Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

Luo Jinxiao pouted. She had expected that answer.

That night, Luo Jinxiao found a spot to sleep in Qu Weiyin’s room. The next morning, while the sky was still a dusky gray, they set off on their swords.

Morning mist clung to the mountains, shrouding the landscape below in a soft haze. The peaks surrounding Wuhui Mountain stretched out before them, only the highest points piercing through the mist.

Qu Weiyin, her sword gliding effortlessly beneath her feet, moved with impressive speed. To conceal her identity, she wore a simple white robe, her hair loosely gathered with a silk ribbon. From behind, she exuded an air of effortless grace.

Luo Jinxiao, in contrast, was dressed more elaborately. Her turquoise robe, embroidered with delicate blue flowers, hugged her figure. A gold-trimmed sash cinched her waist, and her hair was swept up in a high ponytail, secured with a silver hairpin.

After flying for about half an hour, Qu Weiyin descended. Luo Jinxiao followed closely behind. Below them lay a small town, nestled between mountains and water. Despite the arrival of autumn, flowers still bloomed in abundance.

The sky had brightened considerably, the fiery orb of the sun painting the horizon in hues of pink and orange. Vendors had already set up their stalls along the road, their calls and cries a vibrant counterpoint to the quiet morning.

Despite Qu Weiyin’s simple attire, their arrival still drew curious stares.

Noticing the attention, Luo Jinxiao retrieved a conical bamboo hat from her pouch and placed it on Qu Weiyin’s head. Qu Weiyin reached up to remove it, but Luo Jinxiao held her hand.

“Junior Shishu, this hat might look ugly, but it will help you stay unnoticed,” Luo Jinxiao said, leaning closer and lowering her voice. “With your beauty, people will always stare if you don’t cover your face.”

Qu Weiyin withdrew her hand, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. She made no further move to remove the hat.

Luo Jinxiao studied the hat for a moment. It seemed a bit crooked. She reached out to adjust it, and at that same moment, Qu Weiyin slowed her pace. Caught off guard, they bumped into each other.

Luo Jinxiao found herself with her arms wrapped around Qu Weiyin.

The scent of flowers enveloped her. It was then that Luo Jinxiao realized the fragrance she had been smelling this whole time emanated from Qu Weiyin’s hair. She froze, her face flushing even brighter. After a beat of stunned silence, she quickly stepped back.

Though they were no longer touching, the scent lingered.

Qu Weiyin, her back still to Luo Jinxiao, was equally flustered. Her eyes darted back and forth, and she clenched her fists.

A shout broke the tense silence. A hunched old man pushing a wheelbarrow approached them. “Young ladies, steamed buns! Freshly steamed buns!” he called out to them.

Qu Weiyin snapped out of her daze. She waved him off and continued walking, picking up her pace.

Luo Jinxiao pushed away the heat on her face and followed. They turned onto a less crowded street, and Qu Weiyin spoke. “The missing disciples would have left spiritual markings wherever they went. Help me look for any traces of their spiritual energy.”

Luo Jinxiao nodded silently, her gaze sweeping over their surroundings. Though the town wasn’t large, it was a maze of winding streets and alleys. Several times, they rounded a corner, only to find themselves facing a river or a stretch of green fields. They would then have to backtrack and try a different path.

To avoid drawing attention, they couldn’t use any of their cultivation techniques, making their search even more challenging.

“Junior Shishu, perhaps we should let Little Sweetie out,” Luo Jinxiao suggested after their fifth near-miss with the river. “As a spirit beast, her senses are much sharper than ours.”

Qu Weiyin’s brow furrowed as she considered this. She glanced at the gently flowing river and finally nodded in agreement.

Luo Jinxiao retrieved the pouch and reached inside. She felt around but found nothing but empty space. She turned the pouch upside down and shook it, hoping to dislodge the missing Qiongqi.

Suddenly, a flash of white light erupted from the pouch, and a figure tumbled out. Luo Jinxiao gasped in surprise, instinctively reaching out to catch the falling form.

It was Qiongqi, blinking her round eyes sleepily. She landed in Luo Jinxiao’s arms and, recognizing her scent, wrapped her arms around Luo Jinxiao’s neck, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

Had she been a small tiger cub, the gesture would have been perfectly natural. But in her current human form, it was undeniably intimate.

The girl’s soft, doughy arms wrapped around Luo Jinxiao’s neck, her knees supported by her hands, while her bare, pale feet dangled, toes wiggling.

Luo Jinxiao froze, as did Qu Weiyin, who had turned to witness the scene.

“But… when I put her in the pouch, she was still in her beast form. How did she change inside?” Luo Jinxiao hurriedly explained, nearly biting her tongue in her flustered state, unsure of what she was even trying to explain.

She attempted to put Qiongqi down, but the girl, despite her small size, possessed surprising strength. She clung tightly, refusing to let go.

Luo Jinxiao’s arms began to ache. She turned to Qu Weiyin, her face a picture of misery.

“Junior Shishu…”

Qu Weiyin’s brow twitched as she took in the scene. Luo Jinxiao’s arm circled the girl’s back, her hand gently resting on Qiongqi’s knee. They looked… oddly comfortable together.

Without a word, Qu Weiyin turned and walked away.

“Hey, Junior Shishu, at least try to scare her first! Don’t leave!” Luo Jinxiao called out desperately.

Qiongqi, meanwhile, leaned in to lick her face. Left with no other choice, Luo Jinxiao cleared her throat and put on a stern expression. “Let go, or you’ll only get pig’s feet to eat from now on!” she threatened.

Qiongqi blinked her large eyes, which quickly filled with tears, making her look pitiful.

Luo Jinxiao’s resolve crumbled. She couldn’t stay mad at that face.

After much struggling, she managed to detach Qiongqi and set her down. Then, she took off running, chasing after Qu Weiyin. “Junior Shishu, wait for me!”

“It seems you have urgent matters to attend to,” Qu Weiyin said coolly, without turning around.

“There’s nothing more urgent than helping Junior Shishu find the missing disciples,” Luo Jinxiao said with a breathless laugh, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Qu Weiyin’s lips twitched slightly.

Qiongqi also quickly caught up, running barefoot, her large eyes full of curiosity. Passersby couldn’t help but stare at the small girl with a mixture of pity and concern.

Some even glared accusingly at Luo Jinxiao and Qu Weiyin as they passed.

Qu Weiyin, unused to such scrutiny, paused. “Why haven’t you given her any shoes?” she asked Luo Jinxiao.

“I tried, but she refuses to wear them,” Luo Jinxiao sighed. She caught Qiongqi, who was about to dash into a butcher shop, and kept a firm hold of her hand.

“I didn’t let you out to play around,” she whispered into Qiongqi’s ear, bending down to her level. “Help us look for any traces of spiritual energy.”

Though prone to impulsive behavior, Qiongqi was an intelligent creature. Understanding her task, she puffed out her cheeks and began sniffing her way down the street.

However, she was easily distracted by the sights and smells of the bustling town. The aroma of roasted meat, in particular, proved irresistible. She would stop dead in her tracks, tugging at Luo Jinxiao’s robes with her teeth.

Exhausted from constantly chasing after her, Luo Jinxiao eventually bought several chicken legs from a vendor. Qiongqi, standing on tiptoes, eagerly stretched out her hands for the treat, even going so far as to try and lick Luo Jinxiao’s face in her excitement.

As Qiongqi clung to Luo Jinxiao’s shoulder, stretching to reach the chicken leg, Luo Jinxiao felt a wave of chilling energy wash over her. She turned to find Qu Weiyin staring at Qiongqi, her expression unreadable. The Crescent Star Sword was clutched tightly in her hand.

“Why are you dawdling?” Her voice was as cold as ice, sending shivers down Luo Jinxiao’s spine.

Startled, Qiongqi released her grip and retreated to the side, snatching a chicken leg from Luo Jinxiao’s hand as she went.

“Hurry and search,” Qu Weiyin commanded. Qiongqi, without a moment’s hesitation, took off running, the ribbons on her dress fluttering behind her.

Luo Jinxiao stood frozen, unsure what had provoked Qu Weiyin’s sudden anger. She opened her mouth to ask, but one look from Qu Weiyin’s icy gaze made her lower her head, staring intently at her own feet.

“Let’s go,” Qu Weiyin said curtly, striding off. Luo Jinxiao let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She pressed a hand to her chest, increasingly bewildered by Qu Weiyin’s behavior.

They walked for another incense stick’s worth of time before Qiongqi abruptly stopped. She turned and darted towards a building, nearly dragging Luo Jinxiao off her feet. Thankfully, Luo Jinxiao reacted quickly, grabbing onto Qiongqi’s tail and pulling her back.

“Why do you insist on running off like that?” Luo Jinxiao cried out in exasperation, refusing to let go.

“What is this place?” Qu Weiyin asked, her gaze fixed on the large sign above the entrance. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“You don’t know?” Luo Jinxiao asked, surprised.

Qu Weiyin shook her head. Though she had lived for over two thousand years, she had spent most of that time on the mountain. She rarely ventured out and, after joining the demon realm, had even less reason to visit the mortal world. As a result, she was unfamiliar with many aspects of human society.

Luo Jinxiao hesitated for a moment before answering. “It says ‘Piaoxiang Courtyard.’ It’s… a pleasure house,” she explained delicately.

Qu Weiyin’s cheeks flushed pink. She averted her gaze from the building, murmuring a quiet “mm” in acknowledgment.

Qiongqi, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed, turned back to Luo Jinxiao. She tugged at Luo Jinxiao’s robes with her teeth, trying to pull her towards the building. Luo Jinxiao stumbled forward, realizing this wasn’t just Qiongqi being mischievous.

“Are you saying there’s something strange inside?” she asked, her voice low.

Qiongqi grunted in response.

Luo Jinxiao met Qu Weiyin’s gaze. Both their expressions turned serious.

“Let’s go,” Qu Weiyin said, leading the way into the building. Luo Jinxiao, with no time to protest, hurried after her.

As soon as they stepped inside, a woman adorned in gaudy jewelry and brightly colored silks intercepted them. She looked them up and down, her eyes lingering on Qu Weiyin for a beat too long. “My dear girls,” she said, her voice sharp, “this isn’t a place for the likes of you. The Piaoxiang Courtyard only entertains men. However, if you have other… intentions, perhaps we can make an exception…”

Luo Jinxiao frowned, about to speak, but Qu Weiyin cut her off.

“What’s this? Are you saying women cannot be patrons?” Her gaze, cold and sharp, pierced through the bamboo hat, settling on the madam. The madam broke out in a cold sweat.

She was speechless.

Luo Jinxiao, standing beside Qu Weiyin, felt a bead of sweat roll down her own back. As expected of Junior Shishu. Even the most outrageous statements sound perfectly reasonable coming from her.

“It’s not that… but… we’ve never had female guests before…” the madam stammered.

“Well, then change that today,” Qu Weiyin snapped, grabbing Luo Jinxiao’s wrist and marching inside. The madam, staring at their clasped hands, was speechless.

Realizing what was happening, she quickly bowed, “Please, come in. We have plenty of private rooms. Just tell us which one you prefer.”

Hearing this, Luo Jinxiao blushed, quickly pulling out a silver ingot from her pouch and tossing it to the madam, gesturing for silence.

The madam patted her ample chest, laughing knowingly

Just then, Qiongqi barreled through the door and launched herself at Luo Jinxiao, clinging to her leg. The madam’s eyes widened in shock, completely taken aback.