Title: After the Villainess Awakens
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 12 - My nickname is Nianci. It's the name my mother gave me (2)
Leng Mushi's highly tense mind and body relaxed. She slowly knelt on the ground. Placing her hands on the ground for support, she quickly breathed.
Her sacrifice was too big. She scoffed and shook her head. She laughed in spite of herself.
She couldn't stand that her mother was so pure and virtuous that she would get bullied. At certain times, she resented her mother's weakness. If her mother wasn't so soft-hearted, her father wouldn't dare to treat her like that. She wouldn't have come to such a miserable end and perished so young.
She had sworn that she would never be as foolish as her mother. She would rather others be fed up with her than be bullied.
But now, kneeling on the ground, she had to admit that her mother's influence on her couldn't be stripped away.
Her mother's softly spoken teachings had silently penetrated her spine at an early age. Like a gardener, her mother had pruned away her contrary leaves and dictated her direction of growth. It was impossible for her to remove the entrenched foolishness in her bones.
She raised her hand and gently touched the side of her face. She grimaced and put down her hand. It would be best if they could quickly find reinforcement. If she really died today, she would become a malicious spirit. Even if she became the demoness's puppet, she would find them and take revenge on them!
The demoness walked out of the blood pool. She was holding a blood-stained lantern and slowly walking towards Leng Mushi.
"Do you regret it? I know you're lying to me." The demoness walked up to Leng Mushi, placed the lantern by her feet, leaned over, and looked at her with a smile.
"Those two men aren't a couple. Their bodies don't have the scent of each other."
Instead of answering her, Leng Mushi looked at her and spoke to her as if she was a normal person, "You're a powerful demoness. Everything is an illusion under your control. How about changing us to a clean environment? This place is so disgusting."
Most importantly, the blood was corrosive. There was no place to lie down. She wanted to lie down. She was exhausted.
The demoness slightly tilted her head and looked at Leng Mushi like she was a strange animal.
"Aren't you afraid of me? Or are you not afraid of death?"
Leng Mushi was mainly trying her best to stall for time. She smiled at the demoness and said, "You're an exceptionally charming beauty. I'm naturally not afraid of you."
She was telling the truth. The painted skin demoness was truly a beauty. Moreover, now that she was the size of a normal person, her soft and charming facial features actually reminded her a bit of her mother.
She just didn't know if that was the demoness's real skin or someone else's.
There was no woman that didn't like to be praised, especially when Leng Mushi sincerely meant it.
The demoness sweetly laughed and touched her face with her bright red nails.
"You really have a glib tongue. You're a sweet-talker like my beloved husband…"
Her voice suddenly became sharp for some unknown reason in the latter half, "But now I hate people like him. You have to die!"
Leng Mushi thought; this woman's mood was too mercurial.
Leng Mushi didn't bother to run. If the demoness really wanted to kill her, there was no way she could escape.
The demoness waved her hand. Leng Mushi closed her eyes. She was unwilling to accept her fate, but there was nothing she could do.
She quietly requested, "Please leave me an intact body…"
She didn't want to risk her mother seeing her mutilated body if they met in the underworld. It would make her mother so sad.
However, a moment later, she didn't feel the pain of dying. On the contrary, when she opened her eyes, she saw the surrounding scenery rapidly changing. As expected, the powerful demoness was an expert at controlling illusions. They soon found themselves on a hillside.
The sun was shining brightly, and she could feel the soft grass beneath her. She could even smell the unique scent of mountain celery wormwood in autumn and feel a slightly cool wind blowing on her face that slightly alleviated the burning pain on her face.
She didn't care if this was an illusion. She took a deep breath and then slowly lay down on the grass.
The demoness was standing behind her. She had changed into an apricot dress. The mountain wind gently blew around her, carrying bursts of fragrance. She blocked the sunlight above her head with her hand. She was smiling, and she looked so harmless.
Leng Mushi thought; if people saw them right now and had to guess who was the evil spirit, they would definitely pick her over the demoness.
"You're so at ease and not afraid that I'll kill you." The demoness looked down at her. "I haven't met someone as interesting as you in a long time."
In a regretful voice, the demoness said, "I know you were lying to me, but I still let them go. I don't have to kill you either, but can you chat with me?"
Leng Mushi had been lying on the ground like a dead fish, accepting her fate. However, when she heard that she wasn't going to kill her and just wanted to talk, she immediately recovered in shock and grabbed her.
"Let's chat! What did you want to talk about? From ancient times to the present, from the underworld palace and the heavenly palace to ants and other insects, what are you interested in?" Leng Mushi's face was ruined, but her eyes were extremely bright.
"Pfft." The demoness sat down by Leng Mushi. "You're so interesting. You're just like him."
"Who…?" Leng Mushi asked.
"That heartless husband of mine," the demoness said, "What's your name?"
Leng Mushi smiled and said, "My nickname is Nianci. It's the name my mother gave me."
"Your mother must have hope that you'll remember to be compassionate. You lived up to her expectations. You sacrificed yourself for others," the demoness said, "My name is Fenlian."
(T/N: The characters for Nianci can be read as remember to be compassionate.)
Translator Ramblings: I like the author's portrayal of Leng Mushi's journey to adulthood, which will continue throughout the story. That realization that good or bad, you're exactly like your parents in certain ways. That your parents' influence on you is so heavy and unavoidable even if you try to resist it.