The "Flying Sedan" of the Wanjian Sect was spacious, almost equivalent to a small room, furnished with a tea table, chairs, a carpet, and soft couches.
Gu Baiyi sat inside the sedan, her sword, Hanshui, pressed against Ji Rong's neck, gently applying pressure, forcing her back against the beautiful couch.
With one hand holding the sword, she raised her other hand and placed her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
Then she leaned in closer to Ji Rong's ear, laughing softly. "Senior Sister, you'd better stay quiet, or my sword won't show any mercy."
Ji Rong seemed unphased, merely lowering her gaze to silently observe the sword resting against her neck.
In truth, her heart was racing, beating at a speed of one hundred twenty beats per minute.
The little fox curled up in Ji Rong's arms, its glossy eyes watching Gu Baiyi.
The fox, dressed in black, wore an elegant smile, yet its eyes were filled with coldness.
Wu Yan shivered, sensing an intense chill from this person. The coldness in her eyes felt like a fallen flower from Phoenix Terrace, swept away by the wind, leaving no trace of its remains.
She silently thought, with the sword pressed to her master's neck, it was clear she wouldn't win against this person. It seemed her only option was to slip away, leave the sedan, and alert the Wanjian Sect to save her master.
But just as she prepared to flee, she felt a slight shake from outside the sedan. The sedan then lifted off the ground, flying far away from the earth.
Wu Yan froze mid-step.
She felt sorrow.
But the worst was yet to come. She felt her neck being lifted by someone.
Wu Yan looked at the person who had grabbed her in surprise, her eyes wide.
How could it be him?
Xie Bai stood beside Gu Baiyi, his face pale, yet his lips curled into a smile. A bandage was wrapped around his left hand, with faint red stains seeping through, indicating an injury.
He narrowed his eyes, briefly locking gazes with Wu Yan before smiling and saying, "Fox Brother, long time no see. Hope all is well."
The little fox flapped its paws in the air, staring at Xie Bai, as though trying to resist this greeting with every pore of its body.
"Fox brother? I'm female!"
Gu Baiyi glanced at Xie Bai lifting the fox but frowned and said, "It saved me. Let it go."
Ji Rong's expression remained calm, but her heart raced with surprise. She turned her head slightly to look at Wu Yan.
When did the fox ever save Gu Baiyi?
The little fox immediately raised its paw and flapped it a few times in the air, whimpering pitifully.
Ji Rong: "..."
Perhaps it wasn't a fox she raised, but a loyal lapdog. A very skilled one at that.
"Alright, I'll let it go."
Xie Bai shrugged and, with exaggerated compliance, gently set Wu Yan down, then smiled brightly. "Whatever you say, I'll do."
Ji Rong: "..."
Xie Bai truly lacked the backbone of a proper villain.
At the same time, Ji Rong couldn't help but wonder. A year ago, Xie Bai had been aiming a sword at Gu Baiyi, yet now, not only had he been swayed to their side, but he also managed to avoid the heroine's revenge after her dark transformation.
It was absurd.
What Ji Rong didn't know was that the reason Gu Baiyi had spared Xie Bai was simply because he still carried the Wanjian Sect's token, which could break through the sect's formation and grant him access.
Though she didn't fully understand the reasons behind it, Ji Rong realized that with these two crazies, her life might not be safe for much longer.
Seizing the moment when Gu Baiyi and Xie Bai were speaking, Ji Rong's fingers subtly moved, silently reaching for the Qinghe Sword at her waist.
Just as her fingers grazed the hilt of the sword, Gu Baiyi suddenly bent down, grabbing her hand in return.
The Qinghe Sword clattered to the ground.
In a split second, Ji Rong gathered a surge of spiritual power in her palm and aimed it at Gu Baiyi.
The force of the attack surged like a mighty wave.
"So Senior Sister has already reached the early stage of Stepping on the Moon? Truly impressive," Gu Baiyi chuckled. "But unfortunately, it's still just the early stage."
She then raised her hand and formed a Red Lotus Seal in the air.
The red lotus blossomed like a purging fire in her palm, meeting Ji Rong's force. In an instant, the pale blue light of Ji Rong's energy fizzled out.
But Ji Rong's true target wasn't Gu Baiyi.
She seemed focused on fighting, but deep down, she knew that in a battle of spiritual power, she had no chance against Gu Baiyi, who had lived through two lifetimes.
Thus, the only breakthrough would be in swordplay.
As Gu Baiyi was forming the seal, Ji Rong took the opportunity to leap into the air, stretching her hands to the ground to retrieve the fallen Qinghe Sword, preparing to strike with a "Canglang Cleanses the Tassel."
However, in the next moment, a breeze blew, and she seemed to see the bright moon reflected in a pool of water.
Then, she sensed the murderous intent lurking behind her.
It was over—"Wind and Moon Without Trace."
Gu Baiyi appeared like a ghost behind Ji Rong, and before she could grasp her sword, she was knocked to the ground.
Bang—
Before Xie Bai could even see how Gu Baiyi attacked, Ji Rong was already lying on the carpet, her hands bound by Gu Baiyi, her long black hair scattered around her.
What surprised him most was that while Gu Baiyi was quickly attacking Ji Rong, she still remembered to place her hand beneath Ji Rong's head…
Was she trying to prevent Ji Rong from hurting her head?
He chuckled. The relationship between these two was so complex.
Gu Baiyi looked at the hand she had instinctively placed beneath Ji Rong's head and furrowed her brow.
Though her face betrayed no emotion, inside, she was angry.
No, she was furious.
Because she couldn't understand why her hand was there.
Ji Rong was on the brink of death, completely unaware of Gu Baiyi's small movements.
All she could do was weep silently, feeling like the most unfortunate transmigrator in history, and the most impossible villain to be.
She might as well have died a year ago.
While she wallowed in self-pity, Gu Baiyi watched the blood on Ji Rong's neck, savoring the cool, sweet scent that lingered in her mouth.
Her eyes slowly turned red as she gazed at that smooth, white neck, resembling a slender porcelain vase. She felt an overwhelming urge to grab it and bite down hard.
She wanted to see that pure white skin marred, stained with blood, dirty from her bite.
Just this thought made the heart demon stir, almost consuming her rationality.
For the first time, Gu Baiyi considered letting the heart demon take over her mind and do the things she wanted to do but dared not.
Her eyes focused on the bloodstains on Ji Rong's neck, the slight curve of her collarbone beneath, and then her slim waist, pressed against the soft white wool carpet, her little legs gently trembling.
She bit her lip, remembering the events of a few days ago.
That day, the phoenix flowers fell, blanketing the ground.
Gu Baiyi looked at the heart demon, which wore Ji Rong's face, naked and ghostly, passing through the demonic temple. The demon gently pulled back the heavy curtains with its fingertips, smiling at her.
In that moment, she knew the "Senior Sister" was a fake, yet she almost let the heart demon deceive her.
Perhaps, she wished to be deceived.
But in the end, she couldn't be, because no matter how much the heart demon resembled her senior sister, it was not her.
Gu Baiyi snapped back to reality, her gaze falling on Ji Rong's indifferent eyes.
She thought, perhaps she could take more.
The heart demon could help her with so many things.
With that thought, Gu Baiyi leaned down, staring at Ji Rong's delicate neck, extending her tongue to taste the fresh blood on her skin.
She licked gently, savoring the sweet taste that lingered on her tongue.
She hadn't tasted anything like this in a long time, and in that moment, the flavor of blood made her breathing heavier.
Meanwhile, Ji Rong's experience was far from pleasant.
She could only feel Gu Baiyi's breath on her neck, suffocating her.
But what suffocated her most was the soft, damp sensation as Gu Baiyi licked her neck. It felt like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, injecting poison into her veins, making her entire body stiffen, goosebumps rising on her arms.
The sensation spread from her neck to her collarbone, first a light kiss, then a bite that carried a slight pain. The cold teeth and warm tongue created two contrasting sensations that made Ji Rong instinctively curl her legs.
Yet Gu Baiyi was pleased by Ji Rong's unconscious reaction.
She smiled and leaned down again, biting the spot where her teeth had left marks, running her tongue over it.
"Ahh…"
Ji Rong couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her neck and let out a breath.
Damn it.
Gu Baiyi, you fucking dog, I'll curse you!
Gu Baiyi heard the faint, controlled breath escape from Ji Rong's lips, so quiet, like a soft rain, yet the deep red in her eyes grew darker.
She wanted more.
Her cold gaze remained, but her fingers moved to Ji Rong's waistband.
Her hands were swift, slowly loosening the jade belt. After unfastening it, she looked at the disheveled hair scattered on the soft couch, and the legs barely visible beneath the sheer garments.
She was close, just one more movement, and she would peel back the thin silk.
But then, an image flashed before her eyes.
She saw a broken sword fall to the ground, blood spreading across the jade steps. The spilled red poured from a woman's chest, soaking her white silk garment.
The blood red in her eyes slowly faded.
The heavy curtains fluttered, and Gu Baiyi's eyes grew deep, dark, like the shadowy, cold temple under the moonlight.
She slowly stood up, frowning as she watched the blood slowly seeping from Ji Rong's neck.
Her brow furrowed even tighter, but not because of the blood.
As she stared, Ji Rong's eye corner twitched, and a single tear fell. First, just one, then more and more, like droplets of dew gathering in the center of a lotus leaf, sliding down the veins like tears.
The crystal-clear drops fell from her lashes, like fluttering butterflies.
Gu Baiyi froze.
She was stunned, not just because Ji Rong was crying, but because Ji Rong's expression was so indifferent. It was as though the one crying wasn't her, but someone else.
Gu Baiyi was perplexed, and her voice softened involuntarily. "Senior Sister, why are you crying?"
Ji Rong stared silently at Gu Baiyi, then lifted her hand, wiping the tears from her face with quick, fluid motions.
She parted her lips but didn't speak.
Because she feared that if she spoke, it would only be a stream of fragrant curses.
You don't understand. I'm crying for the heavens, the earth, for myself. Damn it, being the villain is so hard. Just kill me already.
I don't want to live anymore, damn.