Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

Ultimately, she succumbed to the worry and heartache in her mother's eyes, the shock and regret in Furibas's eyes, and the slight furrowing of Himeko-sensei's brow. At that moment, a wave of humiliation overwhelmed her completely.

[Raiden Mei was filled with resentment, yet she had no choice but to admit her defeat. Afterwards, she could only flee hastily, not daring to look back even once, vowing never to set foot in that place that had humiliated her again.]

Raiden Mei's thoughts drifted back to the moment she last stepped into Keiya's courtyard.

On the battlefield, she moved like a black lightning bolt, slaying countless enemies. However, despite her imposing presence and unstoppable rampage, she suffered a crushing defeat when she faced Jing Ye last time.

[Raiden Mei had no time to mount an effective defense; she felt an overwhelming, suffocating force, making any resistance seem utterly futile. Sweat instantly soaked her clothes, and strands of hair clung to her face, leaving her utterly disheveled.]

Ultimately, she succumbed to the worry and heartache in her mother's eyes, the shock and regret in Furibas's eyes, and the slight furrowing of Himeko-sensei's brow. At that moment, a wave of humiliation overwhelmed her completely.

[Raiden Mei was filled with resentment, yet she had no choice but to admit her defeat. Afterwards, she could only flee hastily, not daring to look back even once, vowing never to set foot in that place that had humiliated her again.]

However, the situation was completely different now. The sudden disappearance of her mother and teacher, Himeko, weighed heavily on her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. All her former pride, and the vow she had made never to set foot in Jingye's courtyard again, instantly became insignificant in the face of this worry for the safety of her closest and most respected loved ones.

She bit her lower lip tightly; compared to the peace and safety of her mother and teacher, Himeko, those so-called shames were utterly insignificant.

[As long as she could confirm that her mother and teacher Himeko were safe and sound, she was willing to endure the bitterness of failure once again.]

The road before Raiden Mei gradually became familiar; the trees and stones along the way evoked memories of the past. Kageyo's courtyard was now within reach.

Raiden Mei took a deep breath, her chest heaving as she tried to calm her rapid breathing and her frantic, drum-like heartbeat.

Raiden Mei stood before the tightly closed gates of Jingye's courtyard, enveloped in an invisible atmosphere of tension. Her eyes, as if drawn by a magnet, were fixed on the heavy door, her gaze a mixture of intense expectation and anxiety, as if her piercing gaze could penetrate the solid door.

Her lips were tightly pressed together, and though she didn't utter a single word, the slight tremor of her lips betrayed the turmoil in her heart. It wasn't hard to guess that she was silently praying, hoping that Jing Ye would give her an answer concerning the safety of her mother and teacher, Himeko, and that the moment she pushed open the door, she would see those two dearest and most respected figures safe and sound.

Just as Raiden Mei was filled with anxiety, her mind racing like a cat on a hot tin roof, unsure of what to do, the tightly closed courtyard gate mysteriously and slowly opened on its own.

A sharp, distinct sound rang out in the seemingly frozen silence, like the gears of fate beginning to turn, announcing the arrival of a crucial moment.

"This..." Raiden Mei's heart skipped a beat, and she muttered to herself, "Jingye is indeed as prescient as ever, as if he knew she would come long ago."

Before the thought had even faded from her mind, she had already rushed eagerly into the courtyard.

Stepping into the courtyard, a familiar scene unfolds before you. The flowers and plants are still lush and verdant, a gentle breeze causing the leaves to sway softly and releasing a delicate fragrance.

[But at the edge of that lush grass, a narrow crack stood out starkly. It was left from when Jing Ye unleashed his Iaijutsu, the powerful sword energy instantly cleaving the ground. The soil at the crack's edge was swirling, and the grass blades were withered and yellowed from the impact.]

The ancient, winding corridor seemed to tell tales of the past. However, a deep knife mark on the railing on one side of the corridor was shocking. It was caused by Raiden Mei's sword colliding with the railing when she frantically defended against Keiya's attack. A piece of wood had broken off, and the broken traces still remain.

The exquisite pavilion stood silently, as if awaiting the return of an old friend. On the stone table of the pavilion, there was a noticeable dent, as if it had been caused by a heavy blow. It was the residual force of Jing Yeju's combined attack that left an indelible mark on the once smooth stone table.

On the ground, there were numerous messy mud marks of varying depths, left by her struggling and rolling as Jing Ye pinned her down. These marks seemed like silent mockery, reminding her of her helplessness and humiliation at that moment.

[By the pond, broken water pipes lay scattered about, the water long since dried up, leaving only mottled water stains. I remember last time, Jing Ye even dragged her mother into it, using her as a fighting ring.]

Under the watchful eyes of her family and friends, she was not only easily defeated by Jing Ye, but she also put her mother in such a dangerous situation. This shame gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake, causing her hands to clench into fists involuntarily.

At this moment, Raiden Mei's mind was entirely focused on the safety of her mother and teacher, Himeko; she had no time to dwell on these shameful memories of the past.

Her gaze, sharp as lightning, swept swiftly across every corner of the courtyard, leaving no stone unturned, attempting to pinpoint the figures of her mother and teacher, Himeko.

She dashed towards the bedroom like an arrow released from a bow, radiating an aura of recklessness. The wind she stirred up along the way was so strong that the surrounding flowers and plants swayed violently, their branches rustling against each other as if sighing in sympathy for her anxious departure.

When she pushed open the bedroom door, panting, the sight inside froze her in place. Time seemed to stand still, and the air felt thin and suffocating. Her mother and teacher, Himeko, lay quietly on the bed, but their appearance left Raiden Mei speechless with shock, her mind blank.

The mother's face was ashen, devoid of any color, as if all life had been drained from her. Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, sliding down her cheeks and soaking the pillowcase. Her brows were tightly furrowed, as if locked by an invisible lock, as if she were enduring immense pain, a pain that seemed to threaten to devour her.

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth, the crimson stain starkly contrasting against her paper-white face, like a splash of red plum blossom appearing abruptly in the snow—lacking any beauty, only an overwhelming sense of horrification.

[Himeko-sensei's condition was equally grim. Her fiery red hair lay disheveled on the pillow, devoid of its usual neatness and radiance. Thick bandages were wrapped around her arm, blood seeping through and staining large patches crimson, the dark blood seeming to tell the story of the terrible injury.]

"Mother! Himeko-sensei!" Raiden Mei's heart-wrenching cries seemed to pierce through walls and reach the heavens. They were filled with the deepest fear and despair within her.

Chapter 119 The Kneeling Underworld

Raiden Mei stumbled and lunged towards her mother, her legs trembling, almost collapsing to the ground. Her hands trembled as she grasped her mother's; those hands were icy cold, devoid of any warmth, as if she were holding a block of ice in the dead of winter. Her body trembled along with hers, as if a chilling wind had seeped into her very bones.

"What on earth is going on? Why did this happen?" Raiden Mei's eyes instantly welled up with tears, which streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks and dripped onto her mother's cold hands.

[Raiden Mei was completely overwhelmed by the sudden and immense pain and shock. Tears blurred her vision, and everything before her became indistinct and indistinct.]

Just as she was filled with grief and at a loss, she caught a glimpse of Jing Ye sitting quietly and calmly in a dimly lit corner of the room.

Her gaze was instantly drawn to it as if by a magnet; her eyes, which had been slightly blurred by tears, suddenly widened, and endless astonishment surged within them.

In Raiden Mei's past understanding, Jingye's power was like a towering, unshakeable mountain, or a bottomless, boundless ocean—unparalleled in its magnificence.

His swordsmanship was superb; when he unleashed his Iaijutsu, the blade flashed like lightning, carrying overwhelming force. As soon as he appeared, the danger would dissipate as quickly as the receding tide.

However, reality struck her like a heavy hammer. Her mother and teacher, Himeko, lay weakly injured on their beds, their breaths so faint they seemed ready to dissipate at any moment.

[In contrast, Jingye was completely unharmed, sitting peacefully in meditation, radiating tranquility and serenity. This stark contrast was like an insurmountable chasm standing before Raiden Mei.]

"If you were here, how could Mother and Teacher Himeko be so badly injured?" Raiden Mei screamed internally, the question echoing repeatedly in her heart, making her chest ache.

The doubts in her heart surged like a turbulent tide, wave after wave, layer upon layer, almost completely engulfing her and making it hard for her to breathe.

She instinctively bit her lower lip, her teeth digging deep into her soft lips. Instantly, a metallic, bloody taste filled her mouth, but it didn't register with her at all.

Her gaze was intense, fixed on Jing Ye, her expression complex and unreadable. It contained both her unwavering trust in Jing Ye's abilities from the past and a deep skepticism about the absurdity of the situation before her.

[She prayed hysterically in her heart, desperately hoping that Jing Ye would open his eyes at this moment and give her a reasonable and convincing explanation in his usual calm, powerful, and resonant voice, telling her that it was all a misunderstanding.]

[When they were on the battlefield, and Jing Ye seemed to be controlling her body, those two sword strikes were like the creation of the world.]

[Where the blades flashed on the battlefield, the ground, once as solid as steel, instantly cracked open under the impact of this force, revealing a bottomless abyss.]

The distant, undulating mountain ranges, before this devastating force, appeared as fragile as grains of dust, easily wiped away, leaving only a chilling void in their wake.

On the battlefield, whether it was the eight million gods of Takamagahara or the traitors hiding in the shadows, they were all as fragile as insignificant ants before this world-destroying power.

However, at this moment, when she pulled her gaze from her immersed memories and looked at her mother, who was lying heavily injured and barely breathing, and her teacher, Himeko, Raiden Mei's heart was instantly filled with confusion and anger. That anger was like a powder keg that had been lit, ready to explode at any moment.

[Ming Mingjingye is like a demon god who controls the cycle of life and death, possessing the power to rewrite the entire battle]

"If you can grant me such immense power, enough to change the world and wreak havoc on the battlefield, why can't you even protect the mother and teacher Himeko, whom you cherish and care about most in your life?"

[Raiden Mei screamed desperately in her heart, the sound seemingly about to burst out of her chest.]

[In the past, during her long time with Jing Ye, her feelings for him were as complex as a maze, full of contradictions and entanglements.]

[Jingye clearly noticed that she had secretly learned Iaijutsu during the fight, but he didn't care. Instead, he taught her everything he knew, imparting his exquisite swordsmanship to her without reservation.]

[Raiden Mei could clearly sense how Keiya slowed down his movements during their Iaijutsu exchange so she could observe and learn carefully. After all, with her exceptional talent, she could sense the difference between going all out and being given a practice move.]

However, during those critical moments when life and death hung in the balance, Jing Ye promptly provided her with immense power, helping her escape danger time and again. She would forever remember this kindness.

Why is Ke Jingye always so mysterious and unpredictable, always so hard to fathom? Every decision he makes fills her with fear and resentment; that feeling of unease hangs over her like a shadow.

Just like seeing Furibas sent to the battlefield, and then seeing the pitiful state of his mother and teacher Himeko, emotions surged into his heart again like a raging, overwhelming tide.

Anger, like a raging fire that burned ever brighter, spread unchecked within her chest, scorching her internal organs.

[Raiden Mei was overwhelmed with anger and confusion, making her thoughts increasingly chaotic. But reason told her that anger would be useless at this moment; she needed to calm down and think things through. She tried to calm her chest, which was heaving violently with anger, and began to carefully recall the details of the past.]

Before going to the battlefield, Furibas witnessed Jingye using Iaijutsu on his mother and teacher, Himeko. However, given Jingye's strength and character, if he truly wanted to take their lives, he could have done so instantly; he would never have merely inflicted such severe injuries.

"There must be something fishy going on here. The Iaijutsu that Furibas saw Jingye use is definitely not the real reason why Mother and Teacher Himeko were seriously injured. Then who was it that did this?"

"Could it be a mole? If it's not Jing Ye, then there must be someone else causing trouble in the shadows."

"But who on earth had the audacity and ability to murder my mother and Teacher Himeko right under Jingye's nose?" Raiden Mei found the thought increasingly terrifying.

The room was deathly silent, the air seemingly frozen, so oppressive it was hard to breathe. Just as Raiden Mei was consumed by doubt and anxiety, feeling as if she were in an ice cave, Jing Ye, who had been sitting silently like a rock, finally stirred.

His eyes, like deep pools, slowly opened, their calm gaze seeming to hold many untold stories, shooting straight at Raiden Mei. This gaze, like a beam of intense light, instantly pierced through Raiden Mei's chaotic thoughts.

"It was an inside job." Jing Ye's voice, like a thousand-pound hammer, exploded in the almost suffocatingly quiet room, striking Raiden Mei's heart with devastation. Every word made her heart tremble, as if shattering the last vestige of hope within her.

"At that time, I wasn't focused on Himeko and your mother." Jingye's words remained calm and even, his tone completely flat, yet to Raiden Mei, they struck like a thunderbolt.

Upon hearing this, Raiden Mei seemed to be nailed to the ground, unable to move. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief, a deep confusion lingering in them, as if she were struggling to process this sudden, astonishing news.

She stared blankly at Jing Ye, her lips trembling slightly uncontrollably. Something seemed to be choking her throat; she had a thousand words she wanted to say, but they were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

"How could this be... How could this be..." Raiden Mei murmured.

After hearing Jingye explain the situation firsthand, Raiden Mei understood why her mother and teacher Himeko were still so badly injured even with Jingye's powerful presence watching.

Although Jingye didn't elaborate further on the details, after a brief moment of shock, Raiden Mei, relying on her intelligence and recollection of past experiences, had already pieced together the general outline of the events in her mind.

"It must have been when Jingye manipulated me to unleash those two strikes," Raiden Mei thought to herself, her previously panicked eyes seeming to have uncovered the truth hidden in the shadows.

[Recalling that moment on the battlefield, it now seems almost certain that Jing Ye's immense power flowed into her body, unleashing those two devastating strikes.]

[It was precisely at that time that the insidious traitor, like a lurking wolf, struck down the unsuspecting and defenseless mother and teacher Himeko.]

[Whether the other party knew that Jingye would have such an opening to attack, or whether it was just a coincidence that prevented Jingye from being distracted to take care of her mother and teacher Himeko, remains unknown.]

However, Raiden Mei's many feelings for Keiya made her believe that it must have been a coincidence.

Otherwise, how could Jing Ye possibly sit idly by...?

Thinking of this, Raiden Mei unconsciously clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Damn it!" Raiden Mei bit her lower lip so hard that a deep, bloody gash appeared, and the taste of blood filled her mouth.

[It's all because she was too weak. She got completely pierced by the enemy on the battlefield. Otherwise, why would Jingye be distracted by saving her, and why would he neglect to take care of his mother and teacher Himeko here?!]

As long as Jing Ye is around, no matter how cunning those traitors are, they will never succeed!

[Raiden Mei knew in her heart that Jing Ye was no ordinary person; he must possess extraordinary power. However, she had never witnessed it firsthand, leaving a lingering doubt in her heart. Until that hellish battlefield battle, the blood and smoke completely rewrote her understanding of Jing Ye.]

After learning about Jingye's two strikes on the battlefield, Raiden Mei deeply understood that with Jingye in charge, no danger could get even a hair's breadth from her mother and teacher Himeko, and they deserved to be properly and thoroughly protected and kept safe.

However, reality was incredibly cruel, like a heavy hammer blow striking Raiden Mei's heart.

At this moment, Mother and Teacher Himeko lay severely injured on their beds, their faces ashen, their breaths as faint as candles flickering in the wind, as if they might be extinguished at any moment.

[Raiden Mei stood by the bed, her eyes filled with self-blame and regret. Tears welled in her eyes, but she clenched her teeth, stubbornly refusing to let them fall, as if letting them slip would represent her weakness and helplessness.]

"It's all my fault! I'm so useless!" Raiden Mei screamed in her heart, the sound echoing in her chest, making her internal organs ache.

[If she hadn't been stabbed in the body by a traitor on the battlefield, if she hadn't been in such a desperate situation, hanging by a thread, forcing Jing Ye to divert his attention to save her.]

[It must be that Jingye was so focused on pulling her back from the brink of death that he was completely absorbed and had no time to pay attention to his mother and Teacher Himeko.]

This very fact provided the despicable mole, lurking in the shadows and waiting for his chance, with an excellent opportunity to strike.

Raiden Mei bit her lower lip tightly, until it was a bloody mess, the bloodstains becoming increasingly noticeable. Fresh blood slowly trickled down the corner of her mouth, dripping onto her clothes, forming glaring blood flowers, as if a cruel mockery of her.

"If I were stronger, if I weren't so easily wounded on the battlefield, Jing Ye wouldn't have been distracted by saving me. As long as Jing Ye wholeheartedly protects me, no matter how cunning and treacherous those traitors are, they will never succeed!"

Her hands trembled violently from the excessive force, her nails digging deep into her palms, leaving deep, bloody marks, yet she felt no pain, her heart filled only with self-blame and remorse.

At this moment, Raiden Mei was filled with self-reproach. She was acutely aware that if it weren't for her mistake, her mother and teacher Himeko wouldn't have suffered so much and been in such a life-or-death situation.

[In Raiden Mei's heart, the many complex emotions she felt towards Jingye—anger, confusion, and gratitude—were intertwined and tangled like tangled threads, instantly swept away by a sudden and incredibly powerful storm.]

[Anger and incomprehension gradually lost their power in the face of the overwhelming, surging waves of self-blame, retreating helplessly into the background. In their place came a tidal wave of self-hatred that threatened to engulf her.]

"How utterly useless I am!" she screamed desperately in her heart, her voice filled with despair, on the verge of collapse.

The mistakes she made on the battlefield flashed through her mind like a movie. Her carelessness at crucial moments allowed the enemy to exploit her weaknesses, plunging her into a desperate situation and forcing Jing Ye to divert his attention to rescue her.

[And it was this momentary distraction that left her mother and teacher Himeko unattended and in grave danger. Each and every incident, like sharp thorns, pierced deep into her heart, bringing excruciating pain with every recollection.]

Her hands gripped her hair uncontrollably, as if trying to release her pain in this way. Her body trembled incessantly, like a leaf falling in the autumn wind.

Tears could no longer be held back; like a flood bursting its banks, they gushed forth, streaming freely down her tear-streaked face, dripping onto the ground and leaving puddle marks.

The turmoil in her heart was like a tangled mess of yarn, impossible to unravel no matter how hard she tried. It threatened to engulf her completely, pushing her to the brink of a mental breakdown.

However, just as Raiden Mei was completely immersed in this abyss of pain and unable to extricate herself, she did not notice that Jingye was quietly standing not far away, silently watching her.

Jingye's eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless pool, its surface calm and still, yet its depths remained fixed on Raiden Mei's painful struggle.

After a long while, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a faint, yet rather satisfied, feeling.

Her expression seemed to silently convey that all of this was within his meticulous calculations and expectations, and that Raiden Mei's current state of pain and self-blame was exactly what he had hoped to see.

[But the reason behind this remains unknown. Jing Ye remains an enigma, shrouded in thick fog, making it difficult for Raiden Mei to discern his true intentions.]

[Jing Ye meticulously arranged for Raiden Mei to experience two breakdowns, allowing the sword to undergo a transformation under the effect of "Sword Spirit," finally giving him the ability to take control of Raiden Mei.]

In reality, Jingye had a complete grasp of the ins and outs of this series of events, as if he held a clear and detailed map in his hand. Recalling that breathtaking scene on the battlefield, Raiden Mei was unfortunately pierced by an enemy's blade during the fierce battle.

At that moment, her life force teetered on the brink of extinction. In that critical instant, as Raiden Mei's life hung in the balance, he used the effect of the "Spirit Blade" ability to establish a connection with her.

Under the effect of "Sword Spirit," Raiden Mei's consciousness, which had been gradually dissipating due to her severe injuries, was re-formed, and her body was no longer under her own control, but rather manipulated by Jingye in an exquisitely skillful manner.

[Jing Ye takes over Raiden Mei's body and unleashes two devastating strikes that turn the tide of battle.]

Those treacherous, sneaky traitors who had been plotting against Lightning Sprout amidst the chaos were immediately the first to feel the terrifying pressure emanating from this power.