It’s Not Easy To Be A Villain This Time

 Upon hearing this, Wei Zongqiu froze for a moment.

Following Ji Rong's gaze, he saw a slender figure dressed in black, sitting at a table outside the shop, eating sesame tangyuan with chopsticks and a bowl in hand.

Liu Ningxue asked in a low voice, "That person looks ordinary. Why does Senior Sister think she's a demonic cultivator?"

Wei Zongqiu replied, "She does seem unfamiliar, but the sect's defenses are strict. It's unlikely for a demonic cultivator to enter so easily. Besides, the formations outside the sect were set up by Elder Gong. Senior Sister, there's no need to worry too much."

Ji Rong's expression remained serious, though she found it hard to explain.

She knew this person too well.

Bai Yushuang, the Left Protector of the Demonic Sect, always wore black robes and carried a jade flute engraved with thirty-two lotus petals.

If she remembered correctly, in the game's storyline, when the protagonist lost her martial arts and fell into demonic cultivation, Bai Yushuang not only saved her but also reconstructed her meridians and helped her ascend to the position of Demon Lord.

But logically, Bai Yushuang shouldn't have appeared so early, let alone here.

Cursing the game developers for altering the plot, Ji Rong maintained a calm expression and asked, "Did you notice the flute at her waist?"

Wei Zongqiu, known for his extensive knowledge, had been too focused on eating earlier to observe carefully.

Now that he looked closely, he was slightly startled. "From a rough glance, I can't be certain, but it does resemble the Lotus Flute crafted by Lady Mo of Xuanyu City three hundred years ago."

Liu Ningxue gasped. "If it really is the Lotus Flute, then this person must be..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the figure slowly stood up.

Looking at the half-eaten tangyuan in her bowl, she sighed wistfully. "It's been years. The tangyuan just isn't what it used to be."

The woman turned and smiled at Ji Rong and her companions, speaking softly, "You juniors have sharp eyes. It seems Mei He hasn't led you astray."

...

The beauty was elegant and otherworldly, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly as she leisurely studied Ji Rong.

Ji Rong, faced with the stunning beauty right before her, had no time to admire her charm.

This beauty was a dangerous one, known for her swift and bloodless kills.

Bai Yushuang's features were not as delicate as her slender figure suggested. Her phoenix eyes were as sharp as drawn swords, and her faint smile only accentuated her coldness.

Seeing her companions Liu Ningxue and Wei Zongqiu collapse beside her, Ji Rong remained outwardly composed, though her back was drenched in cold sweat.

A formidable opponent was too close for comfort.

Unbeknownst to them, the shop had long since emptied. Only the four of them remained.

Bai Yushuang smiled gently and spoke kindly to Ji Rong, "This is my domain, what you cultivators call a 'small world.' Rest assured, I merely put them to sleep. They won't die."

It turned out that from the moment Ji Rong and her companions entered the shop, they had already stepped into Bai Yushuang's small world, where everything was an illusion crafted by her.

Ji Rong, seeing Bai Yushuang's gentle expression, felt alarm bells ringing in her mind.

She wanted to say something, but under Bai Yushuang's oppressive aura, she couldn't move and could only stand frozen, listening to her speak.

Bai Yushuang walked calmly toward Ji Rong, lifting her chin with a finger and speaking softly, "Little girl, I noticed you the moment you entered the market. At first, I thought I was mistaken… but you do bear some resemblance. No wonder Mei He was so eager to take you as her disciple."

Then, with a low chuckle, Bai Yushuang added, "But it seems Mei He is out of luck today, as I've run into you. Mei He may seem upright, but she has nothing to offer you. Why not come with me instead? If you desire the position of Demon Lord, I can help you achieve it."

The woman's fingers were cool, her skin smooth, as she gently stroked Ji Rong's chin, her touch tender, almost lover-like. Her eyes shimmered, reluctant to let go.

Despite this intimate gesture, Ji Rong felt no romantic stirrings, only bewilderment.

Demon Lord? Wasn't that supposed to be Gu Baiyi's role? Why was this boss suddenly offering to make her the Demon Lord?

But no matter how tempting Bai Yushuang's offer, Ji Rong remained steadfastly loyal to Mei He.

After all, according to the game's logic, an NPC who appears out of nowhere is always up to no good—especially someone like Bai Yushuang, known for her cunning. Trusting her would be pure madness.

Resisting the oppressive aura, Ji Rong coughed up blood and said, "This disciple is of mediocre talent. Senior must be joking."

"Oh? Interesting. You know who I am, yet you remain so stubborn."

Bai Yushuang continued to stroke Ji Rong's chin, her tone gentle but her words arrogant. "Little girl, aren't you afraid I'll kill you right now?"

Honestly, no.

Everyone knows that in the game, villains can only be killed by the protagonist. There's no way she'd die so easily now.

With a calm expression, Ji Rong swallowed the metallic taste in her throat and replied, "If Senior wanted to kill me, you'd have done so already. Why wait until now? I assume you have other motives."

[Ding! Bai Yushuang's favorability +10]

Ji Rong: "..."

What kind of absurd favorability increase was that?

"Interesting."

Bai Yushuang chuckled softly at her response.

After laughing, she spoke slowly, "You're quite clever. I'm starting to like you more and more."

Hearing this sudden declaration of affection, Ji Rong became even more certain that sticking with Sect Master Mei was the safer bet.

"Other motives?" Bai Yushuang released her grip and smiled faintly. "What I'm after, Mei He knows all too well. It's up to her to decide now."

Though Ji Rong didn't understand Bai Yushuang's words, she instinctively felt they spelled trouble.

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, a crack appeared in the clear sky of the domain.

Bai Yushuang looked up with amusement.

It was a sword—a plain longsword with a sheath engraved with a crane about to take flight. The crane seemed so lifelike it might break free from the sheath and soar straight toward Bai Yushuang.

Boom!

Like shattered glass, the small world collapsed instantly.

Bai Yushuang retracted her domain, wielding her flute as she leaped into the air to confront the incoming sword.

Though the world knew Bai Yushuang as a master of music, her flute was her weapon—a sword in disguise.

When the Lotus Flute clashed with the Crane's Return Sword, the oppressive aura surrounding Ji Rong dissipated instantly.

A flash of white light cleared the smoke.

Spitting blood from the intense sword aura, Ji Rong's eyes gleamed as she struggled to her feet, silver sword in hand.

She looked up at the figure standing high above, her robes billowing in the wind.

Clad in white like the moon's radiance, the woman held the Crane's Return Sword and stood on the eaves, smiling faintly at Bai Yushuang.

"Junior Sister Bai, it's been a while. How have you been?"

Ji Rong's mind was filled with colorful exclamations.

Wife! It's my wife! My living, breathing wife!!

On the other side, Bai Yushuang lightly touched the blood on her face and smiled. "How kind of Sect Master Mei to care. I was fine—until I saw you. Now I'm feeling rather unwell."

Mei He replied gently, "Junior Sister Bai jests. If you were truly unwell, you wouldn't have gone to such lengths to summon me here."

Bai Yushuang chuckled and said, "Sect Master Mei, you do have a way with words. I only came to the Wan Jian Sect for a bowl of tangyuan, yet you greet me with swords. Life is truly dull."

The disciples and merchants below were stunned.

Originally, they were just strolling through the market when a flash of white appeared, followed by the Master Mei's Crane Return Sword descending from the sky.

Before they could even see what was happening, they were knocked to the ground by a violent wave of sword energy.

Struggling to get back up, they saw a woman exchanging pleasantries with Master Mei. This person spoke sharply, standing with her hands behind her back under the eaves, and was even referred to by the master as "Junior Sister."

Looking around, how many people could be called Master Mei's Junior Sister? One had already left, another was Elder Gong Yu, and there was still one more…

Master Mei's expression faltered for a moment, then she shook her head and coldly said, "Eating tangyuan? Junior Sister Bai, you're being too naive. The Wan Jian Sect is not a place that someone like you, a demon cultivator, can enter at will."

Bai Yushuang smiled and replied, "Master Mei is joking. I'm already well-versed in Elder Gong Yu's formation, so it's not just about coming and going as I please, right?"

The disciples collectively gasped, thinking to themselves… coming and going as she pleases, this…

Whispers erupted below, and this was exactly the effect Bai Yushuang wanted.

"My God, it's actually 'The Jade-faced Shura' Bai Yushuang. She's still here chatting with Master Mei, saying she can come and go freely."

"Who doesn't know that Bai Yushuang was once a disciple of the Sword Saint? If you think about it, she, Master Mei, and Elder Gong Yu all came from the same sect! It's no surprise that she can decipher the formation."

"How did the Sword Saint end up teaching two demons like Chu Changli and Bai Yushuang? It's really strange! A demon cultivator can come and go from sects in broad daylight, and even the Wan Jian Sect can't defend against her."

"Sigh, we should buy more talismans and weapons for self-defense. Who knows when a demon cultivator might kill us…"

Ji Rong rolled her eyes inwardly, feeling speechless: As expected, the NPCs in the game are mindlessly following the trend, and that never changes.

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Master Mei furrowed her brows and said, "Junior Sister Bai, are you forcing me to kill you?"

Bai Yushuang smiled and said, "Force you to kill me? Don't speak too soon, Master Mei. Who wins and who loses is still uncertain."

With that, she moved her flute and leaped toward Master Mei, stabbing at her.

Master Mei's sword had not yet been unsheathed, and she considered herself to have already shown great leniency toward Bai Yushuang.

But once tolerance is no longer possible, there is no need to hold back.

The Crane Return Sword was drawn, and the sword shadows sliced through the air, directly aimed at Bai Yushuang.

This move of Master Mei's was called "Moon Slashing," created by the Sword Saint Yue Qianqiu.

As the sword was drawn, a vast moonlight gathered at the tip of the sword, and beneath the moon, a fairy with a rabbit appeared, light on her feet and with a graceful smile.

The sword intent was sharp, perfect in its execution.

Ji Rong knew that though it was broad daylight, it felt as if they were surrounded by the vast Milky Way, with Master Mei in white robes, resembling the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace, coming to life.

But Master Mei was not heading toward the moon; she was coming to slash the moon.