Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 62

Guan Luowei was a master of concealment; if she wanted to hide, naturally no one could find her. In the end, out of options, Ling Chenyan had to try contacting her via the communicator once more.

This time, the connection finally went through.

Ling Chenyan was overjoyed and hurriedly spoke before Guan Luowei could hang up: “Something happened, Highness! Chen De is dying. Can you come back and take a look?”

The other end of the line remained silent. Ling Chenyan couldn’t help but peek at the screen; it was a wall of blackness, showing nothing at all. As expected, Guan Luowei still wasn’t ready to face her.

Just as Ling Chenyan was pondering how to coax her back, a very soft “Mm” came from the communicator, and the call was immediately cut.

Ling Chenyan quickly linked up with Chen Juan and returned to the Chen estate. The bleeding from Chen De’s wounds had been stopped, but it was visible to the naked eye that a faint black mist was clinging to him, continuously corroding his life force.

Chen Juan was frantic with worry, but Chen De remained remarkably composed. He even tried to comfort his daughter: “It’s alright. Your father can still last a few days. But after that, the Chen family business will rely on you… that really is a worrying thought…”

“Dad, stop talking nonsense,” Chen Juan glared at him. “Miss Guan is coming; you’ll definitely be fine.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Guan Luowei’s figure appeared in the courtyard.

Ling Chenyan looked up, and their gazes met for a fleeting second before both shifted away. Amidst Chen Juan’s urgent pleas, Guan Luowei walked to Chen De’s bedside. With a slight flick of her fingers, a faint demonic energy followed his meridians.

Chen De seemed to sense something. He looked at Guan Luowei with a touch of shock. She hadn’t hidden it this time; she was using demonic energy. However, despite his immense surprise, he kept it buried deep and silently observed her.

Soon, Guan Luowei withdrew her hand, her expression neutral. “The evil energy has invaded his internal organs. At most, he can hold on for two more days.”

Chen Juan’s expression went blank, the color draining from her face. Ling Chenyan’s eyes flickered, and she wanted to step forward to comfort her, but Chen Juan waved her off. Lowering her head, Chen Juan walked to her father and said, “Miss Guan, thank you. I want to talk to my father alone.”

Ling Chenyan and Guan Luowei consciously left the room to give them space. Once outside, Ling Chenyan looked up at the grey sky and then turned to Guan Luowei.

Guan Luowei’s posture was slightly stiff, but she didn’t walk away.

“Highness, do you think a true disaster is coming to the cultivation world?”

Guan Luowei paused, then spoke slowly: “The Demon Realm and the major cultivation sects are currently unharmed, which means the disaster hasn’t truly begun.”

Ling Chenyan raised her eyes. “Highness, can this disaster be stopped?”

Guan Luowei remained silent, and Ling Chenyan fell silent with her. Both knew that the true disaster of the cultivation world was likely these evil creatures that appeared out of nowhere. Come to think of it, the first evil creature appeared in Fengxiang Town, followed by the Lingxiao Immortal Sect. Whether looking at the source or the fact that Elder Chenxu had turned into one, the Lingxiao Sect was clearly involved.

To stop the disaster, the Lingxiao Immortal Sect was the key.

During their mutual silence, a youth’s voice drifted over: “Millions of years ago, the cultivation world faced a similar disaster. The source was much like these evil things. Back then, because my Master existed, the disaster ended in victory for the cultivation world. It’s just that after that, my Master disappeared…”

Ling Chenyan looked toward the source of the voice and saw Wenxin sitting cross-legged on the eaves. His gaze was melancholy, as if peering back through millions of years to that ancient battle.

Ling Chenyan had heard of this ancient disaster—specifically, it had been described in the original novel.

Millions of years ago, there was a surge of spiritual energy; anyone could cultivate, and the world was filled with powerful masters. But one day, an evil creature from beyond the stars appeared. At first, people thought it was just a stray that slipped through a crack in space. But then, these creatures appeared on a massive scale, infecting cultivators with lightning speed. Those infected turned into “Evil-fied” monsters, losing their reason and only knowing how to kill.

The invading evil beings were incredibly powerful. Furthermore, their energy could corrode spiritual power, meaning a cultivator’s attacks were greatly weakened against them.

The world was filled with mourning, and the sunsets were dyed blood-red. Just as the people reached total despair, a hero wearing a bamboo hat appeared. He held a divine sword and was invincible wherever he went. One strike could collapse mountains or cause tsunamis. The evil creatures had no power to fight back against him. He was alone with only his sword, yet he stood like a wall of bronze and iron, blocking the invasion.

When the last demon was slain, the surviving humans rejoiced. But that cultivator vanished after the final battle. The divine sword by his side split into four, turning into streaks of light that scattered across the world. Afterward, the world was rebuilt, but no one even knew if that savior was a man or a woman—only that they had descended like a god to lead them through the catastrophe.

Because of that war, the spiritual energy of the world was depleted, and powerful masters became rare. The Void-Hollow and Great Transcendent stages that were once common are now nearly impossible to find.

Ling Chenyan looked up at Wenxin on the roof. “Have you seen your Master?”

Wenxin paused and shook his head. “How could I have seen him? I didn’t even have sentience back then. I only learned of those events after I gained awareness. If you want to talk to someone who saw him…” Wenxin’s gaze drifted slowly to Ling Chenyan, then away again. “I’m afraid you can only ask the sword spirit of the Heavenly Sword of Gods and Demons.”

“The Heavenly Sword of Gods and Demons,” Ling Chenyan murmured. “Isn’t that sword the fusion of the four of you? But you four have separate consciousnesses now. When you fuse… wait, are the four of you actually one person? No, that’s not right. What exactly is the relationship between the sword spirit and you four?”

Wenxin looked at the sky, his mouth twitching with a complex expression. Suddenly, he sat up and snapped, “Why do you care about that? Those who swallow the evil seeds are beyond saving. You’d better think about what to do next!”

“Hmph, can’t even ask?” Ling Chenyan muttered. She knew deep down that those people couldn’t be saved; even Chen De, with just his Nascent Soul invaded, was doomed. This was why she didn’t want to be a savior—not just because it was exhausting, but because even if she tried, she might not be able to save everyone.

Once the title of “Savior” was placed on her, it would be a heavy responsibility. She would blame herself for every person she couldn’t bring back. Ling Chenyan bit her lip and gave a self-mocking smile; perhaps she was just selfish—because she couldn’t save all, she chose not to save any.

Just then, a hand with a slight chill gripped her fingers. Ling Chenyan looked up to see Guan Luowei standing beside her. Guan Luowei offered a small smile, then turned a cool, sharp gaze toward Wenxin. “Is it truly impossible to save them?”

Wenxin: “…Let me think.” After a while, he slapped his head. “Actually, I just remembered! It is possible to save them, in a way. You know, among our four divine artifacts, there is one person specifically designed to restrain evil things.”

Ling Chenyan slowly spoke the name: “The Heavenly Book of Evil-Purging?”

“Yes.” Wenxin nodded, then sighed. “But that guy is really difficult to deal with.”

“What do you mean?” Ling Chenyan knew of the four artifacts, but she didn’t know their personalities.

Wenxin’s expression was unspeakable. “You just don’t know this guy. You have no idea what he’s thinking.”

Ling Chenyan rubbed her chin. A rebellious teenager, perhaps? Before she could ask more, Wenxin shut the topic down. “Forget it. For now, I’ll seal those people away. Once you can convince that guy, it won’t be too late to save them.”

With that, he hurried off. Ling Chenyan asked the system: [Sys, when does the Secret Moon Realm open?]

[In two years,] the system paused. [But looking at the current situation, it might be sooner.]

The winter air grew colder. After standing outside for just a bit, Ling Chenyan sneezed twice. Guan Luowei immediately wrapped her in demonic energy. “Go back inside.”

As they walked back to the room hand-in-hand, Guan Luowei’s communicator rang urgently. It was the Old Demon Emperor. When she answered, his frantic face appeared on the screen. Before she could ask, he shouted: “Weiwei, come back quickly. Something has happened in the Demon Realm.”

Guan Luowei’s pace faltered. “What is it?”

The Old Demon Emperor’s hair had turned white on both sides, and his elegant face was haggard. He said: “The Demon Pearl is gone.”

Guan Luowei’s pupils contracted. “Alright. I’m coming back now.”

They hung up. Guan Luowei looked solemnly at Ling Chenyan. “I have to return to the Demon Realm. You…” She wanted to ask if she’d go with her, but it came out as: “Do you want to stay here with Chen Juan?” Chen De only had two days left; Chen Juan needed support.

Ling Chenyan’s gaze fixed. “I’m going back with you.”

Guan Luowei blinked, then nodded. “Okay.”

When Chen Juan emerged from her father’s room, her eyes were red, and she looked as if she had aged ten years in an instant. A servant reported to her: “Miss, your two friends said they had an emergency at home and have left. But before they went, they left these for you…”

Chen Juan took the pills, her face calm. “Did they leave any message?”

“They said these pills can extend the Master’s life, and they said…”

“Forget it, don’t say it.” Chen Juan turned away. She had heard enough words about “accepting grief.”

Outside, it was snowing. The plum blossoms in the courtyard were soon covered in a thin layer. As the wind grew stronger, the branches bent under the weight, only to shake off the snow and stand tall again. That plum tree was planted by her and her father when she was a child. He told her that a woman should be strong, like a plum blossom, thriving in the wind and snow.

A few days later, Chen De took his last breath in Chen Juan’s arms.

The Chen estate was filled with mourning, but Chen Juan remained calm. “Uncle Chen, call the people from the funerary services.”

Uncle Chen went out, weeping. However, not everyone in the estate was loyal. When the first servant was caught trying to sneak away with stolen goods, Chen Juan merely waved her hand. “Whoever wants to leave, go now.”

A group of servants stepped forward. Chen Juan returned their contracts, gave them some money, and sent them away. A long-time manager tremblingly handed her the things Chen De had left behind. “The Master said… he knew you didn’t like managing shops. He mortgaged them long ago for silver and spirit stones. This is enough for you to live a wealthy, peaceful life forever…”

Chen Juan took the money, looked at her father on the bed, and then at the servants who remained. “Aren’t you leaving?”

Those left were old-timers who had served for decades and had deep bonds with the family. They knelt and said, “We won’t leave. We will stay with you and the Master.”

“Good,” Chen Juan said. “From today on, I am the Head of the Chen Family.”

The snow fell relentlessly outside. Chen Juan’s fingers were ice-cold, and her heart was colder. She had lost her mother at age three, and now at twenty-three, she had lost her father. The world was vast, but she was alone. She sat by the bed, her mind clearer than ever, listing every step she needed to take.

She looked at her father’s face, her eyes like a stagnant pool of water. It wasn’t until the red doors were pushed open and the biting wind rushed in that she finally seemed to understand something. Tears flooded her eyes. She had no father.

The light was dim, and the glare from the doorway made her tears flow even harder. As the door was slowly closed, she saw through her blurry vision that it wasn’t the funerary staff who entered, but a lazy-looking youth.

Wenxin walked to her side, glanced at her, and curled his lip. “What are you crying for? Haven’t I arrived?”

Chen Juan didn’t understand until he coughed awkwardly and said, “Luckily, I’m not too late. He can still be saved.”

Chen Juan’s eyes widened, her voice trembling. “What did you say?”

Wenxin rubbed his nose. “I’m saying I have a way. Maybe the old man can be saved.”

Before they left, Guan Luowei and Ling Chenyan had discussed it. Since those who ate the seeds could be sealed and saved later, Chen De could also be sealed within the mirror to wait for a cure. They had actually told the servant to tell her, but Chen Juan hadn’t listened to the end of the message—and they hadn’t expected Wenxin to be so slow.

Chen Juan had spent days in agony, becoming thin and haggard. Of course, Wenxin wasn’t going to tell her he’d forgotten. He simply added: “But whether he can be truly cured depends on those two friends of yours.”

Author’s Note:

Chen Juan: Six. If you were one step later, my dad would be underground.