The Villainous Demon Lord’s Handbook for Success: Rebirth - Chapter 29

Hearing these words, Ning Fuyi’s upturned lips stiffened for a moment.

Although Chu Qingqiu had said that her saving Ning Fuyi time and again was only out of Ning Changfeng’s entrustment, Ning Fuyi somehow caught a hint of genuine concern from her words just now.

Did Chu Qingqiu care about her?

But Chu Qingqiu had never cared about her. In her past life, she could not even get close to Chu Qingqiu, and in this life, she could not understand her at all.

In her previous life, Chu Qingqiu clearly could have given her a hand, and she clearly could have protected her just once. Even if she had only given her a single smile or a word of comfort, Ning Fuyi would not have been so utterly heartbroken, nor would she have hated her so deeply. But there was nothing.

Chu Qingqiu seemed completely devoid of emotion, as if she did not know how to smile.

So, Ning Fuyi smiled instead. As if she could not feel any pain, she said softly, “But whether my life is harmed or not, what does it have to do with you, Divine Venerable?”

“It is nothing more than a request. You have saved me several times, Deity, so you can be considered to have fulfilled it. Even if you treat me with the same indifference as before, no one else can say anything against you.” Restraining the sudden bitterness in her heart, Ning Fuyi spoke coldly, and the smile on her face grew wider.

“You stand high above, Deity. You will never know what it feels like to be stepped on and called a piece of trash.” Ning Fuyi spoke devoid of emotion, watching with satisfaction as Chu Qingqiu’s face turned pale. “You will never experience what it feels like to watch the person you love die right before your eyes, completely powerless to stop it.”

“I insist on going to Mount Zhaoyao. I just want to become stronger. Compared to that, what kind of price is a damaged celestial meridian or overdrawing my cultivation?” Ning Fuyi turned her head as she spoke, her smile still lingering while a trace of madness flickered in her eyes. “I want the people I love to stay alive, and I want those who harmed me to pay the price. In your eyes, Deity, is all of this wrong?”

“Ning Fuyi!” Chu Qingqiu suddenly snapped. Her shoulders were trembling with rage; Ning Fuyi had never seen Chu Qingqiu this angry before.

The white jade staff in her hand abruptly transformed back into its original form. At the same time, the Flying Feather Rope binding Ning Fuyi vanished. Ning Fuyi staggered but managed to stand firm, clutching her still-aching arm as she leaned half-propped against a pillar.

“Get out,” Chu Qingqiu said, suppressing her fury.

Ning Fuyi did not stay any longer. Without a single word, she ran down from the pavilion, her pale green figure disappearing past the layers of palace courtyards.

The room fell into a sudden, heavy silence. The little white tiger sat down pitifully, whimpering.

As the dark shadows of dusk fell upon the room’s occupant, Chu Qingqiu stood in place for a very, very long time before finally sitting down on the couch.

Her lingering anger remained as she gazed into the empty space.

She had seen many versions of Ning Fuyi, including the ignorant, the timid, the intentionally stubborn, the calm, the fierce, and finally, the one who was decisive in killing and indifferent to all living things.

Yet, it seemed that only at that exact moment just now, when the child’s eyes exposed her grief and grievance while she smiled and called herself trash, did the true Ning Fuyi show herself from beneath her layers of masks.

With a soft whine, the little white tiger suddenly jumped onto the couch, lying down beside Chu Qingqiu and resting its head on her lap.

“What should I do, Bai Lin?” Chu Qingqiu spoke softly, her crystalline fingernail brushing through the soft fur on Bai Lin’s forehead. “What should I do?”

Bai Lin let out a few soft whimpers, and Chu Qingqiu’s finger paused mid-air.

“Really?” She lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

Ning Fuyi ran all the way out of Jingshan Palace, passing through the increasingly darkened paths and bridges until she stood outside the main gate of Zhuguang Pavilion. Panting heavily, she stopped and stared blankly at the three characters carved on the gate: Zhu Guang Ge.

She had angered Chu Qingqiu once again. She ought to feel vindicated.

Yet, she could not quite describe the feeling in her heart right now. It felt as though she had intentionally provoked Chu Qingqiu, but when those words were spoken, they seemed to come straight from the bottom of her heart.

Ning Fuyi suddenly rolled up her sleeve and saw a red mark on her tender arm, her eyes gradually hardening back into cold resolve.

Immersing herself in this current world these past few days, she had almost forgotten what kind of person she was supposed to be.

She should not waste her thoughts on these matters.

With a creaking sound, the main gate of Zhuguang Pavilion swung open. Ning Fuyi had already restored her usual expression. She looked up just as Liu Wenzhu rushed over and pulled her into a tight embrace. At the same time, a frantic bumping sensation pressed against her leg, making her say helplessly, “Ping’an.”

“Yiyi, thank goodness you are alright.” Liu Wenzhu let out a breath of relief. She released Ning Fuyi and spun her around to check on her.

“When I came down from the arena, I saw Elder Pingyao carrying you. I thought Li Choan had done something to you, but only later did I find out that you were the one who defeated Li Choan.” Liu Wenzhu had never talked so fast before. “But Elder Pingyao said you suffered severe internal injuries and almost damaged your celestial meridian. He took you for treatment right after. I was so worried that I have been waiting by the door ever since.”

Liu Wenzhu clutched her chest and said, “Do not ever make reckless decisions like this on your own again.”

Both she and Rong Jin had heard rumors that Ning Fuyi had used a cultivation technique they had never seen before. However, the two of them reasoned that it might have been taught by Ning Changfeng. Fearing that asking too much might upset Ning Fuyi, they had agreed beforehand not to question her in detail.

Ning Fuyi smiled. A warm current of being cared for rippled through her heart. She hummed in response, then asked, “The result of the tournament…”

“Do not worry,” Liu Wenzhu smiled, her lips curving upward. “The results are already out. Both you and I have been selected. But I heard from Senior Brother Rong Jin that the elders and the Sect Master argued for a long time over whether your actions counted as cheating. In the end, because it truly could not be classified as a forbidden art, they relented.”

“However, the other disciples do not know about these details. There might be some rumors tomorrow, so prepare yourself,” Liu Wenzhu lowered her voice in concern.

“Don’t worry,” Ning Fuyi replied with a smile. She had already anticipated gossip from the disciples, but having heard more than enough rumors in her past life, she would simply treat them as wind passing her ears.

The important thing was that she could go to Mount Zhaoyao, and a wave of joy expanded in her heart.

Having waited for so long, Liu Wenzhu had many things to tell Ning Fuyi. Instead of bringing her back inside to rest, she simply put Ping’an back into his room, then took Ning Fuyi’s arm and walked down the mountain. As they walked, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

“The elders and the Sect Master deliberated for a long time. I thought they would nullify the results this time, but to my surprise, Deity Chu Ling actually disagreed with overturning it. Elder Pingyao is usually so strict with you, yet I did not expect him to allow you to go to Mount Zhaoyao either.”

“But as long as we can go, that is all that matters. And now your injuries are healed too, so everything is truly wonderful.” As Liu Wenzhu spoke, her hair swayed along with her movements, showing just how happy she was.

The gloom in Ning Fuyi’s heart was smoothed away by her companion’s joy. She smiled alongside her, while simultaneously feeling astonished by her words.

She had originally thought she would need to strongly argue her case after waking up, but she had not expected Chu Qingqiu to have already agreed, along with Elder Pingyao.

Things had gone so smoothly that she, who was accustomed to facing obstacles at every turn, found herself a bit unadapted to it.

“Oh right, there is also Li Choan. You are truly amazing! You beat her black and blue during the match, and now she is still lying in bed crying. It is so gratifying.”

As the two of them chatted, the sky darkened completely. Occasionally, a few disciples returning from the dining hall passed by, casting sidelong glances at Ning Fuyi, only to be glared back by Liu Wenzhu.

“Hey, Fuyi, Wenzhu, what are you two doing here?” They happened to run into Rong Jin, who had just stepped out of the dining hall. Holding two jars of wine in each hand, he spoke in surprise before breaking into a wide grin. “Look at this timing! Elder Yuanming just gifted me four jars of apricot blossom wine brought from the mortal realm, and I was just about to go look for you.”

“I know Yiyi likes this.” He looked toward Ning Fuyi.

Ning Fuyi’s heart stirred, and she nodded back at him.

Half an incense stick of time later, the three of them successfully evaded the patrolling managing disciples and slipped into a large, unattended peach blossom forest behind the dining hall. They spread a tunic on the ground and sat down.

As soon as the wine corks were pulled, a rich, mellow aroma wafted through the air, blending with the scent of peach blossoms in a way that was deeply refreshing.

Just smelling it made Ning Fuyi feel a bit intoxicated. She reached out to take a jar of wine, tilting her head back to pour it into her mouth. The crisp, mellow taste washed over her palate, making her shiver comfortably.

It had been a very long time since she had secretly drunk wine in a peach blossom forest with her close friends. During those long, agonizing years in her past life, she had dreamed of this exact scene more than once, only to wake up with her pillow drenched in tears.

Therefore, finding herself inside this image once again filled her with deep nostalgia and emotion.

My emotions are running a bit high today, Ning Fuyi thought, shaking her head. She let out a self-deprecating chuckle and took a few more gulps, only stopping once the alcohol began to rush to her head.

“Drink slower, Fuyi,” Rong Jin said, taking a sip himself. “How long has it been since we last drank like this? The last time was when the Sect Master was still around. Fuyi begged me to help her steal some wine, and the next day she got so drunk she fell right into the pond.”

“Which led to me getting a thorough thrashing from the Sect Master.” Rong Jin laughed, showing a row of white teeth, before quickly pulling back his smile to gaze at the moon hidden among the colorful peach blossoms.

“Yeah, and I was punished by her to sweep the latrines for seven days,” Ning Fuyi could not help but reminisce.

“Things were so good back then; the Sect Master protected us in everything.” As Rong Jin spoke, he glanced at Liu Wenzhu, then at Ning Fuyi, and set down the wine jar in his hand. “But Fuyi, even though the Sect Master is no longer here, Wenzhu and I are still here. If anything happens to you in the future, you must tell us first.”

“I know what you are thinking. You want to make a name for yourself as early as possible, but no matter what, you should not use your own body as a wager. If the Sect Master’s spirit in heaven saw this, she would definitely be heartbroken for you.”

Ning Fuyi’s grip on the wine jar tightened slightly.

“You want to go to the Zhaoyao Grand Tournament, and even if your Senior Brother has to exhaust every method, I will help you. But when you disregard your own health like this, anyone who genuinely cares about you will feel heartache for you.” Rong Jin let out a long sigh and took a few more gulps of wine.

“Me too,” Liu Wenzhu added in a quiet voice.

Ning Fuyi kept her eyes lowered as she listened to them, her heart swirling with a complex mixture of emotions.

It was true that she had been lonely for far too long; she had already forgotten what it felt like to be protected. Now that she tasted a bit of sweetness, she felt an urge to shed tears.

“I understand,” she said softly, reaching out to clink her wine jar against theirs before draining the remaining liquor in one gulp.

The three of them chatted idly about their youth. As the moon climbed up the treetops and the wine flowed through three rounds, they all became hazy with intoxication.

Liu Wenzhu had the weakest tolerance for alcohol and had long since collapsed onto the ground, drifting into dreamland. Rong Jin fared slightly better, but his face was thoroughly flushed as he propped himself up, teetering on the edge of sleep.

Ning Fuyi, however, still retained half of her sobriety. She took the wine jar from Rong Jin’s hand and set it aside. Suddenly remembering something, she said softly, “By the way, thank you, Senior Brother, for tailoring the sect uniform. I have worn it for a day, and I truly like it.”

“Sect uniform?” Rong Jin opened his bleary, drunken eyes and stared at Ning Fuyi’s sleeve for a moment. “Oh, that, that was not made by me. The Deity made it.”

“The Deity, she told me not to tell you.”

As if a bolt of thunder had crashed down, Ning Fuyi grabbed Rong Jin’s sleeve tightly, furrowing her brows as she asked, “What did you just say, Senior Brother? This clothing was made by the Deity?”

“Yes.” Rong Jin shook his head and laughed. “The Deity, the Deity learns very quickly. A student worth teaching.”

After saying that, he fell backward, sleeping spread-eagled on the ground.

Ning Fuyi stared blankly at the moon for a while. She suddenly stood up and walked out of the peach blossom forest with a heavy dose of intoxication. Her steps were fast, and before long, she arrived outside Jingshan Palace.

Just like always, the barrier could not stop her, and no silhouettes could be seen inside the palace. Following the familiar path, she walked back to Chu Qingqiu’s small pavilion. As she climbed the steps, she caught the sound of a wine jar falling over.

She quickened her pace by a few steps. The door stood wide open, and the rich, mellow scent of wine drifted along the doorframe straight to her nose.

Under the soft moonlight, the woman in the white dress sat by the window. Her head leaned against the window frame, her eyes closed, and her brows slightly knitted.

The little white tiger lay belly-up under the table, looking thoroughly drunk as well.

Ning Fuyi shook her head to clear the alcohol-induced blurriness from her eyes. She stepped forward quietly. As she reached Chu Qingqiu’s side, she noticed that the woman was murmuring something to herself.

Driven by a strange impulse, she leaned closer and clearly heard the slurred words leaving her lips.

It seemed to be a single, repeatedly whispered phrase: “I’m sorry.”

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