“How did you know it was me?” Yu Suisui asked.
Xie Rongjing raised an eyebrow without uttering a word.
Yu Suisui didn’t actually expect him to answer her question. She tapped her toes lightly on the ground and gracefully leaped onto the branch beside him.
The great villain looked at her with amusement. “I don’t have any spells left on me, young mistress.”
Of course she knew that.
Yu Suisui thought to herself, she wasn’t a fish with only seven seconds of memory.
“As long as there are no other side effects.” Yu Suisui sat on the tree branch, casually swinging her legs. “My father wanted to confine me to the courtyard, but luckily I cleverly escaped.”
Perhaps it was because the sunlight was particularly pleasant today, or perhaps because the normal version of the great villain didn’t seem particularly aggressive.
Having started the conversation, Yu Suisui naturally continued venting.
She talked about her father Yu Qianqiu, then moved on to the two big brothers who woke her up, and then to the ambitious subordinates in the courtyard. Throughout, she didn’t forget to subtly hint that Xie Rongjing should learn from them—even top students needed to put in some effort.
The entire time, the great villain responded with polite smiles, occasionally nodding slightly.
His beautiful eyes blinked.
In truth, Xie Rongjing didn’t know how to respond.
People here either feared him, hated him, or pretended not to see him. Aside from Yu Suisui, almost no one had proper conversations with him—most exchanges ended awkwardly after just a few words.
Xie Rongjing leaped down from the tree, concealing the complex emotions in his eyes as he smiled at the human girl still in the tree.
“Want to go see something interesting?”
“Sure.”
Yu Suisui agreed immediately.
She had expected to witness some of the great villain’s peculiar hobbies—like dark skulls, dolls with bleeding eyes, terrifying man-eating flowers… Based on her extensive reading, these were typically what villains enjoyed.
Unexpectedly, Xie Rongjing led her southward, where the gates of the Law Enforcement Hall gradually came into view.
? What was this about.
Yu Suisui looked puzzled.
He couldn’t possibly be coming to confess to some crime, could he?
Soon she realized she was overthinking it.
Surrounding them were numerous spectators—both Outer Sect Disciples and errand disciples—completely encircling the solemn Law Enforcement Hall.
These people seemed to be watching some spectacle, just like the great villain.
Xie Rongjing led Yu Suisui through the crowd unimpeded. When people saw his face, they automatically cleared a path for him.
Yu Suisui: ?
How had the North Peak disciples become so… friendly toward the great villain in just a few months, compared to their previous hostility?
As this thought crossed her mind, she seemed to hear some faint voices.
“Isn’t that the Devil Seed?”
“Yeah, what bad luck. What’s he doing here?”
“Probably here to see his kind. Another hybrid has arrived—must make him really happy.”
Yu Suisui: …
Oh, so they were afraid of him.
They just didn’t dare to openly scold him, only whispering behind his back.
As a Sound Cultivator by profession, Yu Suisui was naturally sensitive to sounds. One downside of advancing in cultivation was that even though the Outer Sect Disciples tried their best to lower their voices, and she wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping, these whispers still found their way into her ears.
At least Xie Rongjing couldn’t hear these insults directed at him.
Thinking this, she glanced sideways at the great villain beside her and found his expression normal, seemingly unaware of the hostile words around them.
Fortunately, the great villain wasn’t the main focus of the Outer Sect Disciples’ discussions today. After symbolically cursing a few words, they moved on to other topics.
Everyone was focused on a new bizarre incident.
After listening to gossip for half an incense stick’s time, she finally pieced together the whole story of this commotion.
It seemed another demon had appeared in the sect, one who had secretly infiltrated on their own.
Yu Suisui stood at the very front, easily spotting that… unrecognizable mass.
The thing’s clothes were covered in mud stains and blood, the original color long lost, only vaguely discernible as humanoid.
It lay motionless face down, long hair covering its face, with what appeared to be two dark red horns on its head—one of which had been snapped clean in half.
It was said demons took pleasure in imitating humans, with most hiding their horns.
This indeed appeared to be a demon too weak to conceal its demonic qi.
Xie Rongjing was observing it with keen interest.
The great villain initially just smiled, but as he watched, the amusement in his eyes grew increasingly pronounced.
He seemed quite fascinated by that demon.
Yu Suisui, lost in thought, nudged the person beside her and whispered: “Your relative?”
Xie Rongjing: …
“…It’s Gongsun Lan.”
Oh, so it was him.
…What?
Yu Suisui’s pupils trembled in shock.
No wonder he always targeted Xie Rongjing, Yu Suisui realized—it was the psychology of demonic competition taken to extreme levels.
Meanwhile, the observing outer sect disciples continued their hushed discussions.
“Why do you think this half-breed secretly infiltrated our Tian Zhao Sect?”
“He must have some ulterior motive.” The speaker stole a glance at Xie Rongjing: “Being a devil seed and all…”
“Tsk tsk…”
“Speaking of which, wasn’t Chen Shimei secretly in love with him?” Someone teased: “Look, your Lord Gongsun is right there.”
“How dare you spout nonsense!” Chen Shimei flushed with shame and anger, “How can you tarnish my reputation like this?”
“I never liked this Gongsun devil seed anyway. Figures he’d be trouble.”
“True, true.” Someone chimed in: “Of all the stewards, I particularly disliked him. Proves my intuition was accurate.”
“Same here!”
Xie Rongjing: “HAHAHAHAHA!”
He burst into sudden, uproarious laughter, his shoulders even trembling slightly with mirth.
This was truly…
Too hilarious.
His laughter instantly silenced the outer sect disciples’ whispered discussions, leaving them as mute as quails with squeezed throats.
As more and more gazes gathered from all directions, Yu Suisui had to drag the great villain behind the crowd to prevent further disturbance.
The great villain remarked with lingering amusement: “Gongsun Lan had an excellent reputation at North Peak.”
Unlike most hot-tempered stewards at North Peak who treated people according to their status, Gongsun Lan remained neither servile nor overbearing toward everyone, treating all equally—at least superficially.
Moreover, Lord Gongsun was quite willing to occasionally help disciples in need.
Xie Rongjing glanced at his left hand, where an egg-sized pale pink mark sat in the center.
One year, someone claimed their mental state had been affected by a devil seed, so Gongsun Lan pierced Xie Rongjing’s palm with a demon-warding sword.
He withdrew his faint gaze from his hand, curling his lips in weary disdain.
“Is the treatment of demons that bad?” Yu Suisui couldn’t understand: “Why would Gongsun Lan come here?”
Even Xie Rongjing—a demon officially registered by the sect leader himself—lived so miserably, let alone an adult demon like him.
“Exactly.” Xie Rong Jing narrowed his eyes, coaxing her to continue. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve figured it out!”
“Oh? Do tell.” Xie Rong Jing smiled as he looked at the human girl.
“Do you have some enemy among the demons?”
Yu Sui Sui reasoned logically: “For example, your father had many children, but only one can become the Demon Lord, so your siblings sent people to target you? Or before your father died, he misjudged people, and there are subordinates wanting to usurp the throne who sent assassins after you, the legitimate heir…”
As she spoke, she noticed the great villain’s expression had turned strange.
Yu Sui Sui silently reflected that it might not be appropriate to casually discuss someone else’s family matters.
The great villain had a peculiar temperament—who knew if he might suddenly change again?
If she had to compare, she still preferred interacting with Xie Rong Jing in his normal mode.
Unexpectedly, he didn’t get angry and even nodded encouragingly at her.
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
It seemed great minds thought alike.
Yu Sui Sui brightened up, her voice sweet and crisp. “You think so too, right?”
Xie Rong Jing smiled innocently, gently nodding under her expectant gaze.
Suddenly, a moderate scream came from behind.
“Xie Rong Jing?—”
Yu Sui Sui instinctively turned around. It was two young female cultivators in green robes. The one on the left looked pale, as if she might faint at any moment.
The great villain beside her acted as if he saw nothing, not even furrowing his brow.
“Don’t be afraid, Junior Sister Wan’er. There are many people here; he wouldn’t dare do anything to you,” the other young female cultivator said indignantly. “Let’s go!”
Yu Sui Sui: ?
Was it the kind of “anything” she was thinking of?
She suddenly became intrigued.
You don’t get to see the great villain’s gossip anytime, anywhere.
Though Yu Sui Sui remained standing in place, her ears were already perked up secretly.
She had planned to ask Xie Rong Jing about it later, to show concern for the great villain’s interpersonal relationships, but the female cultivator named Wan’er spoke first.
“Our Tian Zhao Sect has always maintained strict discipline. How could a demon have sneaked into the mountain?” She glanced subtly in a certain direction. “Perhaps… there’s an inside accomplice.”
She said nothing explicitly, yet seemed to imply everything.
Instantly, countless gazes focused on Xie Rong Jing.
It seemed it wasn’t what she had imagined.
Sui Sui looked up at the sky. She had thought so—it was hard to imagine Xie Rong Jing being involved in any romantic entanglements.
…It felt too incongruous.
The Outer Sect Disciples remained silent, staring fixedly at Xie Rong Jing. Only the indistinct gurgling sounds from Gongsun Lan on the ground could be heard.
Their expressions grew increasingly hostile.
This works? Yu Sui Sui looked around in astonishment.
Well, it’s just a bit too absurd.
“Excuse me,” Yu Sui Sui asked politely. “The Tian Zhao Sect recruited its own guest advisors. What does that have to do with Xie Rong Jing?”
Even if there really was a bad apple among the crowd, it shouldn’t lead to an Outer Sect Disciple like Xie Rong Jing.
“Who are you?” Wan’er frowned.
What a coincidence, Yu Sui Sui thought. She happened to be a young lady whose words carried weight.
Unfortunately, that title was temporarily sealed for now, so she could only point vaguely at Xie Rong Jing and say ambiguously, “I’m with him.”
Everyone: …
Even Ye Wan’s expression changed. She looked at Yu Sui Sui with sympathy, and upon closer inspection, a hint of schadenfreude.
She had been the same before, deceived by the Devil Seed’s appearance, even wanting to move his heart.
Hah.
A Devil Seed is a Devil Seed. Devoid of humanity, incapable of gratitude, and impossible to civilize.
He was capable of any wicked deed—perhaps even the demon Gongsun Lan had been let in by him.
Ye Wan cast a fearful glance at Xie Rong Jing, who still wore that perfectly gentle expression.
Biting her lower lip, she hurried away from the scene.
After Ye Wan left, the tightly shut doors of the Law Enforcement Hall swung open. Several presiding stewards stood on a high platform, addressing the crowd.
The gist was that the half-blood demon Gongsun Lan had infiltrated the Tian Zhao Sect with ulterior motives. After his cultivation dissipated, his identity was exposed. The sect leader was furious, declaring this an affront to the dignity of a righteous major sect by the demons, and so on.
The setting sun cast its glow on the faces of the crowd, and the outer sect disciples were all stirred with indignation.
Xie Rong Jing grew tired of the spectacle and turned to leave.
“Tell me secretly,” Yu Sui Sui caught up with him and asked in a hushed voice, “Does Gongsun Lan’s situation have anything to do with you?”
If it really was connected to Xie Rong Jing, she would have to brace herself for work.
She had been slacking off too much recently, even failing to notice when the great villain fell under a verbal curse. In a way, it counted as negligence on her part.
Well, she couldn’t afford to be completely idle.
At the very least, she needed to know the great villain’s current situation.
As expected, Xie Rong Jing halted.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long. Whether it was due to facing the light source directly or not, his expression was indistinct and hard to decipher.
“If it were me—” he drawled, turning slowly, “what would you do, young mistress?”
What would Yu Sui Sui do?
Of course, she would help him cover it up.
What else could she do?
If the truth came to light and the great villain was executed early by the Tian Zhao Sect… the plot would spiral into utter chaos.
“I believe your nature isn’t evil. If it really was you, you must have had no other choice.”
She casually tossed out a couple of lines to brush him off and began seriously considering how to help Xie Rong Jing bury the evidence.
Such innocent, naive lines were easy to fabricate. They were nothing more than:
“Really? I don’t believe it. You’re not that kind of person.”
“I won’t listen, I won’t listen! Don’t say such things about yourself.”
“I believe in you. Don’t give up—you must have had no other choice.”
“What if there was no other choice?” Xie Rong Jing asked slowly, word by word. “What if I simply wanted to target him?”
Yu Sui Sui: …
Friend, why won’t you take the way out?
“Then he must have pushed you too far,” she continued.
The two stood by a path lined with blooming irises.
After a long silence from him, Yu Sui Sui had to confirm once more.
“So… does Gongsun Lan’s situation have anything to do with you or not?” she asked earnestly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
Xie Rong Jing’s expression was faint as he bent down to pluck a purple iris.
His ink-black hair flowed like clouds, his dark eyes sparkled like stars, holding a trace of elusive complexity.
After a long while, the great villain finally spoke, his gaze lowered, his profile flawless.
He casually tossed the iris aside and said nonchalantly:
“No.”
“It has nothing to do with me.”