Transmigrating as the Heart Demon of the Ruthless Sword Venerable – Chapter 4
by Little PandaI Can’t Hear
I’m Faking It
“Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird…”
Tang Wenchun kept muttering the name. She remembered that from the very first time she’d heard it, it had felt strangely familiar. She chewed on her thumb, frowning — if it was familiar, she must have seen it somewhere before. Most likely in the original novel.
If only she hadn’t skimmed through the text back then, flying through ten lines at a glance and swallowing it whole without digesting a single word. Had she known it would come to this, she’d have memorized every line.
But the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm was a story arc from before the female lead had unlocked her golden finger1. Back then, Yu Zhaoming herself was the female lead’s greatest golden finger — which was why Tang Wenchun remembered it so clearly.
A sudden sting in her finger made Tang Wenchun cry out. She looked down — she’d bitten through the skin of her thumb without noticing.
Crimson blood welled from the wound. Perhaps because she was currently a Heart Demon2, dark flames burned at the wound, and in an instant, it healed completely.
Tang Wenchun stared blankly at where the wound had been. She suddenly remembered — the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird was a demon beast born of raging fire. Legend said it carried a trace of phoenix bloodline, so as long as fire existed, it could draw on it to regenerate, its wounds closing with alarming speed.
But the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird was no true phoenix. Fire protected it, yet also tormented it. That was why they always planted Mysterious Yin Grass3 around their nests, using its cold, yin attributes to relieve the torment of the flames. This was also the most effective way to counter the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird.
This was something Yu Zhaoming had told the female lead in the novel. Too bad the Yu Zhaoming of this time was young and untested, completely ignorant of this information.
Tang Wenchun racked her brains, recalling that she’d seen a ring of dark green-black grass around the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird’s nest, conspicuously out of place. She immediately turned her attention to the outside world, searching for traces of Mysterious Yin Grass.
But the moment she looked up, the roller-coaster view before her left her dizzy and reeling.
“What — what’s going on… urgh…”
Tang Wenchun clapped a hand over her mouth. She watched the ground and sky cartwheeling past her — an abrupt stop, then a sharp turn, flames slicing past like blades, missing her by a hairsbreadth and leaving a long, scorching trail. Even though Tang Wenchun was deep within Yu Zhaoming’s Sea of Consciousness4, she could almost feel the searing heat.
Yu Zhaoming was clearly sword-riding, dodging the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird’s pursuit.
But…
“…Does she really not get motion sickness from sword-riding…”
Evidently, not only did Yu Zhaoming not get dizzy — she even had the presence of mind to glance off into the distance. Tang Wenchun followed her gaze and saw it: a group of Sword Sect disciples had sneaked up to the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird’s nest and made off with the Ninth-Grade Soul-Condensing Herb.
The sensation of the spirit herb being stolen reached the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird instantly. It flew into a rage, letting out a long, piercing screech as it tried to wheel around toward its nest. But Yu Zhaoming flashed in front of it, cutting it off. Her fingers formed a sword mudra as she shouted, “Hundred Rivers Converge5!”
The sword flashed, and the sword formation it formed blocked the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird’s advance. Even if it held for only a few breaths, that was enough time for the Sword Sect disciples to crush their Transmission Talismans and depart.
Yu Zhaoming saw the disciples vanish one by one and let out a breath. But their departure only enraged the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird further. Its eyes, blazing with molten gold, locked onto Yu Zhaoming. It raised its sharp talons — the sword formation shattered. Cangfeng gave a soft chime and fell into Yu Zhaoming’s hand, trembling faintly.
Yu Zhaoming brought two fingers together, drew them along the blade, leaped onto the sword, and shot off in the opposite direction — she meant to try evading the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird.
Tang Wenchun stomped her feet in the Sea of Consciousness. “Wrong way, wrong way! Go to its nest and find the Mysterious Yin Grass! How long can you keep running?”
If only Tang Wenchun weren’t stuck in the Sea of Consciousness, unable to reach Yu Zhaoming. She shouted, “Yu Zhaoming! Go find the Mysterious Yin Grass — Mysterious Yin Grass can suppress the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird’s flames!!”
Tang Wenchun watched Yu Zhaoming fly onward without turning. She hung her head, then couldn’t resist biting her thumb again. “Is there any way to let her know?”
But before Tang Wenchun could think of anything, Yu Zhaoming pulled off a beautiful drift in midair. The Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird chasing close behind couldn’t react in time — it could only watch as Yu Zhaoming swept past it and headed straight for its nest.
The Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird’s wings were broad; each beat propelled it great distances, but that same breadth made turning difficult. Yu Zhaoming had grasped this weakness after their brief exchange and seized the opening.
Tang Wenchun watched Yu Zhaoming speed toward the nest, bewildered. “You — can you hear me?”
Naturally, no one answered. Tang Wenchun pressed her lips together, too frantic to dwell on it, and said, “Hurry and find the Mysterious Yin Grass! The dark green-black grass.”
But Yu Zhaoming seemed not to have heard Tang Wenchun’s cry and flew right past.
Tang Wenchun let out a little “aiya” of disappointment, but also breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Fair enough — if Yu Zhaoming knew her every move within the Sea of Consciousness, it would be Tang Wenchun who’d be uncomfortable.
With that thought, Tang Wenchun’s troubles multiplied. She rested her chin in her hand, brow furrowed. She had to find a way to let Yu Zhaoming know.
Since she was Yu Zhaoming’s Heart Demon, weren’t heart demons supposed to appear at any moment to bewitch their host’s mind? How come Tang Wenchun could only sit obediently in the Sea of Consciousness, unable to do anything?
“…So I’m a Heart Demon and I’m still useless?!”
Tang Wenchun was devastated.
A low laugh drifted through the air. Tang Wenchun spun around — Yu Zhaoming had appeared behind her at some point, though her figure flickered between solid and translucent, less substantial than the previous few times.
Tang Wenchun leaped to her feet. She instinctively waved a hand, and when she glanced back, the white fog behind her had returned to its usual blank expanse — no longer the holographic 3D movie it had been. She didn’t know why, but she breathed a careful sigh of relief. This was one of her few secrets, and she didn’t want Yu Zhaoming to know.
Tang Wenchun turned back, her gaze falling on Yu Zhaoming’s chest. She’d only ever seen Yu Zhaoming from behind when viewing the outside world — now she realized Yu Zhaoming’s chest was stained crimson.
“You — you’re hurt?”
Tang Wenchun rushed forward a step. But Yu Zhaoming only took a cold step back.
She’d offered warmth and gotten the cold shoulder. Tang Wenchun rubbed her nose, sheepish, and didn’t dare move further. She just asked, “Aren’t you busy? What are you here for?”
“D-don’t tell me you’re here to kill me!”
Was she really that ruthless? She was about to die, so she’d kill her Heart Demon first?
Yu Zhaoming saw Tang Wenchun bracing for an attack. She paused — a suspicious pause — before saying, “I’m going to burn my essence blood6 for a final battle with the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird. If I die, you won’t survive either. So don’t cause trouble.”
So… she was worried Tang Wenchun might suddenly cause trouble?
Tang Wenchun slowly lowered her hands. She suddenly realized this was a perfect opportunity! She blurted out, “You don’t need to burn your essence blood! The Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird fears Mysterious Yin Grass — you can use it against it!”
Yu Zhaoming regarded Tang Wenchun in silence. “What must I do?”
Huh? She believed it just like that? Yu Zhaoming trusted her that much? Tang Wenchun tilted her head in puzzlement, but time was running out. She answered quickly: “Apply the juice of the Mysterious Yin Grass to your sword, then use water or ice techniques — that will extinguish the flames on its body.”
Yu Zhaoming nodded, indicating she understood, then asked, “Why should I trust you?”
Of course. She didn’t trust her.
Tang Wenchun started racking her brains, but Yu Zhaoming just lifted her head, her expression darkening. “It’s here.”
With that, her form dissolved as suddenly as it had appeared.
Being spared the need to find an excuse was quite a relief. Tang Wenchun turned toward the white fog, waved her sleeve, and the mist parted to reveal the world outside. The Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird was already closing in, yet Yu Zhaoming was still unhurriedly harvesting Mysterious Yin Grass.
Tang Wenchun watched the bird draw closer and closer, flames gathering in its gaping maw, while Yu Zhaoming’s hand didn’t even tremble. She admired Yu Zhaoming’s composure even as anxiety over the bird gripped her.
Fire cascaded toward Yu Zhaoming like a waterfall. She turned lightly aside, glancing down at the Mysterious Yin Grass in her hand. Spiritual energy flowed through it, crumbling the herb into powder, which she gathered and spread along Cangfeng’s blade.
She raised her head to meet the furious Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird. The Gold-Traced Forehead Band on her brow streamed behind her in the wind, her brow sharp and handsome, her expression cold. Though her face still carried the softness of youth not fully shed, it was impossible to look away.
Tang Wenchun’s heart lurched. She clapped her hands over her face. “So — so handsome!! I’m Yu Zhaoming’s lapdog!!”
She couldn’t help it — she admitted it. She was a sucker for a pretty face. Though it would be even better if Yu Zhaoming stopped stabbing her.
Yu Zhaoming’s rigid posture suddenly faltered. She quickly steadied herself, pressing her lips tight. Her fingers tapped once against Cangfeng’s hilt, then gripped hard, and she swung the blade.
Her Ice Spirit Root7 channeled to the extreme, the long sword swept forth — and Tang Wenchun could have sworn she saw the Milky Way turn upside down, the very mountains wither in its presence, something like Dao Rhyme8 rippling through the unseen. In a heartbeat, sword energy enveloped the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird.
The bird let out a sharp cry. The flames wreathing its body guttered and shrank, as if doused by a great flood. The fire flickered, swayed, and finally succumbed to the cold, dying out completely. Stripped of its flames, the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird was black all over — only a pair of vicious eyes fixed on Yu Zhaoming.
“Looks like a big crow,” Tang Wenchun whispered.
Yu Zhaoming’s lips curved slightly. She brought her sword across her body. The bird’s flames were out, but it still possessed genuine Nascent Soul cultivation — and she was only Golden Core. She needed to be careful.
It was a hard fight. When the bird finally let out a low, mournful cry and slowly closed its eyes, Yu Zhaoming was in no better state. Cangfeng propped her up as she swayed, looking as though she would collapse at any moment — yet she never fell.
Tang Wenchun saw that the web of Yu Zhaoming’s hand had split open, blood streaming down her back and arms. She paced in frantic circles, but couldn’t escape the Sea of Consciousness to help her.
Just then, a piercing shriek tore across the sky, approaching with terrifying speed. Tang Wenchun looked up, and her body went rigid. In the distance, another Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird was bearing down, wings ablaze, radiating an aura of utter destruction. Its eyes burned with fury as it dove straight for Yu Zhaoming.
Tang Wenchun’s heart raced. She couldn’t help but shout, “Watch out! There’s another one coming!”
The author has something to say:
Tang Wenchun: How do I let her know?
Yu Zhaoming: I pretend I can’t hear, then come ask her.
Tang Wenchun: You trust me that much?
Yu Zhaoming: Then I’ll pretend I don’t trust you.
Yu Zhaoming may look like the honest, upright type, but she’s actually got quite the scheming mind…
Please bookmark!
Footnotes
- Web novel slang for a special cheat ability or advantage given to a protagonist.
- In cultivation fiction, a manifestation born from a cultivator's psyche. Unlike the Western concept of 'inner demons,' heart demons are real entities with independent consciousness that can be slain.
- In Chinese philosophy, 'yin' represents the passive, cold, dark principle (paired with 'yang,' the active, warm, bright principle). A 'yin grass' thus denotes a plant with cold, darkening properties.
- A cultivator's inner mental space in cultivation fiction, where consciousness resides and where spiritual cultivation and internal confrontations take place.
- A sword technique that splits one blade into hundreds of copies, forming a defensive sword formation.
- A cultivator's vital essence blood, which can be burned as a last resort to gain temporary combat power at great cost.
- In xianxia cultivation, a 'spirit root' is an innate elemental attunement that determines a cultivator's aptitude for specific techniques. An 'ice spirit root' grants affinity with cold and ice-based arts.
- A spiritual resonance or aesthetic quality that manifests in high-level cultivation techniques.
0 Comments