When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 41

That day, Shi Yining entered the Yuehua Sect smoothly. Unlike her previous attempts, she was not barred at the mountain gate.

Even Kongqing, who usually treated her with cold indifference and frequent mockery, was uncharacteristically pleasant. She even took the initiative to offer to lead her to the “Jingxin Villa” where Shu mo resided.

Naively believing that everything was finally taking a turn for the better, Shi Yining thanked her with a heart full of joy.

As they walked along the banks of Lake Yunze, the morning light shimmered across the undulating water. Groups of Yuehua Sect cultivators were out on boats gathering lotus dew, their laughter drifting occasionally to her ears.

Shi Yining gazed at this peaceful scene, the smile on her lips deepening.

However, just as they reached the center of the Yunshui Bridge, Kongqing struck without warning, sealing Shi Yining’s spiritual power.

Before a cry of shock could escape her lips, a massive force struck her from behind. Shi Yining pitched forward uncontrollably and fell into the freezing lake with a heavy splash.

The piercing cold instantly enveloped her body. With her spiritual power sealed, she was no different from a mortal; her water-logged clothes became as heavy as stones, dragging her bit by bit toward the lakebed.

The sensation of suffocation followed immediately. She struggled with all her might, but it only served to accelerate her descent. The scroll she had been cradling in her arms was instantly ruined by the water… that was a gift she had spent countless days and nights on, discarding innumerable drafts to paint stroke by stroke with meticulous care—a treasure she held dear.

As her consciousness began to fade, just when Shi Yining thought she would die in the lake, she heard the sound of someone jumping into the water.

A sudden tightness gripped her waist, and in the next instant, she was pulled from the depths.

The moment she breathed fresh air again, she began to cough violently. Through her blurred vision, she saw her savior… it was the very immortal lady she had been pining for.

She coughed several more times. Once she caught her breath, she wanted to thank her and recount the grievances she had just suffered.

But the person who saved her walked away without saying a word. Shi Yining didn’t even have time to call out to her.

The scroll she had held so tightly had vanished at some point. With her spiritual power sealed, the shock of the cold water, and this latest emotional blow, she finally succumbed. Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke up, she was back at Xigui Peak.

The system reappeared, nagging incessantly in her ear, claiming that the “attainment progress” had improved. It argued that because Shu Mo had saved her, it meant she wasn’t entirely indifferent toward her.

Shi Yining remembered that silhouette turning to leave without hesitation, and her heart felt cold and desolate.

Her junior sister told her that when the Yuehua Sect cultivators brought her back, they claimed she had fallen into the lake by accident. Because of that life-saving favor, Shi Yining hesitated and ultimately did not reveal the truth.

She figured Shu Mo likely knew it was her junior sister Kongqing who had done it. Yet Shu Mo had not cleared her name; between the two of them, Shu Mo had chosen her own sect sister.

The scroll was never delivered. The system kept its word and stopped forcing her to go to the Yuehua Sect.

Shi Yining found some peace. She suppressed those unspeakable feelings deep in her heart and began to devote herself entirely to her cultivation.

A few days later, the system brought her new information: Zhao Mingfang, the daughter of the Qishan Sect leader, intended to form a marriage alliance with the Yuehua Sect.

On the day she heard the news, it was raining heavily outside. Shi Yining stared blankly at the bamboo leaves glistening in the rain. Her neatly trimmed fingertips curled unconsciously until a sharp pain radiated from her palms, snapping her back to reality.

It felt as though a sharp weapon had pierced her heart. A dull ache spread through her meridians to her very bones.

She walked to the bronze mirror and looked at her reflection. She tried to force a smile, but it looked more painful than crying.

At that time, she thought that if Shu Mo truly ended up with Zhao Mingfang, she could finally sever these improper thoughts… But for some reason, whenever she imagined such a scene, a surge of jealousy threatened to swallow her whole.

The system sensed the growing darkness in her heart and egged her on to find Zhao Mingfang and force her to back down.

Shi Yining went. She found an excuse to meet Zhao Mingfang outside the Yuehua Sect and gave her a severe beating.

Because of her interference, the marriage alliance between the two sects collapsed.

The Leader of the Qishan Sect came to the Xuanqing Sect to demand an explanation from her Master.

Shi Yining was prepared to accept the harshest punishment. However, her Master, who had always treated her gently, only gave her a verbal reprimand and rejected the Qishan Sect Leader’s demand to hand her over for punishment.

Her Master had protected her once again. She promised her Master that she would never seek out Shu Mo again.

Later, the “Three Sects Dao Discussion” began. The system demanded that if she encountered a Yuehua Sect cultivator, she must voluntarily forfeit.

Initially, Shi Yining disagreed. She was the Eldest Senior Sister of the Xuanqing Sect; her every word and action reflected upon her sect. To do such a thing would undoubtedly cause others to look down on her home.

But the system was unyielding. It demanded she comply and used various twisted arguments to persuade her—the most frequent being that if she injured a Yuehua Sect cultivator during the matches, it would make Shu Mo angry.

Shu Mo was not only the person she loved but also the one who had saved her life.

Ultimately, Shi Yining gave in. At that time, she was like a marionette, possessing no will of her own.

On the day of the Three Sects Dao Discussion, the morning bell echoed through the clouds.

Holding the jade slip engraved with the Yuehua Sect mark, Shi Yining’s fingertips felt cold. Before departing, the disciples of her sect looked at her with fervent expectation.

“Eldest Sister, you must bring glory to our Xuanqing Sect!”

“Let those arrogant people from the Yuehua Sect see what you’re made of!”

Each word of encouragement was like a fine needle pricking her heart. She could only force a smile and apologize silently… she was destined to let them down.

On the Taixuan Island platform, as she stepped onto the stage, countless gazes fell upon her.

There was the blatant contempt from the Yuehua Sect cultivators, the curious stares of other sects, and the earnest hope of her fellow Xuanqing disciples.

Shi Yining stood firm amidst those gazes, her robes fluttering in the wind. She inadvertently glanced toward the Yuehua Sect seating area at that familiar figure.

At that moment, Shu Mo was looking down, sipping tea, seemingly indifferent to the events on the stage.

Shi Yining took a deep breath, slowly withdrew her gaze, and turned to the young woman standing opposite her with a sword. “In this match, I concede.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but since cultivators have keen hearing, the moment the words left her mouth, they spread across the entire Taixuan Island.

After a brief silence, the island erupted into an uproar.

Questions, confusion, and disappointment from her fellow disciples came rushing in like a tide.

“Senior Sister?!”

“Why?”

“Why would you do this?!”

As she flew down from the stage, Shi Yining clearly saw the shock and loss in her sisters’ eyes. The gazes that once held trust were now filled with anger and blame.

Shi Yining’s hands trembled beneath her sleeves, but she explained nothing.

What could she say? That she surrendered because her opponent was from the Yuehua Sect? That she valued the opinion of one person over the honor of her entire sect?

Her junior sister, Yuchang, stepped forward with concern. “Sister, are you unwell?”

Shi Yining shook her head slightly and walked toward the Yuehua Sect seating. With every step, she could feel the gazes behind her turning cold.

“To think we trusted her so much. The face of the Xuanqing Sect has been completely lost!”

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have come!”

“She doesn’t deserve to be our Eldest Senior Sister!”

Shi Yining remained silent. She knew that from this moment on, the trustworthy Eldest Senior Sister in everyone’s hearts was dead.

Her voluntary surrender did not earn her a “new perspective” from Shu Mo as the system had promised. The woman’s attitude toward her remained exactly the same as before.

On the spirit boat during the return journey, everyone was silent. The junior sisters who used to follow her closely stayed far away; no one was willing to speak to her.

From that moment on, she was isolated by her own sect. When the spirit boat arrived at the Xuanqing Sect, Shi Yining immediately spotted a familiar figure standing atop Qinghe Peak.

Qin Wu stood at the edge of the cliff with her hands behind her back, her moon-white Taoist robes fluttering in the wind. From a distance, she looked strangely isolated and desolate.

When Shi Yining met her Master’s gaze, her heart trembled violently… those eyes, which had always been filled with affection and tenderness, now held nothing but indifferent detachment.

She understood instantly: her Master knew everything that had happened on Taixuan Island.

She did not try to flee. Mounting her sword, she flew straight toward Qinghe Peak and landed before her Master. Her knees hit the ground as she prostrated herself, forehead resting against the cold stone, waiting for the punishment she knew was coming.

The mountain wind howled in her ears, and time seemed to freeze.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint sigh drifted from above, and a pair of warm, strong hands slowly helped Shi Yining up.

Qin Wu’s voice carried an evident exhaustion: “Since you are unwilling to speak of the reasons, Yining, I will not force you to open your mouth. But you must remember—you are not only my disciple, but also the Eldest Senior Sister of the Xuanqing Sect. In the future, I hope you consider the sect’s reputation more carefully, and think more deeply… about the consequences of acting willfully.”

Her Master’s words were like heavy hammer blows against Shi Yining’s heart.

She kept her eyes lowered and bowed in acknowledgment. Guilt coiled like vines deep within her soul, making it almost impossible to breathe. Her Master had not scolded or punished her, but this tolerance made her feel even more ashamed and exposed.

Upon returning to Xigui Peak, the system reappeared, attempting to assign her a new mission.

Shi Yining ignored it, sitting desolately by her bedside throughout the entire night.

The system gradually became hysterical. Seeing her indifference, it secretly employed its methods and forced her into a deep sleep…

When she woke again, Shi Yining felt as though a piece of her heart had been carved out, leaving a hollow void.

She slowly began to ignore her Master’s warnings and the coldness of her peers. She grew negligent in her cultivation, pouring every ounce of her focus into Shu Mo.

Occasionally, in the dead of night, another voice would surface in her heart, telling her that her life shouldn’t be like this—that she could pursue the person she loved without losing herself in the process.

Whenever that voice spoke and caused her to doubt herself, the system would find a way to interrupt her thoughts.

Slowly, that internal voice stopped appearing altogether.

In the eyes of outsiders, she was becoming increasingly “demonic” and obsessed. The title of “Eldest Senior Sister of the Xuanqing Sect” became a laughingstock for idle gossip.

Her actions became more and more paranoid and extreme. Her Master grew increasingly distant, yet still never punished her… until, a long time later, she committed an irreversible and catastrophic mistake.

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