006 The Love Story of Xie Diao and Nan Yao…
Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, the cotton cloth wrapping the treasure was slowly unveiled.
…It seemed to be a book?
Could it be some long-lost spell?
The scent of ancient sandalwood wafted through the air—this book was made from thousand-year sandalwood. Though the cover was slightly rough, it only added to its mystique. Thick and substantial, it had a remarkable texture.
Several large characters were written on the cover with vigorous strokes, exuding an extraordinary presence.
Everyone focused their gaze and read—
“The High-Quality Man Conquest Manual”
“…”
Wow.
Silence fell all around. Everyone stared at the book for a long time before slowly lifting their eyes and turning in unison to look at Nan Yao.
The shop assistant hadn’t yet grasped the gravity of the situation. Thinking this might be some special naming convention among cultivators, he waited a moment. Seeing Nan Yao remain motionless, he politely said, “Miss, you may now use this magical artifact.”
Nan Yao: Just kill me now.
But she didn’t give up.
What if?
What if the true magical artifact was often hidden beneath an absurd exterior? What if this book’s title was merely a disguise, and its contents held extraordinary secrets?
Thus, Nan Yao decided to trust her mother one more time. With extreme caution, she flipped open a page—
[Table of Contents:
“How to Become a Teasing-Type Girl?”
“Compilation of High-Quality Men Lists”
“How to Capture a Man’s Heart?”
“Three Lines to Win Over Your Crush”
…]
Excellent.
Very much in her mother’s style.
Nan Yao wanted to immediately close the book and flee this troublesome place. But before she could snap it shut, the book was snatched away by a certain unnamed death row inmate beside her.
“What are you doing?”
“Studying it.”
The black-robed youth deliberately pressed down on the book, reading the table of contents aloud for her word by word: “Thirty-Six Strategies of the Green Tea Girl… Master These and I’ll Have Men Wrapped Around My Finger…”
His reading voice was clear and resonant. The Crown Prince was listening, the shop assistant was listening, the assassins lying motionless on the ground were listening—one even couldn’t suppress a laugh despite being wounded. Hearing this, Nan Yao considered drawing her sword to kill someone, but after some thought decided it wouldn’t fit her image as the Savior, so she restrained herself.
In that moment, though Nan Yao was alive, she might as well have been dead.
Xiao Huang, who had earlier joined Nan Yao in making a scene, found this too humiliating—so humiliating that it swiftly retreated into Nan Yao’s jade pendant, trying to escape this awkward situation.
Nan Yao’s feelings were equally complicated—so complicated that she wished she could immediately hide in the jade pendant and push Xiao Huang out. But obviously that was impossible, so she dragged out the deserter and forced it to face this cruel reality together.
Xiao Huang: Vicious woman!
The black-robed youth rested his chin in his hand, watching Nan Yao’s complicated facial expressions with great interest. He asked knowingly, “By the way, you mentioned earlier that something terrifying would happen after you took out this treasure. What was it again?”
Was he mocking her?
He was definitely mocking her, right?
“You don’t understand,” Nan Yao argued stubbornly. “This is called a mind game. One of a kind, no replicas.”
“Is that so?” the black-robed youth asked. “Then may I ask, oh miss who can wrap men around her finger, when do you plan to repay my seven taels of gold?”
Nan Yao: “…”
Maybe I should just die right here.
She felt that her heart had now become as solid as rock, unbreakable.
Having endured these hardships, she didn’t think anything could stir even the slightest ripple in her anymore.
But apparently, it still could.
Nan Yao snatched the book and held it close to her chest. During the tussle, a slip of paper tucked inside the book fluttered out and landed right beside the shop assistant’s hand.
The shop assistant picked up the paper and casually read its contents aloud: “Important reminder: Stay away from the treacherous, cunning dog man Xie Diao!”
His voice was clear and resonant, echoing repeatedly through the empty second floor.
Nan Yao: “?” What is this?
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of those present shifted slightly.
But the shop assistant paid no mind. He flipped the paper over: “Xie Diao, orphaned, a bully who preys on the weak, commits murder for profit, ruthless and capable of any evil. If you encounter this person, stay far away. Remember, remember.”
Xie Diao?
Qi Guyuan’s expression turned strange. He tentatively glanced at the person beside him, but the other seemed unresponsive, only raising his eyelashes almost imperceptibly.
Xiao Huang looked at the slip of paper.
That’s right.
It was indeed the name Xie Diao.
And even the description… fit the Evil Seed from the original book perfectly.
So the question arose.
How did Nan Yao’s mother also know this name?
Could it be that she had already discovered something?
“Nan Yao,” Xiao Huang asked, “what are you thinking now?”
Nan Yao was deep in thought: “I’m considering whether to yield to this death row inmate’s tyranny and give him seven taels of gold. If I do, I’ll preserve my precious life but sacrifice my noble integrity. But if I don’t…”
Xiao Huang: ?
Are we talking about the same thing?
“I meant this message…”
“This is my mother’s book,” Nan Yao said. “She can write whatever she wants.”
Compared to the others, Nan Yao was the calmest.
She was indeed surprised, but she had no intention of digging deeper. Perhaps, just as she had to conceal her mission to slay the Evil Seed from everyone, Nan Yuqing, as the transmigrated female lead, also had secrets she couldn’t reveal.
When Nan Yao bid her mother farewell, her mother hadn’t pressed her about why she was leaving.
So now, she wouldn’t press her mother either.
Unless her mother was willing to tell her.
But just because Nan Yao didn’t want to dig deeper didn’t mean others felt the same.
For instance, the shop assistant beside her, who kept looking left and right, crowding in front of her and chattering like a sparrow: “What’s going on? Who is Xie Diao? Is he really that treacherous? That cunning?”
…Your curiosity is overwhelming.
Nan Yao couldn’t answer, so she could only feign profundity, hoping to deter the shop assistant: “Knowing too much isn’t good for you.”
Beside them, Qi Guyuan coughed lightly.
The shop assistant charged ahead, even more enthusiastic: “Wow, so mysterious? Where did this book come from? What earth-shattering secrets does it hold? Is it related to Xie Diao? Why won’t you say who he is? Could he be some great demon who will destroy the mortal world—”
Wait?!
Nan Yao realized the shop assistant was spouting nonsense with his mouth wide open, and he was getting dangerously close to the truth, almost hitting the mark. Left with no choice, she had to find a way to nip his dangerous ideas in the bud: “Alright, I’ll be honest with you. Xie Diao isn’t some great demon.”
The black-robed youth nearby raised an eyebrow, glancing at them with apparent interest.
“Really?”
The shop assistant didn’t believe it: “But the book described him as so terrifying.”
At the same time, Qi Guyuan coughed heavily once more.
“No.” Nan Yao began her performance, lowering her lashes with a pained expression in her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. “He actually has his own difficulties.”
The black-robed youth began drinking tea.
“What difficulties?”
Nan Yao lied without batting an eye: “For my sake.”
The black-robed youth stopped drinking tea.
The shop assistant looked shocked yet impressed: “Wow!”
Xiao Huang fell silent for a moment.
Just how many versions of this love story was she going to fabricate?
From the beginning, Nan Yao felt her missing person notice wasn’t tragic enough to convince others. After rational analysis, she decided she needed to appropriately incorporate some elements of life-and-death tragic romance and unrequited love to better resonate with people.
So she upgraded her missing person notice: “It’s like this – this Xie Diao is in love with me, but I’m wholly devoted to the righteous path. So we ultimately went our separate ways and became strangers. But he had already developed inner demons. His current evil deeds are just a facade, using such methods to force me to appear.”
The shop assistant lamented: “What a pity.”
The black-robed youth set down his teacup and picked up some melon seeds.
“That’s right.” Nan Yao spoke through tears, “I came here specifically to find Xie Diao and persuade him to completely let me go, to stop killing for my sake. But my mother strongly opposes me doing this, which is why she wrote those words. I hope you won’t misunderstand – Xie Diao is just too deeply obsessed to let go.”
The shop assistant was moved to tears: “Miss, you’ve suffered so much. I’ll definitely tell every passing guest about this and help you find Xie Diao.”
Nan Yao shook his hand, touched: “Thank you.”
The black-robed youth blew the melon seed fragments from his hand.
“So, may I ask… what does this Xie Diao look like?”
“I don’t really remember clearly. Just remember this name. If you see someone who looks fierce, has a bad temper, kills people, and goes by this name – that’s probably him.”
“Alright, I’ll search high and low to find this person for you!”
In just a few sentences, the two had formed a deep friendship, completely ignoring Qi Guyuan who was coughing nearby as if his lungs were about to give out.
Physically and mentally exhausted, Qi Guyuan was about to speak when he was interrupted by the person beside him.
The black-robed youth, who had been listening to Nan Yao’s story while happily eating melon seeds, now brushed the fragments from his hands and spoke up: “Finished?”
The shop assistant finally remembered there was still this formidable presence present. Shrinking his head, he timidly replied: “…Finished.”
“Good.”
The black-robed youth leaned back, resting his arm on the chair. He looked up at Nan Yao, his dark eyes sparkling like scattered stars, carrying a hint of amusement. “By the way, let me tell you something.”
Nan Yao: “…What is it?”
He said lightly: “My name is Xie Diao.”
Silence fell over the surroundings.
Qi Guyuan quietly retreated to the farthest table and expertly crouched down covering his head, avoiding potential collateral damage if a fight broke out.
The shop assistant also grew somewhat flustered. He immediately followed Qi Guyuan’s lead, both of them crouching together while covering their heads, but he didn’t forget to remind: “Miss, you can start enlightening him now!”
Nan Yao: “…”
At this moment, she stood face to face with this mysterious youth who claimed to be Xie Diao, yet neither spoke.
Nan Yao rationally analyzed the situation.
His power level was too profound to gauge.
He kills without batting an eye.
Inherently cruel and brutal.
Murders for wealth and profit.
Has no parents.
Has no morals.
And he has even arrived near the Demon Realm.
Indeed, the person before her met every single requirement for the Evil Seed.
So there was only one answer, and that was—
He truly was Xie Diao!
Clearly, Xiao Huang had reached the same conclusion. After squatting quietly on Nan Yao’s shoulder for a while, it stealthily crawled out from her, valiantly turned tail and fled, diving straight into Qi Guyuan’s arms to hide.
What a promising system.
“Aren’t you supposed to redeem me?” Xie Diao asked first, his tone slightly lazy as he leaned against the table, tilting his chin in her direction as if teasing her, “I’m still waiting for you to speak, my beloved.”
…She had to face it sooner or later.
So, steeling herself, Nan Yao took out seven taels of gold from her spiritual pouch, placed it on the table, bowed to Xie Diao, and said, “I’ll be leaving first.”
Next time.
We’ll talk next time.
Xiao Huang: What a promising Savior.
Author’s note: