Transmigrated Into The Arms Of The Heroine Of A Sadistic Novel - Chapter 49

Lin Yanyu slept for another half a day. When she woke, night had already fallen, and Qin Changxin was just stepping in, carrying a food box.

“They still haven’t reached a decision,” Qin said as she unpacked the food. “The elders at the academy all agree that the Island Lord should be taken back to be purified slowly of the anomalies Xiao Xianyi left behind. But Que Ling Island cannot be left without its ruler, and no one can estimate how long the purification will take.”

“Then leave some exorcists here to maintain the purification array,” Lin suggested, her eyes fixed on the food, “or teach the island’s demon physicians how to perform the purification themselves. Taking the Island Lord away isn’t realistic without a great demon to protect them, a demon settlement like this might easily be attacked by nearby exorcist factions.”

“How could that…” Qin started reflexively, but stopped herself mid-sentence.

“To be honest,” Lin said, “the hostility between our two races is much worse than I imagined. Do you remember the first time we met how you treated me then?”

Of course Qin remembered, and said sheepishly, “You took me to form a contract, and I out of misunderstanding tried to poison you so we’d die together.”

“Exactly. You see, even though you were inexperienced, you already had a deeply ingrained bias against demons.” Lin picked up her chopsticks, helping herself to food as she spoke. “Did you see those exorcists today? They’re not as simple as you. And remember, demons are born stronger than humans our fur, scales, bones, even our organs are all valuable alchemical materials to humans, either as rare medicine or as superior artifact components.”

Qin nodded silently. She still remembered that Lin’s weapon, the Drifting Axe, had been forged from the horn and bone of a dragon.

Lin picked up a meatball and held it to her. “Eat first. This isn’t something we can decide, so don’t trouble yourself. But if they do send people to stay and set up the array, we can remain here for a while longer. I imagine the Island Lord will want to reminisce with me, too.”

From the tone of the Island Lord when she called Lin “Xuanqing,” Lin could tell there was history there perhaps the two had once been close, even like sisters.

Qin nodded again, carefully biting into the meatball without ever touching the chopsticks.

The past few days had been spent traveling; they hadn’t had a proper hot meal in some time.

The food served at the banyan residence was light, but neither Lin nor Qin were picky eaters. They ate whatever was provided and while eating, each made sure to give the other food from their own bowl.

Lin, having read the “original text,” knew exactly what Qin liked and disliked, so she only picked her favorite dishes. This surprised Qin greatly and made her even more certain that there was now a spiritual bond between them.

Otherwise, how could the cat have appeared so precisely when she was being stared down by so many pairs of eyes?

After dinner, Qin took the food box out of the herbal hall, carrying in her arms a black cat whose abdomen was still wrapped in bandages.

The cat had insisted on coming worried and wanting to see what was happening so Qin brought her to the Island Lord’s sleeping hall.

That night, the hall was guarded jointly by the feather clan’s sentries and exorcists. The two hanging curtains before the bed had been burned away by Lin’s demon fire, along with the threads of demonic energy left behind by Xiao Xianyi. The purple sandalwood bed had been singed black along one edge, but the Island Lord didn’t seem to care. When Lin and Qin arrived, Pu Wei, the Island Lord, was lounging on the bed, calmly playing with a tea set, the restraint rings still on her limbs and neck.

“Quick, offer our guests a seat,” Pu Wei said without even looking up.

Lin transformed into her human form and sat on a chair near her, smiling brightly. “Good evening, senior.”

Pu Wei smiled back and poured tea for her, then for Qin.

“Eighteen years gone in a blink, and Xuanqing’s child is already this grown,” Pu Wei sighed. “How is your mother doing in the demon realm?”

“She’s well, thank you for your concern,” Lin replied politely.

“Ah, that’s not what I meant,” Pu Wei waved her hand, her tone softening, and she reached out to rub Lin’s head affectionately. Her usual “this seat” turned into a friendly “I.” “Your mother was always lively and restless. I wonder how she’s faring in that cold, lonely place she’s chosen to hide away in.” Lin smiled she had no real answer.
The original Lin had been practically raised wild by the Demon Lord, carefree and careless. And after Lin Yanyu’s soul had taken over, she’d quickly left the demon realm to chase the plot’s events, so she had no idea how the Demon Lord was really doing.

Fortunately, Pu Wei continued, “Still, since she gave you that precious white jade, I suppose she’s made up her mind to live in seclusion. I don’t expect to see her again. I’m older than your mother so you may call me Aunt. If you ever run into trouble in the human world, bring my token and come to Que Ling Island.”

Lin looked delighted and thanked her profusely.

She had been worrying about lacking demon allies in the human realm now, the Island Lord was basically handing her a safety net on a silver platter.

Pu Wei summoned a black token shaped like a peacock feather. It floated gently toward Lin.

“This is called Wu Ling. It can serve as a flying artifact, or you can attach it to your demon form to fly. Your mother used to love using it to soar around everywhere if only you’d seen what she looked like with wings.”

Lin: “……”

She could suddenly picture it vividly.

“Senior, Yanyu ah, A-Lin was poisoned earlier, and a single wing grew from her back,” Qin said then. “I’ve never seen a cat demon with wings. I’m worried could you please take a look?”

That nickname A-Lin made Lin’s fur bristle.

“One wing?” Pu Wei blinked, then quickly set down her cup. “Let Aunt see!”

Lin hesitated, but then transformed back into her demon form and spread the lone wing.

She deliberately enlarged her form to make it easier for Pu Wei to examine.

Even though the restraint rings prevented Pu Wei from using her demonic power, she could still sense the energy flow within the wing.

“…There’s nothing abnormal in the demonic energy,” Pu Wei finally said, frowning slightly. “The biggest issue is balance. A single wing is inauspicious. The only race with one wing is the Bi-Yi Bird but they fly only in pairs. A lone one cannot fly.”

Lin flapped the wing awkwardly. “That’s all right I can already fly without wings. This one’s just… for decoration.”

Thankfully, Pu Wei had just mentioned her mother’s antics, giving her an easy excuse to use.

“No, that won’t do!” Pu Wei said sternly. “A single wing brings bad luck. Give me Wu Ling Aunt will make you another to match.”

Lin: “?”

There was such a thing as free wings now?

Neither she nor Qin had any idea how a peacock feather could become a wing but if the Island Lord said it could, then it could.

A quarter of an hour later, Lin had another wing a glossy black one, perfectly symmetrical in size and shape with the original blue-red one.

She folded both wings in front of herself, looking at the mismatched colors with mixed feelings.

This combination would drive any perfectionist mad.

Better to keep them hidden after all, she rarely needed to use them. And if others thought they looked ugly, that was their problem, not hers. At least Wu Ling could be detached at will, unlike the other wing, which had fused into her flesh.

Satisfied, Lin folded them away, transformed back into her human form, bowed, and smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Aunt, for your generous gift!”

The three sat again and drank tea.

Several times, Qin tried to bring up Xiao Xianyi, but Lin deftly changed the subject each time.

She didn’t trust the demons or exorcists stationed here she’d been taught well in her past life: never let your guard down.

After all, who was Xiao Xianyi? In the original story, he was the final boss, a being who used both realms as his chessboard, sacrificing countless lives for his own selfish desires. Eighteen years ago, even a high-ranking exorcist like Feng Funing had fallen victim to his schemes estranged from her partner, and eventually dead.

Until Lin could learn the full truth, she wouldn’t take any chances.

“I heard the exorcists plan to leave some people here to ‘purify’ me daily,” Pu Wei said after a while, sipping her tea. Her eyes gleamed with meaning. “Lin’er is injured and needs rest. Why not stay here a while, keep Aunt company? We can discuss where best to place the array to purify the island’s water supply.”

Lin and Qin exchanged a glance. After a silent moment, Qin nodded. “Very well. No time like the present we’ll seek our elders’ approval.”

The elders of Kuixuan Academy were happy enough to let disciples stay and train.
Only Feng Qianchen and Zhuang Jingwei looked conflicted.

Lin didn’t need to guess why they were clearly preoccupied with Qin’s public “coming out.” With so many exorcists as witnesses, news that Qin had taken the demon realm’s young mistress as her partner would spread quickly across the states.

Qin realized this too. Holding the cat in her arms, she bowed deeply in apology.

Zhuang Jingwei, who had calmed down after a day’s reflection, no longer looked angry but she still fixed her gaze coldly on the cat and said, “It’s easy to be blinded in the heat of love. If you truly wish to be lifelong partners, wait until this passion cools and see if you still feel the same.”

“I’ve already made up my mind,” Qin said firmly.

“Words are easy,” Zhuang sighed. “Even with your bond, there’s no rule in the human realm forbidding an exorcist or demon from choosing another partner later. If, someday, you find your partner changed from who she once was, it’s better to part peacefully than to suffer.”

“Zhuang-shijie, enough!” Feng Qianchen tugged her sleeve, worried she’d gone too far. Turning to the pair, she apologized quickly. “She’s just upset please don’t take it to heart!”

“I don’t mind,” Zhuang said coolly. “As long as the demon treats Changxin well and doesn’t cause trouble, it’s fine by me. But your master will be the real challenge. Don’t forget, when we sought recognition for our bond, she scolded us to tears.”

Feng Qianchen winced at the memory, shrinking her neck a little.