In a Fantasy World as Cannon Fodder, I Got Entangled with the Heroine - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Bleeding Hearts

Translation by: Weebsread👹

“Holy crap! Where did all those Fifth Rank Moonwing Bloodsoul Butterflies come from?!” Jiang Qian stumbled back several steps, panic etched across his face.

These Moonwing Bloodsoul Butterflies weren’t particularly dangerous in direct combat, but they excelled at twisting the environment. Just breathing in a trace of their powder—no matter if you were a Nascent Soul cultivator—meant instant ruin!

In that instant, a shimmering rain of butterfly dust descended from above, thick as a monsoon downpour.

Bai Piaoxue reacted immediately, conjuring a dome of solid ice that arched over their heads like a turtle shell, sealing them safely away from the toxic powder.

There was no way out now. The moment any of them stepped outside, they'd inhale the hallucinogenic dust and lose control.

Jiang Qian dropped onto the ground with a sigh. With escape hopeless for the moment, he figured he might as well settle in and wait it out.

---

Ding~ Dragonbone Secret Realm detected. Would you like to Check-in?

“Check-in!”

He had no idea what kind of reward he might get, but at this point, any lifeline was worth grabbing.

Check-in successful!

Congratulations, Host, you have received: Four Sixth-grade Illusion-Dissolving Pills.

Congratulations, Host, you have received: Half a piece of the Ancient God Temple Tablet.

Congratulations, Host, you have received: Earth-tier high-grade weapon—White Dragon Sword: Severely Damaged!

Not a bad haul at all. But just how "super damaged" could a sword possibly be?

Curiosity got the better of him, and Jiang Qian summoned the White Dragon Sword to take a look.

Whoa. Last time, it was at least as big as a fingernail—now it was barely thicker than a strand of hair.

He felt a cold sweat. One wrong move and a stray breeze might blow the sword away for good.

He hurriedly stashed it safely away, handling it with the utmost care.

Time ticked by, slow as ever.

Eventually, the sound of fluttering wings faded away—the Moonwing Bloodsoul Butterflies had either left or stopped moving.

Bai Piaoxue carefully cracked open a gap in the ice dome, watching the outside for a long moment before finally nodding. “It's clear.”

With a wave, she dispersed the icy shell.

But scarcely had the barrier vanished when a hidden swarm of Moonwing Bloodsoul Butterflies launched a sudden, furious ambush!

“Seriously? An ambush? That's just dirty!” Jiang Qian growled, summoning his Thunderflame Skywing Eagle in an instant.

The three women sprang into action as well, unleashing powerful attacks toward the incoming butterflies.

Under the relentless assault of the trio and the Thunderflame Skywing Eagle, the ranks of butterflies dwindled rapidly, falling like autumn leaves.

The Thunderflame Skywing Eagle made quick work of the last one, then strutted over with several butterfly corpses dangling from its beak.

“Have the chicks hatched?” Jiang Qian instantly understood why the eagle had collected the butterflies.

The Thunderflame Skywing Eagle nodded proudly.

“In that case, I’ll make sure to drop some food into the Beastmaster’s Ring for you from now on,” Jiang Qian remarked, a wry smile on his lips.

The eagle chirped happily and retreated back into the Beastmaster’s Ring.

Just then, Jiang Zixuan hurried over. “Jiang Qian, something’s wrong with Chen Xiaoxiao—she looks like she's trapped in an illusion.”

Jiang Qian’s attention snapped to Chen Xiaoxiao.

Sure enough, she was sitting there, a silly grin plastered on her face, eyes clouded in a dreamlike daze.

His brows furrowed. He knelt beside her, trying to snap her out of it.

“Senior Brother… hee hee… no… don’t… don’t do that…”

“Nn… you’re so bad… this is my first time… be gentle…”

What the—!?

Jiang Qian's face instantly went red as a beet. He slapped a hand over Chen Xiaoxiao’s mouth without thinking.

He glanced nervously at the other two women.

Thank goodness—their attention was elsewhere. He breathed a hidden sigh of relief.

If they’d heard any of that… Jiang Zixuan would never let me live it down, and Senior Sister Bai would probably freeze me into an ice sculpture on the spot.

Whatever illusion Chen Xiaoxiao was caught in, it was definitely something he’d rather not know the details of.

Bracing himself, Jiang Qian took out one of his precious Illusion-Dissolving Pills and slipped it gently into her mouth.

A Sixth-grade pill—practically priceless, he thought, watching it dissolve. There probably weren't even a handful of these in the entire Longyan Kingdom.

It felt like his heart was bleeding as it took effect.

Once he was certain she was swallowing normally, Jiang Qian stood and stepped back.

After a while, Chen Xiaoxiao’s eyes fluttered open. She rubbed her aching head as she got unsteadily to her feet.

She looked around in confusion. “What… just happened to me?”

“You got caught in an illusion,” Jiang Zixuan replied, voice gentle, “but Jiang Qian pulled you out.”

Hearing that, Chen Xiaoxiao’s face lit up with gratitude. “Thank you, Senior Brother!”

“It’s… nothing.” Jiang Qian waved it off, acting casual—though his heart still throbbed with regret over the lost pill.

“Let’s keep moving,” he said.

“Mn!” the others agreed.

With that, the four of them left the mountaintop behind.

Night soon fell. They found a clearing in the woods and made camp for the night.

During the quiet hours, Chen Xiaoxiao kept stealing glances at Jiang Qian, her expression hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know how.

At last, she worked up the courage to speak. “Senior Brother… was it you who wrote the poem ‘Phoenix Hairpin’’?”

“I suppose so. Why do you ask?” Jiang Qian looked at her, bemused.

Hearing his answer, Chen Xiaoxiao’s eyes sparkled, her smile blossoming with admiration. “I heard ‘Phoenix Hairpin’’ was inspired by a tragic love story you witnessed. Is that true?”

“Could you tell us about it?”

Bai Piaoxue perked up too. “I want to hear!” she said, adding, “Jiang Qian, you promised to tell me last time, but you never did. It’s time to come clean!”

Jiang Zixuan scooted closer, her face shining with curiosity. “Yes, Couins, we’re all ears!”

Facing three eager pairs of eyes, Jiang Qian could only sigh in surrender. “Alright, alright—I’ll tell you.”

So began Jiang Qian’s heartfelt retelling of the tangled love between Lu You, Tang Wan, and Zhao Shicheng—the true-life tragedy that inspired ‘Phoenix Hairpin’.’ His words painted heartache and longing with every syllable.

Ten minutes passed in a hush.

By the end, all three women were sobbing, deeply moved. Chen Xiaoxiao cried the hardest, sobs wracking her slender form.

It took a long time before anyone could gather their composure.

Wiping away her tears, Chen Xiaoxiao sniffled. “In that story, they’re all so pitiful—Tang Wan, Lu You, even Zhao Shicheng.”

“But Zhao Shicheng was the most pitiful in the end. After decades of companionship, he still couldn’t compare to a single word from Lu You.”

The others nodded in somber agreement.

They couldn’t help but feel sorry for Zhao Shicheng, yet were left helpless and frustrated by Lu You and Tang Wan’s love: so close, and yet forever out of reach.

As Chen Xiaoxiao pondered ‘Phoenix Hairpin’,’ she gazed at Jiang Qian, her eyes soft and bittersweet.

If only I weren’t bound by that marriage contract… Maybe, just maybe, I’d let myself fall for Senior Brother without restraint.

Jiang Qian caught her look, raising an eyebrow. “Xiaoxiao, why are you looking at me like that? Something wrong?”

“N-no! Nothing!” she stammered, quickly lowering her head in embarrassment.

Jiang Zixuan and Bai Piaoxue shared a knowing look. As women, they immediately understood, but wisely chose to keep silent.

BOOM—

Suddenly, an explosion thundered in the distance.

Jiang Qian shot upright, eyes keen and alert in the direction of the sound.

“I’ll check it out. Be right back!”

Without another word, he summoned his Northwind Ice Wolf and dashed into the darkness.