Having Played the Villain for Ten Years, I Came Back - Chapter 26

Many people had come to the villa. Because Wen Hongbo had fled with all the liquid assets, this oversized mansion was on the verge of becoming collateral for his debts.

Wen Xi and Wen Cheng stood there with blank expressions, likely never having imagined such a devastating outcome. This was the moment they truly witnessed Wen Hongbo’s utter selfishness and cold-blooded nature.

He had fled so decisively, without a single thought for their well-being. This effectively confirmed that Wen Linyu’s claims about them being “vessels” for a life-swap ritual were likely true.

It seemed the villa would soon no longer belong to Wen Linyu, but he wasn’t worried. Reclaiming the money from Wen Hongbo’s hands was no difficult feat for him or Gu Chi.

One night was all it would take.

That night, Wen Hongbo changed his travel route dozens of times, putting a vast distance between himself and City A. He was exhausted from the bumpy journey; luckily, before leaving, he had swapped another ten years of health from Wen Cheng, or he wouldn’t have made it even halfway.

Believing he was far enough away, exhaustion finally won, and he fell into a deep slumber.

In his dream, there was a dense, suffocating darkness. He felt as though he were being tightly wrapped and pulled by something invisible.

A voice echoed: “You’ve run quite far, haven’t you? Get back here right now. And bring every single cent with you. If even one yuan is missing, I’ll carve a piece of flesh off your body for it.”

The more Wen Hongbo heard the voice, the more familiar it felt. The content made his teeth chatter with terror. He slept fitfully, and when he woke the next day, his mind was still in a fog.

A boatman had to remind him three times that they had reached the shore. He stepped onto the land with weak, wobbly legs, but then suddenly turned around and boarded the boat again, buying a return ticket.

The boatman gave him several long looks. He figured the man was just scatterbrained and had forgotten something important, forcing a trip back.

Over the next few days, Wen Linyu continued his routine: waking up early, eating breakfast, strolling through his garden, and then heading out with Gu Chi for leisure. They spent their time at malls, playing claw machines, or heading to resorts to fish. Their life was incredibly comfortable.

The only ones in a state of frantic despair were Wen Cheng and Wen Xi.

By the third day, they reached their breaking point. Debt collectors arrived daily, and no matter how much they sold off, they couldn’t repay the massive sum Wen Hongbo had embezzled. Money aside, their bodies were failing them.

Their worsening physical health and a life in shambles left them seeing only a grey, lightless future. No matter how much they felt they owed for their upbringing, it wasn’t worth sacrificing their entire lives. They were done. They were no longer willing.

Only then did Wen Linyu finally offer a smile. “That’s more like it.”

He looked toward Gu Chi. Linyu didn’t actually know much about the specific counters to these evil arts; during his ten years away, he had focused mainly on his own cultivation.

Gu Chi didn’t keep them in suspense, stating bluntly: “It’s simple. Just say ‘I am unwilling to exchange’ to their faces.”

“This kind of life-swapping ritual is not easily successful; it requires multiple conditions to be met. If even one doesn’t match, it fails. In fact, you can even reverse the flow.”

“For example, make them return everything they borrowed, with interest.”

Gu Chi placed a heavy emphasis on the word “interest.”

As Wen Linyu listened, he couldn’t help but think that his Teacher truly was a Demon Lord—this was quite a devious move.

What belongs to you is yours; if it was exchanged, you have the right to take it back. And since it was “borrowed” and used, it seemed only fair to pay some interest according to the rules.

He thought back to the Wu family dropping red envelopes to borrow lifespans. If anyone encountered that again, they should “lend” the lifespan but explicitly state it was for a few days only, with a daily interest rate of 300%. He’d like to see if those people could afford to borrow it then.

Wen Cheng and Wen Xi grasped the meaning behind Gu Chi’s words. Their expressions became even more complex as they stole several glances at Wen Linyu. They were likely wondering where a formerly honest boy like him had managed to find such a person.

That was a question destined to remain unanswered.

Since he was helping them, Wen Linyu made his own demand: he wanted them both to leave his home. Once Wen Hongbo returned the money, he would give them their respective shares, which would be more than enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

As for “family,” he didn’t have any before, and he didn’t need any now. He held no grudge against them, and it was better for everyone to live their own lives.

Gu Chi was the one most satisfied with this decision. He cast a smug, arrogant look at Wen Cheng and Wen Xi, as if declaring that he was the most important person by Wen Linyu’s side and that these siblings should just stand back.

Wen Cheng & Wen Xi: Seriously, get over yourself!

They weren’t even trying to compete with him! What was he even showing off for?

On the third day, a driver’s call of “We’re here” jolted a groggy Wen Hongbo awake. He rubbed his eyes, which felt as heavy as lead, and wiped his face hard. He grabbed his suitcase and opened the car door. The moment he stepped out and looked up, he felt like he had been dropped into an ice cellar.

The magnificent carved gate before him—where else could it be but his own home?

What happened? He clearly remembered traveling day and night for three days. How could he be back?

Ghost—!

No! No, no! A horrifying possibility occurred to him. He stepped back several paces, trying to flag down the driver to stop, but his body moved forward against his will.

There was a smart recognition device by the gate. With a quick facial scan, the gate gave a “beep” and slowly slid open, looking like the giant maw of a monster opening wide.

He was pulled inside that “mouth” by an irresistible force, dragged along as if by invisible hands.

“Long time no see.”

Standing in front of the main villa was the person Wen Hongbo least wanted to see: Wen Linyu. He had completely shed his former timidness. A slight smile played on his face, but his eyes were so dark they were impossible to read.

His smile was perfect and elegant, better than any “second-generation” socialite Wen Hongbo had ever seen. Why had he never noticed this noble air before?

But now, it was too late for regrets.

Cold sweat soaked his back. Wen Hongbo wanted to beg for mercy, but his mouth felt as if it had been glued shut; he couldn’t produce a single sound.

Wen Linyu rubbed his ear and gave a polite, apologetic smile. “You know, I hate it when you shout. If you shut up now, I can be a bit more gentle. What do you think?”

Wen Hongbo’s eyes widened in terror. His mouth truly couldn’t make a sound, and his body was as stiff as a long-dead corpse. He could only use his eyes to plead desperately with Gu Chi, who was standing nearby.

He was so desperate he was willing to seek help from anyone.

To his horror, Gu Chi’s face held only a look of pride. His expression made it clear that he couldn’t be more satisfied with Linyu’s current behavior.

Demons… they’re all demons!!

Unfortunately, he couldn’t even let out a whimper before his consciousness was shoved into a rectangular box.

Thud. A heavy object collapsed to the ground.

Hearing the noise, Wen Cheng poked his head out to investigate, only to find the runaway Wen Hongbo had actually returned!

Before he could even shout the word “Dad,” Gu Chi spoke up leisurely: “Don’t you want to take back what belongs to you?”

Wen Linyu also looked at him. “What, are you going to repay evil with kindness?”

For some reason, Wen Cheng felt a chill on his neck. He instinctively shook his head like a rattle, then cautiously walked over to Wen Hongbo. He looked at the two “death gods” standing nearby with hesitation. “He’s not even awake. Does this work?”

Wen Linyu was fiddling with a stone box in his hand. It was long and thin—not like a jewelry box, but more like a stone coffin. It was a strange little thing. Wen Cheng took one look and quickly turned back to Wen Hongbo.

Lin Wanxiu had been sent to a mental asylum. As a family member, it was easy for Wen Xi to demand the return of what had been swapped away. The effect was immediate; the day after returning from the asylum, Wen Xi’s complexion was much better, her energy returned, and her appetite followed.

She had been frail since returning from abroad. She could finally eat a full meal, but she did so with tears streaming down her face. Being backstabbed and used as a tool by her closest relatives was a wound that was hard to heal.

Once this matter was settled, she planned to leave and likely never return.

Wen Cheng snapped out of his daze and heard Wen Linyu say: “It’s fine. As long as he can hear it, it counts.”

Wen Cheng took a deep breath. Addressing Wen Hongbo on the ground, he stated that he was unwilling to trade his life and demanded the return of everything that had been borrowed.

It wasn’t difficult—just a short sentence. After speaking, no magical effects appeared; he felt the same as before. Wen Cheng didn’t know if it had actually worked.

Regardless, as soon as he finished, Wen Linyu pulled out his phone without hesitation and called the police once more.

Anyone seeing this would have to call him a truly “filial” son.

The money Wen Hongbo had embezzled was brought back in full. The missing portion was just travel expenses not a huge amount—which was easily covered by Wen Hongbo’s private funds. The public funds were returned to the group, and the rest naturally fell to his biological son to inherit.

Of course, Linyu sent Wen Cheng and Wen Xi the shares he had promised them.

Now, Wen Linyu was truly not lacking in money. Indeed, what his Teacher had taught him for ten years was correct: if you want resources, snatching them is the fastest way.

Using lifespans in exchange was too slow and the amounts were too small.

Now, this villa belonged entirely to him. As for the people and things he hated: throw them out, sell them off. Oh, right—there were also the “unrelated” people.

The butler who used to look down on the Young Master: “…”

The nannies who used to gossip and serve cold leftovers: “…”

When they were kicked out of the villa, they looked at each other in shock.

At this point, they actually felt a sense of relief—relief that they were only being fired and losing some wages, rather than ending up like President Wen and his wife. Before today, they never would have dreamed that the timid boy brought home from another family would successfully seize the “throne” so quickly. it was faster and more unbelievable than a dream.

Once the villa was cleared of people.

Wen Linyu took the stone box and used the elevator to descend to the first basement level, then took the stairs to the second basement.

Because of the attempt to rescue Lin Wanxiu, the walls here had been smashed. No one had been down here for a while, and the place was covered in dust.

Gu Chi followed him down. When he saw the layout of the place, he was furious. “You used to live in a place like this?”

Wen Linyu nodded. “Yes. But it’s alright, I didn’t stay long.”

“How long is ‘not long’?” Gu Chi pressed.

Linyu answered: “Three years.”

To a cultivator, three years was indeed a short time. But Gu Chi remembered that Wen Linyu wasn’t that old. Three years… Wen Linyu had only been in his teens then. To be thrown into a place like this at such a small age—damp, cold, and devoid of light.

A sharp pain pierced Gu Chi’s heart. He now knew this emotion was called “heartache.”

He stared at the stone coffin in Linyu’s hand, wishing he could pull Wen Hongbo’s soul out, hack it into paste, and let a hundred ghosts feast on it.

He was fuming. Cursed trash! How could such people be parents?

“It’s okay, Teacher. Now, it’s his turn to experience it himself.” Wen Linyu acted, repairing the smashed walls. The second basement level returned to its original state.

He then placed the miniature stone coffin containing Wen Hongbo’s soul in the center of the room and permanently locked the door.

A double cage. It should be enough for him to savor the experience.

The embezzled money was back, but the man was now a vegetable. When the outside world heard the news, they would surely say he “deserved it”—just as his “dear father” had said of him when he was being bullied.

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