Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 74

Shaoyou’s self-destruction came all too suddenly. By the time they regained their senses, all they saw were remnants of flesh and bone falling like red blossoms into the sea of blood below, only to be swallowed in an instant.

Ling Chenyan held the restless red egg in her arms and looked at Guan Luowei.

Guan Luowei stood dazed, her face unreadable, but her breathing was slightly more hurried than usual. Ling Chenyan knew that she, too, was grieving.

Guan Luowei’s gaze fell on the trembling egg in Ling Chenyan’s arms, and a seed of suspicion sprouted. Given Shaoyou’s behavior just now, it was clearly impossible for him to have chosen to self-destruct of his own accord. He had told them to run because he didn’t want the blast to hit them.

It was obvious that whoever controlled Shaoyou wanted to catch them off guard. Coupled with the egg’s abnormal movements, it was hard not to suspect that the egg was the puppet master behind the scenes. Its goal was clear: it wanted to use the blood to accelerate its own growth.

If Ling Chenyan could figure this out, the others present could too. As everyone turned their eyes toward the red egg, Ling Tian finally moved after a long silence.

Like a madman, he lunged forward and snatched the egg from Ling Chenyan’s hands. He grabbed the nearby Wenxin Mirror and smashed it down ruthlessly. Judging by how quickly the patterns on the egg’s surface faded, one could tell just how much force he was using. He shouted something as he struck.

Ling Chenyan couldn’t hear him clearly because Wenxin was also howling—the artifact was clearly in pain from being used as a hammer.

Ling Chenyan shook her head, thinking it was better to let Ling Tian vent. She felt sorry for Wenxin, though; she wondered if the cultivation world had a cure for concussions in divine artifacts.

More than Ling Tian, she was worried about Guan Luowei’s state of mind. She stepped to the woman’s side and tugged at her sleeve. When Guan Luowei looked over, Ling Chenyan offered an inquiring look. Just as she was about to speak words of comfort, the woman raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence.

Guan Luowei’s expression was grave. “They are here,” she said slowly.

They?

Before Ling Chenyan could process this, the earth began to tremble. Dark clouds suddenly billowed over the Demon Realm. Evil energy gathered from all directions, and bizarre, piercing laughter echoed through the sky, loud enough to cause dizziness.

Ling Chenyan gritted her teeth and looked at the egg. “The egg!” she shouted.

The moment the words left her mouth, the egg in Ling Tian’s hands broke free and rose into the air. Simultaneously, the Old Demon Emperor’s figure flickered and appeared behind it.

In mid-air, the Old Emperor’s hand was an inch from the egg when he suddenly pivoted and struck out in the opposite direction. With a bang, a creature shrieked and vanished in mid-air, but the Old Emperor’s momentum was stalled. He could only watch as the red egg floated higher. Before everyone’s eyes, countless cracks spider-webbed across the shell, emitting an eerie red light.

“Not good.”

The same thought occurred to everyone: The evil thing is coming out!

Almost everyone lunged toward the egg, but dozens of evil spirits suddenly appeared in the air, throwing themselves forward recklessly to block their path.

Guan Luowei instinctively reached out to grab Ling Chenyan but missed. She looked up to see the girl had transformed into a silver sword, weaving nimbly through the air toward the egg.

Ling Chenyan had only one thought: she absolutely could not let the thing inside that egg hatch and add to her workload. Whatever it was—even the heroine—it had to be stopped.

With Guan Luowei’s help, Ling Chenyan was the first to reach the egg. She gritted her teeth and slashed her blade downward.

Countless evil spirits swarmed toward her.

The blade finally struck the shell, sinking in an inch—only to be stopped by a cold, slimy hand. It couldn’t move down another fraction.

Ling Chenyan swallowed hard. I’m dead, she thought.

Sure enough, the hand holding her gave a light push. Ling Chenyan was sent flying backward, hurtling toward a mass of evil spirits. Guan Luowei appeared just in time to catch her.

But Ling Chenyan’s heart was entirely on the egg. She transformed back into human form and watched with wide eyes as the shell shattered completely. A woman stepped out and slowly stretched.

The woman still had the face of Lin Qingwan, but her skin was marked with eerie red lines. Her ink-black hair reached her waist, and her pupils were like those of a cold predator—devoid of her former gentleness. Most bizarrely, a pair of wings of unequal size grew from her back; the large one was like an eagle’s, while the small one resembled a scrawny chicken’s wing.

It was a sight as comical as it was unsettling.

She looked coldly in one direction—at Ling Tian.

Lin Qingwan raised her hand slightly, and a faint, inconspicuous beam of light shot toward him. It was silent and calm, yet it felt inexplicably terrifying. Ling Tian raised his blade to block, but the Old Demon Emperor snatched him up and pulled him behind his back, waving a sleeve to casually dissipate the attack.

Lin Qingwan frowned, intending to strike again, but Guan Luowei had already ascended into the air with the Wenxin Mirror and the Deceptive God Zither. Backed by the Old Emperor and the clan elders, she formed a front against Lin Qingwan.

The spirits behind Lin Qingwan clamored, manifesting hideous heads. She stood among them like a rose among thorns, looking completely out of place.

She looked at Guan Luowei and spoke in a raspy voice: “Next time we meet, it will be a fight to the death.”

Guan Luowei’s eyes flickered. She raised a hand. “Why wait for next time?”

Letting a tiger return to the mountain was never a good habit.

Lin Qingwan raised an eyebrow. “You cannot keep me here.”

With those words, countless evil spirits surged forward, throwing themselves in front of her to die as shields. Lin Qingwan’s figure slowly vanished behind the carnage.

After escaping the Demon Realm, Lin Qingwan reached the cave where she had once lived with Mu Yunze and spat out two mouthfuls of blood. Her eyes were venomous as she clenched her hand, causing the blood to evaporate instantly.

According to the original plan, she should have had several more months to absorb nourishment before hatching. But Kujiang and Mieji were useless; not only did they die, but they let her fall into the hands of the Demon Race.

What angered her even more was the demon named Ling Tian. First, he had the gall to boil her in a pot, causing her to lose a portion of her nutrients. Then, he hammered her with the Wenxin Mirror, causing her power to leak out.

Because she was forced to hatch prematurely today, her development was incomplete. Her power was fractured, and her wings were malformed.

With the cultivation world, the demons, and the demon-beasts now allied against her race, the Evil Race was being pushed to the most remote corners of the world. Lin Qingwan lowered her eyes, and a flash of softness crossed her face when she thought of the gentle, handsome man she cared for. Remembering the person she had placed by his side to protect him, she closed her eyes to focus on healing.

Tens of thousands of miles away, across a vast sea.

Mu Yunze had traveled for months and finally arrived at a small island ahead of schedule. It was exactly as he remembered: crashing waves, blue skies, and emerald waters. This was the location of the Secret Moon Realm from his past life—the site of the final Divine Artifact, the most powerful Evil-Quelling Heavenly Book.

Since it was still early, no one knew this was a secret realm yet. He was the first one here.

Mu Yunze couldn’t help but smile. He turned to the beautiful woman behind him. “Miss Wu, we’ve arrived.”

Wu Zhong showed no emotion. “Good.”

Seeing her knit her brows, Mu Yunze said considerately, “Miss Wu, are you unwell?”

Wu Zhong looked at him and shook her head. “No. Do what you need to do, Young Master Mu. I am here to protect you.”

Mu Yunze laughed awkwardly. “Miss Wu, I am a man after all. Why would I need your protection?”

Wu Zhong frowned and said nothing. Mu Yunze wasn’t bothered; he patiently tried to chat with her about this and that until she stared at him with her pitch-black eyes. He laughed and walked away.

Once he was at a distance, Mu Yunze glanced back and sighed. This woman had been introduced to him by Lin Qingwan before he left the sect. Qingwan said she had paid a high price to hire a master from the outside to ensure his safety on the road.

Mu Yunze hadn’t wanted her, but under Lin Qingwan’s persistent pleading, he brought her along. Lin Qingwan was soft and gentle, while this woman was cold and beautiful—but her strength was immense. Several times on the road, when people had ill intentions toward them, she had killed them with a single strike.

While surprised, Mu Yunze felt a growing sense of appreciation for her. He liked Lin Qingwan’s gentleness, but this cold beauty’s disdain for him actually stirred his desire to conquer her. He knew it wasn’t right, but after all the setbacks in this life, he had begun to doubt his own charm. He desperately needed someone to prove his appeal, and this woman who treated him with cold eyes fit the bill perfectly.

Wu Zhong was also watching Mu Yunze’s back with scrutiny. She couldn’t understand what her King saw in such a flirtatious and weak man. If not for the King’s orders, she would have killed this disgusting human long ago and turned him into nourishment.

Furthermore, since stepping onto this island, she felt a stifling sensation—a natural suppression that made her chest feel tight. Naturally, she had no patience for Mu Yunze’s advances.

Unaware of her thoughts, Mu Yunze assumed she was paying attention to him. He curled his lips slightly and, just as he did in his past life, began searching for the entrance to the secret realm.

After Lin Qingwan escaped, the Old Emperor sent the news to the Triple Alliance (Human, Demon-Beast, and Demon). Many demons had died in the incident, and even Zong Xian had been seriously injured while trying to stop Shaoyou.

Tong Di stayed by Ling Tian’s side to prevent him from doing anything reckless. Ling Tian, however, went to Shaoyou’s room and found his diary.

Demon Calendar Year 523, October 3rd:

Led a team out of the clan with Brother Ling Tian for training. Encountered a strong enemy on the road. Neither of us was strong enough. I decided to cover the retreat and let Ling Tian take the others first… I was seriously injured and felt like I was dying. A demon appeared suddenly and gave me medicine, saying it would help me recover quickly and increase my strength.

Demon Calendar Year 523, October 5th:

My injuries are healed, and my cultivation has increased. But the demon who gave me the medicine is nowhere to be found. I must thank him properly next time.

Demon Calendar Year 523, December 7th:

I’ve been feeling restless lately. Something feels strange.

Demon Calendar Year 524, January 5th:

That wasn’t medicine.

There was a long gap. Shaoyou hadn’t written again until the most recent entry. The handwriting was messy, and the ink was barely dry.

Demon Calendar Year 524, February 18th:

Brother Ling Tian, you’ll see this diary, won’t you? If you’re reading this, it means I’m already dead. Don’t be sad for me, and tell Her Highness not to be sad either. This was my own decision. I swallowed the Evil Seed, and I will gradually lose my mind. I’ve seen what people look like after they lose themselves; it’s too ugly. I don’t want to become like that; Her Highness wouldn’t like it. I just want to find a quiet place to die.

I’m so sorry for what happened at the square. I didn’t mean to shout at you, but I can’t stay here anymore. I can feel the egg trying to control me. Protect Her Highness. I… [The writing trailed off into a large blot of ink.]

Ling Tian silently closed the diary. At that point, Shaoyou must have been controlled and sent out to kill. He never imagined Shaoyou had consumed the Evil Seed in such a way, and he hadn’t known a thing. If he had known, he would have stayed to fight by his side that day.

Tong Di sighed and patted his shoulder. “Shaoyou was right. We must protect Her Highness.”

Ling Tian gripped the diary, his eyes fierce. “The Evil Race…” He would never let them hurt anyone else he cared about.

Zong Xian was seriously injured and kept calling for Guan Luowei. The Old Emperor had no choice but to send for her. Hearing this, Guan Luowei’s eyes flickered toward the girl beside her before she looked back. “I understand.”

Once the messenger left, Guan Luowei turned to Ling Chenyan and patted her head. “Wait for me for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

Ling Chenyan nodded. “Go ahead.”

Her casual acceptance made Guan Luowei pause. “I’ll be back very soon,” she repeated.

Ling Chenyan nodded again, reaching for her communication device. “Got it. Go, go.”

Guan Luowei gave her one last deep look before turning and leaving. Once she was gone, Ling Chenyan quickly closed the door and turned on the communication device. A familiar face appeared.

Hua Niang looked surprised. “Oh? Little Yanyan? What made you think to call me?”

Ling Chenyan coughed and picked up Wenxin, who was trying to sneak away. “Hua Niang, did Her Majesty the Queen not notice anything?”

“Hmm?” Hua Niang turned her head. “Your Majesty, has anything happened in the palace lately?”

Before the sentence finished, the screen flickered. Hua Niang let out a cry on the other side. “Your Majesty, what are you doing? I’m talking to Yanyan!”

Ling Chenyan watched the sweet smile on Hua Niang’s face and tutted in her heart, staying silent. Medusa’s face soon appeared on the screen. Her golden pupils still flashed with a cruel luster, but she looked much better than when Ling Chenyan first met her.

She looked at Ling Chenyan. “You want to talk about the Evil Race?”

“No,” Ling Chenyan said. She lifted the neglected Wenxin into view. “Did you not notice that the Wenxin Mirror was missing?”

Hua Niang: “…”

Medusa: “…”

Author’s Note:

The strongest Divine Artifact, Wenxin: Do you people even have hearts?!