Today was a special day.
The heroine was about to make her appearance.
And so, as the villainous supporting character, Wen Sui decided to dress up for the occasion. She spent ages fussing over her appearance in front of the mirror.
“Your Highness, will you be wearing red again today?” asked the young maid beside her, unable to resist stealing glances at her princess.
Wen Sui was a little sleepy. Resting her head on one slender, pale wrist, she gave a lazy hum of assent.
She liked red.
She was almost always dressed in red, her robes as brilliant as fire. The vivid color only emphasized her pallid, sickly complexion, but Wen Sui didn’t care. She wore red regardless, with little bells adorning her clothes that jingled merrily whenever she moved, making her seem lively and full of life.
She liked it that way.
Wen Sui was terribly sensitive to the cold. It always seemed to her that chilly drafts could find their way through the smallest gaps, leaving her body perpetually cold.
She bundled herself up from head to toe. Just before leaving, she draped a cloak trimmed with silver fox fur over her shoulders.
The soft fur gathered around her neck, framing a small, exquisitely beautiful face. The outer corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, giving her features a bold, dazzling charm.
Indeed, if one overlooked her excessively pale complexion, Wen Sui was an extraordinarily striking beauty, lovelier even than peach blossoms in March.
Unfortunately, she had been born with a sickly constitution and a body so frail it seemed perpetually on the verge of falling apart.
Now that her preparations were complete, Her Highness was ready to depart.
“Your Highness, which treasure carriage would you like to take today?” asked a maid who had come from the imperial palace.
Wen Sui’s royal father and mother frequently sent things to her. They had practically moved an entire palace’s worth of possessions here.
As a result, her residence and everything she used were extravagantly luxurious. So luxurious, in fact, that the opulence bordered on vulgarity, utterly at odds with the ethereal atmosphere and abundant spiritual energy of the cultivation sect.
But Wen Sui couldn’t have cared less.
She adored that sort of ostentatious splendor.
She carried herself with all the pomp and airs of a princess, and entering a cultivation sect had done nothing to change that.
“That one.”
She pointed toward the dazzling, extravagantly adorned Ninefold Phoenix-Luan Treasure Carriage.
Its body was crafted entirely from red sandalwood and inlaid with pure gold. Gemstones of every color dangled from the four corners of its eaves, chiming delicately in the breeze like pearls falling onto a jade platter. Even its curtains were woven from precious merfolk silk, as light and sheer as mist.
And the creature pulling it was a white tiger spirit beast, a gift from her master.
Thus, when Wen Sui set out in her carriage, she naturally attracted no shortage of attention.
Everyone else traveled by flying sword or immortal crane.
Yet here she was, riding a glittering golden treasure carriage drawn by a white tiger spirit beast, its gemstones so dazzling they could practically blind a person.
Decadence!
Utter decadence!
The passing disciples couldn’t help staring at the outrageously extravagant carriage, momentarily entranced by its splendor. Only after recovering their senses did they indignantly condemn such excess.
One disciple happened to be flying past. He was a senior brother from Qingyuan Peak who had never gotten along with Wen Sui.
She deliberately called out to him.
“Senior Brother! Would you like to come aboard? I’ve got a lovely soft couch and a wonderfully comfortable carriage. It’s so much nicer than riding a sword! The wind must be awfully strong up there. Be careful you don’t fall off and land flat on your face!”
The senior brother from Qingyuan Peak nearly lost his balance and tumbled off his sword.
Furious, he swept his sleeves and flew away.
Wen Sui laughed so hard she pounded the side of the carriage.
Unfortunately, her laughter soon dissolved into a fit of coughing, leaving her struggling to catch her breath.
That was the trouble with this sickly body.
It was so fragile.
So utterly useless.
And it hurt.
How boring.
Suddenly, a cold, sinister breeze swept through the surroundings.
Even the gentle warmth of the sunlight seemed to fade.
That presence…
Wen Sui knew who it was without looking.
She ordered the white tiger to stop.
A dark figure flashed past.
Someone came to a halt outside the carriage. A hand with long, well-defined fingers extended toward her, several drops of blood staining its icy-white skin.
A bowl of blood was held out beyond Wen Sui’s gauze curtain.
The metallic scent drifted toward her.
Then a voice, unnaturally cold and devoid of discernible emotion, reached her ears.
“Drink your medicine, Your Highness.”
Medicine, he called it.
In truth, it was blood.
Previously, his blood had at least been mixed with medicinal herbs.
Now she had to drink an entire bowl of it.
A moment ago, Wen Sui had been all smiles. In the blink of an eye, her smile vanished, and displeasure spread openly across her face.
“Pei Bai, your blood tastes awful. Couldn’t you add some sugar or candied fruit next time? Even a few flower petals would do.”
“The smell of blood is so strong. It’s making me dizzy,” she grumbled under her breath.
She forced someone to carve out his own heart’s blood for her every single day, yet still had the nerve to complain that it tasted terrible.
The maid beside her couldn’t help casting Pei Bai a sympathetic glance.
He was so handsome, and she’d heard his cultivation was exceptionally high. He was a genius of the Dao.
Yet he’d ended up a slave controlled by her princess’s Gu poison.
Every day, he was forced to draw blood from his own heart to nourish Her Highness, and he had to scour the world for treasures to prolong her life.
Pei Bai said nothing.
He wore black robes, his hair was black, and even the ribbon binding it was black.
A heavy, oppressive aura seemed to envelop his entire being.
Only his exposed face stood out beneath the sunlight, white as snow and radiating such a piercing chill that no one dared approach him.
Wen Sui frowned and held out the bowl.
Pei Bai took it without a word.
He had always been a man of few words.
When they were children, Wen Sui could at least get a few sentences out of him, though most of them had been sarcastic remarks aimed at her.
Later, as her illness worsened, the heart’s blood that had once been drawn every half month was required every ten days, then every five.
Now it was needed daily.
Pei Bai spoke less and less.
His behavior, too, grew increasingly unpredictable.
Perhaps the rumors were true.
She had forced Pei Bai to sustain her life, compelled him to draw his heart’s blood day after day, and sent him on perilous missions to seize treasures, where he repeatedly came within a hair’s breadth of death.
After enduring her oppression for so long, perhaps his mind had become twisted.
Perhaps he really wasn’t quite right in the head anymore.
When Wen Sui thought about it carefully, there was indeed something rather abnormal about him.
For some reason, he seemed to enjoy standing beside her bed and staring at her.
He appeared and disappeared like a ghost.
Whenever she woke from one of her unconscious spells, she would often find him there, standing with his head lowered, silent as ever.
His face looked even paler than hers.
And his gaze…
It was dark and unsettling, its depths almost frightening.
Wen Sui suspected that she’d driven him into becoming a complete deviant, one who was constantly searching for an opportunity to kill her in revenge.
But she wasn’t afraid of him.
She had the Gu her master had given her.
If Pei Bai disobeyed, she could activate the poison and subject him to unbearable agony.
And if she died, Pei Bai would have no mother Gu with which to remove the poison.
He would die too.
Their lives were bound together.
Pei Bai surely understood that if she died, he couldn’t survive either.
That was why he’d remained so obedient, drawing his blood and searching for treasures on her behalf.
Yes.
Pei Bai had always been very obedient.
It was just that today…
Wen Sui remembered what had happened when she woke up, and her face fell.
Looking thoroughly grave, she collapsed backward onto the soft couch.
Yesterday, upon waking, she’d recovered the memories of her transmigration.
It turned out that she’d transmigrated into a novel while still in her mother’s womb.
And she hadn’t become the heroine destined for a sweet romance.
No.
She’d become the villainous supporting character destined to be cannon fodder.
Her sole purpose was to create romantic conflicts between the male and female leads, advance their relationship, and ultimately die a miserable death.
And Pei Bai was the male lead of the original novel.
Ever since childhood, he’d been controlled by Gu poison and forced to nourish her, the villainess, with blood from his own heart.
To prolong her life, he’d ventured into secret realms, slain powerful demons, and gathered rare treasures of heaven and earth.
Even their dual cultivation had been for the purpose of transferring his cultivation to her and keeping her alive.
In the novel, she was the architect of his miserable past.
She was the reason his personality had become so gloomy and twisted.
Later, as the plot progressed and the heroine appeared, his journey toward healing began, and the story transformed into a sweet romance.
Pei Bai would no longer sustain her life.
And as for Wen Sui?
Naturally, there was only one possible ending for her.
Death.
She was nothing more than a disposable villainess, a tool to serve the plot.
As for exactly what happened to this supporting character, so much time had passed that Wen Sui could no longer remember many of the details.
Perhaps the male lead eventually discovered a way to remove the Gu poison. Once he stopped feeding her his heart’s blood and searching for heavenly treasures on her behalf, she simply succumbed to her illness.
Or perhaps, after the heroine healed him, he decided to rid himself of the shadow cast by the villainess who had tormented him and killed her with a single stroke of his sword.
Either way, the conclusion was the same.
She died.
Quietly, without anyone caring.
Her death had been so insignificant that even Wen Sui herself couldn’t remember how it happened.
And now that her memories of transmigration had awakened…
Did that mean this world had finally begun to move?
That the plot was starting to unfold?
Was she about to be swept toward her inevitable death?
But she didn’t want to die yet.
She couldn’t die.
Which was why, today…
“Pei Bai.”
Inside the treasure carriage, Wen Sui sat up.
She was smiling again.
Though her body was frail and sickly, her eyes were eceptionally bright.
Even through the thin gauze curtain, the light in them was unmistakable.
The curtain was lifted.
Wen Sui met the young man’s cold, brooding gaze.
Her smiling eyes curved upward, and the tiny beauty mark near the outer corner of one eye seemed to dance with the movement.
“Do you know what we’re doing today?”
“Killing someone,” Pei Bai replied.
“Mm. Very good.”
Wen Sui hummed approvingly, feeling much more at ease.
She was quite satisfied with his understanding of the situation.
She continued, “And if you don’t kill, do you know what the consequences will be?”
Silence.
Wen Sui was displeased.
She was just about to demand an answer.
If he refused to respond, she’d activate the Gu poison and threaten him until he understood exactly what the consequences would be.
But then Pei Bai spoke.
“Your Highness will be unhappy.”
Wen Sui froze. Her heart gave a little drop.
It wasn’t exactly the answer she’d been expecting, but hearing it made her feel oddly pleased.
Even if his voice was as cold as ever.
“Not bad, Pei Bai. You’ve even learned to come up with the right answers all by yourself.”
“I like that answer very much.”
They were nearly at the council hall when Wen Sui stepped out of the carriage.
She was so accustomed to Pei Bai attending to her every need like a servant that she simply stretched her arms toward him without saying a word, her expression haughty.
This seemed to be an everyday occurrence.
Pei Bai approached, wrapped one hand around her slender waist, and lifted her down to the ground.
Disciples were coming and going nearby.
A few who witnessed the scene couldn’t help lowering their heads to whisper among themselves.
“Seriously, Pei Bai’s already reached the Mahayana realm. There are barely a handful of people in the entire sect who could beat him. So why’s he still running around serving Wen Sui like a slave? It’s not as if she doesn’t have legs. Can’t she get down by herself?”
“It’s the Gu, obviously. He’s under its control. Whatever Wen Sui tells him to do, he has to do it. Just a couple of days ago, I saw him return to the sect covered in blood. I heard he nearly died fighting a great demon in the Wufang Mountain Secret Realm.”
“What was he doing in that secret realm? It’s full of medicinal herbs. He’s a sword cultivator. What use would he have for those?”
“Are you stupid? He doesn’t need them, but Her Highness does! She obviously forced him to go. I heard that when the Gu poison flares up, the pain is absolutely unbearable…”
“But with cultivation as high as his, hasn’t he found a way to remove it after all these years?”
“This isn’t an ordinary Gu. It’s—”
“AH! What is that…? Fire! I’m on fire!”
The two disciples had been chatting when sparks suddenly exploded beside their ears.
Their hair caught fire. They frantically tried to beat out the flames, but in their panic, they collided with the people around them.
The fire spread in an instant.
The entire hall descended into chaos.
“Fire! Fire! Hey, stay away from me!”
“Who cast that fire-starting spell? Put it out!”
“You idiot! Stop screaming and use a spell!”
“I DON’T KNOW HOW!”
…
Meanwhile, the culprit, Wen Sui, was doubled over with laughter, her whole body shaking.
“Hahahaha! You idiots! You fools…!”
She managed only a few laughs before she started struggling for breath again.
She had to rub her chest and steady her breathing before she could resume laughing.
Her laughter was so brazen that she might as well have announced to everyone, Yes, I did it.
Pei Bai stood beside her, holding his sword, his face expressionless.
Occasionally, stray sparks flew in his direction, but before they could come within three feet of him, the pressure of his spiritual aura repelled them.
The elders seated on the raised platform were so furious that their beards practically bristled.
“Outrageous! What kind of behavior is this?”
At once, the elder of Qingyuan Peak swept his hand through the air.
The flames in the hall were finally extinguished.
“How boring.”
Wen Sui lowered her eyes listlessly.
The smile vanished from her face, leaving her looking thoroughly displeased.
“Wen Sui! This is not your mortal imperial palace! How dare you behave so recklessly here?”
The elders of Hengtian Sect’s five great peaks were seated on the raised platform.
The elder of Qingyuan Peak was the first to lose his patience, calling Wen Sui out by name.
He was about to continue berating her when Cang Wu, the peak master of Lingxiao Peak, reached out to stop him and gave him a meaningful look.
Wen Sui paid them no mind.
She swept her gaze across the platform.
There were only five elders present.
Had the heroine simply not arrived yet?
Or was the plot not going to unfold as written?
Perhaps the heroine wouldn’t appear at all.
Wen Sui clicked her tongue.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she walked toward the raised platform.
Her red robes flowed like flames, and the bells adorning her clothes rang crisply with every step.
Her chin was tilted slightly upward.
She didn’t look the least bit repentant.
If anything, she looked as though she wanted to do it all over again.
The disciples below erupted into another uproar.
Wen Sui climbed the steps and, with perfect ease, settled herself into the central seat of honor.
It was her master’s seat.
She was his only disciple.
Since her master was in seclusion, wasn’t it perfectly reasonable for his disciple to sit in his place?
Yes.
Entirely reasonable.
Without the slightest burden on her conscience, Wen Sui made herself comfortable.
Pei Bai continued standing beside her, holding his sword, his expression as unreadable as ever.
The crowd below fell silent in an instant.
Wen Sui raised a hand.
A talisman appeared out of thin air between her slender, pale fingers.
Bang!
Sparks burst into the air.
Firelight illuminated the young girl’s pallid face, lending her delicate features an almost genuinely innocent air.
She asked in apparent bewilderment, “I only wanted to play with my senior brothers, so I cast a tiny little spell. Does that count as reckless behavior too?”
“You nearly set the entire hall on fire! And you call that a tiny little spell?!”
“All right, enough of that. Let’s get down to business.”
Wen Sui waved a hand impatiently and yawned.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of respect in her tone.
She was growing tired and irritated.
All she wanted was to settle today’s business as quickly as possible and go back to sleep.
Talking to these people was dreadfully boring.
She’d much rather play with Pei Bai.
Even if she was always the one chattering away while he merely listened, rarely saying a word.
Her attitude only further inflamed the elders’ dissatisfaction.
Cang Wu, the peak master of Lingxiao Peak, exchanged glances with the others before slowly speaking.
“Recently, the Demon Realm has once again begun stirring. I fear a great war may be approaching. To better protect all living beings and eliminate demons and evil, we have discussed the matter among ourselves.”
“We hope Your Highness will hand over the Yaoguang Sword that the Sect Master entrusted to your care. With it, we can summon the various sects and unite them against the Demon Realm.”
The Yaoguang Sword was Wen Sui’s master’s bonded sword.
It was also Hengtian Sect’s most treasured possession.
To behold the sword was as good as beholding the Sect Master himself.
That was precisely why Wen Sui had been able to remain in Hengtian Sect without trouble all these years.
Hengtian Sect stood at the head of the great cultivation sects.
The Yaoguang Sword was a spiritual sword with the authority to command them all.
Her master had been in seclusion for many years.
Wen Sui knew perfectly well that these people had long coveted the position of Sect Master and intended to seize it for themselves.
She also knew exactly why they’d convened today’s council.
That fat, big-eared elder of Qingyuan Peak…
Just looking at him made her feel filthy.
And then there was the peak master of Lingxiao Peak, who looked so agreeable on the surface but was actually rotten with schemes.
He was undoubtedly plotting something wicked.
Did they take her for a fool?
Her master’s sword belonged to her master.
She wouldn’t give it to anyone.
She would wait until he emerged from seclusion and personally return it to him.
Wen Sui tightened her grip on the talisman hidden inside her sleeve.
“That sword…”
She blinked.
Her clear eyes looked guileless and innocent.
A brief smile touched her lips.
Then, just as suddenly, a vicious light flashed across her face.
“That sword was left to me by my master. Not one of you is taking it away!”
“You can’t even lift that sword! You’ve already got one foot in the grave!”
The elder of Qingyuan Peak had long since exhausted his patience with this impudent little girl.
He sprang to his feet, roaring furiously as his hand discreetly tightened around his sword.
“You’re nothing but a parasite who survives by drinking other people’s blood! You have no right to lay a finger on that sword!”
“Is that so?”
Wen Sui smiled sweetly.
“I may not be able to lift the sword, Elder, but I can still take your life.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Wen Sui intended to pull out the talisman she’d prepared in advance, form a hand seal, and summon a deadly formation to kill him.
Of course, she would suffer a backlash from the spell herself.
But that was fine.
As long as someone else died, that was all that mattered.
Her own life was worthless anyway.
Yet before she could even release her talisman—
Pei Bai’s sword was already out of its sheath.
A terrifying killing intent erupted with the sword’s energy.
The expression of Qingyuan Peak’s elder changed drastically.
His cultivation was by no means weak.
Like Pei Bai, he had reached the Mahayana realm.
But Pei Bai’s mastery of the sword surpassed everyone else’s.
He had long since cultivated sword intent to its highest level.
Even without a physical sword, he could manifest sword intent and use it to kill.
The elder of Qingyuan Peak immediately channeled his spiritual power into a golden protective barrier.
Those beside him sensed the murderous intent as well and moved to pour their own spiritual power into the barrier to reinforce it.
But Pei Bai’s sword was too fast.
His sword intent was too sharp.
The overwhelming force gathered around the snow-white blade surged forward with unstoppable momentum.
The instant it made contact, the protective barrier shattered into fragments.
The elder’s pupils widened sharply.
There was a faint sound.
Pfft.
So soft it was almost inaudible.
A single sword thrust pierced straight through his throat, pinning him firmly to the wall.
Blood sprayed everywhere, staining the wall crimson.
He was dead.
Even Wen Sui was stunned.
She blinked.
Then blinked again.
She turned to look at Pei Bai.
There was still no trace of emotion on his handsome face.
His pitch-black eyes were fixed solely on her.
His thin lips parted.
And he spoke a few simple words.
“You said to kill someone.”
“Your Highness.”