Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

Chapter 48: The final piece

Translator’s note

Found out in chapter 60 that Sheng Guo Gong’s name is Sheng Yi Fei, and that Sheng Guo Gong = Duke Sheng. Idk what to do anymore with the author’s very literal naming sense.

Sheng Yi had been living with Zi Lin in duke Sheng’s manor ever since he had arrived at the capital after escaping the murderous grasp of the South Village King.

He wasted no time in absorbing the lower Barren grade spiritual item, the Blood-refined Golden Crystal, and improved his cultivation greatly, arriving at the peak of the Origin realm where the only thing holding him back was a suitable mortal form.

There was originally no need for any rush, but the recent major events had left him no choice but to act with urgency.

He had realised that this world was progressing very differently from his previous world.

Different people had appeared, and different events had happened.

In his past life, no matter how much of a bookworm or introverted he was, he wouldn’t have been unaware of all of these incidents.

And the most recent event was the most horrifying.

A total of a hundred thousand lives were lost in a valley, not even leaving behind their intact corpses.

Sheng Yi looked at the report that his father had handed him in disbelief, his eyes on the verge of popping out.

“How is this possible? A hundred thousand people? Which influential force has the ability to do this? It’s impossible!” Sheng Yi denied the truth before him.

Duke Sheng looked at the shock on his son’s face as he sat on his own chair, sighing, “Nothing’s impossible, it has already happened. Didn’t you ask me to investigate those recent incidents not too long ago? I sent a group of men there along with your servant, Wang Wang, and the only thing that returned was their heads.”

Sheng Yi stared at Wang Wang’s head, reminiscing about the expression of shock and joy on the skinny youth’s face after he had recruited him just a month ago.

The boy had immediately started calling him his big brother the moment he had expressed his intentions of recruiting him, and he could still recall how stupidly and clumsily the boy looked as he wore the clothes he had given him.

Ha, what a silly kid.

He was originally slated to become the most terrifying murderer in Yan, and now, he had died without leaving an intact corpse in that valley.

“I’m the one to blame for his end.” Sheng Yi blamed himself.

He had thought that he would be able to control everything, but the series of events that had unfolded were massive blows to him.

He felt as though this world was lying to him.

He felt uneasy.

It was as if a humongous net was covering his head, and he was a powerless fish in a pond with nowhere to hide.

“Right, Yi’er, are you serious with that girl, Murong Liu?” The duke probed carefully.

Sheng Yi immediately refuted his words with a cold voice, “It is impossible between us!”

His family was ruined by that bitch in his last life, how could he possibly want to marry her?

Sheng Yi was basically praying for her downfall.

“Alright, Yi’er, you can decide on your own matters yourself. Haha, but that girl you brought back, do you have feelings for her?” Sheng Guo Gong chuckled.

Rolling his eyes, Sheng Yi responded, “My great father, I see that you have become lonely with age, perhaps it is time for you to search for a partner.”

And he left with the reports in his hands the moment he finished speaking.

Sheng Guo Gong chucked as he watched his son leave, nodding his head with a contented expression. He made his way towards his wife’s altar, lighting an incense as he spoke, “Ruo Yun, Yi’er has grown up, hahaha, if you’re watching from the heavens, please bless him.”

His hands caressed her soul tablet with a reminiscing gaze.

The green smoke was faint and solemn.

The recent events that occurred in the Jiang Hu overwhelmed countless people.

It began with the siege of the Zong Xiang Gang, the great influential forces had worked together to punish the gang simply because of their involvement in spreading the news of the valley, if it weren’t for them, the death toll wouldn’t have reached a hundred thousand in just a few short days.

Everyone wanted to know why the Zong Xiang Gang had decided to help spread information like this, or perhaps, the Zong Xiang Gang was actually one of the perpetrators after all.

The Zong Xiang Gang’s great numbers and lack of secrecy had led to its demise, and they were only let go after the gang leader, Lu Shao Yang, expressed his apologies, his intent on pursuing and investigating this matter, as well as the fact that his son’s head had also appeared in the valley.

Then, the crusade against the Blood Spirits began.

After all, quite a number of people had seen the Blood Spirits enter and leave the valley after the battle to collect the corpses. Adding to the fact that the entire mountain was covered in heads, the Blood Spirits had become the number one enemy of the great influential forces in Yan.

The different powers in the 32 counties started their search for the Blood Spirits in their efforts to annihilate them, hoping to uncover the true culprit of this tragedy.

And by that time, the Zong Xiang Gang had released a piece of information.

Despite the fact that the subordinate that had interacted personally with the point of contact for this commission had died, their investigations had revealed that the information that was spread after was the act of the Blood Spirits.

That also meant that the Blood Spirits had a part to play in the scheme that had unfolded in the valley.

In an instant, the Jiang Hu imploded yet again.

No one had expected the Blood Spirits, an organisation without a great number of experts, to dare to conspire against the entire Jiang Hu!

Due to the disturbance of his divine senses, Wang Wu couldn’t clearly identify Murong Lin’s figure and appearance as he sat in the carriage. Still, he could be sure that the target was an influential person in the capital.

That led to the belief that the secretive cult leader of the Blood Spirits was a person from the capital.

While the Blood Spirits were ranked nine on the wanted list, that was because of their indiscriminate slaughter of countless mortals and low-levelled cultivators. Before this, they had never directly clashed with any powerful influential forces.

That was why the influential powers had left them alone despite their open hostility towards the Blood Spirits.

But this incident was far too severe.

It affected the entire Jiang Hu.

The influential forces of Yan, no matter their size, were all pursuing the Blood Spirits.

In an instant, the Blood Spirits had become the number one public enemy in Yan.

And then, they noticed that the Blood Spirits’ members were all headed towards the north.

What was in the north?

There was only the capital.

And so, the powerful influential forces set their sights on the capital, filling the grass and trees with soldiers as even the wind trembled.

Currently, in an alleyway behind duke Sheng’s manor.

A figure scurried towards the alleyway, shouting, “Hello? Are you there?”

Another voice came from within the alleyway, “Hey! I am.”

A woman slowly walked out of the shadows, revealing her face. It was a beautiful woman with considerable strength.

She stared at the legendary young mistress of the duke’s residence, tempting her with her voice, “Are you sure that you’re going to purchase this?”

Zi Lin nodded, probing carefully, “Are you sure that this thing can raise my cultivation?”

Despite being a herb gatherer that lived in the mountains, she had longed to improve her cultivation as she stayed by Sheng Yi’s side so that she could be helpful to him.

She didn’t want to be an ornament, a powerless and weak woman.

Sheng Yi also appreciated her for this.

“Of course! Didn’t you plan on surprising young master Sheng? After ingesting this, I can guarantee that your cultivation will increase greatly! Enough to trash that sixth princess! How about that?” The woman waved the item in her hands as she stood in the alleyway, “Haven’t you bought from me before? When have I ever lied to you?”

“Then why are you so nice to me?” Zi Lin asked, confused.

After a short pause, the woman in the alley spoke slowly, “I’m nice to you because I have my own interests in mind, duke Sheng is a powerful man in the imperial court, and I hope for nothing but a few good words from you when you speak to Sheng Guo Gong. After all, the eldest prince looks favourably upon young master Sheng Yi.”

Zi Lin had an expression of realisation as if she just had an epiphany.

Taking the item in the woman’s hand, she used the technique that Sheng Yi had taught her. And as she had expected, there wasn’t any poison.

He had said that nothing in Yan could escape the scrutiny of this technique.

And that meant that this was definitely safe!

In joy, she threw the woman a bag of holding that contained the money needed to purchase this item, “For you. I will return and refine this item immediately, go and tell the eldest prince or whatever that I will tell Brother Yi about him!”

With a silly expression, Zi Lin turned around and returned towards the manor.

No one had noticed this exchange, and no one had noticed the red crystal in Zi Lin’s hands.

Of course, if Tang Can were here, he definitely could’ve identified this item.

It was identical to the Dragon God Crystal in his possession.

This was the tenth Dragon God Crystal.

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