When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 3

The paranoid, bone-deep voice whispered in her ear, chilling Shi Yining to the core.

She had only just escaped the system’s control, yet in the blink of an eye, she had fallen into the clutches of a vengeful ghost.

As the icy sensation of a tongue flicking against her neck continued, Shi Yining stared at the specter before her. In that instant, an inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in her heart.

“Jiang Liuyue, are you truly not lying to me? Did you really perish at Mount Molian because of me?”

The ghost paused her movements. “I have already offered an explanation.”

Shi Yining bit her lip. “I believe you. But you should also know that ‘twisted melons are not sweet.’ If you truly wish to be with me, we should take things slowly. You shouldn’t be like this… forcing me so will only make me hate you!”

Jiang Liuyue remained silent for a long while. Just as Shi Yining thought she wouldn’t respond, a faint “Alright” reached her ears.

The ghost agreed to her request, slowly releasing her and fading into invisibility.

“I will give you some time, but do not dream of escaping. No matter where you flee, I will find you.”

The chilling words carried a bone-deep warning.

Shi Yining nodded submissively, though her mind was already racing with plans to rid herself of this persistent ghost.

Perhaps it was because she had just been reborn and her soul was unstable, but she unconsciously drifted into a deep sleep…

The next morning, Shi Yining woke with a start on her couch.

As her consciousness returned and the memories of last night flooded back, her face paled slightly. Looking down, she confirmed her clothes were intact and she felt no physical discomfort.

She clearly remembered falling asleep in the corner of the room, yet now she was on the couch… Had Jiang Liuyue carried her here?

Sensing her surroundings, she realized the chilling aura that had been clinging to her had dissipated. Had the ghost left?

“Jiang Liuyue, are you still here?”

“Of course I am. To think Lady Shi would look for me the moment she wakes—could it be you’ve grown attached?”

The slightly excited voice rang in her ear, causing Shi Yining’s face to immediately slump.

She had clearly overthought it; there was no way a vengeful ghost would leave of its own accord.

“Jiang Liuyue, do you have a way to suppress your aura?”

“If Lady Shi puts it that way, yes… as long as I do not manifest intentionally, my Yin energy will not leak.”

“Last night… was it you who carried me to the couch?”

“It was. Rest assured, Lady Shi, I said I would give you time, so I did nothing untoward.”

Jiang Liuyue was not lying. The moment she had lifted the woman into her arms, she had indeed felt a desperate urge to devour her and claim her completely… but she hadn’t. She remembered her promise and restrained the instincts buried deep within her soul.

The room fell into silence.

Though Shi Yining could not see the ghost’s face, she knew clearly that the other was watching her. She averted her gaze uncomfortably. “I need to go out. Don’t follow me.”

Jiang Liuyue immediately pressed, “Why can I not follow?”

Shi Yining pulled a random excuse: “Just because you can hide your aura from me doesn’t mean the sect elders won’t notice. No matter how powerful a ghost you are, you’re no match for the elders.”

Jiang Liuyue’s voice betrayed a hint of elation. “Is Ning’er worried about me?”

Shi Yining immediately raised her voice. “Who’s worried? Don’t flatter yourself! I wish you’d vanish right now! And don’t call me Ning’er—we aren’t close!”

After a brief silence, Jiang Liuyue responded, “Fine… then I shall still call you Lady Shi.”

Shi Yining gave a noncommittal grunt and left the house.

At that moment, Yu Shang arrived. Upon seeing her, the younger girl froze.

“Senior Sister, the wound on your neck is…?”

Shi Yining quickly covered her neck and cast a healing spell. “A dog bit me last night!”

“Huh?” Yu chang scratched her head, thoroughly confused. “None of our fellow disciples keep spirit hounds, though?”

Shi Yining coughed lightly, quickly changing the subject. “Little Junior Sister, have you seen Master this morning?”

Yu chang nodded. “I have. Master went to Wangdao Peak.”

Shi Yining was surprised. Though she couldn’t remember every detail of her past life, she wouldn’t forget the major events. Wangdao Peak was a restricted area, perpetually shrouded in seals. In her previous life, Master had not gone there at this time.

Shi Yining’s mind whirred. She asked nonchalantly, “Did Master say what she was doing there?”

Yu chang sighed and shook her head. “I tried to ask, but unfortunately, Master didn’t say. She even warned me not to pry.”

Shi Yining made an immediate decision. “I’ll go take a look.”

“Eh? That is a restricted area. Not even the peak elders can enter without permission. Are you going there directly, Senior Sister?”

“Little Junior Sister, have you forgotten? There is one person who can come and go as she pleases.”

“You mean… Martial Aunt Shi?”

“Exactly. I’ll go to Martial Aunt Shi first and convince her to take me there.”

Yu chang wasn’t optimistic. “Martial Aunt Shi has an eccentric temper. I’m afraid…”

“Don’t worry, Little Junior Sister. I have my ways.”

Shi Yining gave the girl a reassuring smile. With a flick of her finger, a glow of spiritual light surrounded her as she took to the sky.

Armed with the memories of her past life and the knowledge from the book, she knew that Martial Aunt Shi’s current outward persona was merely a disguise.

Martial Aunt Shi had another identity: she was the biological sister of the Yuehua Sect Leader, Shu Rong, and the maternal aunt of Shu Mo.

Originally, Martial Aunt Shi’s surname wasn’t Shi—it was Shu.

In the Canglan Realm, all living beings take their mother’s surname, and offspring are conceived by drinking the waters of the Goddess River. Martial Aunt Shi’s current surname originated from the adoptive mother who raised her.

Approximately five hundred years ago, when Martial Aunt Shi was born, the Yuehua Sect happened to be under siege by demonic cultivators. Facing the threat of total annihilation, the then-leader Shu Jing sent practitioners to secretly smuggle her newborn daughter out of the sect to preserve their bloodline.

The guards escorting her were pursued by demonic cultivators and suffered grievous injuries. In a desperate move, they cast a secret technique to sever all connections with the outside world, cutting off the demonic pursuit. After fleeing for miles, they eventually collapsed near a mortal village.

Martial Aunt Shi was taken in and raised by a kind-hearted woman, and by a stroke of luck, she eventually joined the Xuanqing Sect.

Initially, she knew nothing of her origins and was entirely immersed in her cultivation, living a reclusive life. It was only when her adoptive mother reached the end of her lifespan that the truth was finally revealed: she was not her biological child; her birth mother was someone else.

Later, she learned the full extent of her heritage. At that time, the former leader of the Yuehua Sect—her biological mother, Shu Jing—was still alive. Upon discovering her daughter’s whereabouts, Shu Jing wanted her to return to the Yuehua Sect.

However, for the Xuanqing Sect, such an act would be considered betrayal.

Martial Aunt Shi refused, creating a rift between mother and daughter. At that time, Shu Jing had become obsessed with practicing a powerful secret technique, which led to the birth of an inner demon. To increase the success rate of the technique, she contacted Martial Aunt Shi again, attempting to pressure her into stealing the Xuanqing Sect’s ultimate treasure.

Naturally, she refused.

Yet, Shu Jing would not give up easily. To sever her biological mother’s obsession once and for all, Martial Aunt Shi staged a ruse, faking a cultivation deviation that supposedly caused her to lose her mind. From then on, her temperament changed drastically, and she claimed to the world that she had forgotten much of her past.

To this day, Martial Aunt Shi lived alone on Wuchen Peak, and very few knew the truth of her past.

Shi Yining knew that her Martial Aunt loved sour plums best. When her adoptive mother was still alive, she would often preserve sour plums and send them to the Xuanqing Sect. In her youth, whenever Martial Aunt Shi was angry, she could always be coaxed back into a smile with a few sour plums.

Thus, before going to see her, Shi Yining followed her memories of her past life to Plum Fragrance Town, located a hundred miles away, to buy a large supply of sour plums.

It was autumn, and the town was covered in fallen maple leaves. The residence where her Martial Aunt had lived as a child was perfectly preserved and protected by a dust-clearing array, though the courtyard gates remained tightly shut, having not been opened for a long time.

……

Two incense sticks’ time later, at Wuchen Peak of the Xuanqing Sect.

Shi Yining flew to the sun-drenched mountainside and spotted a woman gathering morning dew by the lotus pond. She immediately called out a greeting: “Good morning, Martial Aunt Shi!”

Shi Xian sensed someone approaching but did not respond.

Knowing this was the persona her Martial Aunt usually maintained, Shi Yining wasn’t surprised. She smiled and approached the pond, handing over several bags of the prepared sour plums.

Shi Xian was indifferent at first, but the moment her eyes fell upon the gift, she froze in place.

After a long pause, she reached out to take the plums, picked one up, and chewed it slowly. It was the exact taste from her memories.

Shi Xian shifted her gaze toward the elegant young woman beside her.

“Yining, you’ve come to find me. Do you need my help with something?”

Shi Yining’s face flushed slightly; her intentions truly couldn’t be hidden from her clever Martial Aunt.

“I… I want Martial Aunt to take me to Wangdao Peak.”

Shi Xian was somewhat surprised. “What are you going there for?”

“I heard from Little Junior Sister this morning that Master went to Wangdao Peak. I’m worried something might happen.”

“I see… Very well, let us go at once.”

……

Half a cup of tea’s time later, at Wangdao Peak of the Xuanqing Sect.

Inside the restricted area, Sect Leader Qin Wu stood with her hands behind her back before a Star Chart. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned toward the empty space beside her, a trace of a smile appearing on her face.

“It is rare to see Junior Sister Shi come out.”

As she spoke, Shi Xian appeared from the entrance, bringing Shi Yining with her.

“I heard from Ning’er that you had come to the restricted area, Senior Sister. Ning’er was worried, so we came together to check on the situation.”

Qin Wu said warmly, “It is nothing major. Only that during my meditation last night, I had a premonition. I came today to use the Star Chart for a divination.”

Shi Yining knew the Star Chart was left by the founding ancestor to observe the future fortune and peril of the sect. In her previous life, the sect had remained safe and sound until the moment she fell from the cliff to her death. In this life, with her rebirth, would variables begin to appear?

“Master, does the divination show any results?”

“Not yet.” Qin Wu looked at her disciple with a gentle smile. “Do not worry, Ning’er. Although there is no result yet, what I sensed was an auspicious sign.”

Shi Yining’s heart settled slightly. “If that is the case, then that is for the best.”

Recalling the malevolent ghost that had abruptly appeared in the sect, she hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Master, can the sect’s evil-warding arrays block all ghostly entities?”

“Under normal circumstances, yes, but there are exceptions.” Qin Wu looked curious. “Ning’er, why do you ask this all of a sudden?”

Meeting her Master’s gaze, Shi Yining looked away guiltily.

“I just… thought of it suddenly. I’m just asking.”

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