Could it be that I am the cruel villain?

"...Huh?"

Bewildered.

Confused.

Eyes wide like a dog's.

He truly doesn't remember.

As a modern person, especially one who has been beaten by society, Jiang Feng was basically the most miserable worker in the old world. Don't be fooled by his office job; in reality, he was no different from those outside doing manual labor.

The same early mornings and late nights, the same overtime, the same bosses rotating their education role, treading on thin ice. When Jiang Feng was young, he was impulsive and rebelled, but the reality was that under tremendous life pressure, he had no choice but to resign himself and compromise with life.

This is the state of most ordinary people.

It's a never-ending grind, with no room for promotion, no matter how hard one works, unable to cross class barriers. Because he's experienced this, he sometimes complains to Senior Sister, whether about the time he lived in or this somewhat outdated era.

For ordinary people, the space they have to exert their capabilities is really too small. Don't let his current success deceive you; his past days of being an ox or horse were the most frightening and suffocating. Those years working in the big city are an unforgettable memory for him.

"You forgot?"

"How could your memory be worse than mine at such a young age? A year ago, you complained to me that even within the Cultivation World, most disciples have talent but lack aptitude. In the eyes of the sects, these disciples aren't worth cultivating but can't be abandoned lightly."

"That's what you talked about as the grassroots, who won't starve but also have no room for upward mobility, leading to a mediocre life. If we treat people like this, just give them a chance to climb up, and they can easily be swayed with a few words."

"I remember you mentioned to me that if we want to develop our inside line in other sects, we should look for those disciples with below-average status, who have been stuck in place for years."

"Just give them a chance to rise, and they'll be willing to do anything. This, still, was what you told me."

Sudden realization.

He remembered when Senior Sister pointed it out, and Jiang Feng immediately reacted.

"Is Xuan Xiaozi how he got in?"

"Mm."

She nodded.

From Senior Sister's eyes, he unexpectedly saw undeniable admiration and praise, which left Jiang somewhat flattered, but upon reflection:

Why am I feeling flattered about this crap!

Isn't this a self-fulfilling prophecy?

It's pure bad luck; whatever he spoke, it came true. Previously, he thought about using this way for the sect to plant some spies in other sects to play spy games, but it landed on him before even starting. Am I the guinea pig?

"What exactly is up with that guy? While trapped in the array, he was completely deranged, wailing like a ghost..."

"You probably don't know the details of that day when I was locked in the black room, do you?"

In truth, she really didn't know.

Even though she left a strand of Divine Soul there, that strand won't act unless it's a dire necessity, always monitoring the serpent in Jiang Feng's Dantian, unless it's like the last time when Jiang Feng encountered Jin Shan and provoked the demon monk.

Only in such cases would her Divine Soul come out to help her Junior Brother clean up the mess. But this time, before she got the chance, Xuan Xiaozi had already intruded into the Dantian.

Honestly, when the Divine Soul residing in her Junior Brother's Dantian witnessed this scene, it was completely dumbfounded.

"That day, I was fighting Xiao Xuan. Before the fight, I felt a strong sense of unease. Logically, I should have given up on the competition and chosen to surrender, but there was still a bit of wishful thinking in my mind, considering this was within the sect."

"Senior Sister, you once told me to trust my instincts, that the awareness honed between life and death doesn't lie. However, I never thought someone could reach into the sect, which was indeed a bit careless. By the time I wanted to escape our entanglement, it was too late."

"At that time, Xiao Xuan used some technique. His element seemed to be metal, and when he exercised Daoist Skills, countless gold pillars stood tall. At first glance, they were white, but upon seeing those towering golden pillars, something felt wrong."

"Those were bones."

"I had seen the exact same thing while fighting Xuan Yinzi. That was when I realized Xiao Xuan was acting strange, planning to escape, but that damn Deacon Ma threw down an array."

"He claimed it was to prevent affect on other spectators, but it was actually to trap me inside. Then the bastard stopped acting, exploded his body, ripped open his flesh and bones with large hands, sending blood flying everywhere, startling me."

"No matter how much I fought, it was useless; the more I stabbed him with my sword, the more he delighted in spraying blood, especially that array, which was definitely Earth Rank, a legitimate Earth Rank Magic Treasure."

"I used both the Demon Heart Technique and the Nine Swords Return as well, and this piece of iron wire in my hand was almost broken, yet still couldn't leave a mark on it, let alone shatter it, not even making a scratch. Sure, I'm lousy, but that's not the point."

"The commotion outside was quite large. From inside, I could see people outside were attacking this array with all their might. There were even disciples forming a Sword Array, yet still, it remained unharmed."

"So I could only use the Lightning Source to protect my body, trying to hold out for a while. But Xuan Xiaozi's means were truly terrifying; his body's blood and flesh directly became Blood Mist, permeating the air seamlessly."

"Even when I held my breath and concentrated, the Blood Mist still slowly seeped into my body. The key is this guy's Divine Soul; I didn't even know when it stealthily slipped in."