Blame the Villain – Chapter 208

Villainous Emperor (8)

Song Xuyi’s ears suddenly turned red.

She thought for a moment about leaving her body behind in Jiang Ruoyu’s arms, with her primordial spirit flying out of her body. She tried her best to look expressionless as she glanced back at Jiang Ruoyu: “Traveling like this is just a waste of time for me. I’ll leave my body with you while I go cultivate. You can wake me up when we arrive.”

Jiang Ruoyu’s dark eyes were originally full of bright amusement, but she was visibly stunned for a moment after hearing Song Xuyi speak, and the amusement in her eyes vanished instantly. She looked deeply at Song Xuyi: “Aren’t you worried that I might harm your body?”

Song Xuyi waved her hand to avoid Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze and turned to disappear: “You’re not mischievous, so of course, I’m not worried—”

After turning around, Song Xuyi let out a silent sigh of relief. She made up her mind to gradually keep a distance from Jiang Ruoyu in the future, not noticing that Jiang Ruoyu behind her had lowered her head, her eyes filled with a deep, dark emotion.

Goddess Sister was indeed right: I have no interest in this body. What I truly want to be close to is Goddess Sister, not this body without the primordial spirit.

Jiang Ruoyu didn’t know what was happening to her, or when it started, but she always wanted to be close to Goddess Sister.

She realized this when she was seven years old. At that time, Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t quite handle the intensity of her training. While learning qinggong (a martial arts technique focused on agility and lightness), she recklessly attempted a tricky yet fastest route, but fell off a wooden post. Although it was a close call without real danger, everyone who saw it was quite shocked.

Even the long-absent Goddess Sister appeared by her bedside that night with a stern face: “Ruoyu, you can’t be so reckless…”

Goddess Sister thought that Jiang Ruoyu was just stunned with fear, but only Jiang Ruoyu herself knew that she was suppressing a guilty yet dark delight at that moment.

In the following years, Jiang Ruoyu kept doing various risky but flawless actions to capture the attention of Goddess Sister—

Jiang Ruoyu always understood that in this world, the things that truly belonged to her were pathetically few. Her life before was like rolling in a pit of mud, sinking deeper and deeper. But ever since she met Goddess Sister, it was like catching a glimpse of heavenly light in the dark night. Her life began to brighten and glow…

She couldn’t help but want to hold onto Goddess Sister and possess this beam of light forever. Yet, she feared that if Goddess Sister glimpsed this mindset, she would disdain her. Feeling ashamed but secretly delighted, Jiang Ruoyu desperately suppressed her desire until she discovered that Goddess Sister seemed unable to perceive her longing…

Jiang Ruoyu sighed in relief, but once she came to her senses, she couldn’t help feeling ashamed of her behavior: How could she shamelessly try to hold onto someone who treated her so well?

However, emotions are not easily restrained. Even though logically she felt she shouldn’t cling to Goddess Sister, Jiang Ruoyu found her actions becoming increasingly uncontrollable—

Surely, she’s noticed something, right?

Jiang Ruoyu lifted her head, her gaze heavy as she looked at the place where Song Xuyi had disappeared, then turned to look at the lifeless body in her arms, gripping the reins tightly—

She thought she should feel panic or guilt, but perhaps the repeated attempts over the years had given her confidence. At that moment, a thought faintly crossed her mind:

If only sister could be like this body, something she could hold in her hands!

Song Xuyi didn’t know how much time had passed when she heard Jiang Ruoyu’s voice by her ear: “Sister, it’s time to wake up!”

Song Xuyi opened her eyes to find herself lying on the bed of an inn, with Jiang Ruoyu standing by the bedside, looking at her with bright, sparkling eyes.

Song Xuyi had already adjusted her mindset and, noticing a hint of unease hidden in Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes, asked directly, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze dimmed, and she shook her head, but a heartfelt thought echoed in Song Xuyi’s ear: “Sister looks so beautiful when she’s asleep!”

Song Xuyi choked a bit and coughed lightly, barely managing to control her expression. Although she knew that Jiang Ruoyu had admired her greatly since childhood, Song Xuyi still found it a bit hard to adapt to such remarks, especially now that Jiang Ruoyu had grown to be so attractive. Being praised like this made Song Xuyi feel particularly uncomfortable.

Jiang Ruoyu seemed unaware that she had once again inadvertently revealed her thoughts and continued, “Sister, you slept a bit too long this time. I thought you wouldn’t wake up for another couple of days. When I carried your body inside earlier, the innkeeper sneaked a few glances at me. If you didn’t wake up by tomorrow, I figured the innkeeper might report me to the authorities…”

As she spoke, Jiang Ruoyu suddenly laughed, “At that point, the officials would definitely be shocked to see your body without breath.”

Jiang Ruoyu was still laughing, but Song Xuyi belatedly realized the inappropriateness of her actions: Sometimes, when she was cultivating, she became so focused that she accidentally lost track of time. The passage of time in the divine realm and the human world is not equal; a momentary lapse in the divine realm could mean several days passing in the human world.

That could indeed cause trouble for Jiang Ruoyu.

“It was my oversight,” Song Xuyi sighed, acknowledging that her earlier hasty retreat was indeed a bit embarrassing. Since she had thought through how to interact with Jiang Ruoyu in the future, Song Xuyi decided not to be awkward about it: “I’ll stay by your side for the next few days.”

Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes noticeably brightened for a moment.

In her heart, she shouted, “Sister is so kind!” but outwardly, she feigned modesty and said, “Sister, as a goddess, you have many important matters to attend to. Although I’m just starting out, I understand the bigger picture. You should go handle your own affairs…”

Song Xuyi listened to Jiang Ruoyu’s words that didn’t match her true feelings and couldn’t help but laugh. She instinctively wanted to tease Jiang Ruoyu a bit: “Do you really mean that?”

Jiang Ruoyu pouted, her eyes flickering for a moment, but in the end, she didn’t say the words “I really mean it,” and instead, she pressed her lips together and lowered her head.

Song Xuyi, hearing Jiang Ruoyu’s inner voice exclaim, “Ah! Did sister hear my true thoughts again? How can she be so amazing…,” couldn’t help but smile with delight.

That night, Song Xuyi and Jiang Ruoyu began researching matters related to summoning spirits.

The majority of the people in Guozhou were originally from Dong Kingdom, a nation that had been conquered. After the emperor conquered Dong Kingdom, he relocated its people from several counties to Guozhou. Separated from their homeland and with conflicting customs, these people lived poorly in Guozhou. Faced with harsh realities, they placed even more hope in beliefs about gods and spirits.

They all joined a folk sect called “Yinyue Sect”, which worshipped the spirit-summoning entity. In Song Xuyi’s memory, the spirit-summoning entity was a mindless, devouring evil being, but in the teachings of the Yinyue Sect, it had transformed into a goddess.

The Yinyue Sect claimed that every five years, the goddess would select a saintess from the mortal world, bestowing some divine powers upon her. The saintess would then oversee the followers and explain the teachings. In reality, Jiang Ruoyu suspected that the true power of the Yinyue Sect was in the hands of their high priest, Fu Sheng.

Song Xuyi and Jiang Ruoyu arrived at just the right time, as the Yinyue Sect was in the process of selecting a new goddess.

“There are rumors that their saintess has the ability to transcend heaven and earth, heal the dead, and restore flesh to bones, earning the people’s deep trust. In some areas of Guozhou, people know the current saintess but are unaware of the current emperor…” Ever since Song Xuyi stayed nearby, Jiang Ruoyu’s spirits seemed incredibly high. Although Jiang Ruoyu’s appearance didn’t quite fit, there were moments when her gaze reminded Song Xuyi of a puppy with wet eyes longing for a bone…

While Song Xuyi was unconsciously letting her mind wander, Jiang Ruoyu continued excitedly, “I discussed with Commander Wei, and it just so happens that it’s the time to select a new saintess in Guozhou. I plan to sneak into the selection process to gather information about the Yinyue Sect—”

“Then I’ll need the help of Goddess Sister,” Jiang Ruoyu looked at Song Xuyi with hopeful eyes. “After all, their miracles are completely fake, but Goddess Sister can really help me show divine powers…”

Song Xuyi was momentarily stunned, then looked away from Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze.

Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes were too bright, and whenever her captivating face showed an expectant expression, Song Xuyi felt her heart melt, as if refusing any of Jiang Ruoyu’s requests would be a sin.

In the past, Song Xuyi indulged Jiang Ruoyu’s acts of coquettishness, but now Jiang Ruoyu was no longer a child.

Jiang Ruoyu was extremely intelligent and clever, and now she was beginning to gradually gain power. Song Xuyi didn’t want her to feel that her will could be easily swayed.

Even though realizing this now seems a bit late, “mending the pen after the sheep are lost” (meaning taking action after a loss to prevent future issues) isn’t too late. After all, Jiang Ruoyu is still growing, and creating some distance between them is still possible.

“I promised to help you, and I won’t go back on my word,” Song Xuyi said with a calm expression.

Jiang Ruoyu has always been perceptive to Song Xuyi’s emotions.

She keenly sensed Song Xuyi’s avoidance, and her expression froze. Her eyes fixed on Song Xuyi, filled with grievance and confusion. For a moment, Song Xuyi even felt that the puppy with wet eyes transformed into a fierce little wolf cub on the prairie, with a gaze that was incredibly alarming…

However, in the next moment, Jiang Ruoyu lowered her head.

“I understand. Thank you, Goddess Sister,” Jiang Ruoyu’s voice sounded extremely obedient and respectful, yet her inner thoughts echoed sadly in Song Xuyi’s ear: “Did I do something wrong? Goddess Sister seems a bit upset with me…”

Listening to Jiang Ruoyu’s pitiful tone, Song Xuyi had to muster all her self-control to resist the urge to comfort Jiang Ruoyu. She closed her eyes and sat down to meditate.

It was already late at night. While immortals don’t need sleep, Jiang Ruoyu was still a mortal, yet she showed no signs of sleepiness. She occasionally opened her eyes to look at Song Xuyi, and her inner voice occasionally reached Song Xuyi’s ears: “Commander Wei once told me that to win a woman’s favor, you must praise her beauty and say she’s both fragrant and soft. I was actually very scared on this trip, afraid that Goddess Sister wouldn’t help me, so I deliberately flattered her a bit…”

“Ah, that’s right, Goddess Sister is an immortal from the Nine Heavens, different from mortal women. I guess my words might have displeased Goddess Sister.”

“I never intended to upset Goddess Sister. Her kindness in nurturing me is like giving me a new life, so how could I ever want to displease her…”

The young girl’s inner thoughts echoed in Song Xuyi’s ear.

Song Xuyi’s expression softened slightly: It seemed that Jiang Ruoyu hadn’t lost her sense of respect and awe toward her… perhaps she had misunderstood.

Thinking this, and seeing Jiang Ruoyu tossing and turning, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but use a sleeping spell to help Jiang Ruoyu fall asleep.

The next morning, Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze toward Song Xuyi was indeed not as unrestrained as it had been the previous day.

She stole several glances at Song Xuyi before finally gathering the courage to walk up to her with the same obedient and cautious demeanor she had as a child. “Goddess sister, when shall we set off?”

“In about half an hour!” Song Xuyi replied, noticing Jiang Ruoyu’s head lowered even more.

“Then I’ll go prepare some things first,” Jiang Ruoyu responded softly after receiving Song Xuyi’s answer, and then she left the inn.

Half an hour later, when Song Xuyi stepped out of the inn, she saw Jiang Ruoyu with a small horse-drawn carriage parked in front of the inn.

“This way, sister can cultivate in peace,” Jiang Ruoyu said, her head bowed. She only took her seat on the carriage shaft after Song Xuyi had boarded.

She seemed to understand that Song Xuyi didn’t want to be too close at the moment, letting Song Xuyi sit inside the carriage while she stayed outside to drive it.

Throughout the day, Jiang Ruoyu’s face remained tense, without showing any smiles.

All day long, Song Xuyi didn’t hear any of Jiang Ruoyu’s random inner thoughts, as if Jiang Ruoyu was genuinely focused on the journey.

At first, it was fine; Song Xuyi was absorbed in her cultivation and didn’t notice anything unusual. However, by evening, she started feeling uneasy.

Peering through the carriage curtains, Song Xuyi observed Jiang Ruoyu’s straight-backed figure as she drove the carriage. Remembering Jiang Ruoyu’s submissive demeanor throughout the day, Song Xuyi belatedly realized that she might have frightened the child too much.

Thinking it over, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but speak up: “In the future, don’t learn any of those random flattering words from Commander Wei; those aren’t proper things to say—”

Jiang Ruoyu seemed to have been paying attention to the sounds inside the carriage. As soon as she heard Song Xuyi speak, she immediately stopped the carriage and looked over in surprise.

Once she understood what Song Xuyi had said, Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes visibly brightened. She seemed like she wanted to smile, yet was afraid of being disliked by Song Xuyi, so she tried hard to keep a straight face, nodding almost like a chicken pecking at rice, “I understand. Whatever you say, sister, I’ll listen to you.”

“And I promised you that I would help you; I certainly won’t go back on my word.” Seeing Jiang Ruoyu’s pitiful look, Song Xuyi sighed and unconsciously softened her tone: “You don’t need to be so restrained in front of me. If you want to laugh, just laugh!”

Only then did Jiang Ruoyu finally laugh out loud.

Seeing Jiang Ruoyu smiling again, Song Xuyi felt relieved. However, recalling her intentions, Song Xuyi decided to share her thoughts, half truthfully: “Just remember to be mindful of your actions in the future and don’t be too reckless. Sometimes, doing less is better than doing too much…”

“I understand. Thank you, Goddess Sister, for your guidance. I will remember it well.” Jiang Ruoyu bit her lower lip and smiled somewhat shyly.

As the carriage continued moving, Song Xuyi once again heard Jiang Ruoyu’s inner voice echoing in her ears—

“Goddess Sister is so kind; she always teaches me the right things to do. I definitely won’t speak nonsense to her again!”

“Maybe I should read the sage’s words (referring to Confucian or classical teachings) a few more times to learn how to talk to people.”

“I must firmly remember what Goddess Sister said today…”

Song Xuyi was very pleased with this version of Jiang Ruoyu: this was the kind of relationship she envisioned between them—both teacher and friend, where Jiang Ruoyu was close to her, yet maintained a fundamental respect and awe.

However, Song Xuyi didn’t notice Jiang Ruoyu’s hand, hanging beside her outside the carriage curtain, quietly clenching, a hint of darkness passing through her eyes—

How could she not remember it well?

Jiang Ruoyu felt that she would remember the lesson from this day for her entire life: Jiang Ruoyu had always known that Goddess Sister treated her extremely well, and it was this kindness that gave rise to her delusions. She followed her heart’s desires, unable to resist getting closer to Goddess Sister.

However, this was a completely failed attempt.

For the first time, she realized that there was a heavenly moat (meaning an insurmountable gap) between her and Goddess Sister. If Goddess Sister wished, she could sever their connection at any time.

She had to endure…

---

The author has something to say:

Jiang Ruoyu: My obedience and submission to you are genuine.

It’s just—you’re going to be my wife.

---

LP: Re-translated on December 02, 2024

---

---