When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 16

The words, tender and laced with hidden affection, drifted into her ears, instantly scattering Shi Yining’s original thoughts.

“Jiang Liuyue, you cling to me like this and know everything about me, yet until now, I cannot even see your face clearly. Even your name was made up on the spot… I know nothing of you. If one day you leave and show your true face under a different name, I suspect I might not recognize you…”

“That will not happen. I will stay by Miss Shi’s side forever.”

The whisper carried an unspeakable resolve.

Shi Yining did not press further. The future held infinite possibilities. She had an intuition that what was to come would exceed her expectations…

Two hours later, at the Xuanqing Sect.

Shi Yining traveled swiftly, returning to the familiar sect grounds.

“Jiang Liuyue, I am going to Qinghe Peak to see my Master. You return to Xigui Peak first. Do not follow me for now.”

“Is Miss Shi afraid I will be discovered by Sect Leader Qin?”

“Yes. Master is very powerful. If you are discovered, you will be in danger.”

“Is Miss Shi worried about my safety?”

“Don’t give me that nonsense. Are you going back to Xigui Peak or not?”

“I’m going…”

Knowing that Miss Shi cared for her, Jiang Liuyue was in high spirits. She did not insist on following and obediently departed, returning to the house where Shi Yining usually resided.

Half a cup of tea’s time later, at Qinghe Peak.

Sect Leader Qin Wu looked at the pair of sisters who had returned together to report on the mission, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

“This mission was completed perfectly. Your contributions cannot go unnoticed. Speak freely—what rewards do you desire?”

Yu Chang stole a glance at her Senior Sister. She did indeed have a treasure in mind, but since her sister hadn’t spoken, it felt inappropriate to mention it first.

Shi Yining noticed her Junior Sister’s gaze and immediately guessed her thoughts. As the Senior Sister, if she refused directly, her sister would be put in a difficult position.

“Master, I want that Money Tree planted in front of your cave dwelling.”

Qin Wu’s smile faltered. “That tree is purely ornamental. It cannot be used for forging, nor for alchemy, and it certainly isn’t edible. It’s not a treasure. Be good, Ning’er—pick a different reward~”

Shi Yining’s eyes darted playfully. “Then let Junior Sister speak first. I can’t think of anything else for the moment.”

Hearing this, Qin Wu immediately nudged the younger girl, signaling her to speak.

Yu Shang didn’t overthink it and said with a beaming smile, “Shang’er wants a lightning-attribute defensive treasure.”

“That is simple.” Qin Wu waved her sleeve and produced a golden jade medallion. “This is the entry token for the Treasure Pavilion. It contains 100,000 contribution points for you to exchange.”

“Thank you, Master!” Yu Shang was overjoyed. She took the token, bowed, and took her leave first.

Qin Wu looked at her smiling disciple and cleared her throat. “Has Ning’er chosen a new treasure yet?”

Shi Yining chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t lack anything. I was just joking with Master earlier.”

Qin Wu understood immediately. “You girl… you were worried that if you refused first, your Junior Sister wouldn’t take a reward either, so you deliberately targeted my prized tree?”

“Hehe, nothing escapes Master’s eyes…”

“Hmph~ No more such mischief next time.”

Shi Yining immediately begged for mercy. “Don’t be angry, Master. I know my mistake. I won’t joke about the Money Tree again.”

Qin Wu put her hands on her hips. “Who said I was angry? Is your Master the type to be petty? I happen to have just finished brewing your favorite snow pear soup inside. Stop standing out there and come in for a taste.”

Shi Yining accepted with a smile. “It’s rare for Master to cook. I’m in luck this time.”

A cup of tea later, Shi Yining sat holding a jade bowl, sipping the warm soup spoon by spoon. Her gaze inadvertently fell upon her protective jade talisman, and her thoughts drifted far away.

“Master, I have a matter I wish to verify.”

Qin Wu gave her a playful, reproachful look. “Why so serious? Just speak your mind.”

“Regarding this protective jade talisman Master gave me before I left the sect… I want to know if it’s true that as long as I wear it, no ghost can come near me. Are there any exceptions?”

Qin Wu answered without hesitation, “None.”

“Truly no exceptions at all?”

“Of course. Ning’er, why do you ask? Do you doubt me?”

“Of course I believe you. I was just curious…”

“This talisman is special. It was forged from ten-thousand-year-old Mysterious Soul Essence. As long as it is a vengeful spirit or ghostly entity, once they get close or make contact, the talisman will immediately provide defense and warning regardless of their strength. It cannot be wrong.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Yining sat stunned for a long time.

She trusted her Master, and she knew the properties of the Mysterious Soul Essence. Over the past few days, Jiang Liuyue had touched her countless times, yet the talisman had never once alerted her. Did this mean that Jiang Liuyue wasn’t the “evil ghost” she claimed to be? Was it possible… she was still alive?

After a long while, a series of calls reached her ears, pulling Shi Yining back from her wandering thoughts. The smile on Qin Wu’s face had vanished, replaced by obvious worry.

“You girl, what are you thinking about? You look so heavy-hearted.”

“I was wondering… is it possible for a person’s soul to be split, or for the soul to leave the body and remain separated from the physical form for a long time, yet stay alive?”

“Both possibilities you mentioned exist,” Qin Wu replied. “However, in either case, it only occurs among cultivators—perhaps due to injury, the use of forbidden techniques, or other reasons. Generally speaking, a mortal body is too weak to endure such a strain.”

“Then, is it possible for someone who has experienced this to lose their memory?”

“Certainly. But the specifics depend on the situation; it’s hard to generalize.”

“After losing their memory, would they be aware of their state? For example… knowing they haven’t died, but are just living in a different way?”

“I haven’t experienced it personally, so I cannot say for sure. However, according to ancient records, seniors who had similar experiences with soul-splitting or long-term out-of-body states usually had a vague awareness of their own condition.”

Hearing this answer, the truth began to take shape in Shi Yining’s heart.

“Thank you for telling me, Master. I understand…”

She understood that Jiang Liuyue was not an evil ghost in the true sense, but a living person. She understood that Jiang Liuyue was hiding things from her.

Two incense sticks of time later, at Xigui Peak.

Shi Yining returned to her residence. Looking at the “ghost” lying on the bed, holding her pillow and sniffing it lightly, her heart skipped a beat.

“Jiang Liuyue, what are you doing?”

“The pillow has Miss Shi’s scent. It eases the pain of longing and makes me feel very at peace…”

The blunt flirtation made Shi Yining feel a bit awkward.

“Jiang Liuyue, be serious… I have something to ask you.”

“Miss Shi should speak freely. As long as I know the answer, I will tell you everything.”

“Fine, then I’ll say it straight… You didn’t actually die, did you? Your current state is very specific—you aren’t a vengeful spirit at all?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the figure on the bed froze instantly. Seeing this, Shi Yining knew immediately that her guess was correct.

“Jiang Liuyue, when we first met, you claimed to be an evil ghost. I believed you. It turns out you’ve been lying to me from the very start! Now, I have reason to suspect your memory loss is fake too!”

“No, it’s not like that.” The figure on the bed sounded panicked. “Miss Shi, let me explain… I truly do not remember anything about my past. I only knew that I was still alive, but I couldn’t explain my current state. Compared to an evil ghost, I was more afraid that Miss Shi would see me as a monster and distance herself from me. So, I lied.”

“Since you admit you are alive, was the matter at Mount Molian also a fabricated lie?”

“Yes… At that time, I wanted to find an excuse to stay by Miss Shi’s side…”

“Jiang Liuyue, you are simply—”

She stopped mid-sentence because a voice came from outside.

“Senior Sister, a guest has arrived to visit. She specifically asked for you.”

Shi Yining suppressed the rising anger in her heart. She walked to the outer room and looked at the disciple whose face seemed somewhat unfamiliar, her eyebrows knitting slightly.

“Do you know who it is?”

“She is wearing a veiled hat, so I couldn’t see her face clearly. However, she claims to be from the Qishan Sect. Does Senior Sister wish to see her?”

Shi Yining was startled. The Qishan Sect… She had no dealings with cultivators from that sect. Why would someone suddenly come looking for her? Could it be Zhao Mingfang?

What was she doing here?

In her past life, Zhao Mingfang had been jealous after hearing rumors of a marriage alliance between the two sects and had ended up being thrashed by Shi Yining. In this life, Shi Yining hadn’t gone looking for trouble at all. Why had the other party come straight to her door?

Shi Yining made a quick decision. “Thank you for informing me. I will head over immediately.”

She hadn’t wronged this person in this life. If she truly came with ill intent, Shi Yining wouldn’t let herself be bullied.

Half a cup of tea later, at the Guest-Greeting Peak of the Xuanqing Sect.

When Shi Yining arrived, Zhao Mingfang had already removed her veiled hat, revealing her true face.

“Daoist Shi, I have heard of your great name for a long time.”

“Daoist Zhao, what business brings you here?”

“I was kicked out by my mother, and now I’m homeless. It just so happened that I heard about Daoist Shi’s recent experiences, and I was curious, so I came to visit.”

Shi Yining didn’t believe a word of it. “Given Sect Leader Zhao’s temperament, even if you made a mistake, she would only order you back to the sect to reflect in seclusion.”

Zhao Mingfang curled her lip. “I didn’t expect Daoist Shi to know my mother so well… Humph, I’m not going back. Every time I disobey even slightly, she locks me up.”

Shi Yining was surprised. “Your personality is quite different from the rumors, Daoist Zhao.”

“Tell me about it. The ‘gentle and virtuous’ image in the rumors has nothing to do with me… I don’t know what my mother is thinking, being so dead-set on an alliance with the Yuehua Sect. Someone like Shu Mo—cold as ice and with such a foul temper—only Daoist Shi would like her.”

Realizing her words might be ambiguous, Zhao Mingfang quickly added, “I’m not saying Daoist Shi is bad, I just…”

Shi Yining smiled faintly. “You don’t need to explain, I understand.”

In a place they couldn’t see, Jiang Liuyue had secretly followed. Hiding in a deserted corner, she listened silently to their conversation.

Miss Shi is smiling at someone else again…

I really want to find a place where no one else exists and hide Miss Shi away, where no one can ever find her…

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