When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 12

Jiang Liuyue knew that speaking this way would likely provoke Sister Shi’s anger, but she simply could not help herself.

Her intuition was never wrong.

That Wen Yue harbored ulterior motives toward Sister Shi. The mere thought of Sister Shi going to meet her caused a surge of jealousy in her heart that climbed to an uncontrollable peak…

“Sister Shi, stay with me a little longer, won’t you? Just for a little while…”

The malicious ghost was acting coquettish for the first time. Gazing at the figure clinging tightly to her, Shi Yining’s heart eventually softened.

“Half a cup of tea at most. Once that time passes, I must leave.”

“Fine…” Jiang Liuyue did not push her luck or make more excessive demands.

In the little time remaining, she inhaled the intoxicating fragrance of her beloved almost greedily. It was only when a firm yet gentle push came that she reluctantly left the embrace of the one she loved.

“Sister Shi, remember to come back early.”

Hearing these words full of resentment, Shi Yining arched her elegant eyebrows slightly.

“Jiang Liuyue, I don’t believe for a second that you won’t follow me secretly. What difference does it make if I return early or late?”

The ghost gave a soft laugh. “Sister Shi truly knows me best… wherever you go, I shall follow. However, if you return early, you spend less time with Wen Yue. Naturally, that makes a great difference.”

“Jiang Liuyue, you really are…”

Shi Yining found herself momentarily at a loss for words, unable to find the right way to describe this ghost. She simply flicked her long sleeves and walked straight out of the room.

As she watched her beloved leave, Jiang Liuyue swiftly concealed her form and followed closely by her side, never straying a step.

Half an hour later, at the Huibin Pavilion in Kaiyuan City.

Shi Yining arrived at the ninth floor as agreed and successfully met Wen Yue.

“Fellow Daoist Wen invited me—could it be that you wish to continue asking about what happened at the teahouse?”

Wen Yue poured a cup of spiritual tea and shook her head with a smile. “There is no specific matter. Can we not simply gather for a visit?”

Shi Yining took a seat at the Qingling wood table and asked curiously, “I recall we first met in Jiuqu Province, and your family home is there as well. Why have you come to Kaiyuan City and become the Captain of the Guard?”

“I don’t need to worry about clan affairs. Long periods of cultivation can be dull and tedious, so I came out for a walk… A few days ago, it happened that Kaiyuan City was recruiting guards. I was curious and wanted to experience it, so I signed up and have stayed until now.”

“I see… Forgive my prying, but is your Wen Clan currently competing with certain forces in Jiuqu Province over a large spiritual mine?”

Wen Yue was somewhat surprised. “I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Shi to know of this. Indeed, I received a transmission from the clan stating that due to the ownership of a newly discovered mine, relations with several surrounding factions have become very strained.”

Shi Yining continued, “According to reliable sources, those factions are likely to join forces against the Wen Clan.”

Wen Yue’s smile faded slightly. “Actually, I had similar suspicions. However, the Clan Head insisted that those factions dislike each other and that the possibility of them joining forces is extremely low, so he didn’t pay it much mind.”

“Fellow Daoist Wen, though I cannot reveal the source of my information, I can assure you it is absolutely certain. If multiple factions join forces and you are truly unprepared, the consequences will be unthinkable.”

“Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist Shi. I will send another transmission tonight to alert the Clan Head.”

Seeing that Wen Yue had taken the advice to heart, Shi Yining felt slightly more at ease.

The Xuanqing Sect had little interaction with the Wen Clan of Jiuqu Province. As the Eldest Senior Sister of her sect, she had to consider many factors when dealing with other powers and could not intervene directly.

In her previous life, she had been entirely focused on Shu Mo and had been irresponsible while abroad, showing no regard for the sect’s interests. Now that she was living her life over again, she naturally could not repeat those mistakes.

Her Master’s kindness to her was as heavy as a mountain; she ought to do her best to repay the sect and never bring extra trouble upon them through her own improper actions…

“I heard that your fall into the water a few days ago was caused by a villain’s sabotage. Do you know who that person is?”

The question reached Shi Yining’s ears, pulling her wandering thoughts back to the present.

“Since it happened at the Yuehua Sect, it was naturally a disciple of that sect. As for specifically who, it is inconvenient to disclose for now. Once the Dao Discussion Assembly begins, you will find out.”

“It seems you intend to take your revenge personally at the assembly.”

“You guest correctly. Regardless of the grudge, it is best to settle it oneself.”

Since they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, Wen Yue seemed to have much to say. For the duration of the meeting, she spoke of the sights and sounds she encountered on her way to Kaiyuan City, and the two conversed quite happily.

Jiang Liuyue, hiding her form nearby, felt her heart turn sour as she watched this scene.

If it weren’t for their “three-point agreement,” she would have revealed herself long ago to give Wen Yue a sound thrashing.

Sister Shi had never spoken so much to her… yet now, facing someone whom she claimed to have little connection with, she showed a rare gentleness. This filled the ghost with extreme jealousy.

The ghost’s mood was so poor that even the yin energy surrounding her began to fluctuate unusually.

At that moment, Wen Yue keenly sensed the anomaly. She immediately stopped speaking and used her divine sense to probe the surroundings.

Shi Yining shot a discreet glare at the ghost beside her. Her mind raced as she began thinking of an excuse to hide the truth.

Before she could think further, Wen Yue—having finished her probe with no discoveries—spoke again, bringing up another matter.

“Fellow Daoist Shi, some time ago, evil cultivators appeared in Kaiyuan City. People have been killed consecutively outside the city. The culprit has not been caught yet. Although there are guards patrolling the city, it is not absolutely safe. Please be careful when you return to the inn.”

“Thank you for the reminder.”

Shi Yining guessed that Wen Yue had mistaken the disturbance just now for the work of an evil cultivator. Although that wasn’t the case, it served as a perfect excuse, saving her from having to explain.

According to the timeline of her past life, that evil cultivator who plagued the region would be eliminated in two days.

Two cups of tea later, at the Huoyan Inn.

Just as Shi Yining stepped into the inn, she received a transmission from her Junior Sister.

Yu Shang had found information regarding Lin Zhiyi.

The transmission stated that this woman had only arrived in Kaiyuan City five days ago. On that same day, she recommended herself to that teahouse and became their resident storyteller.

Over the past few days, more than one cultivator had asked about her origins, and she had answered everyone with the same four words: “An anonymous rogue cultivator.” She was effectively airtight.

Lin Zhiyi lived at the Fenglai Residence in the city. Yu Shang had gone there quietly but could not find her. Later, she questioned the owner of the teahouse and learned that Lin Zhiyi had left a letter resigning from her position and would not be returning.

All signs pointed to the fact that, unless it was a coincidence, this woman’s appearance seemed solely for the purpose of revealing the truth behind Shi Yining’s fall into Lake Yunze at the Yuehua Sect.

Who exactly could she be?

Shi Yining’s thoughts shifted. On her way back to the inn, there was no end to the people in the streets and alleys discussing her fall into the lake. Originally, her reputation abroad hadn’t been great, but following this incident, the cultivators’ perception of her had changed drastically.

Was Lin Zhiyi helping her?

Whether referencing the plot of the “book” or her memories of her previous life, the name Lin Zhiyi had never appeared. Was the other party using a pseudonym, or did her rebirth cause so many changes in this world that the past life and the book were no longer reliable references?

Shi Yining leaned toward the first possibility.

She simply couldn’t guess who would help her…

Was it someone she knew well, or a mere chance acquaintance?

She had seen the woman’s face and was certain she had never encountered her in her previous life; most likely, the woman had used a disguise or illusion technique…

Deep in thought, Shi Yining temporarily ignored Jiang Liuyue, who had been following her all along.

Because of this, the moment she returned to her room, she was pushed down onto the couch by the malicious ghost.

Snapping back to her senses, her expression shifted.

“Jiang Liuyue, what are you doing?”

The ghost leaned over her. In the midst of her blurred facial features, a faint, bloody hue seeped from the position of her eyes.

“When we were outside just now, I asked Sister Shi several times, yet I didn’t receive a single response. Ever since you received that transmission from your Junior Sister, you have been distracted, treating me as if I were invisible…”

Shi Yining sensed instinctively that the ghost was extremely dangerous at this moment, but she was completely pinned down and unable to resist.

“Jiang Liuyue, you—stay calm. I was only trying to deduce Lin Zhiyi’s background just now; I wasn’t thinking about my Junior Sister.”

“Is that the truth?”

“Naturally. Have you forgotten? I made an agreement with my Junior Sister that whoever found information would send a transmission immediately.”

The bloody tint in the ghost’s eyes faded slightly. “Of course I haven’t forgotten. But I didn’t hear the specific contents of that transmission, and Sister Shi was ignoring me. How could I not overthink it?”

Her voice carried an obvious sense of grievance, making Shi Yining feel both angry and amused.

Clearly, it was this ghost who had acted without reason and used force, yet now she behaved as if she were the one being bullied.

“Jiang Liuyue, since we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding, let me go!”

“I… I’m sorry…”

The power restraining her body gradually dissipated.

Gaining her freedom, Shi Yining quickly rolled off the couch.

Looking at the stunned and somewhat helpless ghost sitting on the bed, she pursed her lips, her voice turning cold.

“Jiang Liuyue, if you cannot control your emotions and remain stable, then please stay away from me. I do not want a second occurrence of what just happened.”

The feeling of utter helplessness while being restrained reminded her of the times she was controlled by the “System” in her previous life.

The bloody light in the ghost’s eyes had now completely vanished. Hearing these words, her figure stiffened slightly.

After a brief silence, her lips parted slightly, and she slowly exhaled an object the size of a thumb, transparent and shaped like a jade bead.

“Sister Shi, this is my Life Soul Core. In the future, if I ever do such a thing again, you need only crush this core. If you do, I will dissipate directly from this world and never bother you again… If you loathe me and want me gone right now, you can also crush it immediately. I will not resist.”

Shi Yining stared blankly at the object floating before her.

Ever since she had been haunted by this ghost, she had been thinking of ways to get rid of her. She never expected that the ghost would personally hand over her own life-line.

At this moment, what surfaced in Shi Yining’s heart was not joy, but an indescribable sense of sorrow…

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