Reborn As A Villainous Cannon Fodder

"Lady Qiuya, this place for a chat is a bit eerie, isn't it?"

Yino sat in a gloomy hut, his gaze awkwardly fixed on the two women in front of him.

Sitting directly ahead was Shangguan Qiuya, with gold-framed glasses, a few strands of gold in her black hair, dressed in the official robes of the court.

Beside her sat a little dragon girl, looking like she had white dragon blood, with two pairs of cute, rounded dragon horns on her forehead, resembling a fawn. If Yino didn't remember her from the original game, he might've mistaken her for kin to Wangxue.

After all, the horns of Eastern dragons are based on deer.

Half an hour ago, Yino had finished the commendation ceremony, then he briefly told Yuyan and Yunjin what was happening before following Qiuya's instructions to the Mountain Temple.

When he arrived, Qiuya was squatting under a statue, investigating. Upon noticing Yino behind her, she led him to the underground chamber of the temple.

Yino was familiar with this place; it was the secret passage he and Jinyue had once snuck into.

They made their way to the end of the chamber, where Qiuya had already prepared a set of chairs and the little dragon girl, looking harmless and poised. The eerie, oppressive atmosphere made Yino recall being interrogated by Qiuya for his misdeeds in his past life.

Yino reviewed his tracks at the temple, confirming he left no loose ends, then gathered the courage to face Qiuya's questioning. They talked for about two hours.

Now, Yino had completely recounted his actions from those days, answering Qiuya's questions one by one with confidence. Yet, the more he spoke, the deeper the suspicion in Qiuya's eyes grew.

"So, I accidentally saved the Nine-Colored Deer in the mountains. At first, I didn't know it was a Nine-Colored Deer, only found out when I went to Snow Village..."

"As for Gu Wanglan's cult hideout, I found it following the Nine-Colored Deer's guidance..."

"It's a pity, though, by the time I got there, brother Chen was already dead... such a shame."

"Does Lady Qiuya have any more questions?"

Yino's acting was on point, his hands open in a gesture of helplessness.

He'd explained this many times, and while he found it absurd himself, Qiuya had no evidence to contradict him.

It was a matter of whether she wanted to dig deeper.

Clearly, Mu Daosheng wasn't interested in investigating Chen Jianxin's death, but Qiuya, the stubborn, justice-seeking woman, might not let it go.

"Yino, don't you think all this is too convenient?"

Qiuya propped her chin with one hand, her amber dragon eyes fixed on Yino.

Yino shrugged, effortlessly deflecting:

"It's a coincidence, but as you mentioned, you found strange red fox hair at the temple and the cliff... If there's some conspiracy, it must be from the Pleasure Demon you suspect, right?"

"If this was all her doing, why does everything end up benefiting you?"

"How should I know? You'll have to ask the Pleasure Demon about that."

Yino shrugged again, his casual tone adding to Qiuya's frustration and suspicion.

During the interrogation, she had noticed many inconsistencies, but Yino could explain them away with coincidence, leaving her without any evidence to pin on him.

And the funniest part was, if you believed Yino's version, the truth was:

The Pleasure Demon saved the Nine-Colored Deer at the temple, but instead of taking it, she released the legendary creature into the forest. Then, the rescued deer just stood there, waiting for Yino, who stumbled upon it at night, took it home, and naturally formed a contract.

Days later, Gu Wanglan killed Chen Jianxin, inheriting his innate Sword Dao Holy Physique through a sacrifice. Yino heroically intervened, leading to Yuyan's involvement. Gu Wanglan, injured, fled into the back mountains, and chose the most ridiculous way to die—jumping off a cliff...

Now, both Gu Wanglan and the Sword Dao Holy Physique were missing.

And what a coincidence, the very next day, Yino suddenly advanced to the Core Formation stage through his own persistence and effort.

Could there be such a coincidence in the world?

Even novels wouldn't dare to write something so absurd!

Qiuya had been an investigator in the Great Dragon Dynasty for years; she wouldn't believe Yino's ghost story, no matter how foolish she might be.

She was certain Yino was hiding a lot, but frustratingly, she had no evidence.

"Convenient, isn't it!"

The more Qiuya thought about it, the angrier she got, her teeth clenched in frustration.

Yino smirked under her suspicious gaze and suddenly spoke:

"Since Lady Qiuya has no evidence, can this disciple take his leave? My Senior Sister is waiting to cultivate with me."

"Insolence! Sit down!"

Out of nowhere, Qiuya slammed her hand on the table with a cold voice.

She'd seen her fair share of cultists and fallen cultivators after years in the court, but Yino's audacity was a first!

At the same time, Yino was startled by the sudden outburst of power.

But he quickly regained his composure, sitting back down across from Qiuya.

Yet, unlike his earlier docility, this time his patience was wearing thin.

He sat with a slight slouch, one arm draped over the back of the chair, his cold smile on his lips:

"Shangguan Qiuya..."

"According to the laws of our Great Dragon Dynasty, you can question me, but you can't detain me without evidence..."

"If you have any more questions, just ask. I'll answer everything I know. But if you don't, please let me go as per the rules."

Yino was no longer being polite, reciting the laws of the Great Dragon Dynasty like he was reading a script.

He knew that these so-called Immortal Alliance representatives were actually high-ranking officials sent by the dynasty to local areas. They could be meticulous, impartial judges or powerful dragon generals stationed for local defense, depending on the security situation.

Qiuya obviously fell into the former category, like an inspector, since Wuji Sect didn't need a warrior to guard it.

So, reciting the dynasty's laws might actually intimidate someone like Qiuya.

"Yino, you know a bit about the law, huh?"

Qiuya raised an eyebrow, her earlier aggressive demeanor subsiding, clearly surprised by Yino's composure.

"Lady Qiuya gives me too much credit. Growing up in the Grand Tutor's Mansion, I'd be a fool not to know our dynasty's laws."

Yino gave a faint smile. He really didn't want to know the laws, but in his past life, he'd been tortured by Qiuya too many times in the game, forcing him to look up guides on how to escape her clutches.

Naturally, he learned some basic laws of the game world.

For instance, cultivators couldn't duel within city limits...

Or, for example, they couldn't hunt spiritual beasts in certain protected areas...

In his past life, Yino had been locked up by Qiuya countless times for breaking these odd rules. This meddlesome woman drove him crazy!

"Lady Qiuya."

Suddenly, Yino sat up, leaning forward with a mischievous grin.

"Sometimes, some things are better left uninvestigated. You work so hard to find the truth, but nobody will praise you for it. If you don't investigate, nobody really cares about the truth."

"Plus, there are powers in this dynasty you can't afford to offend by digging too deep."

"Take the Grand Tutor's Mansion, for example. They rake in billions every year, monopolizing half the dynasty's commerce. Who among the court officials would dare investigate their wealth?"

Yino made a face of exasperation, as if resigned to the corruption of the world.

Qiuya listened silently, biting her lips, her eyes filled with shame. Even when he mocked her to her face, she couldn't refute him. After all...

Qiuya had been relegated to Wuji Sect because she had offended someone powerful in the court.

"So..."

"We're all just small fish. Why make life harder for each other?"

"Maybe after a few years of training at Wuji Sect, I'll return to the Grand Tutor's Mansion, inherit the family business, and by chance, get promoted to some high-ranking position in the dynasty. Who knows, maybe I'll send a letter and get you transferred back to Luo City to be a big judge."

Yino's smile was full of provocation, but there was truth to his words. With his current cultivation growth, in three years, he'd make a name for himself at Wuji Sect. Then, with some local fame, he could return to the Grand Tutor's Mansion in Luo City, where his family could easily arrange a high-ranking job for him. A lifetime of royal meals and promotions lay ahead!

At that point, after mixing with the right people, Qiuya might actually have to bow to him!

In the dimly lit room, Qiuya remained silent, her shallow charm dragon eyes revealing a mix of anger and disdain under her gold-framed glasses. She didn't argue with Yino further because she knew, at least, that she couldn't beat him without evidence.

"You're right, according to the dynasty's laws, I'm done. You can go."

Qiuya took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

Though she seemed to concede, her unexpectedly relaxed tone suggested she was up to something.

"Lady Qiuya is wise."

Yino smiled warmly, stood up, and gave a bow.

But he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he shifted his gaze, giving the adorable little white dragon sitting at an angle a meaningful look.

[Little one, we'll meet again~]

In his silent voice, heard only by the dragon girl, Yino spoke softly, sending her a gentle look.

Instantly, the poised little dragon girl blushed.

"Ah..."

She didn't dare make a sound, lowering her head, watching as the young man walked away.

Qiuya sighed, then flicked the little white dragon on the head.

"How was it, Baizi?"

"Ah... um..."

"Did you read his thoughts?"

"Well... um... Brother Yino... he's been chatting with me using his thoughts since he sat down..."

Qiuya: ?