#16: Protection

The air was filled with the sweet scent of blood, the foul odor of Untransformed Toad mucus, and the crisp aroma of cedar.

After hiding Bian Lingyu, Shi Luoyi quickly cast a spell to clear away the scents and added a protective barrier around the cabinet where he was concealed.

Though the sense of smell of the Untransformed Toads wasn’t particularly sharp, the one she was about to face was unfathomable.

Shi Luoyi had just finished these preparations when she didn’t even have time to return to her seat. The candlelight flickered, and a shadow had already silently appeared behind her.

Cold hands encircled her waist as Jiang Yan rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and chilling: “Why are you standing here, my bride? Where is your veil?”

The icy presence of Jiang Yan made Shi Luoyi’s scalp tingle. She remembered that her veil was still clutched in Bian Lingyu’s hand, and she hadn’t had time to retrieve it. After a brief pause, she lied: “They all left, and you didn’t come. I wanted to go find you.”

The room fell silent—an eerie stillness that made Shi Luoyi feel unbearable tension.

She knew she wasn’t good at lying or acting. If she were, she wouldn’t have suffered such a crushing defeat to Bian Qingxuan in her past life. Unsure whether Jiang Yan believed her, she braced herself for the worst-case scenario—a fight with him.

If things got desperate, she would resort to drastic measures. She was mentally exhausted. Why did Jiang Yan have to hold her while speaking? It made her whole body uncomfortable.

What the young girl didn’t realize was that, despite her identity as a sword cultivator, while she inherited her father’s pride and talent, her appearance and voice resembled those of her mother, Princess Wanxun.

Her voice was soft, gentle, and melodious, carrying an inherent tenderness no matter what she said.

If she wished, she could easily deceive the hearts of men across the mortal realm.

Thus, her lie didn’t result in the anticipated clash of blades. Of the two men present, one—inside the cabinet—closed his eyes tightly, his palms bleeding from the pressure of his clenched fists. The other responded by softly laughing and placing a light kiss on her neck.

“…!” Shi Luoyi was utterly repulsed, barely holding onto her smile. She desperately wanted to wipe the spot where Jiang Yan had kissed her—it was disgusting. Why didn’t he just lash out instead of tormenting her like this?

Jiang Yan spoke tenderly: “It’s my fault for being late, little Luoyi. Let us drink the ceremonial wine.”

Just like that, the issue of the veil was brushed aside. It was Jiang Yan’s wedding night, and he wasn’t concerned about where the attendants he had sent to care for Shi Luoyi had gone—they would all die tomorrow anyway.

He led Shi Luoyi to sit at the table, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thankfully, the Untransformed Toad didn’t seem very intelligent.

Finally, she had time to figure out where Jiang Yan had hidden his head.

She remembered that the head could move and hide—it was the lifeline of the Untransformed Toad. She had to strike accurately; otherwise, there would be dire consequences.

While pretending to cooperate with Jiang Yan, Shi Luoyi prayed fervently that Bian Lingyu inside the cabinet wouldn’t make a sound.

The cabinet door closed before her.

All the candlelight was blocked out, plunging Bian Lingyu into complete darkness. Unable to see, he could only listen.

He heard the sound of the monster’s boots on the floor and the girl’s soft voice: “You didn’t come, so I wanted to find you.”

Bian Lingyu’s gaze turned icy, tinged with mockery.

She had once said: “Senior Brother Changyuan, why have you finally returned? I’ve waited for you for so long!”

“You weren’t at Mingyou Mountain, and I missed you.”

“I want to be with Senior Brother Changyuan forever.”

Her voice was always sweet and cheerful, enough to make even the stoic Wei Changyuan curve his lips and blush at the ears.

In the same apricot grove, they both fell for her.

But Bian Lingyu could only remain in the shadows, his gaze fixed on her like a lurking, covetous monster.

From that day onward, he no longer wanted to witness such scenes. He preferred to linger under the eaves during rainy or windy evenings, occasionally catching snippets of her name.

He was Bian Lingyu. He could rot, wither away, and never see her again in this lifetime rather than become a dog wagging its tail for her affection, forever unattainable.

The heart of a sword cultivator was pure and true, yet it became a blade that wounded all who loved her but couldn’t have her. Had Shi Luoyi not fallen into demonic ways, perhaps until death, Bian Lingyu would never have sought her out.

Now, outside the flickering red candles, thinking about what they were about to do, Bian Lingyu lowered his head. Blood still stained the corner of his mouth, and his expression turned cold.

She could marry someone else, entwine with another, and forever keep him out of her sight. But he wouldn’t allow Shi Luoyi to be intimate with anyone in front of him.

What did they think he was? Especially since that monster was an Untransformed Toad.

Bian Lingyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his hand resting on the cabinet lock. The barrier Shi Luoyi had set up seemed as thin as paper to him.

Just as he was about to kick open the cabinet door, the outside suddenly fell into an eerie silence, followed by the chilling voice of a man.

Jiang Yan gripped Shi Luoyi’s wrist, his tone furious: “Who! Who took your maidenhead?”

Bian Lingyu: “….”

Shi Luoyi felt Jiang Yan’s grip on her pulse. She thought his mind must be somewhat unhinged—on the brink of life and death, and this was what he chose to focus on?

Seeing Jiang Yan tremble with rage, jealousy and fury spreading across his face, the grayish skin of the Untransformed Toad flickered faintly over his features, like a grotesque mask.

Jiang Yan leaned toward her, pressing down as his hands tightened around her neck.

Monsters were inherently violent and unpredictable. At this moment, Jiang Yan’s eyes turned blood-red, his demeanor frenzied, a mix of sorrow and anger. One eye glinted with sinister desire, while the other silently shed tears: “Why couldn’t Father have Wanxun, and why can’t I have you…”

The girl didn’t hear the grief and despair in his words. Her Divine Meteor Blade appeared silently in her hand. Though Jiang Yan’s grip on her throat made breathing difficult, her eyes remained calm.

This was the moment! While Jiang Yan was consumed by his emotions, she hurled the blade. It flew out cleanly, severing the phoenix candle among the dragon-phoenix candles.

The phoenix candle broke and fell to the ground, transforming into a hideous, cold toad. The head of the Untransformed Toad, like Jiang Yan, had one eye cold and menacing while the other wept silently, shedding gentle tears.

She had guessed correctly—the true head of the Untransformed Toad.

“Aaaah!”

Jiang Yan roared in anger, clutching his neck, his face contorted.

When an Untransformed Toad’s head was severed, it wouldn’t last long before dying. Its ferocity was unleashed as it shed its human skin in front of Shi Luoyi. Its body surged upward, growing to half the size of the room in an instant. It glared at her coldly, its long tongue whipping toward her.

Shi Luoyi knew there was still a fierce battle ahead. She quickly recalled her Divine Meteor Blade and spun to dodge the attack.

Though the Untransformed Toad appeared clumsy, its speed was terrifying, and every strike carried the weight of a thousand jin. In her past life, it had taken half their group dying in a joint assault to subdue it.

This time, so much had changed from her previous life. Han Shu wasn’t here, nor was Wei Changyuan. Only Shi Luoyi remained.

But she felt no fear. If she could hold out for just a short while longer, she could exhaust the Untransformed Toad to death.

On the brink of death, the Untransformed Toad wanted to kill the offender who had severed its head before its power faded completely.

The Untransformed Toad was an ancient monster. Even if Han Shu were here, victory wouldn’t be guaranteed—let alone for a young girl at the Golden Core stage like Shi Luoyi. Its sharp claws descended again, forcing her to block with her Divine Meteor Blade.

A sword cultivator’s strength was already considerable, but this strike caused her dantian to ache, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Untransformed Toad used spellcraft, restraining her as its long tongue lashed out, attempting to pierce her heart. Shi Luoyi had nowhere to evade. Gritting her teeth, she twisted her body to avoid a fatal blow, though she expected either death or severe injury today!

Yet before it touched her body, the creature seemed startled by something, hissing and retracting its tongue.

It was too late. A peach wood sword from Shi Luoyi’s waist flew out, piercing through the Untransformed Toad’s mouth. It writhed in agony before finally dissolving into foul water and vanishing into the air.

Before disappearing, it didn’t forget to spew venom, intent on killing Shi Luoyi.

Everything happened too quickly. Unable to react, Shi Luoyi could only shield her face.

The anticipated pain never came. Instead, a heavy weight pressed down on her, followed by a muffled groan.

She moved her arm and saw Bian Lingyu tightly clenching his lips, supporting himself above her.

When the venom had sprayed earlier, Shi Luoyi hadn’t panicked much, but now her heart sank, and she grew flustered.

“Bian Lingyu?”

What had happened to him? Had he been blown over by the Untransformed Toad’s force? Or was he risking his life recklessly?

Their eyes met, and the girl furrowed her brows, staring unblinkingly at him. Her heart turned cold.

Shi Luoyi thought Bian Lingyu might take his last breath at any moment. Yet the youth continued to support himself with his arms, not even touching her soft body.

He closed his eyes, enduring the pain, gritted his teeth, and stood up.

Shi Luoyi lay on the ground, staring blankly at him for a rare moment, then glanced at the remains of the Untransformed Toad nearby: “Was that… ink it sprayed?” Was it a toad or an octopus?

Bian Lingyu lowered his gaze, saying nothing.

The girl sheathed her blade and climbed to her feet. Before looking at the pool of foul liquid left by the supposedly soul-scattered Untransformed Toad, her heart sank further upon seeing it silently seeping into the ground, as if alive.

The mirage collapsed abruptly, the opulent Jiang Manor disappeared, and not far away lay a vast expanse of desolate ponds.

There were no lotus flowers, and it wasn’t summer. The biting chill of winter struck unexpectedly, making Shi Luoyi shiver.

“How could this happen…” Had the Untransformed Toad truly died?

“The Untransformed Toad has two primal bodies.”

Eh? Shi Luoyi looked at him in surprise to see Bian Lingyu struggling to stay upright, kneeling on one knee. She quickly supported him: “Don’t move. Let me take you somewhere to rest, and I’ll check your injuries.”

The true face of Qingshui Village was revealed—a simple village with vast ponds, their surfaces frozen with shards of ice, and no moon in the sky.

The night felt heavy yet pale. Shi Luoyi found a large rock and helped Bian Lingyu lean against it.

Her heart sank. She had thought killing the Untransformed Toad would ensure everyone’s safety, but it turned out the creature had two primal forms. Even though she had slain one, the other remained, still capable of killing and reproducing! This was something she had never known in her past life.

No wonder they later fell into a trap, and she barely survived while Elder Han Shu perished. It was the other primal form of the Untransformed Toad causing trouble.

Worse still, Bian Lingyu’s condition looked dire. His entire body was covered in blood and the sticky mucus of the Untransformed Toad.

Shi Luoyi was deeply troubled.

Not being a Pill Cultivator, she could only use spells to roughly treat his wounds and clean him. After much effort, she realized this wasn’t enough. To save Bian Lingyu, she needed to find Elder Han Shu or Bian Qingxuan as soon as possible.

They might be able to heal him.

She withdrew her hand: “I’ll take you to find Elder Han Shu.”

Her words hung in the air, but Bian Lingyu didn’t respond. Shi Luoyi looked up and met his gaze.

It was an unusually calm and focused look. He had been silently watching her without her noticing.

But when she raised her head, his gaze shifted and dropped.

Shi Luoyi couldn’t explain why, but in their encounters, seven or eight times out of ten, Bian Lingyu had been angry. This time, despite his severe injuries, she unexpectedly found him strangely peaceful.

She crouched beside him, feeling the atmosphere grow awkward. Remembering his earlier gaze, she even wondered if something was odd about her face, hesitating to touch it. Concerned, she asked softly: “Are you in great discomfort?”

His gaze changed again.

She remembered how, when she had shoved Bian Lingyu into the cabinet, his eyes had seemed like they were about to freeze over, and the force with which he gripped her wrist felt like he wanted to crush her bones.

Now, in the eerily silent night, she crouched beside him, unsure why his gaze felt so strange.

Bian Lingyu’s throat moved slightly, and he awkwardly murmured: “Mm.”

Hearing him confirm his discomfort, Shi Luoyi instinctively thought of how unlucky he was—unluckier than her. Blown by the force of the blast, he had collided with the venom. The Untransformed Toad’s venom, which hadn’t landed on her, had instead sprayed onto Bian Lingyu’s back.

Her heart tightened, fearing he might be in grave danger: “Let me see your wounds?”

Desperate to save him, the girl didn’t think much and reached to undo Bian Lingyu’s clothes. But as soon as she touched his belt, her hand was stopped.

In the darkness, he stared at her, softly calling her name: “Shi Luoyi.”

Just her name, gently spoken.

Shi Luoyi awkwardly withdrew her hand, her cheeks belatedly flushing red. She guiltily recalled how, months ago in her past life, she had also stripped his clothes while hurting him.

At the time, she hadn’t understood intimacy. Though she vaguely knew the steps, because she felt no affection for the youth before her, she had undone his clothes halfway but stopped, driven by her inner demons. She hadn’t even leaned down to kiss him or touched his upper body once.

Finally, when Bian Qingxuan burst in, it was he who had closed his half-opened clothes.

“…” Shi Luoyi’s cheeks rarely burned with embarrassment. She must have left an indelible, unpleasant memory for Bian Lingyu. She didn’t insist on examining his wounds anymore, realizing that whether it was ink or venom, as a sword cultivator who only knew how to cut people, she was powerless.

Bian Lingyu also fell silent for a moment before finally saying: “I’ll rest for a bit. Dawn is near. When it breaks, we’ll go find Qingxuan.”

“Oh.” She instinctively moved a little farther away, hoping he wouldn’t be afraid of her.

Though Bian Lingyu had a bad temper and a cold demeanor, she now recognized that he was different from Bian Qingxuan.

Regardless of his quirks, he had known to warn her that the Untransformed Toad was a fake.

He wasn’t evil, nor did he seem like a bad person. This made her feel like she had truly been a beast in the past. Shi Luoyi felt a rare headache.

The evening breeze carried the scent of the lotus pond, tinged with a hint of muddy odor, no longer the foul stench of the monster’s decay.

Shi Luoyi had also been injured. Her chest felt heavy and painful, but thankfully, it was a minor wound. With Bian Lingyu present, she didn’t dare rub it and instead kept a serious expression, pretending nothing was wrong.

As the girl calmed down, many mysteries arose in her mind. For instance, what was with the peach wood sword? Had Bian Qingxuan tampered with it? How had Bian Lingyu known the Untransformed Toad had two primal forms? She hadn’t sensed any immortal or demonic aura from him.

She thought Bian Lingyu wouldn’t speak to her again, but after a long silence, he suddenly spoke, asking a strange question: “Who was that Untransformed Toad?”

Shi Luoyi paused, then replied: “Hmm… It should be Jiang Yan, the missing Young Sect Leader of Chuan Yun Sect who vanished in Qingshui Village.”

“Jiang Yan.”

He slowly repeated the name, his tone chilling.

Jiang Yan, huh. Hmph.