After the Villainess Awakens

Leng Mushi found herself completely unable to move. Xiao Mian, as if he had been stunned silly by her bite, also remained motionless.

One leg of the mounting block was slightly off the ground, and the two of them were standing on the other leg, precariously maintaining their balance.

"Ah, ah…" Leng Mushi suddenly felt the influx of spiritual energy. Her whole body was immobilized, and her mouth wouldn't open. At least she could still make sounds from her throat.

She urged Xiao Mian to move, but he was like a statue, frozen in place. Not only did he not move for a long time, but Leng Mushi also saw the skin on his neck and ears turn visibly red.

He must be so angry he's speechless, she thought.

Leng Mushi braced herself for the impact. When Xiao Mian came to his senses, he would definitely throw her off. She couldn't turn her head, but from the quick glance she had taken earlier, she remembered that there was a railing behind her, and below the railing was a small flower bed.

Autumn had arrived, and the flowers had withered, leaving only flower stalks with a few wilting leaves. The flower stalks in this season were very hard, almost as hard as tree branches. Falling in wouldn't kill her, but it would hurt.

Fate was so cruel to her. Leng Mushi couldn't even close her eyes, which were already sore and tearing up.

However, contrary to her expectations, Xiao Mian did not throw her down. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice low and close to her ear, "You have absorbed spiritual energy and can't move for a while. I need to tie your spirit-gathering pouch first to prevent the spiritual energy from dissipating. Then I'll hold you and jump down, so the mounting block won't flip over."

Leng Mushi made a few sounds, urging him to hurry up. Not only were her tears flowing freely now, but her drool was also about to escape her lips.

Xiao Mian said, "Excuse me."

Then he completely pressed Leng Mushi's head into the crook of his neck, his own head tilted to hold her steady. Only then did he raise his hand to tie the spirit-gathering pouch.

Leng Mushi's mouth was pressed against Xiao Mian's neck. The saliva that she was already struggling to swallow flowed directly down the corner of her mouth.

Xiao Mian's head rested on the back of her neck, holding her head in place. In this intimate position, Leng Mushi felt her drool trickling down her chin.

Midway, Xiao Mian shifted his posture. Leng Mushi briefly lifted her head and saw her own saliva flowing down Xiao Mian's neck, slowly and stickily, into his spotlessly clean collar.

Even though Leng Mushi had never been one to care about appearances, she couldn't help but blush.

She must have looked like a hungry ghost, drooling over a delicious meal.

And the Law and Pink Lotus chose this moment to add fuel to the fire.

Pink Lotus: This is the first time I've seen a girl drool over a man.

Law: He'll definitely remember you this time.

Leng Mushi's eyes welled up with tears. I don't want to be remembered like this, it's too embarrassing! she thought.

At this moment, Xiao Mian finally tied the spirit-gathering pouch. He held Leng Mushi and leaped gracefully from the mounting block, landing on the corridor.

The mounting block clattered as it regained its balance. Leng Mushi was still unable to move, leaning against Xiao Mian, but at least she could blink now, and her eyes weren't bloodshot from crying.

Xiao Mian finally reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away.

But this process of separation made Leng Mushi feel even more ashamed than if she had just suffocated while leaning against him.

As Xiao Mian pushed her upright, her saliva stretched into a long, silvery strand.

Leng Mushi: …

Pink Lotus: How exciting!

The Law let out an unreadable "Hmm."

And Xiao Mian, as if things couldn't get any worse, looked down. Leng Mushi felt her entire body burning like a charcoal briquette.

She watched Xiao Mian's expression, wary of him lashing out in anger.

However, Xiao Mian only froze for a moment before taking out a pure white handkerchief from his sleeve with his slender fingers.

Leng Mushi was slowly regaining her senses. She blinked rapidly, trying to close her mouth, but her saliva only flowed more freely.

Mother, save me!

Leng Mushi really wanted to cry, but her tongue was still stiff, and she couldn't speak.

She leaned against a pillar on the corridor, standing like a wooden puppet. Xiao Mian stood less than an arm's length away from her, tilting his head slightly as he held the handkerchief. He used one hand to hook his slightly damp collar and the other to wipe his neck.

He wiped slowly, carefully pushing the pure white handkerchief deep into his collar, then slowly pulling it out.

His dark eyes watched Leng Mushi as he wiped, and the emotions swirling within them were unclear to her. She automatically concluded that he was probably considering how to explain killing her to his master.

She felt a little afraid to meet his gaze, mainly out of shame. The fact that she had no control over her own body was terrifying.

After wiping his neck, Xiao Mian folded the handkerchief with his elegant fingers and used it to wipe Leng Mushi's drool-covered mouth.

Leng Mushi: …Even though the drool on his neck… was also hers, why not use a different spot!

Leng Mushi stared at him, trying to convey her message, but Xiao Mian had already pressed the handkerchief, which had just wiped his neck, to the corner of her mouth. As if that wasn't enough, he extended a finger, supporting her jaw and manually closing her mouth.

With her mouth wiped clean, Xiao Mian folded the handkerchief again and tucked it into his arms.

Leng Mushi's face was flushed: This male lead has a problem!

Pink Lotus: Ahhh, I want this immortal! He's so gentle!

Leng Mushi couldn't speak, but this was definitely not okay. The Law shattered Pink Lotus's fantasy: Don't even dream about it. Given time, he could crush you with his bare hands.

Pink Lotus was still going "Ahhh." Leng Mushi's mind was a boiling pot of mush. Xiao Mian said something, but she only saw his lips moving without understanding a word…

"Huh?" Her tongue finally loosened a bit, and she let out a confused syllable.

Xiao Mian patiently repeated himself, "There's one more spirit-gathering pouch. I need you to hold onto it. I'll help you up, and you just need to hold it steady for me."

Leng Mushi mumbled a string of incoherent words. She didn't even know what she was saying, but the gist of it was: Are you human? I'm like this, and you still want me to help you? Go find your Tianyin! Are you doing this on purpose?!

Xiao Mian couldn't understand her mumbling, nor did he try to read her expression. He moved both Leng Mushi and the mounting block under the next spirit-gathering pouch. Then, he held her and lifted her onto the block. Standing behind her, he half-circled her with his arms, manipulating her like a puppet to make her grab the mouth of the pouch.

Leng Mushi: …This bastard is definitely doing this on purpose!

Her arms ached from being held up, but she couldn't let go because Xiao Mian was channeling spiritual energy.

After a long while, Xiao Mian's spiritual energy flow became intermittent. Leng Mushi couldn't help but ask with a slurred tongue, "What's going on? Why is this one so slow?"

Xiao Mian glanced at her, but didn't answer. He had drawn the spirit-gathering talisman incorrectly several times. If his senior brothers saw this, their jaws would drop. He had mastered this talisman on the second day after entering the sect.

Of course, Leng Mushi couldn't tell the difference. She didn't understand immortal arts yet.

Finally, it was done. Leng Mushi dropped her arms and shook them vigorously, hissing from the soreness. Xiao Mian landed steadily on the ground, carrying the mounting block with one hand as they went to return it to the shopkeeper.

He walked ahead, and Leng Mushi followed behind. After the initial awkwardness had passed, Leng Mushi didn't care anymore.

She even had the mood to whisper to the Law, "He must be so annoyed with me. This is considered a success, right?"

The Law pondered for a moment and said: Ah, judging by his behavior, you've basically succeeded.

You've successfully captured his full attention.

Pink Lotus was still chirping: I don't understand what you're talking about! You have secrets. Why can't I have this fresh and juicy immortal?

Leng Mushi and the Law couldn't explain their situation to Pink Lotus, so they fell behind a few steps and quickly said, "Of course, you can't have him. He's a heartless man. I've already cursed him. Have you forgotten? Besides, he's not good in that department."

Pink Lotus: Huh? All looks and no substance?

Leng Mushi: "That's right, I've tried it, so don't even think about it." This is her sister's man.

Leng Mushi had hit Pink Lotus's weakness. With the mention of Xiao Mian's shortcomings, Pink Lotus immediately fell silent.

The Law spoke coldly: Hehe.

Leng Mushi had finally managed to pacify the two troublesome entities when the "not good in that department" immortal spoke again.

Xiao Mian slowed his pace and asked casually, "Were you serious last night when you asked Elder Qu Yang if he had a Dao companion? Are you looking for a powerful cultivator?"

Xiao Mian stopped and looked at her, his expression serious as he spoke with a hint of guidance, "There are no shortcuts in cultivation. If you take the wrong path, you might become someone else's furnace, your spiritual roots slowly drained, your cultivation stagnant, and even your soul will…"

Leng Mushi made a questioning sound and quickly waved her hand to interrupt him, "Alright, alright, I get it. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious and asking casually."

Of course, she knew there were no shortcuts in cultivation, but she also knew that finding a powerful cultivator wasn't as scary as he made it sound. Would a powerful cultivator even look at her messy spiritual roots?

The male lead's wariness and victim complex were truly severe.

Hearing her say it was just a casual question, Xiao Mian's grip on the mounting block relaxed slightly. He lowered his voice and said, "Never joke about such things again. Fortunately, Immortal Qu Yang is magnanimous and didn't take offense. Otherwise, he could have injured your internal organs in anger, and you would never be able to enter the immortal sect."

Leng Mushi: …

"You…" Xiao Mian was about to say something else, but he closed his mouth and swallowed his words when he saw Leng Mushi's speechless expression.

Then, he straightened his back, quickened his pace, and walked ahead of her. He returned the mounting block to the shopkeeper upon entering the main hall.

Leng Mushi trailed behind him, confused. She wanted to ask the Law if the male lead had some hidden hobby of lecturing people.

After the group finished their meal, they continued on their journey. Leng Mushi continued to chat with Yi Tu, mentioning the incident where she couldn't move after absorbing spiritual energy. Yi Tu said in surprise, "My junior brother actually made a mistake?"

Yi Tu continued, "That's really strange. He's the youngest among us, but he's always been the most stable when it comes to drawing talismans. He can draw any intricate talisman formation, which is why Master always uses him as an example to lecture us."

Leng Mushi laughed, thinking that the male and female leads were truly a match made in heaven. Even the way they were used as examples to lecture others was so similar. Soulmates indeed.

She rolled her eyes discreetly and changed the subject. If they continued talking about this, they would inevitably end up discussing the embarrassing incident of her drooling all over Xiao Mian.

As dusk approached, the group finally arrived at the disciple residence at the foot of Mount Tai Chu. This was a place for disciples of Mount Tai Chu to rest if they couldn't make it back up the mountain before the grand formation closed, or if they had unfinished business down the mountain.

Every day at sunset, Mount Tai Chu's grand formation would automatically activate, preventing anyone from entering after sunset to guard against demons and evils sneaking in.

They arrived at an unfortunate time, just as the grand formation was closing. It was impossible to pass through the activating formation, so they had to spend the night at the disciple residence.

Leng Mushi and Leng Tianyin got out of the carriage. The disciples at the residence took care of the carriage and horses. It was sunset, and the grand formation was slowly closing.

Against the backdrop of the crimson sky, golden runes floated in the air around the towering, cloud-piercing peaks. They resembled dragons dancing in the sky, magnificent and awe-inspiring.

This is the immortal sect. Leng Mushi raised her head, and a surge of hope welled up in her heart. She would cultivate in these mountains from now on. She would have a new life, a new future…

But every time she looked forward to a bright future, reality would slap her back to her senses.

The Law stone grew warm, indicating an incoming plot point she needed to participate in.

Xiao Mian, that troublesome guy, couldn't he just stay put for a while?!

Could it be that Leng Tianyin was up to something again?

Didn't she complain about being exhausted from the carriage ride all day and wanting to go to bed early?

She reluctantly walked against the breathtaking sunset, searching for Xiao Mian. Before she could even leave the courtyard, she saw a beautiful female cultivator in disciple robes standing in front of Xiao Mian, a lunchbox in her hand. It wasn't Leng Tianyin.

Forced to follow the plot, Leng Mushi recalled what the Law had told her. Once they reached Mount Tai Chu, there would be many admirers flocking to the male lead, and she needed to help clear them out.

They hadn't even officially entered Mount Tai Chu yet, and the male lead was already attracting bees and butterflies. Couldn't he let her rest for one night before causing trouble again? She was exhausted from the long journey!

As she approached them, Leng Mushi pulled off her headscarf, revealing her scar. She planned to scare the female cultivator away with her looks.

Getting closer, she overheard their conversation.

"Senior Brother Xiao, this is Crimson Fire Beast meat." The female cultivator looked shy. Up close, she had a baby face, very cute.

She gazed at Xiao Mian with shyness, her fingers practically wringing the handle of the lunchbox, "Senior Brother Xiao, this is the jerky I made myself. Please accept it. I've been wanting to thank you for saving me in the Qing Yang Secret Realm last time…"

"I think you want to repay me by offering yourself." Leng Mushi played the part of the vicious supporting female character with ease. Her posture was unrestrained, her tone sour, perfectly capturing the essence of a hateful character from a storybook.

She interrupted their conversation, walked to Xiao Mian's side, and wrapped her arms around his, as if declaring him as her possession. She rubbed her head against his arm and said, "If you want to offer yourself, you'll have to get in line."

Author's Note:

Leng Mushi: Up, up, up! You always make me go up! When will the male lead let me be on top?! (incoherent)

Xiao Mian: …Which day?

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