Blame the Villain – Chapter 81

Villainous Master (3)

At the age of ten, Song Xuyi became Ning Jingyu’s disciple.

Facing the envious gazes of the new disciples, Song Xuyi sat on Ning Jingyu’s flying sword and followed her to the highest peak of the Xuanshu Sect, Luoyun Peak.

In fact, Song Xuyi did not want to sit on the flying sword.

She wanted to learn how to gracefully ride on the flying sword like Ning Jingyu, but she had no cultivation at the moment and couldn’t step onto the thin blade of the flying sword no matter how many times she tried. In the end, she even fell on her butt…

Ning Jingyu looked at Song Xuyi in this state. Not only did she not help, but she also chuckled with her sleeves covering her mouth.

She laughed so beautifully that even though Song Xuyi knew Ning Jingyu was mocking her, she couldn’t bring herself to feel upset, only lowering her head, blushing once again, and then watching Ning Jingyu cast a spell to widen the blade. She bit her lip, sat behind Ning Jingyu, tightly gripping the hem of her robe, and closed her eyes…

Feeling embarrassed, Song Xuyi didn’t dare look at the expressions of others, unaware that the sect leader next to her breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the scene—

Although Ning Jingyu had a reputation, those who knew her well understood that she was extremely lazy and indifferent. If she didn’t like someone, even if they died in front of her, she wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Over the years, Ning Jingyu had never taken on a disciple, and Song Xuyi was young. The sect leader was genuinely worried that Ning Jingyu would not be able to mentor a disciple and waste Song Xuyi’s excellent single spiritual root talent…

However, now seeing how the two of them interacted, it seemed that Ning Jingyu was very satisfied with this disciple.

The sect leader temporarily breathed a sigh of relief in her mind.

“Such a timid little one!”

Song Xuyi, however, was unaware of the sect leader’s thoughts. Sitting behind Ning Jingyu on the flying sword, she felt the wind brushing past her cheeks. After preparing herself mentally, she finally attempted to open her eyes, only to hear Ning Jingyu’s teasing voice beside her, “Come down now!”

Song Xuyi blushed again.

She quickly climbed down from the sword, too afraid to look at Ning Jingyu’s face. Taking small steps, she followed Ning Jingyu closely, passing through rows of plum trees, until they finally reached a dilapidated straw hut deep in the woods.

Song Xuyi was stunned. She never expected that someone as exquisite and noble looking as Ning Jingyu would live in such a rundown place. Looking into Ning Jingyu’s eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

Ning Jingyu turned around and caught the lingering pity in Song Xuyi’s eyes.

She blinked, crouching in front of Song Xuyi, “Are you feeling sorry for me?”

“But what can be done?” Ning Jingyu sighed softly, her eyes shifting. “You can see it now too. I am covered in injuries, burdened with debt, and Luoyun Peak is in ruins. It is the most impoverished place in the Xuanshu Sect. If you become my disciple in the future, you will probably have to live a frugal life for the next three to five decades…”

“If you regret it now, you can still…”

Before Ning Jingyu could finish her sentence, her young disciple, blushing, lifted up a small bundle on her back and placed it in front of Ning Jingyu. Speaking softly, she said, “Master, I have money. My parents have prepared a lot of spirit stones for me. You can take them first to pay off the debts. If it’s still not enough, we can slowly repay them in the future…”

Song Xuyi didn’t think much about it: coming from the modern world, she believed that learning naturally comes with a tuition fee, especially since her master, Ning Jingyu, was the world’s top sword cultivator, priceless and invaluable. Even if the tuition fee was high, it seemed reasonable to her.

Song Xuyi’s reaction seemed to please Ning Jingyu once again, as Ning Jingyu paused for a moment and then burst into laughter.

“Silly child,” Ning Jingyu lightly tapped Song Xuyi’s head, “So you really plan on supporting your master? If this gets out, where will your master hide her face…”

With a seemingly genuine sigh, Ning Jingyu gestured for Song Xuyi to follow her. As they walked out of the straw hut, Ning Jingyu waved her sleeve—

The snow-white sleeve, carrying a faint plum fragrance, fluttered past Song Xuyi’s eyes. When the sleeve returned to Ning Jingyu’s side, the scene in front of Song Xuyi underwent a dramatic transformation: the straw hut had turned into an exquisite two-room bamboo house.

Ning Jingyu yawned and pointed to one of the rooms, speaking softly, “This will be your room from now on. Rest there. I need to meditate and heal my injuries in the following days. Familiarize yourself with Luoyun Peak’s surroundings and don’t disturb me unless necessary.”

Then, as if she remembered something, Ning Jingyu handed Song Xuyi a small bag and a thin booklet, saying, “Here are some Bigu pills for you to use. Follow the instructions in the booklet to practice breath control.”

(LP: A Bigu pill is a type of herbal pill from traditional Chinese medicine. It’s believed to help people who are fasting or on a restricted diet by supporting their energy levels and overall well-being. People take it to feel better during fasting periods.)

Song Xuyi nodded obediently and watched as Ning Jingyu entered the next room.

Song Xuyi had seen this booklet before hanging from the waist of the outer disciple who was cleaning.

Song Xuyi didn’t mind Ning Jingyu’s somewhat perfunctory way of teaching and began to earnestly study and practice according to the booklet.

The booklet depicted some strange patterns of Qi circulation. Song Xuyi was initially baffled for the first two days, but she didn’t rush. She structured her daily routine sensibly: studying the booklet for twelve hours, training for four hours, and resting for eight hours.

Song Xuyi found a vacant space by the cliff outside the plum forest of Luoyun Peak. She dug a sand pit and made a horizontal bar, running circles around Luoyun Peak while carrying a sandbag in the morning and evening.

Song Xuyi wasn’t sure if what she was doing was effective, but she was determined to cultivate strong abilities in her lifetime. Regardless, honing her physical fitness wouldn’t be wrong.

After a week of such days, one evening, as Song Xuyi circled around Luoyun Peak gasping for breath with the sandbag, she suddenly felt a moment of clarity in her mind. She distinctly sensed a tiny stream of Qi entering her body…

Almost at the same moment the Qi entered Song Xuyi’s body, Ning Jingyu, who was meditating, suddenly experienced some vivid images in her mind…

Ning Jingyu abruptly opened her eyes.

Song Xuyi was unaware of the changes on Ning Jingyu’s end. She wanted to try experiencing the sensation of the Qi entering her body again, but it was fleeting, and she couldn’t grasp it afterwards.

Upon returning, Song Xuyi attempted several times, but couldn’t capture that feeling again.

Despite this, Song Xuyi did not feel discouraged. She knew this was just the beginning, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future to experience it again. After washing up, she followed her usual nightly routine and went to bed to rest.

However, this night was not a peaceful one.

In the middle of the night, Song Xuyi sensed something unusual, as if the surrounding air had suddenly become much colder.

Song Xuyi couldn’t help but hug the blanket tighter, yet the cold sensation seemed to seep out from within her body. Looking up, Song Xuyi saw a shadow standing in front of the bed—

The remnants of sleepiness vanished instantly.

Instinctively, Song Xuyi shrunk into the bed and pulled out a night pearl, catching a whiff of a familiar plum fragrance.

“Master, Master,” Song Xuyi raised her eyes and looked at Ning Jingyu, who seemed somewhat peculiar at this moment. “What’s the matter with you?”

Song Xuyi suspected that she may have been mistaken. When she looked again, perhaps unable to adapt to the sudden brightness of the night pearl, Ning Jingyu had already closed her eyes.

“It’s nothing,” Ning Jingyu said calmly when she opened her eyes again. Her expression had returned to normal, and she spoke softly, “It was just a sense I got during meditation. I unintentionally foresaw some absurd things.”

Song Xuyi bit her lip, feeling inexplicably connected to Ning Jingyu’s dream, but Ning Jingyu seemed to have no intention of discussing it further and changed the subject.

“Do you want to be a hewaling cultivator or a sword cultivator?”

“A sword cultivator.”

Song Xuyi answered without hesitation.

Innate water spiritual roots possess natural healing abilities, especially the single water spiritual roots, which are excellent medicinal herbs themselves. In ancient times, there were cultivators who specifically captured disciples with water spiritual roots to use as vessels for healing their internal injuries.

Later, a powerful individual could no longer tolerate this situation, so they created a method to transform water into swords, becoming a sword cultivator, which changed the low status of water spiritual roots among cultivators.

With a mission at hand, Song Xuyi naturally did not want to become a healing cultivator focused solely on treatment.

Ning Jingyu also seemed unsurprised by Song Xuyi’s answer.

She gazed deeply at Song Xuyi, pinched her brow as if struggling with a very difficult decision.

Song Xuyi pressed her lips tightly, sensing the importance of this moment, as it determined whether she could learn enough skills from Ning Jingyu. She couldn’t help but speak up to advocate for herself, “Master, I will definitely honor and respect you in the future.”

Although unsure if she could fulfill her promise, Song Xuyi would strive to change the outcome of the battle between Ning Jingyu and the newly appointed Demon Lord from ending in ashes.

Ning Jingyu was taken aback, looking at Song Xuyi once again.

“You are truly a filial child.” Ning Jingyu carefully examined Song Xuyi’s appearance, her eyes twinkling as she suddenly burst into laughter with a shimmer of light dancing in her eyes—

Perhaps it was an illusion created by the darkness of the night, but to Song Xuyi, Ning Jingyu in front of her no longer exuded the ethereal and noble aura she had on their first meeting. Instead, Ning Jingyu now appeared enchanting and alluring, causing Song Xuyi to involuntarily fall into a trance.

Reminding herself that Ning Jingyu was her master, Song Xuyi dared not appreciate her beauty as one would in modern times. After a quick glance, she could not bring herself to look again and lowered her gaze.

“Disciple has noted it down!”

Ning Jingyu’s voice from above once again carried a nonchalant tone. She let out a yawn and then began to walk towards the door, “Starting from tomorrow, I will come to teach you. At the moment, I can’t think of anything specific for you to do. You owe me a favor.”

Song Xuyi was puzzled for a moment, but after hearing Ning Jingyu clearly, a smile bloomed on her face. For the first time, Ning Jingyu acknowledged that she was her master.

When Song Xuyi woke up the next day, the bamboo door of the adjacent room remained tightly closed. Song Xuyi didn’t want to disturb Ning Jingyu’s rest, so she proceeded to tie a sandbag and began running without delay.

The original body’s physical condition was not great, and after completing a lap, Song Xuyi felt tired. Planning to rest for a moment before continuing, she spotted Ning Jingyu leaning against a plum tree with a weary expression.

The beauty under the plum tree appeared like a painting, but Song Xuyi had no time to appreciate it. The beauty raised her eyes to give Song Xuyi a glance and, in a leisurely manner, yawned, “Run another lap.”

Gritting her teeth, Song Xuyi started running again as instructed.

By the end of the second lap, Song Xuyi’s sweat had soaked through her clothes.

As Song Xuyi ran past the plum tree once again, Ning Jingyu still maintained the same calm expression, resembling a cold machine as she uttered merciless words, “Run another lap.”

Song Xuyi pressed her lips tightly and started running again as instructed.

By the end of the third lap, Song Xuyi managed to finish with sheer determination.

She couldn’t remember how many times she had stumbled, feeling her vision darken and her legs weaken. Song Xuyi breathed heavily, on the verge of passing out at any moment—

However, a pair of hands mercilessly grabbed Song Xuyi by the throat.

Song Xuyi struggled with all her might, her face turning red, but the hands gripping her throat remained as firm as iron clamps…

The air in her lungs grew thinner and thinner, Song Xuyi felt herself on the brink of death, her vision blurry, and Ning Jingyu’s beautiful yet indifferent face swaying before her, consciousness slipping away…

With a ‘click’, there was a sudden moment when it seemed like an invisible switch had been turned on within her body, and the surrounding airflow rushed into her body through every pore…

Song Xuyi widened her eyes.

At that moment, the hand that had been gripping her throat suddenly loosened.

The cold beauty withdrew her hand, her gaze calm and tranquil as she quietly observed Song Xuyi, her voice serene.

“You have learned to draw in Qi.” she said.

The author has something to say:

Xiaoning: Acting recklessly every day~

LP: Re-translated on May 09, 2024