Training the Villain to Become a Big Sister Obsessed - Chapter 94

“Senior Martial Aunt, do you know where Xi is?”

Lan Shan-jun cautiously asked about Xi. Tan Zhen’s brow immediately began to furrow, and the surrounding demonic power surged in response. Cang Wu’s eyes grew vigilant.

“Xi…”

Tan Zhen’s expression softened, filled with what might have been sadness or bitterness. Her voice was barely audible: “Since coming to the Shan family, I haven’t seen her again.”

Tan Zhen had admitted that this location was the Shan family.

But she claimed not to have seen Xi, so where did the powerful demonic energy all over her body originate?

Lan Shan-jun inconspicuously guided Cang Wu a few steps backward, while simultaneously sending a message to Xie Qing-shuang: “Senior Sister Xie, step away.”

Watching Xie Qing-shuang also retreat two steps, Lan Shan-jun looked directly at Tan Zhen again: “Where is your sword?”

In the three cycles of Tianhe Town, they had only seen Tan Zhen with a sword when she first confronted the Demonic Shadow. The second time, when practicing swordsmanship under the Heavenly River, she used her fingers as a sword. Even when attempting suicide, she used a dead branch she picked up at random. And just now, during the third time, Tan Zhen’s hand was still empty.

If the Demonic Shadow was conjured by Tan Zhen, she could have also conjured a sword that didn’t actually exist.

“My sword…”

Tan Zhen looked down at her empty palm, her eyes blank for a moment. Where was her sword?

A cultivator’s Destined Dharma Sword is connected to its master’s mind and soul. Tan Zhen formed a sword seal with one hand and low-shouted: “Heaven’s Radiance!”

The earth instantly shook and mountains swayed. The array controlling the surrounding spiritual energy instantly cracked and was ultimately destroyed. Song Qing-cheng grunted, blood spilling from her lips. Ling Guang quickly helped her steady herself.

The strength of a spell array is determined by the array master’s cultivation realm. If two people are in the same realm, the one trapped in the array can only break free by finding the array core. If the difference is only one realm, forcefully breaking out can cause self-injury. Yet, Tan Zhen merely summoned her Destined Dharma Sword, causing the array to instantly backfire onto Song Qing-cheng. Her cultivation realm had likely reached the Void Returning Immortal Realm.

However, Tan Zhen, who summoned the Destined Dharma Sword, frowned. She sensed her sword’s resistance.

Tan Zhen called out again, brooking no refusal: “Heaven’s Radiance!”

“Clang—!”

A sword cry resonated through the sky. The surrounding spiritual energy surged overwhelmingly toward the Heavenly River. The Heavenly River water flowed backward, transforming before everyone’s eyes into a torrent of spiritual power that poured entirely into the sword.

“This, this is…!”

Xiao Jiu’s eyes widened when she clearly saw the demonic skeleton revealed after the Heavenly River disappeared.

The spiritual power gathered in Heaven’s Radiance and returned to its master’s hand on its own. The divine weapon, Heaven’s Radiance, trembled at this moment, as if barely containing its excitement.

Tan Zhen’s hand was also shaking, but not with excitement. Her eyes bloodshot, she stared at the massive demonic skeleton, stumbling two steps forward, muttering in disbelief: “Xi? How is this possible? How could this happen…?”

Everyone had seen it clearly: Heaven’s Radiance was pulled out from the skeleton’s heart.

Her fingers instantly lost strength, and Heaven’s Radiance fell straight down, rolling once on the ground.

Tan Zhen seemed completely unaware. She meticulously examined the demonic skeleton, as if trying to find one spot that was different from Xi.

But from beginning to end, it was agonizingly familiar; it was Xi.

“Xi… I killed Xi? No…” Tan Zhen’s voice choked in her throat. She finally saw clearly the demonic power swirling around her.

“Why… do I have Xi’s demonic core?” Tan Zhen looked at the unfamiliar faces around her, desperately seeking an answer. She rushed two steps to Xie Qing-shuang: “Senior Sister, Senior Sister, tell me what happened! Why is Xi’s demonic core in my body?”

She had mistaken Xie Qing-shuang for her own Senior Sister, Xie You.

Xie Qing-shuang had also been controlled by inner demons before. She understood this feeling. At that time, she believed she was sober, thought the inner demon was Cang Wu, and had completely lost self-awareness, with only one thought in her heart: to kill Cang Wu. Tan Zhen, however, seemed to be trapping herself, forcing herself to forget certain things.

“Xi, Xi…” Tan Zhen’s vision darkened again.

“Tan Zhen.”

Someone called her name.

Tan Zhen abruptly turned back and saw Shan Jing, as well as many Shan family members. Even though she didn’t know the Shan family people, she simply knew that those standing beside Shan Jing were Shan family members.

“Tan Zhen, you killed Xi. You avenged me and the Shan family.” Shan Jing smiled and bowed in gratitude to Tan Zhen.

“No, I didn’t!”

The figures before her flickered. The Shan family people slowly disappeared, but Shan Jing transformed into many figures, surrounding her, smiling at her, cursing her, despising her…

“Get out! Go away!” Tan Zhen clutched her head, but in her peripheral vision, she still saw Shan Jing reaching out to her. She clenched her teeth, reached out and grabbed. Heaven’s Radiance instantly flew into her hand.

“Go to hell!”

The sword tip pierced a body. Warm blood splattered onto Tan Zhen’s face. She blinked, and the person before her suddenly turned into Xi.

Tears streamed down her face. Tan Zhen released the sword in her hand and shouted hysterically: “Let me go! Please let me go!”

On the other side, Cang Wu, her heart pounding, pulled Lan Shan-jun out from under Tan Zhen’s sword. A strand of severed hair drifted down in mid-air.

Looking at Tan Zhen’s madness, Cang Wu narrowed her eyes and disrespectfully stated: “Lunatic.”

Xie Qing-shuang looked at her after hearing that. Cang Wu returned a cold glance.

Lan Shan-jun gently patted Cang Wu’s hand, looking at Tan Zhen with confusion. Had Tan Zhen just mistaken her for Shan Jing?

“Xi…”

Tan Zhen extended her hand, spiritual and demonic power mixing in her palm.

Lan Shan-jun was shocked, thinking she was about to act rashly again, when Tan Zhen actually performed a soul-search on herself.

Soul-searching causes pain comparable to breaking through a realm or undergoing tribulation. A slight mistake could lead to an unstable or damaged soul. Becoming foolish or insane are light outcomes; soul destruction is common. Soul-searching not only tests the realm of the searcher but also the mindset of the searched. High-realm cultivators can hardly guarantee infallibility when searching those many realms below them. Yet, Tan Zhen performed a soul-search on herself, and while suffering from inner demons.

It was no different from courting death.

Everyone’s breathing became careful, afraid of disturbing this reckless senior.

Spiritual energy surfaced, slowly converging into an illusory mirror before Tan Zhen’s eyes.

The Tan Zhen in the mirror was already faintly enveloped in demonic qi. She walked in a daze, followed not far behind by a civet cat with red and black fur. The cat darted nimbly through the grass, its several tails hanging limply behind it.

This was Tan Zhen’s memory. Seeing the civet cat meant she was aware of the little thing following her.

The civet cat followed Tan Zhen until she reached a desolate town, where mixed resentment qi was condensed in the air above the ruins.

“See? This is the former Shan family! The Shan family that Xi utterly destroyed single-handedly!”

Shan Jing suddenly spoke.

Tan Zhen took a brocade pouch from her waist, which contained Shan Jing’s soul.

“Did Xi truly kill them?” Tan Zhen’s voice was hoarse.

“With such deep hatred, how could I mistake the person!” Shan Jing angrily retorted. “Tan Zhen! Why didn’t you kill her?”

Tan Zhen pursed her lips, looking at the desolate town filled with overwhelming resentment qi. She stepped directly into it. The moment she entered, a barrier separated them, blocking the civet cat that followed.

The civet cat paced anxiously before the barrier, not daring to rush in. Soon after, it transformed into a human, clearly revealed as Xi.

Xi’s eyes were full of worry: “Tan Zhen, you regarded her as a friend, but even in death, she wants to drag you down with her.”

Tan Zhen had killed Shan Jing, but brought her soul back to the Shan family.

In the town ravaged by resentment qi, the former prosperity of the Shan family was vaguely discernible. Affected by the resentment qi, the bodies of the deceased Shan family members had not decomposed, perfectly preserving their appearance before death. Most died from a single, fatal blow, unable even to react.

Tan Zhen walked along the street, her breathing heavy, her body trembling uncontrollably. Anger had already ignited in her heart.

“You see, there’s still Xi’s demonic power here. I didn’t accuse her falsely. She spared none of the Shan family’s young or old. A demon is a demon; do you still expect them to have humanity?” Shan Jing’s voice softened slightly. “The A-Zhen I know distinguishes right from wrong and knows good from evil. She would never allow an evil demon to run rampant.”

Tan Zhen closed her eyes and said hoarsely: “The Shan Jing I know is not a wanton killer either. Shan Jing, there were also young and old among the demons you killed…”

“I’m dead!” Shan Jing angrily shouted, interrupting her. “Tan Zhen, I’m already dead. I’ve been killed by you. Isn’t that enough? But what about Xi? Have you even lifted a finger against her?”

Tan Zhen took a deep breath and stopped talking to her. She came to the intersection of the streets. The spiritual energy of Heaven’s Radiance flashed, and the surrounding resentment qi was dispersed somewhat.

She sat cross-legged on the ground, Heaven’s Radiance suspended directly in front of her, constantly radiating spiritual energy.

She planned to disperse the resentment qi in this area, settle Shan Jing’s soul, and then go find Xi for an explanation.

But Tan Zhen soon discovered that the resentment qi gathered here was not just from humans; there was also a lot from demons—great demons and small demons, buried beneath this land.

“Why are there so many demon vengeful spirits in the Shan family?” Tan Zhen asked Shan Jing.

There was no reply.

Tan Zhen stood up, drew her sword, and immediately turned over the ground before her. A thick stench of blood rushed into her face. The soil beneath the Shan family was stained with fresh blood, and mixed within the soil were countless fragmented bones, all of which were demon bones.

“Do you know why the Shan family rose so quickly? The Shan family’s unique skill is the White Jade Bone Fan, which can pull people into dreams, cause illusions, and even ignore differences in cultivation realms. It’s just a fan, so how could it be so powerful?”

Tan Zhen turned around and murmured when she saw the newcomer: “Xi…”

Xi gritted her teeth and continued bitterly: “Because the fan bones of the Shan family’s White Jade Bone Fan use the bones of adult Tapir Demons, which are harder. The fan surface uses the skin of juvenile Tapir Demons, which is thinner.”

“And what kind of good person is Shan Jing? Did she ever tell you about this? She only told you about the innocence of the Shan family. Did she ever mention a single detail of the Shan family’s actions?”

“Tan Zhen, if we speak of innocence, the Tapir Demons are far more innocent than the Shan family. They never harmed anyone; they feed on dreams, and they only consume the dreams of demons. Yet, the Shan family wanted to exterminate them completely, just for a broken fan, just for the status of the Shan family in the Four Seas!”

“Was I wrong to kill them?”

The color drained from Tan Zhen’s face. Her vision blurred. She whispered: “So, all these people were killed by you?”

“Yes,” Xi admitted without reservation.

Hearing this, Tan Zhen suddenly raised her head, her eyes showing painful struggle. Tears streamed down her chin: “The Shan family committed unrighteous deeds first. You could have killed the Shan family members who murdered the Tapir Demons for revenge. But the Shan family also had young children. They had boys and girls who had just begun to form memories, children who were still in the age of playing and mischief, some who had just learned to read and open their spiritual sense, some who needed help to walk steadily, and some who were yet unborn…”

Tan Zhen’s voice choked, unable to continue. She had already seen that the Shan family was mostly young and adolescent children. Only a few dozen people were capable of killing Tapir Demons and extracting their bones.

Revenge… should not be so merciless…

“Jiu Ying was right. Humans and demons are different species with different hearts. The Shan family could kill young demons; do I need to consider age when seeking revenge?” Xi walked toward Tan Zhen step by step. “Tan Zhen, you think I killed wrongly, so you want to kill me too, right?”

Tan Zhen wanted to shake her head, but Shan Jing’s voice rang in her ears again—

“Kill her! Kill her! She admitted it! Kill her!”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Tan Zhen wanted to flee. She didn’t want to see them anymore, but as she turned, Shan Jing was standing right in front of her.

Shan Jing walked toward her, forcing the question one word at a time: “Tan Zhen, both were killed wrongly. Why could you kill me, but refuse to kill her?”

“Y-you… aren’t you dead?” Tan Zhen raised the sword in her hand in astonishment when she saw Shan Jing.

Shan Jing looked at her sword and laughed: “Heaven’s Radiance. What a great name! Didn’t you intend to use it to punish evil and promote good? You could kill the villain, so why can’t you kill the evil demon?”

“No, it’s not real. You’re dead. I already killed you.” Tan Zhen retreated to get away from Shan Jing. She suddenly backed into someone.

Xi frowned, looking worriedly at Tan Zhen: “A-Zhen, what’s wrong?”

But in Tan Zhen’s eyes, she saw Shan Jing gripping her hand tightly, her face contorted fiercely, saying: “Tan Zhen, admit it. You’re a hypocrite! Talking about bringing peace to the Four Seas, acting all righteous, but secretly letting an evil demon who wiped out a whole family go free! Tan Zhen, you are a disgrace to your Master, and the shame of the Sect!”

“I’m not! I’m not…” Tan Zhen denied it.

“Then kill her! Prove it to me! Do it!”

“Kill her!”

“Evil demons deserve to die!”

“Kill her!”

“SHUT UP!!!” Tan Zhen felt the voices getting closer and closer. In her fury, she suddenly raised her hand and slammed her palm onto the sword hilt.

The world fell silent. Warm blood flowed down her hand, fell onto her eyes, staining her vision red.

The golden light dispersed. Xi released her hand. Shan Jing’s soul was utterly shattered.

The Tan Zhen in the memory watched Heaven’s Radiance pierce Xi’s heart, and the soul-searching Tan Zhen also spat out a mouthful of blood.

The soul-search continued. Tan Zhen’s body was already struggling to cope. Blood began to flow from her eyes, ears, and nose. Dense blood spots also appeared on her exposed wrists and neck. It wouldn’t be long before this body completely burst open.

Lan Shan-jun noticed this. She frowned and looked at the others around, but no one spoke or moved to stop it.

She shifted her gaze to the female protagonist. Xie Qing-shuang gently shook her head at her.

If the soul-searcher doesn’t stop, and others interfere, no one could guarantee the consequences. Moreover, Tan Zhen was searching her own soul.

In the memory, Tan Zhen saw her Destined Dharma Sword pierce Xi’s heart. She froze, then actually laughed. She laughed softly, stood up, and stumbled away, not even taking her sword.

“Fake, it’s fake again.”

But after Tan Zhen walked a few steps, she suddenly lost strength, knelt down, and wept bitterly, crying out hysterically.

She had killed her friend, and now she had killed the person she loved.

“Why do you treat me this way?” Tan Zhen raised her head to the sky, her eyes unfocused.

Spiritual power gathered in her hand. Without hesitation, Tan Zhen twisted her wrist and aimed at her Golden Core location. The Golden Core completely shattered inside her body, slowly turning into nothingness. All of Tan Zhen’s spiritual power scattered around, falling in dots of starlight onto the dead people in the town and onto Xi’s body.

Tan Zhen’s memory cut off. When she opened her eyes again, she was faced with the lively atmosphere of Tianhe Town. A hot, steaming bun was held out to her.

The soul-search ended. Tan Zhen continued to vomit blood, and her body fell weakly to the ground.

“Good! Tan Zhen! You really laid a fatal hand on Xi!”

A roar of anger. Jiu Ying suddenly appeared, her sharp claws aimed at the fallen Tan Zhen.

Lan Shan-jun and Xie Qing-shuang were about to move to intercept her when another surge of spiritual power directly covered Tan Zhen, forming a barrier. Jiu Ying’s claws were immediately blocked.

Jiu Ying gnashed her teeth and looked up, scales beginning to appear on her cheeks. Several equally furious heads faintly appeared behind her. She possessed the bloodline of the Ancient Great Demon, the Nine-Headed Serpent.

“Xie You!”

Xie You descended in her white and gold Dharma robe, her gaze carrying immense suppressive power as she looked at Jiu Ying.

Xie Qing-shuang stepped forward and bowed respectfully: “Master.”

Lan Shan-jun quickly followed, pulling Cang Wu along: “Valley Master.”

The younger disciples behind them, seeing Xie You and the Elder Xue who followed, all lowered their heads.

Jiu Ying hissed, pointing at the two immortal-like figures before her: “I must take Xi away today!”

Xie You glanced at the weak-spirited Tan Zhen on the ground and frowned, then raised her eyes to look at Xie Qing-shuang beside her.

Xie Qing-shuang understood her meaning and walked over to carefully help Tan Zhen up.

Lan Shan-jun was quick to assist, one on each side.

“Xi’s demonic core is inside my Junior Sister’s body. Removing it now will cost her her life.”

Jiu Ying sneered: “I don’t care if she lives or dies. The fact that she could lay hands on Xi already makes me regret not killing her directly when she was soul-searching.”

Xie You looked at her coldly.

She was now the Yang Valley Master, and Tan Zhen’s Senior Sister. Even if Jiu Ying was a Great Demon, she was not afraid.

The two were at a deadlock. Elder Xue stepped forward when he saw the situation: “Two ladies, why don’t we first take Tan Zhen back to Qingyun Academy? Grandmaster Xuan can ensure Tan Zhen’s safety while separating Xi’s demonic core.”

Elder Xue brought up Grandmaster Xuan. Xie You nodded in agreement, and Jiu Ying, grinding her teeth, also had to comply.

The elders led the way, with the juniors following. The journey back was exceptionally silent.

The communication jade slips, however, were bustling with activity—

Xiao Jiu: “Did Senior Tan Zhen really kill Xi?”

Ling Guang: “Didn’t you see it? That sword strike left no room for survival.”

Song Qing-cheng: “If Senior Tan Zhen killed Xi, why is the demonic core in Senior Tan Zhen’s body?”

Zhao Chen: “And what was the deal with Tianhe Town?”

Lan Shan-jun: “I also want to know.”

Xiao Jiu: “A pile of questions, and no one to explain what happened.”

Cang Wu: “Elder Xue is right there. Go ask her.”

Ling Guang: “Good point. Isn’t Elder Xue your great-aunt? Go flirt and beg a little; maybe she’ll tell you.”

Zhao Chen: “Go on.”

Putting down the jade slip, Xiao Jiu bared her teeth and glared at the others.

Ling Guang smiled at her, then raised her chin, pointing to Elder Xue in front.

Lan Shan-jun clenched her fist, cheering her on.

Xiao Jiu, enduring the expectant gazes, went. As she passed Xie Qing-shuang and Xie You, she overheard two sentences.

“Master, after this matter is resolved, your disciple will return to the Valley to accept punishment.”

“No need to return to the Valley. And there’s no need to call me ‘Master’ anymore.”

Xiao Jiu was instantly stunned. She turned her head, flinched when she met Xie You’s gaze, and quickly retreated.

Ling Guang saw her come back halfway and couldn’t help but ask: “Why did you come back?”

Xiao Jiu hadn’t quite recovered from the shock. Her eyes darted between Lan Shan-jun and Cang Wu.

After a moment, she spoke: “Valley Master Xie has expelled Senior Sister Xie from Yang Valley.”