Reborn As A Villainous Cannon Fodder

Sorry for the delays.

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From now on, we won’t be changing chapters after uploading them—we’ll just publish directly.

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“So… is Yino really connected to that legendary ancient phoenix?”

Nina rubbed her face but kept her head poking through the window. Her eyes sparkled as she studied her teacher.

Changli’s background had puzzled not only many old ministers but even Nina since childhood. The mystery had always gnawed at her.

The National Advisor of the Dragon Dynasty carried Vermillion Bird blood.

Nina’s youth had spared her from that ancient era of Dragon-Phoenix Wars her teacher had survived.

From her earliest memories, a beautiful lady with crimson hair and golden eyes had graced the Dragon Palace, her fingers dancing across instruments, chess pieces, brushes, and paintings.

During childhood, her father the Emperor often carried Nina to play chess with that lady.

The lady bore the name Feng Changli. Her name alone revealed her non-dragon heritage.

But Nina’s memories painted her F=father bowing deeply to Changli throughout his lifetime, honoring her as National Advisor. Almost every time he encountered difficulties, he would approach her with humble steps, seeking wisdom. Later, as his aging illness ate away at his strength, he chose a different path. Rather than focusing on other royal daughters, he gradually transferred imperial power year by year, placing it in Changli’s hands. He also entrusted Nina to her tutelage.

Ten years crawled by before the emperor finally surrendered to illness.

Before drawing his final breath, he passed the throne to Nina. His remaining words hammered home a single message: follow the National Advisor’s guidance.

The emperor had clearly elevated Changli to such heights.

But… Changli carried Vermillion Bird blood, marking her as a hereditary enemy of the dragons.

Ther was a saying in the Cultivating world: “Those not of our race surely harbor different hearts!” Dragon clan nobles naturally bristled at submitting to a phoenix National Advisor.

The Great Dragon Dynasty maintained harmony for two reasons. Changli wielded genuine skills, keeping domestic affairs smooth. More importantly, the old Dragon Emperor had pressed command over a million forbidden troops into her hands before death.

With Changli commanding the forbidden army, various factions couldn’t afford to cross her.

Changli had promised that once Nina stepped into the Remnant Immortal realm, she would pass the Dragon Ancestral Command to her student…

But layers of inexplicable secrets, sealed by countless years, wrapped around all of this.

Nina had never doubted her teacher’s loyalty to the dragon clan. Curiosity about her background had simply eaten away at her for years. Now, accidentally overhearing mention of Yino, Nina’s long-suppressed questions exploded to the surface.

“Nina, does Yino’s background matter so much to you?”

After stretching silence, the beautiful woman finally broke the quiet.

Her anger never came. Instead, she narrowed her eyes as she studied Nina.

Wait…

That question… why does her stare make something crawl up my spine?

Nina’s throat tightened. The words wouldn’t come.

Her thoughts scrambled briefly, but she’d never mastered lying. Nervousness stripped away her defenses, and she instinctively followed her heart, bobbing her head in an obedient nod.

“Mm…”

The soft admission slipped from her lips.

But as Nina’s confession hung in the air, the beautiful woman vanished in a flash.

Her teacher carried the power of an ancient demigod who’d walked the earth for a thousand years. Under her cultivation suppression, Nina’s eyes could rarely track her movements.

Nina pulled her head back from the window, but as soon as she turned around, nine firey phoenix feathers carved between golden eyes filled her vision. The woman had materialized inches from her face.

“Ah!” Nina’s heart lurched as she nearly jumped out of her skin. “You scared me to death! Why do you keep startling me tonight!”

The beautiful woman bent down slightly, her intense gaze boring into Nina’s eyes.

“Nina, what kind of man do you think Yino is?”

Changli’s voice cut through the silence.

Nina’s eyelids fluttered. One finger rose to poke her cheek as her mind worked: “Yino? … his personality grates on my nerves, and he caused me endless trouble at Wuji Sect and Western Province City, nearly driving me mad! But… I still consider him a decent righteous person. His cultivation might lag, but he has the drive to charge the frontlines for Western Province’s people…”

Her hands gestured as words poured out. “His cultivation might disappoint, but when the Demon Abyss came sweeping in, his instincts pushed me through the city gates first. His own body slammed those gates shut, protecting the people trapped inside…”

“And! What amazes me most is that even though Yino carries phoenix blood, evil never touches his heart. He dove alone into the Demon Abyss at Core Formation and fought his way back!”

“Every measure marks him as a heaven-blessed prodigy that emerges once in a century!”

“How does this world create someone like Yino, both good and bad, strange and contradictory?”

Months had passed since those few days together, yet talking about that young man could still set Nina’s tongue racing.

Throughout her speech, Changli’s eyes tracked every micro-expression flickering across the girl’s face.

“Yes, he really does make you both love and hate him, doesn’t he?”

Changli’s lips curved in a faint smile as she delivered that summary.

Even Nina’s normally oblivious nature couldn’t miss the playful undertone threading through her voice.

Her pulse quickened. “What’s with that look?”

“Nothing special. I’m simply observing our Nina’s expressions when she evaluates a certain boy.”

“Does something about my expression seem strange?”

“…”

Nina’s curiosity spilled over, but this time Changli let silence stretch between them.

As silence settled over the room, color crept up Nina’s already flustered cheeks.

If Changli had kept quiet from the start, Nina might never have noticed.

But with this pointed observation, heat blazed across her face.

“No, it’s not like that! How can you twist my words in that direction!”

“What direction did I twist them?”

“You thought about that thing…”

“Which thing?”

“Just… just…”

“Just what?”

Changli’s triple-strike questioning crashed through Nina’s simple defenses.

Watching her flounder for explanations, Changli decided she’d gathered enough observations. She rose smoothly and glided back to her sofa by the fireplace, her dress rustling as she settled and smoothed the fabric. The source of this content s novel·fıre·net

“What bad intentions could I possibly harbor?”

The beautiful woman cradled her teacup in one hand while her other elbow found the armrest, supporting her chin. Her lips curved slightly. “I’m simply reflecting on how our Nina nearly dissolved into tears when news reached her that the boy had died in Western Province City. Later, despite facing a thirty spanking, she still mobilized every authority at her disposal to shield that boy. She even pressed the spirit talisman I’d originally gifted to her into his hands, all for a boy she’d known for three days…”

“Now, scattered clues about him instantly ignite unprecedented curiosity and concern in Nina.”

“Don’t I have reasonable grounds for suspicion regarding that boy?”

Changli’s argument completed, she lobbed the question back.

Nina’s mouth fel open. Her chest rose and fell as air rushed in and out, but no words emerged. She could only twist her lips: “W- We share nothing but ordinary friendship! That guy’s personality reeks, and his frivolous nature shows in every word that tumbles from his mouth. He not only carries phoenix blood but also stagnates at Nascent Soul stage! I rule as empress of the Great Dragon Dynasty. How could I possibly develop anything with him…”

“A certain little bird once spoke those exact words.”

Nina’s complaints were building steam when those words hit her like déjà vu.

“Little bird? What do you mean?” The white dragon’s eyes blinked.

“Never mind… Nina, you’d better maintain friendship, and nothing but friendship forever.”

“I understand. The nation towers above all else! Before I properly master the imperial legacy, I won’t let my dao heart waver, especially not for someone whose status sits so far below mine!”

The dragon girl’s chin lifted.

Changli’s gaze pierced into her eyes. Long moments stretched before she finally buried her face in her hands and released a sigh.

“Alright, since you overheard the Liu mansion incident, let me teach you how to handle tomorrow’s accusations from the Lin and Liu mansion elders.”

“Please guide me!”

“First, if the Lin mansion accuses Yino of colluding with evil cults, fire back with demands for evidence. Without solid proof, ‘innocent until proven guilty’ rules our judgment. We’ll conduct a personal interrogation after we capture Yino.”

“I understand! I grasp the strategy!”

The dragon girl’s eyes blazed as she listened.

“Second, if the Lin mansion charges him with assault, reject their claims using the Great Dragon Dynasty immortal law: ‘Between righteous cultivators, sparring matches without fatalities place responsibility on the injured party alone.'”

“Oh!”

Nina’s head bobbed, but her face shifted: “But… didn’t the letter mention something about Yino stealing the Lin mansion’s Azure Dragon bloodline? What if they also press charges for bloodline theft?”

She worried her teacher wouldn’t understand, so she actively defended Yino: “You know Yino only reaches Nascent Soul stage and carries phoenix clan blood. Stealing dragon clan bloodline creates conflict with his phoenix heritage. How could he accomplish such a feat in mere seconds of sparring!”

“…”

Nina’s explanation met with silence.

Actually, bloodline theft required examination from two angles. Changli knew the bloodline Yino had inherited from his mother carried special properties and could indeed accomplish Azure Dragon bloodline refinement quickly.

But the real puzzle consumed her thoughts: how had Yino managed to complete such an intricate process under direct supervision of both family elders…

The theft itself didn’t terrify her. What sent chills down her spine was how he’d executed the entire plan in seconds and vanished without a trace!

“Nina, do you know the saying ‘the innocent will clear their own names’?”

Changli jerked back to the present, her smile returning.

Meeting the white dragon girl’s half-comprehending gaze, she continued: “When we capture Yino, we’ll test his bloodline publicly. If even a trace of Azure Dragon bloodline shows up in his system, we’ll let the Lin mansion elder extract it and return it to their family…”

Her smile turned cold and sharp: “But if they detect nothing, how can they prove Yino stole anyone’s bloodline?”

“Exactly! This approach will prove Yino’s innocence!”

Understanding lit up Nina’s eyes as she nodded.

However, while their conclusions aligned, Changli’s reasoning ran completely opposite to her student’s.

Changli held absolute certainty that Yino had stolen the bloodline. But her research into Ilya’s bloodline’s special nature told her this Azure Dragon bloodline would transform into cultivation power within a day or two. By then, even if the Lin mansion elder captured Yino and sliced open his stomach, they’d find nothing!

The risk of exposing Yino’s bloodline during testing posed no problem. After all, when Yino was still an infant, Changli had personally crafted the bloodline seal that hid his true nature. Later, she could simply have Xinyao escort him over for another sealing session.

“As for the third point, if the Liu mansion elder accuses him of abducting their precious daughter…”

Changli paused as she mentioned this final accusation.

Her peripheral vision studied Nina’s expression. The girl’s platinum dragon eyes reflected an unusual light, prompting Changli’s cold smile: “For this last question, I’ll treat it as your test. You’ll decide as the ruler how to handle this matter yourself.”

—-

At the foot of Liuli Sect’s mountain.

Yino pushed through the door exactly as promised, entering the private tearoom that had awaited him since the night before.

“What’s this? Half a year apart, and seeing your once-beloved doesn’t inspire tail-wagging or rushing over for kisses, hugs, and being lifted high?”

“I’m not Jinyue. Strictly speaking, I’ve lived long enough to be your grandmother!”

On the steps inside the tearoom pavilion, the white fox girl sat with legs crossed, the qipao’s side slit revealing elegant limbs. Her charming fox features tilted upward as she snorted coldly, though ten white tails swished frantically behind her.

“Hmm, what are you doing…?”

“Rewarding you with being lifted high, naturally!”

“What are you doing?! Release me! I’ve outgrown such childish games…”

“Whoosh, up you go!”

“Wait, this height terrifies me! Put me down this instant!”

“But joy radiates from every fiber of your body, especially that tenth tail wagging with such enthusiasm!”

“Ahhh put me down bastard!”