After the Villainess Awakens

They had been on the road for so long that even the horses were tired. They finally arrived at a town after nightfall.

Leng Mushi saw Fenghuang again, and the situation was very different from before. Fenghuang had become a great demon this time, not by devouring the enemies who had destroyed her family, but because Leng Mushi had found a demon core for her, allowing her to achieve the body of a great demon. Leng Mushi also took the opportunity to sign a mount contract with her.

Therefore, Fenghuang was now ordered to wait here, at the same Huapi Inn that had received them yesterday.

Leng Mushi and Xiao Mian entered the inn and glanced at the innkeeper, whose eyebrows and nose were not well-painted but still tried to look kind. Leng Mushi lowered her head and rubbed her eyebrows, somewhat amused.

This time, she didn't point out the strangeness, and no one else noticed anything unusual. They stayed comfortably for the night. The next day, when they were on their way, they met Fenghuang, who was also preparing to go to Tai Chu Sect to become a disciple. Tai Chu Sect had always been a place that didn't discriminate against demon cultivators; the Third Elder himself was a peacock.

Thus, the number of people traveling together became six. They arrived smoothly at the town at the foot of Tai Chu Mountain. Because they arrived after sunset, they were blocked by the Great Barrier of Living Beings and had to stay in the town.

This town was still as prosperous as a mortal capital, peaceful and joyful, with shops open at night. After Leng Mushi settled Leng Tianyin in for the night, she knocked on Xiao Mian's door and invited him to go shopping.

"I want to meditate. Mundane things cannot be brought into the inner sect of Tai Chu. After you become a disciple, you will be given disciple robes and daily necessities. There's no need to buy anything."

Xiao Mian had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Leng Mushi along the way. At this moment, he only opened the door a crack and righteously rejected Leng Mushi.

Leng Mushi smiled and stuck her foot in the crack of the door to prevent Xiao Mian from closing it. She said, "But I lost my favorite hairpin. I dropped it in the woods."

Leng Mushi continued, "Mundane things cannot be brought into the inner sect, but it's fine for the outer sect. With my qualifications, I definitely won't be able to enter the inner sect. I'm just here to accompany my sister. It doesn't matter to me whether I enter or not."

Those who came to become disciples all yearned to enter the inner sect. Even if they were temporarily in the outer sect due to their spiritual roots and state of mind, they would still cultivate diligently and try various unorthodox methods, all for the purpose of entering the inner sect.

Leng Mushi actually said that it didn't matter whether she entered the inner sect or not. Xiao Mian couldn't help but think of the young master who had chased after her carriage with his servants after she left home.

That young master liked her so much. It seemed that it really didn't matter if she didn't enter the inner sect. She could just return home, where a good marriage awaited her…

And so, Xiao Mian followed Leng Mushi out to go shopping.

While strolling, he wondered why he had come out. He watched as Leng Mushi looked at things at the night market stalls, as lively as a restless little fox.

From time to time, she would turn her head and smile at him, her eyebrows curved, asking him if he liked something or if it looked good.

Xiao Mian kept a straight face the entire time, convincing himself that he was worried about Leng Mushi's safety and had to bring her back to the sect safely according to his master's instructions. Everything was for the mission.

That was it, yes.

The two of them happily strolled through the night market. In the end, Xiao Mian's expression softened, and he followed Leng Mushi as she looked at each stall.

He hadn't cared about these mundane objects for many years, but now, looking at the many ingenious little locks, he actually found them quite interesting.

Finally, under Leng Mushi's coquettish assault of clinging to his arm, Xiao Mian blushed and bought her a lantern.

It was shaped like an astronomical plate used by the Derivation Sect. Xiao Mian had bought her one in his previous life, but Leng Mushi had burned it after not long.

This time, she happily carried the lantern and returned with Xiao Mian. Looking at the candlelight flickering inside the lantern, Xiao Mian felt as if his eyes were being burned. He quickly returned to his room and spent the entire night meditating, unable to sleep.

He felt like he was possessed.

The next day, after the Great Barrier of Living Beings at Cangsheng Courtyard opened, they returned to the sect. Leng Mushi and the others were assigned to Fei He Courtyard, just like last time.

However, this time, Leng Mushi and Leng Tianyin shared a room. She had also brought Fenghuang along, making it a triple room for the three of them.

Of course, Fenghuang was brought in to serve Leng Tianyin.

At night, after Leng Tianyin fell asleep, Leng Mushi dressed up and prepared to intercept Xiao Mian on his way back from teaching evening classes to the disciples.

Naturally, disciples were not allowed to leave Fei He Courtyard at night, but there was nothing in this world that could stop Leng Mushi.

Watching her admire herself in the mirror for a while, Fenghuang couldn't help but say, "You're going after Xiao Mian, aren't you?"

"Yes," Leng Mushi replied, hanging the last white jade pendant around her neck. It accentuated her slender neck. With her collar slightly open, one could catch a glimpse of the alluring scenery within. This was not the uniform of a prospective disciple of Fei He Courtyard but a set of mortal women's clothing that Leng Mushi had brought with her.

Fenghuang didn't know what to say and just kept clicking her tongue. Leng Mushi had already helped her regain her previous memories. This time, her purpose in coming up the mountain was clear: to become a disciple of the Third Elder, to be Xiao Mei's junior sister, to be by his side, and to be a proper cultivator.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"

"Why are you doing this, a Heavenly Monarch? Sooner or later, he will like you anyway. Why don't you try to become a disciple of the Second Elder this time?"

Leng Mushi moistened her fingers and smoothed her two strands of hair at her temples. She turned her head and gave Fenghuang a strange look. "Why would I become her disciple? A few years ago, I stopped her from prying into the future, which would have led to her descent into madness. That's why her soul is still intact today. She doesn't need to rely on Xuan Zhu to live anymore. She spends all day with Xuan Zhu, ambiguous, clingy, lovey-dovey. What am I going to do at Cangsheng Courtyard, stirring things up?"

"Besides, learn alchemy from her?" Leng Mushi chuckled. "I could refine her instead."

Fenghuang moved her lips but didn't say anything. She was usually sharp-tongued but couldn't express her feelings at this moment.

Even now, she found it difficult to see Leng Mushi as a Heavenly Monarch.

Who would have thought that the incarnation of a Heavenly Monarch was not as imagined, a peerlessly talented individual with unparalleled beauty.

In the minds of many, the incarnation of a Heavenly Monarch should be an aloof and noble immortal, concerned with the world and bearing great virtue.

That seemed to be in line with the logic of those storybooks.

But Fenghuang couldn't say why it was wrong. After all, why couldn't a Heavenly Monarch be a young woman troubled by love? Why couldn't they be someone with both good and bad qualities, even someone who wasn't purely good… a human?

Fenghuang rarely engaged in deep thought, but before she could come up with any profound truths, Leng Mushi had quietly disappeared into the night.

Sitting by the window, Fenghuang looked over Fei He Courtyard at the night view of Tai Chu Mountain and felt that there was nothing wrong with a Heavenly Monarch like Leng Mushi.

After all, she had given everyone, including herself, a chance to choose again. She still loved her people and she also loved Xiao Mian, one of those people.

Fenghuang didn't have Leng Mushi's ability to conceal herself in the night and blend in with the world. Therefore, even though she couldn't wait to see Xiao Mei at this moment, she couldn't take half a step out of Fei He Courtyard, or she would trigger the restrictions.

She muttered in dissatisfaction, "It's useless being the mount of a Heavenly Monarch," and went to sleep.

By this time, Leng Mushi was already waiting on the stone steps that Xiao Mian had to pass through, dressed to the nines. She had taken some food from Five Grains Hall and was holding the food box, waiting for Xiao Mian.

After the disciples dispersed, Xiao Mian always returned to the disciples' courtyard alone. This was convenient for Leng Mushi; otherwise, she would have had to knock out the disciples who were with Xiao Mian.

"Xiao Gege." Seeing that there was no one on the long steps, Leng Mushi suddenly jumped out holding the food box, startling Xiao Mian.

Xiao Mian swore that he hadn't noticed anything unusual before. Although his cultivation wasn't very high, he wasn't so inept that he couldn't even sense someone standing in the shadows. He was truly startled.

Therefore, before he could see Leng Mushi clearly, the Shuiyun Sword was unsheathed with a clang, pointing directly at her face.

Leng Mushi didn't dodge or flinch, her face still carrying a joyful smile. "I brought you some food. You must be hungry after teaching until so late!"

Xiao Mian quickly sheathed the Shuiyun Sword, his face serious as he sternly questioned, "How did you get out of Fei He Courtyard? Prospective disciples are not allowed to leave Fei He Courtyard! Who let you out?"

Leng Mushi shrank her neck from being yelled at, her small face turning pale. Then, as if she had tears stored in her eyes, they streamed down.

Biting her lip, she said, "Wuu, I… I… I just miss you, want to see you. Why are you so fierce? I'll go back now!"

Then, she turned and ran with the food box. Xiao Mian had already panicked when she started crying. He had never made a girl cry like this before.

So, he subconsciously chased after her. Leng Mushi didn't run fast, tears in her eyes, but a smile on her lips. She was counting in her mind. Before she could count to ten, Xiao Mian grabbed her arm.

After some pulling and tugging, the two of them arrived at a secluded cliff that Leng Mushi had found. It was the place where they had tested medicine together many times in their previous lives.

Xiao Mian regretted coming here with her, but he really couldn't bear to see Leng Mushi cry. When she cried, his heart felt like it was being torn apart.

It wasn't real pain, but he suddenly felt pain there.

So, he had to give in step by step. He should have punished her for leaving Fei He Courtyard without permission, but in the end, he was here with her in this deserted place… having a clandestine meeting.

This was simply… indescribable for Xiao Mian, who had always been law-abiding.

He was pulled down to sit by Leng Mushi and had some snacks stuffed into his mouth before he realized that he was actually hungry. Although he hadn't reached the stage where he didn't need to eat, he didn't need to eat very often. Otherwise, he would have to take Cleansing Pills.

Therefore, he was used to ignoring his hunger, but now, the food Leng Mushi brought had whetted his appetite.

He was only nineteen years old. If this were in the mortal world, it would be the time when a man ate the most. Therefore, after Leng Mushi fed him once, he took the rest of the food and ate it himself.

Leng Mushi was the one who kept talking, asking questions, pretending to be a curious new disciple, asking about this and that. Xiao Mian, having eaten her food, patiently answered.

He even said, "Since Master ordered me to bring you two sisters back to the inner sect, he will naturally take care of you. He might even accept you both as disciples. Don't give up on yourself, and don't risk leaving Fei He Courtyard again. Otherwise, if you are found breaking the sect rules, you won't even be able to be an outer sect disciple."

Leng Mushi sat beside him, a food box between them. She was afraid of scaring Xiao Mian away if she got too close, but talking was fine.

Xiao Mian gave his advice seriously, and Leng Mushi asked seriously, "Then… what should I do when I miss you and want to see you?"

Xiao Mian froze. Leng Mushi pushed the food box aside and grabbed his hand, which was resting lightly on the ground. "Please don't say I have to wait a month for the Immortal Selection Test to see you, Xiao Gege. Can't you see how much I like you? I'll die of hunger in Fei He Courtyard, unable to eat or sleep!"

Xiao Mian's ears burned. He swatted Leng Mushi's hand away as if he had been stung by a bee and stood up, pressing his hand against the ground. He said coldly, "Don't talk nonsense. I'll take you back to Fei He Courtyard now. Tell me who let you out, and don't ever leave without permission again…"

Before he could finish speaking, Leng Mushi had already gotten up from the ground and hugged him from behind. Her arm rubbed against the most sensitive spot on his waist.

Xiao Mian gasped, almost choking himself. The heat on his face surged up, and his scalp tingled from the friction on his waist, making his back itch.

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