I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 267 - Lord of Light

Lush green cypress trees lined both sides of the road, their thick leaves rustling softly in the breeze.

An elderly man in coarse blue robes sat beneath one of the trees. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting blurred shadows across his face.

A faint wisp of steam still rose from the teacup in front of him.

“Care for a cup?” the old man said, sitting at a wooden table with three teacups, one for himself, the other two for Xu Zimo and Dark River.

His white hair and wrinkled face bore the deep lines of time.

The moment Xu Zimo saw the man’s face, he froze.

“Xiao Dingtian…” he muttered under his breath in disbelief.

Who would have thought that someone this aged and unassuming would have such a domineering name?

“The Lord of Light,” Dark River murmured quietly beside him.

“What did you say?” Xu Zimo frowned and looked at Dark River.

“He’s the founder of the Radiant Temple,” Dark River explained. “His real name is unknown, but the world calls him the Lord of Light.”

“So… Xiao Dingtian is the Lord of Light,” Xu Zimo narrowed his eyes slightly.

Xu Zimo knew this name well.

Xiao Dingtian was one of the few true confidants Xu Zimo had in his previous life.

Back when Xu Zimo had fallen into the Nether Dragon Ravine and wandered the world alone, it was during his time with Lan Ke’er in Purple Fragrance Village that he met Xiao Dingtian, a traveler just passing through.

This man understood him. He knew the pain of failure and how to comfort someone lost in the dark.

And only now did Xu Zimo realize that this old friend had once been the Lord of Light.

The title itself was steeped in legend.

Its bearer was a man of grand ambition.

The Lord of Light once promised to spread light across the world.

Not just sunlight, but hope.

To bring radiance to the dark, to cleanse what was filthy, and to guide the lost and helpless.

The Radiant Temple, located in the chaotic Dark Corner Capital, was merely one outpost in his pursuit of that vision.

…

Without hesitation, Xu Zimo sat at the tea table, picked up a cup, and took a sip with a smile.

He could sense it, the Lord of Light was definitely at the fifth and final step of the Immortal Path, far stronger than Dark River.

“Do you have business with us, old friend?” Xu Zimo asked with a grin.

“You should know who I am,” the Lord of Light smiled. “I heard what happened in Dark Corner Capital.”

“Are you here to pass judgment?” Xu Zimo asked, amused.

The Lord of Light shook his head. “Just here to see you.”

“To see me?” Xu Zimo raised a brow.

“There’s too much darkness in your heart,” the Lord of Light said calmly.

Xu Zimo paused for a moment, then smiled and asked, “You mean you don’t have darkness in your own heart?”

The Lord of Light paused as he held his teacup, staring at Xu Zimo for a long time before finally responding with calm conviction:

“I do. Perhaps even more than any of you. The world praises me as the embodiment of light. But in the end, I’m still human. A man with flesh, blood, and a soul. And what human is immune to desire?”

“Then what’s the purpose of the Radiant Temple?” Xu Zimo asked.

“To be the one force the Death God Palace fears,” the Lord of Light smiled, “to bring a glimmer of light into Dark Corner Capital.”

Xu Zimo shook his head slightly.

“You’re strong enough to wipe out the Death God Palace. Why allow this stalemate between your factions?”

“Those who battle demons should take care not to become one themselves,” the Lord of Light said after a moment of silence. “If I destroy the Death God Palace, the Radiant Temple could very well become the next Death God Palace.”

“Why?” Dark River asked, confused.

“If even the Lord of Light has darkness in his heart,” Xu Zimo smiled, “then what about his followers?”

“You don’t think the current Radiant Temple is already starting to rot? That Vice-Lord Spare Tiger is clearly changing.”

“Spare Tiger… he used to be such a kind, passionate young man,” the Lord of Light chuckled.

“When I first built the Radiant Temple, he wasn’t like this. But power… power has begun to corrupt him. If the Death God Palace were to fall, he might well become the next dark force.”

Xu Zimo smiled.

“Without darkness, how would we appreciate the importance of light? Light can never cover the world completely. And darkness can never blanket it forever. Yin and yang complement each other. One cannot exist without the other.”

“You see things clearly,” the Lord of Light nodded. “But the darkness in your heart is heavy.”

“Trying to enlighten me, Xiao Dingtian?” Xu Zimo laughed.

Hearing his real name spoken, the Lord of Light was visibly startled. He looked surprised and asked, “How do you know my name?”

“The Darkness told me,” Xu Zimo replied with a grin.

The Lord of Light was silent, then chuckled and slowly faded from sight.

“We will meet again someday.”

“I’d prefer if we didn’t.”

Xu Zimo understood now, he and Xiao Dingtian were not of the same path.

…

After the Lord of Light left, the group resumed their journey.

Dark River didn’t question how Xu Zimo knew the old man’s name. His instincts told him Xu Zimo hid much more than he let on.

He grew more cautious with each passing day.

Meanwhile, the disciples from the Martial Zenith Sacred Ground were carefree, chatting joyfully as if on a leisure trip rather than a training expedition.

After three dusty days of travel, the group finally came across a city.

According to Dark River, from this point on, cities would appear more frequently and the population would become more dense.

As they approached, Xu Zimo looked up to see the characters "Yellow Spring City" etched above the city gate.

But the entrance was eerily quiet, not a single guard in sight.

Lu Tian suggested, “Why don’t we stay here for the night and continue tomorrow?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Perhaps we should go somewhere else,” Dark River said.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Yellow Spring implies the final destination of all souls,” Dark River explained. “This city is even more feared than Dark Corner Capital. It’s cursed by demons, any outsider who stays the night will mysteriously die the next day. Only the native residents survive.”

“No need to tempt fate. There are other cities ahead,” he said.

“What do you all think?” Xu Zimo turned to the others.

“Let’s keep going,” said Fu Yu timidly.