Chapter 14: The Second Villain

Huai Ze paced leisurely along the wall. “Two days from now, the Imperial Academy will hold an examination. He plans to frame your elder brother for cheating, casting doubt on his scholarly reputation. This way, when his schemes succeed and he takes the top rank, people won’t question his undeserved victory and he can keep his facade intact.”

Fang Yuean gritted her teeth, growling angrily, “That scoundrel!”

Huai Ze continued, “He’s done something like this before, with help from your second brother, Fang Xuze.”

Fang Yuean’s anger surfaced visibly. “What happened?”

Huai Ze landed lightly on the table. “A few months ago, Song Guangyan invited many classmates to his house to admire an authentic masterpiece by a renowned artist. However, after the gathering, the painting mysteriously went missing. In truth, Fang Xuze had taken it and placed it in your elder brother’s carriage.”

Fang Xunli’s movements slowed.

He remembered that incident.

That day, when they were heading out, Fang Xuze mentioned they wouldn’t return home immediately after leaving the Song residence and requested two carriages.

When the matter came to light, Fang Xuze even stood up for him, arguing that someone had framed him. Song Guangyan himself had spoken on his behalf, calling it a misunderstanding.

Who would have thought the ones behind it were them all along?

In the end, nothing conclusive was uncovered, and suspicion lingered over him. The incident spread, prompting gossip and speculation.

Some even praised Song Guangyan for being magnanimous and not holding a grudge.

Fang Yuean ground her teeth. “That wretch Fang Xuze! Once I’ve dealt with these crises, I’ll make sure he gets what he deserves.”

Huai Ze draped a wing over her hand. “Calm down. Don’t forget the first rule the Divine Sovereign gave you: no harming mortal lives.”

Fang Yuean huffed and urged, “You still haven’t told me about Song Guangyan’s dirty deeds.”

Huai Ze sighed. “Song’s father once placed second in the imperial exams, just one step away from first place. This has always been a source of bitterness for him, so he imposes high expectations on his son, hoping he’ll claim the top rank and fulfill his unfulfilled dreams.”

“But on this path, your elder brother has become an insurmountable obstacle. Song’s father often compares his son to your brother, calling him useless. Song Guangyan has long lived under your brother’s shadow, suppressing his resentment.”

Fang Yuean rolled her eyes. “That’s absurd. What does my brother have to do with it?”

Huai Ze pressed on. “Song Guangyan often vents his frustration by beating his wife, Lady Cao. They’ve been married less than two years, but her body is already covered in bruises. When she brought up the idea of separation, he nearly beat her to death.”

“Song Guangyan started his abuse when Lady Cao was just a few months pregnant. Using her pregnancy as an excuse, he forbade her from visiting her natal family. After the child was born, the Song family claimed the baby was too weak to travel and asked the Cao family not to visit for the time being.”

“The Cao family naturally grew suspicious, but Song Guangyan forged a letter in Lady Cao’s handwriting, assuring them that she was well while subtly implying it wasn’t appropriate for her to frequently visit her natal family now that she was married.”

“Lady Cao’s mother, recalling how her daughter often came back and even stayed for short visits during her first three months of pregnancy, thought perhaps this had displeased her in-laws. Remembering her daughter’s praises of Song Guangyan, she assumed their marriage was harmonious. Wishing to avoid making things difficult for her daughter, she replied with a letter advising her to take care of herself and didn’t attempt another visit, remaining entirely unaware of the truth.”

“Three months ago, in a fit of rage, Song Guangyan threw his six-month-old daughter to the ground, leaving a large scar on her head.”

“What?!” Fang Yuean shot to her feet.

Fang Xunli, stunned and unable to process what he’d heard, accidentally dropped his carving knife onto the table with a loud clatter.

Worried it might harm his sister, he quickly picked it up.

If not for her revelation, he would never have believed that the polite and courteous Song Guangyan could be capable of such violence against his wife and child.

Huai Ze remarked, “Calm down, calm down. Look, you’ve even scared your elder brother.”

Fang Yuean pretended to adjust her skirt and sat back down, though her tone still carried traces of indignation. “You’re always so quick to target me while ignoring such vile people. It’s not fair!”

“You think I’m a demon? Well, I think he’s the real demon!”

“And what nonsense is written in those so-called decrees? I should’ve burned the Divine Sovereign’s temple down when I had the chance.”

Huai Ze broke into a cold sweat. Here we go again.

This was just like when she saw Qin Xuan’s life record at the Divine Sovereign’s temple years ago.

Even after hundreds of years, her temper hadn’t changed one bit.

Hurriedly, Huai Ze tried to pacify her. “Ah, didn’t I already tell you? The life records aren’t written by the Divine Sovereign.”

“The records—collectively known as the Cycle of Reincarnation Ledger—are divine artifacts moved by the will of heaven and earth. Humans, as part of this system, influence the records with their thoughts and actions. For instance, some work hard and defy their fates, while others, succumbing to greed, harm others. The latter is like the second branch of your Fang family.”

“But in the end, after they die, they will enter the Underworld, where the relevant deities will judge their lives. Those who have committed evil will naturally face punishment first.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Fang Yuean rejected his words outright, retorting fiercely, “That Reincarnation Ledger is useless! Punishing evil only after death? What’s the point? Just watch me rewrite it all!”

Huai Ze weakly interjected, “I’m still here, you know.”

Even though he said that, he didn’t persist in trying to dissuade her.

He knew this little demon girl’s temper all too well—trying to reason with her in the heat of the moment would only backfire, stirring up her rebellious streak.

So many people’s fates had already been altered; a few more wouldn’t make a difference. In any case, he always kept a record of her actions.

It had been a long time, and despite the countless changes made, the Divine Sovereign hadn’t shown up to intervene, which meant these alterations likely wouldn’t lead to any major disasters.

For now, it was better to leave things as they were. At least it was safer than provoking her into doing something even more uncontrollable.

Fang Yuean was silent for a moment. Suddenly, she turned her back, reached into her space, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Unfolding it revealed a talisman.

Curious, Huai Ze asked, “What’s that?”

Fang Yuean glanced at him. “I don’t know its name, but if you stick it onto Lady Cao, anyone who tries to harm her will have the attack rebound onto themselves with twice the force. The person wearing the talisman will remain unharmed.”

Huai Ze studied it for a while. “Where did you get this?”

Fang Yuean smirked. “Years ago, among the gods sent to capture me, one of them was covered in these talismans. I plucked them all off him, and a few accidentally ended up in my space.”

“Unfortunately, these talismans lose their divine power after being away from their owner for too long, lasting only seven days at best.”

“You wouldn’t believe it—they even sent a jinx spirit to deal with me back then. Not that it worked at all.”

Huai Ze ignored her last sentence, a bad feeling creeping over him. “So who’s going to stick this talisman on Lady Cao?”

Fang Yuean smiled at him knowingly. “It’s a divine artifact. You can handle it.”

Huai Ze flapped his wings furiously and flew up to perch on a nearby tree, shouting angrily, “I’m here to supervise you, not be your errand boy! I absolutely refuse to get involved in this!”

He turned his head away, clearly annoyed.

Fang Yuean propped her chin on her hand. “Little immortal, you always resist at first, but in the end, you obediently give in. Aren’t you tired of this routine?”

“If you go handle this, I might consider fulfilling the task the Divine Sovereign assigned to me.”

Huai Ze’s eyes shifted slightly, as if weighing his options.

Fang Yuean pressed on. “Don’t wait until we leave the cycle of reincarnation, only to find that all the little immortals from your cohort have advanced to higher ranks while you’re stuck behind.”

Huai Ze snapped, “And whose fault is that? Yours!”

Fang Yuean shrugged. “That’s because you didn’t stick with me. With our relationship, if I become the Great Demon King, I’d absolutely make you my second-in-command.”

Huai Ze groaned, clearly distressed. “Just shut up already!”

In the blink of an eye, he darted over, snatched the talisman from Fang Yuean’s hand, and flew off, his voice fading as he disappeared into the distance. “I’ll still keep a record of this! If you dare trick me, I’ll peck you to death!”