The Devil Is One Step Ahead

Sharp-Tongued, Ruthless Enchantress x Scheming, Pretentious, Theatrical Black Lotus

Partners in Crime

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Word is, the enchantress Shen Qingci has seized a new body and been reborn.

Those who follow the unorthodox path are evil, and everyone has a duty to destroy them.

The orthodox sects hunt her down, laying a vast, inescapable net.

But nobody expected Shen Qingci to secretly infiltrate their ranks.

She kept up her disguise perfectly, until

The famed paragon of an illustrious sect held a sword to her throat and proposed a deal: "Miss Shen, if you help me with something, I'll pretend I never discovered your true identity. How does that sound?"

Shen Qingci glanced at the sword. "What do you need?"

Jiang Yanshen smiled sweetly at her. "Simple. Just kill a few people."

Shen Qingci: "...Why don't you do it yourself?"

Jiang Yanshen's smile didn't waver. "With my status, how could I get my hands dirty with something like that?"

Shen Qingci: "???"

So he was a black-hearted lotus after all.

But not long afterward, she was the one who invited him to join her.

Shen Qingci: "Want to be my man?"

Jiang Yanshen: "?"

Shen Qingci: "...I mean, join my side."

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In the orthodox sects, Shen Qingci had a reputation that was as notorious as they come.

Making enemies, seeking revenge, getting even. She planned every step and ultimately got what she wanted.

And she and Jiang Yanshen, who had defected from his sect, became the black-hearted couple of legend, a villainous duo, and a pair of beautiful man-eating flowers, growing side by side.

Shen Qingci: "...Thanks, everyone."

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A low-magic setting, with some original worldbuilding.

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Coming soon: [I Stole a Monk from His Temple] and [How Did the Villain Conquer Me?] Check them out in the author's profile, and please add them to your reading list, my dears~~

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[I Stole a Monk from His Temple]

Cynical Little Lunatic x Emotionally Steady, Fatherly Monk

Everyone who knows Luo Yu thinks she's a rabid dog: unreasonable, snapping at everyone she meets.

Her cultivation is average, but she's cunning and quick-witted. Her love of money makes her easy to control and use.

Luo Yu figures that if someone pays her, she'll do the job. Whether she's a rabid dog or a good blade makes no difference to her.

One day, she went all the way to Cloudmist Mountain for ten taels of gold, hoping to get a monk to leave seclusion and save the people.

The monk looked at her. "What do the people have to do with me?"

Luo Yu: "? Then what the hell did you become a monk for?!"

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When Pei Xizhi was young, a great monk once read his fate: though he was destined to have a connection with Buddhism, in the end, he would return to the secular world.

He believed his heart was as firm as rock, and that no one could move him.

That was until a little lunatic, all for ten taels of gold, stripped off his monk's robes, tied him up, and stole him down the mountain. Only then did he understand.

Oh, so this was what it meant to return to the secular world.

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Demons run rampant, and the people suffer. In these chaotic times, everyone fears for their own safety.

Pei Xizhi, who was said to be cursed with a fate that brought calamity to all around him, leaves the temple and returns to the secular world, saving the people from disaster.

And he has a little lunatic by his side. They are inseparable, and she is utterly loyal.

Someone tries to sow discord: "Pei Xizhi brings ruin to his father, mother, wife, and children. Do you know that?"

Luo Yu looks completely baffled. "Of course. But I'm not going to be his mom."

Pei Xizhi: "…"

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P.S. A monk with hair (.

Little scene:

One day, Luo Yu asks, "Can you shave your head?"

Pei Xizhi: "Why?"

Luo Yu: "No reason. I just want to call you a bald donkey."

[How Did the Villain Conquer Me?] Goofy, Lazy Slacker x Narcissistic, Stubborn Tsundere

System: Hello! This is the Villain Conquest System. Please accept your mission.

Jiang Yuan, a corporate drone who had just died from overwork, spreads her hands. "No. Not doing it."

System: There will be a penalty if you refuse.

Jiang Yuan lies down flat on her back. "Bring it on! I've been through worse!"

Half an hour later, Yan Wenge watches Jiang Yuan drop from the sky, twitching from an electric shock. "What is that thing?"

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Because Jiang Yuan refuses to cooperate, the System starts forcing her to complete her missions.

While Yan Wenge is eating, a living person suddenly drops from the sky and lands on his dining table.

Jiang Yuan greets him confidently. "Hi."

Yan Wenge turns and orders his underlings, "Go boil her."

While Yan Wenge is meditating, Jiang Yuan drops from the sky into his arms, accidentally ripping his clothes.

Jiang Yuan guiltily smooths the fabric. "Um... It wasn't very expensive, was it?"

Yan Wenge immediately calls for his men. "Skin her and make me a cloak."

While Yan Wenge is bathing...

Yan Wenge: "What are you even trying to do?! This is too much!"

Soaking wet, Jiang Yuan floats in his bath and holds up a finger. "Here's the thing. The Heavenly Dao sent me to test your heart. If you can withstand my constant harassment, you'll attain the Dao and ascend."

Yan Wenge: "I'm a demon! What the hell would I need a Dao-heart for?!"

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Jiang Yuan eventually completes her mission.

She counts off Yan Wenge's faults on her fingers. "You're bad-tempered, stingy, possessive, sometimes you don't listen to me, you're a tsundere, and you like sulking on your own... and so on. But since you like me so much, I'll give you a chance."

Yan Wenge grits his teeth. "Wouldn't that be too much of a sacrifice for you?"

Jiang Yuan beams. "Not at all, not at all. What can I say? I'm a wonderful person with a kind heart."

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Theme: Live life positively