Transmigration:The Villain Wants A Happy End Without His BeastHusbands-Chapter 78: I Am Not A Hero (1)

"I... don’t know."

Qinghe let out a heavy sigh and handed the scroll to him. "I suppose we’ll wait and find out."

Ningyan accepted it. "And if it’s a threat?"

Qinghe’s lips twitched. "Then Lan Meishan dies."

Ningyan didn’t react. Not a flicker. Not a breath out of place.

Qinghe watched him closely, clearly gauging his response. Finding none, she turned away and added as she walked off, "Give it to Wuhen. I have no interest in reading it." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Meanwhile, Lanyin stepped closer, smiling faintly. "She likes you."

Ningyan snorted. "That’s her liking me? I still have nightmares of her trying to kill me back in Sunland."

Lanyin’s gaze dropped briefly to the scroll in his grasp, then lifted back to his face. "Lan Meishan is your friend, isn’t he?"

Ningyan blinked rapidly.

Friend.

Was that what they were supposed to be? Was whatever he had with Meishan meant to stay hidden?

Perhaps.

Because if he wanted to prevent Meishan from ever becoming a villain... he needed to stay visible. Present. Impossible to erase in his life.

"Yes," Ningyan said.

Lanyin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then use that friendship. Find out what’s really going on."

Ningyan almost told her that Meishan had already distanced himself from his clan, that he’d refused demon qi, that he’d been removed from the dirty work.

But he didn’t.

"I’ll go find Wuhen," he said instead.

With that, he left.

He checked the gardens. The courtyards. The outer halls.

Nothing.

Frowning, Ningyan tucked the scroll into his robes and headed for the dragon manor. After showing the guards his sigil, he was escorted directly to Yunyi’s chambers.

Inside, Shenzhen was already seated at the table, dark blue hair loose over his shoulders, dressed in informal robes. He lifted a cup to his lips then froze when he spotted Ningyan.

Yunyi followed his gaze.

"A-Yan," she said warmly. "You’re here."

"And late," Shenzhen added, waggling his brows. "How did I arrive before you? Were you conoodling with Lan Meishan, hmm?"

Ningyan flushed. "I wasn’t."

Shenzhen rolled his eyes as Ningyan joined them at the table.

"Lan Meishan?" Yunyi asked, curiosity flickering across her face as she set out dishes for Ningyan.

"He’s guiding a program," Ningyan replied smoothly. "Something to help us move into second year without issues."

He bowed slightly, smiling as she poured him a drink clearly not allowing him to lift a finger for himself.

"That’s amazing," Yunyi said.

Shenzhen chuckled. "It is. Lan Meishan is really... something. That gentle air of his. I always tell Senior Brother to be more like him. To be calm, soft, like the wind. But my Senior Brother is far too arrogant."

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Yunyi said with a smile.

Shenzhen scoffed. "I do it because it annoys him."

"Why did you join, though?" Ningyan asked, popping a piece of spicy leafy green into his mouth. "You’re already more than capable."

"I want to be more than capable," Shenzhen replied without hesitation. "I want to go higher. There’s no such thing as too much strength."

Ningyan almost disagreed but stopped himself.

At his current state, he couldn’t.

He needed strength. Enough that no beast could ever wrap a hand around his neck again and think they could get away with it.

Dinner ended soon after. Shenzhen excused himself, rubbing his stomach with a satisfied grin as he left. When a servant arrived to clear the empty dishes, Ningyan rose as well.

"Ayi, it’s getting very late. Thank you for the dinner," he said, turning to Yunyi only to pause.

She was rummaging through her shelves, pulling books aside as if searching for something urgent. When she didn’t find it, she moved to the drawers instead.

Ningyan stepped closer. "What are you looking for? I can help."

"No.. no, you can’t know what I’m—" She stopped abruptly, then tugged out a small white marble jar. Her face lit up. "I found it."

Ningyan blinked. "You—?"

Yunyi cut him off, flicking her wrist toward the entrance. A fiery orange light bloomed outward, spreading like translucent flame and sealing the chamber.

"Now no one can hear us," she said, exhaling deeply as she turned back to him. "Take this, A-Yan."

Ningyan accepted the small jar carefully. "What is it?"

"Ever since you arrived, I’ve been thinking of ways to help you," Yunyi said quietly. "But my knowledge of our kind is no greater than anyone else’s. I only know that we are scattered, hidden, divided. As for cultivation... I’ve always done it instinctively."

She lowered her gaze.

"I’m still stuck at the sixth stage. It’s polished, stable but it isn’t enough." She looked up at him, eyes steady and resolute. "I need you to surpass that. I need you to reach the seventh stage."

Her voice tightened slightly. "And when you do, A-Yan... revive our kind."

Ningyan’s eyes widened. "Wait.. no, no. I mean, yes, I want to be strong, but I don’t think I can do something as huge as uniting a whole species of beasts, Ayi."

Yunyi looked at him with quiet pity. "A-Yan..."

"No." He shook his head, words rushing out now. "I just want to be strong enough to break this spirit mate chain. Strong enough to protect myself so I can live quietly on some mountain, far away from all of this." He stepped forward and took her hands, his grip earnest, almost desperate. "You can come with me. I can take you away from here. I’ll protect you."

Yunyi’s expression softened but there wasn’t hope in her eyes. There was sorrow.

"A-Yan," she said gently, "peace isn’t possible."

"It has to be!" Ningyan’s voice sharpened. "I’ve already gone through so much just to get where I am now. You can’t just tell me that the future I’m working toward doesn’t exist."

He stepped back, pulling away from her touch. "You can’t."

Yunyi followed him, lifting her hand to his cheek. "A-Yan."

Ningyan froze, his violet eyes trembling as he stared at her.

"I understand you more than you think," she whispered. "I truly do. But what you want... you can grow stronger, yes. But you can’t—"

He knocked her hand away.

"No." His voice broke, raw and furious. "I don’t want to hear this. I can’t throw away everything I’m fighting for because of phoenix beasts I’ve never even met. I’m not a hero. I can’t just—"

Crack.

Pain exploded across Ningyan’s cheek.

His head snapped to the side, heat blooming where skin met skin. He stood frozen, eyes blown wide, breath caught painfully in his chest.

...Did I just get slapped?