I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 304 - Demon Slayer

“Right now, Sacred Lord Xiao hasn’t agreed to their demands, but he hasn’t outright rejected them either,” Ji Baiyu said.

“I’m not afraid of dying. But the blood feud of my clan hasn’t been avenged yet. I don’t want to die just like this. If Sacred Lord Xiao agrees to hand me over to them, there’s no way I’ll survive. Can you help me?”

“How do you know I’ll help you?” Xu Zimo asked with a slight laugh.

“I don’t,” Ji Baiyu shook her head. “But I have no other choice. I don’t know anyone else here, I can only come to you.”

“Don’t worry,” Xu Zimo said with a smile and a shake of his head. “You carry the legacy of a Grand Emperor. The Sacred Ground understands what’s important.”

“But what if they don’t?” Ji Baiyu asked anxiously.

“Here’s what we’ll do, stay at my place on South Goose Mountain for now,” Xu Zimo said. “No matter what, I was the one who brought you to the True Martial Sacred Ground. I’d like to see who dares touch you.”

“Thank you!” Ji Baiyu said gratefully, her expression lightening.

“No need to thank me. Since I brought you here, it’s my responsibility to keep you safe. But as for the rest, you’ll need to handle that yourself.”

“I understand,” Ji Baiyu nodded.

“Who are your enemies?” Xu Zimo asked curiously.

“The Seven Ancients of the North Sea,” Ji Baiyu said, taking a deep breath.

Seeing Xu Zimo’s puzzled look, she explained: “They’re infamous across the entire Northern Continent, despised and feared. They’ll do absolutely anything to gain power. But they’re also seven God Meridian Realm cultivators, so most factions avoid provoking them.”

“They must be after Grand Emperor Fei Yu’s inheritance,” Xu Zimo said.

“They want to enter the immortal path,” Ji Baiyu nodded. “They believe Ancestor Fei Yu’s legacy holds clues about immortality.”

“Interesting,” Xu Zimo chuckled.

After sending Ji Baiyu off, Xu Zimo spent the next few days resting at South Goose Mountain.

He’d been busy for quite some time and hadn’t enjoyed such peace in ages.

He also remembered the promise he made to the God Emperor, to help track down the Myriad Dao Red Lotus and reforge his Heaven’s Will.

After a few days of rest, Xu Zimo visited the Scripture Pavilion of the True Martial Sacred Ground.

This pavilion contained all the Sacred Ground’s books since its founding, except cultivation techniques and martial skills.

Most were miscellaneous writings and travel records.

The Scripture Pavilion had three levels.

Only the Sacred Lord and a few top elders had access to the third level.

It held confidential documents, including those left behind by past emperors and unknown secrets.

As the Holy Son, Xu Zimo had the qualifications to enter, but he still had to get permission from Sacred Lord Xiao.

With that permission granted, Xu Zimo went straight to the third level.

Unlike the ocean of books on the lower floors, the third level had only a single bookshelf, and on that shelf, only a few dozen books.

Xu Zimo was looking for any record related to Grand Empress Hongtian.

He casually flipped through books like Secrets of the Primordial Heartlands, Origins of the Ten Forbidden Grounds, and Chronicles of the Demon-Slayers.

When he saw the Demon-Slayers, his brows furrowed slightly.

He remembered Paimon’s identity, and his mysterious mission, which was somehow tied to this clan.

With complicated emotions, Xu Zimo slowly opened the book.

What is a demon?

It’s not merely someone who practices demonic arts or has no humanity.

A true demon might be a race, a belief, or an ideology.

A demon is not necessarily evil.

Reading these opening lines, Xu Zimo nodded in agreement.

Having awakened the Hell-Suppressing Demon Physique, he himself probably seemed more like a demon.

Since the Imperial Era, a certain type of being calling themselves Heaven Demons would appear every few eras.

They were powerful, and intelligent.

They did not seek war with the human race of the continent.

Some said the Heaven Demons had their own ideals, missions they pursued.

But no one truly understood what those missions were.

Because since the first generation of Heaven Demons appeared, the Primordial Heartlands saw the emergence of a family destined to oppose them,

The Demon-Slaying Clan.

This clan rose like bamboo after rain, suddenly and inexplicably.

No one knew where they came from, or who founded them.

The sole purpose of their existence seemed to be the extermination of all Heaven Demons.

The war between the Demon-Slaying Clan and the Heaven Demons had lasted nearly a million years.

In that time, they had slain thirteen Heaven Demons, without a single defeat.

This book chronicled the demons that had appeared throughout history, as well as the demon-slayers who had defeated them.

When Xu Zimo reached the final page and saw the bold line at the bottom,

His pupils shrank, and his expression was full of disbelief.

“The Demon-Slaying Clan, the Lan Clan.”

The wind of autumn blew with desolation and decay.

Withered leaves fell from the trees, only to be crushed underfoot.

No one paid them any mind,

Even though those leaves had once basked in spring’s warmth, summer’s blazing sun, and autumn’s melancholy beauty.

But before winter came, they faded into nothing.

Tiancheng Domain, Middle Continent.

Within a city belonging to the Lan Clan,

Lan Ke’er gently extended her hand to catch a falling autumn leaf.

In a courtyard filled with windblown leaves, several of the most promising Lan Clan youths stood gathered.

At the front stood Lan Juntian, the head of the Lan Clan, speaking to the gathered teens.

“The Demon-Slaying Clan, this is the mission and glory of the Lan Clan.”

The young men and women below him listened with excitement.

Until today, even they hadn’t known,

That their Lan Clan was the legendary Demon-Slaying Clan.

“Few know that our clan’s founder was none other than the Sage,” Lan Juntian continued passionately. In the early age of myths, he rode a green ox and traveled the world, slaying monsters across the land. He carved out hope for a fragile humanity. That man, honored as the Sage, was our ancestor.”

“The Sage…” the Lan youths murmured, whispering that legendary title filled with meaning.

“Since the founding of the Lan Clan, countless years have passed. We’ve slain thirteen Heaven Demons, always following the Sage’s teachings. And now, at the site of the Ancient City of Hunyuan, we’ve sensed a new demonic aura. This era, a new demon is about to descend.”