After the Villainess Awakens

Leng Mushi had never been one to be swayed by emotions, especially not by romantic love. To her, it was nothing compared to the practicality of alchemy.

However, Xiao Mian's approach was like the slow boiling of a frog. By the time Leng Mushi realized it, she was already cooked to the bone. It was impossible to jump out of the boiling pot now.

But what was love?

She had personally witnessed her own mother suffer deeply because of it. To place all your joy and pain in the hands of another person was like a gamble destined to leave you utterly defeated.

Her mother hadn't just lost, she had lost everything, dying with resentment in her heart.

Leng Mushi had sworn never to find herself in such a situation, never to stray from her path for anyone.

Xiao Mian's appearance was unexpected. She had rejected him countless times. But Xiao Mian was different from her father, who only knew how to drain others, endlessly demanding without ever giving back. For so long, Xiao Mian had asked for almost nothing from her.

He had given her more tenderness than a true lover, silently caring for her like the gentle rain nourishing the earth. He had strived alongside her, advancing and retreating together, until this moment, where he was willing to die for her.

Leng Mushi couldn't help but want to respond to Xiao Mian, even if the time and place were not right, even if they might not have a future.

She cupped Xiao Mian's face and cried a few times, her voice choked and muffled, like a pig caught before a butcher's knife, its legs bound, letting out a desperate squeal.

But she couldn't care less about her image at this moment. Countless emotions were piled up in her heart, needing an outlet to erupt. She was like a dam that hadn't been opened for years, about to collapse. How could she care about anything else?

However, Xiao Mian was stunned by her earsplitting cries. The unrealistic thoughts that flooded his mind were as overwhelming as the emotions that overwhelmed Leng Mushi, blocking out his reason. For a moment, he even doubted if he was dreaming.

Could it be that the beast they were trapped in had hallucinatory effects? Otherwise, why… why would someone who had repeatedly rejected him, be kissing him while crying?

Xiao Mian hesitantly raised his hand, not rushing to embrace Leng Mushi. Instead, he pinched his own thigh… no feeling.

It really was a dream.

He rolled his eyes and pinched himself again. Still no feeling. Leng Mushi's cries suddenly turned sharp.

"Ouch!"

"Why are you pinching me?!" Leng Mushi, pinched twice in a row, had her surging emotions completely extinguished by Xiao Mian's actions.

"You even twisted it!" Leng Mushi had to let go of Xiao Mian and sat down, rubbing her thigh hard. "What's wrong with you?!"

Xiao Mian remained half-kneeling, staring at Leng Mushi blankly. His cheeks were still burning from Leng Mushi's retaliatory pinches. But belatedly, his heart began to pound like a thousand fawns were frolicking inside his chest.

He reached up and touched his lips, still moist from Leng Mushi's bite. He wasn't dreaming, nor was he hallucinating. And this was definitely not something good friends did!

Like a bucket of boiling water had been poured over him, Xiao Mian's scalp tingled as he finally understood. He pounced on Leng Mushi, who was wiping her tears and snot with a cloth, like a beast about to devour its prey. With a resounding "slap," he pinned Leng Mushi to the ground.

Leng Mushi's head buzzed from the impact. Fortunately, she was surrounded by the fleshy walls of the beast. The sound was loud, but it didn't hurt.

She lay on the ground, looking up at Xiao Mian, who was staring down at her, his arms supporting his weight. His eyes were a little scary, dark and deep like bottomless abysses, swirling with an ominous red light.

Not good, she had overdone it.

Leng Mushi thought to herself that she had been too impulsive. Xiao Mian was just a wisp of consciousness, too fragile for the Demonic Core. If she scared him off completely, she could cry a river and it wouldn't change anything.

So Leng Mushi quickly grabbed Xiao Mian's arm and said, "Brother, don't get excited, calm down, don't pinch me anymore, and don't overthink it. This is just…"

Before she could finish, Xiao Mian had already lowered his head, seeking her lips.

Leng Mushi's breath hitched. Xiao Mian stopped just two fingers away from her lips. His arms were on either side of her, his long hair cascading down, enveloping her.

Leng Mushi's hands unconsciously climbed onto his shoulders. Xiao Mian didn't press down immediately, but spoke, his voice hoarse and strained, "Why… are you not pushing me away?"

Leng Mushi pursed her lips, her breath mingling with his. At such a close distance, looking into Xiao Mian's confused eyes, she could clearly see his restraint and forbearance. She couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Your lips are quite soft, brother."

She didn't even call him Xiao-gege, directly addressing him with that soft tone, "brother."

Xiao Mian's heart felt like it was tightly bound by silk threads, then ruthlessly tightened, the threads cutting into his heart, causing him to wince in pain.

Leng Mushi, with her eyes closed, didn't get the kiss she was expecting. Instead, she saw Xiao Mian turn his head and with a "poof," a mouthful of blood sprayed onto her ear, the hot, metallic liquid splattering on her cheek, stunning her.

Xiao Mian covered his mouth with his sleeve and had already propped himself up on his arms. Leng Mushi sat up as well, her eyes wider than when she was holding back tears, almost popping out of their sockets, as if trying to burn holes through Xiao Mian.

"What's wrong with you?!" Leng Mushi grabbed his arm, wanting to check his meridians. However, she had little spiritual energy left and couldn't manage it. "When did you get hurt? Why are you coughing up so much blood?"

Leng Mushi anxiously checked him. She remembered that Xiao Mian's only injury should be on his lower back. The Shadow Cultivator had said that when the Five-Tailed Dragon had sent her crashing to the ground, Xiao Mian had recklessly tried to catch her. As he flew up, a Winged Demon had seized the opportunity and clawed at his lower back.

Although the puppet beast had quickly driven the Winged Demon away, Xiao Mian's lower back had still been badly clawed.

Could it be that her stimulation had been too much, causing the Demonic Qi to enter his body too quickly, awakening the Demonic Core?!

Leng Mushi reached out and touched Xiao Mian's waist, trying to lift his robe to examine the wound. Xiao Mian kept dodging back, his emotions were in turmoil, the chastity mark on his heart tightened, threatening to tear his heart apart.

"Don't…" Xiao Mian gasped, holding Leng Mushi's hands, his brows furrowed. "I'm fine. I just need to be alone for a while."

Xiao Mian's lips were bright red with blood, making him look like a demon who had just devoured a child.

The ominous red light in his eyes wouldn't dissipate. Leng Mushi took out the Kunlun Plate from her storage bag and approached Xiao Mian. She watched as the cultivator runes on it moved two marks, while the demon runes moved a full four.

This was bad!

Leng Mushi stepped back as Xiao Mian had said and sat down cross-legged not far from him.

The two, who had finally confessed their feelings for each other, were both troubled. Xiao Mian couldn't bring himself to get close, while Leng Mushi was desperately trying to figure out how to suppress his demonic energy.

Yin Yi of the Shadow Sect had mentioned a medicine that could suppress demonic energy, a formula they used to control their own inner demons. If she could refine it, maybe it could help Xiao Mian.

He had asked Leng Mushi for pills that could seal techniques within them, allowing for easy carrying. It was the same thing Leng Mushi had previously envisioned.

It turned out that long before Leng Mushi, a medicine cultivator from the Shadow Sect who specialized in poisons had already had this idea. But it was just an idea because it sounded too fantastical.

Yin Yi said that his senior brother was extremely talented but had been obsessed with poisons for many years. He had tried to seal techniques and attacks but had failed repeatedly. It wasn't until he saw Leng Mushi, who could control wraiths and refine pills that sealed the power of the Dream Fox, that he was both shocked and excited. He believed that Leng Mushi might be able to succeed.

They made a deal. If Leng Mushi could create the pills that could seal techniques, they would provide the formula for suppressing the demonic energy in Xiao Mian. This formula was forbidden in the cultivation world because forcibly suppressing a cultivator's demonic energy would only lead to greater disaster.

Shadow Sect cultivators often worked alongside emperors and nobles. They not only killed evil creatures but also corrupt officials. Therefore, they were more susceptible to inner demons than ordinary cultivators. In the Shadow Sect, every time a cultivator returned from a mission, the sect would grant them medicine to suppress their inner demons.

Yin Yi promised Leng Mushi that as long as she could refine the pills he described, he would not only provide the formula but also help her find all the necessary ingredients.

This temptation was too great. Most importantly, regardless of whether it was forbidden or not, suppressing Xiao Mian's demonic energy and preventing the awakening of the Heavenly Demon was the only way for Leng Mushi to keep him by her side.

She had to agree and had already received a way to contact Yin Yi. Once she returned to the sect, she would start experimenting so she could get the formula as soon as possible.

Leng Mushi's original plan was to follow the plot, jumping off the cliff and sustaining some minor injuries, which didn't matter.

This part of the plot was originally about the female supporting character jumping off a cliff and getting injured in order to compete for the male lead's love. Everyone would fail to find her, leaving her behind in the secret realm. Then, she would be discovered by the later rescue disciples and would hate the female lead even more after leaving.

According to the plan, Xiao Mian would follow everyone towards the exit of the Demon Realm. After she played her part, she would take the token Yin Yi had given her and go to the Shadow Sect to ask for the medicine. Once Xiao Mian drank it, his demonic energy wouldn't flare up, giving her enough time to return to the sect and figure out a solution.

Therefore, Yin Yi had given Leng Tianyin a harmless drug to lure Xiao Mian over. But Leng Mushi had miscalculated. She hadn't expected Xiao Mian to jump down with her.

What she hadn't expected was that she would also lose control of her emotions and kiss Xiao Mian. Now, she was afraid that it had caused his demonic energy to surge. She couldn't wait any longer!

Leng Mushi's mind raced. After a few breaths, she still couldn't think of any other way. They couldn't get out of here for the time being, so she reached into her storage bag, took out the Five Elements Pill, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Xiao Mian was meditating with his eyes closed. His spiritual energy was in disarray, and he couldn't adjust his breathing. He had suddenly gotten what he wished for, and his heart was overwhelmed with emotions. The tearing pain in his heart made him frown. He sat cross-legged, trying his best to regain control.

But no matter how hard he tried to clear his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about Leng Mushi kissing him and calling him brother. Xiao Mian felt like he was really going to die from his desires, just like Xuan Zhu had said.

He didn't even notice Leng Mushi approaching with the pill in her mouth. He was a complete mess. When his mouth was suddenly forced open and Leng Mushi straddled his lap, holding his face and pushing something down his throat, Xiao Mian's eyes flew open.

Leng Mushi had already skillfully rubbed his throat a few times, making him swallow the pill smoothly.

"What is that?!" Xiao Mian had already guessed. He pushed Leng Mushi away, wanting to spit the pill out. The Five Elements Pill was too important. He couldn't just eat the medicine that could save her life.

But Leng Mushi stubbornly held his neck, not allowing him to induce vomiting, and even found a bunch of excuses. "Hurry up and eat it. You're injured, and we don't even know what kind of beast's mouth we're in right now. I'm not good at fighting, you have to recover quickly and take me out of here!"

"My injury is fine!" Xiao Mian said urgently. "Stop messing around, I vomited blood because my emotions were stirred up, which affected the chastity mark on my heart!"

As he spoke, he pulled open his collar to show Leng Mushi the red dot under his collarbone. Leng Mushi looked down and poked it with her fingertip, feeling an itch. She was surprised but not anxious, asking with a puzzled expression, "Why do you have this too?"

Xuan Zhu had it because he shared a soul with Hua Yan Yue. As a man, Xuan Zhu couldn't avoid his morning wood, which always annoyed Hua Yan Yue. That's why she had given him the chastity mark, so he wouldn't dare to have any improper thoughts, not even self-relief.

But why would Xiao Mian have it…?

"Did my master do it?" Leng Mushi poked it again, observing the ominous red glow in Xiao Mian's eyes. She was relieved to find that it had actually subsided a little after he took the Five Elements Pill.

The Five Elements Pill was indeed a pill overflowing with spiritual energy. Spiritual energy and demonic energy were naturally opposed, and the strong spiritual energy could suppress the demonic energy. It was a kind of counterbalance.

Xiao Mian shook his head. "It was Senior Brother Xuan Zhu… Now is not the time to talk about this. Just let me get the Five Elements Pill out… Mm."

Leng Mushi directly lowered her head and sealed Xiao Mian's lips with hers.

Xiao Mian's eyelashes fluttered wildly. Leng Mushi pressed hard on his chastity mark with her fingertip, a strange sense of satisfaction welling up in her, satisfying her possessiveness.

She knew how to temporarily undo it. Senior Brother Xuan Zhu always temporarily undid it. After all, he was a grown man, and he was a bamboo that could even bear offspring on his own. How could he not relieve himself? It was just that he did it when Hua Yan Yue was asleep or when she turned a blind eye.

But Leng Mushi didn't want to undo it, because this chastity mark gave her the feeling that Xiao Mian belonged entirely to her.

In the mortal world, this thing was a symbol of the emperor's imprisonment and restraint of his concubines, a form of persecution and humiliation towards women.

But once it appeared on a man, on the man she loved, it had an indescribable sense of secrecy and forbidden desire.

With this thing, Xiao Mian couldn't have feelings for anyone else. It grew on his heart, connected to his truest emotions. It even allowed Leng Mushi to test whether he was overwhelmed by his feelings for her anytime, anywhere.

This was a hundred times more evil than the chastity marks in the mortal world, but it made Leng Mushi's back break out in a cold sweat of excitement.

She gently, repeatedly kissed Xiao Mian's lips. This time, Xiao Mian didn't freeze. He stiffened for a moment, then uncontrollably reached out and hugged Leng Mushi, who was sitting on top of him.

He was still thinking about spitting out the Five Elements Pill, but he knew it was too late. The spiritual energy rising within him, originating from the pill, was already surging through his meridians like a vast ocean.

Leng Mushi's closeness was more intoxicating than the Dream Fox's illusions. His heart ached with every beat, but he couldn't help but hold her tighter, pulling her slender waist into his embrace, locking her in place.

Their racing blood and increasingly synchronized heartbeats were the most powerful proof of their love for each other. Xiao Mian ignored the growing pain in his heart and trembled with excitement.

But even so, his kisses were clumsy and gentle.

Like a cherished pastry bought after saving up for a long time, he was reluctant to swallow it in one bite. He could only stick out his tongue and lick it bit by bit, indulging in its sweet taste.

Their breaths mingled, panting like oxen, their kisses more like intimate caresses.

Leng Mushi didn't feel the tearing pain in her heart, but it was as if her senses were captured by something. Xiao Mian's embrace made it hard for her to breathe. She let out a soft moan, and Xiao Mian's ears and exposed shoulders flushed red.

He swallowed the metallic taste in his throat several times, his brows furrowed, his expression a mixture of pain and indulgence. Leng Mushi, wickedly enjoying the sight, finally broke the kiss. She lowered her head and fed a drop of her blood to the bright red chastity mark on Xiao Mian's chest.

Things made from the blood of an evil creature that feasted on human flesh would naturally be soothed by blood. Moreover, this chastity mark wouldn't really harm the body. It was placed on the heart meridian, but what it tore wasn't the heart meridian itself, but the impurities and foul energy accumulated there. That's why the blood Xiao Mian vomited was always dark red. It was a painful way to cleanse the heart meridian.

Otherwise, why would Master be willing to give Senior Brother Xuan Zhu this thing? Leng Mushi could see clearly that Hua Yan Yue wasn't completely indifferent to Xuan Zhu.

But Leng Mushi didn't intend to tell Xiao Mian the true purpose of this chastity mark.

Leng Mushi licked the chastity mark with her blood-stained tongue. As Xiao Mian gasped, she raised her head, her eyes narrowed slightly, her moist lips pouting as she whispered into his ear, "I like this little red dot, brother. Don't get rid of it."

How could Xiao Mian possibly refuse? At this moment, he was like someone trapped in Leng Mushi's illusion, under her control, willing to let her do whatever she wanted, not wanting to leave her side for even a moment.

Leng Mushi once again trailed kisses from his ear to his lips. This time, Xiao Mian didn't feel any pain. He looked at Leng Mushi with an almost obsessive gaze, their lips and teeth entangled, wishing they could swallow each other whole like sweet cakes.

But he was also afraid that if he ate too fast, he wouldn't be able to savor the taste.

However, the Five Elements Pill was working its magic in Xiao Mian's body. Even without circulating his spiritual energy, the high-grade, top-quality pill refined by Hua Yan Yue was flowing through him like an overturned sea.

This pill contained a strand of Leng Mushi's soul. When Leng Mushi closed her eyes, she could even sense the flow of spiritual energy within Xiao Mian's body.

She raised her head with some difficulty, cupping Xiao Mian's face as he tried to get closer again, and said, "Xiao-gege, this place will dissipate spiritual energy. While our spiritual energy is still abundant, let's try to get out."

Xiao Mian sobered up a little and looked down, embarrassed. He had forgotten about it. He wished he could stay entangled with Leng Mushi like this forever.

He nodded and licked his lips, tasting the sweetness as if it were real. His eyelashes fluttered, his lips and cheeks flushed, but his eyes were clear and bright, devoid of the previous bloodshot redness.

Leng Mushi smiled at him. Seeing him like this, she couldn't help but say, "When we get out, you can do whatever you want…"

She stopped mid-sentence, meeting Xiao Mian's dark, clear gaze, almost biting her own tongue. What she said sounded so improper, so unlike her usual self.

Leng Mushi blushed with belated embarrassment. Her mind was in a daze as she quickly pushed Xiao Mian up and cleared her throat. "Senior Brother Xiao, hurry up."

One moment it was "brother," the next it was suddenly "Senior Brother Xiao."

Xiao Mian's heart was toyed with, burning hot one moment, then soaked in cool water the next. He let out a soft sigh, helpless.

But he also knew that he couldn't indulge any longer. This wasn't the place for intimacy. So he circulated the spiritual energy from the Five Elements Pill, drew his Water Cloud Sword, and slashed at the fleshy wall beside them.

Once, twice, thrice—

The fleshy wall finally split open, revealing a sliver of daylight. Xiao Mian poured all his spiritual energy into the sword and stabbed it towards the spot where the light peeked through—

With a muffled tearing sound, they saw a scene of rocks and a flowing stream. Without hesitation, Xiao Mian swept his sword horizontally, grabbed Leng Mushi, and dashed outside.

They landed on a rock, not letting their guard down. They quickly turned around and formed a defensive formation, ready to face the enormous beast that had trapped them, its fleshy walls as thick as mountains and its regenerative abilities astonishing.

But when they turned around, they saw nothing!

"Eh…?"

Leng Mushi let out a surprised sound. Xiao Mian's eyes narrowed, but the next moment, Leng Mushi shouted, "Over there, on the wall, it's moving, the light and shadow are different!"

Xiao Mian raised his sword and was about to approach, but he stopped after a few steps. He turned to Leng Mushi and said, "It's a Shade Demon. It's already gone."

Shade Demon?

Leng Mushi knew about Shade Demons. They had no attack power whatsoever, not even sentience.

They were simply condensed demonic energy, clinging to any surface, surviving by stealthily devouring living creatures. They were extremely timid. Once discovered, even ordinary humans could chase them away with sticks…

"So we were swallowed by a Shade Demon?" Leng Mushi looked around. Xiao Mian couldn't help but chuckle. "It probably didn't mean to swallow us. We just happened to jump into its mouth."

"But that Shade Demon was too big. It must have eaten a lot of living creatures." Leng Mushi also smiled a little. "I've never heard of anyone being swallowed by a Shade Demon before."

After all, those timid and gentle creatures would give up on anything that struggled, let alone cultivators. Even ordinary people wouldn't be eaten by them.

They looked around and confirmed that this was an unfamiliar valley, surrounded by strange rocks and lush trees, with a clear stream flowing nearby. It was definitely no longer the place where they had fallen off the cliff.

"Where did it take us?" Leng Mushi muttered.

Xiao Mian shook his head. "I don't know, but the spiritual energy here is very strong, and I haven't sensed any danger. There's no sign of demonic beasts, and the birds are all ordinary birds."

They walked for a long time, reaching the water's edge. The midday sun shone warmly on them. They were certain that there was no danger here. This was just a secluded valley somewhere, with no sign of formations. They had actually been carried out of the Demon Realm by a Shade Demon.

This place was a paradise, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, but no signs of human life. However, as they walked through a forest, they discovered many spiritual plants.

The stream was crystal clear, and the fish, brimming with spiritual energy, swam leisurely, unafraid of humans. This place was truly a hidden paradise.

For the time being, they were in no hurry to find a way out. They ran around the valley, their spiritual energy fully recovered. Leng Mushi took out her cauldron, lit a fire, and roasted the fish they had caught until they were crispy and fragrant. They each had one, holding it with leaves, and ate by the stream with satisfied expressions.

"Ah, I'm alive again." Leng Mushi had just finished washing up, her hair still wet. She didn't bother drying it, letting it air dry as she ate, getting some ash on her cheek.

In contrast, Xiao Mian was much cleaner and neater, as refined as he was back in the Tai Chu Realm.

They had both changed into clean robes and washed up. Now, with roasted fish to eat, they were like two hungry ghosts who had escaped from hell, putting on human skin and eating their fill.

As they ate, Xiao Mian kept flipping the fish over, carefully removing the bones for Leng Mushi before handing them to her. He didn't eat much himself, afraid that Leng Mushi wouldn't have enough.

Leng Mushi leaned against his shoulder, taking a bite of fish and a sip of clear spring water. She dipped her bare feet into the warm sand by the stream, feeling that even immortality couldn't be better than this.

"Brother, the meat here is so tender, try it." Leng Mushi picked up a piece of white meat from the fish belly and held it to Xiao Mian's lips.

Xiao Mian opened his mouth and ate it. Then, he raised his hand, scooped up some water from the stream, and gently rubbed it on Leng Mushi's cheek, wiping away the ash.

His eyes were brighter than the sunlight reflecting off the water, filled with a sweetness that made Leng Mushi's heart melt.

She paused in her eating, then pouted at Xiao Mian and said, "The fish is a bit bland, let me taste some honey."

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