Villainous Master (19)
Fortunately, Ning Jingyu, who had returned, was still very easy to placate.
After Song Xuyi finished speaking, Ning Jingyu finally agreed to put on her clothes, reverting to her cool and otherworldly demeanor as a master. However, from the occasional upward curve of Ning Jingyu’s lips and the smiling gaze she directed at her, Song Xuyi could still tell that she was in an extremely good mood.
Even though Ning Jingyu did not explicitly state it, Song Xuyi understood: Ning Jingyu had agreed to her condition.
Song Xuyi felt a mix of happiness and a sudden shyness. She didn’t know the reason, perhaps because she knew that Ning Jingyu had already fallen into demonic ways. Ning Jingyu’s gaze felt like it carried hooks, with a certain degree of subtle seduction and temptation.
But… this is my master!
Song Xuyi tried hard to suppress the strange feelings in her heart and followed Ning Jingyu step by step. Originally, she wanted to ask how Ning Jingyu planned to deal with the injured Demon Lord lying on the ground, but after walking about a hundred steps, a scream came from behind—
—Seeing that Ning Jingyu and her disciple had walked far away, the little demons lurking around seized the opportunity, swarming in to divide the body of the Demon Lord, who was on the brink of death.
The Demon Lord probably never thought that she would ultimately die in the Black Water Pool.
Song Xuyi sighed inwardly and quickened her pace to catch up with Ning Jingyu ahead: Although the Demon Lord reaped what she sowed, had she not tried to kill Ning Jingyu, she wouldn’t have ended up with her body completely destroyed. However, Song Xuyi was inherently a pacifist and instinctively repelled such chaotic conflicts between immortals and demons, and couldn’t help but ask Ning Jingyu, “Why can’t the Demon Race coexist peacefully with the Immortal Realm? Why must they live in such harsh places?”
“Because of demonic energy. Demonic energy makes the Demon Race violent and murderous. Where demons reside, trouble often brews. Also, due to the conflict between demonic energy and spiritual power within their bodies, demons cannot stay in places full of spiritual energy for long, nor can they cultivate using spiritual power.”
Ning Jingyu answered Song Xuyi’s question calmly and steadily.
At this time, with both the Demon Lord and the Dream Demon dead, they had overcome the final barrier. Ning Jingyu led Song Xuyi forward, easily navigating through the formations set by the Demon Lord, and leisurely arrived at a stone forest: “Scattered here are ancient, ownerless weapons. Go in and choose a divine weapon you like.”
Song Xuyi didn’t expect Ning Jingyu to remember helping her find a weapon.
She nodded and proceeded into the stone forest, but in the next moment, her eyes widened in astonishment: Most of the stones in the stone forest were in the shape of humans!
These stone figures looked lifelike; some glared coldly at the sky, some stroked their beards in sighs, some clutched their chests with pained expressions, and some knelt on the ground with withered faces…
“These were once cultivators. In ancient times, they sacrificed their lives and spiritual power to trap the great demons that plagued the Three Realms in the Black Water Pool. At the moment their spiritual power was exhausted, they themselves turned into stones.”
Listening to Ning Jingyu’s words and looking at the countless stone figures around her, even though thousands of years had passed, Song Xuyi seemed to see through these stones the perilous battlefields of ancient times, those bodies that heroically sacrificed themselves for the greater good…
Song Xuyi didn’t want to disturb the resting place of these martyrs and decided to leave the stone forest, but before she could move, a piece of snow-white gauze floated out from the depths of the stone forest. The gauze drifted to Song Xuyi’s side, softly draping over her shoulders, the edges gently brushing her cheek.
Song Xuyi’s eyes widened slightly.
Ning Jingyu also looked at the gauze.
She seemed to be in a good mood, as if something had come to mind, her eyes slightly narrowed and her lips curved, while the gauze seemed extremely fearful of Ning Jingyu. After she glanced over, it shivered and nestled closer to Song Xuyi—
“Xuyi.” Song Xuyi heard the system’s voice from within the gauze: “I dare not use my previous form to communicate with you. Ning Jingyu seems able to detect my presence, so I’ve attached myself to this world’s spiritual object. You… don’t worry, I will definitely protect you—”
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Song Xuyi was stunned, then a wave of warmth surged in her heart: For the system, attaching itself was actually a risky move. Attaching to an object in this world meant the system also had a physical form. If the gauze were destroyed, the system would be destroyed as well…
Song Xuyi didn’t expect the system to go this far for her.
“These spiritual objects have developed their own consciousness over the years.” Ning Jingyu, unaware of the conversation between the system and Song Xuyi, thought Song Xuyi’s silence was due to hesitation about whether to accept the gauze, and explained: “It has chosen you by following you. Instead of letting it stay in the cold stone forest for years, it’s better for you to take it out to see the world’s wonders…”
Song Xuyi gathered her thoughts, nodded, and accepted the gauze, wrapping it around her arm. She lowered her head and stood beside Ning Jingyu, unable to resist glancing up at her.
Song Xuyi didn’t expect Ning Jingyu to talk so much to her. Given Ning Jingyu’s previous personality, she would likely have been too lazy to bother with this matter, at most saying “just accept it” to Song Xuyi. When had she ever been so… detailed and gentle?
The feeling that Ning Jingyu had become strange grew stronger in Song Xuyi’s heart. She felt that Ning Jingyu was now closer to her than before…
Could it be because she now knew Ning Jingyu’s secret and was seen as one of her own?
……
While in a daze, Song Xuyi noticed that the surrounding wind seemed to pause, suddenly quieting down.
Song Xuyi looked up and saw Ning Jingyu ahead stopping and turning towards her, extending her hand.
Ning Jingyu’s beauty was flawless.
The outstretched hand was fair and slender, with fingers as if carved from beautiful jade. Song Xuyi looked at this hand and met Ning Jingyu’s smiling gaze, suddenly feeling a bit nervous…
Song Xuyi carefully placed her hand in Ning Jingyu’s, only to have her hand tightly clasped, their fingers interlocked. Before Song Xuyi could feel shy, she saw a large hole open up ahead—
Ning Jingyu, no longer bothering to conceal her power, had directly torn open the void!
By the time Song Xuyi came back to her senses, she was already out of the Black Water Pool.
Because the demons in the Black Water Pool had gathered to fight Ning Jingyu and her disciple earlier, the disciple surnamed Wang took advantage of the chaos to bring Zeng Li out of the Black Water Pool. Now, seeing Ning Jingyu and her disciple both out of the Black Water Pool and the demonic energy no longer leaking, the disciple surnamed Wang visibly relaxed.
However, looking at the pale and silent Zeng Li, the disciple surnamed Wang frowned again…
Now seeing Ning Jingyu and her disciple out of the Black Water Pool, the disciple surnamed Wang breathed a sigh of relief and summoned a large ship, ordering the disciples to hurry back to Xuanshu Sect.
The more Song Xuyi looked at the disciple surnamed Wang, the more familiar she seemed, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen her before.
Finally, Song Xuyi temporarily set the question aside and lay down on the large bed in the cabin.
Too much had happened recently, and Song Xuyi just wanted to have a good sleep. She was about to close her eyes when she felt something hard against her…
Song Xuyi touched her waist and found a recording stone.
Recalling the words the Demon Lord had arrogantly spoken, recorded in the stone, Song Xuyi was about to give it to Ning Jingyu next door when suddenly the room darkened. Speak of the devil, Ning Jingyu appeared in Song Xuyi’s room…
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Just as Song Xuyi was about to ask, she saw Ning Jingyu make a “shush” gesture, placing a finger on her lips and silently pulling her to the window.
The gesture seemed too intimate.
Song Xuyi’s back was pressed against Ning Jingyu, almost enveloped in her embrace. Even more excessively, as if afraid Song Xuyi would make a sound, Ning Jingyu kept one arm around her waist, while the other hand still pressed against Song Xuyi’s lips…
Song Xuyi felt like she was about to burst into flames.
Ning Jingyu seemed completely unaware, her beautiful eyes even carrying a hint of mischief, signaling Song Xuyi to look out the window.
At this time, it was already dusk.
The orange-yellow sunlight reflected on the boat, giving the entire vessel an ancient and peaceful aura. Xuanshu Sect always paid attention to details. From Song Xuyi’s perspective, she could see the exquisitely carved stern with beautiful patterns, with a red sun seemingly hanging at the stern, looking incredibly beautiful.
At this moment, there were two people standing at the stern: the pained-looking disciple surnamed Wang and the indifferent-looking Zeng Li.
“The wind is strong at the bow, Li’er, you should go back to your room—”
“What, afraid I’ll jump off the boat?” Zeng Li’s lips curled into a mocking smile. This usually calm and composed female disciple revealed a sharp side that Song Xuyi had never seen before: “I’m not that weak.”
The disciple surnamed Wang seemed to have her thoughts exposed by Zeng Li, lowered her head, and said nothing more.
Zeng Li laughed, a cold and mocking laugh: “You never understood me…”
The disciple surnamed Wang lifted her head, seemed to want to say something, but Zeng Li interrupted.
Song Xuyi saw the tears glistening in Zeng Li’s eyes, and was momentarily stunned, realizing afterward that it was improper to eavesdrop on others’ privacy like this, especially since Ning Jingyu didn’t seem like someone interested in gossip. Just as she was about to look away, she didn’t know why, but Ning Jingyu held her even tighter—
Unable to break free, Song Xuyi could only continue watching:
On that side, Zeng Li wiped away her tears, once again returning to her calm and expressionless self. She lifted her eyes to look at the disciple surnamed Wang in front of her and sighed lightly: “I don’t need your pity.”
“You have always known about my feelings for you. I previously risked my life traveling outside, trying to make a name for myself, just to be worthy of you, not to disgrace Xuanshu Sect’s reputation—”
“But now I’m already crippled.” Zeng Li stepped back indifferently, her expression extremely calm, turning to walk toward the cabin: “I don’t want your pity, nor do I dare to covet you anymore—”
The disciple surnamed Wang lifted her head sharply, seeming to be greatly shocked, but Zeng Li didn’t look back, heading straight into the cabin.
……
It was a long time before the disciple surnamed Wang left the stern, looking lost.
At some point, Ning Jingyu let go of her hold on Song Xuyi.
Song Xuyi looked at Ning Jingyu blankly, then asked her guess: “So, that disciple is actually the sect leader?”
Ning Jingyu nodded.
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Song Xuyi pursed her lips. She frowned, recalling everything that just happened. On one hand, she felt ashamed for peeking into Zeng Li and the sect leader’s secret, but on the other hand, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled: it didn’t seem like the sect leader was indifferent to Zeng Li. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked everything to save Zeng Li in Black Water Pond. But now that Zeng Li was saved, why didn’t the sect leader express her feelings?
“The one in the situation is confused!” Ning Jingyu yawned, seemingly guessing what Song Xuyi was thinking, relaxed her grip on Song Xuyi, and leaned bonelessly against Song Xuyi’s shoulder, speaking softly: “The sect leader doesn’t want rumors to hurt Zeng Li further. After all, she’s too rigid and cautious, always wanting a perfect, safe way. But how can there be so many foolproof strategies in this world? There will be a time when she regrets—”
“But I’m different,” Ning Jingyu looked at Song Xuyi, suddenly taking a step closer, meeting Song Xuyi’s eyes with unhidden dark and crazed emotion: “Xuyi, I’m not one of those hypocritical immortals. Rules and worldly prejudices mean nothing to me. As my disciple, don’t let these nonsensical customs bind you. Whatever you want…”
“No one can stop you!”
“Including… me.”
The author has something to say:
A certain scheming master is shamelessly trying to corrupt the innocent little disciple, almost directly telling Xuyi: “Don’t be afraid, be brave enough to **** me!”
Another day of stabilizing the FLAG.
LP: Re-translated on June 12, 2024
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