This Villain Ch.65

Chapter 65: Return to Reality

Feng Xuexiang couldn’t see anything, unable to distinguish between the sky and the earth or the surroundings. In this chaotic, dark world that resembled the primordial beginnings of the universe, the only thing visible was Yu Shi by his side.

Yu Shi emitted a faint light, walking forward steadily as if he would never tire or fear, seeing a world completely different from the one Feng Xuexiang saw.

Feeling the tight grip on his hand, Yu Shi turned and asked, “Are you nervous?”

When he spoke, he seemed to carry genuine concern, appearing gentle yet strong.

Seeing Feng Xuexiang shake his head, Yu Shi didn’t press further and instead pointed ahead to divert his attention. “Look, there seems to be a plum blossom grove over there.”

Feng Xuexiang looked in the direction Yu Shi pointed, but there was nothing in the darkness.

“I can smell it, a faint fragrance.”

As Yu Shi spoke, it was as if the box isolating Feng Xuexiang was slightly opened, and he truly caught the scent in the darkness.

Feng Xuexiang’s pitch-black eyes glimmered faintly, and he asked softly, “I can’t see clearly. What does the plum blossom grove look like?”

“It’s a large grove of plum trees growing on a hillside. The trunks are thick, and the branches are covered with light pink flowers.”

Yu Shi described the scene before him without any artistic embellishment and added a comment.

“The branches have a beautiful shape, probably perfect for arranging in a vase.”

The darkness before Feng Xuexiang’s eyes began to tear open, revealing strands of light, and the shadows of plum blossoms swayed ahead.

But what he saw was not the plum grove Yu Shi had described. Instead, it was an ancient, towering plum tree with branches twisted like thick snakes, gnarled and coiled, filling his entire view with its menacing form.

The smile on his face grew wider. “I see it too. The plum blossoms are really beautiful.”

“Since there are flowers here, why not place your butterflies among them?” Yu Shi suddenly asked.

He opened the bag he was carrying and looked surprised. “What? The butterflies in the bag have disappeared.”

He couldn’t remember when the butterflies had stopped moving.

“They might have flown away. Let’s not worry about them. Let’s keep going.” Feng Xuexiang smiled brightly.

Yu Shi thought he might be eager to leave this place, so he didn’t linger to look at the flowers by the roadside and continued walking forward.

There were many vague sights along the path, but they all seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, appearing both near and far, unclear to the eye.

They seemed to pass by some buildings along the way and even heard the sound of bells from a temple.

They also passed by a snow-capped mountain, and with a thought, the distant mountain appeared clearly before Yu Shi’s eyes.

He didn’t find these scenes strange, thinking of them as illusions, just like how anything could appear in a dream without surprise.

“I heard the bells from the temple.”

“A temple? Hmm, I don’t like it. Let’s hurry on.”

“There’s also a snow-capped mountain over there.”

“What does the mountain look like? Is it beautiful?”

“The sun is shining on the snow-covered peak, giving it a golden hue. It’s quite a sight.”

Because of his description, Feng Xuexiang seemed to see that snow-covered mountain too, outlined with a golden edge by the sunlight.

Feng Xuexiang held Yu Shi’s hand as they walked along the endless road, seeing the world through his eyes.

On the road, there were various sights, some near, some far, some large, and some small. When Yu Shi didn’t intend to look closely, most of them just flashed by in a hurry.

“Ashi, what do you think is at the end of this road?” Feng Xuexiang asked tentatively.

Yu Shi thought for a while and said, “It should be like a highway, and at the end, there’s probably a toll booth.”

Feng Xuexiang’s joyful smile gradually froze and turned into confusion: “………”

“A toll booth? What does a toll booth look like? I’ve never seen one.”

He had already been led out of the illusion that had trapped him by Yu Shi. Now, this place was a gap between the real world and the imaginary one. To leave, they needed to find the “door.”

The door’s existence relied on imagination; as long as one’s will was strong, the door would appear in the form imagined.

But he couldn’t even picture what the “door” Yu Shi mentioned looked like, so how could he pass through it to leave?

After walking for a long time, Yu Shi grew tired, but they still hadn’t found a way out.

“Let’s rest for a bit before continuing,” Yu Shi said.

“I’ll carry you,” Feng Xuexiang suddenly offered.

He lifted Yu Shi, holding him in front. Yu Shi had never been held like this before.

“Why don’t you put me down and carry me on your back?”

“No, I wouldn’t be able to see you if I did that.”

“But with you holding me like this, it’s hard for me to guide the way.”

“No need to guide the way; just walking forward is fine, right?”

Feng Xuexiang spoke of moving forward, but in reality, he couldn’t distinguish direction in the darkness, nor did he intend to try.

They had already come this far, just one step away from returning to reality. Even if there was no door, he would tear open the darkness to create one.

Feng Xuexiang held Yu Shi, pressing one hand against his back.

A butterfly flapped its wings, then thousands of butterflies flapped their wings. The wind began to rise.

…

At the same time, in the Mei family of the Four Great Families, sharp, angry shouts rang out:

“It’s the filthy butterflies from the Feng family! Damn those filthy butterflies! They’ve flown into my domain and gone mad! Someone, go control them! Ah!”

Several maids from the Mei family surrounded him, unsure how to calm him down, and could only listen to his frantic screams in distress.

…

In the Xue family, Xue Ruoyao went to visit her younger sister, a spirit demon, as she usually did, standing silently outside the ice layer to keep her company.

Suddenly, she saw her sister move slightly beneath the ice and heard her say:

“Don’t come near me, stay away.”

Xue Ruoyao was stunned: “What? Are you talking to me?”

“The butterflies have broken in,” the eerie voice sighed, and the ice covering her body thickened once more.

…

The butterflies wreaked havoc everywhere, their seemingly delicate wings stirring up fierce winds.

Yu Shi heard the wind from all directions, the soft whooshing of the breeze through the gaps, which in the blink of an eye, transformed into a roaring storm, violently sweeping through the surroundings.

Feng Xuexiang’s hair whipped wildly in the wind. Yu Shi, who had intended to push Feng Xuexiang away, instead found himself wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

“What is this…”

“It’s the wind, hahahaha!” Feng Xuexiang laughed in excitement.

In reality, dark clouds gathered over the lake house, the lake water churned, and the murky mud from below surged up.

As usual, Jiang Mang was cleaning the lake house when the sudden change occurred. She soon fainted, and a layer of frost covered her body, shielding her from the invisible wind inside the house that sliced through the air like a blade.

Yu Shi, too, sat with his eyes closed, leaning against Feng Xuexiang. The wind swirled around Feng Xuexiang’s body, but the closer it got to him, the weaker it became.

The Feng family members by the lake were filled with fear and confusion due to the sudden upheaval, but none dared to speak in the presence of the old steward.

This situation had occurred briefly before, but it was far less intense than now. This time, the wind was growing increasingly violent, nearly shaking the lake house to its foundation, with no sign of stopping.

And it happened now, precisely when the only person who could use a blood curse to subdue the spirit demon, the head of the family, was in seclusion.

“Go and summon Young Master Zaiyin to stabilize the situation,” the old steward ordered.

Feng Zaiyin hurried over. Even with his usually calm demeanor, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy in the face of this crisis.

The head of the Feng family had recently made a deal with the Xue family, sending Feng Xuexiang to assist the Xue family head in exchange for a rare snow demon’s shed spirit.

A few days ago, the Feng family head had entered seclusion to absorb it, hoping to extend his life by ten more years, and couldn’t be interrupted easily.

Among the younger generation of the Feng family still present, there wasn’t a single one capable of handling the situation, nor did any of them dare approach the lake house. Only Feng Zaiyin, the third generation, who was favored by the family head, dared to take charge, though he was still quite young.

He directed the exorcists he had brought to set up a formation along the riverbank, gazing at the lake house with a serious expression as he asked, “Steward Sui, do you know what state Ninth Uncle is in?”

The old steward shook his head slowly and replied, “I can’t be certain. My fear is that Ninth Master has completely lost his way and has been entirely consumed by the illusion.”

“If that’s the case, the illusion will devour everything nearby and then seek out the next suitable host.”

Feng Zaiyin furrowed his brows and pressed his lips together. The next host for the illusion would likely be chosen from his generation, but it generally preferred young children. So, one of his younger cousins could become the new spirit demon.

But had his Ninth Uncle truly reached his limit? Hadn’t Grandfather said that Ninth Uncle could hold on for at least another two years?

Feng Zaiyin’s expression was complex. “Steward Sui, aside from the spirit demon perishing, is there any other possible explanation for what’s happening now?”

As he asked this, a sudden surge of wind and thunder erupted near the lake house. A deafening crack resounded in the sky, and a bolt of purple lightning struck directly above the lake house, tearing the sky apart for an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the wind scattered the clouds, and the sky brightened once more. The churning lake water transformed into a fine misty rain, gently falling back onto the lake’s surface.

“I’ll go… check on Ninth Uncle’s condition.” Feng Zaiyin said as he passed through the temporary barrier formation set up along the lake’s edge and headed towards the lake house.

As he reached the entrance of the lake house, his heart tightened.

The wind rustled the curtains, and he saw his young Ninth Uncle sitting by the bed, observing everything around him with a curious gaze, holding an unconscious man in his arms.

His footsteps caught Ninth Uncle’s attention, and the latter looked his way.

In that moment, Feng Zaiyin realized something was amiss—his Ninth Uncle appeared to be fully conscious!

Chosen by the mirror as a child and becoming a “spirit demon,” it had already been over twenty years. His powers grew stronger over time, but so did the gradual loss of his sense of self.

Controlling the illusion, he would eventually become lost between reality and illusion, unable to distinguish between the two, and even forgetting who he was. Every spirit demon in the Feng family experienced this fate.

Feng Zaiyin recalled that his Ninth Uncle hadn’t truly been lucid for several years; whenever his intervention was needed, Grandfather had to use a blood curse to compel him into action.

During all other times, he was isolated in this lake house, cared for by special people with Five Yin and Five Yang Fates.

Feng Zaiyin had never heard of a spirit demon from the mirror ever regaining clarity once lost.

“Who are you?” Ninth Uncle broke the delicate silence by asking.

“I…” Feng Zaiyin quietly took a deep breath and lowered his head, replying, “Ninth Uncle, I’m Zaiyin, my father is Feng Deju.”

He felt immense pressure under Ninth Uncle’s intense, pitch-black gaze, and the silence between them only heightened his unease.

Finally, he heard Ninth Uncle say, “I remember now, Feng Deju, he’s my elder brother. You’re my nephew. I saw you when you were a child.”

But instead of feeling relieved, Feng Zaiyin felt an even greater, inexplicable fear as he lifted his head to meet his uncle’s eyes.

“This is the real world, isn’t it?” Ninth Uncle asked with a joyful tone, smiling.

“Of course,” Feng Zaiyin responded cautiously. “May I ask, how did Ninth Uncle regain consciousness?”

“Yes, I’ve woken up. This is real, hahahaha!”

Feng Zaiyin heard his uncle muttering to himself, then laughing gleefully. Ninth Uncle stared at him as if he wanted to approach, but when he stood up and glanced down, he seemed to remember the person in his arms and sat back down.

Holding the unconscious person in his arms, Ninth Uncle smiled expectantly and waved at him, “Zaiyin, come closer. Let me have a good look at you.”

Feng Zaiyin didn’t move, his hand tightening around a bronze dagger talisman hidden in his grasp.

“Come closer.”

As the second command fell, Feng Zaiyin suddenly found himself standing right in front of Ninth Uncle, though he hadn’t consciously moved—no, something was wrong! He had just fallen into an illusion! He had been influenced without even realizing it!

His pupils constricted sharply, revealing the deep terror hidden within them.

“Can you do your Ninth Uncle a favor?”

Feng Zaiyin suddenly noticed that the bronze dagger he had hidden was now in Ninth Uncle’s hand. That pale, bloodless hand used the dagger to slash his hand deeply, causing blood to drip down in a steady stream.

As he felt the pain, the scene before his eyes shifted once more. To his shock, he realized it wasn’t Ninth Uncle who had cut his hand—it was him. He had cut his own hand, and Ninth Uncle had merely been watching the entire time.

As his blood dripped down, the phantom image of a bronze mirror began to materialize beneath their feet.

Feng Zaiyin watched as Ninth Uncle reached behind his own back, pulling out one nail after another, tossing them into the bronze mirror’s reflection at their feet.

“I don’t need these anymore, so I had you help me remove them,” Feng Xuexiang said casually, as if he hadn’t noticed Feng Zaiyin’s bleeding hand. “Alright, Zaiyin, you can go now.”

“Take that one with you, too. I don’t like having strangers around.”

It was then that Feng Zaiyin noticed another person lying on the ground nearby. He recognized her as one of the attendants responsible for caring for Ninth Uncle, her body covered in a layer of frost—an indication of the Xue Family’s bloodline.

A flash of surprise crossed Feng Zaiyin’s eyes as he quietly replied, “Yes.”

What piqued his curiosity even more was the man Ninth Uncle had been holding in his arms the whole time. What was so special about him?

Unable to resist, Feng Zaiyin cast a probing glance in that direction.

“What are you looking at?”

Feng Zaiyin froze. The previously gentle tone Ninth Uncle had used since their first exchange turned icy, even though it hadn’t changed when he stabbed Feng Zaiyin’s hand with the knife. The smile on his face vanished.

Feng Zaiyin immediately looked away. “I was wondering if the person by your side needs medical attention, Ninth Uncle.”

“There’s no need. He’s just asleep,” Ninth Uncle’s voice returned to normal, as if the earlier coldness had been nothing more than a figment of the imagination.

“He’s asleep and will wake up soon.”

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