When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 13

In her past life, Shi Yining had made similar gestures in her desperate pursuit of Shu Mo’s love.

Back then, though she was nearing the brink of madness, she hadn’t entirely lost her reason. Seeing Shu Mo remain indifferent to her, she had offered a dagger forged from her own heart’s blood in a fit of despair.

She told Shu Mo that if she truly loathed her to the point of extreme disgust, she should drive that dagger into her heart… Once she was dead, she would naturally cease to be a nuisance.

Shu Mo had accepted the dagger.

Because of this, a flicker of hope was rekindled in her ashen heart. Shu Mo had not killed her. She believed that, after all, she held some small spark of significance in Shu Mo’s heart.

But… reality proved it was nothing more than her own delusions.

After a long silence, Shi Yining used her magic to levitate the Soul Core back to the malevolent ghost.

“Jiang Liuyue, there is no need for this. I have never loathed you, nor have I ever wished for you to disappear…”

All she had ever wanted was to distance herself from this ghost, nothing more.

“Listen to me, Jiang Liuyue. Your priority is to recover your lost memories. A person with incomplete memories does not always act according to their true heart—just like me in my past life…”

In her previous life, her love for Shu Mo was real, but those frantic actions were driven step by step by the system’s instigation. She believed that if she hadn’t lost her memories and hadn’t been bound by the system, things would not have ended that way.

On the couch, the ghost tilted her head as she watched the Soul Core floating before her, making no move to take it back.

“My memories are fragmented, and my moods are unpredictable. If someone like me loses their mind, I will become a great scourge… Is Miss Shi certain she wants to return this Soul Core to me?”

“I am certain!”

“Spitting out the Soul Core just now drained too much of my strength. I… I cannot retrieve it on my own. Could Miss Shi… could you help me?”

To Shi Yining, this was a trivial matter; there was no reason to refuse.

“What do you need me to do?”

“There is a mantra. Once Miss Shi has memorized it, simply recite it while performing the spell.”

As soon as the words fell, rows of crimson text manifested in the air. After studying them carefully several times, Shi Yining began her attempt.

A moment later, the Soul Core suspended in mid-air moved. However, it did not do as she expected—it didn’t return to the ghost’s body. Instead, it flew straight toward her.

In that instant, she finally realized something was wrong.

“Jiang Liuyue, you—”

Her words cut off abruptly. The translucent Soul Core transformed into a streak of light, flew into her mouth, and slid rapidly down her throat.

“Cough… cough cough… Jiang Liuyue, you lied to me! You… you are simply…”

Shi Yining tried with all her might to cough up the Soul Core, but to no avail. Her eyes welled with tears from the choking sensation, and a mist formed over her vision, but the vanished Soul Core did not reappear.

Before long, a slightly feverish warmth pressed against her back.

“Cough… Jiang Liuyue, get away from me! I… cough, I never want to see you again!”

Her soft, weak words sounded like a mere tickle to Jiang Liuyue’s ears. The ghost held her beloved greedily. “Miss Shi, it’s useless. The Soul Core has already merged into your bones and blood; it can never be spat out again.”

Shi Yining continued to struggle. “Jiang Liuyue, what is the meaning of this?”

The ghost leaned into her ear and whispered softly, “Since Miss Shi has swallowed my Soul Core, you are now tainted with my scent… In this life and the next, no one but I shall ever touch you.”

There was one more thing: from now on, if Miss Shi were injured, the wounds would be transferred entirely to the ghost… Out of a certain unspeakable intent, Jiang Liuyue did not mention this secret, simply holding the woman in her arms in silence.

Shi Yining did not understand the underlying mechanics, but she was furious to the extreme, filled with regret. She shouldn’t have softened her heart and let this ghost push her luck.

“Jiang Liuyue, you are an absolute lunatic!”

Just like her in her past life—thoroughly mad.

She began to wonder if this was karma for the evils of her past life. Back then, she had used every means possible to cling to Shu Mo; in this life, she had found the most precise retribution… No, more accurately, retribution had found her.

Two lunatics tied together, ruining one another… it actually sounded quite fitting. At least they wouldn’t go off and ruin anyone else. Shi Yining thought to herself that she must be going mad too; otherwise, why would such a thought even occur to her?

In the silent night, the distinct creak of a door suddenly echoed. The Junior Sister was back.

Shi Yining gave the ghost a subtle push, and the restraints around her body gradually dissipated. The light from the oil lamp spread quickly across the room.

Yu Shang walked past the screen and froze when she saw the woman sitting on the couch with her clothes in disarray.

“Senior Sister, what are you…”

Shi Yining smoothed her robes, which had been rumpled by the ghost, cleared her throat, and discreetly changed the subject.

“Tomorrow night, after midnight, the black market outside the city will open. We must prepare in advance; we cannot let that evil cultivator escape.”

At the mention of this, Yu Shang’s attention was instantly diverted. “Does Senior Sister know what the evil cultivator looks like? How will we identify them immediately?”

“The scoundrel constantly wears a red skull mask and carries a Myriad Soul Banner. He is very easy to recognize.”

“Senior Sister, should we enter the black market together, or wait outside to ambush him?”

Shi Yining answered without hesitation, “The unspoken rule of the black market is that no fighting is allowed inside, otherwise one will be mobbed. Therefore, waiting outside is the best option.”

Yu Chang squeezed her knuckles and nodded. “Then it’s settled!”

“Mm… it’s late. You should get some sleep, Junior Sister.”

“You too, Senior Sister.”

Yu Chang extinguished the lamp and walked slowly behind the second screen. A rustling sound followed for several seconds before fading away as she settled onto another couch that emanated a faint scent of wood.

The room fell into silence.

Beside Shi Yining, the malevolent ghost lay down once more, clinging to her like an octopus and wrapping around her tightly.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a very low whisper from her Junior Sister, Yu Chang, drifted through the air.

“Senior Sister, are you asleep?”

“No…” Shi Yining responded quickly. “Can you not sleep either, Junior Sister?”

Yu Chang gave a soft hum of affirmation. “Senior Sister, I keep feeling like this room is a bit eerie and cold—chilly, even though the weather is quite warm right now…”

Shi Yining shot a secret glare at the ghost beside her.

Naturally, she couldn’t speak the truth directly, so she had to find an excuse to cover it up.

“The windows weren’t opened during the day, so no sunlight got in. It’s natural for it to feel colder at night. There are cotton quilts on the couch; if you feel cold and don’t want to use your spiritual power to ward it off, you can use the quilts to keep warm.”

“Senior Sister, I… can I sleep with you?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yu Chang shuddered. It wasn’t her imagination—it seemed to have grown even colder.

This wasn’t normal… definitely not normal!

In that moment, Yu Chang discarded all sense of etiquette. She rose, crossed the screen barefoot, and ran to her Senior Sister’s couch.

Right then, a sharp, fierce gust of yin wind swept toward her face with such force it seemed intent on throwing her off the bed.

At the critical moment, a defensive layer of spiritual power manifested out of thin air, shielding her body.

Shi Yining stepped in to protect her Junior Sister, pulling the startled girl into her arms to comfort her. Her gaze toward the ghost was icy cold.

Because of their contract, they could communicate directly through their thoughts, ensuring Yu Chang wouldn’t hear.

“Jiang Liuyue, if you dare harm my Junior Sister, from this day forward, you shall be my enemy!”

“She is the one overstepping. Does Miss Shi truly intend to show her such favoritism?”

“You know perfectly well why the yin energy in this room is so heavy; it all starts with you. If it weren’t for that, my Junior Sister wouldn’t be like this.”

“So… Miss Shi really intends to agree to her request? To… to sleep in the same bed with her?”

For some reason, hearing this grievance-filled questioning, Shi Yining suddenly felt a pang of guilt, even though she had no such intention.

“Jiang Liuyue, don’t overthink it. Once my Junior Sister’s emotions have stabilized, I will convince her to return to her own couch. Restrain your yin energy first and stop scaring her.”

“Fine…”

A low response echoed in her sea of consciousness. Seeing the ghost agree, Shi Yining relaxed slightly and turned back to comfort the girl in her arms.

“Be a good girl, Junior Sister. Go back to sleep in a little while… the inn’s bed isn’t very spacious, and it would be cramped for two people. There is only a screen between us; if you are afraid, just light the candle.”

Yu Chang snuggled into her Senior Sister’s embrace, reluctant to leave.

As a cultivator with a Lightning Root, she wasn’t actually that afraid of ghosts; she had simply been caught off guard by the sudden chill. Her Senior Sister’s embrace was so warm that, if possible, she wanted to be held like this forever…

Yu Chang bit her lip. She knew she shouldn’t be willful, but she still wanted to try one more time.

“Senior Sister, I can’t sleep…”

Looking at the girl curled up in her arms like a kitten, Shi Yining said softly, “Would you like to hear a story?”

Yu Chang nodded repeatedly. “Of course!”

“A long time ago, there was a girl from an immortal sect. While traveling, she fell in love at first sight with a gifted woman of similar age… Unfortunately, the love was unrequited. To pursue her love, the girl gradually became extreme, turning into someone who would use any means necessary to achieve her goals…”

Shi Yining spoke at length, weaving her past life experiences into the tale. She focused specifically on the girl’s Junior Sister—the one who, during the great war between the two races, guarded a city in her stead and ultimately sacrificed her life for the Dao…

By the end of the story, Yu Chang seemed to realize something.

“Senior Sister, the girl in the story lived with constant guilt toward her Junior Sister, but I believe her Junior Sister didn’t hate her… If I were in her shoes, I would have made the same choice. Because a Senior Sister is always a Senior Sister…”

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