Chapter 41

In the courtyard of a small bamboo hut nestled at the edge of the forest.
A woman in a light green dress stared intently at the iron pot in front of her. Inside the pot, two rows of thinly sliced three-centimeter-long strips of pork belly were sizzling, releasing a tantalizing aroma. The rendered fat dripped and gathered in the center of the pot.
Only when one side of the pork belly had turned a distinct golden-brown did Su Ling begin to pick up each piece one by one. She then used the remaining pork fat to stir-fry vegetables.
The courtyard housed more than just this stove. Nearby, another stove emitted the bitter scent of medicinal herbs, so pungent that even the little birds that had been lingering there flew away in disgust.
The cluster of chicks, with nowhere to escape, huddled together, trying to evade the assault of the strong medicinal odor. Two half-grown, earth-colored dogs glanced left and right, then tucked their tails and scurried toward the windward side.
Only the young man lying immobile on the bed endured the assault, his open eyes unlike those of ordinary people, they were entirely black pupils!
The young man felt somewhat helpless, not only from the pain throughout his body but also from the medicinal odor, which was as potent as toxic fumes. Even a faint whiff of it was unbearably bitter. Unfortunately, he had lost all his spiritual power and couldn’t even extend his divine sense, leaving him with no choice but to endure silently.
To make matters worse, the wind seemed to be working against him, blowing directly toward him and carrying the medicinal scent right into his space.
The only slight comfort was that the wind didn’t bring only the thick, bitter smell of medicine, it also carried a faint aroma of meat.
A plate of lightly stir-fried seasonal vegetables and another of pan-fried pork belly, browned to a crisp and sprinkled with cumin and other seasonings Su Ling had painstakingly gathered, created a flavor that rivaled the diverse barbecues of another world.
She nodded in satisfaction, scooped out the fragrant rice, and squinted as she inhaled deeply, as if oblivious to the bitter medicinal odor. With a light hum, she murmured, “So fragrant!”
But Su Ling didn’t start eating right away. Everything was still too hot, fresh from the stove. Seizing the moment, she poured the thick medicinal brew from the pot into a bowl, just the right amount, one full bowl. The liquid was pitch black, and because she had added a generous amount of coptis root, it was so bitter it could make one’s teeth ache.
Yet she felt nothing. Her body had been exposed to such things for so long that she had long grown accustomed to the smell of medicine.
Holding the bowl of medicine, Su Ling walked briskly into the room, heading directly to the second room on the left. There, she saw the man inside had already opened his eyes.
Their gazes met abruptly, and both froze for a moment.
His eyes were as dark as ink, with no trace of white to be seen, resembling a bottomless abyss. At first glance, one could hardly notice his handsome features.
Su Ling’s heart skipped a beat, and her footsteps faltered almost imperceptibly.
Seeing her reaction, the man showed no surprise. His fingers twitched slightly, and he quickly closed his eyes, speaking softly, “My apologies.”
Su Ling blinked, quickly regaining her composure, and smiled gently. “Why apologize to me? So you’re awake now. You’ve been unconscious for three days, it’s good to see you finally awake.”
“Mm,” he responded in a low voice, but his eyes remained tightly shut.
Su Ling chuckled. “You can open your eyes. I wasn’t really scared.”
A moment of silence hung in the air. Su Ling wasn’t in a hurry. She set the medicine bowl aside, picked up an extra pillow, and with one hand lifting the man’s head, swiftly tucked the pillow beneath it.
The man cooperated with her movements, though his body’s condition left him unable to exert any strength. Beneath his closed eyelids, one could see his eyeballs shifting noticeably.
Su Ling brought the spoonful of medicine to his lips, and he opened his mouth. She said playfully, “Aren’t you going to look? Aren’t you afraid I’ll feed it into your nose?”
“I’m not afraid,” the man replied. His eyelashes trembled visibly, as if he were about to open his eyes, but he didn’t.
Su Ling smiled helplessly and continued feeding him.
The medicine was still a bit hot, so she fed him slowly, pretending to make casual conversation. “Where are you from? How did you suddenly appear in this courtyard? I woke up from a nap and found an extra person here, it gave me quite a scare. I didn’t sense anything at all.”
The man was silent for a few seconds before saying, “I don’t know.”
Yet as he spoke these words, an image naturally surfaced in his mind.
Clad in black, he stood with countless demonic cultivators behind him, facing off against the righteous path on Kunlun Mountain. His opponent was the founder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, the leader of the righteous path, the Ten Thousand Swords Venerable.
As they fought, the sect leader deliberately led him away from the battlefield to a place where the righteous path had long laid an ambush.
He had known it was a trap all along, but such struggles no longer held any meaning for him. Those he had wanted to kill were already dead; the vengeance he had sought was already exacted. Death was the only fitting end for him.
Yet who could have imagined that, even under the force of dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators self-destructing, he still hadn’t truly died, and had even been rescued?
He wondered if this woman would regret saving him once she looked into his eyes.
Since he was unwilling to speak, Su Ling didn’t press further. Instead, she asked, “Then what’s your name? I’m Su Ling.”
“Yi Heng.”
A low, faint reply came.
Su Ling curved her lips into a slight smile, using a handkerchief to wipe away a trace of medicinal liquid that had spilled from the corner of his mouth. Softly, she said, “I made some food. Would you like to eat a little?”
She hadn’t expected him to wake so soon and had only prepared enough for herself, but she could spare a portion for him.
“No need,” Yi Heng replied, his eyes still closed.
After speaking, his lips pressed tightly together, pale as paper. At a glance, one might even think he was already dead. From Su Ling’s perspective, there was little vitality to be found in him, not even a hint of the will to live.
Yet he hadn’t refused the medicine she fed him.
Was this the soft side of the villain?
As Su Ling carried the empty medicine bowl outside, she continued to ponder.
Perhaps this task wouldn’t be too difficult to complete.
She was a transmigrator, an office worker in her previous life. For a whole month, she had worked 18 hours a day, resting only three or four hours, until she died from overwork.
In that final moment, a voice told her she could live again, but in a different time and place, and she would have to complete a mission.
The mission was: replace the female lead and save the villain Yi Heng, preventing him from walking the path of harming living beings.
In the novel Path of Immortality, the original female lead, Ruo Zhi, was the owner of this bamboo cottage. Her only relative, her grandmother, had fallen ill, and though she tried to sell the cottage, she failed. Left penniless and desperate, not knowing what to do, she was quietly awaiting death when a man fell from the sky.
That man was Yi Heng.
In this cultivation world, Yi Heng’s identity was that of the Demon Lord of the demonic path, commanding all demons under heaven, a figure who struck fear into the entire cultivation world.
The righteous path could no longer stand by and watch him roam free. The sect master of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect united the entire righteous cultivation world to hunt Yi Heng down, which led to the Demon Lord being severely wounded and falling into the mortal realm.
After Ruo Zhi found him, she took care of Yi Heng for a while. Even though he was gravely injured and reduced to a mortal, Yi Heng still possessed many valuable items. The wealth he provided solved Ruo Zhi’s most urgent needs, and she became even more devoted to his care.
In gratitude and recognizing her exceptional innate talent, Yi Heng guided her onto the path of cultivation. Ruo Zhi acknowledged Yi Heng as her master, and over the years they spent together, the aloof Yi Heng unwittingly fell in love with her.
Just then, the righteous sect pursued them. To prevent Ruo Zhi from being implicated, Yi Heng left without a word before he could confess his feelings.
Believing she had been abandoned and with her grandmother nearing the end of her life, Ruo Zhi buried her grandmother, left her home, and entered the cultivation world, embarking on her legendary journey.
Unfortunately, after years of being hunted, Yi Heng resolved his troubles only to find that Ruo Zhi had already found love, leaving no room for him in her life. The already morally ambiguous Yi Heng descended further into darkness, intent on killing Ruo Zhi’s beloved.
Torn between her master and her lover, Ruo Zhi ultimately rebelled when her lover was injured. Heartbroken, Yi Heng concluded that Ruo Zhi was only with her lover for his status as the next sect leader of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. He returned to his position as the Demon Lord.
Thereafter, Yi Heng gathered all demonic cultivators and began hunting down members of the righteous path, especially those from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
Among the demonic cultivators, many exploited mortals to enhance their cultivation, leading to widespread slaughter not only of cultivators but also of ordinary beings. The land was soon drenched in blood, with countless casualties.
In the end, Ruo Zhi used herself as bait, infiltrating the enemy camp to assassinate Yi Heng. As she was about to fail, Yi Heng’s compassion stirred, and he relinquished all resistance.
From the very beginning, Yi Heng’s death was inevitable.
He took Ruo Zhi as his disciple out of gratitude and a desire to pass on his legacy, fully prepared to die.
Yet, as he grew to love her during their time together, he became reluctant to die.
Later, when he realized Ruo Zhi no longer loved him and even sought to kill him, he abandoned his will to live once more, choosing to die by her hand.
Su Ling’s mission was to prevent him from becoming the cold-blooded Demon Lord of the later storyline, who allowed demonic cultivators to slaughter countless lives.
She had transmigrated a month ago. The original host’s parents had just passed away, and her remaining relatives were indifferent, leaving her effectively alone.
Coming from a family of physicians, the original host possessed exceptional medical skills and considerable wealth. However, in this ancient era, women were not allowed to appear in public. With no means to defend herself and her parents recently deceased, her relatives pressured her to hand over the family clinic.
Unwilling to comply, she faced their veiled insults and frequent harassment from thugs hired by rival clinics. Though she wished to carry on her parents’ legacy, the hostility made it impossible to run the clinic normally, driving her to the brink of poisoning her tormentors.
She even contemplated killing them all to end the oppression.
Had Su Ling not arrived, the original host would have acted on her intentions. By then, Yi Heng would have already appeared, and Ruo Zhi would have inadvertently fallen victim. Yi Heng would have broken free from his physical constraints to retrieve a pill from his storage pouch and save Ruo Zhi, afterward beginning to teach her cultivation techniques.
This served as a pivotal moment.
Yet, even without Yi Heng, Su Ling was destined to enter the path of cultivation, as the system had foretold.
Thus, when the system proposed a transaction with the original host, she decisively relinquished her family legacy and offered her body.
Su Ling quickly sold off the original host’s assets and, with some money in hand, encountered the female lead who was looking to sell her bamboo house. The transaction was successful.
But Yi Heng had not yet arrived.
Su Ling stayed in the empty bamboo hut, using the herbs left by the original owner to set up defenses around the area. No poisonous snakes, rats, or insects would appear, it was safe and clean. But there really wasn’t much to do. Besides, even if Yi Heng arrived, he would need time to recover from his injuries.
So, she began her farming life.
She inherited the vegetable plot that Ruo Zhi’s grandmother had cultivated, planting vegetables suitable for the season. In a small open space in the yard, she raised a few half-grown chicks, and there were two local dogs, one large and one small, guarding the house.
This kind of life, carefree, without worries about food, clothing, or money, was something Su Ling, as a former corporate drone, had never dared to imagine.
Now that it had come so easily, she wasn’t the least bit worried about her mission. After all, she had rescued Yi Heng before the female lead did. As long as Yi Heng didn’t fall in love with anyone else, or if he fell in love with her, either outcome would work.
Su Ling had planned everything perfectly, so when Yi Heng arrived, she handled it methodically.
As soon as he fell, she dragged him into the bamboo hut, cleaned his wounds, and treated him. The only thing she hadn’t anticipated was that Yi Heng had pitch-black eyes, with no whites visible.
Su Ling sighed inwardly. Though she appeared calm, she was still a bit uneasy. The first step had already created a rift in Yi Heng’s heart, and she wondered if he would resent her in the future.