I'm a villain in the superhero world.

Why keep driving through remote, mountainous areas and coastal regions?

Of course, it's to guard against that cunning and ruthless Feng's black sword appearing out of nowhere and stabbing me in the back.

When I watched movies and read comics before, I never thought that the Black Sword's abilities were so difficult to deal with when it was defeated by villains.

Ugh...headache.

This was Lü Buyi's truest thought at this moment, but he couldn't just tell Jiang Liyue.

Because talking to her is useless, and it will only cause unnecessary trouble.

"What do you think I'd be worried about? Maybe I just forgot to turn it off?"

Lu Buyi stood up and slowly walked out, with Jiang Liyue following behind him.

"Driving through remote mountains and seas all the time, even you can't completely ignore the wear and tear involved."

Stepping outside, the evening breeze greeted us as we walked with Lü Buyi through the vast garden on the east side of Rongguang Courtyard.

Jiang Liyue turned her head and looked at Lü Buyi, whose face was full of perfunctory attitude, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Even if you're going to try to fool me, at least come up with a slightly more believable reason."

"What if I could simply ignore all the costs and expenses associated with being far from home and the mountains?"

Lu Buyi's immediate and decisive answer caused the white-robed Daoist nun to pause for a moment.

"Can you do it now?" Jiang Liyue asked softly.

"Yes, I can do it." Lü Buyi nodded casually.

Actually, Jiang Liyue's words were correct not long ago—

For Lü Buyi not long ago, driving through the remote mountains and seas without interruption might not have been too strenuous, but it was still a considerable drain on his energy.

But she didn't understand the charm of adding points.

Therefore, it was even less likely that Jiang Liyue could understand the efficiency with which Lü Buyi, who had reached level 16 in the skill of "Infinite Martial Arts," utilized power.

Even if Lü Buyi were surrounded by mountains and seas at all times, he would feel almost no pressure.

Therefore, despite being far from the mountains and sea, its defensive capabilities against the Black Sword's power and his vast arsenal are quite limited.

Pessimistically speaking, it's highly unlikely to last even a moment.

However, Lü Buyi still surrounded himself with it as a way to delay.

However, even though I've only recently been able to do this myself, I still can't afford to lose in terms of words.

"Island Master Jiang, don't always apply your knowledge and experience to me." Lu Buyi's gaze shifted slightly, lingering on her for a moment.

"In the Penglai Qi Refining Technique, I surpassed your two hundred years of Pure Heart Cultivation in just three years. Doesn't that prove anything?"

Jiang Liyue fell silent for a moment, but she continued to follow Lü Buyi, even though she didn't know where they were going.

Throughout the journey, she always seemed to want to speak but didn't know what to say.

But finally, when passing by a giant tree that was probably over a hundred years old...

Jiang Liyue reached out and, undeterred by the distance between the mountains and the sea, gently tugged at Lü Buyi's sleeve.

"Are you only happy when you've completely refuted me and left me speechless, utterly defeated in front of you?"

"They keep everything from me, and when faced with difficult questions, they just lie or evade the issue..."

Does this make you feel happy and joyful?

Jiang Liyue's words were unusually warm and humane.

Her words conveyed both her frustration at being unable to refute Lü Buyi and her dissatisfaction that he had kept everything from her until now.

To be honest, looking at the white-robed Taoist nun in front of me, who was tugging at my sleeve, speaking angrily and dissatisfiedly, and who looked pitiful, I was quite taken aback.

Most people would probably use kind words, coaxing and deception—

But clearly, Lü Buyi wasn't like most people; when facing Jiang Liyue, his notoriously awful personality only led him to say:

"Yes, that's right. The things you just listed do make me happy and joyful."

...such hurtful words.

"Would it kill you to say something nice?"

"Maybe?"

"Who exactly are you guarding against? Is there someone here who makes you feel threatened all the time?"

"Who knows? Maybe."

"Lü Buyi!"

"Yes, I'm here. What's up?"

Lu Buyi's responses, though seemingly responsive, left Jiang Liyue helpless.

But she couldn't ask any deeper questions.

After all, she can't say who Lü Buyi is yet. Even if she were to continue asking questions, what identity should she use to ask them?

So she stopped dwelling on the issue and changed the subject.

Jiang Liyue shifted the topic to Ji Mingyang and Yin Qing.

Her doubts about this were even greater than those about the previous questions.

"That boy is the sun? You want me to teach him?"

"Yes, but you don't need to teach me much. You just need to explain the theory from the side. I'll take care of everything else after that."

Jiang Liyue did not refuse, nor did she dwell on the issue for long.

Because what she's about to ask is what she cares about most.

"The girl beside him possesses the missing half of your Yin energy, right?"

Lu Buyi finally stopped. He sighed and his gaze became serious.

"Don't do anything unnecessary or foolish. If I haven't done it, it means I don't want to. I have other choices, do you understand?"

Jiang Liyue looked up, and the two of them gazed at each other in the darkness of the night.

"I don't understand. I don't know if you can't bring yourself to do it or if you're just indecisive, but if you don't want to get your hands dirty, I can kill her for you and restore Taiyin to its wholeness."

"Once Taiyin is complete, I think your current concerns will be resolved, right?"

"Whether it's 'He' who suddenly appeared back then, or someone you're currently on guard against."

At this point, Lü Buyi was unable to utter any hurtful words.

When Jiang Liyue's words and actions were truly for his benefit.

Even if what she was about to do was not a good deed, Lü Buyi could not blame her.

"I have to admit, what you've said does seem to be the best option right now—"

"But first of all, this is not the outcome I hoped for."

"Secondly, you might not be able to do this without my intervention."

It may not be possible to do so...

Jiang Liyue understood that Lü Buyi was not underestimating her, but rather because Yin Qing had Ji Mingyang by her side.

"Do you think that boy's 'solar manifestation' state, which might occur when he's under excessive stress and stimulation, would be something I couldn't resist?"

Nonsense, besides the SS-rank sealed artifact "Tightening Hoop" that the two major sects of India will bring this time, as well as myself and the Black Sword,

Currently, no one in Haidu can withstand Ji Mingyang's unstable ancestral form.

The activity of the solar power within him far surpasses that of previous generations of Sun Gods, making him the only exception who, without awakening, can unleash fifth-level combat power in his ancestral form.

However, despite the truth of the matter, Lü Buyi did not say anything particularly hurtful this time, but simply responded with silence.

Jiang Liyue understood her powerlessness, so she stopped talking and just tightened her grip on Lü Buyi's sleeve a little.

Then, they continued walking in silence until they reached one of Lü Buyi's eight rooms.

Before pushing open the door, Lü Buyi gave Jiang Liyue, who was standing behind him, his final command:

"Island Master Jiang, I hope you can understand that I will handle my own affairs, my troubles, and my concerns."

"So, don't do anything unnecessary without my consent or permission—"

With a click, the door closed as the last word was uttered.

That conversation between the two ended there.