Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

Nestled amidst the mountain peaks, the library stood serene and secluded. Sunlight, filtering through the canopy of trees, casted intricate patterns on the stone floor, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and shadow. Inside, the air was cool and still, a stark contrast to the humid warmth that hung heavy in the air outside.

Luo Jinxiao was a frequent visitor to the library. She knew that it was usually deserted at this hour, which only heightened her unease. Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword as she navigated the labyrinthine corridors.

Deeper she went, the light growing dimmer with each step. A handful of night pearls, embedded in the walls, cast a faint, ethereal glow. Rows upon rows of bamboo scrolls lined the shelves, some so ancient that they were crumbling with age, their decaying forms releasing a musty, earthy scent.

A figure stood in the shadows ahead, tall and slender, but clearly not Elder He. Luo Jinxiao’s brow furrowed. She turned to leave, but a gust of wind brushed past her cheek, and the figure materialized before her, blocking her path.

“Elder Qu,” Luo Jinxiao said, taking a wary step back.

Just as I suspected. A trap. They knew how much her unique spiritual roots meant to her and had used Elder He’s name as bait. Cunning, and utterly shameless.

Qu Chengzhou smiled pleasantly, his right hand concealed behind his back. “Luo Jinxiao. We meet again.”

Luo Jinxiao returned the smile, her tone polite but wary. “If you wished to see me, Elder Qu, you could have simply sent word. There was no need to involve Elder He in this charade. May I ask what you hope to achieve with this elaborate ruse?”

“A minor detail. Nothing to concern yourself with,” Qu Chengzhou said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Besides, you’re clearly curious about your spiritual roots. Consider this a courtesy call. An opportunity to have your questions answered.”

“I’m all ears, Elder,” Luo Jinxiao said, her smile unwavering as she tightened her grip on her sword.

“You study under Elder Liu. Tell me, has he explained the true nature of the Yin Spiritual Root?”

“He didn’t go into detail,” Luo Jinxiao replied cautiously.

“By absorbing a sliver of a Yin or Yang Spiritual Root, a cultivator can significantly enhance their cultivation. Two slivers, even more so. And with each sliver, the victim’s soul weakens, until…” Qu Chengzhou paused, letting the implication hang in the air. “It’s a forbidden technique, of course. But undeniably effective. Especially for those who have reached the Nascent Soul stage.” His eyes, dark and unreadable, seemed to bore into her.

Luo Jinxiao couldn’t help but widen her eyes. Qu Chengzhou suddenly laughed heartily, “You don’t need to be afraid. I won’t harm you. If I intended to, you wouldn’t be able to escape no matter where you hide.”

His words, far from reassuring, sent a shiver down her spine.

“Did you call me here simply to…satisfy my curiosity, Elder?” Luo Jinxiao asked, her smile strained. She mentally calculated her chances of escape.

One at the Golden Core stage, the other at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. She quickly dismissed the idea of fighting her way out.

Running it is, then.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve grown rather close to Weiyin lately,” Qu Chengzhou said, changing the subject abruptly.

“You flatter me, Elder. Junior Shishu Qu is as cold and untouchable as the moon. I wouldn’t dare presume to be close to her,” Luo Jinxiao replied dryly.

“Weiyin has always been…different. We, her elders, have done our best to guide her, to keep her from straying from the righteous path. Be careful, Luo Jinxiao. She’s not someone you want to get involved with.” Qu Chengzhou sighed, shaking his head sadly.

He took a step closer. Luo Jinxiao instinctively backed away, but a surge of powerful energy slammed into her from behind, pinning her in place.

This is it, she thought, her heart pounding against her ribs. She was about to summon the divine sword and make a run for it when the wall behind them exploded inwards. A figure, moving with impossible speed, crashed through the debris, sending a cascade of splintered wood and ancient scrolls raining down on them.

Luo Jinxiao coughed a few times, narrowly avoiding a falling bookshelf. Qu Chengzhou almost got hit himself, but with a swift wave of his hand, the shelf above his head shattered into dust.

Bamboo scrolls tumbled to the ground, their contents spilling out. A golden light flashed, and the scrolls ignited, bursting into flames that quickly consumed them, leaving behind only a fine layer of ash. The oppressive pressure that had held Luo Jinxiao captive vanished.

A figure clad in crimson appeared before her. Without a word, the figure pulled Luo Jinxiao behind her, shielding her with her own body. In her other hand, the Crescent Star Sword blazed with a furious light, its flames as fierce and unrelenting as its wielder.

Luo Jinxiao’s heart skipped a beat. She pressed a hand to her chest, her gaze fixed on the slender back before her. The woman’s figure was graceful, almost delicate, yet the way she held herself, the way her dark hair whipped around her like a living shadow, radiated an aura of icy power.

Flames danced along the edge of the sword, spreading outwards to ignite the fallen scrolls and splintered wood. The flickering light cast long, dancing shadows across the room, but Luo Jinxiao felt no fear.

Because Qu Weiyin was standing in front of her.

“Qu Weiyin?” Elder Qu’s voice was tight with anger.

“It’s me. So what?” Qu Weiyin replied, her tone deceptively calm. But even Luo Jinxiao, standing behind her, could sense the barely contained fury radiating from her.

“Junior Shishu Qu…” Luo Jinxiao began, but Qu Weiyin cut her off.

“Silence,” she commanded, her gaze fixed on Qu Chengzhou. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a wave of fire and sword energy hurtling towards him.

Qu Chengzhou dodged effortlessly. “Such disrespect! To barge into the library like this!” he roared, his eyes flashing dangerously. He exerted his spiritual pressure, a force so powerful that it nearly brought Qu Weiyin to her knees.

“I warned you,” Qu Weiyin growled, gritting her teeth against the crushing weight. She straightened, refusing to yield, and the Crescent Star Sword erupted in a shower of fiery sparks that flew towards Qu Chengzhou like miniature meteors.

Qu Chengzhou deflected them with a flick of his hand. He shook his head, his expression a mixture of disappointment and pity. “Weiyin, you’ve always been so impulsive. This temper of yours will be your undoing one day.”

His words, dripping with condescension, were the final straw. Qu Weiyin let out a roar of fury and shoved Luo Jinxiao aside.

“I don’t care what happens! I won’t let you touch her!” she snarled, her eyes narrowed to slits. A dangerous glint flickered in their depths, a hint of the demon lurking beneath the surface.

“Get back,” she said to Luo Jinxiao, her voice low and urgent.

The library erupted in a blinding flash of golden light. The air crackled with energy, chasing away the shadows and illuminating every nook and cranny of the once-peaceful space. The shelves groaned and buckled, splitting down the middle. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, threatening to bring the entire structure crashing down around them.

Qu Chengzhou hastily erected a barrier, trying to contain the chaotic energy. Luo Jinxiao, taking advantage of the distraction, ducked behind a fallen bookshelf and muttered a quick spell. A beam of dark energy shot out from her hiding place, striking Qu Chengzhou in the back and sending him stumbling forward.

A deafening roar ripped through the air, shaking the very foundations of the library. Dust billowed around them, obscuring everything in a thick, choking cloud. The building groaned one last time and collapsed in on itself, consumed by a raging inferno that devoured everything in its path.

“QU WEIYIN!” Elder Qu’s voice, hoarse with rage, echoed through the flames. A bolt of lightning split the sky, momentarily illuminating the scene. Qu Weiyin, a triumphant smirk on her lips, grabbed Luo Jinxiao’s arm, and together they vanished into the smoke and flames.

The next thing Luo Jinxiao knew, she was standing on a windswept mountain peak, Qu Weiyin beside her. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she would have fallen if she hadn’t instinctively grabbed onto Qu Weiyin for support.

Qu Weiyin’s body stiffened momentarily before she swiftly pulled away, steadying Luo Jinxiao with a firm hand.

“Are you alright?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over Luo Jinxiao. The murderous glint in her eyes hadn’t entirely faded, but despite the chaos they had just escaped, she remained the epitome of cool elegance, her crimson robes spotless, her expression composed.

Luo Jinxiao, in stark contrast, was a mess.

Her face and robes were covered in soot, and her hair was a tangled mess. Several holes marred her once-pristine robes, testament to the inferno they had just escaped. Qu Weiyin frowned and, with a flick of her wrist and a murmured spell, enveloped Luo Jinxiao in a cleansing wave of energy.

“Junior Shishu, you learned it?” Luo Jinxiao asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she registered her now-spotless appearance.

“It seemed useful,” Qu Weiyin replied with a curt nod.

Her expression turned serious. “Why would you go alone? Are you trying to get yourself killed? I told you to stay away from him! What were you thinking? Did you honestly believe you could handle him with your cultivation level?”

Luo Jinxiao, bombarded by a string of questions she had never heard Qu Weiyin utter in such rapid succession, could only stare at her, speechless.

“He…he sent someone to tell me that Elder He wanted to speak to me about my spiritual roots. I thought it might be important, so I…” Luo Jinxiao’s voice trailed off, her explanation sounding weaker with each word.

“That old hypocrite? He’s full of lies! How could you be so foolish…” Qu Weiyin stopped abruptly, as if realizing the harshness of her words.

Luo Jinxiao, far from being offended, felt a warmth spread through her chest, chasing away the lingering fear. It was a strange sensation, this unexpected feeling of gratitude mixed with guilt. Qu Weiyin’s anger, she realized, stemmed from genuine concern.

Qu Chengzhou and his cronies were powerful, their true strength unfathomable. Luo Jinxiao knew that even with her Golden Core cultivation and the divine sword, her chances of escaping them were slim at best.

But Qu Weiyin didn’t know that. As far as she was aware, Luo Jinxiao was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, weak and vulnerable. No wonder she had been so worried.

And the way she had charged into that library without hesitation, unleashing a storm of fire and fury…that was not something Luo Jinxiao had ever expected from her.

“But how did you know I was there, Junior Shishu?” Luo Jinxiao asked, a sudden thought striking her. She glanced up at the sky. It was still early.

According to her plan, she wasn’t supposed to be in any real danger until class started. Only then would she have Lu Fanzhi seek out Qu Weiyin’s help. But it had only been a short while since she had left for the library. How had Qu Weiyin known where to find her?

Qu Weiyin’s stern facade wavered slightly, a flicker of guilt betraying her composure.

“Elder He is in seclusion today. I was asked to teach his class,” she explained, her voice carefully neutral.

“I arrived early and didn’t see you in the hall, so I asked Lu Fanzhi where you were.”

“And she told you about Elder He summoning me to the library, and you knew something was wrong,” Luo Jinxiao finished, her eyes widening in realization.

“So you came to save me?” A slow smile spread across her face, erasing any lingering tension. Qu Weiyin hadn’t come because she had asked for help. She had come because she had been worried.

The thought filled Luo Jinxiao with a warmth that eclipsed the terror she had felt moments before.

“It was merely…convenient,” Qu Weiyin muttered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she avoided Luo Jinxiao’s gaze.

Luo Jinxiao bit back a laugh. Convenient? She had demolished an entire library because it was convenient?

“We should go. It’s almost time for class,” Qu Weiyin said briskly, turning to leave.

“Wait, Junior Shishu!” Luo Jinxiao hurried after her, catching hold of her sleeve. Qu Weiyin shot her a look that could have curdled milk, and she quickly let go.

“What is it? Speak quickly,” Qu Weiyin asked, her gaze lingering on her slightly rumpled sleeve.

“Thank you. For saving me,” Luo Jinxiao said, her playful smile fading as she bowed deeply.

When she stood up, her sleeves draped elegantly, and her clear black-and-white eyes were full of earnestness, without a hint of frivolity. She was calm and graceful.

Qu Weiyin’s heart skipped a beat. “I was merely doing my duty as an instructor, protecting my disciple,” she said, her gaze fixed on a point somewhere beyond Luo Jinxiao’s shoulder. “There’s no need for thanks.”

Having experienced this several times, Luo Jinxiao was well aware of Qu Weiyin’s tendency to say one thing and mean another. She shook her head and continued, “Before I left, I asked Lu Fanzhi to seek your help. I promised her that if you agreed to save me, I would offer you anything in return.”

“You didn’t need to ask. A promise is a promise,” Luo Jinxiao said, her tone firm.

“Anything?” Qu Weiyin’s gaze snapped back to Luo Jinxiao’s, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.