CH 164

Villainous Undercover (3)

Indeed, the villain seemed to have noticed that she minded the word “little,” so she intentionally mocked her in this way.

Song Xu Yi was almost infuriated!

However, at this moment, she came in and fixed her gaze on Fu Xi Yu. Being in a subordinate position, she had no choice but to bow her head and once again choose to endure humiliation while glaring fiercely at the antagonist.

Unfortunately, Song Xu Yi, with her appearance like a little bun, didn’t have much intimidating power when she glared at someone. Her chubby cheeks even made her look quite adorable. Fu Xi Yu looked at Song Xu Yi’s cute expression and the laughter in her eyes deepened.

Originally, Song Xu Yi was thinking of cursing the villain in her mind, but when she saw the laughter in the villain’s eyes, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t describe this feeling:

At first glance, the villain was still that person, and with the massive scar on her face, it was likely that most children would be scared and cry upon seeing her.

However, because of that hint of laughter in her eyes, she suddenly appeared incredibly vivid, like a watercolor painting that had just been colored, or like a flower blossoming from a bud… Radiant beauty emanated from deep within her bones.

Looking at Fu Xi Yu in this way, Song Xu Yi inexplicably thought of the word “beautiful.”

If it weren’t for that scar, how beautiful she would have been!

Feeling a sense of regret deep in her heart, Song Xu Yi’s fair little face was once again pinched by the villain a few times. By the time Song Xu Yi snapped back to reality and glared at her, the villain had already returned to a calm and serene expression.

She must have been dizzy from anger, otherwise, how could she suddenly find this despicable little villain beautiful?

Song Xu Yi clenched her teeth and made a decision: from now on, if the villain ever bullied her again, she would curse her as a little villain in her heart!

Fu Xi Yu, who had been given the nickname “little villain” by Song Xu Yi, didn’t rush to continue walking. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as her gaze skimmed over Song Xu Yi’s short legs. Her eyes flickered, as if she had thought of something. Suddenly, she pulled out a sparkling and colorful jade pendant from her bosom.

The jade pendant was of excellent quality, crystal clear and transparent. It looked incredibly valuable at first glance.

Facing Song Xu Yi’s puzzled eyes, Fu Xi Yu swiftly leaped up and used her sword to chop off a branch from a nearby tree. Then, with a “rustling” sound, she stripped the leaves from the branch, creating a stick of medium length. She hung the jade pendant on the stick and slung it over her back. Turning around, she gazed deeply at Song Xu Yi.

“Come chase after me!” she exclaimed.

“If you catch up to me and touch this jade pendant, I’ll give it to you!”

?!

As Song Xu Yi looked at the sight of Fu Xi Yu with the jade pendant slung behind her back, she inexplicably thought of a donkey in a mill, tempted by a dangling carrot…

However, it was embarrassing: Song Xu Yi was truly tempted!

The Song family’s decline meant that even though Chen, the head of the Tianmen Sect, intended to support the two siblings, the Tianmen Sect itself was a small sect. Nanzhou was a prosperous place, and living here incurred significant expenses. Neither Song Xu nor Song Xu Yi could comfortably accept Chen’s assistance.

Selling this jade pendant would undoubtedly fetch a good sum of money!

If it were someone else doing this, Song Xu Yi wouldn’t be tempted, considering the gift was too valuable. But when it came to Fu Xi Yu, Song Xu Yi didn’t consider it ill-gotten gains at all: after all, the little villain before her came from the Demon Sect. It was the Demon Sect’s raid on the Song family that led to the predicament of Song Xu and the original owner. Taking back something from her could be seen as reclaiming the original wealth that belonged to the original owner.

With these thoughts in mind, even though Song Xu Yi knew that Fu Xi Yu intended to lead her forward, she made an effort to move her short legs and chased after Fu Xi Yu.

Fu Xi Yu’s steps were slightly slower than before, making it not too difficult for Song Xu Yi to catch up. As Song Xu Yi had anticipated, whenever she felt she was about to reach the jade pendant, the little villain maliciously quickened her pace. Song Xu Yi had no choice but to grit her teeth and chase after her with determination…

No problem!

As Song Xu Yi ran, panting for breath, she reassured herself: it was okay to cooperate with her in running. Once she persisted until the end, following the rules of the story, Fu Xi Yu would surely toss the jade pendant to her!

As expected, just as Song Xu Yi had anticipated, when she forcefully held on and followed Fu Xi Yu, running past numerous pavilions and reaching their residence within the Taiji Sect, Fu Xi Yu came to a stop.

–Song Xu Yi couldn’t care less about the surroundings as she lunged forward and collided with Fu Xi Yu’s back, also touching the jade pendant.

Now she should fulfill her promise, right?

Rubbing her nose in pain, Song Xu Yi raised her head, panting heavily, with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes as she looked at Fu Xi Yu in front of her.

“You touched the jade pendant.”

Fu Xi Yu turned her head, glanced at Song Xu Yi’s flushed cheeks, nodded affirmatively, took off the jade pendant, and handed it to Song Xu Yi. She then casually pinched Song Xu Yi’s cheek.

As Song Xu Yi looked at the jade pendant so close at hand, despite her strong aversion to having her cheek pinched, she endured it.

Fu Xi Yu glanced at Song Xu Yi with a pensive expression, a hint of a smile once again crossing her eyes. In the end, just as Song Xu Yi had hoped, Fu Xi Yu lowered her head and placed the jade pendant into Song Xu Yi’s embrace.

Though the little villain was vile, she kept her word. Such an expensive jade pendant was given as promised…

With these thoughts in mind, despite their differing positions, Song Xu Yi looked at the jade pendant in her embrace and slightly bent her eyes towards Fu Xi Yu. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

“No need to thank me,” Fu Xi Yu replied.

Fu Xi Yu took a step forward and glanced back at Song Xu Yi.

Her expression remained cold and indifferent, but her eyes sparkled with a smile. “The Sect Leader asked me to give you this jade pendant. Every disciple of the Sect Leader has one. It’s your identification within the sect. Xu Yi, make sure to keep it safe!”

Identification?!

Song Xu Yi was taken aback. She only now noticed that the corner of the jade pendant was inscribed with the two words “Taiji Sect”…

So this jade pendant originally belonged to her?!

Realizing once again that she had been played by Fu Xi Yu, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel the urge to bite this infuriating little villain!

However, the villain once again resumed her calm and indifferent demeanor, as if she hadn’t just been teasing Song Xu Yi. She even took a step back, pushing open the door of a nearby room while holding Song Xu Yi’s heavy burden. “You’ve run all the way here and sweated a lot. You smell a bit. Take a bath and change into the Taiji Sect’s attire first. Later, I will take you to meet the Sect Leader.”

Pointing to a room next to them, she continued, “This is your room. I’ll put your things in there. The Sect Leader has only taken in the two of us as female disciples. We are the only ones living in this courtyard. If you have any concerns, you can come find me.”

Song Xu Yi was on the verge of tears because of Fu Xi Yu’s tone!

Who was the reason she ran so fast? And now this damned villain had the audacity to criticize her for smelling bad?!

“When I grow up and master advanced martial arts, the first thing I’ll do is beat up this little villain as a sack!” Song Xu Yi expressed her strong desire to teach Fu Xi Yu a lesson, but at the current stage, she didn’t dare to provoke this little villain. She could only vent her frustration by speaking to the system in her mind.

“Of course!” The system had never seen Song Xu Yi despise the villain so much, and it was thrilled to witness it. It quickly chimed in, “Don’t worry, I’ll set a reminder every five years to make sure I remind you on time!”

……

Song Xu Yi was just venting her frustration, but she didn’t expect the system to take it seriously. Afraid of jinxing herself, she didn’t dare to say anything further and angrily entered the bathroom.

As the number one martial arts sect in the world, Taiji Sect truly lived up to its reputation with its abundant resources. Although the courtyard didn’t appear large, there were two hot springs made of white marble inside the bathroom. Song Xu Yi glanced at the smaller pool and noticed a set of disciple’s clothing and bathing utensils neatly arranged nearby. It suddenly dawned on her, remembering what Song Xu had told her: Taiji Sect had a tradition that required every disciple to bathe and change clothes upon entering.

It was supposed to be a sect tradition, but the little villain managed to turn even the most ordinary things into irritating matters. If Song Xu Yi were really a 6 year old girl, she would probably have been brought to tears by her antics.

Thinking about the behavior of the little villain throughout their journey, Song Xu Yi became increasingly irritated. However, knowing that she still had to meet with the Sect Leader later, she didn’t dare to delay and promptly changed into the disciple’s attire before leaving the bathroom.

The courtyard was empty, with no sign of the little villain. After the system assured her that there was no one lurking around, Song Xu Yi opened her bag.

To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, when she had packed her belongings before setting off, she had placed a few hairpins in a special location inside her bag. However, it seemed that no one had tampered with her bag, as the hairpins were still in place.

Song Xu Yi pursed her lips slightly and closed her bag. Just then, she heard the cold voice of Fu Xi Yu from outside, asking, “Are you ready?”

“Almost!” Song Xu Yi hurriedly replied, quickly wiping her hair with a cloth. She realized that she couldn’t meet the Sect Leader with disheveled hair, so she decisively tied up her wet hair into two buns, fastened the jade pendant to her belt, and then pushed open the door.

Fu Xi Yu was waiting at the door, seemingly examining something in an incense sachet. When she saw Song Xu Yi come out, Fu Xi Yu closed the sachet and took a few steps forward. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around, her eyes gazing down at Song Xu Yi with an unreadable expression.

What was she up to now?

Song Xu Yi furrowed her brows and stared at Fu Xi Yu with a vigilant expression.

As expected, Fu Xi Yu reached out and directly touched Song Xu Yi’s neatly arranged bun…

“Senior Sister, it took me so long to tie up my hair!” Song Xu Yi noticed Fu Xi Yu’s intentions and tried to avoid her touch, speaking loudly in protest.

However, Song Xu Yi’s objections were in vain. Her feeble resistance was no match for Fu Xi Yu, who coldly and mercilessly dismantled her bun.

“This is outrageous!” Song Xu Yi walked with her hair disheveled, head lowered, in the cold wind. She silently followed behind Fu Xi Yu, on the verge of tears from the frustration caused by this little villain. “System! I’m serious. When I have the strength, one day I’ll definitely give this brat a good beating!”

“I’ll remember!” The system’s voice sounded extremely serious, but Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel that it was suppressing a gleeful laughter. “I will set an annual alarm for you! Keep going, Xu Yi, you can do it. I look forward to that day!”

Fu Xi Yu walked silently ahead, and Song Xu Yi kept her frustration to herself, not uttering a word along the way. They continued walking inward until they reached the entrance of a grand hall.

The doors of the hall were tightly closed. Lost in her thoughts, Song Xu Yi accidentally bumped into Fu Xi Yu’s back once again.

Fu Xi Yu turned around and once again gazed at Song Xu Yi with that mysterious look in her eyes.

Song Xu Yi’s scalp tingled, but she reminded herself that her hair was already disheveled and she was single anyway, so she had nothing to fear even if Fu Xi Yu caused trouble. She bravely stared back at her with determination in her eyes.

Fu Xi Yu glanced at Song Xu Yi and once again extended her hand, expressionless.

It wasn’t until Fu Xi Yu spent a while arranging Song Xu Yi’s hair that Song Xu Yi finally realized: Fu Xi Yu was helping her with her hairstyle!

Was it a pang of conscience?

Song Xu Yi looked up at Fu Xi Yu. Fu Xi Yu tightly pursed her lips, her fingers skillfully working on her hair, appearing incredibly focused.

“System,” Song Xu Yi thought, considering that Fu Xi Yu must have undone her hairstyle earlier to prevent her from getting a headache with damp hair tied up, she couldn’t help but contact the system again. “Perhaps it’s understandable that Fu Xi Yu undid my hair. How about this: once I master my skills, I’ll just give that little villain Fu Xi Yu a good beating?”

“No, you can’t,” Song Xu Yi said, surprised by the system’s emotional response. “Xu Yi, you can’t go back on your word. If I say you’ll give her a beating, I must follow through with it…twice.”

Song Xu Yi was about to argue and tell the system not to take it too seriously, as she couldn’t guarantee defeating Fu Xi Yu when she grew up. After all, in the original plot, Fu Xi Yu was able to fatally strike Taiji Sect’s Sect Leader Lu Dun with a single sword. Even though Lu Dun might not have been on guard, the fact that Fu Xi Yu could successfully ambush the world’s top martial artist showcased her outstanding martial skills. However, before Song Xu Yi could speak, the closed doors of the hall swung open from within, and a group of people walked out.

“Let’s go!”

Fu Xi Yu’s eyes flickered, and she swiftly adjusted Song Xu Yi’s hair with a touch before leading her inside.

Song Xu Yi immediately straightened her posture, disregarding her hair, took a deep breath, and followed Fu Xi Yu into the hall.

Inside the hall, several young men stood respectfully with their heads bowed next to the main seat. Seated on the main seat was a man, whose face was extraordinarily handsome. His immaculate and delicate features made it nearly impossible to determine his age.

As Song Xu Yi walked through the Taiji Sect, she saw many exceptionally good-looking individuals. The young men standing nearby were also remarkably attractive, but the man on the main seat clearly possessed the most captivating appearance.

Despite it being early winter, the man wore thin clothing and slowly waved a fan in his hand. When he saw Fu Xi Yu enter, he closed the fan and his gaze fell upon Song Xu Yi, who stood behind Fu Xi Yu. A faint smile formed at the corner of his eyes, revealing a prominent smile line.

“Master,” Fu Xi Yu respectfully lowered her head.

Could this be Lu Dun, who was once known as the “Jade-Faced Scholar” in his youth?

Now approaching middle age, this man appeared much younger than Song Xu Yi had expected.

However, upon seeing Lu Dun’s appearance, Song Xu Yi began to understand why he had such a legendary life.

In his youth, Lu Dun was merely a young warrior from a small sect. Through a fortuitous encounter, he became sworn brothers with Mo Wen, the sole son of the former Taiji Sect’s Sect Leader. Together, they roamed the martial world, forming the famous “Twin Heroes of Nanjun.” Mo Wen gained fame for his exceptional martial arts skills, while Lu Dun’s handsome appearance spread far and wide. Perhaps due to Lu Dun’s overwhelming reputation, it attracted the attention of Yu Rudie, the top enchantress of the Demon Sect at that time. Exploiting her superior cultivation, Yu Rudie captured Lu Dun and brought him into the demonic sect.

Very few righteous individuals who entered the Demon Sect managed to come out alive. At the time, everyone in the martial world believed that Lu Dun had perished. Even Lu Dun’s parents had erected a memorial tablet for him, considering him deceased. However, several years later, Mo Wen risked his life to rescue Lu Dun from the depths of the Demon Sect, and Lu Dun subsequently joined the Taiji Sect.

During his time in the Demon Sect, Lu Dun had an extraordinary encounter. His previously mediocre martial arts suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds. After rescuing Lu Dun, perhaps due to the injuries sustained during his infiltration of the Demon Sect, Mo Wen’s meridians deteriorated, and he passed away within a few years. Overwhelmed with grief, Lu Dun took it upon himself to care for the ailing former Sect Leader. Grateful for his filial piety, the former Sect Leader left a letter appointing Lu Dun as his successor.

Of course, with Taiji Sect’s century-long heritage, the sudden rise of an outsider to the position of Sect Leader naturally faced opposition. However, Lu Dun suppressed all dissenting voices with his formidable strength. In recent years, no one has dared to challenge Lu Dun’s authority.

……

Song Xu Yi was astonished by Lu Dun’s appearance, but her train of thought was abruptly interrupted when Fu Xi Yu suddenly stepped on her shoe.

Startled, Song Xu Yi regained her composure and looked at Lu Dun, who was smiling at her. She quickly lowered her head and spoke, “Disciple Song Xu Yi pays respects to Master!”

“Alright, that’s enough formalities,” Lu Dun said, observing Song Xu Yi’s expression. The smile lines around his eyes became more pronounced. “I heard from Xi Yu that a highly talented disciple has recently joined us, but I didn’t expect you to be this young.” Lu Dun then turned his gaze towards Fu Xi Yu. “Xi Yu, after spending some time together, what do you think of Xu Yi?”

Lu Dun had a handsome appearance, and his voice sounded gentle. He was evidently a kind-hearted person.

The other male disciples standing nearby appeared relatively relaxed in their posture, even though they were standing. However, Fu Xi Yu, probably due to her undercover status in the Demon Sect, kept her head lowered, displaying an incredibly respectful demeanor.

“Not good at all,” Fu Xi Yu tugged at the corner of her lips, contemplating for a moment before responding, “Clueless and a bit foolish!”

As soon as Fu Xi Yu finished speaking, one of the male disciples beside her burst out laughing, while Lu Dun, in a seemingly disciplinary manner, folded his fan and lightly tapped Fu Xi Yu’s head. “How can you describe Junior Sister like that?”

“Xu Yi, don’t listen to your Senior Sister’s nonsense,” Lu Dun said, turning his head to look at Song Xu Yi, whose face had turned red as she glared at Fu Xi Yu. He spoke in a gentle tone, “Your Senior Sister is just joking. Deep down, she actually appreciates you. Otherwise, she would have left you behind a long time ago. Don’t take her jokes seriously.”

“Men and women are different, and you’re still young. In the future, you will follow your Senior Sister Xi Yu. When you reach a certain age, I will personally guide you. Your Senior Sister Xi Yu will take good care of you. If you ever feel wronged under her guidance, come to your Master, and I will support you.”

Song Xu Yi had lived for so many years and had never been described as foolish. She was on the verge of tears from anger. She felt that Fu Xi Yu wasn’t joking; the little villain truly believed she was foolish. Throughout the journey, Fu Xi Yu had gone out of her way to torment her and make her feel discouraged. If it were any other 6 years old child, they would have been overwhelmed. It was thanks to her strong resilience that she hadn’t been pushed to the brink by Fu Xi Yu’s constant provocation.

Now that she was under the eaves, Song Xu Yi naturally had to lower her head, especially since she had the task of keeping an eye on the villain and preventing her from causing trouble. Despite her intense hatred for the little villain, Song Xu Yi gritted her teeth and spoke, “Thank you, Master.”

“Once you’re in the Taiji Sect, we’re all one family. No need to be polite!” Lu Dun waved his hand and smiled at Fu Xi Yu. “You take Junior Sister back first. She’s still young, so teach her slowly. Start with teaching her how to tidy up her appearance. In the future, I will inquire about Xu Yi’s progress. Today, I’ll first assess the martial arts skills of your fellow disciples.”

Fu Xi Yu nodded and said, “Disciple takes her leave,” then led Song Xu Yi out.

Song Xu Yi’s mind was preoccupied with Lu Dun’s mention of “teaching her appearance.” Absentmindedly, she followed behind Fu Xi Yu as they walked out of the hall. She was lost in thoughts about her own attire, wondering where she might have gone wrong. She searched but couldn’t find any flaws. When they reached the edge of a pond, Song Xu Yi felt a pang in her heart and glanced at her reflection in the water.

After seeing her own comically crooked and lopsided hairstyle in the reflection, Song Xu Yi felt a moment of despair. There was even a brief instant when she didn’t want to care about the mission anymore and just wanted to run back and cling to Lu Dun, avoiding any close contact with this infuriating little villain…

The contrast was just too stark: Lu Dun was so good! Patient and meticulous in teaching his disciples, unlike this annoying little villain who only knew how to torment her…

But Song Xu Yi was an adult.

An adult had to learn to endure humiliation and carry burdens.

Song Xu Yi took a deep breath and gritted her teeth as she told the system, “After I become proficient in martial arts, I will definitely give Fu Xi Yu a good beating three times!” Then, still pouting, she followed behind Fu Xi Yu and returned to the courtyard together with her, seething with anger.

As soon as they entered the room, Song Xu Yi closed the door and unraveled her messy hair.

As she recalled that there were two hairbands in her bundle, Song Xu Yi spread out her belongings, but her gaze suddenly froze—

Her bundle had been tampered with: the strand of hair she had intentionally placed there was gone!

Fu Xi Yu had been with her the entire time, so someone else must have rummaged through her belongings.

Indeed, there was more than one spy from the Demon Sect within the Taiji Sect…

Fortunately, the spy hadn’t noticed anything unusual, and the hairpin containing the hidden map was still intact.

Who could be the other spy?

……

Song Xu Yi was about to discuss with the system when two short knocks came from the door. Fu Xi Yu’s icy voice resounded from outside the door—

“Come out!”

What kind of trouble was she causing now?

Song Xu Yi didn’t want to go outside.

But remembering her plan to endure and bear burdens, Song Xu Yi reluctantly opened the door in the end.

Fu Xi Yu held a sachet in her hand. Upon seeing Song Xu Yi still looking a bit downcast, she scoffed, “Still sulking, huh?”

Song Xu Yi remained silent, keeping her eyes lowered, ignoring Fu Xi Yu.

The young girl’s eyes darkened, and once again, she pinched Song Xu Yi’s cheek. As Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but raise her eyes and glare at her in anger, Fu Xi Yu finally let go and tossed the sachet into Song Xu Yi’s lap—

“Hey, my silver is all in there!” In the girl’s eyes, a shallow smile emerged, one that even she hadn’t noticed.

“You petty and money-grubbing little grump, Little—Xu Yi!”