The Reincarnated Villain Can Break the Fourth Wall!

The Tomb of the Weeping Emperor!

First Chamber—False Door.

Sweat trickled down Liu Zhenhai's brow as he traced a finger over the runes, his face a mask of forced confidence barely hiding a flicker of fear.

"One wrong move, and we're all in pieces," he muttered, as though his hands weren't already shaking.

Lan Meiyu leaned in close, practically hanging off him, her eyes wide in exaggerated awe. "Only you could understand these runes, Senior Brother!" she purred, her robe 'accidentally' slipping just so, revealing a soft curve of 'jade peaks' while her fingers brushed his arm. "Your insight… it's almost too much."

Liu Zhenhai's eyes dipped, and his chest puffed up. "Oh, it's nothing, Junior Sister," he replied, feigning modesty while basking in her attention. "These runes are complex, yes, but manageable for someone like me." He traced another rune, putting on the air of a master—if only he knew what any of it meant.

"Truly?" she sighed, leaning even closer, her "hidden peaches" nudging him just enough to tempt.

Behind them, Fatty Zhou and Xiao Yu rolled their eyes, sharing a knowing look.

"Laying it on thick, isn't she?" Fatty Zhou muttered.

"Annoying," Xiao Yu replied with a snort.

They both knew Lan Meiyu's admiration was as fake as a street vendor's talisman. She wasn't here for any runes; her target was Liu Zhenhai, and her technique was as obvious as it was shameless.

But Liu Zhenhai's gaze kept flicking back to Elder Bai, who stood a few steps away, her silence more terrifying than any scolding.

For all of Lan Meiyu's syrupy praise, her Senior Brother was really after Elder Bai's approval, hanging over him like a blade.

Lan Meiyu, oblivious to his real aim, let her hand linger on his arm, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If only I could understand these markings as you do… Perhaps you could show me… up close?" Her eyes sparkled with an invitation as bold as a dragon's roar.

Liu Zhenhai's face flushed, caught between the runes he barely understood and the "two soft moons" brushing against him. He coughed, struggling to focus. "It's… a skill few can master," he replied, barely holding his composure as she leaned in, warm and soft as silk.

"Cough..."

A sharp cough and Elder Bai's cold gaze flicked to him, and his pride shrank instantly. Lan Meiyu pulled back, but it was too late—Elder Bai's silence was far worse than a scolding.

Moments later…

Still stinging from Elder Bai's silent rebuke, Liu Zhenhai turned back to the door, determination flaring in his eyes. "These runes… they're nothing! Let's break through it together!"

The others exchanged glances and shrugged, summoning their techniques and unleashing them in a fierce onslaught on the door.

THUD!

CRACK!

A minute later — The golden surface flickered, runes flaring in response.

Then, with a final—BOOM—the door shattered, its massive frame collapsing in a thick cloud of dust. Beyond it, a golden glow spilled from the next chamber, calling them inside like forbidden fruit.

"The treasure!" Lan Meiyu gasped, her greed blazing, her earlier flirtations discarded as she rushed forward with the rest.

Liu Zhenhai tried to call them back, "Wait! Be cautious!" But his words were lost in the scramble; no one was holding back now.

CRASH! CRASH!

But —As they charged into the chamber, two massive stone pillars trembled and crashed together, sealing them in with the finality of a sword stroke.

"What—!?"

Creak... Creak...

The ceiling groaned, stone spears shooting down from above like divine retribution. The walls shuddered, stones raining down in fury, trapping them within as if the tomb itself had come to life, hungry to punish their greed.

And as the dust settled, the silence that followed was reminder that the treasure they'd rushed to claim would now be their tomb.

_____

Two Days Later…

Outside the same door, now standing unscathed as if it hadn't been blasted into oblivion, silence reigned—until—

SWOOSH!

"Hah!"

A jagged crack appeared on the cave wall, tearing through space like a sharpened knife, and with all the grace of an unwanted side character, Su Xiaobai was spat out.

"What the—!"

He staggered, barely keeping his balance as his head rang like a struck bell. The world spun as if he'd been thrown headfirst through a thunder array.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzz!

The sound drummed through his skull, making his bones feel like they'd been put through a spirit blender.

"Wh—Just happened?!"

Clutching his head, he crouched, letting the buzzing fade. He'd been exploring this cursed cave, even tossing a casual "hello" to the creepy statues lining the walls, when he'd spotted a rift—small but pulsing with a dark, familiar energy.

Naturally, he'd stepped right in — Next thing he knew, he was here, spat out like a discarded seed.

As the buzzing quieted, he finally caught his breath, a faint memory tugging at his mind.

'That rift… was it the Void Thunder Dragon?' Ever since that ancient dragon had nestled into his spirit sea, his mind felt like a simmering cauldron held at a fragile calm.

The lesser bloodlines in him had gone silent, almost reverent before its overwhelming presence.

The name, 'Void Thunder Dragon', came to him instinctively, as though whispered directly into his mind. And the strangest part? He was certain this creature was consuming the rest, soon to become his only bloodline.

This latest rift? Likely just a taste of its strange power leaking through.

"Could it be… my ticket back home?" Su Xiaobai eyed the rift, pulse racing.

He felt its strength—a power vast enough to cross worlds.

But then again, the higher-ups couldn't possibly be that generous… right?

With a wary shake of his head, he dismissed the thought.

Instead, he turned to his surroundings.

Same cursed cave, same miserable silence—except for a towering door at the far end, standing like a challenge.

The door seemed to breathe danger, practically vibrating with curses and calamities just waiting to be unleashed.

"Yeah… definitely not touching that." He didn't even consider testing his luck on that monstrosity and started looking for other exits instead.

"What game are you guys playing with me now?" he muttered, eyes narrowing as he thought of all the ways this could go sideways.

Memories flashed of a poor spirit beast he'd once seen—just a fluffy 'Wini Poppi', happily munching a blade of grass, when a rock fell from the heavens and flattened it on the spot.

From that day on, Su Xiaobai knew: luck didn't exist. Fate? Just the cruel whims of whoever's watching above.

"Huh?" His musings were interrupted as something about the statues along the walls caught his eye. Each one of them was tilted, almost as if pointing… toward what seemed like a dead end on the right side of the cave.

"Oh, you think I wouldn't notice that?" Su Xiaobai grinned, half pitying the higher-ups for their weak attempt at trickery. "If this is all you've got, you guys need to step up your game..."

With the bold confidence of someone blissfully unaware he'd just planted a red flag straight into his own fate, he strolled over to the so-called "wall" and reached out.

But instead of meeting cold stone, his hand slipped right through—just an illusion concealing the way forward.

"Am I that much of a sage now?" He chuckled, wondering if he'd truly become wise beyond mortal measure after reincarnation or if the higher-ups had just lost their touch.

With a smug smile and a mental pat on the back, he stepped through the illusory wall, disappearing into the hidden passage.

Whoosh!