Chapter 5: Aunt Liu

The cold, untouchable statue showed a faint crack; its long eyelashes trembled slightly, and the palm gripping the sword sheath turned pale.

The sword hilt pressed against Jiuwu’s left shoulder but could not move her an inch. Jiuwu bent down, trapping Xuanyi between the collapsed chair and the ground, finally witnessing the humiliation and disgrace that the aloof god had never shown, even at the brink of life and death.

Jiuwu preferred this expression from him rather than being ignored. The redness at the corner of Xuanyi’s eyes, inflamed with anger, made her shiver with excitement.

She flicked her index finger gently, and the sword resting against her throat dropped to the ground. Without his cultivation, Xuanyi was as fragile as a weak mortal, utterly defenseless.

So this was how she could see a more beautiful senior brother.

For the first time, Jiuwu was so close to Xuanyi, their warm breaths mingling near their noses. Tentatively, she licked his soft lips, mimicking what she had seen in the village below the mountain today, gently pressing her lips against his, then—

She repeated the act over and over.

Time passed, and Xuanyi’s complexion shifted from pale to flushed repeatedly. The redness of humiliation at his eyes faded, returning to that serene, ethereal look. He looked at Jiuwu’s repeated licking and kissing with cold detachment and clear awareness.

“Are you a dog?”

Jiuwu paused, seeing the impatience furrow his brow.

The expression she wanted to see vanished again. This realization left her feeling defeated. The system was right: she was a kidnapper, not his wife. Even if they did the same things as the two mortals, it was still not the same.

The visible hurt in Jiuwu’s eyes made the system reluctant, but it had to admit—

The host’s recent behavior was truly like a little puppy encountering a fragrant steamed bun, but lacking fully grown teeth, all she could do was sniff and circle around.

Xuanyi’s pale lips reddened slightly as he suddenly pushed Jiuwu away, eyes unmasked in disgust.

At this moment, he had to believe that Jiuwu’s earlier words about wanting him might be true.

This thought made Xuanyi even more irritable. If she wanted something else, perhaps there was room for negotiation.

But if she wanted him, that meant until Jin Zhuo and the others found him or the Nightmare Poison dissipated, he would remain imprisoned here.

Losing his freedom was one thing, but if the succubus beneath the endless abyss vanished again—

Thinking of this, Xuanyi’s gaze grew colder to the bone as he looked at Jiuwu: “I want to eat.”

Jiuwu glanced at him sharply. Cultivators fed on the spirit essence of heaven and earth; they didn’t get hungry, but sometimes they sought food for pleasure. Did senior brother crave earthly treats?

She had thought that he never indulged in mortal desires.

Not wanting to miss the chance to understand Xuanyi’s preferences, Jiuwu asked earnestly, “Senior brother, what food do you like? I’ll go down the mountain and buy it for you.”

Xuanyi’s expression was indifferent: “I don’t know. I want to go down and see for myself.”

This place was the border town of the mortal realm, with the endless abyss lying beneath the Qing Sang Mountains outside the town. The illusion demon was unreliable now. He needed to find an opportunity to investigate the town’s recent anomalies.

Jiuwu fell silent for a long time after hearing his desire to go down the mountain, the demonic aura around her skirt spreading.

Xuanyi’s pupils shrank suddenly. Strange demonic markings crept up her face, and the Frost Moon Sword on the ground sensed the demonic energy, trembling and roaring even without Xuanyi’s command.

Just as the system thought Jiuwu was about to lose control, she looked straight at Xuanyi, a faint smile curling at her lips: “Fine, I’ll take senior brother down the mountain.”

“But…”

Xuanyi looked at her.

Jiuwu stepped before him, her finger touching the bloodstain seeping from his chest: “It must be properly treated first.”

Xuanyi pursed his pale lips, uncertain what trick she was about to play.

Jiuwu drew closer, her delicate, innocent face near his chest. Xuanyi tightened his jaw, instinctively wanting to create distance, but she raised her slender arm, circling behind him and untying the knot on his bandages.

This time, changing and wrapping the bandages took nearly half an hour. Jiuwu stood and looked toward the cave entrance where daylight was fading.

“Ah, it’s getting dark. The market down the mountain must have dispersed. It’s all my fault for being clumsy and delaying.”

Though she said this, the smile on her lips grew more pronounced.

Xuanyi watched her silently, clearly seeing that Jiuwu was doing this on purpose. He bent to pick up the Frost Moon Sword from the ground and said in a deep voice, “How long do you plan to keep me here?”

Jiuwu sat at the wooden table, resting her chin on her hands, as if seriously pondering.

“When senior brother falls in love with me and agrees to be my spouse as Dao partners, I will let you go.”

The system sighed. The host’s words were the same as those spoken by the villainous female lead in the later chapters who imprisoned the male protagonist.

It seemed impossible to escape the predetermined fate of the villainess.

“I will never like you. Never.”

Xuanyi spoke without hesitation, his face calm as he stated an unalterable fact.

Jiuwu stood upright. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on her face. She stared at Xuanyi for a long time before covering the candlestick in front of her.

“Senior brother, you must be tired. Rest for now.”

Her gentle voice was peaceful, as if she had not heard the disdain in Xuanyi’s tone.

Darkness fell inside the cave. Xuanyi watched as she rose and walked toward the entrance, where a thick fog-like barrier sealed the opening after she disappeared.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the new clothes Jiuwu had bought for him. His whole body felt as uncomfortable as if ants were crawling all over him.

How filthy.

The air atop the peak was icy and pure. The bright moon hung at the horizon, its hazy light partly obscured by clouds, as if a corner was missing. The market below the mountain was brightly lit, contrary to Jiuwu’s words that it would disperse at night.

Jiuwu sat in an open-air tavern. The aroma of wine spread from the opened jug on the table. She had never drunk before but liked the feeling after trying it once.

Dizzy, as if dreaming.

No, better than a dream—her dreams were never a pleasant place.

She smiled, drinking a large gulp of strong wine, her fair cheeks flushed with a rosy glow, looking soft and dazed.

Her appearance attracted many secret glances, but Jiuwu paid no mind. She hugged the wine jar and asked the system, “Was I like this in the book?”

“Though you hid him, why weren’t you as happy as expected…”

She did not notice the system did not respond. Muttering to herself, she said, “How can I make him like me?”

“To make someone like you is very simple.”

Jiuwu’s hazy gaze shifted to the opposite side, where an unfamiliar young man in dark robes had appeared without invitation or courtesy.

Jiuwu tilted her head. Was it an illusion? He resembled her senior brother somewhat.

The young man took the wine jar in front of Jiuwu without asking and poured himself a cup.

“You seem to understand. Tell me—how do I make senior brother like me?” Jiuwu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “If you don’t say it well, I’ll be very angry.”

After all, she hated demons most of all.

The young man noticed the flicker of killing intent in Jiuwu’s eyes and smiled with interest. He stood, gesturing for her to follow.

Jiuwu’s eyes flickered. As she rose, her body swayed slightly. She avoided the young man’s hand reaching to steady her and walked toward the direction he indicated.

Golden rooftops and vermilion walls, powder and rouge perfuming the air.

Elegant guests in splendid clothes, music and laughter mingling.

Jiuwu observed the couples with ambiguous postures, her gaze straightforward and utterly unashamed.

The dark-robed youth shook his folding fan and said to an approaching woman, “Aunt Liu, this is a friend of mine who wants to ask you some questions.”

“Not a friend,” Jiuwu smiled brightly. “If you can’t give me the answer I want, we’re just killers and victims.”

The youth laughed heartily upon hearing this.

He leaned close to Jiuwu, his face half resembling Xuanyi’s, causing her to momentarily lose focus. Unexpectedly, he raised his fan and lifted her chin.

“You are truly interesting.”

After he spoke, Jiuwu pushed his fan aside and left with Aunt Liu.

Chan Jing watched her retreating figure. “Interesting enough… I almost don’t want to kill you.”

He withdrew his gaze. The face resembling Xuanyi’s suddenly shifted into a strikingly androgynous beauty.

“Aren’t you the new girl at Xiangjiang Tower? Come, let me hold you.” The drunken man did not notice this “girl” was taller than him. Staggering, he opened his arms toward Chan Jing, who turned and left the tower.

At the moment they brushed past, the drunk man collapsed, eyes wide open, a fist-sized hole bleeding in his chest, his heart gone without a trace.

The fan swayed as Chan Jing hummed leisurely. Only when the moon waned could he venture out like this. Though he had not drunk, he encountered a little devil intricately linked to the fated sword-bearer.

A chaotic succubus who could spy on emotions through the void and change her appearance.

When his true form left the endless abyss, the sword-bearer must die.

And this woman driven mad by love was the key.

Why was he so certain? Because the source of her strong demonic aura was originally his heart.

Love—a word both the most unreliable and the most terrifying force in the world.

Once he taught her how to love, and the sect heir loved her, he would reclaim his heart and drag them both to hell.

The moon slowly moved eastward. Jiuwu stared at the figures behind layered gauze curtains, their shadows rising and falling, the bed creaking with their movements.

A flicker of darkness passed through her eyes. “Are you mocking me?”

Aunt Liu was startled and quickly waved her hand. “Miss, you’ve misunderstood. I’m teaching you.”

Aunt Liu clapped her hands, and beautiful maids interrupted the two on the bed. After wrapping themselves properly, the blushing couple exited the curtain.

“Miss Liu, you’re too much, sneaking here to spy on our intimacy.”

Jiuwu’s pupils contracted sharply. The woman bore a terrifying scar like a centipede across her face, but the man beside her was very handsome.

The two chatted warmly with Aunt Liu before leaving.

“Are they married?” Jiuwu asked.

Aunt Liu sat down. “Not yet today. They’ve set a date, marrying mid-next month.”

“Do you think they don’t suit each other?” Aunt Liu continued before Jiuwu could answer.

“People misunderstand love. Appearance, status, cultivation—these are barriers within love. But these are only surface things. To win the affection of your beloved is simple—inside-out and outside-in.”

Aunt Liu sat beside Jiuwu, her smooth jade fingers lifting Jiuwu’s chin to look out the window. The couple who had just left held hands and smiled at each other.

“Like her, Miss Ru.”

“Miss Ru doesn’t have a beautiful face, noble status, or even a perfect spiritual root—just an ordinary mortal. But her husband is the second son of Lan Ya City’s lord, with outstanding spiritual roots and a disciple of the prestigious Qingyun Sword Sect.

“Though worlds apart, they came together simply because Miss Ru liked him.”

Jiuwu frowned. Just because she liked him, they were together?

“How is that possible?”

Aunt Liu closed the window and looked at Jiuwu. “That’s what I meant by inside-out.”

“Miss Ru doesn’t have a beautiful appearance, so she can’t attract him by looks. But she has one thing those noble daughters lack.

“The second son may be high-born but not the legitimate heir. Qingyun Sect has many outstanding disciples. Despite this, many admire him. Miss Ru succeeded because she saw beneath his glamour, to his ‘lowliness.’

“He doesn’t need a noble lady to match him, norI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.