Lin Jiu could feel Wei Liang’s lips right above hers, just a breath’s distance. She didn’t trust his integrity in the slightest. This refined scoundrel, she suspected, would seize the opportunity to do something even more inappropriate if she dared to open her mouth!
Feeling cornered with no way out, Lin Jiu desperately turned her face to the side, trying to avoid his lips. However, the man was like a snake fixated on its prey, swiftly and precisely grasped her lips to give them a light, punishing nibble.
A shiver ran down Lin Jiu’s spine, nearly making her hair stand on end.
With two fingers, Wei Liang held her cheek, tilting her head back into place. He leisurely squinted his eyes at her, making it clear that any attempt to escape would only lead to a harsher punishment.
Lin Jiu took a deep breath, pressing her lips firmly together. “Xiong Yulian gave me this bottle and instigated me to slip its content into Liu Qingyin’s tea to make her sleep with Murong Chun. I didn’t do that, of course—I’m a good person, why would I ever do something like that?
Pretending to be aggrieved, she kept going, “Everyone knows you and Liu Qingyin have feelings for each other. I forced my way into this marriage, so, of course, I’m now the most hated person around here. Just yesterday, we got married, and today, a disciple has already set a trap for me. Who knows how many more pitfalls will be laid out for me tomorrow or the day after?”
Wei Liang frowned slightly, his expression unreadable as he motioned for her to continue.
Lin Jiu continued, “I’ve already made an enemy of the Dongting Wang family. If I leave Wanjiangui Sect, they’ll come after me for sure. And if they find out I’ve used the Stalactite Spiritual Essence, they’ll skin me alive! So, before you throw me out, you need to teach me some skills to at least keep them off my trail. When I talked about ‘gaining benefits,’ that’s all I meant—nothing more!”
Wei Liang’s cold fingertips grazed her cheek, his tone nonchalant. “Throw you out? That’s not what you muttered earlier.”
Lin Jiu’s survival instincts kicked in. “Whether you kick me out or I leave on my own… the end result is the same, isn’t it?”
The man’s fingers continued tracing down her cheek before suddenly clamping around her chin. “Trying to escape from me? Not a chance—not in this life.”
Saying this, he leisurely squinted his eyes, his gaze drifting to her rosy lips as he seemed to calculate the best angle to launch his next attack.
Lin Jiu looked at his beautifully shaped lips, feeling utterly hopeless. ‘Wait a moment! Has the male lead gotten the wrong script? What’s going on here?!’
Just as she was paralyzed with fear, bracing herself for the wolf to pounce on her at any moment, Wei Liang’s eyes suddenly sharpened. He brought a finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh.”
Startled, Lin Jiu watched in astonishment as Wei Liang’s body floated upward like a bat, clinging to the canopy frame and blending into the crimson silk drapes.
Bam!
The wooden door was kicked open. Lin Jiu glanced at Wei Liang, then turned her gaze to the doorway.
It was a familiar face—Xiong Yulian, flanked by two black-clad men wielding a sword. Their eyes, filled with darkness and gloom, made it clear that they were not disciples of the Wanjiangui Sect.
Lin Jiu was genuinely stunned. “You caused trouble just this afternoon, and now you’re bringing outsiders into the main peak by night? Xiong Yulian, do you own this sect or what?”
Xiong Yulian looked crazed. “Master and Martial Uncles are stubborn fools! They know you’re no good, yet they stubbornly cling to their outdated beliefs, insisting on upholding this so-called righteousness! Since they refuse to dirty their hands, I’ll take matters into my own! Master has shown me boundless kindness, and I, Xiong Yulian, am ready to risk my life to rid her of this great scourge!”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lin Jiu put on her best look of fear. “You openly brought outsiders into the sect to commit murder?! Aren’t you afraid of implicating your master?!”
Xiong Yulian sneered. “I used Martial Uncle Murong’s token. Master knows nothing of this, and I’ll take full responsibility for my actions! Don’t worry, I won’t implicate my Master! When you’re in the underworld, watch as Master and Sword Monarch finally become a couple! Believe me, you will see that day come!”
“…” Lin Jiu wanted to sneer. ‘Spoiling the plot? But I’ve read the ending!’
Xiong Yulian signaled the two assassins to flank from both sides, sealing off all of Lin Jiu’s escape routes. Like every villain on the verge of success, she began to ramble incessantly.
“Who do you think you are? When your shameless mother dragged you around, crying and begging for pity, Master had already investigated your past! You’ve sworn undying love to countless men—do you even remember their number? You may have kept your virginity, but except for crossing the last line, what kind of immoral conduct haven’t you committed? And you dare to covet the Sword Monarch? Ha! The Sword Monarch is the finest man in this world! Even I don’t dare to dream of him, so what makes you think you deserve to marry him?!”
“Heh, haha!” Xiong Yulian’s face was oddly flushed, as if from excessive excitement. She waved her hand forcefully and continued, “The only woman worthy of Sword Monarch is my Master! Do you get that? Master is such a wonderful person; how dare you hurt her! Do you have any idea how much she drank with me tonight?! Watching her in so much pain broke my heart! This is all your fault! If you had obediently drugged Master’s cup, you would’ve been sent back to Dongting at most, with your life spared. But now, you’ve brought this upon yourself, so don’t blame anyone else!”
The smell of alcohol wafted through the air. “What have I done to hurt Liu Qingyin?” Lin Jiu asked curiously. “You instigated me to drug her cup, but I did nothing. How does that harm her? Why did she feel so wronged and have to drown her sorrows in alcohol? Didn’t I tell her? If she and Wei Liang are truly in love, I’ll pack my things and leave without a word. Whatever discontent she has, she can take it up with Wei Liang. What good is complaining to you? Besides stealing her senior brother’s token and hiring assassins to kill me, what else can you do?”
Even the completely sober Xiong Yulian was no opponent of Lin Jiu’s sharp retort, let alone her drunken state. The black-clad killer on her left grew impatient and shouted, “Are we killing or not? Although the spirit stones you provided are enough, this is the Wanjiangui Sect. If we’re discovered, we’ll lose our lives here!”
“Fine, fine.” Xiong Yulian bit her lower lip, the redness on her cheeks faded, replaced with a dull look as she said, “Kill her now. Make it quick and throw the body into the ravine.”
The two killers exchanged a glance, one of them extending his tongue to lightly lick the blade. As they were about to strike Lin Jiu, a weak voice belonged to a man rang from the entrance: “Stop.”
Xiong Yulian turned around and was instantly shocked. “Eldest Martial Uncle!”
Lin Jiu was equally stunned. It was indeed Qin Yunxi, his cold, intense gaze locked onto Xiong Yulian. His face was slightly flushed, and he appeared extremely weak. It seemed he had pushed his wheelchair up the main peak, straining himself along the upward path next to the stone steps.
“Isn’t this the Great Sword Immortal Qin Yunxi?” one of the killers muttered, his voice trembling. “Wasn’t he said to be critically injured, on the brink of death?”
Xiong Yulian’s eyes flickered violently as she bit down on her lower lip until it bled. After a brief silence, she made a ruthless decision. “Kill her! Eldest Martial Uncle’s cultivation hasn’t recovered; he’s just a cripple!”
Qin Yunxi’s lips moved slightly, his voice strained. “Xiong Yulian, do you intend to kill even me?”
Xiong Yulian’s brows furrowed. “If you pretend you saw nothing, turn around now, and go back to your Yunhe Peak, I wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for you, Martial Uncle!”
Qin Yunxi let out a deep sigh. “How did you become like this… Today, I will not allow you to commit murder here!”
Xiong Yulian gritted her teeth and yelled at the two killers, “What are you waiting for? Attack!”
The men unsheathed their swords, swiftly forming sword seals. The blade tips, gleaming with a cold light, pointed directly at Lin Jiu.
“Martial Uncle, forgive me!” Xiong Yulian rushed forward, spinning Qin Yunxi’s wheelchair on the spot and pushing him quickly toward the exit.
Lin Jiu’s sharp eyes caught Xiong Yulian’s other hand quietly drawing the sword from her waist, aiming to slice Qin Yunxi’s wrist artery.
At this moment, the two blades had already closed in, one targeting Lin Jiu’s eyes, the other her throat.
In that split second, the temperature in the small room dropped sharply. A faint, metallic ring echoed through the air, and in the next moment, a layer of snow-white frost spread over the swords held by the killers and Xiong Yulian.
Stunned by this unexpected turn of events, the three halted momentarily, but their hands continued to thrust the swords forward.
Creak—clang, clang, clang!
Inch by inch, the three frost-covered blades shattered, beginning at the tips and fracturing into fragments that scattered to the ground, splintering into tiny, sparkling ice particles.
The owners of the blades stood frozen, holding their now bladeless hilts. Xiong Yulian was the first to react, “S-Sword Monarch?!”
Wei Liang’s figure appeared like a phantom. He raised one hand lightly and clenched his fist. Immediately, Xiong Yulian and the two killers screamed in agony, coughing up frozen clots of blood.
“Wait!” Qin Yunxi suddenly called out, “Disciples who commit crimes should be handed over to the Punishment Hall! Aren’t you the one who never kills your own… Master?”
Wei Liang’s hand paused. Lin Jiu noticed a hint of a mocking smile flicker in his cold, dark eyes. He slowly walked up to Qin Yunxi, pulled a lush green, rooted herb from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the man’s lap.
“This is… the Essence Solidifier Herb…” Qin Yunxi’s expression grew complicated. He glanced at Wei Liang a few times, then bowed his head slightly, “Thank you, Master.”
He then glanced at the three motionless people sprawled on the ground and said, “I have released the signal smoke. The Punishment Hall will be here soon to arrest them.”
Wei Liang turned his gaze away from the wheelchair-bound man and gestured for Lin Jiu to follow. She quickly scampered after him out of the room. “If I hadn’t returned today, what would you have done?” Wei Liang asked abruptly, his expression darkening.
A sudden flash of insight crossed Lin Jiu’s mind—‘Did Wei Liang deliberately tease and frighten me on the bed earlier because he was upset?’
‘Is he worried about me? No way!’
Amidst a whirlwind of emotions, she responded cautiously, “Although Wanjiangui is renowned for its uprightness, I know I must remain cautious. Since Xiong Yulian could plot against me in such a vicious way, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t try something else during the night. So, I had planned to take the white jade bottle and report her to the Punishment Hall. Then I would have stayed there and waited for you to return.”
“You seem to understand the inner workings of the sect quite well,” Wei Liang raised an eyebrow slightly.
The Punishment Hall was overseen by an elder surnamed Xing, who was highly esteemed, extremely upright, and never showed any favoritism. Among the entire Wanjiangui Sect, he was the one who most openly opposed the relationship between Wei Liang and Liu Qingyin. On the day the male and female leads ascended together, this old man retired in resentment, got drunk for three days, and lamented the decline of this generation’s morals.
Indeed, Lin Jiu had already secretly prepared her escape route. She knew that staying in the Punishment Hall would be absolutely safe.
“Let’s see…” Wei Liang stopped, his eyes fixed on Lin Jiu with a somewhat meaningful smile, “Don’t you think it’s time to expel that rebellious disciple from the sect?”
Lin Jiu froze, suddenly realizing—‘He’s talking about the female lead!’
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I think Liu Qingyin instigated that stupid disciple. She doesn’t seem smart enough to think to steal a token to hire assassins. And how did the wheel chair bound first disciple learn of this plot??? For him to make it there in time via his wheechair, he had to have known before the token was stolen. So many questions at this point.
The note where Qin Yunxi says ‘aren’t you [x]….Master?’ makes me very curious. Is someone else possessing Wei Liang, maybe in a different way than Lin Jiu? Or did Wei Liang and Qin Yunxi regress after some mysterious event, and that’s why Qin Yunxi was able to avoid death, knew she was going to dose the tea and also has to pointedly ‘remind’ Wei Liang of what his behavior should be? In that case, is Lin Jiu’s transmigration as straight forward as it seems at the start or…? I’m so curious. Thank you for the chapter!
I think they swapped bodies & regressed. Wei Liang and Qin Yunxi I mean.
I think the 2 regressed and swapped bodies.