I Really Am A Villain

Xu Zimo stood up and glanced at the old man selling oranges.

Spirit energy gathered in the palm of his right hand, and he struck the old man’s head heavily with one blow.

The old man was instantly killed, but his corpse dissolved into a wisp of gas.

A moment later, the gas condensed again and reformed into the old man’s figure, sitting at his orange stall with the same smiling expression.

All around, the people passing by, chatting and laughing, showed no reaction whatsoever to what had just happened.

“What’s going on?” Ji Jiuning asked in confusion.

“Let’s move forward a bit,” Xu Zimo said after thinking for a moment.

The two of them walked past the open space before the city gate and entered the busiest street in the area.

The street was packed with people, and the inns and taverns on both sides were bustling with customers.

“Waiter! One plate of chicken, a bowl of spring noodles, and a pot of hot wine!”

“One plate of peanuts, and stir-fried kidneys!”

Inside the tavern, the chatter and orders rose and fell in an endless stream.

However, when Xu Zimo and Ji Jiuning entered, not a single waiter came to serve them.

“We’d like to order!” Ji Jiuning shouted.

But no one responded.

Xu Zimo frowned slightly. With a wave of his hand, the blade aura of Shadow Tyrant burst forth, spreading for miles.

A thunderous boom followed as the entire tavern collapsed in an instant.

Everyone inside was buried beneath the rubble, yet the passersby on the street outside remained completely unfazed.

Within a single second, the destroyed building stood tall again, restored to its former state. The people who had been crushed moments ago were alive once more.

“Waiter! One plate of chicken, a bowl of spring noodles, and a pot of hot wine!”

The same laughter and conversation resumed inside the tavern, as though nothing had ever happened.

“What on earth is this?” Ji Jiuning muttered, utterly bewildered.

“Don’t bother looking further,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “This city operates under its own independent set of rules.”

“Independent rules?” Ji Jiuning frowned.

“It’s like something pre-written,” Xu Zimo explained. “The rules run automatically. These people are merely characters, each acting out their assigned roles. They have no independent will, which is why we can’t interact with them.”

“Then why does this city exist?” Ji Jiuning asked. “What caused it to appear?”

“That, I don’t know yet,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head. “But everything in this world has its cause and effect.”

He continued walking deeper into the city, observing the scenery along the way, the buildings, the layout, everything was just like a real city.

Eventually, Xu Zimo reached the farthest point, standing before a great hall.

The hall was dilapidated, its doorway covered in thick cobwebs. Dust clung lazily to every surface, and when the wind blew, it stirred up clouds of grime.

The hall had no doors. Looking inside, it was completely dark, nothing could be seen.

As Xu Zimo and Ji Jiuning stood before it, about to step inside, a humming sound suddenly filled the air.

It was as if they had triggered some forbidden mechanism. The entire city began to shift.

The massive walls all around started rotating; the ground beneath their feet trembled violently as booming sounds echoed without pause.

Then, beams of light descended from the heavens, enveloping the whole city.

The light split into countless rays, each one hovered above a person’s head, surrounding them in radiance.

A moment later, the power surged skyward like waterfalls erupting from the earth, and waves of Saint Sovereign aura burst from every single person present.

Saint Sovereigns.

An entire city full of Saint Sovereigns. Were this to happen in the outside world, it would shock the heavens.

Hundreds, no, thousands of people radiated the vast and boundless might of Saints, their combined pressure making it hard to even breathe.

Ji Jiuning’s expression changed drastically; she could barely move a single step.

Xu Zimo’s face was also solemn. A whole city of Saint Sovereigns, it was impossible, yet here it was, without a single flaw to be seen.

Everyone began to move toward them, intending to encircle Xu Zimo and Ji Jiuning.

Glancing at the hall ahead, Xu Zimo grabbed Ji Jiuning’s arm and tried to rush forward.

But as soon as they took a step, the oppressive Saintly aura grew even heavier, pinning their bodies in place.

They couldn’t move. Even breathing became difficult.

“I’ll hold them off. You go inside,” Ji Jiuning said.

“You can stop them?” Xu Zimo asked in surprise.

“If they were truly Saint Sovereigns, of course not,” she replied. “But I don’t believe they are. So I’ll try.”

As she spoke, the fox spirit behind her, normally white, began turning blood red.

That crimson hue spread like spilled blood. The Blood Fox’s appearance was said to herald calamity.

Ji Jiuning’s hands formed a series of seals, and the Blood Fox howled skyward like a wolf.

“When the moon is full, the Calamity Fox descends.”

The fox let out a piercing cry and leapt in front of them, facing the countless so-called Saint Sovereigns head-on.

“Go,” Ji Jiuning commanded.

Xu Zimo took a step forward, the pressure around him intensifying with every inch he moved. He could hear the cracking of his own bones.

Ji Jiuning raised her hand, and the Blood Fox charged forward, bearing the brunt of the crushing force.

It howled again and again, buying Xu Zimo the moment he needed to break free and step into the hall.

As he crossed the threshold, he heard the Blood Fox’s final, anguished scream behind him.

But once inside, Xu Zimo had no time to look back. The moment he entered the great hall, he was greeted by a series of eerie, guttural roars.

It sounded as though something within was shrieking in torment.

Ahead stretched a long, dim corridor, lit only by flickering candlelight.

In the faint yellow glow, murals covered the walls on either side.

And from somewhere down that corridor came the angry, despairing voice.

“White Emperor! How long do you plan to keep me trapped?”

“Despicable thief! Why won’t you answer? I know your avatar is here!”

“Let me out, damn you!”

As Xu Zimo walked further along the corridor, the shouting abruptly ceased.

“Who’s there?!” a harsh voice demanded.

“Someone from the outside world,” Xu Zimo replied calmly.

He continued walking until he reached the corridor’s end, and finally saw what was making the noise.

Before him stood a man, his body covered in blood, flesh torn open.

His hair was matted with gore, hanging down over a face marred with countless scars. His eyes glared at Xu Zimo with feral intensity.

“So, another hunter has come this year,” the man said with a cold laugh.

“Once outsiders enter this place, they never leave.”

“Who are you?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Lu Sheng.”