CH 102

Villainous Master (24)

Ning Jing Yu’s gaze was deep and solemn as she scanned her surroundings.

When those so-called immortals met her gaze, their previously self-righteous expressions quickly dissipated and they averted their eyes. Then, in unison, their faces showed a hint of insincere sorrow as they all lowered their heads in disgust and looked at Song Xu Yi, who was lying on the ground.

How dare they look at Xu Yi like that?!

She had carefully and meticulously planned to get close to Xu Yi, the person she held dear to her heart. How could she let these people insult her like this?

In this absurd world, these foolish “immortals” who were used as pawns by others were truly despicable!

A cold and menacing aura surged from Ning Jing Yu’s eyes, making people afraid to look at her for too long.

Despite this, Ning Jing Yu’s face remained calm.

Facing everyone’s gaze, Ning Jing Yu crouched down next to Song Xu Yi, carefully and slowly smoothing out the wrinkles on her clothes.

Ning Jing Yu’s heart felt like it was being squeezed by something, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her hands trembled involuntarily as she realized that if she had been even a little bit later, what would these people have done to Xu Yi?

For the first time in her life, Ning Jing Yu began to blame herself. It was her own desire that had tainted Xu Yi’s pure heart, and it was her failure to protect her that had led her to this humiliating situation at the hands of these insincere people…

Will Xu Yi be reluctant to get close to her now?

Xu Yi had always been a shy person, and now that her feelings towards Ning Jing Yu had been exposed to everyone, she would likely distance herself in the future. Their relationship would become like that of the sect leader’s.

Ning Jing Yu felt an urge to plead with Xu Yi, promising to do anything as long as their relationship could stay the same as before. Just yesterday, she had been dreaming of a secluded life with Xu Yi in the mountains and forests, but that dream had been shattered before her eyes.

The despair in her chest turned into a surge of resentment. The realization that Xu Yi’s dreams had been invaded filled Ning Jing Yu with shock and anger. The feeling of wanting to destroy the world in her mind became even stronger…

In that moment, Song Xu Yi grabbed Ning Jing Yu’s hand.

Ning Jing Yu looked up in surprise and met Xu Yi’s dazzling and anxious gaze.

Contrary to her expectations, there was no trace of disgust in Xu Yi’s eyes. Instead, there was a sense of urgency, as if she were trying to convey something important but couldn’t speak.

It was then that Ning Jing Yu realized that someone had secretly used a technique to control Xu Yi.

This technique involved using worms to manipulate a person’s body, which explained why Xu Yi had been present at the scene of the murder. The worms were also the reason why Xu Yi was unable to speak at that moment.

At that moment, the worms within Song Xu Yi’s body sensed the danger nearby and retreated back into her heart, sensing Ning Jing Yu’s presence.

What had just happened?

Meanwhile, the people around them continued to exacerbate the situation.

“Immortal Ning, do not be too upset. Your disciple is a fake from the Demon Clan…”

“That’s right, Immortal Ning. The Demon Clan is treacherous. It is not your fault…”

Ning Jing Yu gritted her teeth, feeling the gu worms within Song Xu Yi’s body retracting. She glared at the insincere people around her and the callous words they were spouting. An overwhelming sense of indignation rose within her, and she let out a cold, bitter laugh.

Did they believe she had no options in this situation?

“Xu Yi,” ignoring the stares of those around her, Ning Jing Yu blocked out the noise and leaned in towards Song Xu Yi’s face. She controlled her voice as she spoke softly, “Someone has implanted gu worms in your body. I will help you remove them now.”

“Thank you!”

Ning Jing Yu lowered her gaze, unable to meet Song Xu Yi’s eyes. She knew there were other methods to eliminate the gu worms, but she was exhausted from the constant belittling of Xu Yi’s worth. Perhaps it was to silence these noisy individuals or to make Xu Yi aware of her emotions. Or maybe it was just because she had been contemplating it for so long.

Ning Jing Yu closed her eyes, braving the scrutiny of the onlookers, and cautiously pressed her lips against Song Xu Yi’s.

Only when their lips met did Song Xu Yi fully comprehend what was happening. Though she knew that Ning Jing Yu was extracting the worms from her body, her heart continued to race uncontrollably. As their lips remained locked, a surge of spiritual energy flowed from Ning Jing Yu’s mouth and permeated Song Xu Yi’s being. The spiritual energy washed over her, providing immense relief and dissolving a constriction in her chest, and the shackles that had restrained her vanished.

In that moment of liberation, Song Xu Yi instinctively turned her gaze in a certain direction. Observing the person’s face turn ashen confirmed her suspicions, which left her elated. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, she pulled back and whispered in Ning Jing Yu’s ear, “Master, I think I know who Ning Kui is!”

Taken aback, Ning Jing Yu’s grip on Song Xu Yi’s hand tightened.

Under normal circumstances, Ning Jing Yu would be thrilled and eager to learn where Ning Kui was. However, in that moment, she didn’t feel the excitement she had anticipated. Instead, she stood rooted to the spot, her heart heavy with bittersweet emotions. Song Xu Yi was still only focused on seeking revenge for her in this situation, and Ning Jing Yu couldn’t bear to let go of this girl who cared for her so deeply.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and Ning Jing Yu bent down to pick up Song Xu Yi, holding her with the utmost care as if she were the most precious treasure.

Song Xu Yi sensed something was amiss with Ning Jing Yu’s emotions and turned to look at her. She was surprised to see Ning Jing Yu gazing at her with tender and loving eyes, a display of emotion that was atypical of her. In that moment, Ning Jing Yu seemed to transform into the young woman of her dreams.

Could it be that she couldn’t forget about her?

At this point, Song Xu Yi didn’t expect to be thinking about the young woman from her dreams. Despite being in a situation where people were pointing fingers at her, she felt a sense of relief that her master still trusted and cared for her. She couldn’t continue to selfishly desire Ning Jing Yu anymore.

The memory of her unspeakable thoughts towards Ning Jing Yu, which had been exposed in front of everyone, filled Song Xu Yi with shame. She hung her head and avoided eye contact, her eyes darkened.

As if sensing her thoughts, Ning Jing Yu’s voice sounded above her head, “Do you not hate them? They wrongly accused you and labeled you as a demon. In this foolish and incompetent immortal realm, why would you want to stay?”

After a moment of silence, Ning Jing Yu spoke again, her words carrying a firm resolve: “Xu Yi, you have suffered enough under the oppression of the Immortal Realm. You don’t have to live like this.”

Ning Jing Yu vowed to protect Xu Yi from any harm and unify the Demon Realm under her rule, ensuring that no one would dare to speak ill of her. Her words were full of determination and showed her deep affection for Xu Yi.

Ning Jing Yu couldn’t help but think to herself, “You are the one I love the most in this world.”

Feeling guilty, Xu Yi tried to protest, but was interrupted by Ning Jing Yu’s unwavering gaze. Suddenly, Xu Yi’s attention was drawn to a certain direction. “Ning Kui is over there,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ning Jing Yu lowered her voice to a whisper, though the onlookers could not overhear their conversation, they witnessed their actions. When Ning Jing Yu leaned in to kiss Song Xu Yi, there was an uproar among the crowd.

“Has Immortal Ning gone mad? Or has Song Xu Yi employed some nefarious tactics to beguile her?”

“The members of the Demon Clan are truly deceitful!”

……

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, a person’s face suddenly turned pale as the worms died. They took a few steps back, seemingly trying to leave quietly, but a sword flew out from behind and blocked their path. Ning Jing Yu stood in front of them, her eyes narrowing with turbulent and dark emotions.

After carefully examining the person, she smiled and admitted fault, “It’s my mistake for not realizing you were here.”

“Father, you have taught me how to search so well all these years.”

The person looked confused, feigning anger and accused Ning Jing Yu of being insane and under the influence of a traitorous spy. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about! You have neglected the survival of the Immortal Realm and are slandering me…”

“Isn’t it true that the real Sect Leader Zhao Lin died a long time ago?” Ning Jing Yu ignored the sophistry of “Zhao Lin.” Song Xu Yi’s words kept replaying in her mind: “Zhao Wuyou was killed by Zhao Lin! There was a reaction between the Water Spirit Roots. The person who ambushed me had the Qi of Zhao Wuyou before she died. When Zhao Lin attacked me just now, I once again sensed this kind of Qi. As the saying goes, a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. I have no grievances with Zhao Lin. I don’t believe she would kill her own daughter to frame me. The only possibility is that both Zhao Wuyou and I have something she wants…”

Everything started to make sense. For years, she had searched tirelessly for Ning Kui but could not find him. She had thought of every possible hiding place but never imagined that he had possessed a woman’s body. Ning Kui intentionally changed Zhao Wuyou’s Water Spirit Roots to a single one, purposely raising her to be ignorant and arrogant so that even if she disappeared, people wouldn’t investigate too deeply. Ning Kui could then wait for the right opportunity to kill Zhao Wuyou and use her Water Spirit Roots to heal himself. He could then secretly become the new Demon Lord of the Demon Realm, even using Zhao Wuyou’s death to frame Song Xu Yi…

“I believed that time had changed Zhao Lin’s temperament, transforming her from a sincere person who cared for the people into a corrupt and immoral one. However, I never imagined that her body had already been possessed by another soul…”

Ning Jing Yu interrupted Zhao Lin, who seemed to want to explain herself, “I have heard of your exclusive sword technique called ‘Cloud-reaching Swordsmanship.’ Today, I have come to experience it for myself.”

Without warning, Ning Jing Yu thrust her sword towards Zhao Lin–

Quick as a flash, Zhao Lin stood up and dodged, creating a cloud of dust and smoke that filled the air.

The two top swordsmen fought fiercely, their sword energy clashing and sending those around them scrambling to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. In less than a hundred moves, the battle was decided.

As “Zhao Lin” was knocked down to the ground, a chilling realization dawned upon the crowd as a huge black tail emerged from beneath her robes, giving away her true identity as a demon in disguise. Despite the shock of the sudden revelation, “Zhao Lin” bared her teeth and unleashed a deafening roar as she transformed into a massive demon dragon, lunging forward to attack Ning Jing Yu.

The mere manifestation of the demon dragon caused the earth to tremble and the mountains to shake, causing cliffs to crumble and rivers to reverse their course within a hundred-mile radius. The cultivators, equipped with treasures and spells, deftly dodged the impact of the creature, but the ordinary people living nearby were not as fortunate.

Hearing the anguished cries of the people, Song Xu Yi could no longer bear to witness the devastation unfolding before her. She gathered her Qi and treasures and immediately set up a powerful formation in the sky to shield the innocents from the onslaught. The effort exhausted all of her spiritual energy, and she collapsed, unconscious, from the strain of her efforts.

Song Xu Yi remained unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Initially, her sleep was disturbed, and she felt waves of cold and heat that seemed to emanate from some kind of spiritual realm. Eventually, a sudden surge of spiritual energy washed over her, soothing all her discomfort and lulling her into a deep sleep.

In her dream, she encountered the young woman once again, who appeared even more stunning than before in her bright red wedding dress. The woman’s eyes were filled with tears, and she spoke in a hoarse voice: “Xu Yi, the palace maids will enter the palace tomorrow. I don’t want to go. I’ve already prepared to jump into the river. You’ve been avoiding me for two years, and I understand why, but now that you’re back, I’m not willing to let you go again.”

What is going on? What does “jumping into the river” mean?

……

Song Xu Yi was startled by the unexpected turn of events in her dream. She instinctively wanted to wipe away the tears from the young woman’s eyes, but realized her hands were restrained.

“You—” Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened in shock.

“I’m sorry, Xu Yi, I just want this one night with you!” The young woman’s voice quivered as she touched Song Xu Yi’s cheek, offering a cup of wine1. “After you drink this, I’ll be yours.”

“Xu Yi,” the young woman pleaded in a hushed tone, “please grant me my final wish. I know my mind is twisted and impure, and I’m unworthy of you. But you’re the only one I’ve ever loved, and I’d rather die than be without you.”

Song Xu Yi was struck by the absurdity of it all. The lines between reality and dream had become completely blurred. In reality, she had developed inappropriate feelings for Ning Jing Yu, but in her dream, the young woman was seeking her out to no avail. What right did she have?

Feeling a deep sadness, Song Xu Yi lowered her head and drank the wine. The bitter liquid burned her throat and spread throughout her body, causing her eyes to uncontrollably turn red.

However, the young woman laughed, and all traces of sorrow disappeared from her face in an instant.

Laughing happily, she leaned on Song Xu Yi’s shoulder and carefully began to untie the ropes on her hands. “Xu Yi, I tricked you!” she said.

“It wasn’t me who entered the palace, it was my cousin. I just wanted to scare you. After all, you disappeared for two years without a word.”

“Xu Yi, I don’t care. After drinking this cup of wine tonight, you will be mine. In any case, you can’t leave me anywhere in the future…”

During the few days that Song Xu Yi was unconscious, Ning Jing Yu had already prepared her words. Fearing that Song Xu Yi would distance herself from her after waking up, Ning Jing Yu planned to first attach herself to Song Xu Yi in the dream as the young woman, and then gradually scheme against her. When Song Xu Yi accepted the young woman in the dream, she would appear in front of Xu Yi again and, while helping her heal, tell her that the young woman was actually her…

So Ning Jing Yu referred to countless novels and came up with this trick to entangle Song Xu Yi.

Despite her outward composure, Ning Jing Yu felt a tinge of shyness in her heart. However, the outcome was just as she had hoped for.

As she was about to depart the dream, a hand grabbed her sleeve, causing her to turn around and come face-to-face with Song Xu Yi, who was mere inches away.

The scent of alcohol on Song Xu Yi’s breath mixed with an unbridled fervor in her eyes. Her rosy cheeks and moist lips indicated that she was quite intoxicated. Ning Jing Yu furrowed her brow, recalling that Song Xu Yi had been drinking heavily. She then watched as Song Xu Yi’s lips drew closer to hers.

“Trying to run away after drinking the cup?” Ning Jing Yu heard the woman she held dear speak softly beside her cheek, teasingly tugging at her sleeve. “We must consummate before you leave.”

The flames in Ning Jing Yu’s heart burned fiercely, and she found herself at a loss for words. “Okay!” she breathed out.

……

When Song Xu Yi awoke the following day, she found herself in an unfamiliar bamboo house with scarce signs of life around. The weakness she felt before losing consciousness had vanished, but the vivid memories of her dream with Ning Jing Yu remained etched in her mind, leaving her feeling both weak and embarrassed. She had never imagined she could experience such things with her in her dreams.

Gradually, Song Xu Yi regained her composure and, not comprehending her current predicament, drew her sword and cautiously left the bamboo house. She made her way to the market and, disguised, found an informant at a local teahouse. It was there that she discovered what had transpired during her unconscious state: Ning Jing Yu had killed Ning Kui and fled the Immortal Realm with Song Xu Yi in tow. As to their whereabouts, no one seemed to know.

As the common people gossiped about them, Ning Jing Yu and Song Xu Yi were already known as divine immortal lovers, living a carefree and unconstrained life.

Upon hearing this, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but bitterly smile to herself. Not having seen Ning Jing Yu since waking up, she assumed that she was avoiding her to avoid suspicion, as she had expected. Despite anticipating this outcome, it still left her feeling a bit melancholy.

“System, is the mission not yet complete?” Song Xu Yi asked the system as she found a secluded spot, feeling disheartened and uninterested in remaining in this world.

“No,” the system responded, sounding somewhat irritated. “You might have to wait for the villain to pass away from old age before completing the mission.”

“The villain?” Song Xu Yi repeated, puzzled.

As Song Xu Yi turned around, she felt something soft brush against her, and she found herself face-to-face with a certain self-righteous and smug master lying bonelessly on her shoulder, a coquettish smile on her face. “Xu Yi, you wanted to run away after having your fill of me last night. How naughty of you,” she teased.

Song Xu Yi: “…?!”

She had lived in this world for thousands of years, cultivated to a very high level, and together with Ning Jing Yu, had traveled the world doing good deeds. They even eventually created a space where the Demon Clan could cultivate using spiritual power. But compared to her, Ning Jing Yu was becoming increasingly weak.

Song Xu Yi finally came to understand Ning Jing Yu’s true identity as a purifying heart, realizing that as the demonic energy in the world decreased, so too did Ning Jing Yu’s lifespan. Initially, Song Xu Yi had tried to use her water spiritual root to heal Ning Jing Yu’s injuries, but Ning Jing Yu had refused, and Song Xu Yi gradually came to accept that their time together had been long enough.

Ning Jing Yu left the world with a smile, telling Song Xu Yi of Ning Kui’s final words. He had called out Ning Jing Yu’s mother’s name, saying that he did not want to suck her dry but could not control his instincts. Ning Kui had then reminisced about the happy days of their family of three. In disguise as Zhao Lin, he gave all the love he owed to Ning Jing Yu to Zhao Wuyou.

Despite Ning Kui’s assertion that Ning Jing Yu’s demon dragon bloodline would eventually overpower her, Ning Jing Yu had not sucked Song Xu Yi dry, proving that deep love could conquer even the strongest of instincts.

……

Ning Jing Yu’s body slowly faded away, and the system’s announcement of “Congratulations on completing the mission” finally echoed in Song Xuyi’s mind–

She closed her eyes and once again succumbed to the familiar sensation of dizziness…