It’s Not Easy To Be A Villain This Time

Shen Mingyun sat high above, sipping his tea.

After a moment, he casually asked, "Oh? You wish to see Gu Baiyi?"

Ji Rong stood with her sword in hand and replied, "Yes."

Shen Mingyun gave Ji Rong a meaningful glance, then took out a jade talisman from a drawer.

He said, "This is a pass to the lower levels. Since you want to meet her, take it."

The jade, smooth and lustrous, floated in the air under Shen Mingyun's levitation spell. With a flick of his finger, the talisman hovered before Ji Rong.

Ji Rong looked at the jade talisman suspended in front of her and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Elder."

She accepted the talisman, inwardly marveling at the extravagance of the Yue-Treading Realm master. Even pass tokens were mass-produced jade talismans.

Tsk, so extravagant.

Unaware of Ji Rong's thoughts, Shen Mingyun smiled and waved her off, summoning a young disciple to guide her.

The disciple, a girl barely in her teens, dressed in white robes and carrying a glass lantern, bowed solemnly to Ji Rong. "Senior Sister, please follow me."

The structure of the Judgment Hall's dungeon was extremely complex, with endless staircases and turns.

The prisoners held here were mostly heinous criminals. Along the way, Ji Rong passed inmates in prison uniforms, their appearances either vacant or deranged, making the atmosphere truly unsettling.

After walking for a while, the young girl stopped, turned to Ji Rong, and said, "Senior Sister, the cell holding Gu Baiyi is just around the corner. Insert the jade talisman into the indentation on the door, and you can enter."

Ji Rong nodded, signaling her understanding. The girl then carried her lantern and left.

The dungeon was poorly ventilated, the air damp and cold. Without the lantern's light, it seemed even more eerie.

Ji Rong wasn't afraid, but her slight germophobia flared up at the sight of the mud on her shoes. She frowned slightly.

She consoled herself: villains aiming for great achievements shouldn't sweat the small stuff.

Turning the corner, just a few steps from the cell door, Ji Rong couldn't help feeling a small spark of excitement.

—After all, Gu Baiyi was the character she had nurtured with countless in-game resources. She was eager to see if her "daughter" looked like her model.

Unexpectedly, mocking voices echoed from the cell.

"Do you still think you're an inner disciple? Look at yourself! Ji Senior Sister is someone of high status, and you? Just some backwater nobody! If the sect leader hadn't picked you up, you'd be dead in a ditch somewhere!"

"That's right. For harming fellow disciples, you're doomed! Still hoping to get out? When the sect judges you, crippling your meridians will be the lightest punishment!"

Ji Rong rubbed her temples. Why couldn't she recall this scene from the game?

It did make sense, though. As the protagonist, Gu Baiyi had always been beautiful and gifted, but her early character design as naive and kind naturally attracted many enemies.

Inside the cell, several well-dressed young women were taunting Gu Baiyi. One of them even tapped Gu Baiyi's face with the scabbard of her sword, sneering, "Hey, are you mute? Can't even talk anymore?"

Gu Baiyi's figure was obscured by the group, but Ji Rong caught glimpses of shocking red stains and bloodied chains.

Ji Rong, fully immersed in the situation, felt her blood pressure rising.

She was utterly furious.

How dare these minor characters act so arrogantly under her watch and use her name to provoke hatred? She could tolerate the protagonist being bullied, but not anyone increasing her hostility meter.

Standing at the cell door, Ji Rong coldly interrupted, "Who gave you the nerve to trespass in the Judgment Hall?"

The girl in blue, annoyed by the sudden voice, turned her head. Seeing Ji Rong's attire, she recognized her high status but couldn't identify her. Boldly, she said, "Senior Sister, Gu Baiyi harmed her fellow disciples with despicable means. Everyone knows this. We're teaching her a lesson on behalf of Ji Senior Sister!"

Ji Rong replied indifferently, "Oh? And who asked you to teach Gu Baiyi a lesson for me? Care to explain?"

The three disciples froze, their swords and whips suddenly feeling like hot irons in their hands.

Ji Rong's original character was arrogant by nature, so there was no fear of breaking character. In a cold voice, she barked, "If you can't explain, then leave."

"Yes, Senior Sister, we were wrong. Please forgive us—we'll leave immediately…"

Terrified, the trio hurriedly apologized to Ji Rong and fled like their lives depended on it.

Once the minor characters were gone, only Ji Rong and Gu Baiyi remained in the cell. The silence was so profound that even breathing could be heard.

Ji Rong stepped closer and saw Gu Baiyi in her tattered prison uniform. Her head was lowered, blood-soaked hair covering most of her face, making it impossible to see her features.

"Raise your head."

Ji Rong's tone was neutral, but Gu Baiyi remained motionless.

Ji Rong frowned slightly.

Could the protagonist have been traumatized to the point of becoming unresponsive?

Then, she heard a low chuckle.

Before she could clearly see Gu Baiyi's face, their eyes suddenly met.

The dungeon was dark, but those eyes seemed like an abyss, burning with fire. Ji Rong could almost see the scattering ashes.

It was like a snowstorm had erupted, and she felt an almost painful sting.

Ji Rong was momentarily dazed.

Was this the gaze of the supposedly naive and sweet protagonist?

In the next moment, Gu Baiyi's expression softened into a warm smile.

Her brows and eyes were gentle, almost making Ji Rong doubt what she had just seen.

Gu Baiyi smiled and said softly, "Senior Sister, I didn't expect you to come."

[Ding! Gu Baiyi's favorability -10]

Ji Rong: "…"

She had merely looked at the protagonist and even helped chase away some bullies. Why had her favorability dropped?

[Sorry, dear, the system doesn't know either.]

Looking at Gu Baiyi's fake smile, Ji Rong cursed the game developers a thousand times over in her heart.

—To hell with your "innocent eyes" and "kind, sincere smile."

Meanwhile, Gu Baiyi, shackled by chains, struggled to move her limbs and said softly, "Is Senior Sister not speaking because she finds this place filthy?"

[Ding! Gu Baiyi's favorability -5]

"Well, it's true. This place isn't suitable for guests. My apologies for the poor hospitality," Gu Baiyi said apologetically. Her tone was polite, her demeanor warm, like a delicate and elegant white lotus.

And yet…

[Gu Baiyi's favorability -5]

Ji Rong was speechless.

A woman's heart was indeed a mystery, one she couldn't comprehend.

Little did she know, Gu Baiyi was equally baffled by the situation.

It had been so long since Gu Baiyi had spoken. She had floated in a haze of confusion, unsure whether she was awake or dreaming.

She had opened her eyes to see Elder Shen, then the disciples of the sect. They were young and clumsy in their methods, whipping her while spouting taunts.

But she was tired, her body and mind numb. She didn't want to deal with them.

—Until she lowered her head and caught a glimpse of a pair of shoes embroidered with a thousand-petal vermilion plum blossom.

At that moment, she awakened.

Ji Rong, oblivious to Gu Baiyi's thoughts, was already bewildered by the protagonist's behavior.

According to the game's script, Gu Baiyi should have first thanked her for stepping in, then expressed concern for her health, and finally tearfully declared, "Senior Sister, I would never harm you!"

But now, as they stood staring at each other, the atmosphere felt inexplicably strange.

Finally, Gu Baiyi broke the silence.

"Has Senior Sister's poison been cured?" she asked gently.

Ji Rong feigned calm and nodded.

Gu Baiyi smiled faintly, her chapped lips moving softly. "I see. Since Senior Sister poisoned herself, it's only natural she'd have the antidote."