When the Villainess Transmigrates as the Heroine of a Sadistic Novel [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Wuxia Arc

Following Jiang Chenyue’s command, the members of the Nether Palace scattered in all directions to begin their search. Although they acted discreetly, the second son of the Xie family, Xie Yufeng, was known for his alertness. Seeing this formation, he grew even more cautious. He abandoned his servants, disguised himself, and blended into a rural village, living as a simple farmer.

When the search yielded no results, Jiang Chenyue was furious. Suspicions clouded her mind. After reprimanding her subordinates, she asked Ning Yunqing, “Junior Sister, although the second Xie brother is known as a wanderer, his complete disappearance is suspicious. Where do you think he is?”

Relying on her years of mission experience, Ning Yunqing guessed, “The most dangerous place is often the safest.”

“Are you saying he disguised himself and entered the Nether Palace?” Jiang Chenyue asked in a heavy voice. Ning Yunqing couldn’t help but chuckle—was she suggesting that a six-foot-tall man like Xie Yufeng had dressed as a woman to sneak in? Her Senior Sister really did have a hidden “funny” side.

Jiang Chenyue shot her a sideways glance, seemingly dissatisfied with the reaction. “If you have a thought, speak it. Do not hide it in your heart.”

Ning Yunqing quickly smoothed things over. “Yunqing thinks Senior Sister makes sense; I only laughed because I imagined the second Xie brother in a woman’s dress. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Jiang Chenyue had never met the second brother, but she had seen the third. She assumed no other man on earth could be as beautiful as Xie Yushu. She snorted, “The only man who could pass for a woman without being noticed is Xie Yushu. It seems the second brother is likely not in the Palace.”

That wasn’t necessarily true, but since Ning Yunqing had taken over the Palace affairs, the entrances were guarded much more strictly. No anomalies had been reported. Combining these facts, Ning Yunqing mused, “In my opinion, Senior Sister, Xie Yufeng is nearby.”

Jiang Chenyue waited for her to continue, but Ning Yunqing teased, “I’m not entirely certain yet. However…”

“However what?” Jiang Chenyue hated her sister’s riddles; her brow furrowed.

Ning Yunqing replied, “However, if we search the surrounding area ourselves, we will know. Senior Sister, the second brother is unlike the third; he is cunning. I worry the maids might be deceived by him. Would Senior Sister be willing to accompany me on a trip?”

“You have reached the eighth level; can you not handle a single Xie Yufeng?” Jiang Chenyue asked casually.

This simple sentence made Ning Yunqing turn her head away, her face filled with grievance. “I was only worried that Senior Sister would think I was falsely accusing someone again.”

Jiang Chenyue looked at her and thought: Is this girl’s period still not over? Her red lips parted as she agreed, “Fine. I will go out with you to see just where this Xie Yufeng is hiding.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister! Yunqing will go prepare immediately.” Ning Yunqing broke into a bright smile.

A few days ago, after Ning Yunqing discovered Duan Linglan’s attempt to get close to Xie Yushu, she used the excuse of being a mole planted by the Xie family to find out that the second brother was waiting outside the palace.

She turned his own scheme against him. She ordered Yun Shi to release a carrier pigeon near the North Pavilion so that Jiang Chenyue would discover it. This was top secret, so before leaving, Ning Yunqing specifically warned Yun Shi to keep it quiet. Furthermore, while the two of them were away, Yun Shi was to smuggle a “reply” from the second brother to the third: “All is well. I am outside the palace, waiting for your good news, Third Brother.”

After completing these arrangements, Ning Yunqing returned to Jiang Chenyue and said with a smile, “Everything in the Palace is settled. Let us go, Senior Sister.”

“Mhm. Use your light-body technique,” Jiang Chenyue said flatly, her toes tapping the ground as she vanished. Ning Yunqing hurried to keep up. They moved at high speed; Ning Yunqing figured her sister wanted to finish this quickly and return to practice. But she had finally managed to get some “alone time” with her sister how could she let it end so soon?

“Senior Sister, wait.” Ning Yunqing landed on the ground. Jiang Chenyue turned back to look at her. Thinking of her “condition,” she stopped and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Ning Yunqing shook her head. “Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister, I am fine. It’s just that the trees are dense here; if we move this fast, we might miss something. Senior Sister, since the scenery is so beautiful, could we walk slowly for a while?”

Jiang Chenyue frowned, worried this was just an excuse to hide her physical discomfort. She agreed, “Mhm. Let’s walk.”

Slowing their pace, Ning Yunqing walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Chenyue. Suddenly, she was in a great mood, a smile blooming on her face.

“You are very happy?” Jiang Chenyue asked. She thought: It seems she isn’t unwell; she just wants to enjoy the mountains and rivers.

Ning Yunqing saw her displeasure but didn’t hide her smile. She nodded forthrightly. “Yes, being able to walk with Senior Sister makes Yunqing very happy.” Seeing a field of flowers ahead, she approached and picked the most vibrant bloom. She turned and tucked it behind her sister’s ear, praising, “As I thought, only the most brilliant flower is worthy of Senior Sister. Truly a celestial beauty.”

Jiang Chenyue looked down at her. “Where did you learn to act like a playboy?” She walked straight to the lakeside, looked at her reflection in the water, and seeing that it did indeed suit her, she left it there and continued walking.

After a while, they saw signs of human habitation. In the countryside, such beauty was rare. When the farmers saw these two peerless women, they dropped their hoes; the men drawing water dropped their buckets; even the crying children stopped. Everyone stared at them with wide eyes.

Jiang Chenyue disliked being stared at by outsiders and began to gather her internal energy. Seeing this, Ning Yunqing’s gaze turned cold as she scanned the surroundings. Though she lacked Jiang Chenyue’s deep-seated authority, her years of experience as a villain were no joke. Her glare made the farmers tremble and turn their heads away in fear. Jiang Chenyue snorted and flicked her sleeve, entering the village.

The village was only twenty li from the Nether Palace. The villagers were often under the palace’s care, so seeing these two radiant women, they assumed they were from the Palace and didn’t block them. Overwhelmed by their majesty, they gave them a wide berth. In such a situation, any abnormal behavior would be easy to spot.

However, as Ning Yunqing looked around, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary. After exchanging a look with Jiang Chenyue, they decided to leave. Passing through the fields, Ning Yunqing stopped. As the sun set, it was time to return home. Farmers were walking back in groups of two or three. Their steps were mostly heavy, but among them was one person whose steps were exceptionally light.

“Senior Sister.” Ning Yunqing glanced at the farmer walking in front. Jiang Chenyue understood instantly. With a flick of her long sleeve, the farmer was struck, stumbling back two steps before his legs gave out and he collapsed.

The other farmers fled back to the village in terror. Jiang Chenyue and Ning Yunqing walked against the crowd, looking down at the shivering farmer. Jiang Chenyue sneered, “Are you the second son of the Jiangnan Xie family, Xie Yufeng?”

The farmer kept his head down, his voice trembling with fear. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I… I only know how to farm.”

“Farm?” Ning Yunqing smiled as she looked at him. “Look at the field you just hoed, and then look at the others. How can we believe you?”

“I…” The farmer stammered. He seemed terrified, but his hand was secretly fumbling under his clothes. Ning Yunqing watched him and sneered, “Master Xie, to kill us, you abandoned your folding fan and fine robes to become a rustic farmer. You’ve truly suffered.” As the words fell, Jiang Chenyue struck with her palm. Xie Yufeng, disguised as the farmer, turned sharp. He spun around to flee, not forgetting to throw two plum-blossom darts.

Against Jiang Chenyue’s palm wind, the darts were like eggs hitting a rock; they turned to dust before they could even get close.

“Top-tier light-body technique? Heh.” With a mocking laugh, Jiang Chenyue gave chase. Ning Yunqing followed, but the gap between the eighth and ninth levels was apparent. Jiang Chenyue’s power was peerless; by the time Ning Yunqing caught up, Xie Yufeng had already been struck down.

“Was it you who sent Xie Yushu?” Jiang Chenyue asked coldly.

Xie Yufeng gritted his teeth, refusing to utter a word. Jiang Chenyue never had a good temper, and Xie Yufeng’s face—disguised as a scruffy man—didn’t evoke any sympathy. With a flick of her hand, she forced his eyes shut.

“Senior Sister?” Ning Yunqing called out softly. Jiang Chenyue turned to her. “Pay him no mind.” She turned to leave. Ning Yunqing sighed inwardly: How boring, it’s over so soon. I haven’t even started developing the romance. She used her technique to follow.

Before she had gone two steps, she heard a faint sound behind her. Her peripheral vision caught a black shadow—it must be Xie Yufeng’s hidden weapon. This was a perfect opportunity! Ning Yunqing’s lips curled slightly as she shouted, “Senior Sister, look out!” She threw herself behind Jiang Chenyue, taking the hidden weapon head-on.

“Ugh.” The sharp metal carved into her flesh. Even though she was used to it, it still hurt. Ning Yunqing furrowed her brow and looked up at Jiang Chenyue as dark red blood began to flow from the corner of her mouth. Jiang Chenyue was stunned and quickly pulled her into her arms, glaring at Xie Yufeng, who was attempting to escape.

“Peerless hidden weapons?” With another cold laugh, Jiang Chenyue used her internal power to pull a pebble from the ground and flicked it back. With a cry of “Ah!”, Xie Yufeng fell from mid-air. Still not satisfied, she struck with another palm, directly obliterating the evidence.

“The second son of the Xie family is nothing more than this.” Her voice was chilling. Jiang Chenyue looked down at the woman in her arms. Seeing she had fainted, she frowned and scolded, “Truly useless.” She tapped her toes and carried her back to the Nether Palace.

“Bring all the spiritual medicines in the palace!” Holding Ning Yunqing’s face, Jiang Chenyue looked worried. In just a short time, the girl’s face had turned pale and her lips were a terrifying shade of purple. Is she going to die? Her gaze sharpened, and she suddenly changed her mind, thinking: No, there is no one in this world I cannot save. She could not die.

Taking the pills from the maids, Jiang Chenyue poured them bottle by bottle into her sister’s mouth. After a while, they actually took effect, and Ning Yunqing woke up.

“Senior Sister.” Her face was pale, her lips purple, and her breath was weak. As soon as she spoke, dark blood flowed out. The sight of the blood made Jiang Chenyue frown. Wiping the blood with a silk handkerchief, she replied, “Mhm.”

“Senior Sister, am I going to die?” Ning Yunqing opened her tired eyes, her voice barely audible.

Those words were even more piercing than the sight of her face. Jiang Chenyue flared with anger and barked, “What nonsense are you talking? When have you ever seen me fail at something?” She tapped several of Ning Yunqing’s major acupuncture points, lifted her up, and leaped out. “Fine, I will simply force the poison out of you.”

Jiang Chenyue brought Ning Yunqing to the secret room and transferred her internal energy with both palms. Her body felt like it was on fire; hot and cold sweat took turns on Ning Yunqing’s forehead. It was hard to bear, and she couldn’t help but moan, “Senior Sister…”

“Endure it!” Distraction was the greatest danger during internal work. Jiang Chenyue shouted angrily and closed her eyes, focusing her energy.

About an hour later, Ning Yunqing felt the agonizing pain gradually dissipate. Her head grew heavy. As the hands supporting her from behind withdrew, she fainted, leaning against Jiang Chenyue. Jiang Chenyue frowned in distaste but reached out to check her pulse. Seeing it had improved, she actually let out a faint, rare smile.

“Truly useless.” Lightly patting her sister’s face, Jiang Chenyue, exhausted from the energy consumption, fell asleep with her head on Ning Yunqing’s shoulder.

Before dawn, Ning Yunqing regained consciousness. Opening her eyes, she saw her lover leaning on her shoulder. The smile on her face wouldn’t go away. Just like in their previous lives, she tilted her head slightly and kissed her.

Before she could pull away, those eyes—more beautiful than the moonlight snapped open, filled with a biting chill.

“What are you doing?”

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