Villain Master, my disciples all want to backstab me

The clear voice of the young girl spread out and echoed in the vast valley.

It's been a while.

Just then, a "boom" was heard, and another ball of green flame, the size of a car hood, emerged from the void, startling Ye Shuang'er and Bai Hu slightly. Then, three vertical pupils opened within the flames, looking cautiously at Bai Yuan and the others. Their attention was first drawn to the hand gestures Ji Lingyun was making.

"Is this... the Ji family's Green Bamboo Seal?"

A low sound rang out in the air, as if thousands of bronze bells were ringing at the same time.

"It's truly rare for a young Ji family member, whose bone age is only in his twenties, to possess such a high level of cultivation... Wait, you're not human? No, no, this spiritual energy, and your soul, seem somewhat familiar..."

Given that Ji Lingyun's situation is quite complicated, her soul is half Ji Lingyun and half Ji Tingxue, while her body is a tea leaf demon...

The "Phantom Fire Listener" was stunned for a moment, then circled in the sky several times in the form of flames. During the entire process, Ji Lingyun stood motionless, allowing him to look around. Then it condensed into a phantom with a lion's head and a dragon's body, sniffed with flaring nostrils, and then revealed an expression of surprise and doubt: "Are you... Immortal Master Lingyun?!"

"Did you finally recognize it?"

"Not bad, not bad. It seems you are not senile yet."

Ji Lingyun smiled slightly, raised her hand, drew a few strokes in the air, and pulled the phantom with a lion's head and a dragon's body out of the flames. Then she squeezed it again, and it turned into a white, fluffy, fist-sized ball of fur that fell to the ground. "Well, this looks much better."

"..."

"Youhuo Diting" made a speechless expression.

However, it seemed to have dispelled the last bit of doubt - this kind of prank really seemed like something Ji Lingyun would do.

"I didn't expect you to be still alive... This state should be considered 'alive', right?"

"However, as a human being, you actually use such a method that goes against the laws of nature to control life and death. If you were discovered... the consequences would probably not be too bad, right?"

"So, when you meet an old friend, your first reaction is to curse me like this?"

Listening to the words of "Phantom Fire Listener", Ji Lingyun just maintained a smiling expression, picked it up and placed it in the palm of her hand: "Don't worry, if I am killed by the Heavenly Dao, I will definitely return here before I die and take you with me."

“…That’s not necessary.”

"Youhuo Diting" said coldly.

At this time, it glanced towards Bai Yuan and Ye Shuang'er, and finally asked, "Who are they, and why did you bring them here?"

"Well... to be exact, I was the one who was brought here, but it should be the same for you."

Ji Lingyun waved to Bai Yuan, then said with a smile: "This child is Jiang Rao's master... Oh, you probably don't know who Jiang Rao is. She is one of the few remaining members of the Jiang family after the demise, and she is also the one with the best qualifications among those Jiang family members.

"Now that the child has grown up, she is qualified to inherit the Jiang family's legacy and avenge the tragic deaths of Jiang Taixu and others. That's why her master wants to help her obtain the [Dayan Five Elements Wheel]. That's what's going on."

"?!"

Hearing this, Youhuo Diting opened his eyes wide in shock: "What did you say? The Jiang family... is destroyed?"

"..."

Bai Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.

Ok.

Another poor guy who has yet to get internet access in a village.

"This matter is a bit complicated, so let's start from twenty years ago..."

Chapter 131 Jiang Taixu

Next.

Bai Yuan began to tell the story.

The time span of this story is not short, but if we omit the details in the middle and only talk about the main part, it is actually not too long.

To make it more convincing, Bai Yuan even took out Shentu Jialuo's body and threw it in front of Youhuo Diting. "The owner of this body is called Shentu Jialuo. She was a member of the Shentu clan who participated in the destruction of the Jiang family. I met her outside in [Cangwu County] and saved Jiang Rao from her and another member of the Shentu clan."

"If you have any doubts, please consult her memories. But please do not damage this body, as I may have other uses for it."

"No need."

Youhuo Diting shook his head.

Ji Lingyun, who was standing beside it, spoke up and explained, "This creature has a special talent. It's extremely good at discerning the truth from what others say. By the time you finished telling it that story, it should have already made its judgment without any external aid."

"Is there such a thing?"

Bai Yuan pretended to be surprised.

——Of course she knew this attribute of Di Ting, so everything she said just now was true.

It's just that the whole truth was not told.

If Di Ting insists on asking further questions, it will not be too late to add to the answer depending on the situation.

However, with Ji Lingyun's help in endorsing it, and the relationship between Youhuo Diting and the Jiang family is not "master and servant", the chances of it continuing to ask questions are not high.

really.

Just as Bai Yuan had expected, Youhuo Diting didn't delve into the details of the Jiang family's demise. He remained silent for a moment before sighing, "So that's how it is. The Shentu family and the Xueyuan Sect have joined forces... Well, anyway. The Jiang family has been passed down since Jiang Hengyu's generation, over seven thousand years ago. It's indeed time for them to decline."

"what?"

Ye Shuang'er was a little confused: "You actually accepted reality so quickly?"

"...What else?"

Youhuo Diting glanced at the little girl and said, "I'm different from the big cat beside you. I'm not a member of the Jiang family, nor am I their pet or contracted spirit beast. I'm just helping them look after their home because we were neighbors for a while. As for the outside world, those are your concerns. They have nothing to do with me."

——That’s true.

As a native of the Cangwu Abyss, Youhuo Diting had never left the area since his birth. His relationship with the Jiang family was limited to the neighborly relationship he had during Jiang Hengyu's time seven thousand years ago.

Even if it took care of Jiang Hengyu's descendants out of its good relationship with him and the kindness he had shown them in the past, it would only help them guard their belongings and, when the Jiang family was forced into this place, it would help them save them. However, it would definitely not go out to seek revenge for the Jiang family.

This is also the reason why Jiang Taixu did not ask this person to come out and help when he came here.

Of course……

Bai Yuan was actually quite curious about Youhuo Diting's strength.

Although it never made a move in the original plot, according to common sense, as an old creature of the same age as Jiang Hengyu, even if it didn't practice much, after thousands of years of enduring, it must have reached a level close to the Return to Void Realm. In theory, it should even be close to the Heavenly Man Realm.

Otherwise, it probably wouldn't be able to stay so peacefully in this perilous [Cangwu Abyss]. It would also be impossible for Ji Lingyun to treat it as an equal.

After all, the giant centipede of the third level of the Spiritual Transformation Realm was caught by the Saintess of the Ji Family and was almost refined directly.

"Hey……"

"After this disaster, I'm afraid the Jiang family's ancestral land will become deserted from now on."

Youhuo Diting sighed again, then raised his head and looked at Bai Yuan: "Where is that little girl named Jiang Rao you mentioned? Why didn't she come with you?"

"This one……"

Bai Yuan hesitated for a moment and said, "She and I didn't set out at the same time, and for some reason, I'm not the only Master with her. But if my estimation is correct, she should be here soon."

"Ok?"

Youhuo Diting revealed a vigilant expression at the right moment. "The Jiang family's underground palace requires the blood of the Jiang family as the key. Outsiders are not allowed to set foot inside. Anyone with ill intentions will be killed. Didn't Lingyun Immortal Venerable tell you this rule?"

Ji Lingyun was speechless.

Although she had some friendship with Youhuo Diting, she was an outsider after all, and it was indeed inconvenient for her to interfere in such matters involving the inheritance of another clan.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly, "Senior Di Ting must have misunderstood. I only came here to help my beloved disciple explore the way. I have no intention of interfering in retrieving the Jiang family treasure for Jiang Rao. However... if I just wander around this village, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Speaking of which, Patriarch Jiang Taixu and I have a long-standing spiritual connection. I heard that when he came here, he left a trace of his spirit here. Now that the Jiang family has been destroyed, I can no longer visit. If I could communicate with Patriarch Jiang's spirit and tell him the whereabouts of his two children, it would surely be helpful."

"..."

Hearing this, Ji Lingyun glanced at Bai Yuan.

Youhuo Diting knew nothing about the outside world because there was no internet in the village, and he was also unaware of Bai Yuan's true identity.

But Ji Lingyun knew.

After all, when she first woke up, she had already learned about the "Blood Kite Demon Lord" from Ji Tingxue's memories. She also knew about the things that happened in the "Yuankong Secret Realm".

The so-called "deliberately showing a vicious face to sharpen Jiang Rao"...

Although he could deceive Ye Shuang'er and Ji Tingxue.

But in front of her, the holy lady of the Ji family who had lived for hundreds of years, it was a bit interesting.

However, Ji Lingyun said nothing, just waved her hand: "Well, this kind of thing doesn't require its permission. After all, this is the ancestral land of the Jiang family, and its residence is next door. As long as you don't run underground, I think this guy won't care... Right, Di Ting?"

"It's been a thousand years since we last met. Why don't you sit down and chat? I can tell you what happened since we last met."

"...That's fine."

Youhuo Diting agreed, and said a few warning words to Bai Yuan, "You can take a walk, but don't go near the underground palace casually", and then sat down opposite Ji Lingyun.

Well... actually it's not really about "sitting down". After all, this guy now appears here in the form of an external incarnation, and is pinched into a fluffy white ball by Ji Lingyun. If you ignore the aura of the immortal on his body, he even looks a bit cute, making people want to grab him and rub him a few times.

Here.

Ji Lingyun is there to help cover up.

Bai Yuan was able to escape and first signaled Ye Shuang'er and Bai Hu to take a walk nearby, while he himself stepped into the inner side of the Jiang family's ancestral land and slowly walked around.

She had actually been to this place before.

After all, in her previous life, she had also completed the important Jiang Family quest, but she didn't grind it repeatedly like some hardcore gamers.

Objectively speaking, there wasn't much room for exploration here. After all, this was the ancestral land where the Jiang family had lived thousands of years ago, and countless generations had passed since then. Even for ancestral worship, they wouldn't have come here specifically. So, apart from a few dilapidated houses, there wasn't anything useful there.

As for randomly opening an old cabinet and getting a few "Millennium Nourishing Heart Pills" or a "Seven-Star Sword"... that kind of thing only exists in RPG games and is impossible in reality.

but……

Bai Yuan had a plan for this place - yes, it was the "Jiang Taixu's soul" she had just mentioned to Youhuo Diting!

This incident did happen, but no one knew about it except Jiang Taixu himself.

And for Bai Yuan, this is precisely the key to clearing her name in front of Jiang Rao!

So far, Bai Yuan has used various means to shape his impression on Jiang Rao into that of a strict teacher with a "cold exterior but a warm heart." However, this image is not very solid, and there are many doubts. It all depends on whether Jiang Rao wants to get to the bottom of it.

But if her plan can be successfully implemented this time...

Then her image in Jiang Rao's mind will be completely cleared, and it may even produce an unprecedented wave of fluctuations.

“…This should be the one.”

Bai Yuan wandered around casually for a while, and stopped in front of an old house. He glanced at Ji Lingyun and Youhuo Diting who were still sitting and talking under a big tree outside the village, and then pushed the door open and went in.

"Ok?"

Youhuo Diting noticed something keenly and suddenly floated up: "She is going to..."

"Well, why rush? Anyway, she can't enter the Jiang family's underground palace without you opening the door."

Ji Lingyun casually suppressed Youhuo Diting and said lightly, "Besides, as the master of the Jiang family's descendants, it is normal for him to want to wander around the Jiang family's ancestral land and talk to the Jiang family elders. You are not their pet spirit beast, so why should you worry about it?"

"Let's continue with the topic we were discussing. Have you come to any conclusions regarding the Underworld that I asked you to investigate?"

"..."

the other side.

Bai Yuan stepped into the wooden house.

This room, from the outside, looked no different from the others, but it held special significance for the Jiang family. This was because it was Jiang Hengyu's former residence and the only way to the Jiang family's underground palace.

The house is not big.

There was only a bed, a few lamps, a table... all made of blue-gray rock or bronze, and a "chair" also made of cobblestone. It looked very simple.

Because of their age, these platforms were covered with a thin layer of dust, but they did not look dirty. Because the dust looked shiny, as if spiritual energy flowed through it, as if it had become a spirit.

There is a tablet and a golden mirror on the stone platform.

【Eight-Gate Golden Mirror】.

This thing is another treasure of the Jiang family, but it is not as powerful as the [Dayan Five Elements Wheel]. It has two main functions:

The first is used to seal the soul, which can be that of an enemy or one's own;

Secondly, it was used to record the important events experienced by its holders—primarily the Jiang family's successive patriarchs—in what was known as the "daily records," as well as the cultivation formulas and images of some of the Jiang family's important magical powers, so that they could be preserved for future generations to review and prevent the loss of inheritance over time. To put it bluntly, it was a backup server.

The most important thing, of course, is the soul left by the last head of the family, Jiang Taixu.