(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 45

Jian Tongyao flicked her sleeve and shook off Ling Yan’s hand. Forming a cleansing seal, she said coldly, “If you come out obediently, I might still spare your life.”

She had gone over the situation repeatedly in her mind. The only moment Ling Yan could have taken advantage of must have been when she and her Xiao Jiu fell together into the Earthfire. That was the instant they vanished from sight.

Ling Yan rubbed the fingers that had just touched Jian Tongyao, then brought them to her lips and licked them slowly. Her expression turned indulgent, as though savoring a fine meal.

“My master’s taste is still as clean and refreshing as before,” she murmured with satisfaction.

Then, with a provocative smile, she added, “Does that little fool know?”

Jian Tongyao never could have imagined a day when someone wearing her Xiao Jiu’s face would make such a disgusting expression and speak such nauseating words. Her fingers twitched involuntarily as she forced herself to stay composed. “Ling Yan, if I remember correctly, the dual-soul state does not treat intruders like you kindly. You want to seize my Xiao Jiu’s body, but how can you be sure she will not devour you first?”

Ling Yan sneered, though Jian Tongyao’s words had clearly shaken her. In her previous life, she had never feared such things. She would have swallowed Qian Jiujiu without contest. Yet this life had gone wrong from the start. Qian Jiujiu’s luck seemed boundless, while everything she did met with failure.

Jian Tongyao’s fingers trembled slightly. The heat in the air gathered into tiny droplets of moisture that floated around her. They drifted in a slow circle around Ling Yan, catching the light as they shimmered and waited for the perfect moment to strike.

“Do you really think Xu Jiao can steal the Brahma Heaven Branch for you? That he can hide your act of body seizure from the Heavenly Dao?”

“Xu Jiao, that traitor!”

Even the blazing magma could not hide the hatred in Ling Yan’s eyes. The scarlet light reflected in her gaze gave her a wicked beauty. Just as a bead of water blocked their view of each other, the hatred within those eyes softened suddenly, replaced by a familiar, hazy gentleness.

Jian Tongyao’s hand tightened within her sleeve. The water droplets vanished instantly into the flames. Her voice trembled. “Xiao Jiu?”

Qian Jiujiu looked around. The familiar lava cavern surrounded her once more. Acting on instinct, she threw herself forward like she always did when she wanted to roll and play in her master’s arms. Jian Tongyao opened her arms, waiting to catch her, but just as Qian Jiujiu was about to fall into her embrace, she stopped abruptly. Lifting her small fists, she began hitting herself on the head, over and over.

The sight made Jian Tongyao’s eyelids twitch uncontrollably. In the past, she had not minded her silly bird headbutting the Phoenix Tree. Now that the roles were reversed, she finally understood the pain of watching it happen.

“Xiao Jiu, don’t hurt yourself.”

Her words only made Qian Jiujiu strike harder, as if determined to pound the invading soul into oblivion.

Jian Tongyao rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her. Her chin, which once rested easily atop the girl’s head, now brushed against her brow. Qian Jiujiu had grown taller after her Nirvana. Jian Tongyao kissed her softly between the brows.

“Enough. Don’t be afraid. Master will think of a way.”

The girl in her arms went still. Jian Tongyao’s fear finally eased as she felt both their hearts beating in perfect rhythm.

Qian Jiujiu pouted and tilted her head up, just as Jian Tongyao’s lips brushed against her brow. Their eyes widened in mutual shock, and they quickly pulled apart. Both were flustered, like two unripe fruits dangling side by side on a branch.

“An… accident—”

Before Jian Tongyao could finish, the little phoenix pecked her angrily on the lips, hard enough to draw blood. A drop of crimson slid down, adding an austere kind of beauty to Jian Tongyao’s composed face.

Qian Jiujiu puffed out her cheeks like an indignant balloon. Yet when she saw the blood at Jian Tongyao’s lip, guilt flashed across her eyes. Before Jian Tongyao could comfort her, she spread her wings and took off, scattering fiery mist that shimmered against her iridescent tail.

Jian Tongyao’s long black hair was whipped across her face by the gust, but instead of anger, she smiled. Even after they left the cave, the echo of Qian Jiujiu’s cry lingered in the air.

“Jiu?”

“Xiao Jiu, wait for Master.”

Anyone who looked up at that moment could see two figures chasing each other across the sky, one ahead and one behind, under the vast blue dome. They looked as though they were playing a childish game of tag, yet neither seemed the least bit tired of it. One flew as swiftly as lightning, leaving a trail of rainbow light behind her. The other landed at last and leaned weakly against a tree, her face pale and her breath shallow like a mortal woman nearing collapse.

“This method always works. Seventh Sister is cold outside but warm within. We must not fight her head-on.”

Knowing her lover’s temper well, Jian Tongyao decided to feign weakness instead. It took only a short while before a fiery figure dove down in panic.

“Cough, cough… Xiao Jiu, are you trying to kill your master and start your own sect?”

“Master.”

No one could headbutt like a phoenix who had spent two hundred years ramming into the Phoenix Tree. Jian Tongyao had only been pretending at first, but Qian Jiujiu’s furious collision nearly injured her for real. She caught the younger woman’s hand as it struggled to spark flames. Drawing her closer, Jian Tongyao held her tightly in a firm yet steady grip.

“Xiao Jiu, tell Master why you’re angry.”

Back on Lingshen Mountain, Qian Jiujiu’s emotions had always been simple and easy to read. Even when she was upset, she could not hide it for long, and she never flew too far from home. Yet this time, no matter how Jian Tongyao thought about it, she could not understand the reason for her little one’s fury.

If that accidental kiss upset her so much…

The thought made Jian Tongyao deflate before she even began to speak.

“If you think I’ve overstepped, then I apologize. Xiao Jiu, please don’t—ah, not again. Why are you biting the same spot?”

Even with her cultivation, being bitten twice in the same place hurt terribly.

Before she could heal herself, Qian Jiujiu pounced again. Her soft lips and sharp teeth tormented Jian Tongyao until both of them were left breathless and bloodstained.

Jian Tongyao winced, pressing a hand to her swollen mouth.

Qian Jiujiu licked the blood from the corner of her master’s lips, tasting it carefully.

“That bad bird said Master’s taste was fresh and pure. Then why can’t I taste it?”

Jian Tongyao, “???”

Dingding, “Oh no, Xiao Jiu, does that mean your flavor is fresh and cumin?”

Jian Tongyao’s face darkened. “Stop causing trouble.”

Still unconvinced, Qian Jiujiu pushed the dazed Jian Tongyao down and half-covered her body. Her lips brushed over Jian Tongyao’s again, tasting the newly formed blood. After savoring it for a moment, she declared fiercely, “That bad bird lied to me!”

For a moment, Jian Tongyao did not know whether to thank Ling Yan or to drag that vile bird out for punishment. Her voice came out low and hoarse.

“So, Xiao Jiu, you were angry at me because of that bad bird?”

Qian Jiujiu knew she had been unreasonable. Seeing the moisture in Jian Tongyao’s eyes, she buried her face in her master’s chest like a guilty child.

“Yes. I hate her.”

Jian Tongyao’s heart rose and fell like a storm-tossed sea before settling into calm again. “What a coincidence. I hate her too.”

Qian Jiujiu looked up, delighted. “Really?”

Neither found anything strange in lying together beneath the open sky. When Jian Tongyao met her shining eyes, she felt as if she could offer the entire world to this girl.

“Anyone you dislike, Master will dislike too.”

Her words were perfectly timed. Qian Jiujiu softened immediately, resting quietly against her like she had when she was young.

They enjoyed a rare, peaceful afternoon together until Qian Jiujiu suddenly whispered, “I want to kill her.”

Jian Tongyao ran her fingers gently through the girl’s hair, smooth as silk.

“Can you still feel her inside you?”

Qian Jiujiu nodded, gripping her master’s sleeve tightly.

“Master, she said your taste was clean and natural. Is there something between you that I don’t know about?”

Moments ago, Jian Tongyao had felt a trace of regret that her little one still lacked full understanding of worldly feelings. Yet now, seeing her jealous expression, she almost laughed. Even after all this time, her Seventh Sister’s jealousy was just as fierce as ever.

“Ling Yan is trying to drive a wedge between us so she can take advantage. How could you believe her nonsense?”

The past life had been too tangled to explain.

Qian Jiujiu met Jian Tongyao’s steady gaze and nodded slightly.

“You’re right, Master. I let her get to me.”

Jian Tongyao toyed with her smooth hair between her fingers.

“Tell Master about your situation inside. That way, I can find a way to drive her out completely.”

In the cultivation world, sharing one body with two souls was not unusual. Usually, the stronger soul devoured the weaker one. Peaceful coexistence or complete resolution was almost impossible.

A glint of thought flashed in Jian Tongyao’s eyes.

“If we were to devour Ling Yan, the Heaven’s chosen child, would this world be affected?”

A sharp crackling sound filled the air.

The noise made Jian Tongyao’s scalp prickle.

Dingding spoke quickly. “Xiao Jiu, it’s alright.”

Now that Qian Jiujiu carried another soul within her, her spiritual sea had been divided into two halves. The intruding soul had forcibly occupied part of her consciousness. Afraid she could not explain it clearly, Qian Jiujiu decided to show her directly. She released her awareness and let it intertwine with Jian Tongyao’s.

Their consciousnesses blended like water and milk, each flowing into the other until they tangled uncontrollably. The sensation was overwhelming, spreading through every nerve until even Jian Tongyao’s toes curled.

Jian Tongyao, “…”

I swear, I wasn’t trying to be indecent.

In this situation, even the slightest mistake could lead to dual cultivation. As forbidden images surged through her mind, Jian Tongyao’s control began to slip like water rushing from a broken dam.