CH 101

Villainous Master (23)

In the adjacent room, Ning Jing Yu gasped and coughed up blood. Her face drained of color, yet her eyes shone brilliantly in the dark night.

Xu Yi’s heart stirred.

As anticipated, the girl Xu Yi favored was one who was vulnerable and candid in expressing her innermost feelings. Ning Jing Yu knew all too well that Xu Yi possessed an unwavering moral code, and that their earthly ties prevented them from being together. Thus, she conceived a plan to reach out to Xu Yi in a dream.

If given the choice, Ning Jing Yu would have wished to be like the girl in her dream, free to express her emotions and be true to herself.

However, reality was a different story. Ning Jing Yu carried secrets that weighed heavily on her heart, preventing her from opening up to Xu Yi completely.

At first, it was difficult for Ning Jing Yu to play the part of a fragile and delicate girl. She showed many flaws, but luckily, Xu Yi failed to notice them as she believed it was all a part of the dream.

As time passed, Ning Jing Yu grew accustomed to living as the disguised girl in her dream. She even nurtured a longing to become the girl in her dream, forgetting the depths of her past resentment, and pursuing the woman she loved with courage.

Ning Jing Yu never expected to develop such strong feelings for Xu Yi. It seemed that with each passing day, her love for Xu Yi grew stronger.

At first, Ning Jing Yu accepted Xu Yi as her disciple solely to lure out Ning Kui, a demon dragon descendant who had drained her mother’s blood for healing. She hoped that another water spiritual root disciple would serve as better bait than Xu Yi. However, Xu Yi’s presence in her life turned out to be the best decision Ning Jing Yu ever made.

Xu Yi’s influence illuminated a path out of Ning Jing Yu’s dark, bloody past. She began to look forward to a future with Xu Yi, free from the fear and emptiness that had plagued her for so long. As the memory of the Sect Leader’s regret and emptiness loomed in her mind, Ning Jing Yu resolved not to repeat her mistakes.

In the end, Xu Yi did not disappoint her, bringing light and hope into Ning Jing Yu’s life.

Under Ning Jing Yu’s deliberate persistence, perhaps Xu Yi didn’t realize it herself, but Ning Jing Yu paid more attention to Xu Yi’s every move than anyone else and could clearly feel Xu Yi’s attitude shifting in her dreams…

When she saw the sudden appearance of the rope on her body, Ning Jing Yu was also surprised.

She had absorbed many demon techniques, including those of arrogant and indulgent Demon Lords who relied on absorbing yin and replenishing yang to improve themselves. Ning Jing Yu had also read some of their memories and knew a lot about their extravagant ways. If it were anyone else who dared to tie her up with a rope, they would have been long gone, but if it was Xu Yi…

Although in the fantasy dreams she had about Xu Yi, she was the one on top, but…if Xu Yi wanted to be on top…

Ning Jing Yu’s face was a little hot at that moment. Although she looked frightened, there was an involuntary expectation in her eyes as she looked at Xu Yi: it’s not impossible, after all–

However, in that instant, Ning Jing Yu detected a faint trace of demonic energy in Xu Yi’s body!

Ning Jing Yu suddenly snapped out of her daze. She quickly sensed the situation outside and realized that Xu Yi was currently rushing to break through to the Golden Core stage. Any slight mistake could lead to demonic possession…

Ning Jing Yu quickly made a decision and pushed Xu Yi out of the dream world. She then forcefully resisted the demonic energy that was about to erupt within Xu Yi’s body, and successfully protected her as she advanced to the next level.

However, because she tried to resist the Heavenly Dao, Ning Jing Yu was struck by backlash from the heavens and suffered serious internal injuries. Her seclusion was initially a pretense, but now she had to truly seclude herself and heal for at least six months.

However, Ning Jing Yu was overjoyed in her heart: as long as Xu Yi could be moved by her, even if she suffered heavy injuries, she would gladly endure it.

Due to focusing on her healing, Ning Jing Yu relaxed her surveillance of Song Xu Yi and was unaware that after Xu Yi advanced, there was no joy on her face. She even covered her face with extreme regret.

Xu Yi stayed in the room for a long time before finally making up her mind to go to Ning Jing Yu’s door. She took a deep breath and knelt down, earnestly knocking her head three times.

“Master, I’m sorry, but I have to leave for a while due to some personal matters. During this time, I will ask the other disciples to take care of the affairs of Fallen Cloud Peak…”

Song Xu Yi felt extremely guilty in her heart: she never thought that she would do such a thing to the young woman with Ning Jing Yu’s face in her dreams!

Fortunately, the dream was interrupted in time. If she waited any longer, Song Xu Yi was afraid that she would completely expose some of her thoughts in her dreams…

But that was just self-deception!

Song Xu Yi understood very well that she had developed a desire for the young woman with Ning Jing Yu’s face.

After calculating the time, Song Xu Yi realized that Ning Jing Yu would soon come out of seclusion. In the short term, Song Xu Yi did not dare to face Ning Jing Yu again. So, she decided to find an excuse to leave the mountain and stay away from everything related to Ning Jing Yu. After all, her desire for Ning Jing Yu had only just emerged, and given time, Song Xu Yi believed that she could completely remove these thoughts and restore the pure master-disciple relationship with Ning Jing Yu.

As a result, without Ning Jing Yu’s knowledge, Song Xu Yi left Fallen Cloud Peak and joined Xuan Shu Sect.

The Xuan Shu Sect had already arranged a house for Song Xu Yi in the vicinity, so she returned to her hometown. She thought she would have to spend some effort persuading her family to move to the vicinity of Xuan Shu Sect. However, due to the recent pregnancy of the female protagonist, Song Xi, and the news of the recent abnormality of the Demon Clan, the male protagonist, Zhao Xu, as a prince, was afraid that if the demons attacked, Song Xi would be in danger. So he strongly supported Song Xu Yi’s decision to bring the entire Song family to a safer place.

However, because Zhao Xu was a prince, he had his responsibilities and duties, and he couldn’t abandon the people in such a tense moment.

Song Xu Yi tried to put herself in Zhao Xu’s shoes and thought that if she were in his position, she would probably make the same decision. So she respected his choice and took the rest of the people to a safe place.

After settling the Song family, a few more days passed.

Currently, the demons are causing chaos everywhere. After settling her family, Song Xu Yi temporarily put down her worries and began to undertake the tasks assigned by her sect to eliminate demons and monsters.

A month quickly passed.

During this month, Song Xu Yi was busy with the tasks assigned by her sect. Unlike other sects who were haughty when dealing with the public, Song Xu Yi was serious, patient, and compassionate towards people. She eradicated illnesses wherever she went and gained the praise of the people. As a result, she was nicknamed “Miss Song” by the people.

Song Xu Yi had not expected such a rewarding outcome, as she was simply focused on doing her job.

Realizing that Ning Jing Yu’s current reputation was not well-known, Song Xu Yi decided to use her good reputation to boost Ning Jing Yu’s image. Ning Jing Yu had not yet taken the path of causing chaos in the world, as in the original plot, so Song Xu Yi thought that if she did more good deeds and attributed them to Ning Jing Yu, the people would naturally view her favorably. Perhaps, as a result, Ning Jing Yu might also come to appreciate the world more.

Every time Song Xu Yi did a good deed, she attributed it to her master’s command, and the people came to recognize Ning Jing Yu as the “world’s number one sword cultivator.” Despite being seriously injured and in seclusion within the Immortal Sect, Ning Jing Yu still cared about the welfare of the people.

Half a year flew by, during which Song Xu Yi continued her missions, and the legends about Ning Jing Yu and Song Xu Yi spread throughout the world. The demons became increasingly rampant, and people finally realized that the Immortal Realm had long been infiltrated by these evil creatures. Several sects had exposed the infiltrators, some of whom were even in respected positions.

In the Immortal Realm, everyone was living in fear of each other, with the realization coming too late that the Demon Clan had long been scheming against them. Despite this, Xu Yi from the Song family was not interested in getting involved in the conflicts. Instead, she focused on helping the people living in barren and impoverished areas that were neglected by other Immortal Sects. She tirelessly worked to cure diseases and drive away monsters and demons, barely finding time for rest.

Every so often, she would think about Ning Jing Yu and worry about how she was doing, whether she had left seclusion and was doing well.

After the initial awkwardness and confusion, Xu Yi became increasingly calm. She had seen so much suffering in the mortal world that her own small worries seemed insignificant in comparison. However, simply resolving the chaos caused by the Demon Clan was not a long-term solution. The root of the problem needed to be addressed to truly solve the issue.

After recentering her mindset, Song Xu Yi resolved to return to the Xuan Shu Sect to implore Ning Jing Yu to take action and put an end to the mysterious Demon Lord’s chaotic reign over the three realms.

But before heading back to the sect, Song Xu Yi decided to investigate the sudden disappearance of several women in a nearby village. The circumstances were strikingly similar to those of Zhao Wuyou’s vanishing in a village years ago. While the fate of Zhao Wuyou remained a mystery, it was unclear whether the demon from the Black Water Pool was involved. Regardless, in some sense, the loss of such a menace was a good thing, and aside from Zhao Lin’s unflagging pursuit of the truth behind Zhao Wuyou’s disappearance, others were pleased with the news.

Rather than charge into the village, Song Xu Yi prudently contacted her sect to apprise them of the situation. She intended to carefully observe the village before making any decisions, but one night, she sensed a massive surge of spiritual power behind her, and the next moment, she blacked out.

When Song Xu Yi finally came to, she found herself bound by immortal ropes, with the lifeless body of a woman sprawled on the ground before her. Zhao Lin stood nearby, regarding her with animosity. Zhao Xu, the male lead, was held captive by someone and indicted her with a vacant expression: “She is not the Xu Yi we know…”

“Song Xu Yi had never expressed any interest in cultivating immortality before. Then, one year, her personality suddenly changed, and she announced her intention to join an immortal sect–“

As they spoke, someone barged in holding a pile of items that had been found in Song Xu Yi’s residence. Among them was a small bone that caught Zhao Lin’s attention. She marched over with red eyes and grabbed Song Xu Yi’s collar, accusing her of wrongdoing. “How did my daughter’s protective treasure end up with you? What have you done to her?”

……

As Zhao Lin was pushed aside, the commotion around them intensified. Song Xu Yi attempted to speak, but no sound escaped her lips. It dawned on her that someone had placed a silencing spell on her, rendering her voiceless!

Her mind suddenly sharpened with the realization that someone was attempting to slander her by painting her as a traitorous spy for the Demon Clan. But who was the culprit behind this nefarious scheme?

……

Song Xu Yi’s mind was flooded with countless thoughts in an instant, but his silence was taken as consent by the others. With Zhao Lin’s insistence, the group judged Song Xu Yi to be a spy and decided to resort to the extreme punishment of memory reading.

The process of memory reading was a cruel punishment, as it induced the darkest and most perverse desires of the person in front of a large audience. For those who had committed wrongdoings, it was no different from being stripped naked in public. If the process was not executed with great care, the individual subjected to it could suffer irreparable spiritual damage or even lose their mind.

A jade ball was brought forward to be used for the spell, but it remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, an image appeared before Song Xu Yi’s eyes. It showed her approaching Ning Jing Yu with great caution and embracing her while she was meditating, trembling as she kissed her.

At that very moment, Ning Jing Yu opened her eyes, breaking the spell.

As the crowd eagerly anticipated more, the image abruptly froze.

A heavy silence descended, akin to a stone plunging into still water. Conversations erupted among the spectators, expressing disbelief and shock: “I never would have thought that she was coveting Master Ning! If she were to find out, it would be a great blow to her reputation.”

“Her moral depravity is truly abhorrent and repugnant!”

……

Zhao Lin’s voice dripped with venom as she spoke through gritted teeth, “It’s no wonder she plotted to kill my daughter. She must have been afraid that my daughter would steal Master Ning’s favor and become her disciple instead.” With a fierce wave of her hand, she summoned a powerful ball of spiritual energy, which she aimed at Song Xu Yi.

But in a sudden turn of events, the ball of energy inexplicably changed course and struck Zhao Lin by her side.

As the crowd gasped in astonishment, a graceful figure draped in white emerged in front of Song Xu Yi…