Villainous Master (6)
This time, Ning Jingyu secluded herself for half a month before emerging.
Song Xuyi couldn’t tell if it was her own illusion, but Ning Jingyu appeared dispirited, and her mood seemed somewhat low after emerging from seclusion.
Is there a problem with Ning Jingyu’s cultivation technique?
“Master, you have no idea how much I missed you during your seclusion…”
With worry in her heart, but currently unable to help Ning Jingyu in any way, Song Xuyi could only try to make Ning Jingyu’s time a bit more cheerful.
Song Xuyi put effort into cooking a delicious meal for Ning Jingyu, trying to liven up the atmosphere at the dinner table with active conversation.
The young girl’s gaze was earnest, her smile sweet and sincere.
Ning Jingyu glanced at Song Xuyi, thinking that she must have forgotten about the incident from half a month ago that had left Ning Jingyu feeling deeply embarrassed. The tightness at the corner of Song Xuyi’s lips relaxed slightly. Ning Jingyu was about to mention that she would wait a bit longer before secluding herself again when she heard Song Xuyi continue speaking, “You won’t believe it, but maybe I missed you so much that I actually dreamt about you!”
“Oh…” Ning Jingyu’s lips, which had just curled up, tightened once again.
Unaware of Ning Jingyu’s subtle change in expression, Song Xuyi continued to smile and said, “That dream was so strange! I dreamt that master disguised herself as a ghost to scare me…”
Ning Jingyu lowered her head, her ears quietly turning red.
Her cheeks also felt warm. She took a sip of water to disguise her dry cough, then proactively changed the subject: “Did you have that dream because you’re afraid of ghosts?”
“I’m not afraid of ghosts,” Song Xuyi shook her head seriously, looking at Ning Jingyu, who sat before her like a painting, and continued her sweet talk: “With my master nearby, I know she wouldn’t let any harm come to me—”
Although Ning Jingyu had come to understand her disciple’s nature as someone who often speaks in sweet words, she still found herself pleased by Song Xuyi’s words, causing a barely perceptible curve to form at the corner of her lips.
“That’s not necessarily true,” though feeling pleased inside, Ning Jingyu quickly resumed her expressionless demeanor, lowering her long eyelashes. “Even your master has limitations.”
Ning Jingyu merely made a habitual polite remark, but she didn’t expect Song Xuyi to nod seriously in response: “Master is absolutely right. As the top sword cultivator in the Three Realms, Master indeed needs to be more diligent…”
Ning Jingyu almost instantly understood Song Xuyi’s implication: So, she’s indirectly suggesting that I should seclude myself again?
Ning Jingyu gave Song Xuyi a deep look, genuinely puzzled about what her young disciple was thinking.
But for the time being, Ning Jingyu was determined not to go back into seclusion.
Ning Jingyu herself hadn’t expected to have such a day: Normally, she avoided mundane affairs by using the excuse of seclusion to skip unnecessary activities. Unexpectedly, the tables had turned, and now she found herself trying to avoid seclusion.
Ning Jingyu looked at the full table of dishes, her eyes flickered, and she came up with an idea:
She wasn’t particularly indulgent in food, but because Song Xuyi was the one cooking, she couldn’t help but use a bit more.
Her young disciple was currently undergoing rapid advancement, requiring a significant amount of spiritual energy to circulate in her body. However, traditional cooking methods, while delicious, consumed a lot of spiritual energy when examined closely.
To avoid seclusion and to help Song Xuyi achieve faster progress in a short period, Ning Jingyu began to study different cooking techniques.
It must be said that Ning Jingyu excelled in everything she did. At first, she couldn’t control the portions and the dishes she made were almost too beautiful to eat, but after two or three attempts, Ning Jingyu gained insight. The dishes she made became increasingly delicious and filled with abundant spiritual energy with each try.
When it comes to cooking, it naturally involves ingredients. Song Xuyi’s vegetable garden was well-tended, with various vegetables and fruits neatly arranged. However, as Song Xuyi had only recently entered the world of cultivation, she lacked a fundamental understanding of the world’s plants, resulting in lower yields and spiritual energy content in her produce.
Therefore, Ning Jingyu took over the care of both the vegetable garden and the flower beds. Under her care, the flowers in the garden bloomed endlessly, and the vegetables in the garden were filled with abundant spiritual energy, growing robustly.
Ning Jingyu was extremely satisfied with this situation. Strangely, she used to find this world dull, lacking interest in anything. However, now that she had tried it, she suddenly discovered that what she once thought was mundane work had its own unique charm…
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Song Xuyi’s feelings, however, were completely different from Ning Jingyu’s.
Watching Ning Jingyu immerse herself in gardening, Song Xuyi felt extremely anxious!
It’s important to note that Ning Jingyu is the world’s top sword cultivator and a key figure in the future resistance against the Demon Clan. To see such a person spending her precious time gardening, in Song Xuyi’s view, is a complete waste. Moreover, according to the original plot summary, Ning Jingyu eventually dies at the hands of the Demon Lord, meeting a tragic end.
Only by diligently cultivating now can she hope to gain more opportunities for survival in the future battles against the Demon Lord.
However, gardening seems to be Ning Jingyu’s hobby. Song Xuyi cannot reveal the plot in advance, nor does she have the authority to stop Ning Jingyu from doing what she loves. All she can do is tactfully hint at Ning Jingyu.
“Master, how much do you know about the Demon Clan?”
Ning Jingyu’s hand watering the flowers paused, and she turned to look at Song Xuyi, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Why are you suddenly asking about the Demon Clan?”
“The Demon Clan was once formidable, but in recent years, they have suddenly gone quiet. I can’t shake the feeling that they’re harboring a major conspiracy behind the scenes. I fear that soon, the Three Realms will once again suffer.”
“Is that so?” Ning Jingyu elongated her tone, then turned to continue watering the flowers. “Don’t worry, no matter what happens, I’ll always protect you.”
“I believe in you, Master, but with your abilities, you may also be a significant target for the Demon Clan. I’m worried that you might encounter the Demon Lord—”
“Do you think I would lose?”
Ning Jingyu finally stopped watering the flowers, turning to look deeply into Song Xuyi’s eyes.
Watching Song Xuyi’s slightly furrowed brow and serious expression, Ning Jingyu suddenly smiled. She set down the watering can and reached out to pinch Song Xuyi’s cheek. Facing Song Xuyi’s widened eyes due to her action, Ning Jingyu lifted her chin slightly, her expression somewhat proud. “The current Demon Lord, that shabby demon, isn’t even enough for a bite… or a sword.”
Seeing Ning Jingyu’s demeanor, Song Xuyi’s worries intensified!
She initially thought Ning Jingyu might lose due to insufficient strength, but now it seemed that overconfidence might also be a factor.
With a sigh, Song Xuyi suddenly felt that encouraging Ning Jingyu to strive for improvement might be even more challenging than safeguarding the Song family…
Song Xuyi’s worries naturally couldn’t escape Ning Jingyu’s notice.
Seeing the bright distrust in her junior disciple’s eyes, Ning Jingyu couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, she beckoned, and a large cloak flew into the room. Without hesitation, Ning Jingyu lifted Song Xuyi, widened the flying sword, wrapped Song Xuyi in the cloak, and then immediately controlled the flying sword to head north…
As they traveled further north, the weather grew colder, but the cloak Song Xuyi was wrapped in was incredibly warm. Nestled in the cloak, Song Xuyi ate two spiritual fruits that Ning Jingyu had handed her, and after digesting the spiritual energy from the fruits, she gradually fell asleep, exhausted.
In contrast to the lively peace of the celestial realm, everything in the demon domain seemed primitive and barbaric yet full of power.
In the center of the land stood a black palace. Although Song Xuyi’s cultivation was not deep, she could feel the unsettling aura emanating from the palace. Ning Jingyu, guiding the sword, headed straight towards this palace…
Is that the Demon Palace?!
Song Xuyi was nearly scared to death, and all drowsiness vanished in an instant. She never imagined Ning Jingyu could be so reckless, impulsively bringing her to the Demon Realm!
These are the demons who will bring great disaster to the Three Realms in the future! Is Ning Jingyu out of her mind?
Song Xuyi dared not make a sound, only gripping Ning Jingyu’s sleeve tightly and desperately signaling with her eyes for Ning Jingyu not to act rashly—
But Ning Jingyu seemed oblivious to Song Xuyi’s hints. She pinched Song Xuyi’s cheek once again, wrapped her in the cloak, cast a spell to conceal her presence, and gestured for her to keep quiet—
Song Xuyi felt numb all over from Ning Jingyu’s actions, unable to move, only staring wide-eyed as Ning Jingyu controlled the flying sword and entered the Demon Palace, landing on its roof—
Ironically, the more Song Xuyi feared, the more her fears were realized: inside the Demon Palace, a meeting was taking place, with many demon generals gathered. Seeing the dense crowd below, Song Xuyi felt a wave of despair, already planning her last words in her mind.
However… an incense stick’s worth of time passed, yet no demons noticed their presence.
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Indeed, the demons below were discussing plans to attack the immortal realm. The Demon Lord, wrapped in a black cloak with only a pair of dark, ominous eyes visible, spoke in a hoarse, menacing voice, her exact appearance concealed.
Song Xuyi had heard rumors: there existed an irreconcilable blood feud between Ning Jingyu and the Demon Lord—the Demon Lord Ning Jingyu had killed was the husband of this current Demon Lord.
Sure enough, the demons below gnashed their teeth and mentioned Ning Jingyu with resentment.
“Ning Jingyu is the greatest obstacle to our invasion of the Three Realms. If we eliminate Ning Jingyu, the entire Three Realms will soon be within our grasp…”
Upon hearing this, Song Xuyi instinctively glanced at Ning Jingyu, but Ning Jingyu remained calmly composed, showing no signs of concern. It seemed that the demons below harbored deep hatred, desiring revenge against someone else rather than her.
Before long, the demon assembly dispersed.
Ning Jingyu then took Song Xuyi and flew to the Demon Lord’s sleeping quarters. Using a method unknown to Song Xuyi, Ning Jingyu presented a water mirror before her. In the mirror, the Demon Lord removed her veil, revealing a pockmarked face…
Song Xuyi’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“This was my doing,” Ning Jingyu turned and said, not bothering to lower her voice: “She practiced charm techniques, originally relying on the former Demon Lord for replenishment. When I killed the former Demon Lord, she lost her source of demonic energy, and her face gradually changed to its current appearance…”
“Before her disfigurement, she originally intended to seduce me,” Ning Jingyu frowned slightly, lips curling in disdain: “She said she wanted to hand over the entire Demon Clan to me…”
“What a joke. If I wanted to become the Demon Lord, would I need her to hand it over to me?”
……
Listening to Ning Jingyu’s words, Song Xuyi was at a loss for words: Ning Jingyu had spoken so much, yet the demons below hadn’t sensed anything, proving Ning Jingyu’s strength far surpassed that of the Demon Lord.
It turns out Ning Jingyu wasn’t boasting: putting herself in Ning Jingyu’s shoes, Song Xuyi realized she too might have let her guard down against enemies.
But why would the Ning Jingyu in the plot summary die at the hands of the Demon Lord?
Song Xuyi couldn’t shake the feeling that she might have overlooked something. However, unable to contact the system now, she couldn’t discern anything suspicious.
She carefully observed the Demon Lord below: the Demon Lord was changing faces in the mirror, sometimes appearing as a pure maiden, other times as a beautiful woman… Yet the Demon Lord seemed dissatisfied, throwing all the faces to the ground. As she looked at her pockmarked face in the mirror, she cursed Ning Jingyu, crying in despair.
“What did she look like before?” Song Xuyi thought the faces the Demon Lord changed into were already beautiful, but she didn’t expect the Demon Lord to be dissatisfied.
Ning Jingyu furrowed her brows slightly, glanced at Song Xuyi, and produced a water mirror in her hand. In the mirror appeared a stunning beauty with a seductive figure and enticing eyes.
“She used to be the second most beautiful woman in the Three Realms,” Ning Jingyu said, pursing her lips.
However, Song Xuyi didn’t pay attention to Ning Jingyu’s words. She stared at the beauty in the water mirror and suddenly understood why the Demon Lord hated Ning Jingyu so much—the Demon Lord in the mirror was incredibly attractive, especially with that lazy, seductive, barely concealed demeanor, which made people blush and their hearts race…
Blushing, Song Xuyi’s slight tendency for vanity resurfaced. She was about to look again when she noticed the water mirror in Ning Jingyu’s hand suddenly disappeared. Ning Jingyu’s expression darkened for some reason, and she soared into the sky on her flying sword, leaving the Demon Palace behind.
As the cold air from high altitude swept in, Song Xuyi instinctively wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. Reflecting on the day’s events, she felt everything had exceeded her expectations. Song Xuyi never imagined the Ning Jingyu’s strength actually surpasses the Demon Lord’s by a large margin…
In the future, she probably couldn’t use the demons as an excuse to urge Ning Jingyu to train anymore.
Song Xuyi sighed inwardly: there must be something she didn’t know about that would lead to Ning Jingyu’s defeat at the hands of the Demon Lord. All she could do was keep a close eye on Ning Jingyu and take things one step at a time.
Lost in her thoughts, Song Xuyi didn’t notice Ning Jingyu’s increasingly intense gaze beside her.
Unexpectedly, Ning Jingyu once again pinched Song Xuyi’s face.
“Song Xuyi,” Ning Jingyu’s gaze bore into Song Xuyi, addressing her by name for the first time, “Am I really that attractive?”
“Huh?” Song Xuyi furrowed her brows, momentarily not understanding what Ning Jingyu was saying.
But Ning Jingyu raised an eyebrow, then suddenly smiled:
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This smile was unlike any of Ning Jingyu’s previous ones.
Despite wearing a holy and dignified white robe, Ning Jingyu’s smile now seemed to embody all the allure of a seductive enchantress, specially crafted to disturb the mortal world. She no longer looked like a cultivator, but rather resembled a demon causing chaos among the people.
Song Xuyi stared at the red mole at the corner of Ning Jingyu’s eye, her heart inexplicably racing, almost reluctant to look away: “M-Master?”
“Is it attractive?”
Song Xuyi nodded as if mashing garlic: “Attractive!”
“In that case,” Ning Jingyu’s smile became more seductive, but her eyes darkened. Suddenly, she leaned closer to Song Xuyi’s cheek, reaching out to pinch Song Xuyi’s face. Through gritted teeth, she spoke each word: “With the number one beauty of the Three Realms right in front of you, why do you keep thinking about that ugly Demon Lord?”
The author has something to say:
Someone is being salty.
Who that is, I don’t know.
And I don’t dare to ask.
LP: Re-translated on May 19, 2024
Thanks for translating!
Thanks for translating!