When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 43

The spiritual medicine had barely touched her lips when an indescribable bitterness instantly spread across her palate, far more potent than yellow lotus.

Shi Yining took only a single sip before her willow-like brows furrowed tightly. She instinctively turned her head away, unwilling to drink any more.

The lingering bitterness in her mouth refused to dissipate. In her daze, it reminded her of the various pains she had endured in her past life… Two trails of clear tears slid uncontrollably down her pale cheeks.

Seeing this, Ruonian gently set down the jade bowl and used a silk handkerchief to tenderly wipe away the falling tears. “Why are you crying?”

As the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize something. She picked up the jade spoon again and took a tiny sip of the medicine. Her dark brows knitted immediately, and her beautiful eyes—usually overflowing with tenderness—turned toward the palace gates. Her voice carried a rare hint of reproach. “A-Ying, did you add Bitterheart Lotus to this medicine?”

Ruo Ying leaned against the doorframe, snorting dismissively. “What if I did? Bitterheart Lotus doesn’t harm the body; it just adds a bit of bitterness.”

Ruonian stood up, the gentle aura surrounding her instantly turning cold. “Drink this bowl of medicine yourself. Then, go brew a new one. I shall taste it first next time; do not play these petty tricks again.”

“Sister!” Ruo Ying stamped her foot, her eyes swirling with resentment. “Is she your sister, or am I? Ever since you woke up, you haven’t given me a single kind look, yet you protect her like she’s some precious treasure!”

Ruonian’s lips pursed slightly. Her voice softened a fraction, but remained firm and beyond dispute. “You created this mess yourself; I am merely helping you atone for your mistakes. Now, go.”

Ruo Ying was indignant and wanted to argue further, but meeting her sister’s increasingly cold gaze, she finally lost her nerve.

She pouted and muttered resentfully, “Fine, I’ll go. I’ll go, alright…”

The fiery red figure turned and left the great hall, her footsteps heavy and echoing with a hint of childish grievance.

Shi Yining gradually pulled herself away from the emotions of her past life. Watching the departing figure, a flash of surprise crossed her heart.

She hadn’t expected that such a dominant and headstrong witch would act this way in front of her sister…

After a few moments, she slowly raised her eyes to survey her surroundings.

She was currently inside an extremely spacious palace. The floor was paved with red jade, fitted together seamlessly. Outside the window, she could faintly see the soaring eaves of continuous palace buildings, their silhouettes majestic against the dark red sky.

“Where… is this?”

Ruonian sat back down by the couch and explained warmly, “This is A-Ying’s residence in the Demon Realm, the Red Flame Palace. Rest assured and recover here, Yining. With me around, A-Ying won’t trouble you again.”

Shi Yining lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her pale face. “I want to return to the cultivation world.”

“Once your injuries are healed, I will personally escort you back,” Ruonian said, her voice still gentle.

Shi Yining asked in return, “Is now… not possible?”

Ruonian shook her head slowly. “Because of that ritual, your soul has suffered significant damage. Even with the aid of spiritual medicine, it will take time to slowly nurse you back to health.”

At this point, she paused, her tone filled with concern. “There is a powerful barrier between the cultivation world and the Demon Realm. When crossing it, the soul is more or less affected. If you are already injured, I fear… there will be danger.”

Shi Yining fell silent, turning her gaze toward the dark red sky outside the window. After a long time, she spoke again, her voice as faint as a sigh. “Senior once said that if I had doubts in my heart, I could ask you.”

“Indeed,” Ruonian nodded. “As long as it is something I know, I will tell you the truth.”

“That ritual… since it succeeded, why was I still able to wake up?” This was the deepest confusion lingering in Shi Yining’s heart.

Hearing this, Ruonian’s gaze dimmed slightly.

“The blood sacrifice method A-Ying performed was taught to her by the Demon Lord. In the past, this method failed repeatedly, and the victims never survived. She naturally assumed it was a life-for-a-life exchange… But that isn’t the case. As long as the victim’s providence is strong enough, it will only damage the soul without claiming their life.”

As she reached this point, a genuine look of guilt appeared in her eyes. “I am truly sorry… If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have suffered this calamity.”

Before her voice could fade, the half-closed palace doors were thrown open with a resounding bang.

Ruoying, who had left not long ago, returned in a hurry. Her lips were stained with shocking streaks of blood as she stumbled into the hall, her breathing erratic and chaotic.

Ruonian’s expression changed instantly. She stood and rushed forward to support her. “What happened?”

Clutching her sister’s arms, Ruoying gritted her teeth and said, “Shu Mo… she has fought her way into the Demon Realm…”

She gasped, wiping the blood from her lips. “In just a few short days, her strength has exploded. I am no longer her match…”

Almost at the exact moment the words fell, a powerful figure dressed in black swept into the hall.

The newcomer stood tall and elegant, her slender frame outlined by a black, narrow-sleeved dress. Her long black hair was gathered simply with a plain hairpin, with a few stray strands falling over her forehead, adding a touch of sharpness to her appearance.

The Changsheng Sword was held before her; though it remained unsheathed, it already radiated a heart-stopping pressure.

Shi Yining stared blankly at that figure, her breath hitching instinctively.

The moment Shu Mo appeared, the memories of her past life surged into her mind like a flood breaking through a dam…

Those scenes were so vivid, so clear they felt as though they had happened only yesterday… and in truth, they had. That dream had been too long; for her, it was almost equivalent to reliving her entire past life.

The brief days of warmth she had experienced in this life were beginning to fade under the influence of the past, slowly turning into something illusory…

She watched as Shu Mo approached with her sword. She watched as the person’s gaze swept across the hall before finally… locking onto her.

In the moment their eyes met, time seemed to freeze.

Shi Yining couldn’t distinguish whether the emotion churning in her heart was the joy of reuniting with her “Mo-er,” or the residual pain of her previous life.

Substinctively, she turned her head away, avoiding that burning gaze.

Unbeknownst to her, this subtle act of avoidance caused the already freezing aura surrounding Shu Mo to drop to absolute zero.

The cold, peerless immortal pursed her lips tightly, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the hilt of her sword.

Naturally, she could never bear to harm her beloved in the slightest, yet the surging fury in the depths of her heart could not be suppressed.

Sensing its master’s turmoil, the Changsheng Sword let out a clear, resonant dragon-like cry and unsheathed itself in an instant!

The sword’s light poured out like frigid moonlight, pointing directly at Ruonian and Ruo Ying.

This strike carried the weight of thunderous rage; before the blade could even reach them, the sheer intensity of the sword intent caused the ornaments within the hall to tremble and shatter.

Just as the attack was about to strike the two sisters, a plain white figure suddenly lunged forward.

The momentum of the sword light came to a jarring halt, stopping a mere three inches from Shi Yining’s heart.

The longsword hung suspended in mid-air, trembling violently—a testament to the master’s current state of emotional upheaval.

As Shu Mo gazed at the all-too-familiar figure, the frost frozen in her eyes shattered inch by inch, replaced by an inexpressible pang of sorrow.

“Yining…” Her voice was terribly hoarse, each word forced out with great difficulty. “You… intend to protect them?”

As she asked this, the Changsheng Sword let out a low, mournful wail, as if weeping for its master’s heartache.

Shi Yining lowered her eyes, deliberately avoiding that wounded gaze.

She heard her own voice ring out in the silent hall, calm to the point of coldness. “The ritual is already over… I am alive. Nothing happened to me.”

Even though she had expected this the moment she saw Ruonian wake up, hearing these words from the mouth of her beloved still felt like a knife to Shumo’s heart.

She had arrived one step too late after all.

A blood sacrifice capable of bringing the dead back to life—even if it didn’t take one’s life—how could it possibly come without a price?

Just like herself; the moment Yining was taken by the enemy, she had performed a forbidden technique, paying a massive price of her own… Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to catch up then, blocked by Ruo Ying. She had been so close to eliminating this great enemy… It was her own lack of strength that failed to protect Yining.

Seeing her beloved standing before the enemy with downcast eyes, deliberately avoiding her gaze, a thought surfaced in Shu Mo’s mind.

Yining’s abnormal behavior right now must be a result of that ritual!

This thought caused her gaze to turn sharp and cold again, hardening her resolve to eliminate the enemies.

“Yining, move aside,” Shu Mo said, her voice laced with suppressed agony. “They are the enemy. Do not protect them!”

Shi Yining shook her head in silence.

This wordless resistance caused Shumo’s heartache to intensify, fully igniting her suppressed fury.

Her body blurred, turning into a phantom in an instant as she bypassed her beloved and appeared behind the enemies.

The Changsheng Sword rose once more, aimed directly at Ruo Ying’s heart.

“Stop!”

Ruonian spun around abruptly, shielding her sister behind her and looking up directly at Shu Mo. “A-Ying committed these many sins for my sake. I was already a dead person; this resurrection is a defiance of fate. I am the one who should die. I am willing to pay with my life.”

“Sister!” Ruo Ying struggled to rush forward, but she was already injured and was held back firmly by Ruonian, unable to move.

The usually headstrong and unrestrained witch’s eyes reddened instantly, her voice filled with unprecedented panic. “It has nothing to do with you! I did everything of my own free will!”

She looked up again at the black-clad woman radiating killing intent. “Shu Mo, listen to me. Everything I did has nothing to do with my sister. I am the culprit. If you want to kill someone, kill me!”

Seeing the sword light about to fall upon the two sisters, Shi Yining could no longer hesitate. Using the fastest speed of her life, she flew forward and tightly embraced Shu Mo from behind.

The moment the warm body pressed against her back, the immortal, who had been radiating murderous intent, froze completely.

“Mo-er…” Shi Yining leaned gently against her shoulder, her voice muffled. “When I woke up, Senior Ruonian fed me spiritual medicine. She has treated me well… Though the ritual succeeded, my soul is only slightly damaged. I will be fine after resting for a while. Please… do not hurt her.”

That intimate call of her name was like a spring breeze melting snow, instantly dissolving the ice in Shumo’s heart.

In that moment, she clearly felt the slight trembling of the person behind her, and she felt the cautious weight of that plea.

The chilling glow emanating from the Changsheng Sword gradually faded away.

Shu Mo turned slowly and pulled Shi Yining into her arms.

She held her very tightly, as if she wanted to merge her long-lost beloved into her very blood and bone. “Fine… I promise Yining. I won’t hurt her.”

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