Demoness's Art of Vengeance

It had never occurred to Yu Wanrou that the fox-shaped mark or the spectral demiplane could transform. She was unsure of what exactly the change was, but she firmly believed that any changes to her spectral demiplane would be beneficial to her. After all, the spectral demiplane was a planal space created by and for the members of the Fox Clan’s bloodline, and she could very well be one of the surviving members of the same.

The fact that she was the “last one standing” made her heart puff up with pride. The idea of being unique made her feel special.

In fact, in Jun Xiaomo’s previous life, Yu Wanrou had also led an extremely smooth-sailing life before Rong Ruihan brought the wrath of vengeance upon her. At that time, she had been able to seduce whoever she wanted, as well as sabotage and frame anyone who crossed her paths. As a result of this, she ended up as a matriarch with a massive following of male cultivators who were subject to her every beck and call.

Unfortunately, she was up against Jun Xiaomo who had returned to the past right now, and her life now was vastly different from what it had been in Jun Xiaomo’s previous life.

Yu Wanrou released her divine sense and began to probe about her spectral demiplane. Very soon, her attention was enraptured by the large patches of red and green spiritual herbs growing within.

She took a closer look. There was first disbelief, before it quickly burgeoned into immense joy –

“Mesmerizing Blossoms?! Hahahaha! These are Mesmerizing Blossoms?! Hahahaha…” Yu Wanrou grew so excited that she began to laugh uncontrollably. She was right! The spectral demiplane was a heaven-defying treasure, and any changes and transformations would only benefit and not harm her.

The Mesmerizing Blossom, as the name implies, was a flower that puts people into a slight stupor and stimulates their primal, impassioned desires, to the extent that people might even begin to hallucinate as a result of its effects. These flowers could be refined into a highly potent aphrodisiac. Those who had consumed the refined Mesmerizing Blossoms, or the Mesmerizing Blossom Pill, would experience an incredible high while they tangled in intimate relations. In fact, they would realize later that this high sensation was something that they would never be able to experience without the aid of the refined Mesmerizing Blossoms.

As a result of this, some people would later develop a reliance on such Mesmerizing Blossom Pills and relentlessly pursue that next period of high. After all, those who had experienced such highs would invariably find it hard to let go of it again.

Additionally, the Mesmerizing Blossoms Pills acted like a form of hallucinogen. If a person had intimate relations after consuming such pills, they would gradually be unable to distinguish whether they were attracted to the person that they were tangling intimately with, or the high that accompanied the pill. As a result of this, they would even begin to find themselves “falling in love” with their partner.

Even though the use of such pills to manipulate and control “love” was practically building a relationship based on deception, Yu Wanrou could hardly care less. In her eyes, it sufficed that she was able to keep her man or men tightly within her grasp. As to whether her men experience true love or not, was there really a need for her to delve into these things? After all, she only cared about whether these men would do anything to betray her.

Most importantly, whether Mesmerizing Blossoms or the antidote to the Mesmerizing Blossoms’ effects, both were extremely difficult objects to find. It had to be said that the usage and sale of the Mesmerizing Blossoms had already found its way into the list of restricted and forbidden medicines in the spiritual cultivation world. Thus, it only stood to reason that the medicines and pills built on and relating to the Mesmerizing Blossoms were incredibly hard to locate.

Yu Wanrou looked at the fields of endless Mesmerizing Blossoms in her spectral demiplane with greed and avarice in her eyes. It was as though each one of these flowers were now men who were bowing down in subservience to her right now.

She resolved in her heart to practice and properly learn how to refine and create the Mesmerizing Blossom Pill. Fortunately, her master was a pill master. Even though her pill-making talents were only average at best, a simple pill like the Mesmerizing Blossom Pill could never be too difficult for her.

After inspecting the large patches of Mesmerizing Blossoms in her spectral demiplane, she turned her attention back to the spirit spring. She heaved a sigh of relief and felt far more at ease when she saw that the amount of spirit spring waters had not dwindled by a single bit.

At this point in time, the arsenal accessible to her included the Mesmerizing Blossoms, the spirit spring and the dual-cultivation technique. Thus, she firmly believed that she would be able to subjugate all the men in the world and become the matriarch of all in no time.

“It’s just a pity that the dual-cultivation technique is only accessible once I’ve attained the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation.” Yu Wanrou sighed with some measure of regret.

She was only at the eighth level of Qi Mastery right now, and there were still four qualitative levels before she would be at the twelfth level of Qi Mastery. Then, there would still be the breakthrough required to attain the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation.

After leaving her spectral demiplane, Yu Wanrou tidied her appearances before making her way towards Qin Lingyu’s room. He had not checked on her at all ever since she had passed out, and she wanted to demand an explanation for what exactly he meant by his actions.

Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. After arriving at Qin Lingyu’s room, she knocked on the door for a long time, only to discover that Qin Lingyu was not at his room to begin with. She did not have a single clue where he had gone.

A wave of immense displeasure and frustration surged from the depths of her heart. She only managed to keep her emotions in check when she placated herself and reminded herself of how she had more hidden trump cards up her sleeves right now, and there was no concern that she would not be able to lockdown Qin Lingyu’s heart and affection for her.

On the other side, after an incredible effort on her part, Jun Xiaomo finally managed to convince the stubborn and vigilant Scarlet Heavenly Wolf that it needed to follow Rong Ruihan for the time being so that the refinement technique could thoroughly be purged from its body.

“Alright, I’ve just received news from my master. He’s got some tasks for me, so I’ve got to make a trip back to the clan. The Scarlet Heavenly Wolf can follow me back.” Rong Ruihan suggested to Jun Xiaomo.

“That’s good as well. Every day the refinement technique remains unpurged from its body is a day that something might happen to it. The earlier we can purge its body, the better it would be.” Jun Xiaomo nodded her head in approval, before turning her attention to the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf that had laid on the floor, “Be good and follow brother Rong, alright? Don’t throw a tantrum.”

The Scarlet Heavenly Wolf was no longer a threat to Jun Xiaomo, nor did it intend to harm Jun Xiaomo. That said, the manner in which Jun Xiaomo treated it caused the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf to snort slightly as it swished its tail about lazily.

Jun Xiaomo knew that the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf was a proud creature to begin with. The fact that it could display such obedience and respond so obsequiously was already a huge victory to her. Therefore, she smiled radiantly as she ruffled the hair on its head. The Scarlet Heavenly Wolf enjoyed this very much, and it began to make slight purring and growling sounds in delight.

Rong Ruihan saw how the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf looked at Jun Xiaomo as it enjoyed her fawning and affection, and his heart grew slightly envious at the sight.

Just then, the Transmittance Talisman within Rong Ruihan’s Interspatial Ring glowed brightly. He retrieved the Transmittance Talisman and conversed through it for a while, before looking back up at Jun Xiaomo as he quipped apologetically, “Master’s hurrying me back right now. I’m afraid I must take my leave right now.”

Jun Xiaomo smiled as she shook her head, “You’ve got important things to attend to.”

As she finished speaking, she patted the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s head once more as she instructed, “Be good and follow brother Rong now, alright? You’ll be able to come back to my side once the refinement technique has been purged from your body.”

The Scarlet Heavenly Wolf appeared unwilling, and it made some growling sounds as it rubbed its head gingerly against Jun Xiaomo’s hand.

Jun Xiaomo smiled blissfully, before she finally took a few steps back.

Finally, Rong Ruihan retrieved a Teleportation Scroll and tossed it out into the air. Instantly, the scroll opened up in mid-air and the formation diagram began to cast a soft, blue light that enveloped both Rong Ruihan and the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf.

Jun Xiaomo waved her hands and bade them goodbye, while Rong Ruihan nodded his head firmly as he stared at Jun Xiaomo with longing in his eyes.

An intense blue light burst out from the formation diagram. When it faded, Rong Ruihan and the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf were gone, and even the scroll containing the formation diagram had vanished into thin air.

Jun Xiaomo sighed to herself as she gingerly touched the earrings on her earlobes.

Rong Ruihan had earlier suffused his energy into the pair of earrings, thus fully repairing and replenishing them. Even though Jun Xiaomo had time and again rejected Rong Ruihan’s good intentions, she eventually caved into Rong Ruihan’s relentless insistence.

Sigh. The number of favours I owe to brother Rong is truly ever-increasing. Jun Xiaomo chuckled bitterly to herself, and a complicated feeling swelled from the depths of her heart. She felt both moved as well as sullen at the same time.

Jun Xiaomo stood there for a while to repress and collect herself. Then, as soon as she turned around, intending to head back into her inn, she discovered Qin Lingyu standing at the door of the inn – who knew how long he had been standing there and watching.

However, it hardly mattered even if he had witnessed the entire interaction between Jun Xiaomo and Rong Ruihan. After all, as long as Qin Lingyu was unable to secure hard evidence that her brother Rong was a demonic cultivator, nobody would be able to uncover the secrets enshrouding Rong Ruihan at all.

Jun Xiaomo decided to ignore Qin Lingyu. There was no longer any existing relationship between her and Qin Lingyu. Even if there were, it would be nothing more than the blood feud that they might have in the future.

However, Jun Xiaomo’s decision to ignore Qin Lingyu did not mean that Qin Lingyu would ignore Jun Xiaomo in a similar fashion. In fact, Jun Xiaomo felt that Qin Lingyu’s gaze on her body right now was incredibly disgusting and hateful.

Can’t we just agree to act as two strangers to each other? Why do you have to look at me so intently?! 

Jun Xiaomo furrowed her brows discreetly as she collected her roiling emotions once more. Then, she calmly walked past Qin Lingyu’s side and back to the inn.

He can’t hurt me now anyway, so I’ll just ignore his presence. Jun Xiaomo thought.

However, dreams were often diametrically opposed to reality. Unexpectedly, Qin Lingyu called out to Jun Xiaomo just as she walked past him.

“Xiaomo.” Qin Lingyu appeared expressionless as he spoke, but his voice no longer carried any traces of being distant or proud or arrogant. In fact, it even sounded as though it was…warm?

Jun Xiaomo’s heart shuddered. She did not know why Qin Lingyu was calling out to her right now, much less why he was using such a goosebumps-inducing tone of voice.

It had to be said that in her previous life when she had been officially married to Qin Lingyu for some time, there had not been a single instance when he had called out to her with such an intimate and soft voice. At that time, the only term of reference he had used on Jun Xiaomo had always been “martial sister Xiaomo”.

It was evident from the way he spoke that there were no feelings of intimacy whatsoever towards her. Unfortunately, Jun Xiaomo had been completely mesmerized by Qin Lingyu at that time, and she had been undiscerning in that regard.

Jun Linxuan and Liu Qingmei were also technically martial brothers and sisters. However, Jun Linxuan would never be so cold as to refer to Liu Qingmei merely as a martial sister.

Jun Xiaomo suppressed the nauseating feeling in her stomach, turned around and plastered a slightly courteous yet cold smile on her face as she responded, “Martial brother Qin Lingyu, what’s the matter?”

As much as Qin Lingyu had never referred to Jun Xiaomo as “Xiaomo”, Jun Xiaomo had similarly never called Qin Lingyu in such a distant manner by referring to him by his full name either.

Qin Lingyu was displeased with Jun Xiaomo’s intention to increase the distance between them, and his face grew cold and stern. That said, his face had always been cold and somber, and the difference between his expressions was practically indistinguishable.

Of course, this would only be the case if he were speaking to an outsider. As his wife of over ten years in her previous life, how could Jun Xiaomo not be able to tell that he was furiously suppressing the displeasure on his face right now?

Ah, what’s this guy displeased about? I haven’t even exposed his hypocrisy to the world yet. The smile on Jun Xiaomo’s face grew sardonic.

Qin Lingyu’s thoughts spun around for some time, before he finally asked, “Do you have some time now? Shall we find a place to have a chat?”

“Oh? I don’t think martial brother Qin Lingyu and I have much to talk about.” Jun Xiaomo shrugged her shoulders as she spoke with indifference, “How about this instead, if martial brother Qin Lingyu has anything to say, you can say it to me right here, right now, hmm?”

Qin Lingyu and Jun Xiaomo were standing at the door of the inn, and there were people coming and going all the time. Qin Lingyu could never bring himself to stoop so low as to chat in front of the inn.

“I’ve booked a room at the inn. We can have a chat there instead.” Qin Lingyu responded.

“Eh, nope!” Jun Xiaomo gesticulated a ‘stop’ sign, “What would one man and one woman be doing inside a room alone? Besides, I don’t think martial brother Qin are so close as to be seated alone in a room and chatting, do we? This is something that only people who are close to each other would do.”

Jun Xiaomo’s unbending attitude caused Qin Lingyu’s pride to be slightly hurt. But he only furrowed his brows gently, before loosening them again and pressing the issue with Jun Xiaomo in a harmonious tone of voice, “Then let’s speak under that large tree in the distance, shall we? There are people coming and going here. We might disturb the inn’s business if we pause to chat here.”

“Alright, let’s go there then.” Jun Xiaomo nodded her head.

She had no interest in gathering a crowd of onlookers around. This was particularly the case when several people were well aware of how there used to be a marriage arrangement between Jun Xiaomo and Qin Lingyu, so the last thing she wanted was for ridiculous rumours of “rekindling an old flame” to be spreading around as a result of their little “chat”.

At the same time, she wanted to see for herself just what kind of scheme Qin Lingyu was up to right now.