The improved female villains regained their memories.

Chapter Fourteen: Questioning Evil

Luo Benmo was a precocious child.

As a naturally born immortal being, she understood many things from birth. No exaggeration, she truly understood many things.

That year, a snow spirit passed through the village. Because of her divine destiny, she was rejected by heaven and earth. On her deathbed, her spiritual energy merged into the body of a pregnant woman. Several months later, the child was born. The child did not cry or make a fuss and had naturally silver hair, which greatly surprised the people.

The villagers were abuzz with discussion, some saying it was a good omen, others saying it was a bad one. It wasn't until many years later, when a fortune teller was traveling the world and passed through the area, that the fortune teller finally determined the nature of the silver hair.

A born villain.

Luo Benmo was emotionally detached from a young age and rarely showed her feelings to others. She often spaced out—staring blankly at the spiritual energy scattering in the air. As a born immortal being, she was naturally able to see many things that ordinary people could not see.

Relatives in the village often told her father that something was wrong with her child and that he should be careful. At first, her father didn't take it seriously, but gradually, he began to think about it.

Until the fortune teller determined the nature of it.

When Luo Benmo was four years old, her mother became pregnant again. Those days were a brief period of happiness in Luo Benmo's childhood. She often lay in bed, watching her mother gently touch her belly and tell stories with a tender expression.

It was told to her, and also to the baby in her womb.

Luo Benmo cherished this life, but she noticed that her mother's spirit was fading. One evening, she suddenly asked, "Will Mom always be with me?"

The mother smiled and replied, "Of course, Mom will always be with you."

"really?"

"Really? Then Xiao Mo should be a good older sister too."

"it is good."

She agreed; it was a promise she made to her mother.

However, her mother broke her promise.

Later, on many nights, Luo Benmo would think of that day—her mother lay on the bed with her eyes closed, the room was filled with the smell of blood, her father knelt on the ground crying, and the baby next to him was crying.

She didn't even glance at her own mother, but focused all her attention on the baby.

"Wow……"

The tiny baby cries, announcing its arrival to the world.

So ugly.

But this is his own younger brother.

She felt no sadness; her heart became resolute.

It's okay that Mother didn't keep her promise; she will keep it.

After his mother's death, his father became depressed and relapsed into his drinking habit. Cooking, laundry, cleaning, and taking care of his younger brother were all done by Luo Benmo.

She was only four years old at the time.

Two years passed, and then the fortune teller came to their village. From that moment on, Luo Benmo became the embodiment of evil.

The villagers connected everything she had done before—her indifference at her mother's death, her precociousness, her unfathomable emotions. All of these were magnified and defined as evil.

So, Luo Benmo began to ponder, what is evil?

Her father started cutting her off from her younger brother, but the man couldn't take care of children at all. Locked in another room by her father, listening to the man's agitated voice and her brother's cries, she wondered, what is evil?

Once, her younger brother accidentally broke a bowl while eating, making their already impoverished family even worse off. The man beat him, and she, as the older sister, desperately tried to stop him, and was also beaten. At that moment, she wondered, what is evil?

To supplement her family's income, Luo Benmo often went to the mountains to collect herbs or chop firewood to sell in the village. One day, she encountered a fox spirit, who had been reverted to its original form and was curled up under a tree, barely alive. The fox spirit looked at Luo Benmo and said to her, "Little girl, please help me. If you help me, I will definitely repay you."

How will you repay me?

"I'll repay you in any way I can, as long as you're willing to save me."

"Do you keep your word?"

"of course."

Luo Benmo agreed.

She found a cave, settled the fox demon there, bandaged its wounds, and brought it food and water every day. A month passed, and the fox demon's wounds healed.

Although it could no longer take human form, it could already use the most basic demonic energy. The fox demon resumed its arrogant demeanor, nostrils flaring, and said to Luo Benmo, "Then, tell me what you want, mortal. Anything I have, I can give you."

Can you give me money?

"I don't have such vulgar things."

"Can you give me strength?"

"Demon energy and spiritual energy are incompatible, little girl."

"That……"

Luo Benmo said, "Can you be my friend? The kind that lasts a lifetime."

Everyone in the village has friends, but she doesn't.

After a rational analysis, Luo Benmo felt that she might need a friend.

"Hmph, since you've put it that way, I'll reluctantly grant your request."

“But—” the fox demon changed the subject and chuckled, “Humans and demons have different lifespans, little one. I still advise you not to invest too much emotion in me, otherwise when you get old, I’ll still be a great beauty.”

"understood."

And so, the human and the demon became friends.

They strolled through the forest and also had heart-to-heart talks on the cliffs. Most of the time, it was the fox spirit who spoke, and Luo Benmo who listened.

"...From then on, it was impossible for humans and demons to fall in love. Ha, how foolish, to give up everything for a human man. If it were me, I wouldn't do that."

The little fox demon curled up in Luo Benmo's arms and said, "Sister, I also want to give you a piece of advice: when you grow up, don't get too deeply involved in love, or you won't be able to get out later."

What is love?

"Love is... Hey, why am I telling you this, you hairless kid? I'll tell you later if you want. There, there, yeah, right there, scratch me some more."

The fox spirit said, "From now on..."

But there was no "after".

In less than half a month, Luo Benmo could no longer find the fox demon.

She waited for a very long time at the place they had agreed to meet, but he never showed up.

Because she hadn't been seen for a day and a night, her father beat her and scolded her for running around outside.

She endured the beatings without uttering a sound, her mind constantly pondering, "What is evil?"

She thought and thought, for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

The fortune teller said she was born evil, but didn't tell her what evil was.

The fox spirit told her never to fall in love again, but didn't tell her what love was.

No one told Luo Benmo; she had to figure it out herself.

After thinking for a long time, Luo Benmo realized that many people had broken their promises.

Her mother said she would always be there for her, but she broke her promise.

The fox spirit said it would be her friend forever, but it broke its promise.

Four-year-old Luo Benqing hugged her leg and said, "Sister, I will always follow you and never leave you."

He broke his promise.

What is evil?

what is love?

What is a promise?

Why is it that no one can keep their promises?

She fell to the ground, watching her younger brother leave with the immortal, and asked, "Why?"

This question is for him, and also for myself.

Chapter Fifteen: Enlightenment

Luo Benmo remembers that it rained that day.

She was in pain all over her body, and her head was spinning. Most of the scene in front of her was obscured by blood.

And so the woman appeared before them.

"follow me."

She reached out her hand to her younger brother.

"You are the chosen one, and the task of saving the world is destined to fall on your shoulders."

Her younger brother asked timidly, "Can't you save my sister?"

“No.” The woman shook her head. “Your sister is destined to bring calamity to the world, and she is also your destined adversary. Everything is ordained by fate, and I cannot interfere.”

"But my sister..."

“Child, you must understand that my decision not to harm her is itself an act of mercy.”

kindness……

This woman speaks of kindness.

It is merciful of her not to harm herself.

She took her own brother away; that was an act of kindness.

It was merciful of her not to help herself when she was in danger.

Kindness, what is kindness?

Luo Benmo couldn't understand it, just as he couldn't understand what evil was.

She watched helplessly as her younger brother placed his hand in that woman's hand and left without looking back.

In the end, she left; her younger brother abandoned his sister.