(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 26

Qian Wanyu’s first instinct was to use her spiritual power to shake them off. However, her peripheral vision caught sight of the charred, curled leaves that had nearly been reduced to ash in that great fire. Her heart softened inexplicably, and she could only issue a verbal warning instead. “Don’t push your luck.”

The slender, fragile new vines trembled as they wound around her fair wrist, circling once, then twice. They rubbed against her skin gently. After being warned, they loosened for a brief moment before trembling and coiling around her again.

Qian Wanyu clenched her fist, her entire body going rigid. Her brow furrowed into a deep crease.

“I thought you had some cleverness, but looking at it now, you vine demon must have been born missing a few brain cells.”

Someone dug a pit, and you jumped straight in. You were burned into such a wretched state and still didn’t know how to fight back. Wasn’t that the height of stupidity?

At this moment, Jian Tongyao was experiencing a fate worse than death. Her consciousness was hazy and confused. She vaguely heard this person scolding her, but instinctively sought just a little bit of comfort. Her broken body had been scorched, every root severed inch by inch. Her body’s sinews had been broken and were now growing back. She was like wild grass trapped in a crevice beneath a boulder, forced to keep sprouting upward despite the danger of having her spine crushed.

Growing and growing…

Almost every gap in the room was occupied by the new vines replacing the old ones.

Qian Wanyu rubbed her temples with her free hand. The thin vines immediately chased after it like fledgling birds, playing with her slender fingers. They circled and tried to burrow deeper into the innermost parts of her robes, making her heart itch and her temper flare.

“Was that fire earlier not painful enough for you, hmm?”

It was so painful.

Jian Tongyao’s memory of the burning pain was still fresh. Her tender green leaves instantly curled up like springs. This time, however, Qian Wanyu hardened her heart. In the cramped space, she stubbornly drew a clear boundary line.

“Don’t cross over the bed, or you’ll face the consequences.”

The little vine demon… no, the now robust and grown vine demon still trembled like she did in her youth.

Qian Wanyu closed her eyes without removing her outer robe, while Xiuxiu Sword stood guard above the boundary line. One incense stick passed, then two… The warning proved effective. The other party did not overstep, and Qian Wanyu went to rest with peace of mind.

Tonight she had still been searching for Jiang Qin’s whereabouts outside the county town when, unexpectedly, an alarming fire broke out within the town. That little white fox came flying with her short tail, desperately crying for help.

The first time… The first time in her life that a demon had grabbed her and asked her to save another demon.

And she hadn’t hesitated at all.

Qian Wanyu’s sleep was far from peaceful. Her entire dream revolved around the towering flames. At first, there was only a pitiful vine seeking her rescue, but somehow it eventually transformed into a smiling face. That person intimately pulled at her hand, fingers interlocking, opening and closing their mouth happily saying something. She wanted to move closer to hear clearly, but the dream was interrupted.

The moment her consciousness returned, she suddenly felt something was missing from the room.

That little demon.

Her fingers moved slightly and touched something warm. She felt a soft body, skin delicate and smooth, like a newborn baby’s, and so white…

Indeed, very white.

What met Qian Wanyu’s eyes was a face with a slight touch of baby fat. Breath fragrant as orchids sprayed against her neck, as if someone were taking a small brush and constantly sweeping across her heart. She jerked upright in alarm. The other’s lotus-root-like jade arms wrapped around her neck like tree vines, while another hand firmly encircled her waist. Whether intentional or not, it even gave her waist a squeeze.

When she sat up, the person in her arms was almost half-dragged and half-pulled up as well. The thin blanket slipped down with their tugging, revealing what lay beneath completely bare. That jade-like skin nearly scorched her eyes.

Qian Wanyu hurriedly wrapped the bedding back around the other person. A vein throbbed at her temple.

“Who are you? How dare you appear in my bed!”

Jian Tongyao groggily met Qian Wanyu’s furious expression. She had to admit, even when angry, this celestial being was extremely beautiful. Even with that small flame kindling in the depths of her eyes, it contrasted with Qian Wanyu’s inherent temperament, creating a contradictory beauty. She smiled foolishly and, by habit, reached out to touch that beautiful face.

Being human is wonderful. Having such nice skin.

“Sleeping in a bed is so comfortable. You smell so nice.”

Qian Wanyu, “!!!”

She reached for her waist, only then remembering that yesterday, to prevent that vine demon from entangling her, she had instructed her demon-slaying sword to stand guard there… She glanced at the empty room and the missing Xiuxiu Sword, then looked at the woman lying on the bed with a boneless, alluring sleeping posture. The latter seemed completely unaware of any impropriety. She buried her face deep into the bedding and took a deep sniff, even exposing a small section of her pale leg.

“You…”

Jian Tongyao rolled back and forth on the bedding, then suddenly widened her eyes. She stared at her five fingers in shock.

“I, I, I… I’ve become human.”

Qian Wanyu, “…”

Now there was almost no need for confirmation.

She sat up abruptly, that head of jet-black long hair forming an even sharper contrast with that fair skin. Qian Wanyu quickly turned her back.

“Put on some clothes.”

Jian Tongyao curiously examined the parts of her body. Upon hearing this, her face showed complete innocence.

“But I don’t have any clothes.”

When you’ve been a demon long enough, your face grows thick as well.

Qian Wanyu choked on her words. With an expression of one who would kill gods or Buddhas in her path, she walked out the door. Before long, she returned carrying three complete sets of clothing, inside and out. Without even looking, she dumped them all on Jian Tongyao’s head.

“Change quickly.”

Jian Tongyao examined the style. They were all simple designs and in the same color scheme. Pure white. She fumbled around for a long time before finally getting herself sorted out. Having been a demon for so long, suddenly switching to being human felt terribly awkward. Even walking felt like stepping on cotton balls.

“How did you know my size? I think I look pretty good wearing this. Don’t you agree?”

Qian Wanyu’s face was dark as she forced down three cups of tea to calm herself. Hearing the commotion, she reluctantly lifted her eyelids for a glance and froze. The young woman in the courtyard wore the white dress she had personally selected, dancing gracefully. Her baby-fat cheeks bore two lovely dimples, like a butterfly about to take flight.

The heartbeat she had finally managed to suppress began racing wildly again.

This demon was quite skilled at bewitching people’s hearts.

Qian Wanyu frowned, her tone stiff and rigid.

“Very ordinary. Stop dancing.”

Jian Tongyao’s legs went soft as noodles. She quickly ran over to sit down, brazenly picking up the teacup the other had just set down. Under the other’s wide-eyed stare, she gulped down five cups like a cow chewing peonies before stopping. After finishing, she even smacked her lips.

“Delicious.”

No wonder people said humans are the animals who know best how to enjoy life. The feeling of becoming human again was so wonderful that she could fly.

Qian Wanyu pressed her lips into a tight line.

“Yesterday.”

Thinking of how Yan Ying had schemed against her yesterday, Jian Tongyao’s clenched little fist came crashing down on the stone table with a bang. Unable to bear the load, the table immediately split into two large pieces.

“I, I… I didn’t control my strength for a moment.”

Though this was a disaster, it was also a blessing in disguise. This gave her the opportunity to transform into human form.

Qian Wanyu didn’t know what to say to her.

“Since you’re fine now, let’s part ways here.”

Jian Tongyao, “!!!”

She had finally managed to become human, and now this person wanted to part ways with her? Not a chance.

Jian Tongyao’s eyes widened.

“No, no, no. Yan Ying hasn’t been found yet. She knows I’m not dead, so she’ll definitely come looking for me again. I’m scared. I want to stay with you.”

Qian Wanyu glanced at the stone table that had died with its eyes wide open. “You’re scared?”

Jian Tongyao nodded.

“She’s terrifying. She feeds on human blood.”

Yan Ying was the most human-like demon she had ever seen. Whether it was intelligence or scheming, everything was first-rate. Released into a crowd of humans, she could likely become someone of high standing, let alone in the demon world. Jian Tongyao suddenly blanked for a moment.

“You… did you see Xiao Hui? That little white fox?”

Qian Wanyu thought of that little white fox’s limping paw.

“You’re that worried about her?”

From her tone, Jian Tongyao’s heart trembled twice, sensing something ominous. She rushed outside anxiously.

“Of course! She insisted on coming out with me. I, I… I’m going to find her.”

Qian Wanyu immediately opened the demon-sealing bag at her waist. A blood-covered little white fox lay on the ground, barely breathing, her leg bent at an irregular angle to one side. When thrown out, she didn’t even react.

“Yan Ying released all eight great demons from the demon-sealing bag. Only four demons besieged you in the county town. The rest were all lying in ambush outside waiting for her. When she came to find me, she was already like this.”

“Xiao Hui.”

“She… she’s not dead, is she?”

Jian Tongyao’s eyes welled up with tears. Qian Wanyu watched in amazement as tears began dripping down her face, pitter-pattering. Her heart stirred inexplicably. The hand she had extended froze in mid-air. After a moment’s hesitation, her fingers unconsciously rubbed the characters on her sword hilt. “Stop crying. This little white fox won’t die anytime soon.”

Her words only made things worse. Jian Tongyao burst into loud wails, crying even more sorrowfully. While crying, she kept hiccupping.

“I said I would protect her, but what did I protect? Yan Ying, that demon, is truly too wicked.”

What Qian Wanyu didn’t mention was that all four demons waiting outside the town had been killed by this unremarkable little white fox. Not one survived. If Yan Ying knew that her fire had instead helped this little demon achieve human form, she would probably cough up blood in rage. This time, she had truly lost both the lady and the soldiers, gaining nothing.

Jian Tongyao carefully picked up the little white fox. The fox seemed to sense her presence and weakly opened her eyes. Upon seeing her human form, her pupils suddenly dilated. She nuzzled Tongyao’s hand affectionately.

“Xiao Jiu, you’ve come back.”

Jian Tongyao sobbed.

“When Xiao Hui recovers, I’ll go settle accounts with her.”

Qian Wanyu didn’t bother pointing out that her words sounded as childish as a toddler’s, especially with that crying tone. There wasn’t a shred of threat in them. Instead, they were particularly heart-wrenching.

“Yan Ying is indeed a menace. She can’t be left unchecked.”

Jian Tongyao, using the excuse of treating Xiao Hui’s injuries, sent Qian Wanyu away. Only then did she stealthily crush her leaves and feed them to the little white fox. The little creature’s eyes lit up, gazing at her with complete dependence, triggering her maternal instincts. However, just like last time, after eating, she rolled her eyes and passed out. No matter how much Tongyao called, she wouldn’t wake.

“Xiao Hui, you must get better quickly. I’ll definitely make your little tail grow back.”

Qian Wanyu brought clean water and saw the little vine demon half-lying at the bedside, checking the little white fox’s heartbeat and breathing at regular intervals.

“Should we first treat this little fox’s wounds and then apply medicine?”

When Jian Tongyao had fed her the leaves earlier, her heart had been in her throat. She feared her mutation had made the green leaves poisonous. Fortunately, the little white fox didn’t foam at the mouth. She slept especially sweetly and, at her most comfortable, even exposed her white belly. Only that injured paw couldn’t straighten.

Jian Tongyao, “No… I’ll help her wash up.”

Qian Wanyu watched the entire process as she carefully shaved the fur around the little white fox’s wounds, then applied medicine and bandaged them. Her movements were exceptionally practiced. Qian Wanyu was slightly surprised, though this surprise grew into genuine shock when, the next day, the little white fox was bouncing around energetically despite being wrapped in white bandages.

The little white fox’s lame leg hadn’t fully healed yet, but her other injuries had recovered about seventy or eighty percent. Most importantly, that short little tail had visibly grown a bit. Qian Wanyu hadn’t noticed at first. Only when the little white fox kept chasing her own tail in play did she pay attention.

The second time, Qian Wanyu deliberately stayed alert. When Jian Tongyao dismissed her with a poor excuse, she didn’t actually leave. Instead, she leaped onto the roof and, lifting a tile, saw the little vine demon transform back into her original form after she left, bouncing up and down around the room until she shed a green curled leaf.

She witnessed this little demon crush the leaf and feed it to the little white fox, comforting her like a little adult.

“Xiao Hui, be good. Sleep one more time and you’ll be all better. Your little tail will grow bit by bit. I’ll make the fox clan proud of you and prove they were blind…”

Qian Wanyu fell into deep thought. She suddenly recalled that when she had woken in the mountain cave that time, aside from the bloodstains on her white clothes from her great battle with the snake demon, the most prevalent marks were traces of some kind of grass leaf juice. This was especially concentrated on her arms, back, and waist. She still remembered that fresh, fragrant scent vividly.

And her serious injuries had almost completely healed overnight. Not only that, but her cultivation level seemed to have increased as well.

Her fingers lightly tapped the sword at her waist.

Good. Very good. She needed to find an opportunity for a proper interrogation.