Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

“Yes, Master!” Luo Jinxiao nodded eagerly and was about to head down the mountain when Elder Liu grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back.

“Don’t be reckless. The Qu Clan is an ancient and powerful family. You’ll never even make it past the front gate.” He retrieved a letter from his sleeve and thrust it into her hand. “Take this. Say you’re there to retrieve something on my behalf. They’ll let you in after seeing it.”

His expression turned serious. “And remember, you’re only there to speak with Qu Weiyin. Don’t cause any trouble. I won’t be there to bail you out.”

“Yes, Master. Thank you, Master.” Luo Jinxiao said, taking the letter. As soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly disappeared.

Elder Liu stood watching her leave, shaking his head.

Clutching the letter tightly, Luo Jinxiao soared through the air on her sword. The Qu Clan resided in Wuzhong City, nestled behind several mountain ranges. Wuzhong was a vast and flourishing city nestled in the mountain plains, bustling with activity and numerous immortal cultivation families due to its proximity to the Wuhui Sect.

Entering Wuzhong felt like stepping from a serene paradise into the mundane world. The streets were packed with people, a vibrant tapestry of noise and color. Red-walled houses with grey-tiled roofs lined the winding streets, and vendors hawked their wares, their voices a chorus of persuasion. Here and there, Luo Jinxiao spotted stalls selling spirit swords and beasts.

The city looked vastly different from the one she remembered from her past life. Back then, the streets had been laid out in a neat grid. Now, they twisted and turned, a confusing labyrinth. After asking for directions several times, Luo Jinxiao finally found her way to the Qu Clan’s estate.

As expected of a prestigious family, the Qu Clan’s home was an imposing sight. Even from a distance, Luo Jinxiao could see the grand plaque hanging above the entrance. Despite years of exposure to the elements, it remained pristine, showed no signs of aging. The large, red-lacquered gates seemed to radiate power and authority.

Luo Jinxiao approached the gate and raised her hand to knock.

The gate swung open, revealing a young man. He bowed politely. “How may I assist you, miss?”

Luo Jinxiao schooled her features into an impassive mask. She presented the letter. “Elder Liu of the Wuhui Sect sent me.”

The man examined the calligraphy on the envelope, then nodded. “This way, please.”

Luo Jinxiao followed him inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, the gates slammed shut behind her with a resounding boom. Looking back, she saw the massive door rings resembling the gaping mouths of monstrous beasts, closing in on her.

Suppressing her anxiety, Luo Jinxiao adjusted her robe and followed.

They passed through three courtyards, each planted with spiritual herbs, making the area rich in spiritual energy. One courtyard housed a training ground, complete with an array of weapons. It was deserted, the silence adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

“Why is it so quiet today?” Luo Jinxiao asked casually, smiling.

The young man glanced at her. “The Qu Clan is currently engaged in important matters. They are otherwise occupied. Once you’ve collected your item, I’ll escort you out.”

So tight-lipped. Luo Jinxiao suppressed a sigh. They truly are the Qu Clan.

“Please wait here a moment.” The young man stopped before a side room and gestured for her to stay put.

“Of course.” Luo Jinxiao smiled pleasantly. The moment he was out of sight, her smile vanished. She turned and ran.

Keeping to the shadows, she made her way through the estate. She extended her spiritual energy, searching for any sign of Qu Weiyin. Following the faintest traces of her aura, she navigated a maze of corridors and courtyards.

She emerged into a large courtyard, easily the size of the Wuhui Palace’s main hall. It was packed with people, a sea of faces that stretched from one end of the courtyard to the other.

Luo Jinxiao crept along the edges of the crowd, relieved that most of the faces were unfamiliar. The Qu Clan was large, with many branches. It was unlikely anyone would recognize her.

“Is she still refusing to admit her wrongdoing?” a man whispered to his companion.

“She hasn’t budged,” the other man sighed, shaking his head. He noticed Luo Jinxiao and gave her a friendly nod.

Luo Jinxiao blinked, startled, and nodded back politely.

“Are you from one of the outer branches? Just arrived?” the man asked.

Luo Jinxiao quickly put on a reserved smile and nodded.

“They’ve been arguing for days now,” the man sighed dramatically. “Good thing you arrived late. Otherwise, you’d be stuck here with us, bored out of our minds. Whoever becomes Clan Leader, it won’t be me.” He chuckled.

“What about… Qu Weiyin?” Luo Jinxiao asked cautiously.

“Qu Weiyin? Such disrespect!” The man looked her up and down, assessing her age. “With your cultivation level, you should be addressing her as grandaunt, at the very least.”

Luo Jinxiao’s cheeks twitched, nearly biting her tongue.

“Ah well, we’re all from the outer branches, so we’re not strict about these things in private. But Qu Weiyin is in for a rough time, I’m afraid. The Clan Leader has been missing for twenty years. By now, he’s probably long dead. It’s time to officially appoint a new head. Traditionally, the eldest son inherits the position, but the former Clan Leader had no sons, only Qu Weiyin. And he didn’t leave a will before he disappeared. On top of that, Qu Weiyin’s cultivation level is nowhere near Qu Chengzhou’s. That alone makes it difficult for people to accept her. So, it’s a difficult situation.”

Luo Jinxiao quickly understood. It seemed Qu Chengzhou had been acting as Clan Leader all this time, and now, after twenty years, he was ready to make it official.

And Qu Weiyin, naturally, refused to let him have it. But what leverage did he have over her? What had she done to warrant such punishment?

Luo Jinxiao couldn’t shake the feeling that the animosity between Qu Weiyin and Qu Chengzhou ran deeper than just a power struggle. What if something had happened to the former Clan Leader…?

Her hands curled into fists inside her sleeves. If her suspicions were true, it would explain Qu Weiyin’s deep-seated hatred. A wave of sympathy washed over her.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the courtyard. Luo Jinxiao stood on her toes, trying to see over the sea of heads, but she couldn’t make out what had happened.

“What exactly is this punishment?” she asked the man beside her.

“The offending party kneels in the ancestral hall and endures the pain of the Dragon Binding Whip while repenting to the ancestors,” the man explained readily.

“The Dragon Binding Whip?” Luo Jinxiao’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Are you sure you’re part of the Qu Clan? Anyway, usually, they let the person off easy if they just apologize. The whip is more of a threat than anything. But Qu Weiyin has been kneeling there for three days, refusing to utter a single word of apology.”

The man sighed again, shaking his head. “You know, that stubborn streak of hers… it makes me want to root for her, even more, to become Clan Leader. It’s just a shame her cultivation can’t compare to Qu Chengzhou’s. And she can’t possibly stand against all those elders.”

“In the end, it’s all about might makes right,” he concluded with a sigh.

Luo Jinxiao had heard enough. She took a step forward, intending to push her way through the crowd, but stopped herself.

If Qu Weiyin, with her Divine Transcendance stage cultivation, couldn’t resist, what could she, at the second stage of the Golden Core, hope to achieve?

A wave of helplessness washed over her, leaving a bitter taste of frustration in its wake.

She clenched her fists until the pain brought her back to her senses. She couldn’t afford to be reckless. She needed to be smart.

Forcing a smile, she asked, “Is there any way for her to escape?”

“With the Dragon Binding Whip activated, not even a mosquito could get through. And there are Tribulation Ascendant cultivators guarding outside. Escape is impossible.”

Luo Jinxiao paced back and forth, her anxiety growing with every passing moment. Qu Weiyin was trapped in there, at the mercy of her enemies.

While Luo Jinxiao wasn’t paying attention, another person quietly appeared behind her. This person wore a light blue robe with a hood and gently patted her on the shoulder.

Luo Jinxiao turned, her eyes widening in surprise. “Luo… what are you doing here?”

The man nearby glanced at them in surprise. Luo Jinxiao quickly forced a smile. “My little sister.”

The man beside her seemed satisfied with the explanation. Luo Ning leaned in close to Luo Jinxiao, whispering, “I saw you leave in such a hurry, so I asked Elder Liu where you were going. I followed you here. When that man took you inside, the gate was unguarded, so we snuck in.”

We? Luo Jinxiao glanced around and spotted Yan Ying standing a short distance away, arms crossed and looking thoroughly annoyed.

“I’m going to distract Qu Chengzhou. He’s the one holding the Dragon Binding Whip. If I can get him to let his guard down for even a moment, I can slip into the ancestral hall and get Junior Shishu.” Luo Jinxiao didn’t have time for lengthy explanations.

“We’ll help,” Luo Ning nodded vigorously, her face serious as she turned to look at Nianying.

“Why are you looking at me?” Yan Ying snapped, her eyes flashing. “I’m not helping *her*.”

Less than an hour later, the Dragon Binding Whip still encircled the ancestral hall, emitting a faint blue glow.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing bird cry broke the silence outside the ancestral hall. A huge peacock flew in from somewhere, its multicolored feathers dazzling in the sunlight.

The crowd fell into chaos, and even the elders looked up at the sky, momentarily stunned.

“What is this disturbance?!” Qu Chengzhou roared. He flicked his sleeve, unleashing a wave of spiritual energy to drive the beast away.

The peacock dodged effortlessly, then swooped low, releasing a stream of droppings that landed squarely on Qu Chengzhou’s face.

“You foul beast!” Qu Chengzhou sputtered, his concentration broken as he frantically tried to wipe the mess from his face. The Dragon Binding Whip flickered, its energy momentarily disrupted. No one noticed the faint shadow that slipped through the gap in the ancestral hall’s doors.

Luo Jinxiao landed on one knee, then scrambled to her feet. She raced past the rows of ancestral tablets and into the inner chamber. There, before a wall of smaller tablets, lay a figure dressed in red.

Her mind buzzed. She rushed to Qu Weiyin’s side and knelt down, gently turning her over. “Junior Shishu?” she whispered, her fingers brushing against Qu Weiyin’s cheek.

Relief flooded her. Qu Weiyin’s skin, though pale, was still warm to the touch. Her lips, as red as blood, stood out in stark contrast to the paleness of her face, making her appear even more fragile.

Qu Weiyin’s body remained still, unresponsive. She seemed to be lost in a deep sleep. Luo Jinxiao barely dared to breathe, terrified of hurting her.

She channeled her spiritual energy, preparing to heal Qu Weiyin’s wounds. Suddenly, the Dragon Binding Whip tightened, and the buzzing in her head became deafening. Luo Jinxiao almost fell, but she gritted her teeth and forced a stream of spiritual energy into Qu Weiyin’s body.

Qu Weiyin slowly regained consciousness, her face showing signs of pain. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes fluttered open, revealing a sliver of clear, bright jade. Her fingers brushed against Luo Jinxiao’s arm, then tightened weakly around her hand.

“Luo… Jinxiao,” she whispered, it was hard to tell if she was dreaming or awake.