The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 31

“Mm,” Yun Chuanzhi uttered with a bitter smile.

The elderly woman Cheng Jinshu mentioned had a hunched back and a head of silver hair so bright it seemed to glow. She was currently pointing at the man opposite her, cursing him with a full-throated barrage of profanities.

The man, whose face was thick with flesh, was clearly unwilling to back down. He puffed out his chest and struck back: “Could it be that you two are relatives of that demoness? Protecting her like this; she’s a murderous monster who killed dozens of families! I’ve drawn her this way, so what!”

“Not only will I draw her like this, but I’ll also spit on her portrait! What’s it to you?”

“You commoner! Do not refuse a courtesy only to be forced into a forfeit!” The young woman beside the old lady stepped forward to protect her, shouting sharply.

“Refuse a courtesy? A yellow-beaked girl talking big! My clan has practiced cultivation for generations; I have more than enough strength to beat an old woman and a child like you!” The man snatched up a flying dagger and brandished it, making a cutting motion toward the young woman’s face. “You wench, if you dare cause more trouble, I’ll scar your face!”

The young woman was clearly unaccustomed to brawling. Her face flushed red with rage at his words. Suddenly, she snatched the dagger from the man’s palm and leaped forward. Caught off guard, the man was kicked square in the chest. His body flew backward, knocking over several portraits.

“Ow, ow,” the man clutched his chest, rolling on the ground and screaming at the top of his lungs. “Someone help! Murder! Come look, everyone! The elders are crooked and the youth are rotten! Murder!”

At his cry, the surrounding commoners were instantly incited. They pointed fingers and raised a chorus of indignation: “Could these two be the demoness’s lackeys? Otherwise, we’re just stabbing a demoness, why would they stick their necks out?”

“Resorting to violence when they lose an argument, they’re practically bandits!”

“Where are the Ground-Walkers? Where are the Ground-Walkers? Hurry, throw this grandmother and granddaughter into the Military Secretariat for a proper interrogation!”

As the crowd shouted in fury, a squad of Ground-Walkers carrying long sabers marched down from the other end of the long street. The commoners on both sides scrambled to make a path. Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Yun Chuanzhi and Cheng Jinshu exchanged a look and rushed toward the two women.

One grabbed the old woman’s sleeve crying “Mother,” while the other hugged her leg crying “Grandmother.” Their wailing instantly drowned out the surrounding chatter.

“My dear Grandmother! You are old and suffer from dementia. I told you so many times not to go out, yet you just wouldn’t listen! Now you’ve offended others again, what are we to do with you!” The slender girl clung to the old woman’s leg, weeping until she looked like a rain-drenched pear blossom.

“At your age, going out only causes trouble for others and invites resentment. Besides, your mind is muddled and you’ve been ill for years. If you end up in prison because of your dementia, you’ll surely die in there!” Cheng Jinshu added while wiping away tears.

Then, shifting the blame, she scolded the young woman beside them: “And you, girl! I told you to look after my mother, and this is how you do it? Letting her get insulted and beaten at her age? If she falls terminally ill because of this, I’ll hold you personally responsible!”

Amidst her “crying,” Yun Chuanzhi glanced up and saw that the Ground-Walkers were already standing behind them. She quickly gave the leg she was holding a tug.

The old woman’s body stiffened for a moment, then she went limp in Yun Chuanzhi’s arms, clutching her heart and moaning.

“Grandmother!” Yun Chuanzhi let out a heart-wrenching wail. It was so convincing that the surrounding crowd felt a surge of mixed emotions; some soft-hearted onlookers even had tears in their eyes.

“You’re a sturdy young fellow, don’t hold a grudge against a white-haired old lady,” a woman holding a child spoke up. “Old lady, your girl did indeed hit him. Just pay him some silver for his medical treatment and be done with it.”

The people around her chimed in in agreement. The Ground-Walkers, seeing the troublemaker was just an old woman, didn’t investigate further. They stepped forward to pull up the still-wailing man and checked his pulse.

They said coldly: “Enough. There aren’t even any superficial wounds, so stop making a scene. Pack up these portraits. This matter hasn’t reached a final verdict yet; if you insult the cultivators of Mount Buxi like this, are you looking to be punished by the law?”

Since the Ground-Walkers had spoken, the man didn’t dare say another word despite his resentment. He clutched his chest and shot a vicious glare at Yun Chuanzhi and the others.

Muttering “Bad luck” under his breath, he noisily packed up his stall.

As the man dragged his cart away and the onlookers dispersed, Yun Chuanzhi prepared to help the old woman up. However, a tall Ground-Walker suddenly walked toward them, frowning. “I see you are very unfamiliar. Do you live in Youji City? Which household does this old lady belong to?”

Yun Chuanzhi’s heart tightened at the question. But the young woman took over the conversation, saying in a low voice: “The Jiang family from the north of the city.”

“You’re from the Jiang family?” The Ground-Walker asked in surprise. “Which Jiang family member?”

“The daughter of the Jiang family head, Jiang Fangyu: Jiang Lingshui.”

“So it’s the family of City Defender Jiang. My apologies,” the Ground-Walker said, bowing. Having confirmed her identity, he stopped investigating and led his men away.

Lingshui lowered her eyes and helped the “old woman” up, whispering: “The inn has too many eyes and ears. Let’s go to the Jiang Manor to take cover first. It’s quiet there and easier to talk.”

The group remained silent for the rest of the walk. They passed through alleys until they reached the Jiang Manor in the northern part of the city. Unlike the dense commercial area where they entered, the north was filled with grand estates. Looking over the walls, one could see rows of elegant pavilions and towers.

Lingshui stopped in front of a particularly dilapidated gate. She spoke with a hint of embarrassment: “We’re here.”

Much of the red lacquer on the plaque had peeled off. Of the two stone lions at the entrance, one was missing its head and the other its feet. When the wind blew, the weeds by the door whistled.

Compared to the wealthy and imposing manors on either side, it looked truly pitiful.

Perhaps sensing Yun Chuanzhi’s silence, Lingshui said awkwardly: “There weren’t many servants to begin with, and now most have been sent by my mother to help at the City Defender’s Pavilion. It’s even more neglected now.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Yun Chuanzhi said cheerfully. She pushed open the door first, only to step on a cracked tile. Her body lurched forward.

At that moment, a sharp arrow whistled toward her face. The “old woman” behind her suddenly stepped over the threshold. As she pulled Yun Chuanzhi up, she caught the arrow between her fingertips, spun it around, and gripped it in her palm.

When Yun Chuanzhi looked up again, the old woman’s silver hair had turned back to black. Bai Fenghe stood elegantly in her purple robes, releasing her grip to set Yun Chuanzhi down.

“Clumsy,” Bai Fenghe scolded coldly. Without a second glance, she walked into the courtyard.

Yun Chuanzhi looked at Lingshui and Cheng Jinshu, who were reaching out to help, made a crying face, and followed while rubbing her sore neck.

With the main gate closed, Cheng Jinshu no longer stayed silent. She marveled loudly: “Wow, Lingshui! I thought you were a wild child like me. I never imagined your mother was the City Defender!”

“The City Defender’s influence has long since declined, it’s nothing much,” Lingshui shook her head. She then called out “Father” toward a dried-up pond in the courtyard.

A small bridge spanned the pond, and a head popped up from beneath it. Seeing Lingshui, the man hurriedly climbed ashore while lifting his robes, his face beaming with smiles. “Lingshui, you’re back! Are you not cultivating at Mount Buxi anymore? Doesn’t your sect forbid cultivators from leaving the mountain as they please? Or are you down here for training? Where is your Master?”

The man wore the plain cloth robes of a commoner, and his boots were worn down to thin soles. His questions poured out like a fountain, leaving no room for a response.

Lingshui grew even more embarrassed by his questioning, her face turning red all the way down to her collar. She hurried forward to cover the man’s mouth, glancing timidly at Bai Fenghe.

“Father, stop talking. I, I don’t have a Master.”

“No Master!” The man pulled Lingshui’s hand away, his voice as loud as a megaphone. “Your mother said you’re now a proper cultivator of Mount Buxi and that your Master is a top-tier Venerable. How could…”

“Father!” Lingshui shouted suddenly, cutting off the man’s rambling. Her almond-shaped eyes were so full of mortification that tears threatened to fall.

“This Seat is her Master.” Bai Fenghe, who had been standing behind the group, finally spoke. Her voice drifted over their shoulders. Yun Chuanzhi turned her head abruptly.

The woman stood under the dim sky, the damp wind fluttering the hem of her robes. Even in this desolate and ruined place, she possessed a unique, celestial grace.

Perhaps it was the hazy light, but Yun Chuanzhi caught a glimpse of a breathtaking beauty she hadn’t noticed before, as if the wind had passed through her chest, causing her heart to tremble.

The man’s excited words broke her train of thought: “Immortal! This humble one is Li Chengxian. My greetings to the Immortal!”

The man lunged forward as if he had seen his savior and prepared to kneel. Yun Chuanzhi and Cheng Jinshu caught him from both sides, eventually managing to talk him down.

“I knew it! Our Lingshui is the only youth of the Li family to join Mount Buxi. She’s a hundred times better than those cousins of hers who joined ordinary sects.” The man started wiping away tears as he spoke. “Let’s see who dares to bully or mock us now.”

“That’s enough, Father,” Lingshui said, recovering from her shock. She stepped forward to lead the man away. “Mother is currently investigating a case and must be overwhelmed. You should go accompany her and see if there’s anything you can help with.”

The man nodded. He dried his tears with his sleeve, bid farewell to Bai Fenghe and the others, and left the manor with a joyful expression.

Lingshui watched the gate close and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She turned and knelt before Bai Fenghe: “Sect Leader.”

“This Seat meant nothing by it; I simply didn’t want to hear your father’s noise anymore,” Bai Fenghe said in a harsh tone. “Are there any cleaner guest rooms in this broken estate? This Seat is tired.”

“Of course there are.” Lingshui’s eyes curved into a smile as she stood and ran toward the inner courtyard.

Her heart is good, but her tongue is as poisonous as crane’s red, Yun Chuanzhi thought, turning away with a smile.

The sunset at the foot of the mountain came earlier than at the peak. It seemed as though the sun had just begun to dip when the light vanished entirely, leaving only a few stars floating in the night sky.

Youji City was built against the mountain. Looking out the window at midnight, the eaves of the pavilions were draped with colorful lanterns. Behind the bustling lights, peaks halfway to the sky surrounded the city on three sides like towering beasts or guardian sentinels.

Yun Chuanzhi entered the room carrying the humidity of midsummer, a set of clean bedding in her arms, and set it down with a stumble.

“If I had known, we would have stayed at an inn.” Bai Fenghe, who refused to sit down, stood by the bed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a look of disdain. “How did a perfectly good manor fall into such ruin?”

“I heard from Cheng Jinshu that because of those Ground-Walkers, the City Defender’s power has been heavily suppressed. It’s normal that there’s no extra silver for repairs.” Yun Chuanzhi struggled to spread the bedding, smoothing out the wrinkles.

Serving Bai Fenghe at the foot of the mountain was even more exhausting than on the peak. Yun Chuanzhi knelt on the bed, peeking at Bai Fenghe from under her arm and pouting.

Bai Fenghe could have done this with a wave of her hand, yet she insisted on Yun Chuanzhi doing it personally. Yun Chuanzhi truly couldn’t understand why.

“The bed is ready. Are you going to rest now?” Yun Chuanzhi cursed “Ancestor Bai” in her head before getting off the bed and offering a dutiful smile.

“Mm.” The Ancestor glanced at her sideways and reached out to close the window, blocking out the chirping of insects.

However, after closing the window, she remained standing before it with her back to Yun Chuanzhi for a long moment. It was unclear what she was doing, but finally, she let out a thoughtful chuckle.

Is she possessed? Yun Chuanzhi stood rooted to the spot, frowning.

“It is late. Let us rest.” Bai Fenghe raised her hand and extinguished the candle. The already dim room plunged into pitch-black darkness. Hearing this, Yun Chuanzhi reached out her hands, trying to feel her way to the door in the dark.

A fragrant breeze passed by her side as her wrist was grabbed. Bai Fenghe led her a few steps forward and sat elegantly on the bed before letting go.

Like a doll being carried, Yun Chuanzhi fell unsteadily onto the mattress. The scent of sun-dried fabric filled her senses.

The woman’s voice drifted into her ears, slightly blurred: “Tonight, you shall sleep with This Seat.”

Support