Blame the Villain – Chapter 149

Villainous Malevolent Ghost (3)

So many things happened on this day that Song Xuyi was somewhat caught off guard.

After pondering, it seems that all these unexpected events occurred after she removed the bead…

Could it be that this bead actually has the power to ward off evil spirits? But why didn’t the original owner attract the attention of such spirits before?

Song Xuyi instinctively felt that everything was connected to the ‘guardian deity’ that appeared the previous night.

……

But Song Xuyi did not know if she could see that ‘guardian deity’ again, and she couldn’t just sit and wait for death. After pondering for a while, she gritted her teeth and put the bead back on her wrist.

As soon as the bead touched her skin, it emitted a bright light, and Song Xuyi clearly felt something emerge from the bead, traveling along her wrist and into various parts of her body.

Almost at the moment Song Xuyi put on the bead, those coveting gazes from the sky vanished instantly, and everything returned to how it was before.

Song Xuyi mustered the courage to step out of the house’s main door and did not encounter any strange occurrences again.

This time, Song Xuyi confirmed that all of this was indeed related to the bead.

Song Xuyi searched online again for the effects of curse stones and discovered some useful information: curse stones made by powerful sorcerers generally have the effect of instilling fear in all evil spirits.

Could it be that the curse stone the shopkeeper gave her as a bonus really comes from a powerful sorcerer?

That night, perhaps worried about another accident befalling Song Xuyi, Xia Tian also moved back into the room. Song Xuyi forced herself to stay awake all night, hoping to encounter that ‘guardian deity’ to inquire in person. However, the night passed quietly, and nothing strange happened.

The next day, the weather improved slightly, but the sky remained gloomy, as if it could rain heavily at any moment. In broad daylight, Xia Tian, not worried about Song Xuyi encountering any accidents, ran off to join Bai Jin in preparing for the sacrificial rituals.

Having stayed up all night, Song Xuyi struggled to stay awake, and in the morning, she took a nap but once again fell into that strange dream.

In such a harsh environment, Bai Yu still grew tenaciously, becoming exceptionally beautiful and highly powerful, gradually moving towards becoming the renowned Celestial Master Bai Yu, famed throughout history for her knowledge.

The last thing Song Xuyi saw was the sixteen-year-old Bai Yu.

It was a duel between sorcerers. The girl, who had always been taught by her father, easily defeated him in the competition. Her father, despite being beaten to the point of vomiting blood, looked at her and laughed.

The original owner had seen movies with Bai Yu as the main character and knew this was yet another starting point in Bai Yu’s brilliant life. Thereafter, countless honors would be bestowed upon her: defeating the head of the Bai family at sixteen, one could only imagine how glorious her future would be!

At the end of the dream, after the excitement faded, the girl in white, expressionless, looked puzzled at her reflection in the pool.

It must be said that Bai Yu was born extremely beautiful. Song Xuyi, who considered herself well-acquainted with beauties, had never seen anyone surpass the girl in her dream: the girl was like a goddess from myth and legend, with black hair like a waterfall, eyes clear as autumn water, and jade-like features. Most striking were the girl’s eyes, clear and bright, with a small red mole at the corner, like a red plum blossoming in the snow, indescribably vivid and radiant, as if she had stepped out from a legendary comic.

At such a young age, she possessed this beauty, and one can only wonder what kind of elegance Bai Yu would have upon growing up…

Perhaps burdened with the heavy responsibility of reviving the Bai family, the girl was always mature. Song Xuyi rarely saw her show such a confused expression.

Through Bai Yu’s eyes, Song Xuyi looked at Bai Yu’s reflection in the water. In the dream, Bai Yu seemed to have discovered something in the pool, as she slightly pursed her lips—

Probably because there were no disturbances, this dream lasted longer than the previous ones. When Song Xuyi woke up, it was already evening. Xia Tian rushed in with her phone, gesturing dramatically at Song Xuyi, who immediately understood that Xia Tian’s parents had called to check in. She quickly took the phone…

After handling Xia Tian’s parents as they had planned, Xia Tian pulled Song Xuyi out for dinner. After dinner, Song Xuyi thought for a while and, using the excuse of aiding digestion, followed Xia Tian into the ancestral hall.

According to the traditions of the older generation, the Bai family’s ancestral hall strictly forbids outsiders from entering. However, during the Bai family’s decline, creditors frequently came and went in the ancestral hall, even smashing some of the ancestors’ tablets. Therefore, Bai Jin did not mind Song Xuyi following them in.

However, sacrificial items must be personally prepared by Bai family members.

Xia Tian is determined to marry Bai Jin, and naturally, she is considered part of the Bai family, but Song Xuyi is different; she has no right to participate in any sacrificial preparations.

The ritual required forty-nine hand-woven lanterns, so Song Xuyi helped Xia Tian move the materials into the room. Xia Tian worked overtime weaving the lanterns, and Song Xuyi, not wanting to disturb her, began wandering around the ancestral hall. The Bai family’s ancestral hall was built magnificently and covered a large area, but unfortunately, many places showed signs of damage.

On the offering table lay a thick booklet recording the names of the Bai family ancestors.

It seemed that during previous conflicts with creditors, this booklet had been damaged, with many pages torn out from the middle. However, even with many pages missing, it was still evident that the Bai family had enjoyed great fortune over the years—many historically renowned names appeared in the center of this booklet…

Song Xuyi put down the booklet and, not wanting to disturb the hardworking Xia Tian, walked out of the ancestral hall.

The night was still without starlight, and the night wind was cold. Song Xuyi couldn’t help but shrink her arms, yet the bead on her wrist was like a heater, continuously emitting warmth.

Song Xuyi couldn’t help but glance at the bead again: the curse stone contains a sorcerer’s drop of blood. After repeatedly dreaming of Bai Yu and observing the bead’s effects, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but speculate: could it be that the curse stone contains the blood of the legendary metaphysical ancestor Bai Yu, which is why it holds such great power?

The Bai family’s old house has a special reaction to this curse stone, and since both Bai Jin and Bai Yu share the surname Bai, could it be that Bai Yu is an ancestor of the Bai family?

The house has endured for a thousand years and is certainly different from the one in the dream. However, in the Bai family’s incomplete genealogy, Song Xuyi did not find Bai Yu’s name…

What is all this really about?

Song Xuyi felt extremely confused, unable to figure it out at the moment, so she decided to calm her mind and began to read.

Having slept too long during the day, Song Xuyi found herself without any sleepiness. After midnight, she shivered all over, suddenly feeling as if someone was standing outside the window watching her…

The feeling was extremely strange. Clearly, Song Xuyi had closed the window, and logically, no one outside should be able to see in, yet she constantly felt someone was outside the window.

However, Bai Jin had closed the front door in the evening…

Song Xuyi pressed her lips tightly, listening to the wind hitting the glass with a ‘pata’ sound, unable to focus on the book. Finally, she stood up intending to open the window, but at that moment, the sound of a key turning in the door suddenly came from the entrance. Xia Tian, looking exhausted, walked in from outside and gave Song Xuyi a surprised look: “How come you’re not asleep yet?”

Song Xuyi’s hand paused on the window, and she pushed it open. The feeling of being watched instantly vanished. She glanced into the shadows, found no one there, sighed with relief, closed the window again, and smiled at Xia Tian: “I slept too much during the day, so I’m not sleepy at night.”

Xia Tian appeared extremely exhausted, yawning continuously: “I have to get up early tomorrow; there’s a pile of things waiting for me to do. I feel like I can hardly finish…”

Xia Tian quickly washed up and went to bed. Song Xuyi turned off the light, her mind swirling with countless thoughts, and she eventually fell asleep without realizing it.

That night, Song Xuyi didn’t dream again.

When Song Xuyi woke up again, it was already the next morning, and Xia Tian was nowhere in sight. Song Xuyi ate the breakfast Xia Tian had left and remembered Xia Tian’s words, deciding to go to the ancestral hall to help her. Xia Tian initially wanted to refuse, but Bai Jin, standing nearby, spoke up: “We don’t need to adhere to the rules from a thousand years ago about who is a Bai family member. Thank you for your hard work, Xuyi…”

So, Song Xuyi began to help Xia Tian with the offerings. The three of them worked diligently, and finally, by midnight, they had prepared everything needed for the ritual.

At twelve o’clock, the ritual officially begins.

At this time, only one person can remain in the ancestral hall to conduct the ceremony. Even Xia Tian has to wait outside the hall, not to mention an outsider like Song Xuyi. According to ancient rules, Song Xuyi should stay in her room with the doors closed.

Seeing that there was nothing else she could help with, Song Xuyi told Xia Tian she would return to her room. Xia Tian glanced around, her eyes showing obvious concern: “Aren’t you afraid to go back alone?”

At that moment, whether it was because the night was too cold or for some other reason, a light mist rose around the house. The night wind was extremely cold, and the white lanterns hanging from the eaves swayed in the wind, adding a somewhat eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

Song Xuyi turned on the rear light of her phone, smiled, and stepped into the darkness: “This is the Bai family. There are talismans posted everywhere, and the road isn’t long. How could I possibly encounter danger…”

Song Xuyi did not expect that right after saying this, she would soon be proven wrong—

During the day, it only takes five to six minutes to walk from the ancestral hall to Song Xuyi’s room.

The night was somewhat cool, so Song Xuyi wrapped her clothes tightly and took large strides. At first, it was fine, but after walking for two to three minutes, the surrounding fog suddenly became extremely dense, and her once bright flashlight could only illuminate about two meters ahead…

This was really not good!

Song Xuyi squinted her eyes, struggling to find her way back. However, the winding paths of these old houses led to secluded spots, and with one wrong step after another, she realized after about half an hour that she was lost.

Song Xuyi stopped and subconsciously gripped the bead on her wrist, while trying to call Xia Tian and Bai Jin. However, despite being in the city center, her phone displayed no signal.

The suddenly thickened fog, the ancient house passed down for thousands of years, and a phone with no signal…

All of this was too strange, and Song Xuyi couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. She instructed the system in her mind: “System, help me keep an eye out. I know you can’t speak now, so… if there’s something unusual to the east, make a ‘woo-ah’ sound; if to the west, make ‘ah-woo’ twice…”

With this in mind, Song Xuyi decided not to sit and wait for danger. She tried hard to find her way back, and suddenly the wind in the house became much stronger, blowing away part of the fog. Song Xuyi saw the faint lights from the outside buildings and sighed in relief, quickly walking in that direction—

And just as she was passing a certain spot, the system in her mind suddenly urgently ‘ah-wooed’ three times.

Song Xuyi subconsciously looked towards the south…

There stood an extremely large ancient tree, and in the thin fog, a shadow lay beneath it—

The system’s ‘ah-woo’ sounds grew increasingly urgent.

Song Xuyi’s heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip and stepped forward, using her phone’s rear light to shine in that direction. Unexpectedly, the shadow just turned its head—

Song Xuyi saw a flawless face like white jade.

This is a woman who can be described with the phrase “heavenly fragrance and national beauty.” Her eyes seem to hold the essence of autumn water, with a charming red mole at the corner. Her figure is slender, and she is wearing a flowing white Taoist robe while lying on the ground, barefoot.

Song Xuyi’s gaze involuntarily fell on the woman’s bare feet. Under the flashlight’s glow, her jade-white feet appeared semi-transparent, disappearing and reappearing…

Such a sight…

The woman was clearly not human.

Song Xuyi thought she should be scared, or at least astonished, but perhaps because the woman was so beautiful, Song Xuyi found that her heart was only filled with admiration:

So this is what Bai Yu is like as an adult! Song Xuyi never imagined that someone could blend purity and allure so perfectly…

“You—” Song Xuyi inexplicably felt her throat go dry, her mind filled with countless questions, like whether the bead on her hand is related to Bai Yu, why the evil spirits are chasing her, or if Bai Yu is the guardian of this house. However, before Song Xuyi could speak, the beauty on the ground suddenly squinted her misty eyes, and her gaze became incredibly vacant…

Sensing something amiss, Song Xuyi instinctively took a step back to escape, but she was still a moment too slow. The fog gathered again in front of her, blocking her path, and in the next instant, someone grabbed Song Xuyi’s wrist—

Accompanied by the system’s anguished ‘ah-woo’ sound, Song Xuyi fell to the ground, eyes wide open.

—Cold lips touched Song Xuyi’s lips, leisurely licking them as if savoring a delicacy. The bead on Song Xuyi’s wrist burned intensely, as if something was flowing through their touching lips, slowly leaving Song Xuyi’s body and entering Bai Yu’s…

“Is she absorbing yin to replenish yang?”

“Why did she specifically choose me!”

Song Xuyi’s face turned burning red as she desperately tried to struggle, but the seemingly delicate woman was astonishingly strong, and Song Xuyi could not break free. Instead, the woman bit her lips as if in punishment.

Song Xuyi dared not struggle anymore and closed her eyes in anguish. She never thought she would be forced to kiss a non-human. Originally, she thought she would be drained of her yang energy, left either half-dead or directly dead. However, perhaps due to overwhelming shyness, Song Xuyi found that her body not only didn’t feel discomfort but instead felt warm and seemed full of strength…

It seemed like just a moment passed, or perhaps a long time, before the woman finally stopped kissing.

Song Xuyi gasped for breath and opened her eyes, discovering that the woman’s once semi-transparent body had become incredibly solid, and her previously vacant gaze now held some clarity—

As she met Song Xuyi’s eyes, the woman’s face clearly showed a hint of embarrassment, and she lowered her head, hugging her knees.

Could she actually blush?

Song Xuyi thoughtfully observed the woman, noticing a distinct flush appear on her cheeks. Despite feeling ashamed, Song Xuyi did not lose her ability to judge: compared to now, the woman’s earlier state seemed clearly off, acting like a beast following only instincts…

Yet even knowing this, Song Xuyi, who had been forcibly kissed, still showed no pleasant expression when facing the woman.

“Are you Bai Yu?” Song Xuyi asked coldly, looking at the woman while gasping slightly. She intended to speak with a cold tone, but having just finished kissing, her voice couldn’t muster the coldness, instead sounding almost coy.

Song Xuyi’s expression grew even colder.

The woman pursed her lips and glanced at Song Xuyi. Her feet on the grass curled slightly, and she nodded.

“Are you the guardian deity of the Bai family?” Song Xuyi continued with a stern expression, feeling inwardly resentful: Bai Yu, putting on this pitiful appearance, made it seem as if she had been the one forcibly kissed.

The woman lowered her head, as if deeply pondering, and finally shook her head: “I can’t remember.”

It seems that not speaking for a long time made the woman’s voice somewhat hoarse, but this did not affect its tone. Probably due to years of blessings and prayers, her voice sounded luxurious and clear, extremely pleasant.

Song Xuyi tightly pursed her lips, instinctively feeling that Bai Yu was lying. The Bai Yu she saw in her dream was so powerful; how could she not remember what happened? Yet, her appearance seemed extremely sincere…

“Then what do you remember?” Song Xuyi asked irritably.

“Everything you dreamed is all the memory I have. The cursed stone transmitted my memories to you.”

“I woke up once five years ago,” Bai Yu said, furrowing her brows and covering her head, as if trying hard to recall: “But for some reason, I was severely injured, lost my memory, and fell into slumber. Over these years, I’ve woken up intermittently several times, but I’ve never been able to heal my injuries…”

“I woke up again three days ago,” Bai Yu said, her gaze falling on Song Xuyi’s wrist: “You carry my blood.”

“Just like tonight, I lost control that day.” Bai Yu looked at Song Xuyi apologetically and pursed her lips: “That night, I drank your blood and formed a symbiotic contract with you, which is why you can see me…”

“My injuries are not healed, and I need to regularly absorb yang energy from you. I worried that appearing abruptly would scare you, so I’ve been holding back for the past two days. However, today I felt particularly uncomfortable, and upon seeing you, I lost control again…”

As she spoke, Bai Yu’s face showed a hint of embarrassment once more, and she lowered her head: “Rest assured, even though I absorb your yang energy, it… does not harm your body. The symbiotic contract can gradually allow you to gain the abilities I had in life…”

“However, my current magical power is weak, and I cannot temporarily remove the monster in your sea of consciousness that makes strange sounds. I can only seal it temporarily…”

This passage contains a lot of information, and Song Xuyi carefully noted down every word Bai Yu said. However, the most urgent matter isn’t analyzing the truth of Bai Yu’s words, but rather releasing the ‘wah-woo wah-woo’ system.

“The monster in my sea of consciousness is something I raised,” Song Xuyi began to lie blatantly: “It’s extremely well-behaved and won’t harm me, you should quickly lift its seal.”

“Is that so?” Bai Yu quietly looked at Song Xuyi, speaking softly, a hint of contemplation flashing in her beautiful eyes, but obediently lifted the system’s seal.

“Wah-woo! Stinky villain, bastard villain! I am not finished with you…” The system, having regained its ability to speak, immediately began to curse, not forgetting to tell Song Xuyi: “Don’t worry, we are using the language of your original small world, she cannot understand.”

“Is Bai Yu the villain?” Song Xuyi frowned at the system’s words: “I thought she was the guardian deity of this mansion—”

The system’s cursing suddenly paused as it glanced at Bai Yu, who was lowering her head. Finally, it reluctantly admitted, “Actually, I don’t know if she is the villain. For the non-humans in this world, my villain detection radar seems to have lost its effectiveness…”

Despite saying this, the system thought to itself that based on past experience, Bai Yu is definitely the villain. However, it didn’t dare share this guess with Song Xuyi, fearing she would investigate further.

“I actually have a theory,” Song Xuyi summarized Bai Yu’s words and drew some key points: “Bai Yu indeed has a strong possibility of being the guardian deity of the Bai family. She mentioned waking up once five years ago, which coincides with the Bai family’s decline. Could it be that as the guardian deity, she discovered the evil ghost villain at that time, and after waking, fought and lost, leading to the Bai family’s downfall?”

“She mentioned feeling particularly uncomfortable today. Could it be due to the sacrificial rituals on Bai Jin’s side? Because if they are sacrificing to the guardian deity, even though the guardian deity’s power would strengthen, it would further bind her to guard the family home…”

The system bit its lip tightly. It still believed Bai Yu was the villain, yet Song Xuyi’s reasoning sounded extremely plausible.

“Then how do you plan to settle her?” The system, unable to figure it out, simply stopped thinking and changed the subject with a cold snort: “You can’t have a ghost by your side!”

Song Xuyi frowned and instinctively glanced at Bai Yu beside her.

Bai Yu sat quietly nearby, hugging her knees with her brows furrowed. Although the Bai Yu in front of her was no longer a young girl, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but think of the Bai Yu in her dream. Song Xuyi had witnessed Bai Yu’s struggles; the girl was extremely polite and self-restrained in front of outsiders but incredibly shy and taciturn around her cherished mother and brother. She lived for more than a thousand years and probably never imagined she would forcibly kiss someone…

Thinking this way, Song Xuyi’s resentment towards Bai Yu diminished a bit, and she even felt some sympathy.

Nowadays, there are many metaphysical films and TV shows, and Song Xuyi also knows the cruel process of creating a guardian deity: they are usually people with a strong attachment to their family. These individuals must be slowly drained of blood alive under specific talismans, spreading their blood over every piece of the family’s soil to protect the family’s peace.

A thousand years ago, the metaphysical grandmaster, rumored to have perished alongside evil spirits, was at the height of power. Why would such a figure choose to become a small guardian deity?

……

But even if Bai Yu’s past is pitiful, there is one thing the system said that is very true—although the guardian deity has the word “deity” in it, its essence is still a ghost. Even if Bai Yu needs to absorb my yang energy to heal, I can’t possibly keep a ghost by my side…

The author has something to say:

Xiaobai: You have a wah-woo wah-woo monster in your sea of consciousness, and yet you won’t carry me? That’s too much!

LP: Re-translated on September 09, 2024