Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 416 - 260: Inferior Reverse Psychology_2

Chapter 416: Chapter 260: Inferior Reverse Psychology_2

"When she was on the mountain, she hesitated a bit. I’ve never seen my senior sister show such emotions before. It was only upon asking that I found out she wanted you to join the mountain, but was worried about breaking the rules."

"Master once said, ’A thousand people have a thousand faces; a hundred people have a hundred looks. In the end, different paths lead to the same destination. Practicing the sword is just a tiny path in the long journey of life, leading to the same outcome. There’s no need to fuss over the way we walk this path.’"

"Even sword cultivators may not necessarily be suitable for sword cultivation. If one lets go of obsession and takes a different path, perhaps a more suitable and swifter route might be found. Being a role model is not just about passing down one’s lifelong learning to disciples, but also about guiding their temperament."

"Not wasting talent, not delaying the future; besides me, the other two disciples who joined Swordmaster Peak had no other paths to take. In terms of talent, naturally, they are not as good as you, but in terms of paths, they only have the Sword Dao."

"You have many paths to choose from, why cling to that three-foot Qingfeng, which is merely a stick for stoking fire?"

Jiang Feng’s voice was very calm, as he repeated these words again.

Compared to a few years ago, he has become much more temperate. If he had been arranged a marriage mysteriously, he would surely investigate the background of the other party.

Liang Yu nodded slightly. She understood the big principles, but there was a trace of reluctance in her heart. Looking at Jiang Feng’s longsword planted in the ground, her expression turned somewhat strange.

She initially thought that Jiang Feng simply picked up a random stick to fiddle with. Upon closer inspection, alas, the famous sword forged by a master for her father from various precious ores was actually inferior to Jiang Feng’s fire-stoking stick in terms of material?

Indeed, as Liu Xianzi said, carefree and thick-skinned, never caring about others’ opinions.

"Young Master Jiang, there seems to be some similarities between us. No wonder Liu Xianzi, when she visited my grandfather last time, mentioned that I have a junior who resembles your granddaughter."

She paused.

The senior sister never revealed the details of her trip to Country Liang. It was the first time he had heard about it.

"Stubborn, obsessing, never turning back until hitting the south wall."

"Humble, good with words, proud yet reserved."

"Liu Xianzi brought up many topics about you, full of praise. But she was somewhat dissatisfied with your obstinate nature. I didn’t understand what she meant before."

"Now it seems, Young Master Jiang, your feelings for the Southern Border Saintess are not entirely pure. Taixu Sect arrived here two days ago... Young Master."

She purposely paused.

"Have you let go?"

Click!

Her fingers made a very faint sound.

The teacup in her hand produced a slight friction, and even an imperceptible deformation. Although his face remained unchanged, the shift did not escape Liang Yu’s eyes.

At that moment, she caught a fleeting trace of fierceness in Jiang Feng’s eyes—a sign that aligned with her own speculation that the childhood friend who had always been close was truly his weak spot.

A wound that no one could uncover.

But soon, the fierceness in his eyes was suppressed, and his tone revealed some helplessness.

"Are you really not yet sixteen? You look more like sixty."

He lifted his eyelids, truly, if it had been someone else, they might have already thrust a sword. But Jiang Feng, after all, had studied for so many years and had slightly better quality.

"Do not undergo others’ pains, do not counsel others to be kind."

Many people tend to not stand on the side of the sufferer when persuading others. Convincing someone else’s girl to let go of obsessions, not to cling to the three-foot green peak in her hands, and not to cling to her own senior sister.

What about when others do it? Some may have their mental defense broken on the spot or they might overhaul their lives. But what did Princess Yu do?

Well, she simply threw your own words right back at you.

You’re telling me not to cling? Sure, no problem, but then you shouldn’t cling to your fiancée either, right, with the token of love already exchanged and still can’t stop thinking about her?

Who has deeper obsessions?

Who breaks down?

Who loses composure?

"Young Master, you jest."

"Liang Yu is truly not pretending her age; if Young Master does not believe, a simple verification is all it takes. On the other hand, with all due respect, I’ve never seen anyone as young as you with such a calm and collected mind."

"Ordinary people would have flown into a rage if provoked like this, but you, Young Master, have managed to remain completely composed. Frankly speaking, my visit to Dongliang City and meeting you was to seek peace of mind and resolve an issue weighing on my heart."

Seeing that Jiang Feng still wasn’t taking the bait, Liang Yu felt somewhat helpless. She had encountered many hot-blooded young men who would roar and charge at her at the slightest provocation.

How could this still not anger him even when I’m provoking him blatantly?

"As for the matters at home, I have managed them well. Whether it is my father or my grandfather, they can guess where I might go. They didn’t send any masters from the palace to bring me back; they are just indulging me."

"Recently, the internal selections of the various Great Sects have mostly concluded. As per tradition, disciples from these sects began their apprenticeship out of the mountains a few months ago."

She politely revealed a smile, yet within this seemingly relaxed smile, a trace of bitterness lingered. She never blamed her family throughout.

It was more like she was venting her frustration on herself.

If only she had a deeper comprehension of the Sword Dao, how could she end up in this situation?

Her voice was even and controlled, as she wanted to explain clearly to Jiang Feng that she was not being unreasonable. Everything she did was based on ensuring it had no negative impact on the Royal Family, nor did it cause any trouble at home.

The man, pretending to drink tea, nodded. He now had to completely reassess this young lady in front of him; he had initially not taken Liang Yu seriously, but now it seemed.

It seemed like a recurrence of an old problem.

That incident from two years ago, when he was played for a fool, seemingly forgotten.

"Daliang is situated at the intersection of three regions, whether it’s the Southern Border, East Sea, or Demon Domain. To enter the Central Plains from these regions, one must pass through Daliang, which you must feel deeply, Young Master."

"Every time it comes to this, Daliang is thrown into chaos. As for treating with the various Great Sects, we have the will but not the power. It is quite uncomfortable living in the crevices, the chaos lasting at least for several months. My departure from home half a month ago was deliberately chosen at this time."

"As such, the case of the princess’s disappearance would naturally be blamed on outsiders. Although my father didn’t explicitly say it, the surrounding Great Sects which have relations with Liang Country would be more or less vigilant."

"Along the way, I deliberately defeated a few disciples from the Southern Border and the Demon Clan, leaving traces, leading the disaster away from us. Although I feel a bit guilty for them, these two groups are not short of enemies and are naturally suspect."

"Though my talents are mediocre, my constitution is acceptable, blessed with the Five Thunders Hidden Body, making my cultivation half as hard for twice the result. My father made my unique physical constitution public to attract Great Sects wanting to recruit a disciple with decent talents."

"At this moment, those disciples from prestigious Sects must still be suspecting each other, focusing their attention on the Southern Border and Demon Clan; sadly, my little play might not deceive those old seniors in the Cultivation World."

"I hope Young Master won’t despise Liang Yu for being cunning, but without this, it would be impossible to remain unnoticed by everyone and meet with Young Master alone, just seeking to have a private match with you."

"If I win, I would hope for the Sword Immortal to reconsider; if I lose, Liang Yu is willing to enter the mountains as a slave, toil and take any orders."

Silence fell.

Jiang was completely silent.

When they first met, he thought that Princess Yu, though excellent in cultivation, wasn’t to the extent that his senior sister would impulsively break the rules of Swordmaster Peak.

But now he finally understood why his senior sister regretted; this was merely at the peak of Foundation Establishment and yet she managed to deceive everyone, blatantly heading to the frontier under numerous watchful eyes, using those orthodox sects to pressure foreign tribes and stir up conflicts.

Faced with that piercing gaze, Jiang Feng remained unresponsive, not saying a word; he knew this battle was inevitable and knew that this young lady, with a lower realm than his, might far exceed his expectations.

His expression was like water, grave and profound, while his peripheral vision was constantly locked on the iron wire just half a meter away from his right hand.

But Liang Yu only softly chuckled, her smile revealing a mix of strangeness and confidence.

"Two days ago, I met a disciple from the Taixu Sect; perhaps, it’s more fitting for me to call her sister."

Snap!

The teacup in his hand deformed in an instant.

Princess Yu, seeming oblivious, continued: "She once asked me about you and recognized my identity. Out of curiosity, I went on to personally learn about the mysteries of the Taixu Sect."

"After an exchange, I also told that sister that the person she cares about is now committed to another, specifically, the Southern Border Saintess. Since two days ago, she began to search around here for traces. Just now, I left a thread of Sword Qi on those two individuals; that sister should be able to detect something."

"At this moment... they are probably encountering each other already."