I Really Am A Villain
Ch. 401 - Conflict With Vermillion Bird Academy

"I wasn't planning to kill you, but since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish."

The blue-robed youth lowered his body slightly, pressing Yue Qingli's head down with his left hand while clenching his right fist.

Endless spiritual energy gathered on his fist.

The punch tore through the space around it, roaring down toward Yue Qingli's head.

Just as it was about to land, just a few centimeters away, a calm voice rang out from the side.

"That's enough," Xu Zimo said flatly.

Though his tone was calm, it carried a pressure that instantly blanketed the area.

The blue-robed youth froze in place, completely unable to move.

Yue Qingli took the chance to crawl up from the ground.

Looking at Xu Zimo, he said with a gloomy expression, "I lost."

"You passed the test," Xu Zimo said calmly.

Yue Qingli looked up sharply, staring at Xu Zimo in disbelief.

"I told you to challenge them not because I expected you to win," Xu Zimo replied.

"What I wanted was an attitude, just like you said, a willingness to stake everything, even your life."

"I…" Yue Qingli took a deep breath, too emotional to speak.

"Kneel," Xu Zimo said calmly.

"Huh?" Yue Qingli was stunned.

"Kneel and take me as your master. If you're unwilling, pretend I never said it," Xu Zimo replied indifferently.

Yue Qingli was clearly caught off guard. He hadn’t expected Xu Zimo to say that.

"A useless master and a useless disciple. What a lovely pair!" the blue-robed youth mocked from the side, humiliated by Xu Zimo's interference.

He assumed Xu Zimo was stronger than him, but not by much.

After all, Xu Zimo had interrupted the test, which meant he had the upper hand in this situation.

"You were acting all tough just now, now look at you, running away like a stray dog. You Three-Eyed freaks are all trash. You always will be."

Others around also began mocking.

"This guy doesn’t even look older than us and wants to be someone’s master? What a joke."

"Well, birds of a feather flock together. Trash always finds more trash to hang around with."

Ignoring the crowd, Xu Zimo looked at Yue Qingli and waited for his answer.

Yue Qingli closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them. He tidied his clothes and knelt down.

"Disciple Yue Qingli kneels before Master today. I ask you to accept me. Though I was born dull-witted, I’m willing to work hard and learn. My parents gave me life, but you will give me purpose. A master’s grace is as vast as the sea, Qingli will never forget. From now on, I will work twice as hard, and never tarnish your name!"

He bowed three times, deeply respectful.

The nearby students burst out laughing.

"This freak actually did it! If I knew he was that dumb, I would’ve tried too."

"Just another clown trying to show off."

…

Xu Zimo ignored the noise. He waved his hand and said with a faint smile, "Get up."

Yue Qingli respectfully stood and moved to stand beside Xu Zimo.

In a low voice, he said, "Master, let’s go. Let’s leave this place, I’ll take you to the Three-Eyed Race."

"Why should we leave?" Xu Zimo asked calmly. "These people mocked us for no reason. Shouldn’t they pay for that?"

"Master, this is the Vermilion Bird Academy," Yue Qingli replied, a little hesitant.

He had accepted Xu Zimo as his master, but only because he wanted to seize any chance he could.

He wasn’t entirely convinced yet, Xu Zimo looked too young.

If Xu Zimo were an old man with an immortal air, it might have been easier to believe.

"Since you’re now my disciple, I’ll give you a gift as your initiation," Xu Zimo said calmly.

Seeing Yue Qingli’s puzzled expression, Xu Zimo stepped forward.

He looked at the mocking students and said, "All of you who were mocking just now, you have two choices. First, apologize and give me something I find satisfactory as compensation."

"I choose the second!" one of the students shouted with a smirk before Xu Zimo could finish.

"The second is to be killed by me."

As Xu Zimo finished his words, he vanished in an instant.

The next moment, he appeared right in front of the student who had shouted.

Before the student could react, Xu Zimo’s blade Shadow Tyrant was already drawn and sliced the youth in half.

"You think I was joking?" Xu Zimo’s cold gaze swept across everyone.

In an instant, silence fell as everyone looked at the fresh corpse on the ground.

"You dare kill someone in front of Vermilion Bird Academy? That’s disrupting the entrance exams, an insult to the Academy!" someone yelled.

"Have you all never died before?" Xu Zimo turned his head and laughed coldly.

…

"What’s going on here?" The commotion drew the attention of the academy.

The six teachers in charge of the admissions walked over.

"Master, someone is deliberately causing trouble and killed a student in public," someone reported.

The six teachers stepped into the scene, frowning as they surveyed the situation.

One of the elders looked at Xu Zimo and asked calmly, "Did you kill that student?"

"I did. So what?" Xu Zimo replied flatly.

"Then you’ll have to come with us," the elder said, raising his hand as a mighty force of the Paragon Meridian Realm burst from his body.

"Ant," Xu Zimo snorted coldly.

He didn’t even move. That snort alone contained the pressure of the Sacred Meridian Realm.

With a loud boom, the academy elder staggered back three steps, coughed up blood, and turned pale.

"Master Yu!" someone exclaimed.

The elder stared deeply at Xu Zimo, eyes full of fear.

He glanced at the other teachers and quietly shook his head, signaling them not to act rashly.

"A powerhouse, an absolute powerhouse. Just one snort, and I couldn’t even resist."

"May I ask where you’re from?" the elder asked more seriously.

"Why come here to cause trouble during our academy’s admissions?"

"Where I’m from doesn’t matter," Xu Zimo replied calmly.

"And I didn’t cause trouble, they mocked me first. Isn’t a little punishment deserved?"

The elder looked around and saw many students lowering their heads, saying nothing.

He already had his answer.

"Discipline is fine, but you didn’t have to kill him, right?"