Transmigrated Into A Waste Who Married The Villain. Chapter 48: Face Touching

Qu Weiyin kept her head down as she quickly walked past Luo Jinxiao without saying a word.

Luo Jinxiao patted Qiongqi’s head, and the pair—one person and one beast—quickly followed her. Qu Weiyin’s demeanor seemed weary, and she didn’t speak, as if lost in thought.

Understanding the unspoken cue, Luo Jinxiao wisely chose not to disturb her.

Before long, the sun began to set, and the autumn daylight noticeably shortened. The sky turned a deep red, and night fell swiftly. The streets soon became sparsely populated, with only a few people rushing along.

The surroundings grew increasingly quiet. A young boy holding a candied fruit stick seemed to have lost his family, crying loudly as he stumbled along the main road.

Unbeknownst to him, a shadow had been trailing him, floating like smoke but lingering ominously close.

The boy remained oblivious to the danger, continuing to cry out for his parents.

He turned a corner and entered a dark alley, fear evident in his increasing pace as his footsteps quickened.

The shadow, too, accelerated, coming closer and closer. Then, with a gust of wind, it suddenly lunged at the boy’s back. At that moment, a flicker of flame appeared, and a red sword swooped down, cleaving off a portion of the shadow. A thick, black liquid gushed out, accompanied by a piercing scream that sounded hauntingly inhuman, leaving an aching sensation in the gums.

Luo Jinxiao covered her ears with one hand and grasped the shadow with the other, shaking it while exclaiming, “What is this thing? It looks like cotton!”

Qu Weiyin bent down to help the sobbing boy, who could barely catch his breath, casting a sidelong glance at the shadow. “It’s a demon seed, the unformed essence of demonic energy.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Jinxiao grimaced as she tossed the shadow far away, wiping her hands on her skirt to clean them and muttering, “Demonic energy can take shape? If this thing turns into a person, it must look hideous.”

Qu Weiyin smirked slightly at her words.

A few people ran into the alley, and when the boy saw them, he cried and dashed over. They quickly retrieved the child, but before they could exchange a word, they scooped him up and turned to flee, vanishing from sight in no time.

Luo Jinxiao stood on tiptoe, muttering, “They couldn’t even say thank you.”

Qu Weiyin flicked her fingertips at Luo Jinxiao’s forehead, slightly raising her chin and gesturing towards the writhing shadow on the ground. “Quiet, follow it.”

Luo Jinxiao rubbed her head and replied with a soft “Okay,” then quietly trailed behind the shadow.

The shadow crawled at a slow pace, resembling a gigantic insect from afar. Luo Jinxiao held her breath, fearing it would vanish if she blinked.

After turning a couple of corners, the shadow began to speed up, eventually slipping into a dilapidated abandoned shack, the doorway nearly shattered and the stone steps leading up to it covered in thick moss, appearing filthy under the night sky.

Luo Jinxiao cautiously approached, but Qu Weiyin suddenly yanked her back.

“Be careful, stay behind me,” Qu Weiyin instructed, pulling Luo Jinxiao behind her.

“There is an entrance to the demon realm here,” Qu Weiyin whispered. She then summoned her spiritual power, golden energy flowing from her palm, wrapping around both of them and concealing their presence.

Inside the house, it was pitch black, and Luo Jinxiao had no idea what dangers lurked in the shadows. Unable to resist, she reached out and grasped Qu Weiyin’s wrist.

Qu Weiyin paused momentarily but did not pull away, gradually moving forward.

She sensed the traces left by the demon seed, leading them into the corner of the room. After pausing for a moment, she suddenly said, “Hold on tight. If you get lost later, I won’t come looking for you.”

“Yes,” Luo Jinxiao replied, adjusting her grip as she nestled her hand deeper into Qu Weiyin’s palm.

A fine layer of sweat broke out on Qu Weiyin’s palms. She frowned and turned her head back, reproaching Luo Jinxiao with a look that was illuminated by the faint light seeping through the door.

But Luo Jinxiao feigned innocence, tightening her grip on Qu Weiyin’s hand, grinning, “It’s Master Uncle who told me to hold on tight.”

Qu Weiyin opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, and ultimately let it go. As they moved forward, Luo Jinxiao didn’t dare hold her hand too tightly; Qu Weiyin’s hands were delicate and soft, reminding her that such beauty extended even to the way she held herself.

The two walked through the darkness for what felt like a long time, and Luo Jinxiao realized that the small shack couldn’t possibly be this expansive—surely, they were no longer following a path.

The ground felt hard underfoot, occasionally revealing ridges that felt like shards of stone scattered across a desolate wasteland.

Light gradually began to appear ahead, and Luo Jinxiao hastily glanced around. Just as she had guessed, they were indeed in a desert, but unlike the deserts of the human realm, this place was filled with reddish stones and sandy soil, the horizon painted in deep crimson.

Though it was hard to tell if what loomed above could really be called a sky.

“You can let go now,” Qu Weiyin suddenly said.

Only then did Luo Jinxiao realize she was still holding onto Qu Weiyin, and she quickly released her grip, awkwardly placing her hand behind her back and clearing her throat.

“So this is the demon realm?” Luo Jinxiao exclaimed, wide-eyed and taking in her surroundings.

“Essentially,” Qu Weiyin nodded. She moved through the wasteland with ease, skillfully navigating around the protruding stones and sand dunes.

“There’s a gathering place for demons up ahead. The barrier you have on won’t hold for very long. You must stay close to me. If they discover someone has intruded, it will be trouble,” Qu Weiyin warned.

Even though she possessed some demonic energy, it was minimal; still, it was enough to conceal her identity.

Luo Jinxiao nodded, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she looked at Qu Weiyin. “Master Uncle, you are truly remarkable.”

At this, Qu Weiyin shot her a surprised glance and then let out a faint chuckle, “What’s so remarkable about being able to hide in the demon realm?”

“If I weren’t so weak, I wouldn’t need to trouble Master Uncle with everything,” Luo Jinxiao said, half-jokingly and half-sincerely.

Qu Weiyin walked in silence for a while, then spoke in a very soft voice, “Becoming stronger always requires a price. Right now, I almost wish you would just stay as you are.”

The howling winds of the desert quickly scattered her words, and by the time they reached Luo Jinxiao’s ears, they had diminished to little more than a whisper.

Qu Weiyin fell silent again. As they moved forward, the winds and sands grew heavier, shrouding their surroundings in a yellow haze where they could barely see anything beyond an arm’s length. Soon, however, a tall tower rose abruptly from the swirling sands, appearing translucent against the wind; Luo Jinxiao had to tilt her head back to glimpse the small lamp hanging from its peak.

As they drew nearer, the tower’s full form became visible. It stood several stories high, its walls weathered and pockmarked from the relentless wind and sand, lacking any windows, resembling a massive prison.

Yet amidst the fierce winds, it remained as steady as a mountain.

“Are we going inside?” Luo Jinxiao shouted, only to immediately cough as a mouthful of sand entered her mouth. She quickly bent down to spit it out.

Qu Weiyin nodded, watching Luo Jinxiao’s plight, and summoned an umbrella to shield her from the gusts of sand.

“There are demons guarding the entrance, and your body is reeking of a cultivator’s aura. You won’t be able to enter,” Qu Weiyin explained, halting her steps and looking back.

Panting heavily, Luo Jinxiao paused and wiped her face in a desperate attempt to clear the sand off. Scrunching her nose in contemplation, she reached into her pocket and pulled out Qiongqi.

“Have you figured out how to turn back into human form yet?” she called out.

Qiongqi blinked, and in a flash of white light, the young girl appeared before her, grinning broadly.

“Great!” Luo Jinxiao exclaimed, spitting out another mouthful of sand. Eager to find a place to take cover, she struggled to unfasten the pouch at her waist and hung it from Qu Weiyin’s waist, then transformed into a silver light, rushing into the pouch and taking Qiongqi’s place.

Qu Weiyin’s eyelids flickered, and she let out a sigh of resignation. Still, it was a good solution, though in her many years of life, she had never seen anyone willingly climb into a pouch to stay put.

Suddenly, she recalled her own transformation into Qiongqi, feeling a blush creep over her cheeks.

“Keep up,” she said to Qiongqi.

Indeed, two guards stood at the base of the tower, wearing headscarves to shield themselves from the sand, obscuring their faces. They placed their hands on Qu Weiyin’s and Qiongqi’s shoulders, checking for any abnormalities. They found little demonic energy on Qu Weiyin, but the girl, who appeared to be just over ten years old, exuded a formidable aura.

The guards exchanged astonished glances, assuming someone significant had arrived, and respectfully invited Qiongqi inside.

The interior of the tower was vast, with the ground littered with skeletal remains and debris exuding a foul stench. Unformed demon seeds writhed amidst the refuse, while some demons, dressed in tattered rags, shuffled about.

Occasionally, weaklings would enter, only to be robbed of their belongings. Within the tower, demons also set up stalls, trading goods for necessary items.

It was a chaotic scene, reminiscent of beggars in the human realm.

Qu Weiyin had rarely encountered such sights in her previous life, which surprised her but also made sense; the demon realm had weakened significantly, and demons had dwindled in numbers. Given that this was not the heart of the demon realm, it was unsurprising to find such conditions.

Some demons, lacking in judgment, tried to attack but were quickly frightened away by Qiongqi.

Perhaps due to Luo Jinxiao’s absence, Qiongqi no longer behaved playfully and obediently followed Qu Weiyin up the tower, where each level mirrored the same chaotic scene. However, as they ascended, the demons roaming about became more refined, and their numbers dwindled. By the time they reached the topmost floor, it was completely empty.

Qu Weiyin circled around the narrow space and discovered a small door wrapped in pale blue copper wire. If one were to accidentally brush against it, they would receive quite a shocking jolt.

Seeing that there was no immediate danger, Qu Weiyin reached into her pouch and called for Luo Jinxiao.

Having been cooped up for a while, Luo Jinxiao’s feet hit the ground, and she immediately opened her mouth to speak, but Qu Weiyin raised her hand to cover her mouth. She lifted her elegant gaze, her dark brows furrowed slightly, and gently shook her head.

Luo Jinxiao looked down at her, her heart swelling suddenly, as if it were stuffed with cotton—soft yet itchy.

She stared at Qu Weiyin’s face, unable to help herself from getting lost in thought once more.

Qu Weiyin extended a delicate finger, tapping the small door before touching Luo Jinxiao’s forehead. Using her spiritual energy to convey a message, she whispered, “There are people inside.”

This method of communication allowed their spiritual energy to go undetected.

Luo Jinxiao imitated Qu Weiyin, tapping her finger on her forehead. However, due to her taller stature, the action resembled a gentle teasing gesture more than anything else.

“Are they from the No Regrets Sect?” she asked.

Qu Weiyin seemed to realize the ambiguous connotation of the action, her cheeks flushing slightly. She turned away, stepping back and nodding indifferently before shaking her head.

Luo Jinxiao instantly understood her meaning: there were not only disciples of the No Regrets Sect inside but also others.

Qu Weiyin approached the door, her long fingers splayed open as a faint golden light of spiritual power flowed out. The copper wire coiled around the door quickly melted into a flickering blue light and vanished.

Just as Qu Weiyin raised her leg to enter, she was pulled back by Luo Jinxiao.

Luo Jinxiao grasped her wrist with one hand and pointed to her palm with the other. The chill of Qu Weiyin’s fingertips brushed against her, reminiscent of dew under the night sky, refreshing to touch.

“Master Uncle, you stay outside while I go in.”

Qu Weiyin frowned, wanting to refuse, but Luo Jinxiao pressed down on her raised hand, then flashed a smile, jokingly tapping her cheek. “You’re stronger; you have to protect me from outside.”

Without waiting for Qu Weiyin’s response, she lowered her head and swiftly slipped through the door.