Could it be that I am the cruel villain?

"No wonder they're out to get me."

His scalp tingled.

Before, he had no concept of how much trouble his senior sister and the master he had never met might have stirred outside. Now, he understood.

The key is that you can't really blame them. Both the master and the senior sister operated classically, centered around themselves. Simply put:

Wherever I go, I decide. What others say doesn't matter. I don't need you to think I'm right; as long as I think I'm right, I'll do it.

This isn't selfishness but rather a self-contained worldview and value system. Take Master Liu Jian, for example. After observing the bizarre ways in which Xuan Xiaozi was cultivating, he concocted the so-called "Longevity Technique" and didn't hesitate to cut him down.

To know that the master had a task from the Sect Master, he personally ventured to the Northwest. Yet, he still tossed aside the sect's mission and went off to kill.

Yes, that's his personality.

It's not about not knowing the gravity; it's about understanding the gravity.

This was his result after weighing pros and cons. He knew the sect's tasks could be handled by other elders; at most, delaying them would cause some displeasure. Compared to leaving an evil cultivator to wreak havoc and harm countless civilians, which carried more weight?

And so Xuan Xiaozi suffered.

His flesh was utterly torn apart by sword qi, suppressed, never to rise again, along with a clean sweep of the secret bases Xuan Xiaozi had established externally, slaying two thousand miles through sheer stubbornness.

Even after that, he wasn't done. Knowing leaving Xuan Xiaozi alive would mean others would fall prey to his schemes, he realized the connection to Xuanyin Sect and directly went to block their doors!

This kind of thing is typically done by maniacs like those at Swordmaster Peak. The problem is, hardly any sect in the world dares to criticize this behavior because when people from Swordmaster Peak come calling, it certainly means there's trouble breeding at your place.

If you're unaware, fine, hand them over, I'll handle it.

If you're aware, yet refuse to surrender them.

Then you'll have to willingly bid farewell from top to bottom of your family, treating accomplices for harboring offenders, carrying forward the logic of Swordmaster Peak, something never changed in Liu Tangxi.

As for why nobody ever stopped such behavior...

"Senior sister, how did you manage to catch his son and grandson back then?"

His eyelids twitched.

Though Fairy Liu comforted in a straightforward and blunt way, simply owning up, apologizing, and promising never to repeat, Jiang Feng was easily swayed.

With senior sister willing to make amends, he certainly wouldn't begrudge the matter, yet hearing about her actions still left him with a blackened vision.

Too terrifying.

One broke the body into unrecognizable shreds, ensuring no salvation. The other, even harsher, directly put an end to their lineage, shocking those who held grudges against them.

"Of course, I went knocking to kill, since by then relations with Xuanyin Sect had already soured. After the Grotto Heaven incident, both sects were akin to water and fire. When I learned Xuan Xiaozi's descendants still dabbled in his leftover cultivation technique, I simply went in and slaughtered them all."

"..."

Spoken as simply as eating and drinking water.

Yet that seemed like the truth, no wonder one after another viewed senior sister as if seeing a ghost. Without dwelling on this topic further, Liu Tangxi continued revealing what occurred during Jiang Feng's unconscious state.

"First, tell me what happened to you recently, junior brother. Do you know how long you've been unconscious?"

He shook his head.

He truly had no idea, as once his divine soul was invaded, he lost consciousness, remaining in a state of mutual sovereignty contest.

Furthermore, the headache was severe. Not physically, but a throbbing pain from deep within the soul, persisting ever since, making it hard for him to gauge how much time had passed.

Glancing at the dimming skies outside, he remembered he left at dawn, estimated to confront Xiao Xuan around eight or nine in the morning, ending up in this plight. Yet hearing senior sister's tone suggests he might have been out cold for quite a while.

"Could it be it's already the second day?"

This time, it was Fairy Liu's turn to shake her head.

Seeing his senior sister deny it, Jiang Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he hadn't blacked out for an entire day, but her next words left him dumbfounded.

"Four days, counting today, is the fifth day."

"Ah?"

Incredible.

This was a result he hadn't anticipated at all.

Facing Jiang Feng's shocked expression, Liu Tangxi's demeanor remained unchanged. For currently, his junior brother's realm was still too low, primarily relying on the physical body, Daoist skills, and magic treasures and holding a vague, naive understanding of the divine soul.

Being forcibly torn open, confronting an ancient monster like Xuan Xiaozi head on. Honestly, had the opponent not grown greedy, desiring not only the physical form but also Jiang Feng's memories.

Otherwise, just one direct clash would have shattered his divine soul completely.

Therefore, it was during a meeting at Yuqing Hall that she felt panic and unease about developments spiraling beyond her control. Had Xuan Xiaozi been cautiously careful or less greedy, only aiming to claim Jiang Feng's body without needing its identity.

Then this story could've ended here.