Reborn as the Novel’s Villain: Cultivation Lost, Female Leads Take Control

On the spirit ship.

Liu Beifeng sat in the cabin, feeling rather restrained. Though the surroundings were quite intriguing, he didn’t dare look around, instead sitting upright and motionless.

After a while, however, he noticed something odd.

Why was Senior Sister Xue outside for so long without coming in?

Curious, Liu Beifeng cautiously got up and made his way to the door. Peeking outside, he saw Xue Jinli standing at the bow of the ship, surrounded by rolling clouds that looked like a white dragon.

Was she enjoying the view?

As she approached quietly, he saw that Senior Sister Xue was furiously sending messages on her jade slip, her expression tense and almost… irritated. A question mark popped into Liu Beifeng’s mind.

“Senior Sister Xue, what are you doing?” he asked softly.

Startled by Liu Beifeng’s voice, Xue Jinli nearly dropped her jade slip off the ship.

Thankfully, Xue Jinli’s reflexes were quick; she flicked her whip, hooking the jade slip back onto the ship just in time.

“Phew, that was close!”

Xue Jinli sighed in relief, her chest rising and falling with each breath, which made for a rather captivating sight.

That jade slip held a wealth of information. If it had fallen and been picked up by someone else, the consequences would have been unimaginable. She’d likely never dare show her face outside of Purple Cloud Peak again.

“Beifeng, why do you walk so quietly?” Xue Jinli scolded, catching her breath.

“I wasn’t exactly quiet, Senior Sister. You just didn’t notice,” Liu Beifeng replied, demonstrating by lightly stepping on the deck, creating a soft sound.

Xue Jinli rolled her eyes at her. “Beifeng, it’s a good thing you joined Purple Cloud Peak. If you had joined Heavenly Thunder Peak and dared to talk back to your senior siblings like this, you’d have been strung up over Heartbreak Cliff for three days and nights!”

Confused, Liu Beifeng scratched his head, as if he couldn’t quite grasp his senior sister’s point.

“So… you saw, didn’t you?” Xue Jinli asked.

“Yes, I did.”

“Alright, since you’ve seen it, I won’t bother hiding it.” Xue Jinli puffed out her cheeks in frustration. “That old wretch Wanjun dared to embarrass me like that, just because I was here alone without my master to back me up!”

“No way I, Xue Jinli, am swallowing this humiliation!”

“And so, as you saw, I… let all my sisters know exactly what happened—with a little… embellishment.”

“From now on, if any Heavenly Thunder Peak disciple dares step outside Qingming Sect, they’ll leave with broken legs!”

“And as for that old fox Wanjun, my master will deal with him!”

With a smirk, she looked at Liu Beifeng. “So, Beifeng, still glad you joined Purple Cloud Peak?”

As she spoke, Xue Jinli placed a hand on Liu Beifeng’s shoulder and teasingly lifted his chin, acting like a bandit toying with a captured noblewoman.

“Senior Sister Xue, men and women shouldn’t touch!” Liu Beifeng exclaimed, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Oh, Beifeng, must I spell it out for you?”

Xue Jinli reached for Liu Beifeng’s chest, mischievously winking as she spoke.

Liu Beifeng hurriedly pushed Xue Jinli’s hand away, her face turning an even brighter shade of red. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Still playing coy?”

Xue Jinli tugged at the cloth binding across Liu Beifeng’s chest and whispered, “How’s that chest wrap? Comfortable?”

“Senior Sister Xue, how did you know?” Liu Beifeng clutched her chest, thoroughly embarrassed.

“You might not know this, but you’re not the only one on Purple Cloud Peak who likes to dress up as a man. One of our junior sisters, with the surname Qin, does the same, though not as convincingly as you. I could tell you were cross-dressing the moment I saw you.”

“I… I’m not particularly fond of dressing like this…” Liu Beifeng murmured, her gaze downcast and her voice barely above a whisper.

“Beifeng, I understand you might have your reasons, but now that you’re part of Purple Cloud Peak, there’s nothing to fear. If the sky falls, your senior sister is here to hold it up for you. And if I can’t, we still have our master!” Xue Jinli declared, wrapping an arm around Liu Beifeng’s shoulders with a carefree grin.

Liu Beifeng’s eyes welled up with a hint of emotion. She bit her lip and nodded earnestly. “Senior Sister Xue, you’re… a bit different from what I imagined.”

“Oh? Different how?” Xue Jinli’s interest was piqued. “Go on, I’d like to hear this.”

“I thought you’d be an ethereal, cold fairy, untouched by the mortal world. But now that I’ve gotten to know you, you’re more like…” Liu Beifeng hesitated, frowning as she searched for the right words.

“A female demon?” Xue Jinli raised an eyebrow playfully.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Liu Beifeng quickly waved her hands, stammering nervously.

“What do you mean, not that? I am a female demon! Don’t you ever call me a fairy again, or I’ll get mad. Got it?”

Xue Jinli tapped Liu Beifeng’s forehead with her finger, sounding quite fierce.

“Got it,” Liu Beifeng replied, rubbing her reddened forehead as she felt a strange warmth rise in her chest.

“The wind’s picking up. A small figure like you shouldn’t be standing around out here. Get back inside the cabin!” Xue Jinli instructed, ruffling Liu Beifeng’s hair before heading back to the cabin.

“Yes, Senior Sister Xue.” Liu Beifeng wiped her slightly reddened eyes with her sleeve, then quickly followed her senior sister back inside.

…

Back in the Qingming Sect.

In the Purple Cloud Hall.

“How does that feel, Master?”

“Mm, a bit softer.”

“Master, your cultivation hasn’t fully recovered, so I’m holding back a bit to avoid straining you.”

“Nonsense, I’m not that fragile!”

Lying on his side, Xu Yang turned to look at his devoted disciple, Yuan Kouxuan, who was diligently massaging his shoulders. “Keep going,” he said nonchalantly.

With the Supreme Yang Physique, he was hardly the type to be harmed by a bit of force.

“Alright then, here I come,” Yuan Kouxuan replied, gripping his shoulders as she shifted her weight slightly.

As Xu Yang turned his head to enjoy his disciple’s diligent service, his gaze caught onto something else entirely, and he was momentarily… distracted.

Xu Yang quickly averted his eyes, clearing his throat. “Disciple, please continue.”

Noticing her master’s reaction, Yuan Kouxuan blushed, then said softly, “Master, there’s no need to be so tense. Just relax.”

Xu Yang: “…”