Transmigrated as the Villain and Driven Crazy by the Vengeful Male Lead - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The First Cheat

Damn it, I can’t say it!

The Zhanquan sword hung crosswise under the moon, its gilded blade clashing with the ashen moonlight to produce a strange, shifting hue.

Su Cheyue suddenly let out a cold laugh. “I truly didn’t think wrong of you. You are a coward who is all show and no substance, trying every means to flee the moment trouble arises.”

Pain.

“With your cultivation, even if you are injured, dealing with it should be more than enough. Lyu Shuyao, why are you scared to this extent?”

So much pain.

“Where was this fear during the Evil Ghost Purgatory?”

Lyu Shuyao had no strength left to respond; he didn’t know when he might lose consciousness. His trembling tongue pushed out a faint breath of air: “…Can still fly… a bit longer… you hide well…”

Su Cheyue fell silent.

After an unknown amount of time—Lyu Shuyao’s perception of time was blurred by agony, perhaps only a few breaths had passed—Su Cheyue spoke: “I don’t like owing others, especially you.”

Amidst the dense pain, a sharp, cold wind suddenly rushed past. The other end of the sword was empty.

Lyu Shuyao snapped awake instantly: “Su—!”

He had actually jumped off the sword!

Madman! Lunatic!

Ignoring the pain, Lyu Shuyao gritted his teeth and turned the sword around. Where the hell did he fall?!

…

The man had fallen into a black thicket covered in snow. Falling from such a height should have been painful, but since his lower body had long lost sensation, only the sudden, bone-piercing chill against his back made him shudder.

He clearly tried to stand up, but failed without surprise.

The world was vast and silent, filled with inescapable loneliness and despair. He lay in the middle of a desolate wilderness, like fish on a cold chopping block.

The people are the cleaver, and I am the meat.

He thought he could use the power of the Desire-Seeking Pearl to save lives, but he hadn’t expected to become a martyr walking into a trap himself. He couldn’t even protect himself, let alone satisfy the basic human desire for survival.

Pitiful. Tragic.

The Li-ghost’s laughter gradually approached; Su Cheyue could hear it. He looked up at the moon and softly whispered, “Father.”

White robes were particularly conspicuous in the dark night. The Li-ghost found him without much effort. Possessing Rourou’s small body, its face revealed the cunning original form of a civet cat, and a large, fluffy tail flickered behind it.

This was originally a beautiful white-faced civet.

“One’s faults should not be pushed onto others, and misfortune should not reach friends and family.” Su Cheyue looked at it, his gaze devoid of panic or fear. “Whether you want to kill me or cut me, do as you please.”

“You’re just like my master, speaking in such a refined, annoying way.”

The Li-ghost approached him, its soft-furred claws stroking his lower limbs. “What a pity for such a perfect pair of legs.”

“Tell me where that person is, and I’ll spare your life.”

Su Cheyue’s brow knitted slightly. “What person?”

“Stop playing dumb! The person who escaped with you—where is he?!”

Su Cheyue said, “The person you are looking for is me.”

The Li-ghost stared at him, its nose twitching forcefully. Its water-blue eyes suddenly filled with rage: “Liar! I have thought of killing him day and night; how could I not distinguish him?! You don’t have that scent that I hated so much when he cut me down back then!”

Su Cheyue was confused. What scent?

“I clearly planted a Gu on him, yet he still dares to run! Since he’s so unafraid of pain, why doesn’t he have the courage to come and fight me!” The Li-ghost hissed fiercely at Su Cheyue. “If you don’t speak, I’ll kill you right now!”

Why would it think it was that person?

Before he could think further, the Li-ghost turned its claws into blades and swept through the air! Su Cheyue didn’t blink, prepared to endure it with his flesh and blood. His pupils focused on the tip of the claw, but the next second, his deep brown eyes suddenly lost focus.

Crimson silk brushed against Su Cheyue’s cheek like a breeze. The moment Lyu Shuyao saw him while descending, he dove to shield Su Cheyue, wrapping around him tightly.

A searing, burning pain erupted across Lyu’s back.

“Good! Good!” The Li-ghost laughed maniacally. “Come and have a hearty battle with me!”

“…” No one ignored it.

“?!” The Li-ghost let out a snarling hiss and scratched Lyu Shuyao’s back even more viciously. “Get up! Get up!”

He wanted to get up, but with new and old injuries combined, the pain from his front and back was so intense he simply couldn’t.

No, why is it this miserable??

Su Cheyue, pinned beneath him, was actually as angry as the ghost: “Get up!”

??? Big brother, whose side are you on?!

It was as if the Li-ghost had become addicted to the blood, or perhaps the sight of its enemy made it see red. It scratched and tore, using Lyu Shuyao’s entire back as a tool for venting its rage!

Waves of pain felt like fire. Eventually, Lyu Shuyao went numb; he couldn’t tell if it hurt or not, or even where it was hurting.

“Lyu Shuyao, do you think doing this is enough?” The sound of claws hitting bone and flesh echoed. Lyu Shuyao groaned lowly into Su Cheyue’s ear.

“Do you think I will be grateful to you because of this?!”

[Congratulations Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 5. Current Hatred Value: 2980. Keep up the good work!]

“Do you think… I will let you go…”

[Congratulations Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 5. Current Hatred Value: 2975. Keep up the good work!]

“Don’t even think about it. I never will.”

[Congratulations Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 5. Current Hatred Value: 2970. Keep up the good work!]

“As long as I recover my cultivation one day, I will cut you into a thousand pieces!”

[Congratulations Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 5. Current Hatred Value: 2965. Keep up the good work!]

[Congratulations Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 5. Current Hatred Value: 2960. Keep up the good work!]

Every time the ghost scratched, Su Cheyue’s angry rebukes and the system’s rapid-fire notifications played in unison. Lyu Shuyao was dazed: What kind of surreal event is this?!

It seems one scratch equals five points!

[Why doesn’t the Visitor tell the male lead the truth about your damaged cultivation? You’d have a great chance to gain his sympathy!]

Lyu Shuyao could barely speak, but he still had the mind to joke: Losing face, I don’t want to.

[…Lowering Hatred Value is the most important thing right now.]

Forget the Hatred Value for a second! Lyu Shuyao screamed in his heart. If you don’t help me, I’m going to die here tonight!

[This opportunity is very precious. For the sake of the Hatred Value, Visitor, please endure a bit longer.]

“…” My life isn’t a life.

Another bone-piercing scratch hit, as if a spinal nerve had been snagged. Lyu Shuyao’s mind went blank, and he let out an instinctive, long groan.

“Lyu Shuyao?!” Su Cheyue’s tone changed slightly.

…

[Host, please listen to instructions starting now.] The system seemed to relent, changing its mind. To Lyu Shuyao, it sounded like a life-saving straw. I’ll listen to you! I must listen to you!

[Do you know why the Li-ghost is chasing you relentlessly?]

Huh?? Is it??

[Think about it. What are you keeping in the system space?]

…Crap!

No wonder! Back in Tianjin Lane, he hadn’t even intended to take that hit for Su Cheyue!

No wonder this crazy ghost was scratching so happily now!!

It was the Dangyan Sword!! This crazy ghost recognizes the sword, not the person!!

[Host, if you take out the Dangyan Sword now, you can distract the Li-ghost…]

No! Lyu Shuyao refused without hesitation. A sword can sense its master. Once it appears, there’s no guarantee the ghost won’t recognize Su Cheyue. He would be in danger!

[…] The system fell silent.

[Congratulations Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 5. Current Hatred Value: 2500. Keep up the good work!]

!!! This crazy ghost has already scratched me nearly a hundred times!! My beautiful back is going to be a wreck!

“Is there any other way!” The system’s bad ideas made Lyu Shuyao alert again. His mind was in a tug-of-war. He unconsciously buried his face in the side of Su Cheyue’s neck, using that pleasant green pear scent to soothe the waves of dull pain.

“…You’re a bit hot…” His willpower was astonishingly strong. While rushing the system, he didn’t forget to soothe the powerless rage of the person beneath him.

“Then get lost!” Su Cheyue said excitedly.

Lyu Shuyao grinned; it must have looked hideous. “But I’m so cold… you… happen to warm me…”

Su Cheyue’s chest heaved as he took a deep breath: “Tangyuan, why go this far?! You could have waited peacefully for your next life!”

Hearing Su Cheyue call it by its nickname, the Li-ghost slowed its scratching. “Want to know why?”

Lyu Shuyao felt like a fish out of water. He loosened his grip on the ground slightly.

“I used to recite poetry with my master. ‘I wish to be the southwest wind, passing away into your embrace.’ That is exactly my mood today. The next life is tempting, but it would be hard to meet my old master or continue our old bond. This kind of longing is something people like you—who are used to deciding life and death—will never understand.”

Su Cheyue said, “You are so loyal. Do you know what the Meng couple thinks?”

“Master obviously couldn’t bear to lose me!” The ghost hissed. “That day when I was innocently bitten to death by that mad dog, Daddy stayed by my body all night without sleeping, and Mommy cried her heart out…”

Su Cheyue said, “Delight in things but do not be consumed by them; be skilled in emotion but do not be trapped by it.”

The ghost was confused. “What are you saying?”

During the conversation with Su Cheyue, it stopped attacking. Lyu Shuyao couldn’t breathe deeply because it pulled at the pain in his back; he could only take small, rapid breaths, warning himself to stay conscious.

He realized he was drenched in sweat. The sweat soaked through his purple robes and onto Su Cheyue; the two were essentially pressed together like they were naked.

“This is the line most heavily annotated in the old book Meng Shijie gave me.” Su Cheyue’s warm breath brushed past Lyu Shuyao’s ear. “Do you want to know how I subdued you?”

The ghost seemed to half-understand, but said: “No need for you to say it, I already know everything!”

Shamed into anger, it struck again—

“Lyu Shuyao!”

Big brother, you really might be on the ghost’s side. Lyu Shuyao endured it, continuing to think numbly.

[A life-saving mantra has arrived. Please decide whether to use it!]

Lyu Shuyao felt a surge of energy like a dying fish jumping. Is that even a question? Use it, use it, use it!

[Please recite the following command aloud: Namo, Heladanuo, Duoluoyaye, Polujiedi, Shuoboluoye.]

Lyu Shuyao: ??? What the hell is that?? A Mandarin test or an English listening exam??

You’ve got to be kidding!

[The Host must repeat the distress-relieving mantra exactly without missing a single word!]

Lyu Shuyao concentrated: “Namo, Namo He-luo—”

Su Cheyue: ???

[Wrong. It is Heladanuo, Duoluoyaye, Polujiedi, Shuoboluoye.]

“…Namo, Heladanuo, Pineapple…”

[Wrong again. Duoluoyaye, Polujiedi, Shuoboluoye.]

“Namo, Heladanuo, Duoluoyaye, Poluojiedi…”

[Polujiedi, Shuoboluoye.]

“…Damn it…” Lyu Shuyao gasped and cursed. “I can’t say it!”

Su Cheyue: “…”

[Come on Host, you’re almost there!]

With a hundred scratches on his back, Lyu Shuyao’s teeth chattered: “Namo, Heladanuo, Duoluoyaye, Polujiedi, Shuoboluoye!”

[Congratulations Host!]

Suddenly, the sharp whistling of the wind around his ears ceased. The Li-ghost actually stopped its attack.

His back felt like a raging wildfire of pain.

He turned his head with difficulty. The Li-ghost looked as if it had been possessed; its blue cat-like eyes were hollow, and it stood there like a wooden chicken, lost.

At the same time, he felt a warm current surge through his body, like being enlightened from head to toe. It was incredibly refreshing!

[Command complete. Host performed well. Special reward: 10% of cultivation restored.]

Just 10% feels this good??!!

Having a cheat feels amazing!

Unfortunately, he was too heavily injured to jump up and fight the ghost immediately!

At this moment, a flash of sword light appeared, and a tall shadow descended from the sky: “Ayue!”

Talk about arriving early!

Su Qingyang pointed his sword at the unresponsive Li-ghost. He turned to see the two men tangled together, soaked and messy. Before his anger could rise, he saw the man who was tightly protecting his brother. There wasn’t a single uninjured spot left on his back.

He stood frozen in place.