the ends of the gate, their surfaces carved with intricate patterns of dark iron, within which fires flickered even in broad daylight.

Two rows of guards in blue-green armor stood majestically on either side, each holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Large sabers, the length of two men, hung to the left and right of the gate, gleaming with a cold light under the washing rain.

“So heavily guarded,” Yun Chuanzhi marveled.

“It’s a city that has stood for centuries, after all,” Cheng Jinshu whispered behind her. “See those guards? They are elites dispatched by the Emperor City, known as ‘Earthbound Gods.’ They protect the safety of the citizens.”

“If anyone loses property or is killed, they are the ones who solve the cases. These men belong to the Supreme Military Office of the Emperor City. The directors in each city are even more prestigious than the city governors.”

The Qianyuan Realm certainly had a lot of layers. Yun Chuanzhi followed Cheng Jinshu into the flow of people entering the city, asking as they walked, “Then what is a City Governor?”

“A Governor is different from a Director. Directors report to the Emperor City, while Governors have existed since the cities were founded. Most come from local families and pass the title down through generations. By now, they don’t have much actual power.”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded.

As they spoke, they reached the gate. An “Earthbound God” reached out his hand. Cheng Jinshu pulled a document from somewhere and handed it over. The guard glanced at the glowing seal on it before letting them pass.

There are even travel documents. Thank goodness for Cheng Jinshu; I never would have made it in alone, Yun Chuanzhi thought in surprise.

They walked through the long archway. When they stepped back into the rain, they were already in the bustling Youji City. Wide streets paved with green bricks stretched out in straight lines. Most buildings featured layered eaves and vermilion doors, standing solemnly in the rain. Signs and decorations lined the road; despite the weather, the city was vibrantly alive.

Yun Chuanzhi was staring at a massive sign that read “Exquisite Delicacies” when, in the blink of an eye, the characters changed to “Freshly Slaughtered Spirit Beasts.”

At that moment, an iron puppet rolled past. Its legs were two wheels, creaking as it carried two bags of goods into the distance. Yun Chuanzhi hurriedly tapped Cheng Jinshu.

But she only received a flat look. “Weren’t you a student of smithing? You’re good with mechanics; why are you surprised by a common puppet?”

“But isn’t celestial art the supreme power in the Qianyuan Realm? Don’t they look down on these ‘side paths’?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“In other cities, perhaps. But not in Youji City. That’s because this place was originally under the jurisdiction of Sect Master Mingcun. It’s nestled in the mountains where farming is difficult. It used to be impoverished, and the people suffered from hunger and cold.”

“Fortunately, a hundred years ago, my Grandmaster took over as Sect Master. He developed a large number of puppets and mechanical carriages and gave them to the commoners for their labor. That’s how Youji City grew great.”

“It’s just that nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people studying smithing. Most of the remaining mechanics are decaying. It’s impressive enough that these have survived.”

So, that’s it. Yun Chuanzhi looked around, finding everything novel.

The rain stopped, and the streets became even more crowded. Cries of street vendors echoed one after another. As noon approached, stalls emerged, packing the wide streets until they were almost impassable.

Yun Chuanzhi was watching an old man paint when she heard a loud argument from across the street. The noise was explosive, gradually drawing a crowd of citizens.

Seeing the flow of people, Yun Chuanzhi felt the urge to watch the drama. She pulled Cheng Jinshu along and squeezed into the crowd.

Using her small stature, Yun Chuanzhi wiggled through the gaps of the onlookers. When she stood still, she found everyone was surrounding a knife-throwing stall. The place where the targets should have been was covered with a row of portraits, and a line of throwing knives was stuck crookedly into them.

The person in the portraits wore purple robes and had a tall figure, but the face was painted with green skin and fangs. It even had four eyes, looking utterly terrifying.

“Ergou,” Cheng Jinshu squeezed in beside her. She stared for a while before speaking slowly, “Do you feel like the person in these paintings looks… a bit familiar?”

Yun Chuanzhi nodded.

Cheng Jinshu then looked at the two people arguing with the stall owner, her expression becoming increasingly complex. “Do you also feel like that old woman, who looks nearly sixty but is jumping up and down shouting at the owner, looks a bit familiar too?”

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