Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 42

The moon hung broad and boundless, and thick fog permeated the pitch-black, eerie forest.

A tall figure stood amidst it, eyes like bolts of lightning fixed firmly on the dense fog ahead, as if seeking to pierce through the suffocating haze to see the object hidden behind it.

After an unknown amount of time, the fog showed no sign of dispersing. The figure in the mist let out a low sigh, appearing as if suddenly drained of all strength. He spoke in a low, dejected voice: “Jingjing, Father has come to see you.”

“All these years I’ve been thinking, if I had tried my hardest to stop you and Fu Qingshi back then, what would things look like now? You would surely hate me, but at least you would be sunny and vibrant—rather than being sealed inside a tiny pearl like your mother, accepting the chaotic evil thoughts of our Demon Race day after day.”

“Five hundred years… your father is useless; I haven’t been able to find your mother. But fortunately, Weiwei makes me feel very much at ease now. You wouldn’t believe it—” At this point, the man let out a chuckle and said, “I observe that girl’s cultivation is already on par with mine. It’s just that her temperament takes after that bastard Fu Qingshi; now that she’s grown, she’s not close to her grandfather anymore. She was much cuter as a child.”

“…”

The man rambled on in a low voice, speaking of the Demon Race’s development over the years, the amusing antics of the young demon cubs, reminiscing about the past, and looking toward the future. Finally, a gratified smile appeared on his face as he said, “Jingjing, your father is getting old. I don’t know how many more years I can hold on. But this time, I will definitely keep a good eye on your daughter and won’t let her choose the wrong husband…”

In the deep woods, only the man’s whispers rang out from time to time. It wasn’t until the first ray of eastern light shot into the dark forest that the man suddenly realized the surrounding fog had vanished.

“I didn’t realize I’d said so much to you.” The Old Demon Emperor curled his lips into a smile. Suddenly, as if sensing something, the smile slowly flattened. “Oh, guests have arrived. Father is going to take a look.”

The tall figure dissipated into the air along with the mist. Silence returned to the deep forest once more, but this time, something seemed different.

As the sky was just beginning to brighten, the demon sentries at the entrance to the Demon Realm yawned. In a few minutes, their shift would end, and they could go back for a good rest.

Suddenly, one person’s eyes went wide. “W-what is that?!”

The other demons quickly snapped to attention. One of them extended his demonic sense to investigate, only to have it brutally severed midway. He spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted: “Enemy attack!”

The group reacted instantly, pulling the man back while the signal for an attack spread throughout the entire Demon Realm in an instant.

Tong Di, Zong Xian, and the other department heads engaged in training exchanged looks. Tong Di quickly assembled a legion of demon guards outside the main city, squinting as he waited for the arrivals.

Disciples in white arrived like migrating herons, quickly gathering into a vast, dark mass. In front of the disciples stood three figures: a sinister old man hidden under a cloak and two elders with an air of immortal elegance.

It was Zhen Xuzi and his party.

Zhen Xuzi squinted at Tong Di and said, “Tell Guan Tianba to come out.”

“Yo,” the red-haired youth crossed his arms, looking dismissively at the old man. “Who do you think you are? Daring to call our Demon Emperor by his name. Don’t you know our Emperor is busy with a myriad of affairs? He’s not like an old man with nothing better to do like you.”

Zhen Xuzi squinted at the youth, and his Late Integration Stage pressure crashed down like a mountain range on the backs of the demon guards. Tong Di let out a muffled groan but kept his back straight, mocking: “Coming to our Demon Realm to act wild with only this much strength?”

His tone suddenly turned cold: “Demon guards, hear my command! Give me—”

“Eh~” Just as the final “kill” was about to leave Tong Di’s lips, a tall, majestic figure stood beside him. He patted Tong Di’s shoulder, easily dissolving the suffocating pressure, and said gently, “Tong Di, how do I usually teach you? All who come are guests; you shouldn’t have such an attitude toward guests.”

Tong Di froze. Recognizing the tall figure, his eye twitched. Didn’t you usually tell us to just ‘fck ’em up’ and be done with it? When did you ever say such polite nonsense?*

However, with the enemy before them, he didn’t voice his thoughts. Feeling the pressure lift, he bowed and nodded. “Yes!”

The Old Demon Emperor looked at the sky full of cultivators with a smile, as if he couldn’t see the “strike at a moment’s notice” tension in them. He laughed, “Yo, isn’t this Sect Leader Zhen?”

Zhen Xuzi snorted coldly. “It has truly been a long time, Demon Emperor.”

“Hmm? Why say that? Didn’t we just meet recently?” the Old Emperor said. “Sect Leader Zhen was so generous as to gift our Demon Race countless pills and artifacts; we’ve kept that gratitude in our hearts.”

Zhen Xuzi gritted his teeth, clearly remembering the day he was scammed. He said darkly, “Guan Tianba! I haven’t settled the score with you for last time, but today, we shall settle the old and new grudges together!”

“Tsk tsk, why so angry?” the Old Emperor wasn’t worried at all. He said leisurely, “Let’s be harmonious. And don’t be so formal with names; just call me by my childhood name, Ba-ba.” (Note: ‘Baba’ sounds like ‘Dad’ in Chinese)

“I didn’t come here for jokes today.” Zhen Xuzi’s face was grim, ignoring the wordplay. “In the towns affiliated with the Lingxiao Sect, many places have suffered demon attacks. Not only that, but the Divine Artifact, the Deceptive God Zither, was seen at the crime scenes. Everyone knows the zither was taken by your Young Highness. Taking our sect’s artifact is one thing, but to use it to slaughter innocents! Today, either hand over the zither or hand over your Young Highness, otherwise…”

Zhen Xuzi narrowed his eyes. “I can’t guarantee that the Demon Race won’t once again face the collective wrath of the cultivation world as you did centuries ago.”

The Old Emperor’s eyes darkened for a split second before returning to his elegant manner. He smiled, “Oh? You say this was done by our Young Highness? Do you have proof?”

“We certainly have proof!” Zhen Xuzi clapped his hands. From behind him, several people dressed as commoners were brought forward. They looked terrified, as if their courage had been shattered. They walked out tremblingly under the crowd’s gaze.

Zhen Xuzi said loudly, “The evidence is ironclad. These villagers saw it with their own eyes.”

A villager stood out and said shakily, “I saw it with my own eyes. Someone in a cloak pierced the heart of my neighbor, Er Gou, with a sword.”

“Me too! I saw it too! And before Er Gou died, a zither melody suddenly rang out. He didn’t even run; he just stood there screaming as the sword pierced his heart.”

“Not only that,” a rogue cultivator stepped out from the group, looking at the demons with hatred. “My close friend died the same way. Who else but your Young Highness could use zither music to freeze someone and then kill them with a sword?!”

“Exactly! Hand her over!”

As the rogue cultivator finished, many others joined in the shouting. The demons, unable to tolerate such insults toward their Highness, immediately began shouting back.

The demons were never known for being polite, and their insults were toxic. As the cultivators and demon guards looked ready to clash, the Old Emperor let out a heavy sigh.

The crowd quieted to look at him, only to hear him say: “I want to call that rebellious grandchild of mine out to give everyone an explanation too, but she is currently in closed-door cultivation within the Demon Realm. Why don’t we discuss this another day?”

Zhen Xuzi sneered. “What a coincidence. Just the day before yesterday, she killed an Ancestor of my Lingxiao Sect, and now she’s in seclusion?”

Many rogue cultivators around began talking about the events of that day. Crucially, they had seen Guan Luowei use the zither, so their accounts aligned perfectly with the villagers’ stories. Even before the Lingxiao Sect gave the order to attack, many rogue cultivators could no longer hold back.

The Old Emperor’s eyes flickered. Just as he was about to stall for a few more words, the cultivators opposite him suddenly fell silent. They all looked up together at a white-clad woman walking through the air from within the Demon Realm.

The woman had white robes and dark hair, her features cold and noble. Her tall figure was lifted gently by the wind, like a crane flying on auspicious clouds—elegant yet possessing an inviolable dignity.

She looked at the people before her, her long lashes lifting to reveal the scorching red mole beneath her eye. She spoke: “Were you looking for me?”

Silence reigned.

Looking at the woman’s celestial appearance and cold grace, it was truly difficult to associate her with the Demon Race. Even Zhen Xuzi froze; he clearly remembered the Young Highness looking different at the Lingxiao Sect, though he quickly realized she had disguised herself then.

Zhen Xuzi looked at the mesmerized cultivators around him and let out a snort. He gritted his teeth. “Demoness! You used the Deceptive God Zither to wantonly slaughter our affiliates—what is your intent?! You must give us an explanation today!”

The cultivators around snapped out of it, looking ashamed and angry. They had actually been dazzled by a demoness’s appearance! Many joined the shouting, demanding justice.

Guan Luowei swept her gaze over them. “An explanation?”

In the next second, Zhen Xuzi felt a surge of unease. Sure enough, a zither melody rang out. To their horror, the cultivators found they couldn’t move. Guan Luowei’s figure was like a ghost; in an instant, she was before Zhen Xuzi.

Just as the demonic energy containing destructive power was about to hit him, the elder beside him who hadn’t spoken finally made a move.

A sharp technique exploded before Zhen Xuzi. He was sent flying by the shockwave, finally able to move again. Meanwhile, Guan Luowei and the elder had already flown into the void to clash.

Zhen Xuzi was black with rage. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at the Old Emperor. “Good, good, good! We considered old ties and gave your Young Highness a chance to repent, yet the Demon Race is so ungrateful!”

Tong Di crossed his arms and let out a sharp laugh. “What old ties? The ‘kill or be killed’ kind? Old man, you don’t take us for fools, do you? You just saw our Highness’s strength. Does she really need the Deceptive God Zither to kill mortals and low-level rogue cultivators? How did your tiny brain come up with such a trick that only fools would believe?”

Zhen Xuzi gritted his teeth, his face dark. Just as he was about to erupt, a sudden ringing from his communicator interrupted him. Before setting out, he had told his disciples not to disturb him unless it was a major matter.

Thus, at the first ring, he picked it up, his face grim. “What is it?”

The person’s voice was panicked, even trembling: “Sect Leader, it’s bad! Our sect’s ancestral graves… the ancestral graves have been bombed!!”

“What did you say?!” Zhen Xuzi nearly crushed the communicator. Before the person could finish, the connection went dead.

Li Yuan, standing nearby, heard the disciple’s words clearly. Looking at the situation, he thought that if the Lingxiao Sect left now, this trip would be a total loss. He immediately advised: “Sect Leader Zhen, what happened over there is already a settled matter. It’s better to seize the Deceptive God Zither first—”

He didn’t finish either. The communicator in his own pocket rang.

Li Yuan had a terrible premonition. He opened his communicator. Before he could speak, the voice of a disciple crying in terror came through:

“Sect Leader, it’s bad! Our sect’s ancestral graves… the ancestral graves have been bombed!”

Author’s Note:

Ling Chenyan: Heh, good things come in pairs.

Lingxiao & Zither Sects: …………