Blame the Villain – Chapter 87

Villainous Master (9)

Song Xuyi tried to evade, intending to avoid repeating the same old trick with Ning Jingyu. She swore an oath, saying that she would never fall for someone else in the future, wholeheartedly focusing only on swordsmanship.

However, this time Ning Jingyu’s attitude was extremely resolute, seemingly determined to make Song Xuyi familiarize herself with those books. No matter how Song Xuyi coquettishly pleaded and evaded, it was of no avail.

Song Xuyi didn’t know what Ning Jingyu was thinking, but at the moment Ning Jingyu’s attitude seemed extremely firm. Song Xuyi didn’t want to confront her head-on and decided to compromise with Ning Jingyu for the time being. She employed delaying tactics, hoping that if the matter was put off for long enough, Ning Jingyu might forget about it.

However, Song Xuyi underestimated Ning Jingyu’s persistence in this matter.

Two days later, Ning Jingyu sent a message to Song Xuyi, asking her to come to her room. The first thing she said when Song Xuyi arrived was, “《The more handsome a man is, the more likely he is to deceive people》. What is the third story about?”

Song Xuyi didn’t expect Ning Jingyu to still remember this matter and stood stunned in place for a moment.

Ning Jingyu, seeing Song Xuyi’s expression, knew she definitely hadn’t read these books. She slightly pursed her lips.

Ignoring Song Xuyi’s puzzled gaze, Ning Jingyu continued with a cold expression, “The third story is about ‘a woman taking in a poor scholar, marrying him because of his good looks. However, the scholar didn’t work the fields, so the woman worked hard, even losing her eyesight from embroidering to support him in his studies. After the scholar became the top scholar, he forgot her kindness and abandoned her to marry the daughter of a prime minister.'”

Ning Jingyu deeply looked at Song Xuyi, “What do you think about this story?”

Song Xuyi, still astonished by Ning Jingyu’s persistence with these books, subconsciously shook her head, “I don’t have any thoughts.” After all, Song Xuyi came from a more modern and information-rich society, having heard countless stories of heartless men, so this story didn’t affect her much.

Upon hearing this, Ning Jingyu pursed her lips once again.

“You should go back and reread these books!” Ning Jingyu earnestly stared at Song Xuyi, “In two days, I’ll come to test you again—”

……

Alright, as the saying goes, “An old child is still a child.” Although Master isn’t old, she does have a childlike temperament. Let’s just treat it as appeasing the Master!

“Disciple understands. I will definitely carefully read these books.”

Song Xuyi nodded, knowing that besides her own efforts, there was no other way about this. She reckoned that in two days, she would face Ning Jingyu’s examination again. So when

Therefore, when Ning Jingyu called Song Xuyi for examination the next day, Song Xuyi responded fluently, even adding many ‘afterthoughts’ to express her genuine effort in reading.

“This story tells us, ‘A woman should never give up her career at any time. Men and such are just passing clouds. Only swordsmanship can accompany me eternally!'”

“Practicing swordsmanship is something that requires perseverance and continuous focus. If I were to neglect my cultivation just because of a man, how could I face Master who have nurtured me with such care over the years?”

“A person should never lose their dreams. Although I may never reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship like Master in this lifetime, I can take Master as my role model, striving to get closer to Master’s level in the realm of cultivation, protecting the world like Master, and holding the world in my heart.”

……

Song Xuyi, after all, had received modern education. She had learned the principles of righteousness since childhood, and she recited them fluently. After hearing her elaborate explanation, Ning Jingyu finally believed that Song Xuyi had indeed read those books. A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and the lingering haze in her heart finally dispersed somewhat. She cleared her throat, about to admonish Song Xuyi not to rush into finding a partner, as the male cultivators in the cultivation world were not worthy of her. She would personally seek out the most outstanding partner for her in the future…

However, before Ning Jingyu could utter a word, she saw Song Xuyi grabbing her sleeve.

“Master,” Song Xuyi smiled brightly, “I’ve sincerely read these books. Shouldn’t you give me some reward?”

“What reward do you want?” Ning Jingyu knew that her demand for Song Xuyi to read the books was somewhat unreasonable. In her heart, she also wanted to compensate Song Xuyi.

As soon as Ning Jingyu spoke, Song Xuyi’s smile on her face became even sweeter. Ning Jingyu furrowed her brows slightly, feeling a sense of unease. Then she saw Song Xuyi taking out a storage bag and pulling out a familiar-looking book. The book titled 《Beware of Arrogance and Impatience》 was prominently placed on top——

“Disciple specifically bought these books from the market last night. Master, could you also take a look at them?”

Ning Jingyu didn’t expect to be countered by Song Xuyi.

Subconsciously wanting to refuse, however, seeing Song Xuyi’s eyes filled with anticipation and teasing, Ning Jingyu found it suddenly difficult to refuse. With a stern expression, she could only reluctantly accept the books.

In the following days, Song Xuyi increased her visits to Ning Jingyu’s room.

Each time she went, seeing the untouched books in front of Ning Jingyu, Song Xuyi would occasionally ask, “Master, what comes after ‘full solicitation leads to loss’?” or “Why did that general fail in battle?” or “Born but not possessing, acting without dependence, Master, do you remember the following line?”

……

Under Song Xuyi’s manipulation, Ning Jingyu remained stern-faced in the following days. Whenever she saw Song Xuyi, she would coldly purse her lips, but Song Xuyi only smiled more cheerfully. The more she looked at Ning Jingyu, the more she found Ning Jingyu adorable.

Song Xuyi wasn’t sure of the exact reasons, perhaps because Ning Jingyu was innocent and cute in certain aspects, or perhaps knowing about Ning Jingyu’s pitiful background. Song Xuyi suddenly found herself losing her previous sense of awe towards Ning Jingyu. She always wanted to spend more time with her: over the years, Ning Jingyu had led a rather lonely life.

Song Xuyi guessed that Ning Jingyu probably didn’t mind her closeness because, though subtle, Ning Jingyu’s frequency of smiling had noticeably increased during this period.

Meanwhile, Song Xuyi discovered she had a bit of a mischievous streak: she enjoyed seeing Ning Jingyu reluctantly purse her lips when answering questions, finding her somewhat cute in that state. Coupled with Ning Jingyu’s cold demeanor, it created an extreme contrast that made Song Xuyi unable to resist teasing her further.

Under the ‘mutual harm’ between master and disciple, half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the group finally arrived at the venue of the Grand Immortal Sect Competition.

To prevent disputes between powerful beings from harming civilians, the location of the Grand Immortal Sect Competition is chosen on a desolate and uninhabited island, with ample space for various sects to rest.

Upon arriving on the island, Song Xuyi saw a towering tower reaching into the clouds. The tower looked extremely luxurious, adorned with gold foil and various gemstones, shimmering with colorful light under the sunlight. There were constantly well-dressed male and female cultivators coming and going from the tower on flying swords.

Ning Jingyu’s gaze fell on the magnificent tower, momentarily distracted.

“So, that’s Xun Sect! Xun Sect used to be modest and unassuming, but since the new sect leader took over ten years ago, Xun Sect has been plundering a lot from the common people. It now looks like a nouveau riche, truly tarnishing the reputation of the long-established Immortal Sect.”

The deputy leader of the delegation showed disdain in his eyes, commenting quietly. He found an empty space and took out a wooden model. In no time, the model swiftly grew taller and larger, transforming into an elegant small courtyard with many rooms.

Ning Jingyu, bearing the responsibility of being the team leader, lived in the middle room for easy care of everyone. Naturally, as Ning Jingyu’s disciple, Song Xuyi lived next door.

Having only reached Foundation Establishment a year ago, Song Xuyi’s spiritual power naturally couldn’t compare to disciples who had cultivated for many years. Song Xuyi didn’t expect to win this competition, but even in defeat, she wanted to lose gracefully, not tarnishing Ning Jingyu’s reputation. Anxious, Song Xuyi became even more diligent in her practice.

Ning Jingyu always emphasized tempering Song Xuyi and training her reaction speed. Song Xuyi had excellent basic sword skills. When they were on the mountain, Song Xuyi dared not disturb Ning Jingyu too much. However, after descending the mountain, Ning Jingyu couldn’t cook or tend to the garden as usual. All her energy was focused on Song Xuyi, who was now receiving constant guidance on her techniques, even occasionally sparring with Ning Jingyu using tree branches.

Facing Ning Jingyu’s attacks directly, Song Xuyi suddenly understood why Ning Jingyu was known as the top sword cultivator in the world: even though Ning Jingyu seemed extremely casual, holding only a dried branch, the moment she pointed it at Song Xuyi, Song Xuyi felt as if she were facing a mountain-like pressure, as if a mantis were trying to shake a tree…

Song Xuyi trembled all over, let alone facing a real opponent.

However, Song Xuyi had a resilient temperament. Even with trembling legs, she still rushed towards Ning Jingyu—

Persistence pays off. Over the past few days, Song Xuyi’s perseverance had shown some results—she could now withstand three moves under Ning Jingyu’s hand while enduring her pressure.

Despite knowing that Ning Jingyu was deliberately holding back, Song Xuyi was still extremely happy, becoming even more determined in her training.

……

While the master and disciple focused on secluded cultivation, news about Ning Jingyu leading a team personally had spread far and wide.

Ning Jingyu was a legendary figure and the idol of countless young cultivators. However, Ning Jingyu had been living reclusively within the Xuan Shu Sect for years, with layers of formations set up around her residence on the Luoyun Peak. Although the elders claimed Ning Jingyu was a rare beauty, few had ever seen her true appearance.

Upon hearing the news of Ning Jingyu leaving the Xuanshu Sect, countless cultivators came to offer their respects and seek an audience with her. However, Ning Jingyu found it troublesome and instructed to reject all such requests.

Most cultivators in the realm were polite and, despite their disappointment, understood that there would be opportunities to see Ning Jingyu during the official competition, especially since her disciple, Song Xuyi, would also be participating. Therefore, they didn’t persist.

But there were always exceptions.

One morning, Song Xuyi emerged from the isolation formation set by Ning Jingyu and heard a commotion outside. Amidst the clamor, a female voice stood out: “Just an old fart on her last legs! I came in person, and she dared to refuse me?”

The author has something to say:

facepalm, I turned on the electric blanket last night and started typing in bed. The blanket was too warm, and I accidentally fell asleep…

LP: Re-translated on May 27, 2024