When the Female Lead Becomes Obsessive – Chapter 83

Volume Four: Those Years When I Was a Master

[Rough and not set in stone: Foundation Establishment → Enlightenment → Integration → Temptation → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Soul Division → Body Integration → Void Glimpse → Mahayana → Void Shattering → Tribulation Transcendence → Supreme Immortal]

Soft-Hearted

The cycle of day and night and the change of seasons within the Void Barrier were identical to those in the mortal realm.

As the sky gradually darkened, orange clouds drifted among the green mountains in the distance, glowing with a brilliant fluorescence.

After taking the medicinal pill, Yu Wan Zhao had immediately begun to meditate, refining its power to repair her damaged meridians. With nothing better to do, Wen Nuan had gone out and explored the entire barrier. It wasn’t large; in fact, she managed to cover the whole area within the range of Quexie.

She couldn’t find an exit, nor could she find the entrance they had used to get in. The black mist had also vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

Wen Nuan sat by the river, watching the fish swim freely in the water, and sighed softly. “I want to eat fish.”

【I can provide recipes. Why don’t you try making it yourself?】 the System suggested.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.” Wen Nuan rolled up her sleeves and waded into the river to catch fish.

Although she loved fine food, her culinary skills were not great. While her cooking wasn’t exactly inedible, it was, at best, barely palatable.

Wen Nuan quickly caught two large carp. She had a plan: one braised in soy sauce, the other sweet and sour.

But when she looked at the recipes provided by the System, Wen Nuan fell silent.

“Sys, do you know how to scale a fish?”

The very first step in the recipe was scaling the fish. She had never scaled a fish in her life. How was she supposed to do this thing?!

The System sent Wen Nuan a video. 【You scale it like this.】

Wen Nuan: “…”

She watched the video with disgust and decisively gave up. “Forget it. I’m not doing all that fancy stuff. I’ll just roast these two things.”

The System figured that making Wen Nuan cook for herself was indeed asking too much of her and nodded. 【Then you can roast them.】

“Okay.”

Just as Wen Nuan was about to grab the fish to prepare a fire, the two carp suddenly started flopping about wildly. They leaped right onto the cutting board, knocking over pots, pans, and even the kitchen knife.

“…Have these f#cking fish gained sentience?” Wen Nuan stared in shock as the two carp scurried all over the stove, as if they had grown legs.

Before Wen Nuan could even try to catch them, Quexie flew from her finger. It tightened, binding the two carp.

“The grand Elder Yu of the esteemed Qianyuan Upper Palace, bested by two little fish?” Yu Wan Zhao walked in, picked up the kitchen knife from the floor, and with a swift chop, beheaded both carp. The scene was a bit overly bloody and brutal.

Wen Nuan: “…”

Seeing Wen Nuan’s bewildered expression, she said irritably, “Get out. If you don’t know how to cook, don’t make a mess.”

Wen Nuan obediently walked out of the kitchen and stood at the doorway, watching as Yu Wan Zhao tidied up the chaotic room. She then scaled the two fish with crisp, decisive movements that flowed like water.

Impressive! Wen Nuan thought.

【Amazing!】 the System exclaimed in admiration.

“How do you want these two fish cooked?” Yu Wan Zhao looked at her.

Wen Nuan pursed her lips. “Braised in soy sauce, and sweet and sour.”

Yu Wan Zhao raised an eyebrow. “It’s been five years. Has Master’s cooking improved?”

“I don’t know how,” Wen Nuan said, holding out her hands. There were visible scratches on her fingertips.

“How did you get these?” Yu Wan Zhao’s brow furrowed tightly. She walked over and noticed more scratches on Wen Nuan’s palm. “Did you get scraped just now?”

Wen Nuan said in a low voice, “I don’t know how to make braised or sweet and sour, so I was going to roast them. But the fish ran away, and I couldn’t catch them.”

“…” Yu Wan Zhao took a deep breath and took a tube of ointment from her spiritual bracelet. Just as she opened the cap, her fingers paused slightly. She tossed the ointment to Wen Nuan. “If Master doesn’t know how to cook, you at least know how to apply your own medicine… right?”

Wen Nuan didn’t say a word. She clutched the ointment in her hand and turned to leave.

Yu Wan Zhao’s brow twitched. She said uncertainly, “She’s a grown woman. It would be truly shameful if she can’t even apply a bit of medicine.”

She watched Wen Nuan’s figure disappear into the courtyard, assuming she had gone back to her room to treat her wounds.

Yu Wan Zhao looked at the prepared fish on the cutting board and muttered to herself, “A grown woman like her is really so… “

…worrisome.

The System watched as Wen Nuan sat on the threshold, not applying the ointment and deliberately deepening the scratches on her palm.

【Are you planning to…?】

A corner of Wen Nuan’s lips hooked up. “A bitter flesh ruse¹.”

The System gave a thumbs-up. 【Brilliant. Need my help?】

“How would you help me?”

【I could help make the wound on your palm fester.】 the System offered eagerly.

“…” Wen Nuan politely declined. “Forget it. That would be too obvious. Yu Wan Zhao isn’t an idiot.”

【Alright. Call me next time you need something.】

Wen Nuan made the wound on her hand look a little more serious. “Okay.”

Yu Wan Zhao’s cooking skills were superb, and she was fast. In less than a shichen², she had prepared the two fish dishes, a side of stir-fried greens, and a pot of steamed rice.

“It’s ready.” Seeing Wen Nuan sitting on the threshold, Yu Wan Zhao’s tone was devoid of any emotion. “Time to eat.”

Drawn by the fragrant aroma of food, Wen Nuan walked over and sat down on the stone stool. Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks, her wrist was seized.

“You didn’t apply the medicine?” Yu Wan Zhao glanced at the wound on her hand, which looked even worse than before. “Don’t tell me the grand Elder Yu of Qianyuan Upper Palace doesn’t even know how to apply ointment?!”

Wen Nuan pressed her lips together slightly. “It will heal on its own.”

“Has it healed, then?” Yu Wan Zhao pried her hand open, looking at the wound on her palm, which was faintly stained with blood.

Her tone grew heavier. “Does this look like it’s healing?”

Wen Nuan’s gaze shifted, and she tried to pull her hand back, but couldn’t. “It’s a minor injury. It’s nothing.”

“Fine. If Elder Yu thinks it’s a minor injury, then there’s no need for me to poke my nose into other people’s business.” Yu Wan Zhao flung her hand away and picked up her own bowl and chopsticks to eat.

Wen Nuan glanced at Yu Wan Zhao, then picked up her chopsticks, placed a piece of fish in her bowl, and began to slowly pick out the bones.

The wound on her palm stretched, causing the hand holding the chopsticks to tremble slightly. Yu Wan Zhao saw it all.

She secretly gritted her teeth, struggling to suppress the anger rising in her heart. But before she could lash out, she saw a piece of fish placed in her bowl, the bones meticulously removed, just like in the old days.

When she had first entered Qianyuan Upper Palace and become a disciple under Yu Wen Nuan, she had eaten mortal delicacies with her. Her beautiful master, though cold in nature, was a great lover of food and would often buy all sorts of snacks from mortal vendors. Later, the Sect Master felt it was unseemly for an elder to always be going down the mountain for food, so he hired several cooks for Qianyuan Upper Palace.

There was a period when Yu Wen Nuan became obsessed with eating fish. For several days straight, every single meal included fish. Yu Wan Zhao had accompanied Wen Nuan in eating fish for a long time, until one day she accidentally got a fish bone stuck in her throat. After that, she rarely saw Yu Wen Nuan eat fish again. Even if she did, Yu Wen Nuan would always pick out the bones for her before giving her the piece, terrified that she might choke again.

Yu Wan Zhao looked at the deboned fish in her bowl, her eyes stinging as a thousand emotions welled up in her heart.

She suddenly felt as if this moment was a return to five years ago, back when they were on Qinggu Peak. Every day had been happy. They would cultivate together, eat together, admire the peach blossoms together, and watch the clouds roll by together over the mountains, rivers, and seas.

“What… what are you doing?” Her voice trembled slightly as Yu Wan Zhao pursed her lips.

“Eating fish,” Wen Nuan said coolly. “You’ve always had a narrow throat. Eat slowly. Be careful of the bones.”

“Did you… put poison in this fish?” Yu Wan Zhao said deliberately.

Wen Nuan sighed softly. “I did. A very potent poison.”

“Good.” Yu Wan Zhao knew Wen Nuan was mocking her, but her heart ached, and she just wanted to pick a fight.

She ate the piece of fish in her bowl and said fiercely, “Then we’ll die together.”

“Alright,” Wen Nuan replied, a faint, imperceptible smile touching her lips. “Together.”

Yu Wan Zhao noticed that the hand holding the chopsticks was still shaking. She reached out and held her wrist. “Where’s the ointment?”

Wen Nuan took it out from her robes. “Here.”

As if admitting defeat, Yu Wan Zhao gently applied the ointment to Wen Nuan’s hand. Her expression was fierce, but her movements were gentle, as if she were afraid of breaking a fragile porcelain vase.

“Such a grown woman, and you can’t even apply medicine. I really don’t know how you’ve survived this long. The Peak Lord of Qianyuan Upper Palace’s Qinggu Peak? Can’t even apply ointment. What a useless person.”

“I had you before.”

“What?” Yu Wan Zhao looked up at her. “What did you say?”

Wen Nuan took out a handkerchief and wiped the excess ointment from Yu Wan Zhao’s fingertips, sighing as if in complaint. “I had you before, which is why my limbs were idle and I couldn’t tell the five grains apart³.”

When Yu Wan Zhao had been her disciple, she had taken excellent care of her. Yu Wan Zhao’s presence was felt in every aspect of her life—food, clothing, lodging, and travel. Consequently, during the time Yu Wan Zhao had left the mortal realm for the demonic domain, Wen Nuan had felt ill at ease with everything.

She had grown accustomed to Yu Wan Zhao’s existence.

As Yu Wan Zhao met Wen Nuan’s gentle eyes, she felt as if she had been scalded. She shot up abruptly, ducked into the house, and didn’t come out again.

System: 【The Blackening Value has decreased. The female lead’s current Blackening Value is 6.1!】

Wen Nuan looked at her treated hand and smiled. “She still hasn’t changed. Hopelessly soft-hearted.”

The night was as dark as ink, like a certain someone’s eyes.

After finishing her meal, Wen Nuan took the bowl and chopsticks back to the kitchen and gave them a simple wash.

Entering the room, she saw it was unlit. Wen Nuan found a candlestick and lit it.

She saw Yu Wan Zhao lying on her side on the bed, curled up and trembling uncontrollably. Wen Nuan walked over and saw Yu Wan Zhao’s eyes were shut tight, her face as pale as paper.

The pill she had given Yu Wan Zhao had caused a massive surge of spiritual power in her body, creating an imbalance between her demonic and spiritual energies and triggering a violent internal conflict.

If Liu Qingsui were here, he could have helped the female lead increase her demonic power to match her spiritual power. But now, all Wen Nuan could do was absorb the excess spiritual energy from Yu Wan Zhao’s body.

“Wan Zhao?”

Seeing that Yu Wan Zhao had already lost consciousness, Wen Nuan could only pull her into an embrace. Circulating her own spiritual power, she placed a hand over the Nascent Soul in Yu Wan Zhao’s chest and began to draw the excess spiritual energy into herself.

“Wan Zhao?” Wen Nuan called her name over and over. “Wan Zhao…?”

After returning to the room, Yu Wan Zhao had felt the demonic and spiritual energies in her body erupt. The two immense forces were both devouring and repelling each other, threatening to tear her primordial spirit apart.

Amid the agony, Yu Wan Zhao felt someone whispering her name by her ear. The rampaging energies within her began to soothe, the sudden surge of spiritual power dissipated, and the demonic and spiritual forces slowly started to rebalance.

Yu Wan Zhao opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, and she could only smell a faint, clean fragrance. Her body trembled with pain, and she curled herself deeper into Wen Nuan’s arms.

The pain was unbearable, and she whimpered, “Master, it hurts so much…”

“Shh, it will stop hurting soon.” Wen Nuan slowed the absorption of spiritual power from Yu Wan Zhao’s body and stroked her trembling back. “Master’s here. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

The moon fell, the stars sank, and the morning sun began to rise.

When Yu Wan Zhao opened her eyes, she found herself held in Wen Nuan’s arms. Her own arms were wrapped around Wen Nuan’s waist, her face buried in her embrace. Their posture was exceedingly intimate.

She could feel Wen Nuan’s breath and sweet scent; she could touch her delicate skin and warmth.

Her heart pounded violently, thumping in her chest louder and louder, until her head grew dizzy.

Her fingertips gently brushed against Wen Nuan’s chin. She met her downcast eyes. Wen Nuan hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a light laugh.

“Wan Zhao, does it still hurt?”

“Are you better?”

“Master is here. Don’t be afraid.”

In that instant, Yu Wan Zhao felt that she was doomed beyond all redemption.

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The author has something to say:

Female Lead: I’m not soft-hearted.

Wen Nuan: Mhm, your body is soft… and easy to push down.

Female Lead: …

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