I Truly Am The Villian

Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Old Friends Parting by the River and Sea

“This incident occurred two weeks ago,” Ministry Councillor Hu sighed and began to recount, “Two weeks ago at night, I suddenly heard a woman singing in my sleep.

At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it until the next morning when the captain of the guard squad in the residence was found dead.

His death was particularly gruesome, as if he had encountered something extremely terrifying. He looked as though he had been scared to death.

Since then, every night, there would be the voice of a woman singing in our Hu Residence.

However, no matter how many people I take with me to search, we can never find where the singing is coming from.

...

Every morning, someone in the residence would be found dead, even if I gathered everyone together and none of us slept through the night.

The next day, people would still go missing and be found dead. Until now, nearly twenty people in the Hu Residence have perished.

Many servants have quit and left; a lot of people say that I am cursed.”

“There are no such things as ghosts in this world, surely it’s just some villains causing trouble,” Wang Tao said disdainfully, “Ministry Councillor Hu, rest assured, I will personally patrol the Hu Residence tonight and make sure to catch the culprit.”

“Good. Please be careful, Talented Disciples, and if there is anything you need, just ask,” Ministry Councillor Hu quickly added.

“Tonight, gather all the remaining people in the residence. Don’t let anyone leave. I want to see who is causing the mischief,” Wang Tao said sternly.

“No problem. We’ll be in your debt, Talented Disciples,” Ministry Councillor Hu nodded.

Watching Wang Tao making lofty guarantees, Xu Zimei didn’t say a word, merely responding with a faint smile.

Whether the mission from the Sect Gate was completed or not held no meaning for him, as he was only here to take something away.

He wouldn’t even mind if all these people perished; the more the thing devoured, the stronger it would become, and the greater its utility would be for Xu Zimei in the future.

As everyone was chatting and laughing during the meal, suddenly, a little girl ran in from outside.

“Daddy, do we have guests?” The little girl had two braids and spoke in a baby voice, appearing to be only four or five years old.

“Ying’er, come to Daddy,” Ministry Councillor Hu seemed to adore his daughter greatly, hastily scooping the little one into his arms and introducing her to everyone, “This is my daughter, Hu Yingying. She had a serious illness a while ago, and I am grateful that the curse did not target my daughter.”

After everyone finished their meal, the sky gradually darkened, and the drizzling rain seemed to be getting heavier.

Raindrops began to drip down from the eaves, shrouding the entire Hu Residence in a light mist.

Subsequently, Ministry Councillor Hu called all the remaining servants to the side hall, though there weren’t many left in the residence.

With servants dying or leaving, the population of the vast Hu Residence had dwindled to less than twenty.

“We will patrol the east courtyard; You take the west, how does that sound?” Wang Tao looked at Xu Zimei and the rest, asking.

“Kid, are you asking for a beating? It’s not your place to point fingers,” Xiao Guizi said to him.

Then, he turned his gaze toward Xu Zimei, waiting for his instructions.

“You guys go patrol, I’ll stay in the main hall to protect Ministry Councillor Hu and the others,” Xu Zimei stretched lazily, speaking somewhat indifferently.

“All right,” Wang Tao didn’t dare to say much else and left with the people from the Divine Sun Holy Sect.

“Master Brother, we will then patrol the west courtyard,” Xiao Guizi said from the side.

Xu Zimei looked up; the rain seemed to be getting heavier, and the pitch-black sky gave off a particularly eerie feeling.

“What’s there to patrol? Go back and rest early,” Xu Zimei said nonchalantly and then headed to the side hall.

Xiao Guizi and Lin Ruhu were left with baffled expressions on their faces.

………

Ren Pingsheng hurried back home, and after taking the pills Xu Zimo had given him, his injuries had mostly healed.

Now, his mind was entirely focused on the legacy of his ancestor, the Sun Devouring Emperor.

Finally, as the light of day began to fade, he arrived at the ancestral hall of the Ren Family.

Ever since his family had declined, few people visited the ancestral hall anymore.

He opened the small wooden door, weathered by time, to find the light inside the ancestral hall dim, and the air stuffy.

Directly in front stood the statue of his ancestor, the Sun Devouring Emperor, covered with dust and cobwebs.

The statue was carved by later generations based on the portraits of the ancestor, but no matter how skilled the craftsmen they hired, they could never fully capture his likeness.

In the end, the descendants only carved a statue showing his back.

Ren Pingsheng knelt before the statue and kowtowed three times, then bowed thrice more.

He then moved to the front of the statue and slowly pushed it aside, and upon searching the offering table, he found a movable secret brick.

He shifted the brick aside to reveal a hidden slot, which to his astonishment, matched the shape of a flute perfectly.

Ren Pingsheng’s breathing grew heavy. His mind went blank as his hands trembled, placing the flute into the hidden slot.

Immediately, the entire ancestral hall began to tremble, endless spiritual energy coalescing above it, forming a profound vortex before Ren Pingsheng’s eyes.

The moment the vortex appeared, space collapsed, countless volumes of air compressed and exploded outward, turning into streams of air arrows scattering in all directions.

Watching the scene unfold before him, Ren Pingsheng was filled with excitement and muttered to himself, “Yue Buli, just wait. On the day of my return, I will shatter your Heavenly Sword Sect.”

Overwhelmed with fervor, Ren Pingsheng stepped into the vortex, and as it closed behind him, the surroundings returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

……

At this time, within the True Martial Holy Sect, atop Miaoliu Peak where the Sixth Elder resided, Baili Xiao sat amidst white lotus flowers.

These white lotus flowers were the legacy of Empress Hongtian, and Baili Xiao sat there with an indifferent expression, a lock of hair fluttering in the gentle breeze.

Spiritual energy condensed above the white lotus flower, constantly nourishing her body, while a white mist swirled around her, making her seem like a fairy descending from the heavens.

With flowing white garments and skin whiter than snow, her rosy lips and bright teeth appeared too sacred for anyone to even glance at her.

Having not seen her for a long time, the fairy-like aura about her seemed to grow stronger.

Suddenly, there was a “bang” as the Vein Gate in Baili Xiao’s Xuan Gu hand opened, and she advanced to the Condensing Vein Realm, her body washed by boundless spiritual energy.

She slowly stood up and walked out of the white lotus flower, her steps as graceful as if she were walking on lotuses, with two maids who had been standing guard for a long while by her side.

These two maids were the twins Xue Qianxue and Xue Mengmeng, who Xu Zimo had previously met during the new disciples’ trial.

“Xiao sister, you’ve broken through to the Condensing Vein Realm,” said Xue Mengmeng, blinking her adorable large eyes with excitement.

“I’ve just made the breakthrough. You two need to work hard as well,” replied Baili Xiao with a smile, speaking softly.