Chapter 2 | How Could the Master of All Villains Be Righteous?

The next day.

“Master, what is this?”

“The sect rules. Mandatory memorization upon entry, and you must know them by heart. I will conduct random checks from time to time.”

Amidst the cascading green mountains, Yao Dai, whose head barely reached Wen Li's waist, stared at the sheet of paper in her hands. The ink was still wet, the calligraphy bold and vigorous, flowing like dragons and snakes, carrying a majestic momentum that seemed capable of swallowing mountains and rivers.

It was fine calligraphy, except these sect rules...

Were a bit improper.

In the most literal sense of improper.

Sect Rule One: Betraying your master and destroying ancestors (falling in love with Master) is forbidden. Do not discriminate against any evil cultivators, demonic paths, or the Hehuan Sect. When killing someone, always cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.

Two: When causing trouble outside, report the name of our rival sect. When killing someone, leave the traces of a bitter enemy. Bringing trouble back to our sect is strictly forbidden.

Three: No bullying useless trash, especially anyone surnamed Xiao, Ye, Lin, or Shi.

Four: Never pick up injured people on the side of the road, and never bring them back to the sect.

Five: Romance is permitted with anyone except Master—humans, demon beasts, ghosts, gods, snakes, insects, rats, and ants are all fine.

Six: Anyone who talks to thin air or inanimate objects must be befriended and brought back to the sect.

Seven: If you develop inner demons, destroy them. If you fall to demonic corruption, refer to Rule One.

Eight: If you encounter someone playing the pig to eat the tiger, do not offend them under any circumstances; win them over at all costs.

Nine: Never divide into inner and outer sects. Never look down on disciples with poor talent. Infighting is strictly forbidden.

Ten: Haven't thought of it yet, to be added later.

The frail Yao Dai's lips twitched. Though she had never cultivated before, she had at least read books.

“Master, are these truly our sect rules?” Why did they sound more like sinister heresies than an actual evil cult?

Wen Li's cool eyes were dead serious.

“Naturally. These new rules were distilled from my years of hard-won experience. They are infinitely more useful than those stifling, red-tape rules.”

She had summarized the wisdom of reading countless novels in her past life. This was the ultimate survival guide!

Hearing the deep sense of pride in her voice, Yao Dai wore a skeptical expression that said, “Don't take advantage of my ignorance.” In the end, she couldn't resist asking one more question:

“Master, why must we pay special attention to people surnamed Xiao, Ye, Lin, Shi, or Wang? Are they from some great sects or clans?”

“Oh, that reminds me. I left out someone surnamed Tang.”

Wen Li waved her hand, picked up the brush to add a character, and consoled her young disciple, “Once you become powerful, I'll add your surname too.”

Yao Dai: “...” Was that the point?!

Perhaps because Wen Li had helped her avenge her clan, after three days together, there was little distance or polite restraint left between them.

More likely, it was because this master was completely unhinged.

“Master, evil cultivators and fallen demonic cultivators don't sound like good people. Aren't we a prestigious, orthodox sect? Why can we not only refrain from discriminating against them, but even take them in?”

“Silly child, everything has cause and effect, and each person has their own destiny. As long as they don't harm us, who cares what Dao they cultivate? Whatever lets you ascend is a good Dao. Besides, resources in the cultivation world are limited, and killing people to seize their treasures happens all the time. Those so-called orthodox sects aren't any gentler than the demonic path.”

Wen Li patted her on the head, but failed to rein in her strength, sending Yao Dai's head jerking violently forward until she felt like her brains were about to spill out.

“If you ever accidentally fall to demonic corruption in the future, or become reviled by all under heaven, remember this: the Wuji Sect will never look down on you, and you will always be my disciple.”

Ignoring the throbbing pain at the back of her head, Yao Dai's eyes wavered. She stared up at the master towering over her, but before she could feel truly moved—

“However, if you cause trouble and use my name, I will disown you without hesitation, and the Wuji Sect will despise you.”

Yao Dai: “...” Her eyes had just been stinging from the wind. Definitely.

It seemed she really had apprenticed herself to an unhinged master.

...

Night fell.

The outskirts of the city were deserted and desolate. A thin spring mist hung in the air, birds roosted in the forest, and the temperature was mild.

Wen Li led Yao Dai to a lake and had her jump in to wash herself clean. It wasn't that she was disgusted; it was just that the stench clinging to her was far too potent.

Even blocking her sense of smell couldn't spare her vision.

It was an assault on the eyes.

“Master, but I don't have any spare clothes.”

“You won't go without.”

Wen Li picked her up and tossed her into the lake. Then, she sat on a bluestone by the shore and, beneath the moonlight, nimbly threaded a needle to mend clothes.

“Master, look over here!”

Yao Dai swam about like a fish in water. Being young, she was naturally bolder, even daring to playfully splash water at Wen Li's face.

Seeing that Wen Li didn't get angry even when splashed, Yao Dai burst into cheerful laughter.

The very next second.

“Ahhh!!”

Gurgle~ Gurgle~~

A massive, three-meter wave was suddenly kicked up in the lake by an unseen force, crashing right into Yao Dai's face.

Wen Li: “...” See? When I actually play with you, you don't like it.

By the time Yao Dai struggled her way onto the shore:

“Pbt! Cough, cough!”

She violently spat out a mouthful of water.

Wen Li said, “Don't move.”

“Huh?!”

In the next second, a massive lotus leaf dropped from the sky, scooping up two small fish flopping on the grass.

“Midnight snack is served.”

Flap! Flap!

The two small fish flopped atop the lotus leaf. As it turned out, Yao Dai had just coughed them up.

Wen Li nodded in satisfaction. Under Yao Dai's incredulous gaze, she tossed over the mended clothes. “Put them on and come start a fire. I'll teach you your first skill.”

“Master, why are these clothes so faded?” It looked as if they had been washed for years.

Without batting an eye, Wen Li replied, “...This is a sect robe reserved exclusively for legacy disciples. It's meant to have a gradient.”

The System was dying of laughter. Gradient, my ass! The host clearly just dragged it out of her pile of old clothes.

“Then why are there patches?”

“If you don't want to wear it, go make a grass skirt and be a savage.” Wen Li pulled out a cleaver.

“I'll wear it! Of course I'll wear it!”

“This is...”

Yao Dai suddenly noticed an embroidered pattern on the cuff. It was a little sun, clearly added later, as the thread differed from the rest of the garment.

Not having time to dwell on it, she hurriedly went to start the fire.

“Now, do as I say. By the way, the sect's tenth rule: everyone must know how to cook.”

Yao Dai was bewildered. “Why? Once your cultivation is high enough, can't you just fast?”

Wen Li, whose cultivation hadn't advanced in ten thousand years: “...”

Her dark eyes drilled into Yao Dai until the little girl felt chills run down her spine. Yao Dai pressed her lips into a tight line and shook her head, indicating she wouldn't ask any more questions.

After that, Wen Li sat back and instructed Yao Dai step by step on how to gut and clean the fish.

Aside from being unpracticed, the girl was remarkably clean and decisive with the knife, showing not a shred of fear.

“Master, it's roasted! You eat first!”

As the moonlight deepened, Wen Li looked at the blackened lump emitting bizarre smoke that Yao Dai handed her, and let out a long sigh.

“I'm not hungry. You're still young and need to grow. Eat it yourself.”

Moved, Yao Dai dutifully shoved the roasted fish closer to her face. “Master, this disciple can roast another one. It's fine.”

Wen Li blocked her sense of smell and quietly pushed the fish away.

“I don't like fish.”

Hearing her say that, Yao Dai had no choice but to pull back dejectedly. “All right then. Tomorrow I'll go find some other animals.”

Even if it looked unappetizing, it should still be edible, right?

She took a bite of the fish.

“Gag!”

She threw up, thoroughly repulsed by the charred, acrid taste.

Wen Li sighed internally. It seemed she would have to go hungry for a while.

From then on, the two stayed in Mount Huangyun. When Yao Dai asked why they weren't returning to the sect, Wen Li told her that tempering oneself in the wild yielded better results.

Going back would expose everything. That deserted, decrepit sect gate was so barren that if a thief broke in, they'd leave two copper coins from the bottom of their shoes out of sheer pity before leaving.

Yao Dai asked again why they didn't stay at an inn at the foot of the mountain, given how infested with mosquitoes the woods were.

Wen Li answered that to be her disciple, one had to remain untainted by mortal luxury and learn to endure the bitterest of hardships.

Then she turned around, slapped a mosquito dead on her face, and immediately took out a magical treasure to shield herself in a protective barrier.

If asked why she didn't shield Yao Dai too—well, there was only one.

Make the child suffer all you want, but never let yourself suffer.

Yao Dai asked yet again, “Master, why do you carry pots and pans everywhere you go?”

Wen Li claimed she had divined that her future disciple would have low cultivation and require food, so she had prepared cookware in advance.

Yao Dai curled her lips. Fine, Master truly is all-knowing.

In the days that followed, Wen Li constantly forced Yao Dai to train her body techniques, making her leap and scramble all over the mountain. Every day, she ate either wild mountain beasts or bright red berries Wen Li had plucked from who-knew-where.

After half a month, Yao Dai had filled out and grown noticeably taller compared to the emaciated bag of bones she had been upon apprenticing. Wen Li had tied her hair into two little topknots, making her look wonderfully rosy-cheeked and adorable.

“Come here.”

Hands clasped behind her back, Wen Li stood on a stone step. Her light ink-colored gauze over a cyan robe looked exceptionally ethereal under the blazing sun. But only Yao Dai, who lay on the ground too exhausted to lift a finger, knew the truth.

This master didn't possess an ounce of transcendent righteousness; she was full of wicked ideas and a venomous tongue. Yao Dai even feared that one day, her master might lick her own lips and die of poisoning.

“...Master, I really can't... can't move...”

The little girl, having sprinted across four mountain peaks, lay on the ground gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, suddenly feeling that life was beautiful.

Seeing her like this, Wen Li called out:

“Ah Da.”

“Roar!!”

“Wait, I'm up!”

Yao Dai's completely drained body bolted upright in an instantaneous reflex. Nimble on her feet, she sprang up and scrambled up a large tree.

Right where she had been lying, a two-meter-tall demon tiger charged in, stomping its paw onto the ground. The force sent surrounding weeds flying, leaving behind a deep crater once it lifted its paw.

Had she not dodged quickly, she would probably be coughing up blood right now.

“Ah Da, you're not getting any chicken legs tonight!”

Yao Dai pouted, glaring down at the spirit tiger beneath the tree, which her master had captured from the mountains to serve as her sparring partner.

The demon tiger blinked innocently and let out a whine. Compared to losing chicken legs, it was far more terrified of that violent woman's fists.

“Master, what is this?”

“A testing stone. Place your hand on it, and in a moment, we will know what your talent is like.” Wen Li produced an exquisite, seven-colored crystal.