Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 77

The next day, before dawn, Guan Luowei rose to count her troops and communicate with the human and demon-beast clans.

While the demons and demon-beasts were fewer in number than humans, they benefited from having singular rulers. Consequently, their numbers were gathered quickly. In contrast, the human cultivators, with their numerous sects and rogue practitioners, only saw small detachments sent from the major sects.

The sole purpose of this mission was the Divine Artifact. After the Grand Assembly, the high-level human cultivators held a private meeting to debate whether the news of the secret realm should be made public.

The conclusion reached was to inform only medium and large-sized sects; smaller sects were to be left in the dark. Too many people would lead to a chaotic environment that would be difficult to control—especially since they did not know if the Evil Race would make an appearance.

However, despite all precautions, the news spread through the cultivation world like wildfire. Nearly everyone now knew that the Divine Artifact, the Evil-Quelling Heavenly Book, was located in the Secret Moon Realm. The world was in an uproar.

A swarm of cultivators rushed toward the realm, hoping to be the first to obtain the book, or at the very least, scavenge some other treasures.

Naturally, none of this concerned Guan Luowei and her party.

After finalizing the headcount, Guan Luowei left the coordination to Tong Di and Ling Tian. She returned to the Demon Palace to wake Ling Chenyan, who was still deep in sleep. “Yanyan, get up.”

Ling Chenyan opened her eyes groggily. Seeing the light outside, she suddenly remembered today was the day they left for the secret realm. She tossed back the covers and rushed to wash up, mumbling, “Highness, are they all ready?”

“No rush,” Guan Luowei replied. “The headcount is still being finalized.”

Ling Chenyan breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down.

As she finished washing, her peripheral vision caught Guan Luowei standing by the door. She held her usual ramrod-straight posture, but unusually, she wore an outfit that didn’t cover her neck. The wind brushed the long hair against her face, and the sunlight gilded her features with a golden edge. She looked ethereal, like a celestial being.

Despite having seen her countless times, Ling Chenyan never tired of looking. Not only that, but every time she saw her, she felt a surge of pride. This is my woman.

With that thought, Ling Chenyan finished up, stepped over to Guan Luowei, and stood on her tiptoes to leave a kiss on her cheek.

Seeing Guan Luowei’s progression from shock to bashfulness and finally to a facade of forced composure, Ling Chenyan laughed. They had done far more intimate things, yet she was still this shy.

Just as Ling Chenyan was about to tease her, a light cough sounded from outside the door.

Ling Chenyan turned in shock to see the Old Demon Emperor, Tong Di, Ling Tian, several elders, and rows of demon guards all staring at them with wide eyes. Every pair of eyes was like a bright spotlight, making her feel as if she were standing on a stage under intense scrutiny.

Ling Chenyan: “…”

She finally understood why Guan Luowei had reacted that way. Even with her thick skin, Ling Chenyan couldn’t help but hide behind Guan Luowei, grumbling softly, “Why didn’t you say everyone was here!”

After the initial shock, Guan Luowei had regained her usual calm. No matter how much her mind raced, she maintained her dignity before her subordinates. She glanced indifferently at the gossiping group. “Is everyone here?”

Tong Di, responsible for the count, stepped out and shouted, “All present!”

“Good.” Guan Luowei looked at the Old Emperor, who was stroking his beard thoughtfully. “In that case, Majesty, we shall depart.”

The Old Emperor nodded, his gaze turning to the soldiers below. His expression hardened into a gaze of regal authority. “I will not say much. Five hundred of our elite are going. I hope to see every one of you when you return.”

These people were the elite and the future of the clan. If too many were lost, it would be a grievous blow. The Old Emperor had only one requirement: while helping Guan Luowei obtain the artifact, they must prioritize their own survival.

The guards answered solemnly. Without another word, the Old Emperor nodded to Guan Luowei.

Guan Luowei was not one for lingering. She stood before the group and said simply, “Move.”

Before leaving, Ling Chenyan caught the Old Emperor smiling at her with an expression that was both affectionate and suggestive. She chose to ignore it and followed closely behind Guan Luowei.

As the demons set off, the demon-beasts and humans also began their march toward the target.

On the island, Mu Yunze had been waiting for over half a month. He remembered clearly that in his previous life, the Secret Moon Realm opened because two powerful experts fought here; the commotion was so great that it triggered an anomaly in the realm, leading to its discovery.

But no matter how much noise he made on the island, the realm didn’t react. Mu Yunze began to wonder if his current strength was simply insufficient to cause a large enough disturbance.

Wu Zhong isn’t on the island right now, otherwise, I’d have her try.

Mu Yunze flew above the island, sighed, and let out a curse.

The very next moment, a powerful suction force rose from below. Caught off guard, Mu Yunze was yanked down, slamming onto the island floor.

Wincing in pain, his first reaction wasn’t anger but joy—the island finally had a reaction. Following his past memories, he walked to a specific location and, sure enough, found a massive rock rising from the ground.

If he could crack this rock, the entrance to the realm would appear.

Mu Yunze laughed excitedly. He gathered his strength and struck the rock, but it remained unscathed. After many failed attempts, he was drenched in sweat. He suddenly realized that in his previous life, when he broke this rock, he was at the Void-Hollowing stage. Now, he was only at the late Body-Integration stage. The gap in spiritual power was worlds apart.

His face darkened, but he calmed down when he thought of Wu Zhong’s cultivation level.

Before long, Wu Zhong returned. Mu Yunze hurried to meet her with a charming smile. “Miss Wu, you’ve returned at the perfect time! I’ve finally found the entrance to the realm!”

Wu Zhong’s eyes shifted. “Oh? Then why haven’t you entered?”

Mu Yunze pursed his lips, smiling like a spring breeze. “I wanted to wait for you so we could enter together.”

A sharp glint flashed in Wu Zhong’s eyes. Through their time together and Mu Yunze’s fanatical attitude, she had guessed what lay inside. She knew the human legends; the item within was likely the Divine Artifact that was naturally incompatible with the Evil Race—the one with the power to suppress them.

If I can destroy this artifact…

Wu Zhong lowered her lashes to hide a flicker of black mist, then smiled. “Very well. Lead the way, Young Master Mu.”

Looking at Mu Yunze’s flushed face, she called him a “fool” again in her heart. For the past half month, she had intentionally played the part of a woman moved by his devotion, gradually softening her attitude toward him. He had actually believed it.

Men are truly possessed of endless self-confidence.

She followed him to the giant rock. Mu Yunze stopped and smiled. “Miss Wu, a ‘voice transmission’ told me that the entrance will appear once this rock is shattered. Let us join forces to break it.”

Wu Zhong agreed with a smile, though she sneered internally. She knew exactly why he hadn’t gone in first—he simply couldn’t break the rock.

Soon, their combined efforts shattered the giant stone. As debris rained down, Mu Yunze “gallantly” pulled Wu Zhong into his arms to shield her. “Careful of the rubble, Miss Wu,” he said tenderly.

Wu Zhong shoved him away, restraining the urge to kill him. “Young Master Mu, the realm is open. We can enter.”

If not for the King’s repeated warnings not to use an Evil Seed to turn Mu Yunze into her thrall, she would have controlled him long ago. Thinking of this, she remembered when the King rescued this man from the Demon-Beast clan; her foolish brother had merely tried to beguile him with words without even using a seed, yet the King had crushed and devoured him instantly.

The King was angry. This meant the man was very important to the King, which was why she continued to endure him.

Wu Zhong took a deep breath, about to speak, when a man’s playful voice rang out from the sky: “Interesting. A cultivator falling for an Evil Race member?”

The voice appeared so suddenly it startled Wu Zhong. She gathered her power and glared at the sky. “Who?!”

Mu Yunze, however, was familiar with the voice—familiar because he had suffered greatly at its hands in his previous life while trying to subdue it. His eyes lit up. “Xuan Ye,” he said, regaining his calm. “I have a way to let you see the person you wish to see.”

This was something Mu Yunze had learned after becoming familiar with Xuan Ye in his past life. Xuan Ye had one unfulfilled wish: to see that person one last time. Though Mu Yunze hadn’t succeeded back then and didn’t actually know how to do it now, it was the only bargaining chip he had.

Mu Yunze was so focused on the artifact that he didn’t even notice Xuan Ye had referred to Wu Zhong as “Evil Race.”

Sure enough, the atmosphere froze. An unspeakable pressure weighed down on him, making it hard to breathe. Mu Yunze held his ground; he knew if he couldn’t even withstand the aura, Xuan Ye would never believe him.

Mu Yunze looked composed on the surface, but sweat was beaded on his forehead, and his spiritual energy was working at maximum capacity.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the pressure vanished. Suddenly, a massive force swept him and Wu Zhong straight off the island. Mu Yunze was dazed as they fell into the sea with a loud splash.

The cold voice rang out again: “Ant. You think you can control me by holding what I desire? If I weren’t slightly curious about you, you would be dead. Begone. Once you have found your proper place, come back and talk to me.”

The voice vanished. No matter how Mu Yunze called out, there was no response.

After a month of travel, the demons were nearing the island Zen Master Guixu had mentioned. Along the way, they met up with the demon-beast clan. Perhaps because both races were shunned by human cultivators, the atmosphere between them was quite harmonious.

The two clans even shared a ship. The demons were wealthy, and their vessel could easily carry over a thousand people.

At the moment, Ling Chenyan was playing cards with Hua Niang, Medusa, and Guan Luowei. In this round, Ling Chenyan was the “Landlord.” Guan Luowei sat above her with four cards left, while Ling Chenyan had only one.

Hua Niang was grinning ear to ear, winking frantically at Guan Luowei. Guan Luowei looked down at her hand for a moment, then calmly played a 3.

Hua Niang: “…?” Her eyes widened. “Even if you’re going easy on her, this is too much!”

Guan Luowei showed no shame, her gaze slowly settling on Ling Chenyan.

Hua Niang watched resentfully as Ling Chenyan turned and gave Guan Luowei a radiant smile. “Cannot afford.” (Meaning: I can’t beat that card / Pass).

Three seconds of silence.

Hua Niang: “…Hahajajajajajaj!”

Medusa: “…”

Guan Luowei: “…”

Ling Chenyan crossly tossed her last card—a 3—and snatched Guan Luowei’s remaining cards. She froze.

Hua Niang leaned over to look and immediately felt like a dog kicked by the side of the road.

After Guan Luowei had played that single 3, the remaining cards in her hand were… three 3s.

Author’s Note:

Hua Niang: Took a critical hit.