CH 97

Villainous Master (19)

Fortunately, Ning Jing Yu was still easily pleased upon her return. After Song Xu Yi finished speaking, Ning Jing Yu agreed to put on her clothes and returned to her previous persona as a cold and aloof master. However, Song Xu Yi could still detect the occasional upturn of Ning Jing Yu’s lips and the laughter in her eyes when she looked at her, indicating her extreme happiness.

Although Ning Jing Yu did not explicitly state it, Song Xu Yi understood that Ning Jing Yu had agreed to her conditions.

For some reason, Song Xu Yi felt both happy and embarrassed. Perhaps it was because she knew that Ning Jing Yu had fallen into the demon’s path, but she always felt that the way Ning Jing Yu looked at her contained a hidden lure and temptation.

But… this was her master!

Song Xu Yi tried to suppress her strange feelings and followed Ning Jing Yu out step by step. She had wanted to ask Ning Jing Yu how to deal with the injured Demon Lord on the ground, but after walking about a hundred steps, a scream came from behind them.

They saw the little demons lurking around before Ning Jing Yu and her, pouncing on the Demon Lord’s body and fighting over it as if their lives depended on it. The Demon Lord probably never expected to meet such a tragic end in Black Water Pool.

Song Xu Yi sighed and followed Ning Jing Yu in small steps. Although the Demon Lord got what she deserved, if Song Xu Yi hadn’t convinced Ning Jing Yu not to kill her, the Demon Lord wouldn’t have met such a fate. However, Song Xu Yi was a pacifist at heart and subconsciously rejected the chaotic environment of the immortal and demon realms fighting each other. She couldn’t help but ask Ning Jing Yu, “Why can’t the demon race coexist peacefully with the immortal realm instead of living in such a difficult place?”

“Because of demonic energy,” Ning Jing Yu replied. “It causes the demon race to be violent and murderous, and the place where they reside often breeds trouble. Also, there is a conflict between demonic energy and spiritual power in their bodies, making it impossible for them to stay in places filled with spiritual energy for long periods and practice spiritual cultivation.”

Ning Jing Yu’s voice was as calm as a placid lake as she replied to Song Xu Yi’s words.

The Demon Lord and Dream Demon were long gone, and the duo had already broken through the final obstacle. Ning Jing Yu deftly navigated through the Demon Lord’s array, leading Song Xu Yi to a stone forest. “Scattered inside are ancient weapons without owners. Go ahead and pick a divine weapon that suits your liking.”

Song Xu Yi was pleasantly surprised that Ning Jing Yu remembered to help her find a weapon.

With a nod, she followed the instructions into the forest of stones, only to be stunned by the sight of human-shaped stones everywhere!

The stone humans looked vivid, with some glaring at the sky with a cold gaze, some stroking their beards and sighing, some clutching their chests with a grim expression, and some kneeling on the ground with a withered face…

“These are former cultivators. In ancient times, they sacrificed their lives and spiritual power to trap the great demons that were causing chaos in the Three Realms in the Black Water Pool. At the moment when their spiritual power dried up, they turned into stone.”

As Ning Jing Yu spoke, Song Xu Yi looked at the countless stone figures around her and felt as though she could see the dangerous battlefield of ancient times, where those bodies had sacrificed themselves for the cause of justice without hesitation…

To pay respect to these predecessors, Song Xu Yi decided to leave the stone forest. However, before she could take a step, a piece of white veil drifted out from deep within the forest. The veil gently draped over her shoulder, and the corner of the veil softly brushed against her cheek.

Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened in amazement.

Ning Jing Yu also turned to look at the white veil fluttering in the wind.

Her face lit up as if she had a sudden realization. With a slight narrowing of her eyes and a curve of her lips, she appeared to be in good spirits, unlike the white veil, who trembled in fear at the mere sight of Ning Jing Yu. As soon as Ning Jing Yu turned her gaze towards the white veil, she cowered and leaned towards Song Xu Yi’s side.

“Xu Yi.” The system’s voice emanated from the white veil, catching Song Xu Yi’s attention. “I cannot continue talking to you in my original form. Ning Jing Yu seems to sense my presence. Therefore, I have attached myself to a spiritual object in this world. You can rest assured that I will protect you.”

Song Xu Yi was surprised, but a warm feeling surged within her. She realized that stooping down for the system was a risky move. Attaching to an object in this world meant that the system had a physical entity, and if the white veil was destroyed, the system would be destroyed too. She hadn’t expected the system to go this far for her.

“These spiritual objects have their own consciousness after years of accumulation.” Unaware of the conversation between the system and Song Xu Yi, Ning Jing Yu thought Song Xu Yi’s silence indicated her reluctance to accept the veil. She tried to persuade her, saying, “If it follows you, it proves that it has chosen you. Instead of letting it stay in the cold stone forest for years, you might as well take it out and see the prosperity of the world.”

Song Xu Yi nodded, putting the veil wrapped around her arm away. She stood beside Ning Jing Yu, unable to help but steal a glance at her. She was surprised by how much she had said to her. Given Ning Jing Yu’s previous temperament, she had expected her to be lazy and uninterested in the matter, at most saying, “Just take it.” However, she was being considerate and gentle.

This made Song Xu Yi feel that Ning Jing Yu was closer to her than before. Was it because she now knew her secret, and she regarded her as her own person?

……

Lost in thought, Song Xu Yi suddenly felt the wind around her decrease, as if someone had hit the pause button. She looked up and saw Ning Jing Yu, who had stopped in front of her and was now extending her hand towards her. Ning Jing Yu was stunning, radiating beauty in every way. Her hand was fair and slender, with fingers that seemed to have been carved from beautiful jade. As Song Xu Yi looked at her hand and met Ning Jing Yu’s smiling gaze, she suddenly felt a flutter of nerves.

Carefully, Song Xu Yi placed her hand on top of Ning Jing Yu’s hand. But before she could even feel embarrassed, Ning Jing Yu grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers. Suddenly, a large hole was torn open in front of them – Ning Jing Yu had broken through the void!

When Song Xu Yi regained her senses, she found herself outside the Black Water Pool. Earlier, the demonic monsters in the pool had all rushed to attack Ning Jing Yu and her disciple. Taking advantage of the confusion, the Wang clan’s disciples brought Zeng Li out of the Black Water Pool. Now that they saw both Ning Jing Yu and her disciple leaving the pool, the demonic energy ceased to leak out, and the Wang clan disciples breathed a sigh of relief.

But as they looked at Zeng Li standing silently and pale-faced beside them, the Wang clan disciples furrowed their brows again…

Having seen Song Xu Yi and her disciple leave the Black Water Pool, the Wang clan disciples breathed another sigh of relief and summoned a large boat to take everyone back to the Xuan Shu Sect.

As Song Xu Yi looked at the disciples of the Wang clan, she began to feel increasingly familiar with them, yet couldn’t quite recall where she had seen them before.

Eventually, she decided to set aside the issue and lay down on the large bed in the cabin. Having experienced so many events recently, all Song Xu Yi wanted was a good night’s sleep. However, as she was about to doze off, she felt something jab her…

After checking her waist, she discovered a recording stone. She remembered the words spoken by the Demon Lord in the recording stone and intended to give it to Ning Jing Yu in the next cabin. Suddenly, the room darkened, and Ning Jing Yu appeared before her…

Before Song Xu Yi could ask anything, Ning Jing Yu gestured for her to be quiet by placing a finger on her lips, then silently led her to the window.

The gesture felt overly intimate.

Song Xu Yi was pressed against Ning Jing Yu’s back, embraced tightly by her. To her discomfort, Ning Jing Yu held onto her waist with one hand and pressed a finger to her lips with the other, apparently to prevent her from making any noise…

Song Xu Yi felt as though she were on fire.

Despite this, Ning Jing Yu appeared oblivious and even teased her with a slight smirk in her beautiful eyes, prompting Song Xu Yi to look out the window.

At this moment, dusk had already arrived.

The boat was illuminated by the orange-yellow sunset, creating a quaint and peaceful ambiance. The Xuan Shu Sect paid meticulous attention to details, and from Song Xu Yi’s perspective, she could see the intricately carved beautiful stern of the ship with the red sun appearing to be descending onto it, which looked incredibly stunning.

On the stern of the boat, there stood two individuals: one was a disciple surnamed Wang with a pained expression, and the other was Zeng Li, whose countenance was indifferent.

“The bow is windy, Li’er. You should go back to your room first,” said Wang to Zeng Li.

“Why? Are you afraid I will jump off the boat?” Zeng Li sneered, revealing a sharp side that Song Xu Yi had never seen before. “I haven’t become that cowardly yet.”

Zeng Li’s words seemed to have touched Wang, who lowered her head without saying anything.

Zeng Li laughed, her laughter cold and sarcastic. “You never understood me…”

Wang opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but Zeng Li cut her off.

As Song Xu Yi saw the tears flickering in Zeng Li’s eyes, she realized that it was inappropriate to pry into someone’s privacy, especially since Ning Jing Yu didn’t seem like someone who enjoyed gossip. Just as she was about to look away, she didn’t know what happened, but Ning Jing Yu held her tighter from behind.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t free herself, so she had no choice but to keep looking outside.

Zeng Li wiped her tears and regained her composure, looking calmly at the disciple named Wang in front of her. “I don’t need your sympathy,” she said with a soft sigh.

“You have always known of my longing for you. When I risked my life traveling outside to make a name for myself, it was only to be deserving of you and to uphold the reputation of the Xuan Shu Sect,” she continued.

“But now, I am a failure.” Zeng Li stepped back, her expression distant and composed. She turned and walked towards her room, saying, “I don’t want your sympathy, and I dare not long for you anymore.”

The disciple named Wang looked up suddenly, seemingly shocked. Zeng Li did not turn back, but went straight to her cabin.

……

The disciple surnamed Wang left the stern in a confused state after some time had passed.

At a certain moment, Ning Jing Yu let go of her hold on Song Xu Yi.

Song Xu Yi stared at Ning Jing Yu with a puzzled expression and asked her guess, “So, that disciple is actually the Sect Leader?”

Ning Jing Yu nodded in agreement.

Song Xu Yi pursed her lips and reflected on the recent events. She felt ashamed for snooping on the Sect Leader and Zeng Li’s secret, and was also perplexed. On the one hand, the Sect Leader didn’t appear to be cruel to Zeng Li; otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked everything to rescue her from the Black Water Pool. But now that Zeng Li was saved, why hadn’t the Sect Leader revealed her intentions?

“Onlookers don’t know everything!” Ning Jing Yu yawned, as if she had guessed what Song Xu Yi was thinking. She loosened her grip on Song Xu Yi, leaned softly against her shoulder, and spoke softly, “The Sect Leader doesn’t want rumors to harm Zeng Li again. She’s too rigid and always wants a perfect plan. However, there are no perfect plans in the world, and there will always be times when she regrets it in the future–“

“But I’m different,” Ning Jing Yu looked at Song Xu Yi and suddenly stepped closer. She met her eyes without concealing the craziness and gloom in her own, saying, “Xu Yi, I’m not one of those self-righteous immortals who are bound by rules and prejudices. They’re useless to me. As my disciple, don’t let those dogmatic customs restrain you. As long as you want…”

“No one can stop you!”

“Even… me.”