Chapter 40 | Transmigrated Into a Female-Oriented Novel, My Junior Sister Is the Villain

On the other side, after regrouping with the main force led by Shi Yan and Ling Qingyu, the foremost issue before them was how to deal with the two demonic commanders and the rest of the demonic captives.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense and stagnant.

“What is there left to discuss?” a wounded rogue cultivator, lingering fear still visible in his eyes, spat with deep resentment. “These demon scum are bloodthirsty and cruel, treating us like weeds beneath their feet! Just slaughter them to appease the souls of our fallen comrades!”

At these words, many rogue cultivators and a number of disciples from the four great sects nodded in agreement, righteous indignation surging through the crowd.

However, several disciples hailing from smaller sects wore troubled expressions. Exchanging glances, an older disciple in green robes stepped forward, bowing deeply to Su Yi and the others. His voice carried an earnest plea: “Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, we know this request may be ill-timed.

“But... several of our fellow disciples were captured by the demons during the earlier chaos. Would it... would it be possible to use these two demon leaders to negotiate with the demons and exchange them back?”

Once these words were spoken, the crowd quieted considerably. Everyone understood the deep bond these small-sect disciples felt for their fellows; their devotion in risking their lives to protect one another was genuinely moving.

However...

“How can one bargain with a tiger without losing one's own skin?” Ling Qingyu's cool voice broke the silence, her brow furrowing slightly. “Demons are treacherous and utterly devoid of honor. Exchanging these two to reclaim our captured fellows is a noble thought, but entirely too naive. Not only will you likely fail to save them, but the demons may also seize the opportunity to blackmail us or even lure us into a trap.”

Her words were harsh, yet they pinpointed the cold reality of the situation. Shi Yan opened his mouth to speak, but a female disciple beside him gently patted his arm, murmuring in a heavy voice, “Senior Sister Ling speaks reason. We mourn our captured fellow disciples as well, but... perhaps our only option is to report this to our sects, find a way to rescue them later, and compensate their families generously.”

Neither of them was heartless; they were simply looking at the matter from a broader perspective. Capturing two demonic commanders alive held immense value. Whether for interrogating them for intelligence or leveraging them as crucial bargaining chips later on, keeping them was far more “cost-effective” than trading them for a few ordinary disciples.

Shang Shuyi stood to the side, taking in everyone's reactions. Naturally, she also understood Ling Qingyu's concerns; that was indeed the safer path, the one best aligned with “pragmatic interest.”

And yet... She turned her gaze toward Su Yi.

‘Young Manor Lord Su does not seem like a cold, heartless man.’

Meanwhile, as if completely oblivious to Ling Qingyu's objections, Su Yi spoke directly to those disciples: “Hostage exchange? We can negotiate that.”

Ling Qingyu's brows drew together. Just as she was about to speak, Su Yi cut her off.

“Junior Sister Ling, those captured fellow disciples fell into enemy hands while trying to protect others. Their actions are admirable, and their plight deserves sympathy.

“If we turn a blind eye to the lives of those who sacrificed themselves for righteousness today simply out of fear of future ‘possibilities,’ how are we any different from cold-blooded cowards?”

In truth, even if they actually handed the prisoners back, it wouldn't impact the overall situation in the slightest.

Su Yi knew well that the greatest demonic threat within this secret realm was never those few commanders. Furthermore, the righteous path's greatest asset was no longer just the female lead, Tantai Yunzhi—it now included him, Su Yi.

Besides, disciples from these smaller sects were far from useless. Su Yi could see their potential values. Given how deeply they valued loyalty and brotherhood, harvesting a wave of goodwill from this fresh blood might prove very useful in the future.

It was a zero-cost investment, so why not?

Of course, Ling Qingyu knew none of this. “Su Yi!” Her brow furrowed tightly, clearly displeased with his “emotion-driven” decision.

In her eyes, sacrificing the greater collective interest just to uphold the righteousness of a small minority was anything but wise.

Seeing this, the female disciple beside Shi Yan wanted to argue as well.

However, Shi Yan, who had remained quiet for a long while, suddenly bolted to his feet, startling the woman. Taking a deep breath, he spoke with undeniable bravado:

“I've made up my mind! Scheming and fretting like a bunch of hens is far too suffocating! I sure as hell won't be a cold-blooded bastard either!”

He waved his broad hand dismissively.

“If the ones captured today were senior or junior sisters from my Perching Phoenix Pavilion, I, Shi Yan, would never want anyone giving up on them so easily! Young Manor Lord Su, I back you! Let's talk terms with them!”

His words were delivered with such firm conviction that the disciple beside him was moved and slowly lowered her hand.

In the end, the decision championed by Su Yi was approved.

A captured demon disciple, branded with a restriction and carrying the terms for exchange, trembled as he was sent back to the demonic camp to deliver the message.

Yet when the messenger returned bearing the demons' response, the conditions they demanded instantly ignited everyone's fury.

“Not only do they demand Feng Zimo and Deng Nie returned in one piece,” Shi Yan snarled, his hand clutching the letter trembling violently with rage, knuckles turning white as his words were squeezed from between clenched teeth, “they actually have the gall to demand... Blood Qi Spirit Pills!”

The moment the words “Blood Qi Spirit Pill” rang out, the expressions of every righteous disciple present turned exceedingly grim.

Who didn't know that this pill was profoundly sinister, requiring the masterless spirit roots of deceased cultivators as its primary ingredient?

And the nonchalant remark in the demons' reply—“Haven't quite a few of your people died already?”—made their malicious intent glaringly obvious. They were forcing them to desecrate the remains of their fallen comrades just to trade for the living!

“You wretched bastards! I'll butcher you right now, you demon whelp!” Shi Yan roared, incandescent with rage. Fiery spiritual energy erupted violently around him as his bloodshot eyes locked onto the shivering messenger. Raising a palm, he moved to strike him dead on the spot!

Just then, a calm, lightly amused voice cut through the air.

“Those are the only conditions? No problem.”

As soon as those words dropped, not only did Shi Yan and the crowd of righteous disciples freeze in shock, but even the demonic messenger, who had thought death was certain, stood dumbfounded. He stared at Su Yi in sheer disbelief.

“Aren't you going to run back and deliver the news?” Su Yi prompted, seeing him freeze.

“Y-Yes! Right away!”

Not daring to linger for even a second, the demon disciple bolted back as fast as his legs could carry him.

“All right, everyone, let's hurry and refine the pills,” Su Yi said leisurely, turning back—only to find over a hundred pairs of eyes staring daggers at him.

“Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Senior Brother Su!” one disciple cried out in anguish, practically shouting.

“Don't tell me you truly intend to desecrate the bodies of our fallen brothers and sisters? We would rather fight to the death and storm their lines than ever permit such a desecration!”

Su Yi was momentarily taken aback before sudden realization dawned on him. He glanced at Shi Yan. “Wait... so you weren't furious just now over the sheer quantity of pills they demanded?”

Shi Yan's brows twitched. “What does quantity matter?! If they had asked for Spirit Gathering Pills, we would have gritted our teeth and paid up!”

“Ah, well that wouldn't do. After all, we don't have ingredients for Spirit Gathering Pills ready on hand,” Su Yi remarked, shaking his head. Now he understood.

In the game's setting, righteous cultivators adhered strictly to the notion that the body and flesh belonged to dust and earth. After killing demons, at most they would grind their bones to dust and scatter the ashes to the wind to confirm their demise; they would never dream of putting the remains to good use.

“Everyone, could you lower your moral standards just a little?” Su Yi said helplessly.

“No matter how low they go, we cannot refine the corpses of our senior brothers and sisters!” several disciples answered through tearful confusion.

Seeing that they still hadn't grasped his meaning, Su Yi sighed, casting a glance toward the ashen-faced demonic captives. “Do spirit roots only grow on the bodies of us righteous cultivators?”

Those words felt as though a pair of giant hands had smoothed out all the wrinkles on everyone's brains. Every single person froze.

Silence. Utter, profound silence.

“B-But... don't Blood Qi Spirit Pills require the masterless spirit roots of deceased cultivators?”

Hearing that, Su Yi looked at the cultivator as if staring at a total fool.

“When you eat meat, do the chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep die of natural causes?”

Hearing this, the demonic captives behind them suddenly caught on. A frantic commotion broke out as they struggled to break free of their bindings, only for sword energy unleashed by Su Yi to slash through their limbs, crippling them instantly.