When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 29

A confession delivered with a choked sob echoed in her ears; for a fleeting moment, it felt surreal.

Shi Yining knew well that Shu Mo would never lie to her, yet she remained at a loss as to how to face such profound devotion.

The tears that had fallen against her neck still carried a searing warmth, touching her heart bit by bit. After a long silence, she tilted her head away, forcing a semblance of composure. “The night is late. You should rest early, Daoist Mo. Tomorrow… I will seek out a spiritual medicine to help your eyes recover as soon as possible.”

Her words were met with a lengthy silence. Just as Shi Yining thought Shu Mo would not respond, a soft, whispered “Alright” reached her ears—a voice laced with unmistakable disappointment.

……

The next morning, the dawn light filtered through the half-open carved wooden window, illuminating the room.

Waking from her slumber, Shi Yining realized she had somehow ended up snuggled in Shu Mo’s embrace. After a moment of dazed realization, a faint blush immediately swept across her face.

At that moment, Shu Mo was still deep in sleep.

Shi Yining instinctively wanted to reach out and touch that flawless countenance, but the instant before her fingers made contact, a thought seemed to strike her, and she froze.

Her fingertips curled slightly as she ultimately withdrew her hand.

Just as she prepared to quietly slip out of bed, her slender wrist was gently caught.

“Where are you going, Ning’er?” Shu Mo’s voice was husky with the remnants of sleep.

A trace of a smile appeared on Shi Yining’s face. “To the East Willow Market. There is a Hundred Herbs Pavilion there; I want to see if they have any spiritual medicine to treat eye injuries.”

“I will go with you.”

“It is still early. You should sleep a while longer, Daoist Mo.”

“No…” Shu Mo shook her head slowly. “I am awake now; I do not wish to sleep more.”

Shi Yining hesitated for a moment before saying softly, “The Master of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion has an old grudge against the Sect Leader of the Moonlit Sect. It might be inconvenient if you come with me. How about this: if you aren’t tired, could I trouble you to brew a pot of spiritual tea? I will return shortly, and then we can enjoy it together here on the peak.”

Shu Mo slowly released her grip. “Fine… I will wait for you.”

Shi Yining returned a gentle smile and turned to depart.

……

In the market where the morning glow was just beginning to rise, the bluestone pavement shimmered with damp dew. When Shi Yining arrived at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, the doors had only just opened.

An apprentice in the shop clearly recognized her and immediately stepped forward to offer a bow.

Shi Yining gestured for him to rise and got straight to the point: “Does the pavilion have any spiritual medicine for treating blindness?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a manager hurried over from a distance, replying respectfully, “We do indeed. However, there are many types of spiritual medicines with different focuses. Is the Senior looking for something to treat blindness caused by poison, or by a physical weapon?”

Shi Yining shook her head slowly. “Neither. I am looking for medicine for temporary blindness caused by the overexertion of a secret technique.”

The manager immediately said, “Then there is only the Thousand Spirit Eye. Once ground into powder, it can be taken internally or applied topically. It just so happens the pavilion has two stalks left. Please wait a moment, Senior.”

The Thousand Spirit Eye was exorbitantly expensive, costing ten thousand gold pieces per stalk. Fortunately, Shi Yining had accumulated many spirit stones over the years and successfully purchased the medicine.

Just as she stepped out of the pavilion clutching the medicine box, a powerful pressure suddenly descended, instantly enveloping the entire street.

Shi Yining spun around abruptly. Standing in the morning mist was a figure clad in moon-white robes. Her features were seventy percent similar to Shu Mo’s, but the gaze directed at her was freezing cold.

“Little Friend Shi.” Shu Rong’s voice was calm and rippleless. “I must trouble you to come with me.”

Before Shi Yining could respond, a sudden gust of wind swept her into an unfamiliar embrace, and she vanished from the spot in an instant.

……

Fifteen minutes later, at the Moonlit Sect’s detached villa.

Shu Rong sat regally upon a high dais, her gaze like a blade as she stared at the girl standing silently with her head bowed. “Mo’er’s eyes were injured because of you.”

This was not a question; it was a verdict.

“Yes…”

Shi Yining did not deny it. Her mind once again conjured the image of Shu Mo forcibly activating the Thousand Illusion Golden Pupil technique, bleeding tears from the sheer exhaustion. Her heart throbbed with pain.

“Mo’er is destined to inherit the position of Sect Leader of the Moonlit Sect. A leader of a sect must never be trapped by romantic entanglements, yet she has repeatedly broken her Daoist heart for you!”

Shu Rong stood up, the chill in her eyes becoming palpable. “Today, I shall sever this ill-fated karma for her!”

Shi Yining understood clearly. “Does Senior intend to kill me?”

Facing death once again, she felt no fear, only a strange sense of calm.

Shu Rong sneered. “Why would I kill you? You are the Eldest Disciple of the Profound Clear Sect and the apple of Qin Wu’s eye. If I killed you, Qin Wu would fight me to the death.”

Confused, Shi Yining asked, “Then what does Senior intend to do?”

Shu Rong took out a pill that was entirely azure in color. “Swallow this, and I will let you go.”

“What is this?”

“The Pill of Forgotten Emotions.”

Shi Yining’s brow furrowed slightly. “If it truly is a Pill of Forgotten Emotions, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to give it to Daoist Mo, according to Senior’s logic?”

Shu Rong avoided the question. “I am only asking you: will you take it or not?”

“And if I refuse?”

“This medicine was originally prepared for Mo’er. However, something went wrong during the refinement process, and it carries significant side effects. If you do not take it, then I can only allow Mo’er to suffer a little hardship instead.”

Shi Yining’s heart sank. “Daoist Mo is your own daughter. You know full well that the Pill of Forgotten Emotions has side effects, yet you have the heart to treat her this way?”

Shu Rong let out a cold snort. “She has defied me repeatedly; it is only right that she suffers a little. If you cannot bear to see her suffer, then take the pill in her stead.”

Shi Yining closed her eyes tightly. “Fine. I will take it!”

The medicinal pill felt ice-cold in her hand, mirroring the state of her heart at this moment.

A thought suddenly struck her: if, in her past life, Shu Rong had found her like this and made her take the Pill of Forgotten Emotions, would all those subsequent tragedies have been avoided?

The moment the pill touched her lips, an intense bitterness flooded her senses.

Shi Yining instinctively knitted her brows. The pill melted the instant it entered her mouth; there was no longer any chance for regret.

Her consciousness began to blur.

In a daze, a familiar dark-robed figure burst into the room.

It must be an illusion… Shi Yining thought. Shu Mo should be at Xigui Peak right now, waiting for her to return with the spiritual medicine. Unfortunately, she had broken her promise…

The instant her body was about to collapse to the floor, she fell into a warm embrace.

Shu Mo caught the unconscious girl firmly. “Mother, what did you give Ning’er?”

Shu Rong’s voice was utterly flat. “The Pill of Forgotten Emotions, naturally. Why, are you afraid, Mo’er? This pill is ineffective against you; I only had her take it as a test. If she truly forgets you, it simply proves that her feelings for you were nothing more than that.”

“A test?” Shu Mo’s voice was freezing. “It seems Mother tricked Ning’er into taking that pill.”

Shu Rong did not deny it. “Indeed. I told her that there was a flaw in the refinement of this pill and that it would have severe side effects. I told her that if she didn’t take it, I would make you eat it. She relented.”

Shu Mo’s lips were pressed into a thin line. “Mother knows very well that the Pill of Forgotten Emotions is ineffective against me because I practice the Moonlit Heart Technique.”

“I know, of course. Therefore, she is destined to forget you, and everything between the two of you should end here.”

“Impossible! Even if Ning’er forgets me, I will find a way to recover her memories.”

“Has Mo’er forgotten the toxic oath you once swore?”

Shu Mo lowered her head, her fingertips gently brushing against the woman’s skin, which was as smooth as congealed fat. “I haven’t forgotten, naturally. However, I have already neutralized that oath.”

Hearing this, Shu Rong seemed to realize something, and her expression shifted slightly. “You touched the Karma Curse? For her sake, you truly would throw your life away?”

Shu Mo suddenly looked up. Beneath the white silk veil, her eyes—which had not yet recovered—stared directly at Shu Rong.

“Did Mother not already know the answer to that in our past life?”

“You…” Shu Rong’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. She staggered back several steps. “When did you…”

“Only recently. In fact, if not for Mother’s interference, it might have taken much longer for my memories to return.”

“Good… very good!” Shu Rong seemed to have suffered a massive blow, losing all her spirit in an instant. “Since it is so, I will no longer interfere in your affairs from this day forward. I know your heart belongs entirely to the Shi girl, but do not forget: you have a more important task. You must kill the mastermind who orchestrated everything in our past life as soon as possible, or else everything you do will eventually be in vain!”

“I do not need Mother to remind me of that. I will do what must be done.”

……

After Shu Rong left, Shu Mo carried Shi Yining and sped all the way back to Xigui Peak of the Profound Clear Sect.

At that time, Yu Shang happened to be practicing her swordplay on the peak.

Seeing the unconscious figure in Shu Mo’s arms, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly sprinted forward with her sword drawn.

“Shu Mo, what did you do to my Senior Sister?”

Qin Wu, the Sect Leader who had just recently returned to the sect, heard the commotion and rushed over immediately, snatching her disciple from Shu Mo’s arms.

After an inspection, she confirmed the girl was merely unconscious and not injured; her tense nerves relaxed slightly.

“Little Friend Mo, I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation for this.”

Shu Mo first offered a formal bow and said candidly, “Ning’er… she took the Pill of Forgotten Emotions.”

“What did you say?” Qin Wu’s expression changed. “You should know that while the pill can make one forget their feelings, it also causes them to forget many things and can even affect their cultivation. If you do not like Ning’er, you should have just said so. I would have restrained her and kept her away from you. Why did you have to do this to her?”

“It is my fault… I am willing to accept punishment.”

It was because of her that her mother had targeted Ning’er; she was indeed the root cause. Shu Mo did not offer much explanation; any words at this moment felt pale and powerless.

Qin Wu’s tone was icy. “Considering you have saved Ning’er before, I will not pursue this matter. But from now on, I ask that you do not step foot into the Profound Clear Sect again.”

Hidden beneath her sleeves, Shu Mo’s jade-like hands tightened. She knew that before Ning’er woke up, this decision could not be changed. And once Ning’er did wake up, all their memories of relying on each other through life and death would be forgotten…

“I… understand.”

The response was extremely soft. The moment the words left her mouth, it felt as though a bloody wound had been carved into her heart.

The long cry of a celestial crane pierced the sky, sounding very much like a mournful wail of farewell.

As she walked out of the mountain gates, Shu Mo slowly turned around to look in the direction of Xigui Peak.

“Wait for me…” she whispered into the wind. “Even if you forget, Ning’er, one day, I will make you remember again…”

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