I Really Am A Villain

New Novel🪶

Inside the Lotus Pathway, most places were trading grounds. Even gold coins did not circulate here, bartering was far more common.

The three walked through several streets before finally finding an inn.

The inn was packed with people.

Because the Inferno Crucible Envoy had arrived, all expenses in the Lotus Pathway were being covered by the Huo Heavenly Clan. Naturally, people came flocking in, eager to take advantage of the opportunity, after all, who would pass up a free meal?

“Let’s see if there’s a quiet room inside,” Xu Zimo said.

When they entered, the servers were so busy that they barely had time to greet anyone.

“Find your own seats, honored guests! Just shout if you need anything!” a server called out over the noise.

“Do you still have private rooms?” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign asked.

“Private rooms? Honored guests, even getting a table in the hall today is a blessing,” the server said with a bitter smile, sweat dripping down his forehead as he rushed off again.

Their luck wasn’t bad, though, a nearby group had just vacated their table.

As the waiting crowd surged forward to grab it, Violet Mist Saint Sovereign moved faster than anyone, taking the spot in an instant.

There were four seats at the table. Besides Xu Zimo’s group of three, a scholarly young man also squeezed in.

The moment he sat down, the young man shouted to the server, “Waiter! Bring me one of everything on the house! Dragon–Phoenix liver, stir-fried Scorpion Emperor, three jin of fried camel hoof, and a pot of Immortal Drunkenness!”

“Right away, honored guest!” the server shouted back.

Xu Zimo and his companions didn’t mind, ordering only a few simple dishes.

They were common fare, but the young man seemed puzzled.

Looking at them, he said, “Hey, today’s all on the Huo Heavenly Clan. You might as well eat your fill. Ordinary dishes aren’t worth it.”

“No worries. We didn’t come here for the food,” Xu Zimo replied with a small smile.

“You folks aren’t from the Lotus Pathway, are you?” the young man asked, curious.

“I’ve lived here twenty-three years, and I know almost everyone by face. But I’ve never seen any of you before.”

“We’re heading to the Inferno Crucible Heaven,” Xu Zimo said, nodding.

There was no reason to hide it, everyone who came to the Lotus Pathway had that same goal.

“The Inferno Crucible Heaven, huh?” the young man replied. “That’s not a place just anyone can go. You’ll need to pass the Huo Heavenly Clan’s trial first.”

“The passages between the Nine Heavens are supposed to be open to all,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said coldly. “Since when did they become someone’s private property?”

“Keep your voice down,” the young man said quickly. “The Huo Heavenly Clan runs this place. Doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong, they’ve got the bigger fist.”

“I heard the Inferno Crucible Envoy has arrived?” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign asked.

“She’s upstairs,” the young man whispered, pointing to the second floor. “The Huo Heavenly Clan is personally entertaining her. They were supposed to host her in their mansion, but the envoy insisted on eating out, so they chose this inn.”

“How interesting,” Xu Zimo murmured. “The envoy must want to observe the Lotus Pathway for herself.”

“Maybe,” the young man said, shrugging. “But every envoy before her was wined and dined until their pockets overflowed. Birds of a feather, really. We might as well eat and drink while we can.”

As he spoke, the noisy inn suddenly fell silent.

Footsteps echoed as a woman descended from the second floor, surrounded by attendants.

She wore a blazing red cloak and a golden robe that gleamed under the lamplight, an aura of strength and authority radiating from her like a war goddess.

Her long red hair shimmered like fire itself. With phoenix eyes and crescent brows, her expression was sharp, commanding.

Several figures followed behind her respectfully.

“See that middle-aged man?” the young man whispered, pointing. “That’s the Huo Heavenly Clan’s patriarch, Huo Tianxiong.”

“And the young man on the right is his eldest son, Huo Yunfeiyang. But I’ve never seen a female envoy before. That’s a first.”

Everyone watched in awe as the group exited the inn. Only after they disappeared from sight did the crowd return to normal.

Xu Zimo turned to the young man. “Do you know how to get to the Inferno Crucible Heaven?”

“First, you’ll have to deliver a formal request to the Huo Heavenly Clan,” he explained. “If they approve, they’ll test whether you’re qualified. And even if you pass, you still have to pay a hefty amount of spirit crystals for passage.”

“Too troublesome,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head.

He looked at Violet Mist Saint Sovereign. “Later, you’ll go to the Huo Heavenly Clan. Since we’re already here, there’s no point in tiptoeing around.”

Seeing how composed and confident they were, the young man realized these people weren’t ordinary travelers and wisely held his tongue.

By afternoon, the crowd in the inn had thinned.

Xu Zimo and Moonlight Fairy each rented a room, while Violet Mist Saint Sovereign set out for the Huo Heavenly Clan.

The Huo Heavenly Clan’s mansion sat at the center of the Lotus Pathway, right at the lotus’s core.

Here lay a fire spring, said to be the Primordial Flame of Heaven and Earth, capable of harmonizing all things.

Before the grand estate stood two guards, their expressions stern, their stances rigid.

Violet Mist Saint Sovereign approached, his body radiating divine brilliance.

“Who goes there?” one of the guards barked as he neared.

“I wish to travel to the Inferno Crucible Heaven,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said flatly.

“Submit a formal request. If the patriarch approves, you may return,” the guard replied indifferently.

“I don’t have time for that,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said. “The passage to the Inferno Crucible Heaven is supposed to be public. If your Huo Heavenly Clan insists on occupying it, fine. But don’t block my path. I wish to see your patriarch.”

“The Inferno Crucible Envoy is here. The patriarch isn’t seeing anyone right now,” the guard said coldly. “I don’t care who you are, but here in the Lotus Pathway, you’d best behave yourself.”

Violet Mist Saint Sovereign didn’t bother arguing with a mere guard.

Instead, his voice boomed with divine power, resonating across heaven and earth. “Where is the patriarch of the Huo Heavenly Clan? Come out and meet me!”

His voice echoed for thousands of miles.

In an instant, the entire Heavenly Fire estate erupted into chaos.

“Who dares cause trouble before the Huo Heavenly Clan!” several thunderous auras surged into the sky, their power locking onto Violet Mist Saint Sovereign.

But he stood calmly, unshaken.

“I merely wish to visit the Inferno Crucible Heaven and have come to request an audience with your patriarch. Is that unreasonable?” he said evenly.

Just then, several figures emerged from within the mansion.

“There’s nothing unreasonable about that,” came a voice.

Violet Mist Saint Sovereign looked up.

The speaker was Huo Tianxiong, the newly appointed patriarch of the Huo Heavenly Clan.