Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

The winding secret passage seemed to lead to an underground palace. Luo Jinxiao stumbled around like a headless fly, unsure how she managed to crawl out. All she knew was that when she saw the sky again, a pale hand gently but firmly pulled her up from the ground.

She struggled to open her eyes, wanting to see who had come to her rescue. But her vision remained blurry. All she could make out was that the person was dressed in white, even their hair a silvery gray.

However, judging by their physique, they didn’t seem very old.

Luo Jinxiao grasped the person’s wrist and pleaded desperately, “Help me… find… Qu Weiyin.”

The person hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, “Who is Qu Weiyin?”

Their voice was ethereal and dreamlike, as melodious as celestial music.

Luo Jinxiao wasn’t sure if they truly didn’t know or were just pretending, but she felt the pain in her heart intensify. Her vision clouded with a red mist as she staggered and collapsed.

After that, she lost consciousness completely.

One day later, at the White Jade Platform.

The resounding voices of two disciples, amplified by their powerful spiritual energy, echoed through the clouds, startling the entire Wuhui Sect.

Disciples gathered at the Jade Platform, all wearing confused expressions, unsure of what was happening. Soon, the elders who had been discussing matters in the Wuhui Palace also arrived, drawn by the commotion.

Elder He rushed through the crowd, pushing aside onlookers. “What is the meaning of this gathering!” he barked.

As he reached the center, he saw two disciples in white robes standing there. His expression immediately changed to one of shock, his brows frowning. “Huai Shan, Huai Yu, what are you doing!”

The two disciples, a male and a female, exchanged glances. They suddenly swept their robes aside and knelt in unison. The man’s eyes welled with tears, his voice trembling with terror. “Master… Master, ever since we returned from the Demon Realm, we’ve been hesitant to speak. But now… we can no longer keep this hidden!”

“Hidden? What are you hiding? You’re confusing this elder!” Elder He smoothed his beard, turning to look at Elder Mei and the others who had arrived.

“Elder He, let him speak,” Elder Mei said, her pretty face stern, her chin held high.

Hearing this, the male disciple broke down, tears streaming down his face, his fear intensifying. He looked at the female disciple beside him, then gritted his teeth. “A few days ago, my sister, Huai Yu, and I, along with other fellow disciples, went to the Demon Realm to kill demons. We were captured by a demon and imprisoned in a tall tower.”

“Later, everyone heard that Junior Shishu Qu entered the Demon Realm and rescued us.”

“We are aware of this. When Weiyin returns, we will reward her accordingly. Why are you making such a commotion?” Elder He asked, puzzled.

“But when we were rescued… we saw with our own eyes… Junior Shishu Qu… she emitted the same demonic energy as those demons.”

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck. The crowd erupted into chaos.

Chang Siyu pushed his way through the crowd, raising his sword and shouting, “Don’t you dare speak nonsense! Junior Shishu Qu grew up in the Wuhui Sect. How could she possess demonic energy!”

Huai Yu let out a shriek, hiding behind Huai Shan. “Brother Siyu, what we said is true! Otherwise… otherwise, how would she know the entrance to the Demon Realm?”

“That’s…” Chang Siyu was speechless. He flung his sleeve in anger. “Even if that’s true, how can you accuse Junior Shishu Qu based on just your words!”

“That’s right! Junior Shishu Qu risked her life to save you, and this is how you repay her?!” Lu Fanzhi chimed in. Her eyes were bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night.

“What we said is true. We ask the elders and Master to see through their lies!” Huai Shan shouted. “Even Luo Jinxiao, who went with her, has gone missing!”

“Shut your mouth!” Lu Fanzhi stepped forward to strike him but was stopped by Elder Mei’s outstretched hand.

“Insolence! Control yourselves in the presence of the elders!” she snapped. “Huai Shan, Huai Yu, did you see anything else?”

The two huddled close together, seemingly struggling with what to say next. Finally, they continued, “We sensed that the demonic energy emanating from Junior Shishu Qu… it was very similar to the one that’s been lingering around the Wuhui Sect recently.”

These words ignited an even greater reaction. While their previous statements only suggested that Qu Weiyin possessed demonic energy, this new claim directly implicated her in the recent disappearances of the Wuhui Sect disciples.

Chang Siyu’s eyes widened in shock. His hands trembled as he gritted his teeth. “Think carefully about the consequences of your words!”

“This matter is of grave importance. We wouldn’t dare lie. We didn’t speak up before because we feared this very outcome,” Huai Yu said, clinging to Huai Shan, her body trembling pitifully.

The elders exchanged uneasy glances, shock evident in their eyes.

“That’s enough! No one is to speak of this again!” Elder Mei said gravely. She waved her hand to disperse the murmuring disciples, then strode over to Huai Shan and Huai Yu, she said in a low voice, “You two, come with me.”

The commotion died down as quickly as it had begun, but the rumor spread like wildfire. Soon, the entire Wuhui Sect was abuzz with talk of Qu Weiyin possessing demonic energy.

Lu Fanzhi was at her wit’s end. She had nowhere to turn for help. Luo Ning had been searching for Luo Jinxiao since yesterday, running around frantically. Everyone else seemed to believe that Luo Jinxiao had become another missing disciple. Aside from offering empty words of comfort, no one, not even the elders, could offer any real assistance.

Qu Weiyin was nowhere to be found, and neither was Elder Liu. No one knew where they had gone.

After running around in a panic and coming up empty-handed, Lu Fanzhi returned to her master’s side and suddenly burst into loud, wailing sobs.

Gui Jiu, who had been preoccupied with the rumors surrounding Qu Weiyin, was taken aback by Lu Fanzhi’s sudden outburst. He quickly offered her a handkerchief, his brow furrowed with concern. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying so hard?”

“Master… Master, I can’t find Luo Jinxiao! Waaaah…”

“She cares deeply for Junior Shishu Qu. If she knew someone was slandering her, she would definitely find a way to help…”

“But she’s gone missing. What if she’s dead? Ah, waaaah…”

Gui Jiu’s head was buzzing from her cries. He was so anxious he could have torn his hair out, but he didn’t dare touch her. He could only say, “After Luo Jinxiao disappeared, we informed the Luo family. But none of them came, as if they had never had such a daughter. There’s nothing more we can do…”

“What are the elders planning to do about Junior Shishu Qu?” Lu Fanzhi asked, wiping her nose with the handkerchief.

Gui Jiu let out a long sigh, shaking his head. “There’s no conclusion yet. It’s all just hearsay. The elders are trying to find a way to bring Qu Weiyin back for questioning. However…”

“However what?” Lu Fanzhi tossed aside the now-soggy handkerchief and held out her hand for another.

Gui Jiu quickly handed her a fresh one, his expression regretful. “Once a rumor starts, it’s difficult to clear up, whether it’s true or not. Especially now, with everyone panicking, their fear and anger could easily be directed at Junior Shishu Qu. Unless the real culprit is caught, even if she returns, it will be difficult for her to clear her name.”

Lu Fanzhi’s hand paused as she was wiping her nose. She wiped away her tears and thought to herself, Oh, Luo Jinxiao, Luo Jinxiao, your Junior Shishu is in trouble. Why haven’t you come back yet?

Meanwhile, in the main hall…

Qu Chengzhou sat upon the grand throne, his gaze fixed on Yan Ying, who stood before him with her head bowed in silence.

“Are you certain she’s gravely injured and won’t survive?”

Yan Ying clutched her sleeves tightly, her eyes flickering slightly as she firmly answered, “Yes.”

“And yet, she still got away.” Qu Chengzhou’s voice dripped with suppressed anger. “You couldn’t even stop her?”

Yan Ying remained silent, her head still bowed.

Qu Chengzhou stroked his beard, leaning forward slightly. “The Yan family has always served me well, which is why they’ve received so many benefits. If you dare deceive me now, I’ll make sure your parents pay the price along with you.”

“This disciple wouldn’t dare,” Yan Ying replied, her eyes closed.

“Good. My cultivation is nearing completion. Even without Luo Jinxiao, it’s no big deal. She’s just a young nobody, nothing to fear.”

“The only thing to fear is Qu Weiyin. But now that she’s become a demon in everyone’s eyes, it won’t be long before the righteous sects join forces to attack. When that time comes, it will be perfectly natural for me to eliminate her and become the sect leader.” Qu Chengzhou couldn’t hide the triumphant smile spreading across his face.

“Yes,” Yan Ying replied through gritted teeth.

When Luo Jinxiao regained consciousness, she was lying in the middle of a forest, her face covered with a layer of fallen leaves, likely blown down by the previous night’s wind.

She sat up, feeling as if she had just awakened from a strange dream. Looking around, she realized she was deep within a maple forest on Wuhui Mountain. Her body was covered in fallen leaves, as if she had been lying there for a very long time.

Remembering what had happened before she passed out, she clutched a nearby tree trunk and stood up hastily, coughing repeatedly as the dust choked her.

Looking down, she saw the bloodstains from her previous injuries were still visible, but the pain and discomfort were gone, as if she had never been hurt.

The woman she saw before passing out! Luo Jinxiao suddenly remembered. She quickly scanned the forest, but there was no trace of the mysterious figure.

Where did she take me through that dark passage? Who was that person? It all felt like a distant, fragmented dream.

She had no idea how many days had passed or what was happening back at the sect. Brushing the dirt and leaves from her clothes, she summoned Wujue and soared into the sky.

The Wuhui Sect was in chaos, the atmosphere very different from when she left. As Luo Jinxiao hurried through the grounds, the disciples she encountered looked at her as if she were a ghost, but no one approached her.

It wasn’t until she encountered Gui Jiu at the entrance of Wuhui Palace that someone finally grabbed her. His face was full of shock and anxiety as he said, “You’ve actually returned?”

Relieved to see a familiar face, Luo Jinxiao asked urgently, “Has Junior Shishu returned?”

“Yes, yes, she just came back too.” Gui Jiu shook his head and sighed. “These past few days, Fanzhi and Luo Ning have been searching everywhere for you. Luo Ning was so worried she fell ill and is now bedridden. For a cultivator to fall ill, it shows how deeply affected she is.”

Luo Jinxiao’s heart sank with guilt.

“As for Junior Shishu…” Gui Jiu hesitated.

“What about Junior Shishu?” Luo Jinxiao asked, her brow furrowed with worry.

“It’s better if you see for yourself. The disciples are becoming increasingly fearful. Tomorrow, representatives from the various sects and clans will gather here to discuss Junior Shishu’s case. Many believe she’s a demon and are calling for her punishment.”

“What? A demon?” Luo Jinxiao’s heart sank. Mumbling a quick thank you, she turned and ran towards Qu Weiyin’s residence.

As she approached, she could feel a heavy, oppressive aura. Qu Weiyin stood motionless amidst a crowd of disciples, her eyes bloodshot. Her sword, Crescent Star Sword, was absent from her hand.

Her expression was blank, as if the surrounding commotion meant nothing to her, or perhaps it was the final straw that had broken her spirit.

The disciples surrounding her kept their distance, whispering amongst themselves, some even shrinking back, their eyes filled with fear and disgust.

They didn’t want to leave, yet they were all deeply afraid of her.

Seeing Qu Weiyin’s expression, Luo Jinxiao was reminded of her powerlessness when facing condemnation from righteous sects in her past life. Her heart ached.

A surge of anger coursed through her. Cold energy erupted from her hand, sending the gawking disciples sprawling. She pushed her way through the crowd, grabbing Qu Weiyin’s ice-cold hand.

“Junior Shishu, I’m here,” she said, her eyes filled with tears. “Don’t be afraid.”