Anning and Xiao Yuan have no children in this lifetime, but during the great disaster period, the crops researched by the two saved countless people. When they passed away, they accumulated immense merit.

The two departed from this world, cultivating their souls in the void.

When Anning awoke again, she felt herself lying on a fragrant and soft bed.

She opened her eyes to look around, realizing it was the boudoir of a noble lady from ancient times. The surroundings appeared safe, so she closed her eyes and began to absorb the memories of this body.

Quickly, Anning sorted out the memories of this body.

She couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

What a coincidence! In her previous life, she barely escaped being replaced by an alien soul. In this life, she has come to take the world of that alien soul.

In this life, she also became cannon fodder destined to be harmed by that alien soul.

This body’s surname is Luo, named Luo Anning, with an elder sister named Luo Anqing above her.

Luo Anning was born into wealth; her father had once been Prime Minister, and her mother came from a noble family.

After Luo Anning’s father, Mr. Luo, passed away, her mother, Yu Family, intended to return to their homeland, Yang City, with her daughters.

On their way home, a heavy rain delayed their journey, and a landslide blocked the necessary route ahead. The local government hastened to repair the road, but the Luo Family could not proceed and had to rent a small courtyard halfway.

As it happened, next door to the courtyard rented by the Luo Family, there was a family with an only son named Li, a scholar. Once, when Scholar Li was climbing a ladder to pick fruits in the courtyard, he happened to see Luo Anqing idly sitting in the neighboring courtyard. Immediately, he became infatuated with Luo Anqing.

He then tried all kinds of ways to approach Luo Anqing.

Upon learning of Scholar Li’s intentions, Luo Anqing’s personal maid Chunniang continuously tied the red thread, helping Scholar Li deliver love poems to Luo Anqing, and arranged for them to meet coincidentally while shopping.

Luo Anqing was a young maiden confined to the inner chamber, yearning for romantic passion. Scholar Li, being handsome, naturally caused affection to grow between them.

When the road was fixed and Mrs. Luo was about to set off, Luo Anqing couldn’t sit still.

She cried and implored Mrs. Luo to approve her relationship with Scholar Li, expressing her wish to marry him and her inability to see any other man as better.

Mrs. Luo was shocked to learn that Luo Anqing had been secretly meeting a man outside.

The angry Mrs. Luo didn’t want to punish Luo Anqing, so she took it out on Chunniang, beating her thoroughly, even intending to sell her.

Only after Luo Anqing threatened to commit suicide did Mrs. Luo relent and not sell Chunniang.

Seeing that Luo Anqing was determined to be with Scholar Li, Mrs. Luo summoned Scholar Li and told him; if he could pass the Imperial Examination, he could marry Luo Anqing.

Scholar Li swore on the spot that he would definitely pass the Imperial Examination and gloriously propose to Luo Anqing.

Afterward, Mrs. Luo took her two daughters back to Yang City.

Scholar Li traveled to take the exam, indeed passing it, and gloriously proposed to Luo Anqing.

The story seemed to be heading towards a beautiful tale of a harmonious scholar and a fair lady.

Yet afterward, a shocking reversal took place.

It turns out, Chunniang and Scholar Li had known each other for a long time.

Chunniang’s hometown was close to Scholar Li’s family dwelling.

As a child, she often played with Scholar Li, and they got along well until a disaster hit her hometown when she was about ten. Her parents sold her, and she was eventually sold to the Luo Mansion.

As a child, Chunniang learned the poisonous insect technique from a blind old lady.

After arriving at the Luo Family, she used unnoticeable poisonous insect techniques to eliminate many people, becoming Luo Anqing’s personal maid.

Upon meeting Scholar Li again, they agreed on Scholar Li marrying Luo Anqing.

To ensure Luo Anqing became hopelessly devoted to Scholar Li, Chunniang used poisonous insects on Luo Anqing, causing her to fall deeply in love with Scholar Li.

Later, after Scholar Li passed the Imperial Examination and married Luo Anqing,

Luo Anqing was Mr. Luo’s legitimate eldest daughter, so Scholar Li became Mr. Luo’s son-in-law. Even though Mr. Luo had passed away just a few years ago, many of the people he had helped, guided, or taught were working in the Capital, including one disciple who reached the position of Heavenly Official of the Ministry of Personnel.

Scholar Li, therefore, received the network from marrying Luo Anqing, allowing him to be directly appointed as the county magistrate of the prosperous Jiangnan region.

After his appointment, he took Luo Anqing there to assume office.

While in office, Scholar Li further utilized the Luo Family’s connections to get promoted, eventually confining Luo Anqing with Chunniang impersonating her. Luo Anqing died within a year of confinement, leading Chunniang to replace her and act as Scholar Li’s legitimate wife.

Thus, the two continued leveraging the Luo Family’s reputation and connections to rise in rank.

When Scholar Li and Chunniang returned to visit the Luo Family, Chunniang remembered Lady Luo beating her before, with Luo Anning laughing on the side, causing her uncontrollable anger. She went ahead and killed Lady Luo and Luo Anning.

At that time, Luo Anning was already arranged for marriage, about to wed in the coming year, but was thereby killed by Chunniang’s poisonous insect technique.

Luo Anning discovered Chunniang’s true identity as she died, feeling deeply unwilling to accept it. She turned into a vengeful ghost seeking revenge for her sister and mother but was ultimately obliterated by Mao Xiaoxiao, a woman carrying the protagonist’s halo from Mao Mountain Sect, failing to exact her vengeance.

Chunniang, on the other hand, winning Mao Xiaoxiao’s friendship with her superb acting and feigned weakness and kindness, helped Mao Xiaoxiao handle a few matters under the guise of an official’s wife. Mao Xiaoxiao, thinking her loyal and righteous, helped her with many things.

For instance, Chunniang learned spells from Mao Xiaoxiao and used them to thoroughly suppress the spirits of Lady Luo and Luo Anqing, ensuring they never return.

Moreover, she used these spells to harm some officials opposing Scholar Li, making her hands bloodstained.

Despite helping such a person, Mao Xiaoxiao, carrying the protagonist’s halo, escaped unscathed, eventually marrying the reigning Prince, leading a blissfully happy life.

Overall, this is a demon-hunting sweet romance with Mao Xiaoxiao as the protagonist, where Luo Anning is merely a cameo as cannon fodder.

Chunniang turned out to be the alien soul Anning encountered in her previous life.

Upon learning everything, Anning started contemplating the timeline.

Thinking for a moment, she realized this was when Scholar Li was about to be promoted to Prefect.

Once becoming Prefect, he would imprison Luo Anqing with Chunniang.

Upon realizing this, Anning quickly got up.

"Yue Niang."

Anning called out.

Yue Niang, stitching in the veranda, responded and came inside, "Miss is awake."

After putting on her shoes, Anning sat at the vanity to brush her hair, "What time is it now?"

Yue Niang replied with a smile, "It’s just past afternoon. Miss slept a little longer today."

"Where is Mother?"

Anning asked again.

"Madam is in the little Buddhist hall praying for old Master’s blessing."

Yue Niang approached to comb Anning’s hair, "Madam said Miss was frightened a few days ago and hasn’t slept well for several nights. Now that Miss recovered, Madam let her sleep well today."

After finishing her hair, Anning stood up, "Has sister recently sent any letters?"

Yue Niang shook her head, "There haven’t been any, but servant girls heard Madam say that Brother-in-law will be promoted again, this time likely as Prefect of Ding City. Ding City isn’t far from Yang City, so if Brother-in-law becomes Prefect of Ding City, Miss might stay at home for a while."