After the Villainess Awakens

Leng Mushi went to bed early, but Xiao Mian stayed up all night, sitting upright on his bed with a serious frown, cultivating diligently.

Early in the morning, Yi Tu and Xing Zhou, the two senior disciples, saw their little junior brother working so hard that they felt a sense of guilt and a looming crisis.

Their little junior brother was so talented and hardworking, they could no longer be so lazy. No more sleeping at night! They had to cultivate!

However, they had to return to the Tai Chu Sect today, and it would be a long journey. They were to bring the two Leng ladies back to report to their master and see how he would arrange for them to enter the sect.

This place was at the foot of the Tai Chu Sect mountain, naturally the most peaceful place. Yi Tu rode his horse alongside Leng Mushi’s carriage. The two talkative individuals had just gone through a life-or-death experience, and their conversation flowed naturally.

Leng Mushi was an excellent listener. No matter what she heard, she would show a curious and surprised expression, greatly easing Yi Tu's usual sorrow of talking to Xing Zhou like he was talking to a wooden post.

Thus, one leaned out of the carriage window while the other simply tied his horse's reins to the side of the carriage. They chatted all morning and stopped for lunch in a town. Even while eating at the restaurant, they were still chatting and laughing.

"The doors are never locked at night?" Leng Mushi asked in surprise. "Then the foot of the Tai Chu Sect mountain is truly a paradise."

"That's right. Almost every household here has a spirit lamp that burns eternally, keeping evil spirits at bay," Yi Tu said. "They are all made by the disciples of the Tai Chu Sect."

He spoke with a hint of pride. At this moment, the restaurant owner personally brought over a plate of cold dishes and placed it on the table. "Please enjoy, esteemed immortals. This is a gift from our restaurant! Indeed, in recent years, the peace in this area has been thanks to the Tai Chu Sect, especially for businesses like ours. It just so happens that the two spirit lamps in my backyard are about to run out of spiritual energy. I wonder if any of the esteemed immortals could help me refill them with spiritual energy?"

As the owner spoke, his gaze swept over the only two women in the group.

Compared to male immortals, female immortals were naturally more likable. However, the owner's gaze lingered on Leng Mushi for a moment before finally landing on the most beautiful one, Leng Tianyin. Even though she wasn't wearing the Tai Chu Sect disciple uniform, she still possessed the most ethereal aura.

As expected of the female protagonist, she was popular wherever she went.

Leng Mushi wore a headscarf that diagonally covered half of her face, just enough to hide the unsightly scar. But even so, she and Leng Tianyin were two completely different types.

She had a pair of alluring fox eyes, rosy lips, a delicate nose, and a cold, aloof expression when her eyes were downcast. But when she looked up at someone, her eyes held a hint of mischief. Compared to Leng Tianyin's ethereal beauty and natural aloofness, Leng Tianyin indeed looked more like an immortal, while Leng Mushi's somewhat seductive appearance was less appealing.

Speaking of which, Leng Mushi herself didn't like her looks. She didn't resemble her mother, who had gentle features, but instead looked very much like her frivolous and lowly father.

However, Leng Mushi had never felt inferior because of her appearance. After all, her fingers and figure resembled her mother's. The servants had said that when she and her mother stood together wearing the same colored clothes, it was hard to tell them apart.

This was the best inheritance for her.

Therefore, Leng Mushi also looked at Leng Tianyin with amusement. This wasn't surprising, after all, Leng Tianyin was the darling of the heavens. Moreover, Leng Mushi noticed that the male protagonist, Xiao Mian, who was sitting opposite her, slightly frowned because the owner's gaze lingered on Leng Tianyin.

Oh, he couldn't even bear to see her being looked at? What strong possessiveness.

Leng Tianyin realized the owner was talking to her and subconsciously shook her head. She put down her chopsticks and was about to say that she wasn't an immortal yet and hadn't entered the sect. However, Xiao Mian, who was sitting opposite her, stood up and said, "Owner, I'm done eating. I'll do it."

Since Xiao Mian had spoken, the owner naturally couldn't trouble the female immortal. He smiled gently and said, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you."

Xiao Mian nodded indifferently. He hadn't been obvious when he was sitting with his back to the owner, but when he stood up, he was a whole head taller than the owner, who looked to be in his forties. With his cold expression, he exuded an imposing aura.

The owner met his gaze and realized that this immortal was even better looking than that female immortal. However, no matter how good-looking he was, he was still a man, and he wasn't interested in men.

Moreover, Xiao Mian's aura was too strong for him, a mere mortal. The owner's smile faded a little, and he mirrored Xiao Mian's cold and serious expression. He bowed and raised his hand to lead Xiao Mian to the backyard.

"Then please follow me, esteemed immortal," the owner said with a hint of flattery.

"The spirit pouch needs someone to hold it steady. It's a bit troublesome for one person to channel spiritual energy," Yi Tu said as he ate, swallowing the food in his mouth. "Xing Zhou, go help your junior brother when you're done eating."

Xing Zhou hadn't finished eating, but Leng Tianyin had. She looked at Yi Tu somewhat embarrassedly and asked softly, "Can I help Brother Xiao? Do I need to know immortal arts to hold the spirit pouch?"

She had been a burden along the way, and she wanted to help. Moreover, her attitude was very good, and no one would dislike such a girl.

Yi Tu smiled. "You just need to hold the spirit pouch steady, no immortal arts required. But if you don't plan to cultivate, it's best not to touch the spirit pouch, as it might absorb your life force. That's why the owner can't do it. If Miss Leng wants to see, you're certainly welcome to."

After all, the two Leng ladies were here to join the sect. The Tai Chu Sect was a place with abundant spiritual energy. Mount Tai Chu was directly located on a spiritual vein. Even if they lost a little bit of their life force, they would recover quickly once they were on the mountain.

Leng Mushi ate her porridge and side dishes, watching Xiao Mian stepping up for Leng Tianyin. She curled her lip and sighed inwardly. This was truly a display of love, so sickeningly sweet.

Unexpectedly, Leng Tianyin had already stood up. The law, which had been clinging to her, suddenly became hot.

Leng Mushi's hand holding the chopsticks stiffened. The stone grew hotter, which meant it wanted her to go.

The incident with the skin-changing demon gave Leng Mushi hope that she could change her fate. At that moment, she thought she had grasped her own destiny and gotten rid of everything. The premature awakening of her five spiritual roots was proof of this.

But at this moment, she annoyingly realized it wasn't over yet!

She had to keep working at it!

Leng Mushi could defy the law and endure the pain of soul-scorching in order to survive without stepping on the lives of others, but she wouldn't torture herself over this trivial matter.

Fine, she'd go!

Leng Mushi finished her bowl of porridge in one gulp, wiped her mouth with a cloth, and grabbed Leng Tianyin's wrist as she was about to follow Xiao Mian.

"You sit down and eat. I'll go," Leng Mushi said as she stood up.

Yi Tu nodded. "Nianci, it's better for you to go than for Miss Leng." After all, Leng Mushi had already embarked on the path of cultivation.

Xiao Mian glanced at Leng Mushi and pursed his lips slightly. Leng Mushi happened to catch this small movement and thought to herself, "Sorry, buddy, but life is like this. Sometimes you have to step up. As the saying goes, 'It's better to let a friend die than to lose one's own virtue.' Amitabha, she didn't want to be in pain.

She turned around and looked back. Oh my, Leng Tianyin's eyes were filled with tears because she had suddenly volunteered to go. She looked like a child whose beloved toy had been snatched away, utterly heartbroken.

…

This was great!

As the stick that broke up the lovebirds, Leng Mushi felt a surge of evil joy rising within her. This kind of happiness was hard to describe, just like the feeling of slurping on a candied hawthorn in front of a child whose mother wouldn't buy them one, and then smacking her lips.

The happiness of an adult was just that simple.

Thus, forced became voluntary. She squinted at Xiao Mian, baring her teeth in a smile, and mimicked Leng Tianyin's delicate voice, "Brother Xiao, I haven't seen a spirit lamp before. Let me help you."

Xiao Mian's lips pursed even tighter, and he gave a faint "Hmm." To Leng Mushi, this sound was filled with reluctance and unwillingness.

Leng Mushi cheerfully followed behind him, heading towards the backyard with the owner.

After Leng Mushi left, tears welled up in Leng Tianyin's watery eyes and tragically rolled down her cheeks. She called for the waiter to bring her another bowl of porridge. As she ate, she continued to sob uncontrollably.

Yi Tu and Xing Zhou exchanged glances, their eyes conveying their guesses. Could this be the cliché scene from those romance novels where two sisters inevitably fight over a man?

Seeing Leng Tianyin crying while eating was too pitiful. Yi Tu cleared his throat and racked his brain, trying to comfort her. "Miss Leng, perhaps your sister didn't mean it."

"She did it on purpose!" Leng Tianyin, who had been crying her heart out, suddenly became agitated. "Of course she did it on purpose. You don't know her!"

Yi Tu and Xing Zhou were immediately caught in a dilemma.

Leng Tianyin continued, "She was afraid that I would lose my life force, that's why she went."

It was as if the porridge Leng Tianyin drank had transformed into tears. Plump and crystal-clear tears streamed down her watery eyes, falling into the porridge she was drinking. She then drank them down with her sobs, creating a vicious cycle.

Leng Tianyin choked back her sobs and said, "When we were in the mouth of that demon, she protected me like this too. And on the day our family was attacked, if she hadn't called me away, I would have been dead…"

Yi Tu and Xing Zhou's expressions were quite interesting. But then they looked at each other and smiled. As expected, they had been influenced by those romance novels. When they were in the demon's mouth, Nianci did indeed save her younger sister first. They had all seen it with their own eyes. The sisters had a deep bond.

"Then you should eat slowly and don't choke," Yi Tu said as he handed Leng Tianyin a cloth. "Your sister has already embarked on the path of cultivation. Holding the spirit pouch won't drain her life force…"

Indeed, it wouldn't. Because Leng Mushi was standing on a wooden stool that the owner had brought over, with Xiao Mian standing on the other side.

She held an unattractive, slightly dirty little cloth bag, feeling nothing at all. She looked boredly at the withering flowers and plants in the backyard as autumn approached, and at Xiao Mian, who was drawing talismans and channeling spiritual energy not far from her.

Back in the pink lotus's mouth, she hadn't had the chance to carefully observe the immortal arts used by the three immortals. Now, watching him face-to-face, she saw Xiao Mian's fingers moving rapidly in the air. Wherever his fingers passed, a trail of golden runes, dazzling even under the sunlight, were left behind.

So this was immortal sect magic.

Leng Mushi suddenly felt a sense of reality about this kind of magic. Thinking that she would be able to put on a straight face, pretend to be solemn, and then smoothly draw out such runes to bluff people, she couldn't help but feel happy.

After getting rid of the plot, she would also be an immortal!

Although no one in this world had truly ascended to immortality in tens of thousands of years, if one cultivated to the extreme, one could still live for thousands of years. One could even seal their soul before death and slowly nurture it, hoping to be reborn when the opportunity arose and achieve true immortality.

Thinking about it this way, the future was bright.

-- Hold him.

Leng Mushi was lost in her pleasant thoughts when the law suddenly spoke.

As soon as it spoke, the pink lotus also spoke: Why?

No one but Leng Mushi could hear them, and they started chattering again.

Leng Mushi couldn't help but scold, "Stop it, both of you!"

Xiao Mian, who was drawing talismans and channeling spiritual energy, trembled slightly, and a surge of spiritual energy went astray, heading straight for Leng Mushi's forehead.

It wasn't a big deal to have spiritual energy enter one's body, but for those who had never experienced it before, they wouldn't be able to move for a while the first time.

Xiao Mian quickly reached out to intercept the spiritual energy, but he forgot that they were standing on a wooden stool.

The wooden stool relied on two legs for balance. With the weight on one side suddenly gone, it naturally tilted to the other side.

Leng Mushi fell backwards. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Just as her backside was about to hit the ground, Xiao Mian, who had reacted in time, swiftly grabbed her and pulled her back.

However, he had to pull Leng Mushi with one hand, balance the weight of the stool with the other, and hold the mouth of the spirit pouch to prevent the spiritual energy from escaping. He couldn't take care of everything at once.

A soft "thump" of bodies colliding.

Leng Mushi, who had lost all sensation in her body, crashed into Xiao Mian's arms. Her head was buried in his neck, and her lips, slightly parted in surprise from the fall, were now pressed against the side of his neck.

Leng Mushi: "…"

Xiao Mian: "…"

The Law: "…" The plot is back on track.

Pink Lotus: "Oh, he's teaching you how to seduce the male lead. This is a good move. I've learned it."

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