Title: After the Villainess Awakens
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 20 - Oh, he's teaching you how to catch an immortal (1)
Leng Mushi went to sleep early, but Xiao Mian stayed up all night. He sat on his bed and cultivated all night with a solemn expression.
The next morning, the two shixiongs saw that their shidi had worked so hard. They felt guilty and a sense of crisis.
Even though their little shidi was so talented, he still worked so hard. They couldn't be so degenerate. No more sleeping at night! They had to cultivate too!
—
They would be busy traveling back to the Taichu Sect today. They had to bring the two sisters to their shizun, debrief, and see how their shizun would arrange for them to enter the sect.
They were at the foot of the Taichu Sect's mountain, which was naturally the safest place. Along the way, Yi Tu rode his horse near the carriage to chat with Leng Mushi. These two chatty people had experienced life and death together, so their chatterboxes naturally couldn't keep quiet.
Leng Mushi was a very good listener. No matter what she heard, she would react as if she heard the most strange and shocking thing. Xing Zhou was like a dead log as a conversation partner, so she greatly alleviated the sadness of a chatty person like Yi Tu, who used to only have Xing Zhou to talk to.
And so, Leng Mushi pushed the carriage window open, and Yi Tu simply tied his horse's reins to the side of the carriage. They talked all morning. When the group stopped at a tavern to eat lunch, they were still talking and joking.
"You don't need to lock your doors at night here?" Leng Mushi said in surprise. "Then the foot of the Taichu Sect's mountain is truly a paradise."
"Yeah, almost all the households here have everlasting lamps that can keep out demons. These lamps are made by the Taichu Sect's disciples." When he said those words, Yi Tu had a proud expression.
At this time, the owner of the tavern brought over a side dish and said while placing the plate on the table, "Immortals, please enjoy this on the house. What this immortal said is the truth. The peace in this area is all thanks to the Taichu Sect, especially for taverns like this one. The two everlasting lamps in the backyard are almost out of spiritual energy. Can I bother one of the immortals to recharge the lamps?"
When the owner said these words, he looked at the two females in the group.
People naturally liked female immortals more than male immortals. The owner looked over Leng Mushi before stopping at Leng Tianyin. Even though Leng Tianyin wasn't wearing the uniform of a Taichu Sect disciple, she was still the most ethereal and otherworldly beauty. She was worthy of being the heroine. No matter where she went, she would be adored.
Leng Mushi was wearing a headscarf slanted to hide her ugly scab. But even so, she was a completely different type of beauty from Leng Tianyin. She had fox-like eyes, red lips, and a straight nose. When her eyes were lowered, she looked cold and gloomy. When she looked at someone, she didn't look like a decent girl.
Leng Tianyin, who had a pure and pretty appearance and gave off a sense of distance, looked more like a female immortal of the two. When the two were compared, Leng Mushi's bewitching appearance was less pleasing.
Speaking of which, Leng Mushi didn't like her face. She didn't take after her mom, who had a gentle and soft appearance. On the contrary, she looked a lot like her frivolous and despicable father.
However, Leng Mushi never had an inferiority complex because of her appearance. After all, her fingers and stature took after her mother's. A servant had once said that when her mother and her were wearing outfits of the same color, it was impossible to tell who was who.
For her, this was the best inheritance.
Thus, Leng Mushi looked at Leng Tianyin as if she was watching a lively show. She wasn't surprised. After all, Leng Tianyin was the heavens' darling. Moreover, she noticed that Xiao Mian was slightly frowning because the tavern owner's eyes were on Leng Tianyin.
Oh, people couldn't even look at her? So possessive.
Leng Tianyin realized that the tavern owner was speaking to her and instinctively shook her head. Just as she was about to put down her chopsticks and say she wasn't an immortal and hadn't joined a sect, Xiao Mian, who was sitting across from her, stood up and said, "Tavern keeper, I'm finished eating. I'll help you."
Since Xiao Mian had spoken, the tavern owner naturally couldn't bother the female immortal further. With a gentle smile, the tavern owner said, "Okay, sorry for the trouble."
Xiao Mian indifferently nodded. He had been sitting with his back facing the tavern owner. Once he stood up, he was a head taller than the tavern owner, who was in his 40's. With Xiao Mian's cold expression, there was an ample sense of pressure.
When the tavern owner met his eyes, he realized that this immortal was actually more attractive than the female immortal. Still, no matter how attractive he was, he was a man, and the tavern owner couldn't appreciate his appearance.
Moreover, Xiao Mian's imposing demeanor was too strong for a mortal like him. The tavern owner's smile dimmed, and his expression also became more serious when faced with Xiao Mian's cold expression. He bowed and raised his hand to lead Xiao Mian to the backyard.
"Immortal, please follow me," the tavern owner somewhat fawningly said.
"You need someone to hold the spiritual energy attracting bag that's used for the everlasting lamp. It's a bit troublesome to attract spiritual energy by yourself." Yi Tu swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "Xing Zhou, go help our shidi after you're done eating."
Xing Zhou wasn't done eating yet, but Leng Tianyin had finished. Somewhat embarrassed, she looked at Yi Tu and quietly asked, "Can I help Brother Xiao? Do you need spiritual energy to be able to help?"
She had been quite the burden on them along the way. She wanted to help. Moreover, she had such a good attitude. No one would dislike someone like her.
Yi Tu smiled. "It's just holding the spiritual energy attracting bag. You don't need cultivation for that. But if you're not going to cultivate, it's best to not touch that type of bag. It'll absorb your vitality. That's why the tavern keeper can't use it. Miss Leng, if you want to go look, feel free."
After all, these two teenage girls came here to enter the sect. The Taichu Sect was a place with extremely abundant spiritual energy. The sect was directly above a spiritual vein. Even if she lost a bit of vitality, she would quickly recover it upon going up the mountain.
While Leng Mushi ate the congee and side dishes, she looked at Xiao Mian, who had stepped up to help Leng Tianyin. She curled her lips and silently tsked. These two lovebirds were so nauseating.
Unexpectedly, even though Leng Tianyin had already stood up, the law, who had been well-behaved and cold, suddenly turned hot.
Leng Mushi's grip on the chopstick stiffened. The stone became hotter. It wanted her to participate.
The matter with the painted skin demoness had given Leng Mushi the hope that she could change her fate. She had thought she had taken control of her future and escaped fate's shackle. Awakening five spiritual roots in advance was her evidence.
At this moment, she realized to her dismay that it wasn't over!
She had to continue to struggle!
Leng Mushi could endure soul-burning pain in order to go against the law and not step on the lives of others, but she wouldn't seek out abuse for something so minor.
Fine, she would go!
Leng Mushi picked up the bowl and finished the rest of the congee. She wiped her mouth with a cloth and grabbed Leng Tianyin, who was about to follow Xiao Mian.
"Sit down and eat. I'll go." Leng Mushi stood up.
Yi Tu nodded. "Nianci, It's better for you to go than Miss Leng." After all, Leng Mushi had stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Xiao Mian glanced at Leng Mushi and slightly pursed his lips. Leng Mushi happened to see his actions. She thought - sorry brother, that's life. She had to follow him and harm his interest for the sake of her own. Amitābha, she didn't want to feel pain.
She walked around the table and looked back. Oh! Leng Tianyin was looking at her with teary eyes. She looked like a child that had been robbed of her beloved thing. She couldn't look more wronged.
… so enjoyable!
As someone who was breaking apart the affectionate couple, Leng Mushi felt a wave of evil happiness rising up. It was difficult to describe this joy. It was like sucking on candied hawthorn and smacking her lips in front of children when their mothers had refused to buy candied hawthorn for them.
An adult's happiness was just that simple.
And so, her mandatory task became voluntary. She smiled at Xiao Mian. Her eyes were partially closed, and her smile showed her teeth. She imitated Leng Tianyin's delicate voice and said, "Brother Xiao, I haven't seen an everlasting lamp before. I'll come help you."
Xiao Mian pursed his lips even tighter and lightly responded with "mhm".
In Leng Mushi's ears, that sound was brimming with unwillingness.
Leng Mushi gladly and diligently followed after him and the tavern owner to the backyard.
Translator Ramblings: I like Leng Mushi's glee at being petty and playing the villainess's role =).
I don't think Leng Tianyin is romantically interested in Xiao Mian. While Leng Mushi's attitude towards her father's death is good riddance, Leng Tianyin is probably really sad about her parents' recent death. Her world has upturned. She's scared about the future. She's not in the mood to fall in love, much less with a person that she thinks her sister is in love with.
What do you guys think?
T/N: Next update on Tuesday, February 13th, 10:15 PM EST.