37: Third Life: How Am I the Villain? (Part Two)

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a laugh, patting Xu Yuan on the shoulder:

"Yuan'er, you have just woken from your coma, and your Divine Soul has not yet fully stabilized; you are overthinking things."

"That Ye Feng has lost his Innate Blade Bone, and his Dao Foundation is nearly shattered. It is already a stroke of Luck that he kept his life; his cultivation must have fallen to rock bottom. Whether he can even enter the Qi Refining stage again in this lifetime is unknown, so how can there be any threat?"

"As for the Grand Elder..." Chen Ping looked toward the Sect Master, Qin Zhantian, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval. "Although he was once the Sect's top combat power, he is advanced in age. This time, in order to snatch back Ye Feng, he forcibly used a secret technique, damaging his foundation; he is already a candle in the wind, merely lingering on. The Sect Master personally stepped forward to appease him and provided compensation, which he has accepted on the surface. Could he really dare to risk the annihilation of his Sect to make an enemy of us?"

"He is not that stupid."

Qin Zhantian also nodded slightly, his scholarly face wearing the composure and confidence befitting someone in a high position:

"Yuan'er, Revered Master understands your concerns."

"But in the world of cultivation, the weak are prey to the strong; struggles for Opportunity are just the way things are."

"If Ye Feng could not keep his Innate Blade Bone, it is because he is incompetent, and it is only right that he makes way for you!"

"This matter is already set in stone; no one in the Sect will mention it again. Your current priority is to rest peacefully, adapt to this newly acquired Innate Blade Bone, and integrate your Innate Blade Heart with it as soon as possible, so as not to let down the expectations of your Revered Master and your father."

Seeing that the two of them were completely unconcerned and entirely unaware of the potential huge crisis, Xu Yuan's anxiety grew even greater.

He knew this was the typical precursor to "villains die from talking too much" and "underestimating the protagonist"!

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, forcibly squeezing a look of exhaustion yet extreme determination onto his face, and raised his voice a little:

"Father! Revered Master! Please hear me out!"

"As the saying goes, if you cut the grass without removing the roots, the spring breeze will make it grow again! Furthermore, this matter concerns the future survival of our Overlord Blade Sect and my own Dao path and life. It is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not!"

"That Ye Feng was able to carry an Innate Blade Bone; how could he be an ordinary mediocrity with average Luck?"

"The Grand Elder was willing to risk his life for him; how could such Heart-Nature be truly appeased by a little compensation?"

"What if—and I mean what if!—what if that Ye Feng truly has great Luck, survives a desperate situation, and obtains some Heaven-Defying Opportunity? Are there few such records in ancient texts? Falling off a cliff to receive a Legacy, being saved by an expert and taught a divine technique... By the time he returns with monstrous hatred and greatly advanced cultivation, the first person he will kill is me, and the second thing he will destroy is my entire Overlord Blade Sect!"

"This concerns the millennial Legacy of our Overlord Blade Sect; we must not take even the slightest risk!"

Xu Yuan's words were resonant and forceful, causing Chen Ping and Qin Zhantian, who were originally dismissive, to have slight changes in their expressions.

They exchanged a glance. Although they still felt that Xu Yuan's hypothesis was too exaggerated and bizarre, looking at the unprecedented gravity in his eyes and thinking about how the "Innate Blade Heart" might truly have some mysterious spiritual intuition, they could not help but feel a hint of doubt in their hearts.

Chen Ping pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "Yuan'er, you seem... exceptionally worried about this matter?"

"Yes!" Xu Yuan admitted without hesitation. "When I was fusing with the Innate Blade Bone, I seemed to have a premonition in the dark; I felt unsettled and always felt that a great disaster was hidden within it! If we do not cut the weeds and dig up the roots, my heart will not be at peace!"

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Chen Ping's expression finally became much more serious.

He could not care about a cripple like Ye Feng, but he could not fail to care about his precious son's Dao Heart.

Qin Zhantian also frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs.

As the Sect Master, he considered more; if they truly left behind future troubles due to a moment of soft-heartedness, leading to turmoil in the Sect, it would indeed not be worth the loss.

"Fine." Chen Ping finally sighed, looking at Xu Yuan with doting and a hint of helplessness. "Since my son insists so much, then Father will send people to investigate. If they are well-behaved and keep to themselves, then let them live for now; but if they truly have any inappropriate thoughts... Hmph!"

A trace of cold killing intent flashed in Chen Ping's eyes.

"Shadow Guards." Chen Ping called out in a low voice.

The shadows in the corner of the room writhed for a moment, and a figure completely shrouded in black, whose aura was almost entirely concealed, appeared silently and knelt on one knee.

"Sect Master, Sixth Elder, Young Lord." The voice was dry and hoarse, without any emotional fluctuation.

"Go investigate the whereabouts of the Grand Elder and Ye Feng, and keep a close watch on them. If there is any unusual activity, especially from Ye Feng, if there are signs of him recovering his cultivation or obtaining an Opportunity..." Chen Ping paused, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "Kill!"

"Yes." The Shadow Guard bowed his head to accept the order, his figure merging back into the shadows as if he had never appeared.

After doing all this, Chen Ping looked at Xu Yuan, his tone softening: "Yuan'er, are you at ease now? Rest well and do not trouble yourself over this matter anymore."

Qin Zhantian also nodded: "With the Shadow Guards taking action, there should be no worries. Yuan'er, you should calm your mind."

Seeing this, Xu Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his hanging heart was not completely put at ease.

The Shadow Guards sounded very powerful, but according to the tropes, this kind of pursuit is very likely to not only fail to kill the protagonist but instead deliver experience, intelligence, and even help the protagonist achieve a Breakthrough...

But this was all he could do for now.

At least he had raised their vigilance and taken the first step.

"Thank you, Father; thank you, Revered Master." Xu Yuan wore an expression of perfectly appropriate gratitude and relaxation as he lay back down and closed his eyes.

However, inside, Xu Yuan had already begun to calculate rapidly.

"I must recover as soon as possible and Revered Master power!"

"Relying on others is ultimately not safe; true security must be grasped in one's own hands!"

"Ye Feng... I hope you truly fade into obscurity from here on, otherwise..."

Cold killing intent spread in the depths of Xu Yuan's heart.

He would absolutely not sit and wait for death. Since he had become a villain in this life, he would be a villain who was powerful enough to crush everything!

...

In the following days, the Overlord Blade Sect appeared to return to calm on the surface.

The Sect announced to the outside world that the Grand Elder had encountered a mishap while Cultivating and had taken his Disciple, Ye Feng, out to seek medicine and heal, with no set date for their return.

As for the Genius Disciple Chen Yuan, he had been slightly unwell due to overly strenuous Cultivation previously and needed to go into secluded meditation to rest for a period of time.

In the shadows, several Shadow Guards with profound cultivation who were skilled in tracking and concealment quietly left the Overlord Blade Sect like ghosts. Following the faint traces that might have been left when the Grand Elder escaped that day, they began searching toward the vast forests, desolate lands, and Mortal towns surrounding the Sect.

Meanwhile, in a secluded mountain valley cottage hundreds of miles away from the Overlord Blade Sect.

The air was filled with a bitter medicinal scent mixed with a faint smell of blood.

A youth with a withered aura, his chest wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, was slowly opening his eyes. His pupils were filled with endless pain, despair, and... an extreme ruthlessness that seemed capable of burning everything away.

His chapped lips moved, uttering a nearly inaudible vow:

"Chen Yuan... Overlord Blade Sect... If I do not avenge this grudge... I, Ye Feng... swear I will not be human!"