Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

As Murong Lin’s cultivation journey neared the peak of the Manifestation realm, the once rapid surge in his power began to slow, gradually plateauing.

Upon reaching this peak, the energy that had fueled his remarkable growth vanished, leading to a stable and balanced cultivation at the pinnacle of the Manifestation realm.

His eyes opened slowly as the strength emanated from his body, enveloping the entire house with his suppressive aura.

Even the Bloody Poisonous Insect experienced a boost in strength, mirroring the enhancement in its master.

It hurriedly flew a circle around its owner yet again, showing its loyalty and reveration towards its master.

Murong Lin waved his arm, gesturing for the insect to continue refining the blood crystals.

Only then did the Bloody Poisonous Insect fly towards the crystals, landing gracefully atop the mountain to continue absorbing the bloody aura.

“Ding! Congratulations to master for using the character legacy card! Congratulations to master for obtaining Yuan Sui Yun’s Legacy!”

In the enthralling world of ‘Legend of Chu Liu Xiang,’ Yuan Sui Yun, known as the Bat Noble, presents a fascinating facade. To the world, he appears as the young master of ‘Peace Mountain Village,’ exuding grace and virtue. Little did they know that behind this gentle and elegant demeanour lies a mastermind, secretly responsible for the debauched ‘Bat Island’ organization. Despite his blindness, Yuan Sui Yun is revered for his unparalleled expertise in both the arts and martial prowess. With mastery over all its secrets, he cunningly devours other influential forces, strategically preparing to unite the entire Jiang Hu under his control.

The inheritable legacy:

Skills: 《Great Clap》，《Great Handprint》，《Cinnabar Palm》，《Flowing Cloud Fluttering Sleeve》，《Zombie Fist》，《Mandarin Duck Legs》……”

Murong Lin’s expression faltered slightly, but he wasn’t too surprised.

“Oh? So it was Yuan Sui Yun, that’s alright.”

Yuan Sui Yun’s demise may have came after his schemes were brought to light, but there was no denying his remarkable cultivation. Even despite his blindness, he was a cunning man with extraordinary talents. Through the mysterious ‘Bat Island,’ he managed to acquire the 33 forgotten techniques known to the world, mastering them to an extraordinary degree. Furthermore, his reach extended even further, as he held the tightly guarded secrets of various clans firmly within his grasp.

What surprised Murong Lin was Yuan Sui Yun’s possession of the Tang sect’s forgotten technique. While it might not have been on par with the seven great techniques that Tang Can possessed, it was the authentic hidden weapons and poisons of the Tang sect.

“Assimilate them all with the 《Lifelessness Law》! It should be enough to reach the lower Barren grade.”

Murong Lin thought to himself as he circulated his spiritual powers to assimilate the spiritual techniques within《Lifelessness Law》, increasing its strength once again.

“Check the system window.” Murong Lin spoke.

Undefeatable Villan SystemMaster: Murong Lin

Villan score: 630

Age: 19

Cultivation: Peak of the Manifestation realm

Innate talent: Bloody Poisonous Insect Acupoint, Little villain halo, ‘Wrathful, selfish’

Cultivation method: 《Lifelessness Law》 (Mortal form:  Evil of lifelessness, lawlessness and formlessness)

Skills: 《Bloody River God Finger》, 《Heart-Hurting Arrow》, 《Flowing Cloud Fluttering Sleeve》……
Equipment: God Sword · Bloody River, Nameless Paring Knife, God Sealing Silver Chains
Spirit familiar: Bloody Poisonous Insect

Servants: The three fierce operators, three of the ‘Eight Great Butcher Kings’, and the two bodyguards, ‘Flowering Steel Trees’, 108 levels of the Qing Yi Tower

Inventory: 《Must-read Villain Instruction Manual》, Fragment of ‘Great villain halo’*3, Blessed Enigma Cauldron, Mysterious map (Zhou Fan), mysterious ring (Long Chen)

Fuck, his villain value had reached 630 unknowingly!

 Murong Lin’s expression became bright instantaneously.

He had refrained from squandering his villain value in recent times, and upon witnessing the grand sum before him, he realised that he had made the right choice.

“I shall conquer the heart demon before the morning light and embark on my shopping spree.” He thought to himself.

While annihilating the Xue clan had resolved one of his heart demons,  another lingering heart demon still lay concealed within the depths of his soul.

Murong Lin understood that allowing it to fester unchecked was not an option, and hence, he resolved to confront and conquer it tonight once and for all!

His expression became resolute, then vicious.

The Bloody Poisonous Blood Insect had completed its feast of the blood crystals in its vicinity by now, causing the crystals that were scattered on the ground to transform into a transparent colour.

Murong Lin extended his arm, and the Bloody Poisonous Insect, having attained the Manifestation realm along with its master’s growth, dutifully landed on his hand. Silently and obediently, it crept back into his Bloody Poisonous Insect Acupoint.

At the same time, the three people that stood outside of the house spoke respectfully, “Master, the floor master Qing Miao Lou requests an audience.”

“Let him in.” Murong Lin responded.

In the serene ambience of the residence, a human silhouette flickered, and a man garbed in green attire gracefully entered. Seeing Murong Lin, he quickly knelt down, “Congratulations to the master for attaining new heights in your cultivation! This humble servant bows before your unparalleled prowess!”

“Alright, enough with the flattery. How’s the progress?”

Murong Lin looked at the man beneath him.

The floor master Qing Miao Lou responded as he cupped his hands, “The internal matters of the imperial palace have been brought under our complete control. The morning court shall proceed as scheduled tomorrow, whereupon Master can ascend the throne and proclaim his rightful reign!”

“What are the responses of the other influential forces?”

“The Murong Clan remains engulfed in internal strife, while the Wang clan has taken a cautious, observant stance. As for the other forces, they are still oblivious to Master’s plans.

The military, under the guidance of floor master Qing Long Lou, is actively engaged in a battle against the South Village King. Meanwhile, a pressing matter has arisen in the east due to the sudden disappearance of the Willow Sword Saint. Consequently, Murong Jiao is hurrying back to the capital.

The other forces that are no longer being influenced by our actions have managed to resolve their internal conflicts and have now returned to their previous state of normalcy.”

With a tinge of disappointment in his thoughts, Murong Lin couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret. Nevertheless, he replied calmly, “Let’s make our way back to the imperial palace for now.”

As the two nodded in unison, their figures flickered and vanished into thin air.

The three people that remained within the residence received their orders and immediately started erasing all traces of their movements within the courtyard as they destroyed this place.

A commotion erupted in the surroundings, however, the cause of the disturbance remained shrouded in mystery.

Once again, the capital underwent a transformation under the veil of the night, leaving its inhabitants utterly bewildered by the mysterious turn of events.

As the next day dawned, the court convened for their regular morning court, entirely oblivious to the fact that the entire imperial guards had been replaced.

Unbeknownst to the court and its members, every single one of the imperial guards had been covertly replaced by skilled members from the Qing Yi Tower. 

The cabinet ministers and the members of the six departments and the twenty-five syndicates chose to remain silent out of fear. They were well aware that a fierce battle had taken place during the previous night, but the outcome remained a mystery to them. 

Despite reaching out to the individuals they were familiar with within the palace, they were all met with an unexpected wall of silence.

As such, they were left with no choice but to continue with the morning court.

But during this morning court, once the crowd had gathered and stood before the great hall, their expressions changed dramatically when their eyes fell upon the individual who confidently strode forward and took a seat on the throne.

Amidst the stunned silence, one of the members from the Department of State Affairs found his voice and addressed the person on the throne with a mix of concern and urgency. “Your Highness, the third prince! What are you doing? Please, come down from there immediately!”

Within the hall, the people whom Murong Lin had recruited exchanged knowing glances with one another. It was evident that they had received a message from Murong Lin the night before.

The others had a similarly stunned reaction with the member of the Department of State Affairs, they couldn’t comprehend how the third prince had mustered the audacity to carry out such a bold and unexpected act.

Murong Lin simply overlooked the crowd. The attendees of the morning court were indeed officials responsible for managing the country of Yan, but in Murong Lin’s eyes, their individual strengths were relatively insignificant compared to someone like Duke Sheng.

They stared at Murong Lin as he clapped his hands, “Everyone, as you all have seen, I have usurped the throne. Does anyone have any opinions that they would like to express?”

The crowd was instantly engulfed in bewilderment; even those who had once been loyal to Murong Lin had their expressions dramatically altered. The Minister of War questioned urgently, “Was the battle last night part of your revolt? And what about his majesty? What have you done to his majesty?”

Casually reclining on the throne with his legs casually resting on the armrests, Murong Lin peered down at the assembled crowd before speaking, “I have sealed his cultivation and detained him in the confinement room. I believe you all are familiar with what a confinement room entails, aren’t you?”

With a clap of his hands, a group of Qing Yi Tower’s members clad in the attire of the imperial guards approached, bringing the imperial jade seal that had once been Murong Tong’s constant possession.

With a grand gesture, Murong Lin lifted the imperial jade seal high, displaying it for all to see, “Behold, this very state seal of Yan now rests in my possession, marking me as the new emperor!”

Astonishment washed over the crowd as two figures materialized at Murong Lin’s side. With the release of their aura, the overwhelming power of the Sky Reaching realm descended upon the gathering, forcing everyone to the ground.

Their faces were drained of colour as they were rendered powerless against the overwhelming might. Those who had once been loyal to Murong Tong contemplated resisting, but were swiftly taken away by the people of the Qing Yi Tower for execution.

The few of the officials that Murong Lin had recruited immediately started paying their respects, “We welcome the ascension of the new emperor!”

With a self-satisfied smile, Murong Lin observed the men on the ground who were compelled into submission by his overwhelming aura and authority.

“Hahahaha! I am the new emperor! Murong Lin, did you feel it?”

The heart demon that plagued his mind was instantly uprooted as the consciousness of the original Murong Lin vanished immediately. Murong Lin could now feel a sense of lightness in his soul, now unburdened by the shackles of resentment and sense of inferiority that had once tormented him.

Having fully integrated himself into this new vessel, Murong Lin experienced a remarkable elevation of his soul’s purity in the process. At this moment, the person standing before them was simply Murong Lin in essence, wholly transformed and reborn.