Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 65

The interior was clearly warm as spring, yet Ling Chenyan felt cold sweat trickling down her back. She straightened her posture, but her feet were quietly retreating. “What wine? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Oh, by the way, Her Highness told me to let you know that we are heading to the Lingxiao Immortal Sect tonight…”

The Old Demon Emperor slowly stood up, his tall silhouette casting a long shadow over Ling Chenyan.

Ling Chenyan swallowed hard in guilt and tried to bolt like a greased lightning, but she didn’t make it—the Old Emperor grabbed her back collar and hoisted her up. He smiled brilliantly. “Yinye, I heard you know how to tell fortunes, is that right?”

Seeing no way out, Ling Chenyan nodded pitifully. “Does Your Majesty want me to calculate when your ‘second spring’ (new romance) will arrive?”

A vein throbbed on the Old Emperor’s forehead. He ground his teeth. “I want you to calculate where I can hide my wine so it won’t be found.”

Ling Chenyan’s gaze drifted everywhere—at the sky, at the floor—anywhere but at him.

After a long pause, the Old Emperor let out a cold snort and released her. “Fine. Considering you found the location of the Demon Pearl, I’ll let this go. However, I hope my precious vintages won’t be found next time. Do you understand?”

Ling Chenyan nodded like a pecking chicken. “Understood, understood!”

The Old Emperor sat back down leisurely. Just as Ling Chenyan thought she was off the hook, he lifted his eyes from his tea cup and peeked at her. “By the way, when do you plan to marry Weiwei?”

Ling Chenyan suddenly choked on her own saliva, coughing until her face was beet red. Finally, she shook her head frantically. “Ma… Majesty… that matter… there’s no rush for now.”

The Old Emperor swept a sideways glance at her. “No rush? The thousand-year iron tree has finally blossomed—tell me if I should be in a rush or not.”

Thousand-year iron tree.

Pfft.

Ling Chenyan let out an unrefined laugh. “Majesty, who is the thousand-year iron tree?”

The Old Emperor said meaningfully, “Who do you think? Naturally, it’s…” He stopped mid-sentence, took a sharp turn, and coughed twice while setting down his tea.

Ling Chenyan immediately looked behind her. Sure enough, the “Thousand-Year Iron Tree” was standing at the door, her eyes fixed somberly on the two inside.

Ling Chenyan: “…” Hahahahahaha.

The Old Emperor, knowing he was caught, cleared his throat to change the subject. “Weiwei, you’re here? Yinye and I were just discussing your wedding date. Yinye told me she wants to marry you as soon as possible. Grandpa looked at the almanac and thinks a month from now is quite suitable.”

Ling Chenyan, backstabbed out of nowhere: “?”

Guan Luowei shot a suspicious glance at Ling Chenyan. Seeing the question marks all over the girl’s face, she knew her grandfather was talking nonsense again.

She walked into the room and spoke to the Old Emperor: “Majesty, Fu Qingshi is awake. If you have anything to ask, ask him.”

With that, she tossed the half-jade pendant to the Old Emperor. Seeing the tea cup in his hand instantly turn to powder, she hesitated but added, “Majesty, he is currently only a soul. He cannot withstand too much punishment.”

The Old Emperor stroked his beard and offered a gentle smile. “Rest assured, I will definitely nurse him well.”

Looking at that “gentle” smile, Ling Chenyan felt a chill down her spine. It sounded less like “nursing” and more like “fattening up for the slaughter.” Still, thinking about Fu Qingshi’s actions, she felt he deserved it.

After handing over the jade, Guan Luowei led Ling Chenyan out. Outside the hall, dusk was deepening, and clouds were piled high in a golden expanse. Now that they had news of the Demon Pearl, the tension in Guan Luowei’s heart had eased significantly. She stared at the sunset with a dazed expression.

Just as Ling Chenyan was about to ask what was wrong, Guan Luowei turned to her. “Yanyan, do you think someone who committed a great wrong because they were deceived… deserves to be forgiven?”

Ling Chenyan knew exactly who she was talking about. She thought for a moment. “Whether he was deceived or not, the fact remains that he committed the wrong, and he chose to do it at the time. So even if he didn’t know the full truth, he shouldn’t be forgiven easily.”

Guan Luowei looked at the girl. The sunset reflected off Ling Chenyan’s face, turning half of it a deep red. After a long while, she lowered her gaze. “I think so too.”

Seeing her still looking unhappy, Ling Chenyan tugged at her sleeve. “Highness, what’s wrong?”

Guan Luowei bit her lip and asked suddenly, “Yanyan, do you think I am too cold?”

Ling Chenyan thought seriously and said softly, “I don’t. Because Your Highness has never been cold to me. Perhaps to others, you seem stern and unapproachable, but Highness, you aren’t like that. You have warmth. You’ve repeatedly taken up the heavy burden of the Demon Race to save them from fire and water, never giving up even when things got hard. Does that sound cold? Besides, Highness, no matter how you are, I will always think you are the best. At least in my eyes, you are not a cold-blooded person.”

Guan Luowei’s eyes flickered, and her brow gradually relaxed. “Mm. I understand.”

Ling Chenyan smiled brilliantly. “Highness, shall we go get something to eat? We need strength to work.”

Thinking of the entire Immortal Sect waiting for her to excavate it, Ling Chenyan was filled with motivation. Guan Luowei let out a laugh and nodded. “Alright.”

As night deepened, Guan Luowei used a teleportation talisman to bring Ling Chenyan to the vicinity of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect. Under the cover of night, the fog-shrouded immortal mountains looked like a lurking beast, emitting signals of danger.

Sensing something was off, Guan Luowei applied a concealment spell to both of them. Ling Chenyan transformed into a sword, hanging at Guan Luowei’s waist, closing her eyes to sense the auras within the sect.

They slipped deep into the territory, encountering no less than ten patrols. These disciples had powerful auras; every single one had reached the Nascent Soul stage. The security was many times tighter than before. Ling Chenyan suspected they were plotting something big and stayed on high alert, terrified of being discovered.

The two had visited the sect many times, hitting every peak and even the graveyards—except for the mountain where the reclusive ancestors stayed. Their goal this time was exactly that: Wenxian Peak. This peak housed the ancestors in death-seclusion. Their cultivation levels were deeper than Guan Luowei’s; many had been at the Great Transcendent stage for years. One mistake would mean exposure.

They moved with extreme caution. As they went deeper, Ling Chenyan felt increasingly uncomfortable. The air was a mess of scents. The “fragrance” of treasures was covered by a foul stench. It only improved once they reached the peak itself.

Wenxian Peak looked quite simple compared to the others—dense trees and jagged rocks. It seemed like an ordinary mountain, but Guan Luowei, sensing several powerful auras, instinctively pressed down on the restless sword at her waist.

A breeze blew through the trees; everything was silent. Guan Luowei hid not only their auras but their sound and forms. Ling Chenyan closed her eyes to sense the surroundings. To her disappointment, there weren’t many high-quality treasures on the peak—or even much that she could sense at all.

She felt a bit depressed and complained to the System: [Do these old hermits never think that if they die one day, they won’t even have “coffin money” (emergency funds)?]

System: [They are in death-seclusion; the whole point is that they don’t plan on coming back.]

Ling Chenyan: […]

Suddenly, the System said: [Hey, Host. See that mountain wall seven feet up? Press it, and something good will appear.]

Ling Chenyan’s eyes lit up. If the System called it good, it must be exceptional. [What is it? Something the male lead got in the original book?]

System: [Mm. You could call it the Lingxiao Sect’s family fortune.]

Ling Chenyan grew even more excited. She tugged at Guan Luowei, her sword body vibrating with anticipation. Guan Luowei paused and stopped. The silver sword broke free, transformed into her human form, and pressed her fair palm against a specific spot on the rock wall.

At that moment, the towering peak let out a low rumble. The mountain split down the middle, revealing a narrow path. Ling Chenyan’s eyes sparkled brilliantly.

Just as they were about to enter, a startled voice came from behind: “Eh? Why are demons in my Lingxiao Immortal Sect?”

Accompanying the voice was a sharp attack. Guan Luowei’s gaze sharpened; she scooped Ling Chenyan up by the waist to dodge the strike and landed gracefully. As the dust cleared, they saw an old man who looked like he had one foot in the grave. He was hunched and his eyes were clouded. Seeing her dodge, he showed a look of surprise.

A raspy, eerie laugh escaped his throat. “Interesting… inter—”

Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes filled with terror. He watched Guan Luowei’s lightning-fast attack but found he couldn’t move; even his spiritual energy was stagnant. In a mere instant, the elder breathed his last, his eyes full of fear and confusion.

Ling Chenyan looked at the corpse and muttered: “Villains die because they talk too much.”

To be fair, the old man’s strength wasn’t necessarily inferior to Guan Luowei’s, but he likely hadn’t interacted with anyone in years. He talked too much, didn’t expect them to have divine artifacts, and certainly didn’t expect them to strike so ruthlessly without a word.

Ling Chenyan shook her head and pulled Guan Luowei along. “Let’s go! Let’s see what’s good in here!”

They entered the narrow path. In a place they couldn’t see, the “corpse” of the old man suddenly twitched.

They followed the path to a long flight of stairs that seemed to descend into an abyss. It was pitch black, and Ling Chenyan felt a bit creeped out. This doesn’t look like a treasure vault; it looks like a tomb.

Guan Luowei felt her fear and tightened her grip on her hand. They descended step by step. “Highness, why is this place so creepy?”

“I will protect you,” Guan Luowei said.

“Actually, I don’t know if the Demon Pearl is here. I always felt the sect leaders would keep it on them.”

“No matter. We will search them one by one.”

Ling Chenyan: “…” So that’s why she’s so calm; she’s already planning to assassinate everyone one-by-one.

Ling Chenyan didn’t pursue that topic. To break the silence, she asked, “Highness, you wanted to know about my world, right? Should I tell you?”

“Mm,” Guan Luowei replied. “Go on.”

Ling Chenyan talked about everything—from air conditioning and WiFi to planes and food delivery. She talked about how she thought she was finally free when she graduated, only to wake up as a sword. She mentioned the “996” corporate grind where you realize at the end of the year you’re still a “broke ghost.” Guan Luowei memorized every word, feeling curious about a world where people could fly without swords.

They walked for so long Ling Chenyan’s throat felt dry, yet the path had no end. She turned back into a sword and rested in Guan Luowei’s arms. “How much longer?”

Guan Luowei stopped and suddenly launched an attack at the stairs beneath her feet. With a deafening boom, the stone path collapsed. Ling Chenyan fell with Guan Luowei to the very bottom.

A moment later, a soft light illuminated the area. A stone platform appeared before them, covered in various fist-sized, amber-like crystals that emitted a shimmering glow.

Ling Chenyan transformed into human form and ran to the platform. “We’re rich! We’re rich!” She picked up one and saw words written on it: Mountain-Cleaving Punch. She picked up another: Mountain-Flipping Sea-Toppling Array.

She blinked in confusion. [Sys, what are these?]

[These are the lifelong ultimate techniques left behind by every elder and master since the sect’s founding. They condensed their strongest moves and a sliver of their soul into these ambers. In a crisis, they can throw one out to unleash their final strike.]

Ling Chenyan swallowed hard. [There are so many!]

[Don’t get too excited. The levels vary from Nascent Soul to Great Transcendent.]

Ling Chenyan didn’t mind at all. She wore a wicked smile that made even the System feel a bit nervous for the Lingxiao Sect. [Why is such a hoard unguarded?]

[Actually, the defense was the tightest in the sect. But data shows everyone is currently surrounding the heroine, guarding her strictly.]

[Surrounding the heroine? Why?]

[Relates to the plot. Cannot disclose.]

Ling Chenyan sighed, but she was quick to stash everything into her space. She turned to Guan Luowei. “Highness, what are you doing?”

Guan Luowei frowned. “I feel the aura of the Demon Pearl. It’s approaching us rapidly.”

Someone was bringing the pearl toward them at high speed. They exchanged a look.

A moment later, the stone room fell into a deathly silence. Zhen Xuzi arrived with a group of people. However, the room was empty. The inheritance crystals of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect were all gone.

Zhen Xuzi’s eyes turned blood-red, and the eye pattern on his forehead looked increasingly bizarre. “Where are they?” he rasped.

The hunched old man from before, looking weak, lowered his gaze. “I saw them come in.”

“I know that!” Zhen Xuzi turned and looked at him with a hideous expression. “I mean, where are the things and the people?!”

“Zhen Xuzi!” the elder snapped, annoyed at being questioned by a junior. “Are you questioning me?”

Zhen Xuzi stared at him and suddenly gave a strange laugh. With a wave of his hand, the ancestor was pulled toward him as if by an invisible throat. Zhen Xuzi’s eyes turned a deeper red. “Who do you think you are?”

The elder was already wounded; under the grip, he couldn’t breathe. Before he could counter-attack, Zhen Xuzi gave a casual twist of his wrist. The ancestor’s neck snapped. Zhen Xuzi tossed him aside like trash and looked at his terrified disciples. “Search.”

Guan Luowei and Ling Chenyan were hidden in the room. Watching Zhen Xuzi’s brutality, Guan Luowei’s eyes shifted. She could feel the pearl on him. But she didn’t strike because she sensed an even more evil and powerful aura following him, waiting for her to reveal herself.

Zhen Xuzi frowned and pulled out a pearl that made Guan Luowei’s heart stop. He toyed with it and laughed. “Tsk tsk. What a pitiful race. You need sacrifices just to maintain sanity. You live in peace while the souls in the pearl suffer the chaos for you. Pitiful.”

Guan Luowei’s gaze turned icy.

“A dangerous race like yours should just disappear.” Zhen Xuzi gripped the pearl. “If you don’t come out, I’ll crush it. But I suppose you’re cold-blooded enough not to care if they live or die, right?”