CH 5

At that moment, Shen Wanqing had a profound experience of what it meant to destroy one’s mind before destroying one’s body.

They give you a little hope to live first, and then give you a fatal blow when you think everything is peaceful and calm. Not only would it take her life, but it would also make her experience the ups and downs of life before dying.

No wonder he was a character who turned the ending into a tragedy just by himself. He had the cruelty and schemes that a villain should have.

Shen Wanqing was in pain for a while, stretched out her hand to touch her neck, and imagined what the upcoming scene would look like where her neck would be ‘snapped’ in half. She was in so much despair that she became numb.

But she was still holding onto her life by awkwardly talking to him: “It’s getting late now, and Master Xie’s injury has just healed, why are you here?”

Xie Wuyan: “To strengthen the stomach and promote digestion.”

Shen Wanqing: “…” What a good memory, using one example to judge her for the rest of her life.

She lowered her head and waited quietly for a while, and found that the person in front of her was silent. Thus, Shen Wanqing quietly raised her eyes and took a peek, she saw Xie Wuyan leaning carelessly on the side of the bed with his arms crossed, watching her lightly with interest.

Fbl eked’v jdso obu, cwv bl zssjle zkjl bl oyp zssjkdt yv y zkvvzl byxpvla, rwalzu zssjkdt yv bla qsa qwd, yde pkxwzvydlswpzu oykvkdt vs pll kq vblal oswze cl ydu kdvlalpvkdt alynvksdp.

Wasx vbl zssjp sq kv, kv eked’v pllx zkjl bl bye ydu rzydp vs jkzz bla pssd.

Gzvbswtb pbl eked’v jdso obyv bl oyp pnblxkdt, cwv yv ydu ayvl, yp zsdt yp pbl nswze zkhl ydsvbla eyu, pbl oswze cl sjyu qsa dso.

Jwv yv vbkp xsxldv, kv oyp y ckv wdnsxqsavyczl vs cl pvyale yv cu bkx.

Fs, Fbld Eydikdt vakle vs nsym vbl rlapsd kd qasdv sq bla vs ts yoyu: “Gzvbswtb R alyzzu oydv vs kdhkvl Yypvla Dkl kdvs vbl assx qsa y nwr sq vly, kv kp tlvvkdt zyvl dso, yde Yypvla Dkl kp pvkzz oswdele, kv xyu cl kdnsdhldkldv vs cl swvpkel qsa vss zsdt kd vbl nsze, ps kv’p clvvla vs ts cynj pssdla—”

“Elzz, zlv’p eakdj vly vbld.” Dkl Ewuyd pyke, “Xq nswapl R nyd’v alqwpl vbl jkdedlpp sq xu pyhksa.”

Fbld Eydikdt: Mbld R alyzzu clt usw vs alqwpl xu jkdedlpp.

Fbl aykple bla blye yde tzydnle yv Dkl Ewuyd’p pxkzl vbyv bye ‘ulp, R’x eskdt vbkp sd rwarspl’ yzz shla bkp qynl. Fbl poyzzsole bla prkv okvb ekqqknwzvu, yde qlzv vbyv bla vbasyv oyp ps eau vbyv kv oyp rykdqwz. Fbl altalvvle vbyv pbl bye rszkvlzu pyke vbl rbaypl, ‘eakdj vly.’

Now Shen Wanqing reasonably suspected that Xie Wuyan didn’t immediately choke her to death, it was absolutely because he was bored and wanted to keep her around for fun and also watch a weakling like her beg for survival as if she was in a live broadcast.

Although it would make her look bad, when one needed to be shameless, they had to be shameless, after all, living was the most important thing. What’s more, she was a player who had a cheat code. As long as she lived a long life, it was uncertain who would kill who at the end.

Thinking about it this way, Shen Wanqing was very generous and became compromising, inviting him in.

But after spending a long time in the dark room, she couldn’t find the lighter to light up the room.

Shen Wanqing’s mood instantly became happy. This was a good excuse to drive away this big buddha1, Xie Wuyan: “It’s a pity, it seems that we can’t drink tea tonight.”

As soon as her voice fell, the candle was ignited out of thin air, and the room was instantly illuminated by this light source.

Xie Wuyan tucked up his robe, sat down at the table, frowned and looked at her with a bit of disdain in his eyes.

Even if he didn’t say a word, Shen Wanqing could understand the contempt in his gaze.

Requiring a lighter to light the room? Who on earth sent such a weak person to assassinate him?

Shen Wanqing felt humiliated.

She slowly shuffled towards the table, poured a cup of herbal tea, pushed it in front of Xie Wuyan, and then sat down very stiffly, not forgetting to move the stool back to keep a safe distance.

Without touching the cup of tea, Xie Wuyan asked casually, “I heard that Miss Shen was injured by a Painted Skin Ghost and just recovered?”

Shen Wanqing: “…Yes.”

It always felt like that this person was trying to set her up.

“Yes, today it is rumored that the Demon Realm is very turbulent and the seal is about to be broken. It is no wonder that these monsters are beginning to act so unscrupulously.” Xie Wuyan paused, raised his eyes and his glance swept across Shen Wanqing’s face, and then he smiled swiftly.” It seems that if this demon lord2 is not removed, there won’t be a peaceful day for all sentient beings, do you agree?”

…Wonderful.

This kind of questioning without hesitating to humiliate himself was really superb.

Shen Wanqing felt as if she was playing an escape game, regardless if she answered yes or no, there was only one dead end.

If she answered yes, it probably would immediately anger this hard-to-read villain in front of her, and would directly lead to death.

If she answered no, this wouldn’t be in line with the righteous personality of the protagonists’ group, and it also did not conform to current society’s values, once he heard it, he would know it was just flattery.

Shen Wanqing was exhausted, and decided to just go with it: “I think it’s all right, after all, you can see that I can’t even light a lamp. I’m so useless, with one glance, you’d know that I can’t beat him. Being able to survive by not being killed by small monsters is already considered lucky, why should I worry about something as big as slaying a demon?”

Xie Wuyan thought for a moment and surprisingly agreed: “That is true, you are really useless.”

Shen Wanqing: “…” Okay, it’s better to be humiliated than to be killed.

Xie Wuyan rubbed the teacup with his fingertips, picked it up and took a sip. He seemed to think it tasted bitter and astringent, he put it aside with disgust, and didn’t move after.

He said casually: “But I really look forward to how he (the demon lord) will die.” When he said this, he raised his eyes to look at her, “What about you?”

Shen Wanqing was suffocated by Xie Wuyan’s question.

Why was the thought process of the characters in this novel so strange? The protagonist praises the villain for being a great kind man, and the villain tirelessly looks forward to how he, himself will die.

Suddenly, Shen Wanqing didn’t even know whose brain had problems.

She tried to figure this out by thinking about this situation from a female perspective. Generally, when someone is self-doubting, they usually hope to hear praise from others.

But this situation was tricky right now.

She felt that Xie Wuyan didn’t need the praise from a rookie like herself.

So Shen Wanqing chose to be superficial: “Yes, yes, good luck, good luck.”

Something seemed to catch his sense of humour, and Xie Wuyan suddenly burst into laughter. It wasn’t until he had laughed enough that he slightly raised his brows, looked at her seriously, and began tapping his index finger on the table. However, it gave her an inexplicable sense of constriction.

Then the two fell silent for a while.

Shen Wanqing discovered that Xie Wuyan had mastered the method of destroying one’s mind before killing them, and his gaze made people feel guilty.

In order to conceal her guilty conscience, she gritted her teeth and straightened her neck to look at him until her eyes began to get sore. Finally, she could not hold back anymore and yawned loudly.

Halfway through the yawn, Shen Wanqing suddenly became aware that she had lost her composure, so she forcibly held it back and closed her mouth quickly.

Xie Wuyan retracted his gaze, seeming to feel bored, stood up and said, “Then I won’t bother Miss Shen anymore.”

After watching Xie Wuyan leave, Shen Wanqing didn’t react for a long time.

Is yawning so useful? He’s gone just like that?

He didn’t even do anything, he really just drank a sip of tea and asked a few death-related questions, and then just left?

Shen Wanqing thought about it here and there, but she still couldn’t comprehend what Xie Wuyan’s thought process was, only knowing that her life seemed to be temporarily saved.

But this could also sow the seeds of future trouble.

If Xie Wuyan couldn’t sleep and came to her room to ask several death-related multiple-choice questions every night, one day, even if she didn’t get scared to death, she would die from fatigue due to a lack of sleep.

Shen Wanqing was worried while feeling a little sleepy. She climbed onto the bed and hugged the pillow whilst continuing to worry, and then, as a matter of course, she fell asleep on the quilt.

As soon as it was daybreak, there was good news.

Ji Feichen had returned from collecting medicine.

Shen Wanqing was moved to tears.

With Ji Feichen’s sharp judgement, and his innate hostility towards the side male character, plus her own hints, Xie Wuyan’s conspiracy would surely be exposed quickly.

Although the book did not describe who was stronger and who was weaker between Xie Wuyan and Ji Feichen in their early days of meeting, based on the fact that Ji Feichen was able to seal him again and given that Xie Wuyan was not in his prime currently, the two should be able to draw a tie.

What’s more, Ji Feichen would not fight alone. If he were to fight, the Xuantian Sect and Feng Yaoqing would definitely protect him.

Thinking of the painful torture of missing a few hours of sleep last night because of Xie Wuyan, Shen Wanqing was so excited that she couldn’t even explain it properly in words.

From now on, I can finally get a good night’s sleep!

—

“I heard people say that as soon as you woke up from your serious injury that you ran to a dangerous place like the Xuantian back mountain.” Ji Feichen’s expression was not good when he delivered the medicine, and his words were filled with brotherly reprimanding, “Wanqing, if it weren’t for Ah Yao who arrived in time, do you know how serious the consequences would have been?”

Shen Wanqing nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, trying to bring the topic to Xie Wuyan: “Brother Ji is right, and then about the one I saved from the back mountain—”

“Even if you are saving people, you have to consider your own safety first.” Ji Feichen continued, “Ah Yao has worked hard for you these few days, so don’t play any more tricks.”

“Right, right, right.” Shen Wanqing continued to nod, and then tirelessly tried to continue the topic, “So the one named Xie Wuyan—”

“Ah Yao healed you these days, did you mention anything about me?” Ji Feichen lowered his eyes, his eyes were a little sad. “She avoided me. I think I must have hurt her completely.”

Shen Wanqing was in tears.

When I desperately wanted to speak for you to coax your wife, you prevented me from doing so.

Now I am talking to you about a serious matter, one ‘Ah Yao’ after the other, do you think my life is too long or do you think your life is too short?

Shen Wanqing took a deep breath and tried to make the final struggle: “Brother Ji, let’s talk about Master Xie who was put under the Heart Locking Curse first. I think he—”

“You’re right, I heard people say that Ah Yao cured the Heart Locking Curse on Master Xie.” Ji Feichen became more worried, stood up, and prepared to leave, “No, I have to ask about Ah Yao’s injury again. She has just been hurt from self-destruction, and she has spent so much energy curing such a curse, it must have wasted a lot of her powers.”

“Stop!” Shen Wanqing lifted the quilt, almost unable to control her burst of anger. She took a deep breath, and in order not to be interrupted, she speeded up her speech and said, “Don’t you think that it’s very strange that Master Xie could come to the Xuantian Sect without being noticed?”

Upon hearing this, Ji Feichen paused and turned to look at her.

Shen Wanqing gritted her teeth and decided to say the appropriate thing to touch him: “For me, it doesn’t matter, but I’m afraid that Master Xie has some ulterior motives about the Xuantian Sect or Sister Feng. If she brings in someone dangerous that ends up hurting her, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”

When Ji Feichen heard this, his brows furrowed: “Well, your doubts are right. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly.”

After speaking, he solemnly left.

Shen Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief, slumped on the bed, excited and even wanted to set off firecrackers.

He is worthy to be the male lead, even though his brain was full of ‘Ah Yao’ this, ‘Ah Yao’ that, he immediately understood after being guided.

She was in such a good mood that she even ate two more sweet osmanthus cakes in the morning. Then, she happily went out for a walk whilst holding onto her stomach to digest the food, waiting for the news of Xie Wuyan being captured.

But after walking a few steps, she saw this shocking scene.

The main protagonist, Ji Feichen, and side character, Xie Wuyan, were sitting in the meditation pavilion in a friendly manner. There was a chessboard in front of them and they were playing chess, the atmosphere looked unusually harmonious, and they even politely complimented each other.

“Young Master Ji’s chess style is upright and steady, I myself am ashamed to not be on par with you.”

“No, no, no, Master Xie is the one who is full of chivalrous demeanour, I myself feel won over.”

The two talked happily.

They even wanted to become sworn brothers.

—

[Translator’s note: Looks like FL cannot beat the acting skills of our ML, someone give our boy an Oscar already! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!]