CH 9

The atmosphere in the carriage became even more strange.

Xie Wuyan stood leaning against the door with a sword upright in his arms, looking at her with a smile in his eyes, clearly expecting a good show to be played out in front of him.

Shen Wanqing sat upright, placing her hands on her knees obediently. She looked down at the ground steadily, trying to ignore Xie Wuyan’s smiling gaze beside her.

It is said that gossip can make a woman happy, and as expected, Zeng Ziyun had completely lost her temper from before.

Her eyes opened widely and her ears pricked up as she scanned the pair’s faces, not missing a chance to see any changes in their expressions. She even picked up the cake pastries on the table and ate it while smacking her lips.

The carriage began to move.

Xie Wuyan stepped to sit down beside Shen Wanqing. He leaned back, and the seat made a creaking sound.

Shen Wanqing subconsciously straightened her back even more.

Lso pbl alyzzu bye dsvbkdt lzpl vs clt qsa, pbl sdzu bsrle vbyv ds sdl oswze prlyj, ps vbyv pbl nswze ewrl vblx yde tlv rypv vbkp yojoyae pnldl.

Mbld Dkl Ewuyd pyke, “Ykpp Fbld, yal usw dsv tskdt vs pyu yduvbkdt vs xl?”

Fbld Eydikdt: “!”

Tso nswze usw pvkzz ypj, bso nswze usw!

Pslpd’v y uswdt zyeu zkjl blaplzq dlle psxl qynl?

Fbld Eydikdt yzxspv qykdvle okvb ydtla, pbl vwadle bla blye pvkqqzu, yde yp lmrlnvle, pbl xlv Dkl Ewuyd’p lulp obknb olal qkzzle okvb flpv.

Tl oyp vss oknjle.

Mbkp rlapsd nzlyazu jdlo vbyv pbl oyp zukdt, ps bl elzkclayvlzu eked’v oydv vs zlv kv ts.

Shen Wanqing took a deep breath and prepared to use the tactics that a young lady knew how to use best: blush, act shy and then skimp past it.

“Master Xie, don’t tease me. I’m still young, the things I say can’t be taken seriously.”

“You’re not young anymore,” Zeng Ziyun said unclearly as she was chewing on the cakes, “You’re already eighteen, ordinary girls of this age are already married and have children.”

Shen Wanqing was fuming.

You sure do talk a lot, even eating can’t block your mouth, she thought.

She turned her head to look at Xie Wuyan, and then saw with her own eyes that he raised his eyebrows rather arrogantly and slowly

With a pair of eyes staring at her like this, it made it impossible for her to continue on.

Thus, Shen Wanqing decided to just throw the handle after the blade and smash the pot to pieces since it was already cracked1.

At this time, if she were to admit that she was lying, it would be better off to grit her teeth and admit her admiration, and then get cruelly rejected by Xie Wuyan. If this incident were to be passed to the ears of the main leads by Zeng Ziyun, then it might even make Feng Yaoqing believe that she did not like Ji Feichen anymore.

“Okay.” Shen Wanqing took a deep breath, looked up to stare into Xie Wuyan’s eyes, gritted her teeth, and then acted shy, “In that case, I do like Master Xie.”

Zeng Ziyun, who was watching the show went: Wow.

And just like this, the two stared at each other for about half a minute.

Shen Wanqing anxiously awaited Xie Wuyan’s rejection.

But she didn’t get a rejection, instead, she clearly saw Xie Wuyan’s outer corner of his lips slowly curl up. He then leisurely propped up his arms and the smile in his eyes deepened, as if there was a greater meaning behind it.

Wait.

Shen Wanqing reacted quickly.

This villain, who never did things in a conventional manner and also had evil motives, was extremely likely to agree to become Dao companions2 with her in order to ridicule her and also find a better reason to stay by the main leads’ side.

Thus, she quickly stretched out her hand to hold onto his arm, almost unable to retain the smile on her face: “Wait! Master Xie…think over it again. After all, this is related to my future happiness.”

Zeng Ziyun’s eyes widened: Wow! !

Xie Wuyan was not a fool.

From the moment he heard the conversation, he knew that Shen Wanqing’s words were nothing more than to brush off Zeng Ziyun, saying whatever came to her head.

Therefore he really did have some inclination to ridicule her, wanting to see what a state this little rabbit-like girl would be in if he continued to keep going at it.

But seeing Shen Wanqing’s panic and nervousness, paired with her pleading gaze, Xie Wuyan suddenly felt it become dull and boring.

The trivial matters between these women were extremely boring.

He lowered his gaze, gently pulled away the arm that Shen Wanqing was holding onto, and said with a light tone, “Sorry, I reject you.”

Zeng Ziyun, who was watching the gossip from the front-lines: Wow! ! !

Hearing the two words “reject you”, Shen Wanqing felt as if she had re-gained a new life, she was almost moved to tears. In her heart, her degree of favorability towards him also increased a bit.

The villain was actually pretty fair and considerate.

She sat back down, still feeling her heart palpitating a little, so she was ready to reach out to take a cake pastry to help her recover from the shock.

However, she didn’t expect that when she was just about to reach out her hand, it was held back by Zeng Ziyun and grasped tightly.

“It’s okay, Miss Shen.” Zeng Ziyun had completely lost her temper by now, there was only a bit of pity left in her eyes, “I will keep this matter a secret for you.”

Shen Wanqing: “…I thank you very much.”

Then Shen Wanqing soon learned that the most unbelievable thing in this world was a woman’s mouth.

After the carriage arrived at the destination, Zeng Ziyun jumped out in a hurry and hugged onto Feng Yaoqing’s arm while secretly whispering in her ear.

Then Feng Yaoqing widened her eyes in astonishment, looked back at Shen Wanqing, and then tugged at Ji Feichen to quietly say some words.

Finally, the three formed a circle and whispered secretly together.

In less than half an hour, almost everyone knew that she had been badly rejected.

Looking out far into the distance at these three people from her carriage, she had mixed feelings.

But thinking about it in a positive light, Feng Yaoqing would probably completely feel at ease now and lower her guard.

Unexpectedly, before her feet even touched the ground and before she could go eat, a ghastly pale-faced Ji Feichen took Shen Wanqing to a remote area.

Before Shen Wanqing could speak, she heard him sharply reprimand her: “Kneel down.”

Shen Wanqing: “?”

“Xiao Yun3 told me already,” Ji Feichen saw her puzzled look and his expression worsened. He slapped the table suddenly, and said, “Wanqing, have you forgotten the Ji family’s household laws? A lady like yourself, who taught you to force a man to marry you?”

Wait, forced marriage?

Who forced a marriage?

After being scolded, Shen Wanqing finally understood the ability of a woman to alter gossip into such an unreasonable version.

—

Into the night.

Because they had wasted some time on the road, when they found a place to stay, the night had completely fallen.

Xie Wuyan took off his outer garment, looked at Xuanniao next to him who seemed to be in pain, and lifted his hand to unlock its Voice Locking curse.

Xuanniao, who had been holding back for a whole day, started to crackle like a firecracker: “That woman has gone overboard, how dare she use such a despicable trick on me! And she has the audacity to admire Your Royal Highness, how could someone with her status think about coveting Your Highness? She must have bad intentions to scheme against Your Highness—”

“Do you want to keep trying the Voice Locking Curse?” Xie Wuyan put his outer garment aside and tugged at his collar.

When Xuanniao heard those words, it immediately closed its mouth shut.

Noises sounded from outside the window.

Xie Wuyan looked up.

Shen Wanqing was lowering her head with an apologetic look and obediently followed behind Ji Feichen, looking like she had just been reprimanded by him.

Xuannao flapped its wings with a thud as it flew over. Seeing this scene, it couldn’t help but babble again: “See, I understand now. I’ve heard before that this woman has been pestering her own brother, turns out she is using Your Royal Highness as a guise, she really is very devious and bold—”

Its voice stopped abruptly.

Xuanniao laid pitifully on Xie Wuyan’s shoulder.

His Highness has changed, he really used the Voice Locking curse on itself!!!

That woman was indeed a femme fatale!

Xie Wuyan lowered his eyes and stared at the figures of the two people downstairs until they completely disappeared from his field of sight. Then, the corner of his lips curled up and he let out a low laugh.

I see.

Very boring.

—

Shen Wanqing discovered that the butterfly effect had inevitably happened due to her transmigrating here.

Originally in the book, the male and female leads were on verge of breaking off their engagement, and due to the Xuantian Sect and Ji Family having conflict, Ji Feichen did not have time to take care of ridding the demon in the first place.

But now because her original character was no longer here to cause trouble between them, the relationship between the two not only did not stale, but the demon-slaying plan had now shifted ahead of time.

Although it had only advanced by a couple of days, many things had already turned upside down.

Therefore, according to the original plot, that night when the Painted Skin Ghost had been attracted over by Shen Wanqing’s remaining demonic energy did not happen.

Not only that, but there was no news of activity for several days.

But the number of people killed was still increasing.

In just two days, three people had died.

“What is she doing?” Zeng Ziyun was a little impatient, holding her chin and grumbling, “Has the Painted Skin Ghost found a better prey and decided to completely abandon her?”

Feng Yaoqing and Ji Feichen also seemed worried.

In any case, it was a really painful thing to ask them to witness so many people die everyday yet they couldn’t do anything to stop it.

According to the original book, the Painted Skin Ghost had an almost pathological obsession with Shen Wanqing, it was an obsession that meant even under Feng Yaoqing’s and Ji Feichen’s attacks, she’d rather her spirit be dispersed then let go of the opportunity of eating Shen Wanqing’s soul.

Although she didn’t know the reason, she could not give up so easily.

What’s more, the Painted Skin Ghost had left a wisp of demonic energy within her, so she probably would discover it soon.

Wait, demonic energy?

Shen Wanqing glanced at the body-protecting bracelet on her wrist and seemed to remember something suddenly.

Feng Yaoqing’s outstanding medical skills had dispelled most of the remaining demonic energy within her and had only left only a few traces that did not hurt the body as bait.

When the demon-hunting in the book had started, the Painted Skin Ghost ‘s demonic powers had a great breakthrough, so she could acutely sense the remaining demonic energy left in Shen Wanqing’s body.

Now that the plan for catching the demon had been advanced, it was very likely that the Painted Skin Ghost had not yet made her breakthrough. In addition, there was a protective magical weapon by her side, so it was very likely that the demonic energy on her body had been completely masked.

So now it seemed like there was no other way except to wait for the Painted Skin Ghost to come find them.

But if a demon wanted to cultivate, it had to endlessly suck the blood of human beings, especially the blood of people with a basic cultivation base.

Shen Wanqing raised her eyes towards Zeng Ziyun.

She was very suitable.

In addition, in the original book, the Painted Skin Demon had also attacked Zeng Ziyun.

So she was likely to be attacked early.

[System Hint:

Warning hint, the important female side character Zeng Ziyun may be in danger at any time. In order to avoid the main plot from occurring, the host is requested to assist in the task of catching the demon as soon as possible. ]

……Speechless.

If the target of the Painted Skin Ghost’s attack became Zeng Ziyun4, then there will inevitably be the ‘hero saves the girl’ plot.

Shen Wanqing sighed, reached out her hand and took off her bracelet decisively, handing it over to Ji Feichen: “Well, let’s try again tonight.”

This way, she could ensure that the demonic energy wouldn’t be concealed.

“This…” Even Feng Yaoqing hesitated, “Wanqing, if you don’t leave your protective magical weapon by your side and we don’t come in time, you’ll likely…”

“It’s okay,” Shen Wanqing laughed, “You will be there in time.”