Chapter 17: Alliance of Friends

Page 1/3

Song Junyu heard the voice but did not move, only slightly turning her gaze, eyes filled with confusion. She asked, “Who are you?”

The newcomer wore a green robe, originally bearing a gentle smile, but upon seeing Song Junyu’s reaction, the smile instantly froze on his face.

“Me?” Chen Xiangshui squinted, his mind shifting slightly.

Just moments ago, he had been inquiring about the guards on the Celestial Path, responsible for escorting disciples who emerged from there. Unexpectedly, the first to appear were a variety of extraordinary flowers and plants, followed immediately by this familiar yet strange figure.

At first, he hesitated to confirm, but the silhouette made it unmistakable.

To be honest, he rarely paid attention to junior sisters other than Shu’er; this little disciple was the first in a long time.

Unexpectedly, she asked again—

“Who are you?” Song Junyu repeated.

Twice questioned with doubt, finally igniting the flicker of displeasure in Chen Xiangshui’s heart.

“Junior sister, have you forgotten the medicine I gave you that day?”

His eyes brimmed with sorrow, as if lamenting, “Why would you betray me like this?” Nearby, a few disciples had already been drawn to the pair at the core area.

Song Junyu felt a surge of anger rising to her temples. Were it not for knowing her current strength, she truly wished to punch him through!

First it was Xie Yang, now Chen Xiangshui—one greedily seeking spirit stones, the other flaunting his face; shamelessness could be so blatant.

Wang Xinglong, standing nearby, had long sensed the tension between the two, thick with hostility. He rolled his eyes and subtly tugged Song Junyu backward.

Then, he looked up and smiled, “Oh! Senior brother! Who might you be?”

Chen Xiangshui finally shifted his gaze to this young man beside him, noting his lavish attire and a healthy pink hue on his cheeks, though his exaggerated expressions were particularly irritating.

“What business is that of yours?”

Wang Xinglong laughed even more heartily and said immediately, “I truly don’t mean to bother you, senior brother, but my sister really doesn’t know who you are. If this question offends you—”

He shifted his tone sharply, “Since that’s the case, we won’t trouble you any further!”

With those words, he decisively pulled Song Junyu further back, and in no time, they were several meters away from Chen Xiangshui.

Once steady, he leaned in quietly and whispered, “So? Are we friends now? Is that enough loyalty?”

Recalling how he shielded her just now, Song Junyu felt a slight warmth and lowered her gaze, replying softly, “I suppose so.”

“But he’s a disciple from below Baoluo Peak, a person of no small standing. Aren’t you afraid of offending him?”

Wang Xinglong laughed, “Liu Yu, I do have some backing; otherwise, how could I be so brazen?”

“No matter how strong mortal families are, they can’t compare to the might of a single breath from the immortals—just a few powerful cultivators born within a family.”

Page 2/3

Song Junyu glanced at him and chuckled lightly, “Tsk.”

Unexpectedly, this disrespectful youth showed a hint of strength... and responsibility?

Meanwhile, Chen Xiangshui, left behind, caught sight of the two whispering together from the corner of his eye. His expression grew cold and sharp.

With so many eyes around, it was unwise to cause a scene now. He would wait for the right moment to reprimand them; if the junior sister maintained such an attitude, he wouldn’t be bound by his promises.

Two hours later, a bell tolled across the sky.

In an instant, several figures appeared on the horizon, heading toward the distant Panlong Square.

Although Chen Xiangshui held personal grievances—

...Ah, ah, ah, work has been busy... It’s almost past midnight, please give me some time to catch up on updates.

She was being soul-lured?

The so-called soul-luring was a forbidden technique first devised by the villain “Madman,” sealed within secret chambers of various capitals. This technique required strict conditions and the sacrifice of a hundred or so royal offspring with refined bloodlines.

The “villain” referred to those like her, condemned by the imperial family of the Nine Capitals as utterly irredeemable, cast into the abyss of suffering.

Years had passed, and villains were treated like lowly beasts. Every three years, several would be taken by the imperial army to be made into ornamental furniture for nobles.

She still remembered five years ago, a ten-year-old child thrown into the abyss as a villain, later skinned and stripped of sinews to become a jade-bone chair for royal children.

This so-called sacred Nine Capitals proclaimed itself the land purging evil and punishing wrongs, maintaining order among its subjects. Hence, killing villains was celebrated as meritorious, and torturing them was an honor.

The first crime to brand someone as a villain was laughably the golden bloodline; if found to have pure red bloodline, they were deemed the seed of evil and not allowed to live.

Shu Nu’s eyes darkened as thick murderous intent thickened like ink, chilling the very air.

Liang Yu, unaware of Shu Nu’s thoughts, scratched her small temple nervously and timidly asked, “Miss, what’s wrong?”

Shu Nu turned her head at the voice, pupils flickering. Through Liang Yu’s body, she saw a faint golden glow on the red bloodline, softening her expression somewhat.

She was lucky; without that thin golden layer, she might have ended up neighbors with this little girl in the abyss.

“Nothing. Where is this place?”

Liang Yu nearly bit her tongue in surprise, “The Xu Mansion in the Capital, Miss! You suddenly fell unconscious two days ago. Doctors came one after another, all said you only need rest and there’s no serious issue. I’ve been guarding you, waiting for you to wake...”

Shu Nu furrowed her brows tighter and asked, “What is my rank in the Xu family?”

Liang Yu’s eyes widened further—had the miss gone daft from sleep?

“Miss, shall I call the doctors again—”

“Answer me.”

Page 3/3

Shu Nu abruptly turned to cut her off, casting Liang Yu a cold, black-eyed glare that seemed to lack pupils entirely, chilling to the bone.

Liang Yu immediately fell silent, her body trembling uncontrollably.

So terrifying.

That single look felt like falling into an ice pit; the miss resembled a vengeful ghost freshly risen from the underworld, capable of ripping her limbs apart.

Seeing this, Shu Nu softened her tone slightly as she turned away, “Explain the current situation in detail. I ask because I want to hear how outsiders perceive me.”

Having slaughtered widely across the capitals, she had naturally seen how noble ladies lived. The place she now resided was likely a side courtyard, not much better than ordinary.

Explaining why she had no memories was too complicated; it was simpler to ask directly.

Sure enough, Liang Yu nodded in agreement, swallowed nervously, then lowered her head respectfully, “Miss is Xu Jing Shu, third born legitimate daughter of the Xu family. But her birth mother died years ago, and the master is away at war. So... life has been difficult lately.”

“But, but don’t worry, Miss. Once master returns, you’ll be loved!”

Loved?

How unfamiliar that word felt.

Shu Nu suddenly curled her lips into a strange smile, “What year is it now?”

Liang Yu was startled by the reaction, shivering, “The twenty-eighth year of Hongguang, seventh month, third day!”

A faint madness flickered in Shu Nu’s eyes.

A heaven-sent opportunity, granting this villain the identity of a subject of the Nine Capitals.

No time difference yet—it was exactly two days after she left her body.

So, everyone, please wait well.

She, the villain, has returned under the name Xu Jing Shu.

The Imperial Palace of the Capital.

Gilded tiles, magnificently grand.

At this moment, a disheveled black shadow—