Transmigrated as The Cannon Fodder Bride of The Villainess

Luo Jinxiao smelled the scent of burnt flesh and nearly retched. She took two steps back, still slightly panicked, but finally relieved. At least Qu Weiyin didn’t intend to hurt her.

Qu Weiyin naturally noticed the wariness in her eyes and scoffed. She looked up at the sky, now nearing dusk. The fiery red sun hung on the horizon, relentlessly radiating its brilliance.

“Can’t walk anymore?” Qu Weiyin suddenly spoke. She walked over to Luo Jinxiao in a few strides and bent down to feel her pulse. Luo Jinxiao was caught off guard by the touch on her chest and recoiled in fright, landing on the ground with a thud.

She gasped, her face crumpling in a grimace.

Qu Weiyin looked at her coldly, then grabbed her wrist and twisted it forcefully to the side. Luo Jinxiao cried out softly, instantly immobilized.

Only then did Qu Weiyin place her hand on her chest, then withdrew it.

“There’s nothing there, what are you afraid of?” Qu Weiyin scoffed, sitting down cross-legged and wiping her hand on her robe.

Luo Jinxiao saw her slightly disgusted gesture and puffed out her cheeks, muttering in a low voice, “You’re not afraid of getting dirty stealing someone’s clothes, but you’re acting squeamish about touching me.”

Qu Weiyin glanced at Luo Jinxiao, too tired to speak.

Luo Jinxiao looked down, hesitating for a moment, then silently retrieved a small bottle of medicine. She stood up and walked over to Qu Weiyin.

Qu Weiyin’s lips were pale. Seeing the medicine in Luo Jinxiao’s hand, anger flared within her. “Are you trying to trick me?” she asked, her voice sharp.

Luo Jinxiao avoided her gaze.

Qu Weiyin winced as she wiped away the blood trickling down her chin.

“Little waste,” she suddenly said, her voice raspy with pain. Luo Jinxiao flinched and looked up.

“Come here,” Qu Weiyin said, one hand supporting her body on the ground, the other beckoning Luo Jinxiao with a crooked finger. “Do you have any healing medicine?”

Luo Jinxiao looked at her wound. Under the bright light, it appeared even more gruesome, the flesh torn open, bleeding profusely. She scratched her head awkwardly and said cautiously, “No, and besides, this was caused by a divine weapon. Ordinary medicine probably won’t be effective.”

Qu Weiyin frowned. “Nonsense. Of course, I know that. As long as it can keep me alive until I reach the demon realm, anything will do.”

She took a few shallow breaths before continuing, “If worst comes to worst, we’ll tear up your clothes to bind the wound. The less blood loss, the better.”

She didn’t show weakness, but the severity of her injuries was evident. Her ability to endure such pain softened Luo Jinxiao’s heart slightly.

She lowered her gaze, hesitated for a long while, then silently took out a bottle of medicine and walked over to Qu Weiyin.

Qu Weiyin’s lips were already pale. Seeing the medicine in Luo Jinxiao’s hand, a surge of anger welled up in her heart. She raised her eyes and said, “You dare to lie to me?”

Luo Jinxiao stuck out her tongue but remained silent. She knelt down, leaning forward to carefully apply the medicine drop by drop onto Qu Weiyin’s wound.

Qu Weiyin gritted her teeth, too focused on managing the pain to scold Luo Jinxiao. She glanced towards the far end of the valley, biting her lip to prevent herself from crying out.

To think that I, the Demon Lord, would be tricked by a little girl, she thought angrily.

The medicine was effective. The bleeding quickly subsided. Luo Jinxiao put away the bottle and tore a strip of cloth from her own robe, gently placing it over Qu Weiyin’s chest.

The faint scent of the girl’s fragrance mixed with the smell of blood. Luo Jinxiao’s hands trembled as she held the ends of the cloth, closing her eyes as she passed them under Qu Weiyin’s arms.

This is a tree, this is a tree, she repeated silently to herself, trying to calm her nerves, before tying a secure knot behind Qu Weiyin’s back.

Qu Weiyin looked at Luo Jinxiao in surprise. Before she could speak, Luo Jinxiao had already retreated a significant distance, her eyes fixed on the ground. If one looked closely, they could see that her hands were still trembling.

Qu Weiyin stared at her for a moment, then picked up her outer robe and draped it over her shoulders again.

A circle of flames instantly ignited around Luo Jinxiao. She waved her hand to disperse the smoke and asked tentatively, “I’m too tired to escape right now. Can you remove this barrier? What if I accidentally touch it in my sleep?”

“Then you’ll die. Do you think I need you?” Qu Weiyin said indifferently, her hands clasped together as a faint golden light emanated from them, attempting to repair her internal injuries.

Seeing that she wouldn’t budge, Luo Jinxiao cursed under her breath and turned her back to Qu Weiyin.

Night gradually enveloped the valley. The sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing echoed around them, occasionally punctuated by the chilling howls of wild beasts.

I need to conserve my energy if I want to escape, Luo Jinxiao thought, feeling goosebumps rise on her arms. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

But it was destined to be a restless night. By midnight, the moon was already hidden behind a thick blanket of dark clouds.

Qu Weiyin, who had been meditating, suddenly opened her eyes, her red pupils glowing. She abruptly extended her arm, palm open, and the Crescent Star Sword appeared, hovering in front of Luo Jinxiao’s face.

Luo Jinxiao, startled awake, screamed at the sight of the sword.

She looked at Qu Weiyin in shock, but the Demon Lord simply flicked her wrist, and the Crescent Star Sword spun, slicing something in half.

Luo Jinxiao focused her gaze and saw that it was a ravenous beast, resembling a bird but with a grotesque green face and sharp fangs.

She clutched her chest, letting out a sigh of relief. The Demon Lord is indeed the Demon Lord, she thought. Her reflexes are far superior to mine.

Qu Weiyin withdrew the sword and then conjured a small fire with a wave of her hand. “This valley is full of demon beasts,” she said flatly. “It’s not a safe place. Go back to sleep.”

Luo Jinxiao hesitated for a moment before asking, “What about you?”

“You need to travel tomorrow. I’ll be fine.”

Luo Jinxiao nodded and hugged her knees, lowering her head. The previous scare had left her wide awake. She glanced up at Qu Weiyin, her mind racing.

How can I escape?

People said the Demon Lord was ruthless and merciless. What if, after she escorted her back to the demon realm, Qu Weiyin turned on her and reduce her to ashes?

As if sensing Luo Jinxiao’s gaze, Qu Weiyin frowned and looked up. Her phoenix eyes, illuminated by the firelight, glittered like two brilliant gems.

The firelight softened the harshness in her eyes.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” she asked.

Luo Jinxiao shook her head, indicating that she couldn’t sleep.

Qu Weiyin chuckled softly, absentmindedly poking at the fire, her gaze distant.

“Were you among those who hunted me down?” she suddenly asked.

Luo Jinxiao shook her head vehemently, unable to explain her predicament. She had simply been following her master’s orders to retrieve an item from a nearby location. Because it was close, she hadn’t bothered with her sword. By the time she realized something was wrong, she was surrounded by powerful cultivators.

Caught in the crossfire of a battle between immortals and demons.

“So you stumbled into it by accident?” Qu Weiyin asked, her hostility seemingly lessening.

“Of course it was an accident!” Luo Jinxiao nodded vigorously. “I nearly died, and now I’m being held captive…”

Qu Weiyin didn’t seem to mind the accusation in her tone. She hummed in acknowledgement and then asked, “I heard you say earlier that you’re a disciple of the Wuhui Sect?”

“Yes.”

“Wuhui Sect, Wuhui Sect…” Qu Weiyin repeated the name softly, her gaze drifting towards the horizon, as if lost in thought.

Luo Jinxiao studied her in the firelight, a strange thought forming in her mind. Perhaps the legendary Demon Lord wasn’t as terrifying as she had imagined.

That is, if she didn’t think about the scene of her slaughtering those cultivators earlier.

Suddenly alert to some unseen disturbance, Qu Weiyin extinguished the fire with a wave of her sleeve. She stood up, pulling Luo Jinxiao with her, swept away the fire circle, and climbed onto Luo Jinxiao’s back. In a low voice, she said, “No more rest. You immortal cultivators are as persistent as leeches.”

Threatened by Qu Weiyin, Luo Jinxiao hurriedly flew into the air on her sword. Though her spiritual energy had somewhat recovered, it was still a strain.

The cool night wind whipped at her robes as she flew. Luo Jinxiao could sense the presence of others closing in from all directions, a vast and overwhelming force.

Luo Jinxiao’s knowledge of the demon realm was based entirely on hearsay, and the Demon Lord had always been just a name to her. She began to wonder just how evil Qu Weiyin truly was to warrant such relentless pursuit by so many powerful cultivators.

But she had no time to ponder this. She focused all her energy on following Qu Weiyin’s instructions, darting through the air like a fly.

Although Qu Weiyin’s voice remained steady, her breathing grew weaker and weaker, so weak that Luo Jinxiao began to consider whether she could escape if she abandoned her now.

But she quickly dismissed the idea. Even weakened, Qu Weiyin likely still possessed the power to kill her with a single blow.

“Demon Lord, there are more people ahead! What should we do?” Luo Jinxiao was nearly in tears from all the running.

“They’ve surrounded us. I don’t know how many there are,” Qu Weiyin said, her voice barely a whisper. She gripped Luo Jinxiao’s shoulders tightly. “Descend!”

Luo Jinxiao obeyed, plummeting towards a river below. Dozens of figures were already positioned in formation mid-air, clearly waiting for them.

The wind howled, distorting their faces. As they neared the formation, panic seized Luo Jinxiao, and she screamed.

Qu Weiyin muttered something in her ear, and suddenly a blinding golden light erupted, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder. The formation shattered, sending its occupants scattering in all directions.

The residual energy crashed into the river, creating a massive wave that sent water spraying high into the air, drenching everyone.

The icy water slammed into Luo Jinxiao, knocking the air from her lungs. She lost her grip on her sword and plunged into the river with a splash. Before she could recite the water-repelling spell, she swallowed several mouthfuls of water.

As the cold engulfed her, a strong arm wrapped around her from behind, pulling her deeper.

Luo Jinxiao struggled briefly, then went limp.

Light flickered above. Luo Jinxiao felt herself being dragged through the water, bumping against rocks as they were swept along by the current.

Most of the impacts were absorbed by the other person. She remained enveloped in a protective embrace, but as her breath ran out, her vision grew dark.

After an unknown amount of time, Luo Jinxiao finally surfaced, gasping for air and coughing violently.

Her nose and ears burned with discomfort. She quickly recited the water-repelling spell, finally finding some relief.

At least I didn’t drown, she thought. That would be embarrassing for a cultivator.

Feeling slightly better, she remembered Qu Weiyin. She frantically scanned her surroundings and saw a figure lying prone on the riverbank. Her outer robe had been washed away, revealing a back covered in bruises and wounds.

Luo Jinxiao took a few steps forward, then abruptly stopped.

This is my chance, she thought. My chance to escape.

Qu Weiyin was weaker than ever before. She was the Demon Lord, and Luo Jinxiao was just a captive. Escape was her priority.

She slowly began to back away.

Qu Weiyin seemed severely injured, unable to move. Her black hair fanned out in the water like seaweed.

Her arms were outstretched, as if she had been pushing someone ashore.