When a Yandere Cannon Fodder Meets a Dark, Twisted Villain - Chapter 56

As night fell, Shi Yining and Shu Mo returned to their familiar bamboo cottage, treading upon the starlight.

The evening breeze swept through the woods, creating a soft rustling sound. Inside the cottage, a single candle flickered, casting a warm, yellow glow.

“In our past life, after the incident in the Phoenix Tree Grove… my mother planted the Heart-Withered Love-Forgetfulness Gu within me.”

Shu Mo recalled the past, an inescapable shadow of pain flickering in her eyes.

“When I woke, I had forgotten many things. My memory was a blurred haze; though your silhouette, Ning’er, frequently appeared in my mind, and I knew you were the true love of my heart, I could not remember who you were… or where you came from…”

Hearing this, Shi Yining’s slender jade fingers, hidden beneath her sleeves, quietly clenched.

The slightly raspy voice continued in her ear: “At that time, Mother told me that the reason you suffered was due to the persecution of the Xuanqing Sect. My mind was in chaos and my memories fragmented, so I truly believed her words. She said we would march upon the Xuanqing Sect to seek justice for you, and so… I did just that.”

Shu Mo closed her eyes, shielding the agony within them, and continued: “When I arrived at the Xuanqing Sect, I actually sensed something was wrong. I learned from the cultivators there that it was your sect… I hesitated. But when I saw them mention your name with complex expressions—some even showing faces full of guilt—I concluded they had indeed wronged you. This happened to align perfectly with what Mother had said…

Later, I fought my way into the sect and broke into Xigui Peak. There, I saw the old belongings you had left behind… In that instant, my sealed memories—everything regarding you—surfaced one by one. I realized I had committed a grave error and wanted to atone, but… the Love-Forgetfulness Gu was still there. When Mother discovered my intent, she triggered the parasite. Though I resisted in time, I still lost some of my memories once again…”

Shi Yining reached out, her long fingers gently covering the back of her beloved’s hand in a silent gesture of comfort.

She knew the misunderstandings between them had long been resolved. At this moment, she felt only heartache for Mo’er, without a shred of resentment.

The Celestial Jade Fruit

After a moment, Shi Yining retrieved a ten-thousand-year-old Celestial Jade Fruit from her storage ring. Instantly, a pure and dense spiritual aura filled the entire cottage.

She held the fruit out to Shu Mo, her tone gentle yet firm. “Mo’er, eat this Celestial Jade Fruit first. It is a sacred treasure for strengthening one’s foundation and nourishing the soul. Being ten thousand years old, it is rare in this world. After consuming it, perhaps your cultivation will be restored.”

Shu Mo did not refuse. She understood that without spiritual power, she would only be a burden in the face of danger. She kept every bit of Ning’er’s kindness deep in her heart.

She reached out to take it, her fingertips brushing accidentally against the back of her lover’s hand.

The Celestial Jade Fruit was cool to the touch. She brought it to her lips and took a soft bite. A crisp, sweet juice instantly burst forth, carrying a dense vitality that slid down her throat. Because it was a gift from her beloved, Shu Mo ate very slowly, her long lashes trembling and casting small shadows. Occasional drops of shimmering juice stained the corner of her mouth, leaving a faint glisten.

Shi Yining watched this scene with a smile. As the fruit was consumed, she could feel Shu Mo’s cultivation level steadily rising.

• Refining Qi $rightarrow$ Foundation Establishment
• Golden Core $rightarrow$ Nascent Soul
• Spirit Severing $rightarrow$ Ensouled Transition (Dacheng/Great Perfection)

Finally, it settled firmly at the Early Stage of the Great Perfection Realm.

As the last piece of fruit was swallowed, Shu Mo felt the surging spiritual energy within her. A smile appeared on her face as she looked up, meeting Shi Yining’s gaze.

“It’s very sweet,” Shu Mo said softly, her words carrying a deeper meaning beyond the fruit.

Shi Yining felt it and a layer of faint pink flushed her face. “Congratulations, Mo’er, on restoring your cultivation.”

As soon as the words left her lips, she was pulled into an embrace. “I must thank you, Ning’er. If you hadn’t risked yourself to pluck the Celestial Jade Fruit, it might have been a long time before I could recover…”

Inhaling the familiar cold fragrance of her beloved, Shi Yining smiled brightly, her eyes half-closed as she savored this rare moment of warmth.

Outside the Bamboo Cottage

Outside, Ruo Ying sat by the campfire with her sister Ruonian, holding the little fox.

As the night deepened, Ruo Ying looked up at the starry sky and sighed. “I remember Fellow Daoist Shi saying this realm can only last half a month at most. Three days have passed; in twelve days, we must return to the Canglan Realm and face unprecedented danger…”

Ruonian looked at her sister. “The Demon Lord is strong, but not invincible. As long as we work together, I believe victory will be ours.”

Hearing this comfort, Ruo Ying gave a carefree smile. “You’re right, Sister.”

She turned her gaze to the little fox nearby. “Fellow Daoist Shi removed the Spirit-Binding Rope long ago. Why are you still in your original form? Don’t tell me you can’t transform back?”

Hu Ying glanced at her, appearing drained. “Yes, you guessed right… I was sent here by the Demon Lord’s magic. Restricted by that secret technique, I temporarily cannot take human form.”

Ruo Ying burst out laughing. “I didn’t think you’d have such a limitation. I really can’t figure out how you had the confidence to seduce Fellow Daoist Shi earlier when you can’t even turn human.”

Hu Ying retorted indignantly, “Is my fox form not beautiful?”

Ruo Ying chuckled. “It’s beautiful, but it’s still not human. At most, you’re a pet.”

Ruonian watched Hu Ying with a pensive gaze. “Daoist Hu, since you have recovered your past life’s memories with the Demon Lord’s help, you should know that in about ten years, there will be a great war between the Human and Demon races. I wonder what your thoughts are on that?”

Hu Ying pursed her lips. “What thoughts could I have? I don’t lead the Demon race. If I were in charge, would I have fled to the Demon Realm?”

Ruo Ying followed up: “If the great war truly begins, which side will you choose, little fox?”

Hu Ying fell silent for a moment. “I won’t stand with either. Though my kin are among the Demon race, I was a loser in our internal power struggles and was driven out, so I won’t stand with them… but I won’t stand with the humans either. I may not like my tribesmen, but I wouldn’t go so far as to take their lives.”

Ruonian continued, “As far as I know, the Demon race is currently led by the Wolf Tribe.”

Hu Ying nodded. “Indeed, the Wolf Tribe is extremely ambitious. Especially that Wolf King… he has always dreamed of unifying the Canglan Realm. In truth, to a certain extent, the Demon race is also an enemy of the Demon Lord. Particularly the Wolf Tribe; if we could pit them against the Demon Lord, it would be a fine way to exhaust the enemy’s strength.”

Ruo Ying let out a mocking chuckle. “What? Now you know to treat the Demon Lord as an enemy?”

Hu Ying lay down, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth. “I’ve revealed so much to you all. Once we return, the Demon Lord will never let me off the hook.”

Ruonian offered a word of comfort: “Fellow Daoist Shi said that upon leaving this realm, we will appear randomly anywhere in the Canglan Realm. As long as you don’t show your face in the Demon Domain, you should be able to keep your little life.”

Hu Ying’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Ruo Ying snorted. “Of course it’s true. My sister never lies!”

Secrets of Rebirth and Space

Inside the bamboo cottage, Shi Yining leaned into Shu Mo’s embrace and asked out of curiosity: “I remember during the Three Sects Discourse, you were at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, just like me. But when we met again, your cultivation had surged—it was different from our past life. Did you leave some sort of contingency when you performed the Time Reversal Technique?”

“Ning’er, you guessed correctly.” Shu Mo held her close, her fingertips moving gently, stroking the jade-like skin.

“I knew that reversing time would inevitably bring many variables. Without sufficient strength, returning to the past wouldn’t be enough to change anything. So, before casting the spell, I sealed the majority of my cultivation within an ancient jade and merged it into the Phoenix Tree Grove. After the reversal, once I regained my memories, I went to the grove, summoned the jade, and reclaimed the sealed power from my past life.”

“So that’s how it was…” Realization dawned on Shi Yining.

“There is one more thing. When we were in the Extreme Cold Ice Field, we were caught in an avalanche and fell into a hot spring, yet we ended up at Xigui Peak… Mo’er, do you know why Xigui Peak is connected to the Ice Field?”

Normally, this was a matter of the Xuanqing Sect, and it would be best to ask her Master upon their return. However, remembering that Shu Mo had occupied Xigui Peak in their past life, she thought she might find the answer here.

Shu Mo held her beloved and nuzzled tenderly against Shi Yining’s slender neck. “That was something I arranged in our past life… When I reversed time, I preserved that connection.”

“Why did you… do such a thing?”

“Legend had it that the Extreme Cold Ice Field contained a divine artifact capable of resurrecting the dead. I believed it. At that time, I had seized all of Xigui Peak; to facilitate travel between the two regions, I constructed a spatial teleportation array.”

“I have heard of that legend as well,” Shi Yining mused, “but it likely doesn’t truly exist.”

“You are right, Ning’er. In truth, all methods of resurrection in this world require one prerequisite to succeed: the soul of the deceased must not have departed for the Underworld. Senior Ruonian was able to be revived through blood sacrifice only because her soul had remained trapped in this realm… In our past life, after you fell, I used soul-summoning techniques more than once, and slowly, I learned the truth.”

Shu Mo knew that unless one ascended to immortality, it was impossible to break into the Underworld. Later, she began exploring all manner of perilous lands simply to find opportunities to raise her cultivation as quickly as possible.

A Promise of a Future

“Ning’er, when we leave this place and return to the Canglan Realm—once we defeat our enemies—let us become Dao Companions, alright?”

Shi Yining’s heart trembled slightly. She instinctively looked up, meeting Shu Mo’s gaze, which was filled with absolute tenderness, reflecting only her own image. Joy spread rapidly through her heart, yet the obstacles of reality caused a flicker of worry to cloud her brow.

“What about Sect Leader Shu…?”

“Don’t worry, Ning’er. Mother will no longer interfere in my affairs,” Shu Mo promised solemnly. “From the moment I regained my memories of the past life, she could no longer force me to do anything.”

Shu Rong targeted Shi Yining only because she was a cultivator of the Xuanqing Sect. Without that identity, she would actually be quite happy to see them together. Shu Mo understood the grievances between the two sects; once the enemy was eliminated, and after consulting Ning’er, she would find a way to resolve the feud.

Though this answer lacked a detailed explanation, it gave Shi Yining the greatest peace of mind.

“And what about the Tiansheng Dynasty?”

A faint smile played on Shu Mo’s lips. Her fingertips gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her lover’s cheek as she soothed her: “With our current strength, the Tiansheng Dynasty is no longer a concern. That Empress is a clever woman; I believe she will make the right choice.”

By now, they were no longer helpless pawns at the mercy of fate. They were slowly becoming the players at the board, possessing enough power to break the deadlock.

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