Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

Harnessing the power of the thunder tribulation, Qu Weiyin launched a furious attack. The Crescent Star Sword hummed with energy as she slashed at Qu Chengzhou, forcing him to leap back to narrowly avoid the attack.

“Weiyin, do you really intend to oppose this elder?” Qu Chengzhou snarled, regaining his grip on his sword.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Elder Qu. This is merely the proper procedure. My father was the rightful head of the family. If you wish to usurp his position, you’ll have to defeat me first.” Qu Weiyin retrieved her sword. With a flick of her wrist and a burst of speed, she lunged towards Qu Chengzhou, a fiery dragon striking at his face.

Qu Chengzhou reacted swiftly, erecting a barrier with his left hand while his right hand moved in a blur, summoning a whirlwind of razor-sharp spiritual energy blades that enveloped Qu Weiyin. She leaped into the air, her robes and sleeves swirling around her like a blooming flower as the blades whistled past, leaving her untouched.

“He’s dead!” Qu Chengzhou spat, his face contorted with rage.

“And you know exactly how he died!” Qu Weiyin roared, fury radiating off her like heat from a furnace. “How dare you even speak his name! Aren’t you afraid of being struck down by the heavens?!”

Qu Chengzhou’s eyes grew even darker, his brow furrowing into a vulture-like expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice regaining its composure.

Qu Weiyin felt a wave of nausea but didn’t waste words on him, continuing her assault. The courtyard became a mess, with shattered potted plants scattered across the ground, reduced to ashes by Qu Weiyin’s flames.

Qu Chengzhou, however, had decades of experience on his side. Their cultivation levels were now nearly equal, and the fight reached a stalemate. But Qu Weiyin fought with the unbridled fury of vengeance, her attacks relentless and fierce. Qu Chengzhou, despite his greater experience, began to falter.

Sensing his disadvantage, Qu Chengzhou whistled sharply. A moment later, a massive golden eagle descended from the sky, its feathers gleaming like polished metal, its beak sharp as a blade. It cast a vast shadow over the already-dim courtyard.

Luo Jinxiao stood up in alarm as the crowd screamed and backed away further. Qu Chengzhou’s golden eagle was a fearsome spirit beast. A single flap of its wings could unleash a hurricane, and its beak could shatter boulders.

It swooped low, its massive talons carving deep furrows into the ground as it snapped at Qu Weiyin.

She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the attack. She retaliated with a palm strike, but it was deflected by the eagle’s thick, armor-like feathers.

“Hey, Elder Qu, aren’t you being unfair?!” Luo Jinxiao shouted. She figured she had already made an enemy of him, so she might as well go all out.

“It’s just a spirit beast. There’s no such thing as unfairness,” Qu Chengzhou replied nonchalantly, hands clasped behind his back.

Shameless, Luo Jinxiao cursed silently. She looked up to see the golden eagle harassing Qu Weiyin, its massive size and impenetrable defenses making it a formidable opponent. It was also surprisingly agile, and several times it came close to injuring Qu Weiyin.

Luo Jinxiao paced anxiously. She wanted to help, but she didn’t want to make things worse.

The eagle suddenly whipped its tail, its talons slashing across Qu Weiyin’s shoulder, drawing blood. Qu Weiyin cried out and swiftly ascended on her sword, soaring into the air to evade the relentless attacks.

Seeing Qu Weiyin’s injury, Luo Jinxiao didn’t hesitate. She pulled out the Qiongqi from her pouch and pleaded, “Little Sweetie, please! Help Junior Shishu!”

Qiongqi glanced at Qu Weiyin, its large, furry eyes blinking slowly. It didn’t seem particularly eager.

“Please,” Luo Jinxiao begged, gently rubbing the Qiongqi’s belly. “She’ll get hurt.”

The Qiongqi whined, rubbing its head against Luo Jinxiao’s chin before lumbering away. With a powerful leap, it soared into the air. As it flew, its small, tiger-like form transformed. Its limbs grew, its eyes blazed crimson, and its head shook, revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs.

A wave of primal energy, heavy and ancient, washed over the courtyard as the Qiongqi roared. Powerful wings unfolded from its back with a deafening crack, sending a flurry of feathers into the air as it shot towards the golden eagle.

The earth-shattering roar sent shivers down everyone’s spines. Screams erupted from the crowd.

“What is that? Another spirit beast?”

“It’s a Qiongqi! A Qiongqi!”

“I’ve lived for forty years and never thought I’d see an ancient beast! This is incredible!”

Gone was the adorable creature from moments before. Now, the Qiongqi was the embodiment of ferocity. It slammed into the golden eagle with the force of a meteor, sending the bird screeching into the air as a shower of golden feathers rained down.

With the brief respite, Qu Weiyin landed again. Qu Chengzhou, no longer feeling smug, quickly prepared to counter her attack.

The battle raged on, a chaotic dance of spirit beasts in the sky and two powerful cultivators on the ground. The courtyard was engulfed in a whirlwind of energy, the flashes of light illuminating the stormy sky.

The two combatants’ palms met, causing a powerful shockwave to explode in a circular pattern, accompanied by sparks and lightning. Qu Weiyin and Qu Chengzhou slid backward a considerable distance before barely managing to stabilize themselves.

Qu Weiyin remained standing, but a trickle of blood ran down her mouth. Her eyes burned with killing intent. Her robe was torn, revealing a flash of pale skin on her shoulder, and her skirt swirled around her in the wind.

Qu Chengzhou, however, looked worse for wear. He was half-kneeling, supporting himself with his sword. He glared at Qu Weiyin, seemingly deep in thought.

“Junior Shishu!” Luo Jinxiao rushed to Qu Weiyin’s side, channeling her spiritual energy to heal her internal injuries. Though Qu Weiyin seemed to have the upper hand, Luo Jinxiao knew she was nearing her limit.

Qu Chengzhou, after all, had been at the peak of Tribulation Transcendance for years. While he lacked Qu Weiyin’s raw power, his cultivation was more stable. If the fight continued, both of them would be severely wounded.

Qu Chengzhou seemed to have reached the same conclusion. A cunning smile spread across his face as he slowly pushed himself up, leaning on his sword. “Weiyin, you truly are powerful. It seems I am no match for you today,” he conceded.

Qu Weiyin’s grip on the Crescent Star Sword tightened. She fought to contain her rage, to resist the urge to strike him down where he stood.

“Do you truly think you can kill me?” Qu Chengzhou chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “A slight boost in cultivation and you believe you’re invincible?”

Luo Jinxiao fumed. If only she were strong enough, she’d shove his head in a chamber pot.

Before Qu Weiyin could respond, another screech pierced the air. The golden eagle came swooping back from the direction of the city, its feathers ruffled and disheveled, its flight frantic. It was fleeing for its life, with the Qiongqi in hot pursuit, snapping at its tail feathers, a mischievous glint in its eyes.

The two beasts zipped past Qu Chengzhou, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The smile vanished from his face. “Golden Eagle, return!” he roared, but the eagle, consumed by its desperate flight, ignored him. Qiongqi, however, seemed to be enjoying the chase immensely, weaving through the air, snapping at the eagle’s tail feathers with a gleeful grin.

Thoroughly humiliated, Qu Chengzhou’s composure finally snapped. He spun around and fled into the crowd, leaving behind a trail of golden feathers.

Before leaving, he shot a vicious glance at Luo Jinxiao, who waved at him cheerfully, indicating for him to take his time.

As if on cue, the sky began to lighten. The dark clouds parted, and a ray of sunshine broke through, softly enveloping Qu Weiyin.

Luo Jinxiao stole a glance at Qu Weiyin, her eyes lingering on the exposed shoulder. A shallow but nasty-looking scratch cut across her otherwise flawless skin.

Almost instinctively, Luo Jinxiao shrugged off her outer robe and draped it over Qu Weiyin’s shoulders. “Junior Shishu,” she said softly.

Her voice broke through Qu Weiyin’s thoughts. She turned to face Luo Jinxiao, the harshness in her eyes gradually softening. A strange feeling welled up inside her, bittersweet and unfamiliar.

The sun emerged fully from behind the clouds, bathing the courtyard in a golden light. The scattered feathers on the ground sparkled like jewels. Qu Weiyin stood still, mesmerized, as a gentle warmth spread through her. The robe draped over her shoulders still carried Luo Jinxiao’s warmth, more comforting than the sun itself.

Luo Ning, who had been hiding in a corner, suddenly let out a cheer. Qu Weiyin blushed, averting her eyes from Luo Jinxiao.

“You just… gave me the spirit pill?” she asked.

Luo Jinxiao shrugged, feigning indifference. “Yeah.”

Qu Weiyin fell silent, her gaze fixed on the robe sleeve draped over her arm. Her mind was in turmoil. I wanted to keep my distance, she thought, but after this… how can I?

At that moment, the previously bewildered crowd slowly returned to the courtyard. Someone took the lead and shouted, “Clan Leader!” followed by everyone bowing. Looking around, there were heads bowed everywhere.

Qu Weiyin had always disliked such formalities. She nodded curtly, accepting their allegiance.

The truth was, she didn’t care about being the head of the family. But it had been her father’s position, and she would uphold it.

The crowd dispersed quickly, eager to spread the news: the Qu family had a new leader, the youngest in their history. This would undoubtedly cause ripples throughout the cultivation world.

The subject of their gossip, however, paid them no mind. She left the courtyard, pulling Luo Jinxiao along with her. They entered a quiet room in the residence.

Luo Jinxiao didn’t resist, allowing herself to be led. When Qu Weiyin finally released her hand, she said with concern, “Junior Shishu, your injuries were caused by spiritual energy. You should apply some medicine.”

Qu Weiyin hadn’t expected her to still be worried about her at this moment. She felt her words get stuck in her throat, and after a while, she finally looked down and said, “What do you want? Just tell me.”

“What I want?” Luo Jinxiao laughed, not understanding what Qu Weiyin meant.

“I don’t want to be indebted to you,” Qu Weiyin insisted.

Luo Jinxiao sighed. “You don’t owe me anything. If you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t have gotten the spirit pill in the first place.”

“Junior Shishu, you even transformed into Qiongqi. It’s clear you put in a lot of effort.”

“That’s enough,” Qu Weiyin interrupted, her cheeks flushing as she recalled the incident. “That day was an accident. I followed you because I wanted the spirit pill, not to save you.”

Luo Jinxiao gave her a look that clearly said, “Do you think I believe that?”

Qu Weiyin gave up trying to argue. “From now on, you’re welcome in the Qu family residence anytime. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Really?” Luo Jinxiao’s eyes lit up.

“Of course.”

“Then… I want Junior Shishu to…” Before Luo Jinxiao could finish her sentence, Qu Weiyin choked, her face turning red. She turned away, clutching the back of a chair as she coughed.

Thinking Qu Weiyin was suffering from internal injuries, Luo Jinxiao rushed to her side. But before she could touch her, Qu Weiyin stepped back, putting distance between them.

“I’m fine,” she said, shaking her head, her eyes filled with wariness as she unconsciously gripped the hem of her sleeves, her brows furrowed as if her heart had been weighed down by someone.

“What is it you want?” she asked again.

LLuo Jinxiao was momentarily stunned, filled with confusion but unsure what to do. She could only answer honestly, “I… I want Junior Shishu to teach me cultivation…”

“Oh.” Qu Weiyin bit her lip, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Of course,” she said casually, but her heart felt strangely heavy, as if it had been dropped from a great height.