The Villainous Demon Lord’s Handbook for Success: Rebirth - Chapter 30

“I am sorry.” Chu Qingqiu could actually say she was sorry?

Ning Fuyi’s heartstrings suddenly trembled, her drunkenness clearing away by more than half. Her gaze fell upon the woman’s profile. Stray hairs covered half of her forehead, her eyelashes cast shadows onto her cheeks, and her nose was bathed in the moonlight, making her look as beautiful as a pristine white lotus under the moon.

“What did the Exalted Goddess say?” Ning Fuyi asked. She suddenly grew curious, wondering who could possibly make this woman discard her arrogance and utter an apology.

The moment her words fell, Chu Qingqiu suddenly opened her eyes. Those eyes were clear to the bottom, staring directly at her, looking as though she were not drunk at all.

Ning Fuyi was startled and instinctively tried to straighten her back, but a hand suddenly climbed onto her shoulder. The force was so immense that it firmly anchored her in place.

“Qiu Yi,” Chu Qingqiu spoke. Her voice was calm and her gaze was clear. If she had not called her by the wrong name, Ning Fuyi would have assumed she had been feigning sleep just now. “I told you to fetch wine, so why have you returned?”

“Now even you refuse to listen to my words, is that so?” Chu Qingqiu said coldly. She forcefully pushed Ning Fuyi’s shoulder away, picking up the dry wine vessel on the table and turning it upside down. “Each and every one of you has no conscience.”

Who had no conscience? Ning Fuyi was pushed back two steps by her. Knowing that Chu Qingqiu had mistaken her for Qiu Yi, she felt a wave of wordless exasperation.

However, she had never seen Chu Qingqiu drunk before. A person like her always seemed capable of bearing everything on her own, never needing wine to alleviate her sorrows.

“Bai Lin,” Chu Qingqiu called out again. She stood up to search for Bai Lin, but ended up stepping right over its belly. Ning Fuyi frowned, yet suddenly wanted to laugh. It turned out that a drunk Chu Qingqiu was just like ordinary people.

It was only a pity for that little white tiger, which was struggling with its limbs and blowing bubbles.

Chu Qingqiu’s figure drifted around the room. Her wide white robes were billowed by the wind outside the window, looking as if she were draped in pure white moonlight. She searched around but could not find Bai Lin, so she gave up and sat back down by the table.

“Go fetch wine,” she commanded in a low voice.

“She has already gone to get it,” Ning Fuyi answered.

“Who went to get it?” Chu Qingqiu turned around and asked.

“Uh,” Ning Fuyi had rarely dealt with a drunk person, so she began to spout nonsense, “Bai Lin.”

To her surprise, Chu Qingqiu actually believed it. She gave an “oh” sound, tossed the empty wine vessel aside, and sat upright with an air of solemn gravity: “Then this Venerable will wait.”

“I must have had too much to drink myself,” Ning Fuyi thought. She actually found this serious yet nonsensical Chu Qingqiu to be somewhat cute.

The moment those words popped into her head, she pinched herself hard. That word did not suit Chu Qingqiu at all. The word cute could be used on anyone, but it absolutely could not describe the stone-hearted old deity before her.

She suddenly recalled what she had come here for, so she raised her arm and waved it in front of the woman’s eyes: “These clothes, did you make them?”

Since Chu Qingqiu was drunk, she could not be bothered to feign compliance by using honorifics.

“What clothes? Qiu Yi, you are truly bold. Is your master someone you can address so casually?” As Chu Qingqiu spoke, she was about to knit her brows. Ning Fuyi hastily tacked the word “Master” onto the end of her sentence, and only then did the woman close her crimson lips.

“Ning Fuyi’s clothes,” Ning Fuyi said, narrowing her phoenix eyes slightly as she pretended to be Qiu Yi.

“Yes,” Chu Qingqiu responded readily.

“Why?”

“This Venerable wanted to make them, so I did. Why must there be a why?” Chu Qingqiu scoffed lightly.

Even with her thoughts in disarray, she was still this objectionable. Ning Fuyi let out a long breath, wanting to seize this rare opportunity to ask more about the mysteries, so she spoke again: “Is it truly because of Sect Master Ningtian’s dying wish that you have repeatedly aided her?”

“Master,” she quickly supplemented.

“If this Venerable aids her, then I aid her. Why is a reason necessary?” Chu Qingqiu said again.

Her mouth was truly sealed tight. Ning Fuyi instantly felt discouraged and stopped dreaming of extracting anything from her. Just at this moment, footsteps sounded behind her. Qiu Yi was carrying two jars of wine, running up the stairs while panting heavily.

“Ning Fuyi?” she said in astonishment. Her expression immediately soured, and she protectively blocked the space in front of Chu Qingqiu. “What are you doing here!”

Before Ning Fuyi could concoct a random excuse, Chu Qingqiu suddenly spoke: “This Venerable commanded you to fetch wine, so why did it take you so long to come up!”

Qiu Yi’s shoulders trembled instantly. Turning around with the wine jars, she lowered her head and said, “Replying to Master, there is no wine in our palace. The two vessels you drank earlier were my last remaining stash.”

“Furthermore, the sect prohibits disciples from drinking wine. I had to ask around all the way to Elder Yuanming’s quarters before I could beg for two jars of Apricot Blossom Wine.” As Qiu Yi spoke, she did not hand the wine jars to Chu Qingqiu. Instead, she spoke cautiously, “Master, please drink a little less. After all, your body, you should be careful.”

She instinctively glanced at Ning Fuyi, leaving the rest of her words unsaid.

However, Ning Fuyi managed to catch the final word she uttered. Her body? What was wrong with Chu Qingqiu’s body?

“Bring it here,” Chu Qingqiu did not listen to her, merely speaking softly. Although Qiu Yi was reluctant, she never dared to defy Chu Qingqiu’s commands, so she could only take small steps forward and place the wine jars on the table.

Yet just as Chu Qingqiu’s hand gripped the wine jar, a figure appeared by her side, extending five fingers to press down on the jar. Chu Qingqiu’s movements paused, and the words slipped out of her mouth: “Who are you?”

“I am Ning Fuyi,” Ning Fuyi said in a low voice, her hand firmly blocking the wine jar. “You cannot drink anymore.”

“You fellow, since when did you care about Master?” Qiu Yi jeered from the side. “Save your breath. Why would Master ever listen to you?”

Before her voice could fade, her mouth stretched wide open in shock. She watched with her own eyes as her supremely noble deity nodded and obediently let go of her hand.

Qiu Yi pinched herself, letting out a sharp hiss.

Ning Fuyi had also not expected Chu Qingqiu to actually listen to her. Her hand tightened on the wine jar for a moment before she lifted it from the table and casually set it aside.

She turned back to look at Qiu Yi, who was also glaring at her. For once, the two of them faced each other without bickering. In the end, Qiu Yi looked away first, stepping forward to whisper, “Master, it is getting late, and you have consumed wine. It is time to rest.”

“Yes,” Chu Qingqiu nodded. She stood up and walked toward the bed, her wide hems trailing behind her, and her snow-white bare feet peeked out from beneath the fabric. She quietly sat on the bed, turned over, and lay down.

Qiu Yi stepped forward, respectfully drawing the curtains closed before stepping back to leave. Ning Fuyi also intended to leave with her, but her wrist was suddenly caught by a hand. That palm was burning hot, and there seemed to be faint traces of sweat.

Subsequently, an extremely cautious utterance, which only she could hear, drifted from within the curtains.

“I am sorry, Ning Fuyi.”

Outside the screen, her fellow disciples were clamoring about something, their passing figures reflecting onto the surface of the screen. Likely due to the selection that had taken place yesterday, Zhuguang Pavilion was noisier this morning than ever before.

Ning Fuyi lay on her bed with her eyes open, staring at the caisson ceiling above that was painted with the Goddess Nine Heavens. Her drunkenness had long worn off, yet she had remained sleepless the entire night.

The events of last night kept replaying in her mind, disrupting her thoughts completely. The clothing personally sewn by Chu Qingqiu was still on her body, clean and perfectly fitting.

When one used their brain too much, it was inevitable to think of some past events that had long been forgotten. For instance, the first time she met Chu Qingqiu, she had still been a mere infant. Ning Changfeng had carried her to Zixia Peak, shamelessly dumping her into Chu Qingqiu’s care.

The moment she was set down, she had been terrified into loud wails by a single glance from Chu Qingqiu, crying so hard she almost lost her breath. In the end, Ning Changfeng had no choice but to hurriedly carry her away.

Before leaving, she had clearly heard Chu Qingqiu say coldly that she was cowardly, timid, and utterly devoid of natural talent.

During her childhood, the person she feared most was Chu Qingqiu. At that time, she did not know what kind of existence Chu Qingqiu was in the eyes of the world; she only knew that her gaze was terribly cold. No matter how bitterly she wept, there was never half a shred of concern within those beautiful peach-blossom eyes.

As time went on, she no longer dared to cry in front of her. Whenever she saw Chu Qingqiu, she would be many times more obedient than usual. Yet even so, she had never managed to gain Chu Qingqiu’s genuine regard.

She knew Chu Qingqiu disliked her. Thus, as she grew older, this sense of being unwelcome transformed into rebellion. Every time she was forced to see Chu Qingqiu, she would adopt a rebellious attitude, bristling like a porcupine.

Later on, Ning Changfeng passed away, and this rebellion turned into hatred. This hatred grew denser with each successive disaster.

However, in her past life, even at the very end, before Chu Qingqiu eliminated her for the sake of all living options, though she had captured Chu Qingqiu and tortured her, she had never once thought of killing her.

Not even an iota.

A whole night of contemplation left her mind increasingly disordered. Ning Fuyi suddenly rose, discarding all her thoughts.

She could not think about this anymore, lest she delay important matters.

Before stepping out from behind the screen, she looked down at the dress on her body. After a moment of hesitation, she suddenly untied the sash, pulled it off, and casually stuffed it into the bedside cabinet. Following that, she changed into a black silk dress that she usually wore.

After feeding Ping’an, who was spinning in circles on the floor, she patted its head and let it go play on its own before stepping out of Zhuguang Pavilion.

The disciples who saw her along the way were all whispering among themselves. However, every time Ning Fuyi cast her gaze toward them, those whispers would instantly vanish.

Ning Fuyi sneered in her heart. She did not need to listen to know what they were discussing; it was nothing more than rumors that she had used underhanded methods to defeat Li Chaoan.

She strode forward alone through the crowd, but a wooden bird suddenly flew before her eyes. When it opened its beak, Elder Pingyao’s voice emerged: “The Shaoyao Grand Assembly has been moved forward. Pack your bags and come to Yunshen Hall immediately.”

The Shaoyao Grand Assembly was moved forward? Ning Fuyi was startled.

The time it took for a stick of incense to burn later, Ning Fuyi had already appeared at the entrance of Yunshen Hall. Dozens of disciples had gathered here, wearing the uniforms of the East, West, South, and North Courtyards respectively. Standing among them, Ning Fuyi looked somewhat out of place.

“Yiyi,” Liu Wenzhu, who was wearing a light green sect uniform, came riding her spiritual sword from the horizon. Bringing a gust of wind, she stopped beside Ning Fuyi, her fair little face flushed with anxiety. “I went down the mountain to retrieve some items sent by my family, and I almost failed to make it in time.”

She jumped off her spiritual sword, unable to conceal her excitement: “I originally thought we would not depart for Mount Shaoyao until a few days later, but I did not expect it to be this quick.”

“Oh, right,” she leaned close to Ning Fuyi’s ear and whispered mysteriously, “I received word from the Liu family. They said this Shaoyao Grand Assembly is quite different from past ones, and told me to make more preparations.”

Ning Fuyi nodded upon hearing this. By this time, everyone had arrived, and they automatically stood in formation, waiting for arrangements.

She took a general sweep of the crowd; more than half were unfamiliar faces. Leading them was a tall, square-faced man from the East Courtyard, who was the managing disciple of the East Courtyard named Hong Ying. He was holding a roster and counting the heads. When he called Ning Fuyi’s name, his gaze rested on her for a moment. He said nothing, but turned to address Liu Wenzhu next to her: “The disciples of the North Courtyard have shallow cultivation and have never traveled far from home. Therefore, the Elder commanded me to arrange a disciple with high cultivation to lead you. For the next few days, you must follow her and must not act alone.”

“Feng Ge,” he turned and pulled a woman out from the crowd. The woman had apricot eyes, crescent-shaped eyebrows, and wore precious spiritual jade around her neck. She was likewise dressed in the blue and white uniform of the East Courtyard, with the gold leather at her waist gleaming brilliantly as she stood before Ning Fuyi.

“Senior Sister Feng Ge,” Liu Wenzhu bowed to her, and the woman returned the gesture with a smile.

Liu Wenzhu pulled Ning Fuyi, so Ning Fuyi also bowed. However, that woman acted as though she had not seen her at all, turning around to stand beside Liu Wenzhu to await Elder Pingyao.

Liu Wenzhu’s dark brows knitted, and she looked at Ning Fuyi with concern. Ning Fuyi merely shrugged her shoulders at her, indicating that she did not care in the slightest.

The disciples had all assembled, summoning their spiritual swords to hover beside them one after another. The ones accompanying them this time were Elder Pingyao, Elder Jingshan, Elder Yuanming, and Mei Chengsi, but Chu Qingqiu’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

Ning Fuyi discovered that her eyes were instinctively searching for Chu Qingqiu, so she frowned to suppress her actions, lowering her head to adjust her sash.

“Right, the territory around Mount Shaoyao consists entirely of divine sites. One is only permitted to enter by riding spiritual beasts or by flying on swords; the Flying Eagle Vessel cannot be used. Furthermore, the journey is long and passes mostly through desolate, miasmic areas. With your cultivation, it will be difficult to reach by flying on your swords.” As Feng Ge spoke, she waved her hand to manifest a precious sword that was completely snow-white. “Therefore, Liu Wenzhu, you shall ride on the same sword with me.”

“Then what about Yiyi?” seeing that she had repeatedly ignored Ning Fuyi, even the best-tempered Liu Wenzhu could no longer contain herself. “She has her own path.”

“My sword cannot carry two people,” Feng Ge answered curtly, her gaze bearing a trace of disdain. “As for her, let her find another way.”

Ning Fuyi frowned. Just as she was about to speak, a voice resounded from behind her, cold yet familiar.

“She will come with me.”

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