Reborn As A Villainous Cannon Fodder

[Right, I see you're just jealous.]

[You—!]

Jinyue was instantly triggered.

She lowered her fox eyes, staring with obvious disdain at the little raccoon running toward them.

Meanwhile, Yino had already prepared to spring into action.

"Don't be afraid. Hide behind me."

"Thank you, Brother Hero!"

At the crucial fork in the road, Yino grabbed the girl's hand and hid with her in the corner of an alley.

For a moment, the alley was shrouded in dark, tense atmosphere. Yino held the girl's hand while shielding her behind him, both holding their breath as they watched the alley entrance, waiting for the villains to arrive.

"Um..."

"Big Brother, holding my hand like this probably makes it hard for you to fight..."

At some point, the girl hidden behind Yino couldn't help but blush as she twitched the pair of small round ears on her head.

She really was asking for help, but Erlii hadn't expected this hero to immediately grab her hand—and grip it so tightly. Being so close together made Erlii so nervous that her palms were sweating.

"Oh, you're right."

Yino figured the tracking technique had already been planted on the raccoon girl's hand, so he let go.

He stretched lazily, then timed his move perfectly, drawing his sword and striking—

Clang!!!

The sword intent of a Core Formation cultivator wasn't particularly strong, but it did surge out from the alley entrance, catching the pursuing evil cultists completely off guard.

Yino didn't take it seriously at all, easily sending the group of minions flying with a few casual punches and kicks.

After all, he was just going through the motions. he couldn't help but recall the original plot and shrugged indifferently:

"Why don't you scram already?"

"Boss! This kid's trouble..."

The lead black-robed cultist sat up from the ground.

He first glanced at the little raccoon hiding behind Yino, then looked back at his boss.

Among them, the largest evil cultist glared at Yino:

"Kid, you're a righteous cultivator who dares to run wild in Demon Abyss..."

"Just you wait, kido!"

"Damn it! A wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him—let's retreat."

The several cultists spouted threats one after another, then had their fighting spirit crushed as easily as if following a script.

For a moment, Yino felt a strange sense of irony.

In his past life playing the game, he'd stared at the screen with complete focus, not only having to guard against nearby Jinyue and Liuli's pursuit, but also enduring the wounds from Jinyue's earlier backstab while fighting these cultists to save Erlii...

Back then, Yino had been dead serious.

In the end, all the effort the original protagonist put in was just part of a honey trap that Erlii and this group had planned together.

But now?

Yino barely exerted any effort, just casually played along with their act, and they still fled in disgrace just like in the original.

So apparently no real skill was needed—anyone could have played this hero-saves-beauty routine!

"Bullying a little girl, you have no shame?"

Yino put his hands on his hips, shouting a scripted line at the fleeing NPCs.

But just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the red foxgirl on his shoulder scold: "You little raccoon, where are you putting your hands!"

This immediately startled the raccoon girl hiding behind Yino.

Seeing her sneaky move discovered, she didn't care about anything else. She quickly yanked the jade pendant from Yino's waist, then turned and activated her spiritual power to bolt away.

"Little thief! How dare you try such an old trick in my presence?!"

The brazen little raccoon instantly enraged Jinyue.

She was a member of the Witch Tea Party—everyone in Demon Abyss City knew her!

Yet now Jinyue had let some little wildcat steal her man's belongings!

"—?"

In the distance, the raccoon girl who'd run halfway seemed to hear Jinyue's angry curse.

She bounded up the wall to the second floor at the end of the alley in a few steps. At the same time, she deliberately stopped at the corner, poking half her head out to stick out her tongue and make a mischievous face at Yino and Jinyue.

"Blehhhh~~"

After making her face, she didn't forget to narrow her charming eyes with obvious disdain: "Just a domesticated human's lapdog. If this little dog's nose is so sharp, then come catch me~~~"

"Who are you calling a dog? Today this young lady must catch you and corrupt you thoroughly—!"

Jinyue was half-dead with rage from the racoon girl's words. She leaped up and transformed into human form mid-air.

Seeing Jinyue had lost her temper, the little raccoon immediately vanished around the corner of the second floor.

"You think you can just leave whenever you want—!"

Jinyue clenched her hands as her peach blossom eyes already showed swirling illusion techniques.

But just then, Yino suddenly grabbed her arm:

"Alright, alright, let her run. Why are you getting angry at her?"

"But she stole your jade pendant! And we saved her, yet she repaid kindness with ingratitude and mocked us!"

Jinyue was so angry she stamped her feet, even her fluffy tail bristled.

She hadn't been this furious in ages.

Jinyue already disliked the raccoon's wild scent, but not only had she held hands with Yino, getting her wild smell on him, she'd also shamelessly stolen his belongings!

Even worse, before leaving she'd mocked Jinyue and called her a dog. Even if signing a spirit pet contract with Yino was true, she was clearly a fox!

"Don't be hasty. As a senior, don't you understand that all arrogant female demons in this world never have good endings?"

Yino smiled faintly, gazing in the direction the raccoon had fled while slightly narrowing his eye.

Jinyue looked back in confusion, but saw Yino raise his hand to summon a map interface.

"This is...?"

"When I held her hand earlier, I planted a tracking spell on her... This shows her escape route. We just need to quietly follow her later."

"WHAT!... when did you..."

Jinyue listened in fascination, staring at the map interface in Yino's hand with wide, incredulous eyes.

Meanwhile, Yino pulled out another pendant from his sleeve: "Besides, this is the real jade pendant Yuyan gave me."

"Holy crap! What a schemer!"

Once again, Jinyue was impressed by Yino's underhanded tactics.

Somehow, she suddenly recalled Yino's earlier female demon ending theory.

"So when you were dealing with me back then, you'd already calculated everything about me inside and out, just like today?"

At this point, Jinyue suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

Once upon a time, she'd also harbored ill intentions toward Yino. But while Yino had seemed foolishly compliant on the surface, walking that path had somehow led to Jinyue's own downfall.

"So you see, after all these years, I'm the only one in this world who could capture your heart and make you willingly wag your tail for me..."

"Look, doesn't it all make perfect sense?"

Yino stood with his hands behind his back, smiling confidently.