Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 22

The rhythmic shouts of “Young Madam” echoed between heaven and earth, their trailing notes lingering in the air. A gust of wind blew past, accompanied by the “caw-caw-caw” of ghost crows overhead.

Tong Di looked at the three people standing dazed in the wind, a look of confusion crossing his face. Could it be… he had guessed wrong? But during his last communication with Her Highness, he had definitely seen a different light in her eyes. Combined with the way he heard that other girl call her “Master,” he had assumed Her Highness was indulging in some sort of roleplay.

And who would Her Highness play such games with? Naturally, it could only be their Young Madam.

Guan Luowei, of course, had no idea that based solely on one expression and Ling Chenyan’s use of “Master,” Tong Di had constructed an entire drama in his head and unilaterally decided that Ling Chenyan was the Young Madam.

Almost instantly, a faint red blush crept from her neck up to the tips of her ears. Guan Luowei gritted her teeth, appearing somewhat exasperated by the embarrassment. “Tong Di! What on earth are you saying?!”

Seeing Guan Luowei’s reaction, Tong Di felt a surge of fear and realized things might not be as he imagined. He quickly tried to laugh it off. “Hahaha, nothing! I said ‘little servant,’ I didn’t say anything about a ‘Young Madam.’ And I certainly didn’t mistake your sword spirit for the Young Madam, hahaha.”

Ling Chenyan: “…”

Ling Chenyan turned to Guan Luowei, whose eyes were turning cold, and asked, “Has he always had this condition?”

Guan Luowei swept a glance at the silver sword. She couldn’t see its expression, but she could hear the hint of disdain and speechlessness in its tone. Guan Luowei’s mouth twitched, and she looked coldly at Tong Di. “Come to the Demon Martial Grounds tonight.”

Tong Di’s legs shook. He said with a bitter face, “Your Highness, Your Highness, it was just a slip of the tongue!”

A slip of the tongue?

Ling Chenyan silently facepalmed.

The Old Demon Emperor had been watching the scene for a long time before finally understanding what was happening. In his heart, he felt a sense of “kindred spirits meeting too late” regarding this little sword spirit. He smiled, stroked his beard, and explained to Ling Chenyan, “Pay him no mind. When he was young, he insisted on racing a demon donkey to see whose legs were faster, and he ended up getting kicked in the head.”

“Your Majesty! Didn’t we agree not to mention that anymore?” Tong Di looked utterly ashamed.

Ling Chenyan was profoundly shocked. She had thought the Old Demon Emperor was joking, but to think it was actually true! No wonder this guy’s logic was so bizarre. Expressing her understanding, she gave Tong Di a sympathetic look, muttered “No wonder,” and quickly hurried after Guan Luowei.

The Old Demon Emperor chuckled and said to Tong Di, who was still ruffling his own red hair, “Alright, Tong Di. Since you’re going to the Demon Martial Grounds, hand over the patrol duties to Zong Xian for the next two days.”

After returning to the palace, the blush of embarrassment on Guan Luowei’s face had faded. She quietly contemplated the events of recent days: the evil entity in Fengxiang Town, Daoist Guize, that man’s jade pendant, Mu Yunze, Lin Qingwan, the Deceptive God Zither…

The Lingxiao Immortal Sect seemed inseparable from all of this, but what exactly was the connection? And regarding Daoist Guize’s death—Guan Luowei felt it had happened far too easily.

To die without any resistance was highly abnormal. Even the evil entity at the foot of the mountain in Fengxiang Town had fought back in its dying moments, yet Daoist Guize met his end with too much composure.

Or did he have some other purpose for doing so?

Guan Luowei felt there must be something she had forgotten. A flash of insight flickered in her mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp it.

Just then, Ling Chenyan floated in from outside. Guan Luowei looked up at the silver sword and said, “Yinye, come here.”

The silver sword floated obediently before her.

Guan Luowei looked at the silver sword, now shrunk to about three feet, and said nothing. She began to form a seal with her hands to cast a formation upon it. Ling Chenyan didn’t know what she was doing, but believing she wouldn’t be harmed, she accepted it in silence.

A moment later, Guan Luowei withdrew her fingertips. “Now, those people won’t be able to touch you.”

Ling Chenyan shook her blade, feeling a marvelous new power circulating within her, radiating a gentle warmth.

“What is this, Master?”

Guan Luowei used her fingertip to flick the cyan sword tassel on the hilt, watching it swing and settle. She lowered her eyes and said, “A formation. If something like that happens again, it will automatically generate a protective barrier, and I will be notified immediately.”

Ling Chenyan nodded, feeling a bit flattered in her heart. So the Big Villain was protecting her!

“By the way, Master,” Ling Chenyan said, “the contract between us… is it gone?”

A shadow flickered in Guan Luowei’s eyes. “Yes.”

The disappearance of the contract between an item spirit and its master usually meant either the master had died or the spirit was gone.

But now, Guan Luowei was alive and well, and Ling Chenyan was safely inside the sword. As Guan Luowei pondered with lowered eyes, she suddenly heard Ling Chenyan’s inner thoughts.

[As I thought, it seems when I went to BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP earlier, I really did die.]

Guan Luowei’s expression faltered for a second, her fingertips tightening. Her mind was filled with Ling Chenyan’s words: “I really did die.”

But in the next second, the girl’s clear voice rang in her ear: “So, Master, do you still want to form a contract with me?”

Guan Luowei’s eyes slowly cleared. “No.”

“Oh.” Ling Chenyan let out a disappointed sound. “Why not?”

She was still counting on contracting with the Big Villain so she could pass off the task of eliminating the Evil Race to her. After all, if she contracted with Guan Luowei, then by extension, the Big Villain would also be Jinjin’s master.

Guan Luowei’s expression was unreadable. She didn’t answer the question but instead asked, “Can you take human form now?”

“It seems I can’t,” Ling Chenyan said with considerable regret.

She had only been in human form for a few days before being forced back into her original shape.

Guan Luowei nodded, recalling that there seemed to be records regarding the transformation of item spirits in the Demon Race’s Secret Archive. She nodded and said, “I understand.”

“By the way, Master,” Ling Chenyan suddenly said, “do you want to guess where Jinjin is right now?”

Had she not mentioned it, Guan Luowei wouldn’t have realized she hadn’t seen the Deceptive God Zither all along the way. Raising an eyebrow slightly, she asked, “Where is he?”

Ling Chenyan giggled and stepped forward, doing her best to show off her blade. “Master! Look at my body!”

Guan Luowei’s eyes flickered, and she observed the silver sword closely. Seeing the lifelike flowing cloud patterns on the blade, she said in surprise, “He… transformed into cloud patterns on your body?”

“Yes!” Ling Chenyan said. “He turned into patterns on me. It feels so wonderful!”

Guan Luowei’s gaze narrowed slightly. The Deceptive God Zither was a Divine Artifact; logically, it should exert hierarchical pressure over other spiritual tools. On the day it recognized its master at the Lingxiao Sect, every spiritual tool present had trembled, yet the silver sword seemed unaffected.

Could it be because she wasn’t a true item spirit?

Guan Luowei smiled, her fingertips lightly tracing the patterns. “It’s very beautiful.”

Ling Chenyan also thought it looked great. After showing off with a couple of loops, she decided to go out and flaunt it. Guan Luowei chuckled but ultimately let her go.

In contrast to the harmonious atmosphere within the Demon Race, the air in the Lingxiao Immortal Sect had been quite somber lately.

Ever since the incident with Guize, Zhen Xuzi had begun investigating any abnormalities within the sect, starting with the disciples of Guize Peak. However, the results left him deeply perplexed.

He had checked everyone on Guize Peak; not a single person was abnormal. At most, their cultivation techniques were slightly sinister, but they were far removed from the aura found on Daoist Guize.

Once bitten, twice shy. Zhen Xuzi ordered the disposal of those disciples. Somehow, word of this leaked out, and for a time, everyone lived in fear.

By the time Mu Yunze learned of this, three days had passed since that fateful day. He had been in closed-door cultivation at the time and thus missed the events. Upon emerging, he was immediately summoned by the Sect Leader and several elders.

Their faces were heavy with sorrow. After relaying Guan Luowei’s message to him, they indirectly questioned him about what grievance existed between him and Guan Luowei. Mu Yunze naturally couldn’t tell the whole truth, only saying that he had failed her.

He spoke vaguely, leading the Sect Leader and the elders to assume they had a romantic history. After questioning him, they let him go.

Mu Yunze began to feel a sense of panic upon learning that Guan Luowei had taken the Deceptive God Zither and that her cultivation was now strong enough to defeat the Sect Leader. How could this be? In his past life, it certainly wasn’t like this.

Mu Yunze thought to himself that it must be because both of them had been reborn. They both held the advantage of foresight. Regarding information on the Four Great Divine Artifacts and the backgrounds of people from their previous lives—Guan Luowei had already taken the Zither while he was recovering. He had to make sure he grasped the remaining opportunities.

Furthermore, Mu Yunze’s eyes flickered. He believed he had done nothing wrong from start to finish; he only wanted revenge.

But Mu Yunze felt that since his rebirth, he seemed to have forgotten some very important information…

He shook his head to clear these thoughts and prepared to find Lin Qingwan for sparring. His cultivation had improved recently, so it was a good time to test his progress with Qingwan.

When Mu Yunze arrived at the bamboo hut, he stood still and knocked gently on the door.

Before long, Lin Qingwan’s gentle and delicate face appeared from behind the door. Her face was still somewhat pale, but upon seeing him, her dark eyes lit up instantly. “Brother Mu.”

Mu Yunze felt a warmth in his heart. Counting both their past and present lives, Qingwan had been by his side for many years. From the moment he picked her up in the freezing snow, the gears of fate had already begun to turn.

He cherished those days of depending on each other, huddling together for warmth, and overcoming every hardship hand-in-hand. It was only later, as his talent became apparent and his cultivation rose, that he encountered more people and women. Among the various beauties, he hadn’t stayed true to his heart.

He enjoyed the benefits brought by strength and power and indulged in various “gentle lands.” Yet Lin Qingwan had never been angry with him for it. It was like he had walked a long path, and when he turned back, she was still following behind. Seeing him turn, she would smile at him tenderly and call him, “Brother Mu.”

Mu Yunze’s heart softened. He said softly, “Are you feeling better?”

Lin Qingwan nodded. “Much better. Brother Mu, have you finished your cultivation?”

“Yes.” Speaking of this, a hint of pride appeared in Mu Yunze’s expression. “I have already advanced to the Soul-Splitting stage.”

“How incredible!” Lin Qingwan’s eyes were full of stars. “Brother Mu is so amazing.”

Just as a smile was about to form on Mu Yunze’s lips, he suddenly remembered Guan Luowei’s unfathomable strength. His newfound pride was extinguished instantly. He sighed, “Alas, I am still too weak.”

Lin Qingwan didn’t know what was wrong, but seeing him unhappy made her a bit sad too. Still, she offered a consoling smile. “How can you say that? Brother Mu, you are the best.”

Mu Yunze chuckled and shook his head. “Qingwan, why don’t you spar with me? Let me see if you’ve improved.”

Lin Qingwan hesitated slightly. She looked at the jade pendant hanging from her waist and finally nodded happily. “Alright, but Brother Mu must show some mercy.”

Mu Yunze smiled. “Of course.”

The two stood in the martial field. Without many words, they engaged in battle. Mu Yunze suppressed his cultivation slightly to fight alongside Lin Qingwan. As her hair brushed past his eyes, he found himself thinking of Guan Luowei at an inappropriate time.

In their past life, he and Guan Luowei had sparred like this too. That beautiful, cold woman was never friendly to outsiders, yet she always had a bit more patience for him.

But later, even though he knew how much she loathed her so-called father’s behavior, he still walked the same path as that man. He deceived her, stole the Demon Pearl, caused chaos in the Demon Race, and eventually used that incident to lead the various sects to exterminate them.

Yes, she should hate him, just as he hated the Demon Race.

Mu Yunze’s heart felt a pang. In that instant, he lost control of his spiritual energy. When he regained his focus, he saw Lin Qingwan knocked to the ground.

He ran over in a panic, full of self-reproach. “Wanwan, I’m sorry! Are you alright?”

Lin Qingwan’s face was pale. She shook her head and asked, “Was Brother Mu thinking about your enemy?”

Mu Yunze’s eyes flickered. A sense of reluctance and guilt flashed in his heart, but he still nodded. “I’m sorry, Wanwan.”

“I’m fine.” Lin Qingwan smiled. “Brother Mu really is amazing. It seems I need to speed up my cultivation.”

Mu Yunze forced a smile, picked her up regardless of the onlookers’ gazes, and said, “I’ll take you back.”

The tips of Lin Qingwan’s ears turned a light crimson. She kept her head buried in Mu Yunze’s chest until they reached the door, where she struggled out of his arms, slipped into her room, and shut him out.

Mu Yunze found it a bit amusing and couldn’t help teasing, “Is Wanwan shy?”

Lin Qingwan bit her lip and said muffledly, “You’re not allowed in.”

Mu Yunze knew she was thin-skinned, so he shook his head helplessly. “Wanwan, your injury… is it okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lin Qingwan said, suppressing the urge to cough up blood. “Brother Mu, leave quickly, or I’ll be angry.”

Seeing this, Mu Yunze didn’t dare stay any longer. He left a few bottles of pills and departed.

After he left, Lin Qingwan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, her face turning even paler. She looked down at her gradually deforming hand, gritted her teeth, and clenched her knuckles hard.

A moment later, she opened the door to take the pills Mu Yunze had left. She gazed into the distance, her thoughts unknown.

The twilight rolled by, and the sky over the Demon Realm turned completely dark.

Ling Chenyan stood below the stage, watching the two people on it with a composed air.

One was dressed in snow-white, looking like the depths of winter, exuding a cold murderous intent. The other, only under the crowd’s urging, went up to the stage timidly. After getting up there, he retreated cautiously with a forced laugh. “Your Highness, let’s make a deal. Don’t hit the face later.”

Guan Luowei looked at him coldly. The moment he was on stage, she attacked directly with no intention of holding back.

From below, Ling Chenyan went “tsk tsk tsk” and “wow wow wow.” Eventually, she looked away, unable to watch the carnage, and said to the demon disciple beside her who was full of admiration, “How tragic.”

The demon disciple, seeing that the sword beside him was Her Highness’s personal sword, immediately said, “Indeed. Her Highness is just too cool. If I were a woman, I would definitely marry her!”

Ling Chenyan: “?”

Did I say she was cool? No, wait, what was that about marrying her? You demon people are a bit weird, aren’t you?

However, that demon disciple had already tuned out Ling Chenyan, his eyes fixed solely on Guan Luowei.

Ling Chenyan: “…”

She silently turned her head to the other side and saw a familiar face. She seemed to have seen this woman before—the one who confessed to Guan Luowei and got rejected.

Looking at the way Zong Xian’s eyes were fixed on Guan Luowei with a strange light, Ling Chenyan thought to herself that she clearly hadn’t given up on Guan Luowei yet. Look at that gaze; it was almost palpable.

The System spoke up at the right time: [Host, you’re not jealous, are you?]

Ling Chenyan: [What does a robot like you know about being jealous?]

System: […Then why do you sound so sour?]

Ling Chenyan: [Do you even know what ‘sour’ tastes like, you robot?]

System: [Crying into a handkerchief.jpg]

Seeing that the System didn’t speak again, Ling Chenyan huffed. She thought to herself that she didn’t like Guan Luowei; at most, she was just a bit annoyed to see her master being coveted.

After a long while, Tong Di’s tragic screams finally stopped. Ling Chenyan looked up to see him shakily straightening his body, his eyes bright. “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Ling Chenyan watched as the cold and elegant woman walked toward her. With a flick of her hand, she took the sword into her grasp. “Let’s go.”

Under the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, Ling Chenyan slowly straightened her back. Before she could start flaunting, a woman’s voice reached her ears.

“Your Highness.” The woman called out softly, as if afraid of disturbing her.

Guan Luowei stopped and paused when she saw who it was. “It’s you.”

A flash of joy appeared in Zong Xian’s eyes. She hadn’t expected Her Highness to remember her!

“It is I, Your Highness. I am now the Chief of the Demon Guard,” Zong Xian said with some bashfulness yet pride.

“So she’s the newly appointed Chief of the Guard! I know her—a month ago, she was just an ordinary demon disciple, but she stood out in the selection and eventually became the Chief!”

“Yes! She’s so amazing. I didn’t think she actually knew Her Highness?”

“Waaaah, if I become Chief of the Guard, can I get to know Her Highness too?”

“Stop dreaming. Do you have any idea how brutal that selection was? For those who faced Chief Zong, I can only say it was tragic. She’s just too powerful!”

“…”

From the murmurs of the crowd, Guan Luowei learned of the woman’s deeds. A quick scan showed she had already reached the Soul-Splitting stage.

Guan Luowei raised an eyebrow in slight surprise and said casually, “Not bad.”

Zong Xian, however, looked as if she had received the greatest reward, her face flushed with excitement.

“Your Highness!” Zong Xian suddenly knelt on one knee and said passionately, “I swear on my life that I will protect you at all costs, whether now or in the future. I will certainly, definitely ensure your safety, even if I have to sacrifice myself!”

Guan Luowei looked down at the thin shoulders of the kneeling woman. “Stand up.”

“Yes.” Zong Xian stood up, her eyes still shining as she looked at Guan Luowei.

“As Chief, your duty is to protect the thousands upon thousands of citizens of the Demon Race, not just me alone,” Guan Luowei said calmly. “This is not just your responsibility; it is mine as well.”

The demons present fell silent for a moment, then erupted instantly, shouting Guan Luowei’s name with excitement and expressing their respect with deep reverence.

With just one sentence, she had stirred the emotions of the crowd. Ling Chenyan thought to herself that Guan Luowei indeed had a talent for being a Demon Empress.

Even in such a scene of mass adoration, Guan Luowei remained perfectly calm.

Ling Chenyan thought to herself that never mind those demon disciples, even she felt a little like marrying Guan Luowei right now.

As Guan Luowei brushed past Zong Xian, she saw a flash of regret and sadness on Zong Xian’s face.

Then, after taking two steps, Guan Luowei suddenly stopped. “If you want to protect me, you must first eat enough to build up your strength, and then cultivate well.”

Having said that, she didn’t linger and walked away grandly. Ling Chenyan clearly saw the light that burst from Zong Xian’s eyes after Guan Luowei said those words.

Great. She had originally felt a bit sorry for Zong Xian, and had even thought about marrying Guan Luowei herself. Now, she had changed her mind.

She was going to throw a fit!

Author’s Note:

Swordy: You’re actually caring about someone else right in front of me!

Guan Guan (helplessly): It’s just leadership tactics. I only care about you.

Swordy: Hehe, then I’m fine again.