Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

The spring breeze swept across the grasslands, painting them in vibrant shades of green. From above, the plains appeared to be draped in an emerald veil, teeming with life. Here and there, farmers had already carved furrows into their fields with sickles, preparing for the planting season.

Luo Jinxiao and Qu Weiyin traveled swiftly on their flying swords, resting at night on Qiongqi’s back. Within a day and night, they entered the territory of Chang Mu.

Chang Mu’s terrain was elevated, forming a plateau-like landscape. Being situated in the far north, the air was bitingly cold, and dense spruce forests covered the land, forming vast swathes of dark woodland. As they ventured deeper, the tree canopies became increasingly bare and withered, the forests growing sparser. Occasionally, they would hear beast roars followed by massive flocks of birds taking flight, creating spectacular dark clouds in the sky.

Qu Weiyin, familiar with such sights, remained unimpressed. Luo Jinxiao, however, darted about in the air like an excited butterfly, unable to contain her curiosity. When Qu Weiyin couldn’t keep her still, she simply flew ahead on her sword, ignoring her companion.

“Junior Shishu, wait for me!” Luo Jinxiao noticed the growing distance between them and quickened her pace to catch up, flying alongside Qu Weiyin with a bright smile, maintaining a playful distance.

Qu Weiyin glanced at her, shaking her head. “There are many demon beasts here. Slow down.”

“Okay.” Luo Jinxiao nodded obediently, then with a mischievous grin, drifted closer to Qu Weiyin, tilting her head. “Junior Shishu cares about me.”

“Hmph, it would be best if you were eaten.” Qu Weiyin said coldly.

Luo Jinxiao couldn’t help but smile. Just as she was about to speak, a flash of light caught her eye. Her smile vanished instantly as she spun around mid-air, looking down.

Qu Weiyin, also sensing something amiss, turned to look.

Below, birds were continuously fleeing from the spruce forest. A line of treetops swayed violently, as if being repeatedly struck by something. Dust billowed up in clouds.

Given the commotion, it had to be a powerful demon beast.

“Something’s not right.” Luo Jinxiao said as she scrutinized the dense forest. Suddenly, her eyes sharpened, and she immediately withdrew her sword, diving straight down.

Qu Weiyin frowned and called out to Luo Jinxiao. Seeing no response, she irritably followed, landing just in time to see Luo Jinxiao dash into the thick smoke on the ground.

Luo Jinxiao hadn’t acted on a whim – she had recognized the fleeting flash of light as being similar to Luo Ning’s spiritual energy.

The smoke was pouring from a demon beast’s mouth. The creature was round and massive, with no visible eyes but an enormous mouth and four sturdy limbs that commanded attention. The gas it expelled was hot and foul, reminiscent of the miasma found in southern regions, and it continued to spew this gas while charging about recklessly.

Knowing the gas must be poisonous, Luo Jinxiao held her breath and relied on her hearing to survey her surroundings.

Not far away, she heard the frantic sounds of footsteps. Someone was running for their life, stumbling and falling repeatedly. Luo Jinxiao dashed towards the sound, and just as the person screamed, she grabbed their wrist.

The person, startled, screamed even louder. Luo Jinxiao quickly covered their mouth, whispering in their ear, “Be quiet and hold your breath.”

The person hesitated for a moment, then immediately obeyed. At that very instant, the demon beast’s hooves thundered towards them. Luo Jinxiao’s sword materialized in her hand, spinning. She gripped it tightly and severed the beast’s hoof in one clean strike.

Mud-like blood spurted out, drenching Luo Jinxiao. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and struck again, her sword wrapped in spiritual energy and winter wind, slashing a huge gash across the beast’s belly. Noxious gas immediately burst forth, making her head spin, though she remained safe thanks to her held breath.

The person in her arms, however, rolled their eyes and fainted.

Along with the poisonous gas, viscous liquid and various chunks spilled out, creating an unbearable stench that permeated the entire forest, and Luo Jinxiao nearly vomited.

The demon beast grunted and crashed to the ground, taking down a young spruce tree with it.

“Ugh.” Luo Jinxiao tried to wave away the foul smell, rolling her eyes in disgust.

A figure in red appeared before her, pulling her close and patting her back. Cool fingertips brushed against her lips, a sweet taste spreading through her mouth, instantly dispelling the nausea and leaving her feeling refreshed.

“You’re all grown up, yet you still manage to cause trouble.” Qu Weiyin scolded. She retrieved a pill from her sleeve and held it to Luo Jinxiao’s lips, her delicate brows furrowed. “Eat this.”

Mud-covered Luo Jinxiao grinned and bit the pill from Qu Weiyin’s hand, deliberately brushing against her fingers. Qu Weiyin recoiled slightly, averting her gaze.

Luo Jinxiao finally had the chance to look down at the person she had been holding, who was now half-lying on the ground. It was a woman, quite beautiful, dressed in fine cloud-silk robes and adorned with tinkling jade pendants. She looked far more refined than Luo Jinxiao in her simple attire.

“Lu Fanzhi?” Luo Jinxiao’s eyes widened. She snorted and slapped the woman’s face. “It really is you.”

The not-so-gentle pats jolted Lu Fanzhi awake. She waved her arms frantically and shouted “Luo Turtle” twice.

…Luo Jinxiao’s face hardened, and she released her grip, letting Lu Fanzhi fall straight into a puddle of mud.

This seemed to jolt her fully awake. She gasped and looked at Luo Jinxiao in horror.

“Am I dead? Am I hallucinating?” she asked.

“Nonsense. Where’s Luo Ning?” Luo Jinxiao demanded.

“She’s got two legs, and she runs much faster than me! How should I know?!” Lu Fanzhi retorted irritably. She scrambled to her feet and reached out to pinch Luo Jinxiao’s cheek. “Heavens, it really is you! Where have you been hiding like a turtle all these years? We’ve been searching everywhere for you!”

Lu Fanzhi seemed to grow more agitated as she spoke, her words tumbling out until Qu Weiyin, her face cold, offered her a pill.

Lu Fanzhi immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word. She took the pill and swallowed it, then lightly slapped Luo Jinxiao’s arm, scolding her in a low voice, “It wasn’t just Junior Shishu Qu who spent five years looking for you. Luo Ning and I did too! And the first thing you do when you reappear is go find Junior Shishu Qu? Talk about forgetting your friends for a pretty face!”

Qu Weiyin’s face flushed slightly, and her voice was sharp. “Lu Fanzhi!”

Lu Fanzhi’s shoulders trembled, and she finally shut her mouth.

“Sister!” A clear voice called out. Luo Ning emerged from the dissipating smoke. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at Luo Jinxiao, and once she was sure she wasn’t mistaken, she rushed forward and grabbed Luo Jinxiao’s hand.

She still had the same lovely, youthful face, largely unchanged, fair and delicate, with large, expressive eyes that quickly welled up with tears. She threw her arms around Luo Jinxiao.

“Sister, you’re finally back,” she sobbed softly.

“Have you really been at Southern Peak all these years?” she asked, tears streaming down her face.

“Yes, it’s a complicated story. I’ll tell you everything later.” Luo Jinxiao softened her voice and gently patted Luo Ning’s back. “What are you doing here?”

Luo Ning sniffed and pulled away from Luo Jinxiao’s embrace, wiping her tears as she spoke. “The Wuhui Sect always sends its disciples out for training in the spring. We knew there were many demon beasts in Chang Mu, so we came together. We never expected to see you here.”

Qu Weiyin suddenly coughed twice, interrupting their reunion. She seemed uncomfortable with such emotional displays and was indifferently poking at the remains spilling from the demon beast’s belly with a twig.

She uncovered several bright red fragments amidst the sludge, starkly visible against the muck.

“Junior Shishu Qu, what is that?” Lu Fanzhi asked, covering her nose.

“Body parts,” Qu Weiyin replied.

Lu Fanzhi’s eyes widened, and she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth and ran to the side. Soon, the sounds of retching could be heard.

Luo Jinxiao had never encountered such a scene either. Her stomach churned, but seeing Qu Weiyin’s impassive face – as if sifting through dismembered bodies was an everyday occurrence – she steeled herself and forced down the nausea.

“None of them are Wuhui Sect disciples.” Qu Weiyin said after examining the remains for a while. She tossed the twig aside and turned to walk away, her back seeming to relax slightly.

Luo Jinxiao took one last glance at the gruesome corpses and hurried after Qu Weiyin. She inwardly smiled, thinking how Qu Weiyin, despite her cold exterior, always cared about others in her own way.

Even Luo Jinxiao hadn’t considered the possibility of finding the remains of an unknown fellow disciple within the demon beast.

“Junior Shishu, what kind of demon beast is this? I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Luo Jinxiao asked.

“A Xi beast.”

“A wild boar?”

“A mountain spirit evolved from a wild boar. It digests its human prey into poisonous gas, which it then uses for hunting and further consumption.”

“Check if the Sect Leader has given you any other instructions.” Qu Weiyin stopped walking and asked.

Luo Jinxiao nodded and took out the handkerchief. The pattern on it had mysteriously changed, transforming into the image of a peculiar building.

Before Luo Jinxiao could ask, Qu Weiyin suddenly spoke. “Changming Pagoda.”

“Changming Pagoda?” Luo Jinxiao exclaimed in surprise. She had heard of it but had never seen it. It was said to be the most feared place for evil spirits and demons that had entered the mortal realm.

Any demon or ghost that entered the pagoda would slowly be transformed into essence blood, nourishing the heavens and earth.

Why would the Sect Leader send her to such a ghastly place? What was she supposed to find there?

Qu Weiyin’s expression was equally complex. She looked at Luo Jinxiao for a moment, then said, “It’s too dangerous inside. When we get there, you wait outside. I’ll go in alone.”

“No way.” Luo Jinxiao interrupted without hesitation. “Junior Shishu, you’re helping me, not replacing me. If it’s dangerous, we should face it together. Two of us are much stronger than one.”

Qu Weiyin’s eyes flickered, her watery gaze unreadable. She stared at Luo Jinxiao, her voice firm. “Listen to me. There’s no room for discussion. Either I go in, or neither of us does.”

“But…” Luo Jinxiao was anxious. She ran a few steps ahead and blocked Qu Weiyin’s path, spreading her arms and fixing her dark eyes on her.

“Junior Shishu, I’m not a child anymore. I’ve grown up. I’m not as weak as you think. You can’t always shield me behind you.”

“Wherever you’re going, we’re coming too.” Lu Fanzhi, having recovered from her nausea, heard the commotion and rushed over, pulling Luo Ning along with her.

“Get lost.” Qu Weiyin snapped.

Lu Fanzhi immediately stopped in her tracks and turned to leave, fear etched on her face.

Qu Weiyin looked at Luo Jinxiao, who was now noticeably taller, and at the dissatisfaction in her eyes. Her own breathing gradually calmed, and her firm stance softened.

She sighed and reached out a cool hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Luo Jinxiao’s ear, then gently caressed her dirt-stained cheek.

The grime on Luo Jinxiao’s body instantly vanished, leaving her clean and refreshed.

“In there, you’ll face dangers and horrors beyond your imagination,” Qu Weiyin said softly. “As long as I can shield you, I will always keep you behind me.”

“Please, listen to me,” she added, her voice gentle as a trickling stream, more tender than ever before.