The Villainess Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 37

Everyone present trembled three times upon hearing her words. The gazes they directed at Bai Fenghe were filled with shock and dread, mixed with a hint of begrudging admiration. They had seen people who killed without blinking, but they had never seen someone who recorded their victims in such meticulous detail. Truly, she was terrifying.

The man stared down at the ledger. His palms, hidden by long sleeves, dug into his skin until blood welled. His hair fell over his forehead, obscuring his expression.

Bai Fenghe did not bother checking his face, continuing on her own: “It is recorded here that Pei Xunqian was born in Dawa Village, Yulian Mountain, in a family of four. In the 352nd year of the Qianyuan Calendar, a wildfire broke out in Yulian Mountain. Her parents both died in the fire; only Pei Xunqian and her elder brother, Pei Shaoqing, escaped with their lives, begging their way to Youji City.”

“In the 354th year of the Qianyuan Calendar, Pei Xunqian gained the opportunity to enter Mount Buxi, becoming a tea-serving servant in This Seat’s sect. Had she been honest and dutiful, This Seat would not have made things difficult for her. However, Pei Xunqian harbored twisted intentions. She took advantage of This Seat’s physical weakness to spike my tea with Hehuan Powder. That was what cost her her life.”

“You lie!” The man, who had been silent until now, finally lost his composure. Veins bulged on his pale forehead. “Qianqian was well-behaved and sensible since she was a child. She could never have done something so filthy.”

“Your scumbag behavior is known to everyone! It must be that you failed to violate my sister, or she offended you over some trivial matter, and you laid your murderous hands on her!”

The man wept tears of pure hatred. He stumbled toward Bai Fenghe but was intercepted by Lingshui’s whip: “Murderer! You dare offend the Sect Leader!”

The situation shifted too quickly. The few from the Imperial City, who had been so righteous moments ago, were shocked again and again. They were lost for words, to say nothing of City Defender Jiang and the other mortals, who were left agape.

In contrast, the commoners outside the courtyard were as enthralled as if they were listening to a storyteller. Their emotions ran high. One said: “I heard this Sect Leader Bai had a terrible reputation, said to be greedy for beauty and had kidnapped many men and women into her immortal manor to play with and torture.”

Another said: “If what the Immortal Oriole said is true, then his sister is truly pitiful.”

Yet another spoke up: “But even so, how innocent are the slaughtered citizens? If he wanted revenge, he could have charged straight up Mount Buxi. What kind of skill is it to murder innocent mortals?”

“Brother Zheng is absolutely right. Member Li’s youngest son wasn’t even a month old and met a tragic end. Calling this man an Immortal Oriole? He’s more like a Ghost Oriole.”

Seeing the crowd’s mixed thoughts, Yun Chuanzhi decided to step up without hesitation. She silently raised her hand: “That day, I was a fellow servant on duty. I saw Pei Xunqian spike the Sect Leader’s medicine with my own eyes.”

Her words broke the silence. Scores of gazes converged on her. After a moment, Bai Xiaochen spoke slowly: “Did Bai Fenghe drink it?”

“She did,” Yun Chuanzhi answered.

The gazes grew even more intense. Bai Xiaochen’s usually indifferent features pulled into a vivid expression for the first time, scanning Yun Chuanzhi from head to toe.

“Sect Leader, don’t look at me. I wasn’t the one who cured her,” Yun Chuanzhi said, spreading her hands and speaking without a filter.

“Cui Ergou,” Bai Fenghe let out a laugh through gritted teeth.

She then pushed the fruit plate beside her toward the girl, her nail clicking sharply against the rim: “Eat up, quickly. Plug that mouth of yours.”

Pei Shaoqing watched their interaction, his eyes red with rage. Unfortunately, Lingshui stood in his way, preventing him from getting anywhere near Bai Fenghe. Finally, he hissed: “You wicked person, colluding with your subordinates. You”

“This Seat never claimed to be virtuous. But no matter how cruel I am, I am merely heavy-handed, killing only those who intend to offend me. And you? Did those commoners offend you? You didn’t even clarify the truth before using their lives to frame me. How are you any better?”

“Blinded by hate, acting willfully. You actually knew that Pei Xunqian’s death might not have been This Seat’s fault. This so-called revenge is merely an excuse for you to seek release.”

Bai Fenghe’s eyes were as calm as still water. Her voice was light, and her silk garments were draped in sunlight. Yun Chuanzhi, peeling a grape, looked up at her and accidentally fell into a daze.

Bai Fenghe was undoubtedly alluring and seductive, but her elegant willow-leaf eyes diluted that quality. If one stared only at her eyes, one could even detect a sense of compassion for the world.

With a splat, the grape in her hand fell onto her leg. Yun Chuanzhi snapped out of her trance, frantically picking up the crushed grape pulp.

Pei Shaoqing couldn’t listen to any more. He clenched his fists, panting as he glared at Bai Fenghe as if wanting to slice her into a thousand pieces with his gaze. General Tuyun, silent for a long time, spoke up again: “I have one more thing I don’t understand.”

“Pei Shaoqing is a mortal. No matter how capable, how could he kill so many people in just a month? Moreover, it is impossible for those corpses to have their organs crushed and blood drained by mortal means.”

“General Tuyun has lived in high halls for too long; perhaps you don’t know that mortals have their own techniques. Martial arts, poison arts, qigong; one only needs to master one to perform deeds similar to cultivators.”

Bai Fenghe waved her hand, and the death warrior stepped out of the shadows once more. He produced two black and white porcelain vials and two squeaking, lively rats. The rats were dropped on the ground, and the warrior scattered powder from the black vial.

The powder drifted down like snowflakes over the rats, yet they remained lively, chasing each other within the area the warrior had marked out.

He then tossed the powder from the white vial into the air. The moment the powder fell, the previously energetic rats froze in terror as if they had seen a ghost. Then, they clawed desperately to escape, as if someone were chasing their lives. As they ran, they began bleeding from their seven orifices and breathed their last.

Watching two lives die tragically before her, the soft-hearted City Defender Jiang covered her eyes, groaning in fear.

“What is this?” Bai Xiaochen frowned.

“This is called Black and White Life-Snatching Powder, a lethal poison long lost in the mortal world. Both powders are harmless when used alone; only when combined do they have the effect of crushing the internal organs and vanishing the blood,” Bai Fenghe said with a smile.

“We cultivators have been accustomed to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for too long. We are somewhat arrogant and never care for mortal techniques. This Seat was also surprised a few days ago by the wisdom of mortals, to have refined such a strange poison.”

“And Dawa Village, where Pei Xunqian and Pei Shaoqing were born, was the source of this poison. A thousand years ago, it was known as the Dawa Poison Stronghold, dealing in the poison business in secret. It was only after being discovered that they reformed and began planting grain.”

It turned out that as soon as this matter showed the first signs of trouble, Bai Fenghe had already been investigating in secret. Today’s events were merely confirming her suspicions.

How intelligent and calculating this person is. Every event seemed to be within her expectations. Yun Chuanzhi, listening, couldn’t help but feel a sliver of admiration.

City Defender Jiang, still covering her eyes, spoke cautiously: “While I was investigating a few days ago, I also noticed that before each household was massacred, they had invited an acting troupe to perform for several days. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but now”

“It must be that Pei Shaoqing took advantage of his presence in those manors to find a way to put the poison in the well water or food. After a few days, when suspicion had cleared, he would jump back over the wall and administer the second poison. That is what caused the victims to show such terrifying and strange symptoms.”

“City Defender Jiang is correct. However, the one who administered the second poison was likely not Pei Shaoqing himself, but the exploited Liu Dagou, who entered the manors through dog holes or over walls.”

“Liu Dagou grew up among beasts; he is agile, fast, and has a small body, making him excellent at hiding. Using his hands to deliver the poison ensured no one would notice.”

Bai Fenghe looked at Pei Shaoqing and asked: “Is it so, or not?”

Pei Shaoqing didn’t speak for a long time. He simply stared at Bai Fenghe with tears in his eyes, his gaze a mix of hatred and misery. Finally, he let out a tragic laugh. The long sleeves of the actor fluttered, and a black toxic mist suddenly erupted.

“Protect the Sect Leader! Protect the Sect Leader!” Lingshui, the other blue-robed cultivators, and the Military Secretariat’s Ground-Walkers all shouted as they rushed forward. Meanwhile, Yun Chuanzhi, who was right under the black mist, remained as calm as if she were watching a play, even popping a grape into her mouth.

After experiencing all these events, she already felt that Bai Fenghe was as reliable as a mountain. She predicted everything perfectly and left no room for error. It provided a surprising sense of security.

I’ve definitely picked the right thigh to cling to.

Sure enough, before anyone could get close, Bai Fenghe had already waved her hand to create a barrier blocking the mist. A phoenix eye appeared in mid-air, sucking the black mist dry in an instant.

“Why are there always people who overestimate themselves?” Bai Fenghe’s tone was one of confusion. She shook her sleeves, and the crowd that had rushed forward pinned the man to the ground. A hoarse cry came from the center, sounding like a wail of vented frustration.

Bai Fenghe covered her ears, unwilling to hear more. She stretched her waist and stood up, her graceful silhouette swaying as she walked down the aisle under the stage. The commoners at the door receded like a tide, making a wide path for her.

She turned back to glance at the frustrated General Tuyun: “Since there is nothing else, This Seat shall take her leave.”

With that, she gave him a massive eye-roll in front of the entire courtyard and turned to leave. Yun Chuanzhi, Lingshui, and Cheng Jinshu quickly followed, their silhouettes chasing each other as they disappeared into the streets.

City Defender Jiang and the others were busy interrogating Pei Shaoqing and didn’t return that night, so they stayed at the Jiang Manor again.

Lingshui and Cheng Jinshu, who had not eaten their fill since morning, firmly opposed Yun Chuanzhi cooking again. They insisted on hiring a chef from a city restaurant to prepare a family banquet at the manor. Exquisite delicacies filled the table, and the three of them ate to their hearts’ content.

Only Bai Fenghe showed little interest in the dishes, eating even less than she did in the morning. After a couple of bites, she put down her chopsticks and returned to her room.

Lingshui was still composed, but Cheng Jinshu had drunk some of Youji City’s century-old vintage. Her steps were a bit floaty. She insisted on supporting Yun Chuanzhi to escort her to Bai Fenghe’s door, waving farewell: “Ergou, Ergou, see you tomorrow morning.”

Yun Chuanzhi didn’t know what she meant and didn’t care to argue with a drunk, so she stood under the eaves holding a wine cup, planning to wait for Cheng Jinshu to fall asleep before returning to her room.

Unexpectedly, the door behind her opened, and Bai Fenghe’s voice came out: “It is cold outside. Come in.”

We are in the middle of a heatwave; where is it cold?

The one who drank and the one who didn’t; why is everyone acting a bit abnormal? Yun Chuanzhi grumbled in her heart, but she still poked her head in.

The woman had already changed into a pure white undergarment. Her tall, slender figure stood before the wide-open window. The wind stirred the hem of her clothes, revealing her jade-white wrists, with a green jade bracelet hanging loosely on one.

The shadow of her undulating waist was faintly visible through the white fabric, like a demon made of floating light, ethereal and sacred.

Yun Chuanzhi’s gaze fell on her silhouette, the graceful contours beneath the clothes clearly imprinted in her eyes. She quickly shifted her gaze, not understanding why this sudden awkwardness had arisen.

Fortunately, Bai Fenghe spoke, her usual arrogant tone dissipating the tension: “Cui Ergou, what are you dawdling for? Are you drunk too?”

“I’m not drunk,” Yun Chuanzhi put down the wine cup. “I don’t like drinking. It feels like swallowing a cup of fire. It doesn’t taste good.”

Bai Fenghe let out an ambiguous laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Yun Chuanzhi asked.

“Laughing that after having a bit of wine, you actually dare to speak to This Seat like this.” Bai Fenghe turned back to glance at her, her robes fluttering as she sat on the chaise longue by the bed.

“I don’t like the name Cui Ergou,” Yun Chuanzhi sighed. She walked over to Bai Fenghe and half-sat, half-crouched in front of her, her almond eyes reflecting the shimmering moonlight. “It doesn’t sound good.”

“Mm. What do you like?” Bai Fenghe asked.

“I like”

“Forget it. You are This Seat’s person; This Seat should be the one to name you,” Bai Fenghe quickly interrupted her, acting very domineering. “What surname do you want?”

“Yun,” Yun Chuanzhi answered. She originally wanted to say her real name, but Bai Fenghe would surely be unwilling.

Yun Chuanzhi didn’t care much about names anyway. As long as it wasn’t something like a cat or a dog, anything was fine. She rested her chin on her hand and said: “Just pick whatever you want.”

Bai Fenghe frowned in thought. Her fingertips suddenly reached for her own shoulder, touching it gently as if with nostalgia.

Then she spoke: “From the time she began her cultivation, This Seat’s Master often recited a sentence: The mountains stop, the rivers flow; the wind and grain rise together. This Seat’s name was born from this.”

“Fenghe is already taken. Then you shall be called Yun Chuanzhi.”

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