CH 96

Villainous Master (18)

“How could Ning Jing Yu be labeled as a villain? She had slain the previous Demon Lord and safeguarded the three realms as a hero,” Song Xu Yi thought to herself.

However, the system would not deceive her…

Song Xu Yi stood motionless, stunned by the system’s words.

The system carried on babbling, unaware of Song Xu Yi’s abnormality: “You don’t know, it’s this bad villain. As soon as you came to this world, she blocked me. I can sometimes see you, but I can never contact you no matter what. For so long, I watched you recognize the thief as your benefactor and regard her as your teacher, and I was extremely anxious in my heart…”

Despite the system’s continuous chatter, Song Xu Yi found herself unable to listen any longer.

An avalanche of emotions crashed over her – sadness, shock, and grief.

The grief of Ning Jing Yu falling into the blood pool had yet to subside when another jolt hit her. Song Xu Yi felt a hollow ache in her chest, and her mind filled with memories of Ning Jing Yu throughout the years.

On closer reflection, Song Xu Yi realized that there were hints of this all along.

The Ning Jing Yu she knew was never one to concern herself with worldly affairs. When they first met, Ning Jing Yu’s actions didn’t align with those of a righteous person. Song Xu Yi had simply assumed that she was a hero who saved the three realms and believed that she was a righteous person…

Even if Ning Jing Yu didn’t love the world, she had never harmed it during her years of seclusion. So why did the system view her as a villain?

……

However, what’s the point of delving into these matters now that the person in question is already deceased?

Song Xu Yi lowered her head and sniffled, struggling to contain the tears welling up in her eyes. She never imagined that the formidable Ning Jing Yu would succumb to the demon’s formation. While she was unaware of what had transpired in Ning Jing Yu’s illusion, her mind kept replaying the final image of him before he plummeted into the blood pool:

— Even after being stabbed, Ning Jing Yu was loath to snap the false Song Xu Yi’s neck.

Song Xu Yi knew better than anyone why Ning Jing Yu fell prey to the trick – the fake Song Xu Yi carried her own aura and looked identical to her.

Though Ning Jing Yu might have failed the world in the future, she never let herself down. In fact, it was because of herself that she ended up in the blood pool.

Her heart ached with grief, and Song Xu Yi clenched her lip, finally giving in to the tears that trickled down her cheeks…

“Xu Yi, you-“

The system gazed at Song Xu Yi’s features and ceased its incessant prattle only belatedly.

Song Xu Yi was kind-hearted, ambitious, and always sported a welcoming smile. Despite confronting foes who possessed unparalleled might, the system perceived Song Xu Yi as having an even sturdier core than them. There was seemingly nothing that could cause her to misstep – she was the quintessential task executor.

However, it was also for this very reason that the system felt as though it could never grasp Song Xu Yi’s thoughts with absolute certainty.

This is the first time the system has witnessed Song Xu Yi so emotionally vulnerable.

It renders Song Xu Yi more like a flesh-and-blood person.

The system experiences a fleeting sensation: could the task performer be exploring their true self while carrying out their mission?

But, for now, the system cannot ponder this issue carefully. Song Xu Yi’s tears shock and break its heart; they’ve traveled across innumerable worlds as companions, and the system considers Song Xu Yi as its closest friend.

“Xu Yi, Ning Jing Yu was beautiful and kind to you, but she was merely a transient passerby in a small world. We’ll encounter many more people in the future…” The system consoles her, though its voice betrays a hint of unease. Even the system cannot persuade itself: are the antagonists, who bear the same face in every world, genuinely only small-world passersby?

Song Xu Yi lowers her head and remains silent.

Meanwhile, not far away, the Demon Lord shakes off the excitement of having vanquished Ning Jing Yu and looks towards Song Xu Yi.

“Ning Kui was right. You’re Ning Jing Yu’s Achilles’ heel!” The Demon Lord’s eyes reflect an undisguised envy as she maliciously scans Song Xu Yi and thrusts her sword towards her. “You killed your master; why not follow her to the afterlife?”

To the Demon Lord’s surprise, her attack stalls about five paces away from Song Xu Yi and cannot advance further…

“How can this be?” The Demon Lord widens her eyes while Song Xu Yi, who wipes away her tears and prepares to retaliate, furrows her brow. In theory, if Ning Jing Yu perished, the formation she established should have dissipated. So, why is Ning Jing Yu’s formation still functional?

“Could it be…”

Song Xu Yi’s heart raced as she glanced up at the pool of blood in front of her.

At some point, bubbles began to rise from the pool and a vortex formed in the center, gradually expanding. Suddenly, a strong wind whipped across the ground.

Although Song Xu Yi was protected by the formation and didn’t feel the pressure of the demonic energy, the Demon Lord outside was on the verge of collapsing and spewed out a mouthful of blood.

“How is this possible?!” the Demon Lord gasped in horror, while the system in Song Xu Yi’s mind emitted a terrified scream, severing their connection once again.

Despite the chaos around her, Song Xu Yi’s attention remained fixated on the pool of blood. Her heart pounded in her throat and her mind went blank.

The sky darkened as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Thick bolts of lightning, snakelike in appearance, struck the center of the blood pool.

This was a sign that a powerful demon had appeared!

Song Xu Yi held her breath and watched as the blood boiled like hot water, and then a crack appeared in the center, revealing a tender, white arm that glistened like condensed fat, and long black hair resembling a raven’s feather…

Beside Song Xu Yi, the Demon Lord let out a wretched scream and crumpled to the ground, leaving her fate unknown. Song Xu Yi was stunned for a moment, but her attention was quickly drawn to a stunning figure rising from the pool of blood.

The person in front of her appeared to be Ning Jing Yu, but there was something different about her. Her whole being radiated a beauty tinged with a hint of malice, and her movements were graceful and elegant, like a captivating pearl that one could not take their eyes off.

It wasn’t until Ning Jing Yu approached her and brushed her cold fingertips against Song Xu Yi’s face that she snapped out of her daze. Her face flushed crimson, and she hastily lowered her head, fumbling in her storage bag for clothes to offer Ning Jing Yu.

“Master, I didn’t mean to stare! I was just relieved to see that you’re still alive…” Song Xu Yi babbled, flustered and mortified. Overwhelmed with shame, she stumbled over her words, but she never expected to be enfolded in a cold embrace.

Ning Jing Yu held Song Xu Yi tightly, her chin resting on her shoulder.

Song Xu Yi’s body tensed up, and she reflexively opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of a patch of snow-white skin. Her head felt as if it were on fire, and she quickly shut her eyes again, too nervous to move.

Ning Jing Yu’s familiar fragrance enveloped her, and Song Xu Yi felt as if she were burning up, her body temperature soaring to a dangerous level. The image of Ning Jing Yu emerging from the water with a soul-stirring look replayed in her mind, but she was too jittery to focus, barely able to hear what Ning Jing Yu was saying.

“Xu Yi,” Ning Jing Yu’s slightly cool breath tickled Song Xu Yi’s ear, as she hugged her waist and sighed softly, tucking back her tousled hair. “Now that you know my secret, what am I to do with you?”

A shiver ran down Song Xu Yi’s spine, and though Ning Jing Yu’s words could be construed as a threat, she found that she could not bring herself to fear her, perhaps due to the image of Ning Jing Yu reaching for her sword before collapsing into the pool of blood, which had left an indelible impression on her.

“My master’s kindness towards me is as unyielding as a mountain. No matter what happens, I will remain steadfastly loyal to my master,” Song Xu Yi declared, her head bowed as she recalled the disturbing image of Ning Jing Yu’s bleeding hand.

“Unyielding as a mountain?” Ning Jing Yu chuckled, neither confirming nor denying, before posing a question, “What if I had already succumbed to darkness and become an enemy of the Three Realms?”

Taken aback by Ning Jing Yu’s candidness, Song Xu Yi’s body tensed, and she bit down on her lower lip.

Observing Song Xu Yi’s reaction, Ning Jing Yu’s eyes darkened as memories of her past began to flood her mind. From childhood to the present, she had endured a barrage of tribulations: watching her mother being consumed by Ning Kui, chasing after the demon, falling into the Black Water Pool, enduring the torment of demons, struggling to survive for an extended period, and ultimately being besieged and attacked by demonic forces. She fought her way to the Blood Pool and was forced to plummet into its depths…

Ning Jing Yu claimed to be resolute, yet she couldn’t bring herself to reflect on the seven days and nights she spent in the Blood Pool: her flesh corroding and regenerating only to be corroded again, her entire being wracked with excruciating agony, her mind haunted by the image of her mother’s death.

Ning Jing Yu couldn’t comprehend how she managed to endure such misery.

When she finally reopened her eyes, she had become the nucleus of the Black Water Pool, unable to cultivate her spiritual powers through conventional means. She could only absorb demonic energy and harness it for her use. Nevertheless, Ning Jing Yu found solace in this arrangement.

Ning Jing Yu had transformed herself into a predator, relying on consuming demonic energy as her sustenance, surpassing all demons in the Black Water Pool. Her exceptional talent allowed her to learn many techniques of the Demon Clan during the process of absorbing the demonic energy.

It was at this moment that she once again sensed Ning Kui’s aura. Following his aura, she left the Black Water Pool, taking advantage of the weakening restraints on the demons due to the departure of the formation heart.

Determined to defeat Ning Kui, Ning Jing Yu hastily consumed an excessive amount of demonic energy. But on a fateful day, the surging demonic energy within her body threatened her life. It was then that Zhao Lin appeared, saving her at the critical moment.

In gratitude, Ning Jing Yu promised to grant Zhao Lin’s wish. However, Zhao Lin did not believe that Ning Jing Yu, who was covered in blood and flesh, had the ability to fulfill her wish to stop the previous Demon Lord from causing chaos in the three realms. She casually made a wish to kill the Demon Lord.

Despite Ning Jing Yu’s doubts, Zhao Lin’s wish was eventually fulfilled. Ning Jing Yu killed the Demon Lord, erased Zhao Lin’s memories of herself, and left her in a remote location to recover.

Afterward, Ning Jing Yu returned to the Xuan Shu Sect to begin her closed-door cultivation. Claiming to be healing from her injuries, she was, in fact, digesting the demonic energy she had consumed.

During this process, Ning Jing Yu discovered something crucial: in order to survive, she must consume an enormous amount of demonic energy. When the power of the Demon Clan weakens, the demonic energy in the world will not be enough to sustain the operation of the demonic energy in her body, leading to her eventual demise.

Occasionally, she entertained the thought of causing chaos in the three realms, knowing that as long as Ning Kui did not find her, she would not die. When the world became the demon realm, she would have an endless supply of demonic energy.

Despite all of this, Ning Jing Yu felt a constant emptiness in her heart, sensing that something essential was missing from her life.

Until Song Xu Yi materialized in the illusion.

At first, it was reminiscent of Ning Jing Yu’s recollection. She taught Song Xu Yi sword-fighting while she showed her how to relish life. The duo led a carefree existence on Fallen Cloud Peak.

However, it appeared that the dream demon had picked up on Ning Jing Yu’s distinctive sentiments towards Song Xu Yi, and subsequently altered the sequence of events: Song Xu Yi ventured down the mountain to visit her family and fell for the top scholar of the neighboring household. She was determined to be with him…

In the dream, Ning Jing Yu was livid, endeavoring to thwart their romance in every way possible, but to no avail. In defiance of her opposition, the two continued to strengthen their bond.

Meanwhile, Ning Jing Yu was preoccupied with her own troubles. Her identity as a demon had been exposed, and she was being censured from all angles.

As planned, she succeeded in shedding her old identity and becoming the new Demon Lord. However, at that precise moment, she received word that Song Xu Yi was set to wed the top scholar.

Within the illusion, Ning Jing Yu comprehended her true sentiments upon hearing the news: she was not concerned about the top scholar not being an ideal match for Song Xu Yi, but instead, she was envious that she was not the one with Song Xu Yi!

……

In the final stage of the illusion, she crashed Song Xu Yi’s wedding and was met with countless cultivators who left her badly injured. However, in Song Xu Yi’s eyes, all that remained was fear and disgust, instead of the trust and admiration she once had.

That wasn’t how Song Xu Yi was supposed to look at her.

Ning Jing Yu sensed that something was amiss with Song Xu Yi, but the scene before her pierced through the deepest pain in her heart. Without hesitation, Ning Jing Yu instinctively tried to pull Song Xu Yi away, only to be met with a chilling smile as Song Xu Yi plunged a sword into her chest.

……

Ning Jing Yu shattered the illusion, fueled by a potent mix of shock and anger. She heard Song Xu Yi’s cry and realized she had fallen into a trap. But as she faced the real Song Xu Yi, her emotions surged to new heights. The overwhelming desire to possess her and be with her forever reached its zenith.

In that moment, Ning Jing Yu finally comprehended the depths of her desire for Song Xu Yi.

Ning Jing Yu was willing to do anything to keep demonic energy from vanishing, but she never anticipated that Song Xu Yi would discover her secret so soon.

Emerging from the pool of blood, Ning Jing Yu cast a mournful glance at the silent Song Xu Yi beside her. Her mind conjured up images of the first time Song Xu Yi had confronted her with a weapon upon arriving at Fallen Cloud Peak. Was it her destiny to oppose her?

She considered various methods to coerce Song Xu Yi into staying by her side, her eyes darkening with each passing thought. But to her surprise, a pair of gentle hands quivered as they grasped her wrist.

“Master,” Song Xu Yi blushed furiously, unable to meet Ning Jing Yu’s captivating yet unhinged gaze. Summoning her courage, she cautiously intertwined her fingers with her icy, jade-like hand. Speaking softly, she continued, “Even if Master defies the world, I will follow. However, Master…” Sensing Ning Jing Yu’s searing gaze, the sensation of burning all over her body reemerged. Her heart raced, almost bursting from her chest. Song Xu Yi managed to suppress her shyness and finished, “I truly love these three realms. Can you, for my sake, give them a chance and let me accompany you in transforming them into something you desire?”

……

Despite Song Xu Yi’s continued speaking, Ning Jing Yu paid her no heed.

She was fixated on her disciple’s blushing cheeks, quivering lashes, eyes brimming with moisture from shyness, and cherry-red lips… As the corners of her own lips curved upwards, she felt something in her heart shatter into a million pieces, replaced by an unprecedented sense of joy.

It was the most delightful sound Ning Jing Yu had ever heard in her entire life.