The Reincarnated Villain Can Break the Fourth Wall!

"Ha! Got you!"

Ling Er perched triumphantly on his chest, her crimson ribbon curling possessively around her. Her smile was brighter than the noonday sun, daring him to retort.

Su Xiaobai blinked, the world spinning as the river's cold bite seeped into his clothes.

Then realization struck him as her body pressed down on him. His hand?

Boing.

It rested somewhere warm. Somewhere soft.

Boing. Boing.

Ling Er froze, her breath catching as she glanced down. Her robe had shifted sinfully, baring smooth, moonlit shoulders and far too much skin.

"You..."

Her voice trembled, the words barely audible as heat flared across her cheeks.

Su Xiaobai's fingers twitched, his brain lagging behind the situation.

Boing.

He yanked his hand back as if burned, raising both palms in mock surrender. "Honest mistake. You know how these things happen..."

"Mistake?!" she shrieked, clutching at her robe as if it could undo the moment.

He tilted his head, his grin shameless and lazy. "You're the one who jumped on me. If anyone's to blame..."

"You shameless bastard!"

"Shameless? Princess, you're the one sitting on me like it's a throne. Should I bow?"

Her face burned so red it could've boiled the river dry. She scrambled to her feet, stumbling as her robe slipped again, forcing her to clutch it tighter.

"I hate you!" she spat, her glare murderous as she spun away, hastily fixing her clothes.

Su Xiaobai leaned back in the river, his laughter echoing in the air. "Too easy," he muttered, shaking his head.

But before he could savor his small victory, a blur shot past him.

"Idiot-Idiot-Idiot," Ling Er muttered, her face glowing like an overripe peach as she vanished into the trees, riding her crimson ribbon.

Whoosh.

Moments later, Wei Jun emerged from the woods, his steps casual but his gaze sharp as it fell on Su Xiaobai. The villain sat by the riverbank, soaked to the bone, a smug grin plastered across his face as if he had just conquered an empire.

"What happened here?"

Su Xiaobai wrung his sleeve. "Nothing. Just a little... game." He smiled, sharp and lazy. "Looks like I won."

Wei Jun stared. "..."

After a pause, he sighed and pulled out a talisman. "Here. My grandfather thought you'd prefer the Imperial Academy over the Xianxia Sect. You kno... how he feels about that one."

Su Xiaobai stared at the talisman. Simple. Plain. Dangerous. "Imperial Academy?"@@novelbin@@

Wei Jun nodded. "The top sects have joined hands—something about uniting their resources. They've set up a shared training ground in the capital. Supposed to prepare the next generation for... bigger things."

Su Xiaobai raised a brow. "Sects working together?" His lips curved, 'What's next? A pig learning alchemy?'

Unless…

The thought troubled him. Too coincidental. Too clean. What could force sects to sacrifice their pride like this? The plot was shoving him, and he didn't like it.

"I don't need it." He shoved the talisman back.

Wei Jun's smile faltered. "Brother, don't tell me..." He leaned closer. "You're planning to marry my little sister, are you? Let me warn you, our family background doesn't—"

BAM!

Su Xiaobai's foot shut him up.

"Quiet." His voice was cold, his thoughts colder.

Wei Jun staggered, groaning, before his gaze landed on the riverbank.

Xiao Hei stepped out of the water, droplets sliding down smooth skin. Her crimson eyes gleamed under the sunlight. Her black-and-red outfit perfectly matching her petite figure.

Wei Jun's lips twitched. "Brother, she's perfect. Does everything herself. Obeys everything you say. Bathes herself. I can't even get my servants to pour tea properly."

Su Xiaobai smirked. "Envious?"

Wei Jun sighed. "Jealous."

Xiao Hei suddenly turned. Her gaze landed on Wei Jun.

The world froze.

BOOM!

Abruptly — a chill swept over the river. Bloodlust crashed into Wei Jun like a wave. He froze. His breath caught.

Her eyes gleamed, sharp as blades.

"What the—" Wei Jun stumbled, his voice cracking.

Whoosh!

Without any explanation, Xiao Hei moved.

A blur.

Su Xiaobai stunned, caught her mid-air, his arms tightening. "Xiao Hei. Stop."

BAM!

Her aura blasting against him, sharp and wild, before vanishing.

Wei Jun staggered back. Pale. A hand at his neck, as if checking his head was still attached. "What... was that?"

Su Xiaobai frowned. She wasn't like this. Never like this.

"Hahaha..." Wei Jun forced a laugh, still pale and visibly shaken. "Brother, I think she doesn't like me."

"Seems like that..." Su Xiaobai muttered, glancing at Xiao Hei. His face held a complicated expression—half curious, half resigned.

Wei Jun straightened, brushing at his robes as though it could wipe away his embarrassment. "You know, Brother, I've decided—I don't envy you anymore. Having a girl like her seems... risky."

Her crimson eyes flickered, glinting with a predatory light. Wei Jun's throat bobbed as he swallowed, his legs retreating instinctively. "I-I'll take my leave! Good luck, Brother Su!"

Su Xiaobai didn't bother to respond. His gaze stayed locked on Xiao Hei, still nestled against his chest like nothing had happened.

Wei Jun's retreat turned into a sprint.

Silence.

Xiao Hei's breathing slowed, her body softening in his arms. She leaned into him like a spoiled kitten, completely unbothered by the mess she'd caused.

"Xiao Hei," Su Xiaobai said, his voice low as he brushed a damp strand of hair from her face. "What are you?"

She didn't answer.

Her crimson eyes stayed fixed on the treeline, unblinking, watching until Wei Jun's figure disappeared entirely. Only then did a smile curl across her lips.

It wasn't sweet. It wasn't innocent. It was the kind of smile that could spark wars.

Su Xiaobai stiffened, his thoughts spiraling. 'That aura... What the hell is going on?'

Wei Jun's strength was unsealed—Rebirth Realm. Xiao Hei was barely at Core Formation, a whole realm below him. Logically, she shouldn't have been able to make him flinch, let alone terrify him.

But that wasn't the part that left Su Xiaobai's heart pounding. No, it was that killing intent. Even as a bystander, it clung to his bones like frostbite. Familiar. Ancient. Too much like... them.

The memories hit him like a wave. Immortals clashing in the void. Mountains shattered. Stars collapsing. Those heavenly figures locked in battle, their killing intent shaking entire worlds.

Xiao Hei's aura. That same feeling. Smaller, yes, but no less suffocating.

His breath caught. 'Is she... immortal?'

The thought planted itself in his mind like a thorn. Her strength, her mystery, her stagnant cultivation—it all pointed in one direction. A child of immortals.

He clenched his jaw. If that were true, it explained everything. Her Immortal vessel. Heaven Qi. The whole package.

Unlike mortals, children born to immortals weren't shackled by ordinary profound energy. Their bodies absorbed Heaven Qi—pure, untouchable, divine. For someone like Xiao Hei, Core Formation would be the limit here.

There simply wasn't enough Heaven Qi in the mortal plane for her to advance further.

Su Xiaobai groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Of course. My little demon empress just had to be high maintenance."

His gaze flicked to Xiao Hei, still clinging to him with that faint smile, her head resting against his chest.

She looked harmless—adorable, even. But the memories of her earlier bloodlust sent a shiver down his spine.

"Trouble magnet," he muttered. "That's what you are."

Because if his suspicions were right, it wouldn't be long before immortals came sniffing around. And when they did, they wouldn't be asking politely.

Just the thought made his temples throb. "Great. First I get dragged into this stupid story, and now I might have to run for my life while immortals chase me to the ends of the earth."

His temples throbbed. Just the thought gave him a headache.

"Looks like I'll be running underground soon," he muttered. "Great. Just great."

Xiao Hei, oblivious, nestled closer into his chest. Her soft, faint smile remained, as if mocking his plight.

_____

BAM!

BAM!

SHATTER!

The quiet of the night was rudely interrupted as Su Xiaobai's punch reduced yet another boulder to dust. The echoes of his training rolled across the valley like thunder, scaring the wits out of countless beasts trying to sleep.

"Grand Collapsing Fist: First Form—Collapsing Mountain Strike!"

He lowered his fist, his breath steady, his gaze sharper than the rubble at his feet. Around him, the once-pristine forest now looked like a disaster zone. His practice was going great. For the local wildlife? Not so much.

He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a sword. "Seven Moves of Judgment—Sky Splitting Blade!"

The blade hummed as he slashed at the air. The arc was clean, the form perfect. But something felt... off. He swapped it for another sword. Then another. Each one felt like kissing someone through a veil—unsatisfying, disconnected.

"Tch." He tossed the sword aside, raising his bare hand instead. "Who needs a damn sword anyway? My fingers are sharper than anything forged in this backwater world."

He grinned, channeling qi into an invisible blade. His strikes carved through the air, each swing sharper, deadlier.

As the hours passed, his movements grew fluid, each attack flowing like water and hitting like a landslide.

Unaware—or so he thought—of the world beyond his training, he began climbing toward the source of the waterfall, the rhythmic sound masking his movements.

Above him, hidden among the trees, Ling Er watched with wide eyes, her curiosity burning brighter than the stars above.

"What's this idiot up to now?" she muttered, crouched low to avoid being seen.

Her eyes widened as he pulled out a celestial inscriber. With slow, deliberate movements, Su Xiaobai etched a formation into the ground.

The lines glowed faintly at first, but when he activated it, the array burst to life.

Starlight cascaded down like a waterfall, swirling into the formation in a vortex of light. It was breathtaking, like watching the heavens bow down to the earth.

Ling Er's jaw dropped. She didn't think much of him—arrogant, shameless, annoying—but this? This was something else. "He knows how to draw formations? Since when?"

Her gaze lingered on him, the stars in his array reflected in her eyes. The scene was mesmerizing, yes, but there was something... tempting about it.

She bit her lip. "Not bad, big scary villain. Not bad at all."