I Really Am A Villain

The runes radiated an ancient aura.

One couldn’t stare at them for too long; after a while, it felt as if the runes turned into blazing heavenly flames that could ignite you from within.

“These must be the seals left behind by the Fire God Race ancestors,” Xiao Anshan said in awe.

From the moment the runes appeared, he and Shangguan Xian, both of the Fire God Race, had begun studying them intently.

Even after only a brief moment, they had already gained insight. The discovery filled them with astonishment.

As the runes spread further and further along the stone surface, the entrance finally opened, releasing waves of scorching heat.

“Come in,” Lie Zhongyan said.

Xu Zimo nodded slightly and stepped forward without hesitation, unafraid of whatever danger lay ahead.

Inside, it wasn’t as dark as the outside suggested.

Beneath their feet stretched a long stairway, with glowing night pearls embedded on both sides to light the way.

Apart from the thin air, the place didn’t feel much different from the surface.

They followed the descending steps deeper in.

Soon, rooms began to appear on both sides.

Xu Zimo realized this place resembled a vast underground labyrinth, paths crisscrossing in all directions, countless corridors and chambers.

Some of the rooms were open, while others had their doors tightly shut.

“Don’t wander into these chambers,” Lie Zhongyan warned. “Some of them enshrine our ancestors. Disturbing them would bring misfortune.”

“Where’s the Flame?” Xu Zimo asked.

“I must report to the chief first before I can take you there,” Lie Zhongyan replied. “Without his permission, I cannot enter the Guardian Grounds on my own.”

“Then hurry,” Xu Zimo said impatiently with a wave of his hand.

Lie Zhongyan seemed uneasy about leaving Xu Zimo and the others alone, so before leaving, he summoned two female Fire Keepers to stay and attend to them.

After Lie Zhongyan departed, Xu Zimo and the others sat down in a nearby room. The two Fire Keeper women brewed tea quietly by their side.

“What do you think?” Xu Zimo asked Shangguan Xian.

“I can faintly sense where the Ancestral Flame is,” she replied. “But there are many strong forces surrounding it. I didn’t dare to get too close.”

“There are plenty of powerful beings in this Ancestral Lands,” she added. “We should be cautious.”

Between the Fire God Race and the Ancestral Flame, there was a natural resonance. Legends said that the Fire God Race had originally been born from the Ancestral Flame itself.

“Let’s stay alert,” Xiao Anshan added.

Xu Zimo smiled and turned to one of the women preparing tea. “Little sister, what’s your name?”

“My name is Lie Yun,” the woman replied quickly. “And she is Lie Tun.”

“Are all Fire Keepers as beautiful as you two?” Xu Zimo asked with a teasing grin.

“You flatter us, young master,” Lie Yun said shyly. “We’re of quite ordinary appearance.”

“You two must not hold high status among your clan,” Xu Zimo continued. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sent to entertain us.”

This time, the other woman, Lie Tun, couldn’t hold her tongue.

“My sister is just too soft-hearted, that’s why she lets him order her around,” she said indignantly. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have to listen to him at all.”

“Tun’er, enough,” Lie Yun sighed quickly.

“Why don’t you tell your clan chief about this?” Xu Zimo asked.

“What good would that do? The clan chief favors Lie Zhongyan anyway,” Lie Tun said with a wrinkle of her nose. “Our Fire Keeper clan claims everyone is equal, but people like us never really fit in. We get sent on errands, that’s just our fate. If the Fire Venom Beasts attack again, we’ll be the first ones thrown to the front lines.”

“The Fire Venom Beasts shouldn’t be a problem,” Xu Zimo said. “At least you have the Radiant Court’s protection.”

“The Radiant Court won’t intervene,” Lie Tun replied bluntly. “They don’t just trade with us Fire Keepers, they trade with the Fire Venom Beasts too. As long as our clan isn’t wiped out, the Radiant Court won’t interfere.”

Lie Tun was the straightforward type.

“Back when the Light Lord Sage Monarch-” she began, but before she could finish, a cough sounded from outside.

Lie Zhongyan entered, face dark with displeasure.

Lie Tun immediately shrank back, hiding behind her sister.

“That’s enough. You two, leave,” Lie Zhongyan ordered with a wave of his hand.

This time, he wasn’t alone. A group of people followed him inside, mostly elderly men, hair streaked with white but exuding formidable auras.

At their head was a tall, broad-shouldered man with long hair and a purple robe. His steps carried the weight of authority, and even the air seemed to shift with his stride.

He stopped in front of Xu Zimo and his companions.

“You two may go,” he said to Lie Yun and Lie Tun.

“Yes, Chief,” they replied quickly, bowing before leaving the room nervously.

Once the room was clear, the long-haired man finally turned his gaze toward Xu Zimo’s group.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said with a smile. “I am the chief of the Fire Keepers. You may call me Fire Chief. First, let me thank you for saving our people.”

“No need for thanks,” Xu Zimo said directly. “You already know why we’re here. Since you’ve agreed, I trust you’ll keep your word.”

Fire Chief nodded. “Of course. But I must make one thing clear. You may cultivate beneath the Ancestral Flame, but you are not to touch it. And I can only grant you half an hour.”

“That should be enough,” Xu Zimo thought for a moment, then nodded. “Agreed.”

It wasn’t the right time to fight, the Fire Keepers were on home ground here.

Fire Chief nodded again. “Good. Then I’ll personally escort you there.”

With that, he turned and left the room. Xu Zimo and the others followed close behind.

As they walked, Xu Zimo leaned toward Xiao Anshan and spoke quietly. “Did you do it? The lure?”

“I left Fire God Race markings along the way,” Xiao Anshan replied. “If anyone from the other God Realms sees them, they’ll definitely follow.”

“The only uncertainty is whether they can break through the cave’s defenses,” he added.

“If they can’t even manage that, then they’re worthless,” Xu Zimo said flatly. “How could we rely on them to snatch the Ancestral Flame otherwise?”

Xiao Anshan nodded slightly.

They had no intention of fighting the Fire Keepers directly. It would only bring trouble, and the Fire God Race would curse their names for it.

Following Fire Chief through a maze of tunnels, they finally stopped before a massive door, this one made entirely of flame.

Fire Chief halted in front of it and took out a stick of incense from the side.

It looked like an ordinary incense stick.

He planted it before the door and began chanting under his breath.

Suddenly, the incense ignited by itself, releasing wisps of blue smoke.

The curling smoke spread rapidly, blanketing the entire chamber, as the fiery door began to burn brighter and brighter.