Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

Despite enduring countless hardships, being physically and mentally exhausted, and suffering immense inner turmoil, the glimmer of hope she received from Jing Ye was like the only faint candlelight flickering in an endless abyss of darkness. Though small, it tenaciously sustained her, giving her the courage to persevere in her desperate situation.

But at this moment, Jing Ye's cold, piercing, and merciless words were like a sudden storm, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope, like a candle flickering in the wind, with overwhelming force, leaving no trace.

In Jing Ye's eyes, she saw only deep indifference and undisguised mockery. His gaze seemed to tell her that all the pain she had endured was nothing more than a farce he had casually manipulated.

The fervent yearning for power and the unwavering belief in protecting loved ones—at this moment, all crumbled like a fragile sandcastle, vanishing into nothingness under Jing Ye's dagger-like mockery.

She felt as if she had fallen into a bottomless, endless black hole, surrounded by darkness, without a single ray of light, unable to find any direction, and unable to see even a glimmer of hope to guide her out of her predicament. Only endless darkness and despair enveloped her.

She set aside all her pride and humbly begged Jing Ye for help. Even though she suffered many unbearable humiliations in the process, a glimmer of light still shone in her heart, stubbornly believing that Jing Ye might, out of consideration for her sincerity, help her realize the dream she was protecting.

[Throughout their daily interactions, I found myself developing a subtle, complex, and almost imperceptible fondness for this powerful and awe-inspiring man.]

But at this moment, this fragile illusion, like a bubble, was mercilessly shattered by Jing Ye's brutal actions, breaking into countless pieces that scattered across her wounded heart.

"How could I be so stupid..." Raiden Mei cried out in her heart, her voice echoing in her empty mind. Tears, no longer under control, streamed down her tear-streaked face like a burst dam. "I actually still had hope for him. How utterly foolish."

Her body trembled more violently than before, the trembling no longer stemming from fear, but from a heart filled with anger and regret. She hated her own naiveté, hated herself for trusting Jing Ye so easily, and hated even more her current powerless situation.

Her heart was filled with sorrow, a sorrow that surged like a tidal wave, relentlessly assaulting her last line of defense.

Just as despair gripped her throat like a demon, reaching its peak, her heavy sorrow and near-collapse transformed into a utterly absurd sense of ridiculousness.

Her body trembled slightly, as if she had used all her strength, and she slowly raised her head.

The tear tracks on her face were still clearly visible, shimmering faintly in the dim light, like broken pearls.

Just then, her piercing, bitter laugh added another layer of frost and desolation to the already bleak atmosphere, filled with self-mockery.

"How could I have been so stupid? To actually believe him, to believe the devilish Jing Ye. I was so naive to think..."

Every word seemed to be squeezed out with difficulty from the depths of her battered and broken soul, carrying endless regret and deep self-mockery, like sharp knives piercing herself.

Amidst that mournful, tearful laugh, her eyes gradually became unfocused, as if she had transcended the boundaries of time and space, seeing her foolish and ignorant self from the past.

Once, she believed Jing Ye's words without question, like a docile yet naive lamb awaiting slaughter, blindly hoping to find salvation from him, as if grasping at a illusory straw in the darkness.

But now, harsh reality has shattered all her illusions like a hammer blow, and she has finally woken up from her dream to realize how ridiculous she had been.

She laughed at her own gullibility, so easily deceived by Jing Ye's sweet words; she laughed at her own naivety, actually believing that a demon could have a merciful heart.

[I laugh at myself for being so powerless and insignificant in the face of this cruel reality, like a leaf in a storm, left to be tossed about by the whirlwind of fate.]

Deep within Raiden Mei's consciousness, a series of images of her and Keiyasu together flashed before her eyes at an astonishing speed, like a revolving lantern.

Every time she spoke with Jing Ye, the profound insights he inadvertently revealed, or his unique analysis of the principles of martial arts, flowed gently into her heart like a clear spring, causing her affection for this man to grow wildly and imperceptibly, like spring grass.

At that moment, her gaze towards Jing Ye unconsciously held a hint of admiration.

But the wheels of time keep turning relentlessly, and the scene abruptly shifts to a dark corner.

Those were scenes of betrayal, each one like a gleaming, sharp blade, carried by a fierce wind, piercing her passionate and innocent heart.

She clearly saw herself, eyes red, angrily questioning Jing Ye. Her voice trembled with extreme pain and resentment, each word seeming to be squeezed from her shattered chest.

Jing Ye, however, remained as cold as ice. His indifferent gaze was like the most frigid frost in the cold night, devoid of any warmth, piercing straight through her body, making her heart grow even colder, the chill spreading from the depths of her soul throughout her entire being.

The river of memory did not cease flowing because of this excruciating pain; the scene shifts again.

[A perilous and desperate situation, surrounded by enemies on all sides, with the shadow of death looming like a dark cloud.]

Just when she was about to despair, Jing Ye saved her again.

A complex mix of emotions welled up within her. There was the most instinctive gratitude for being saved, but beneath that gratitude lay a deep confusion and inner conflict. She gazed at Jing Ye's cold, stern face, her mind filled with bewilderment. Why would this man, who had repeatedly pushed her to the brink of despair, extend a helping hand at her moment of life and death?

This contradiction, like a tangled mess, tightly bound her heart, causing her to struggle in pain and confusion.

But at this moment, all those once complex and intertwined emotions, those dreamlike and beautiful expectations, shattered instantly like colorful yet incredibly fragile bubbles in Jing Ye's icy, soul-freezing laugh, turning into countless tiny fragments that vanished into nothingness.

She stared intently at Jing Ye's mocking face in her mind, trying to find a trace of familiarity, but ultimately found nothing.

She wanted to cry again, to let the torrent of tears wash away the pain in her heart, but she was shocked to find that her eyes were already dry, as if all the moisture in her body had evaporated in this endless despair, and she could not squeeze out even a single tear.

Her heart was like a desolate wasteland ravaged by war, empty and lifeless, bearing all the pain and despair alone in this endless darkness, as if forgotten by the entire world.

As Raiden Mei let out that shrill, self-mocking laugh, Himeko, her mother, and Furibas beside her were stunned into silence by this sudden turn of events, their eyes filled with bewilderment and disbelief.

[Tears instantly welled up in Himeko's eyes. Looking at Raiden Mei's broken state, she felt as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart, causing her excruciating pain.]

[The once confident girl is now trapped in such despair, filling Himeko with immense self-reproach; she hates herself for not being able to protect her.]

[Raiden Mei's mother, her body trembling slightly, slowly approached her daughter. Her eyes held a complex mix of heartache, sorrow, and regret—the despair of a mother witnessing her child's immense suffering and being powerless to help.]

She wanted to reach out and hug her daughter, to give her some final warmth and comfort, but her arms felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn't lift them no matter what she did; she could only let the tears stream down her face.

[Furibas bit his lower lip, his eyes red-rimmed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He was filled with rage, hating Jingye's actions with a vengeance, yet also heartbroken for Raiden Mei's plight.]

Seeing her so heartbroken and despondent, Fulibas felt a surge of heartache, wave after wave, threatening to overwhelm her.

[Amidst this tense atmosphere, Raiden Mei's body underwent a bizarre and unexpected change.]

Her once silky black hair, as if manipulated by an invisible magic hand, rapidly turned white before her very eyes.

[Like the dead of winter, a fierce wind whips up a blizzard, pouring down without warning and spreading rapidly from the roots of one's hair.]

In just a few moments, half of her hair had turned a lifeless, pale white. In the dim, yellowish light, as if it might be extinguished at any moment, each strand of white hair exuded an aura of utter desolation, as if time had mercilessly slipped away from her in an instant.

At the same time, her eyes, once so bright and sparkling like stars, were subtly transforming. The light faded rapidly, replaced by a dark red, like thick, fresh blood.

The dark red color, like hellfire burning to its fullest extent, leaped and churned, radiating a chilling and terrifying light.

Gazing into those eyes, one could almost see the mountain of pain accumulating deep within her heart, and the rage surging like magma, silently yet powerfully unleashed upon the world through those eyes.

What's even more awe-inspiring is that the sword marks left by past battles on her body, as well as the ever-present patterns on the blade, are also undergoing astonishing changes.

The original colors, like faded old paintings, quickly disappeared. Deep red and deep blue, like two ancient and powerful mysterious forces, forcefully invaded, each occupying half the territory, intertwining and entwining.

The deep red color resembles blood that has dried up and congealed on the earth for a long time; every line of the vein exudes tragedy and solemnity, telling the story of the cruelty of past battles.

The deep blue color resembles an endless, profound night sky, so deep that its bottom is unfathomable, concealing countless mysteries and unknowns.

The two contrasting colors clashed and merged on her, making Raiden Mei appear chilling and completely different from her previous vibrant and hopeful self. She seemed to come from two entirely different worlds, almost unrecognizable.

The air around them seemed to freeze with grief, as Raiden Mei's family and friends were immersed in unspeakable sorrow.

Amidst this bleak and desolate atmosphere, Jing Ye's lips curled up slightly, a smile carrying a hint of satisfaction.

Jingye's gaze was fixed on Raiden Mei, as if the Raiden Mei before him was a perfect work of art that he had carefully planned and finally completed, and was now for him to admire at will.

Amidst the grief of the crowd and Jingye's watchful gaze, Raiden Mei's movements were slow yet resolute.

Her slender fingers slowly extended, as if traversing endless darkness and pain, finally grasping the knife that had been with her for so long.

Once, she was a gentle and kind young woman, shining like a star in everyone's eyes. Her smile was like the warmest sunshine in spring; wherever it went, gloom would be instantly dispelled, and even the coldest heart would gradually melt in her smile.

But now, the cruel hand of fate has completely changed her. Her face is as cold as frost that has never melted, devoid of any warmth.

Her eyes were like deep, unfathomable pools of ice, so deep that one could not see the end. She stared blankly ahead, her gaze seemingly piercing through reality, looking towards a distant, unknown place. She exuded a chilling aura that kept people at a distance, making them hesitant to approach.

Jing Ye watched all of this quietly.

He knew perfectly well that beneath Raiden Mei's seemingly calm and composed exterior, the surging emotions within her were like a raging tsunami, churning wildly deep within her, wave after wave, seemingly threatening to completely devour her soul.

However, it was precisely because of the despair and pain they had experienced that the surging emotions, after being constantly impacted, eventually settled into a deathly calm, no longer able to stir up any waves.

This profound shift in her mindset was like a silent storm, reshaping her soul with an imperceptible yet incredibly powerful force.

This change also profoundly affected the knife in her hand.

Chapter 124 Several People Surrounded

Himeko, the teacher who has always accompanied Raiden Mei's growth with a blend of strictness and kindness, now has a look of fear and unfamiliarity in her eyes, like a heavy haze that permeates the air.

[Raiden Mei now felt deeply unfamiliar to Himeko, and she instinctively shivered; the icy aura emanating from Raiden Mei chilled her to the bone.]

However, beneath this bone-chilling cold, Himeko, drawing upon her years of understanding of her students, keenly sensed a power she had never perceived before.

Himeko was filled with worry. She knew this power might be Raiden Mei's transformation after countless hardships, but she also feared that this power would completely devour her, leaving her lost in darkness.

[Furibas, Raiden Mei's closest female friend, fixed his gaze on Raiden Mei, his eyes filled with worry.]

[Furibas was deeply shocked. Raiden Mei's cold face was like ice that had never melted for a thousand years; the joys and sorrows of the world seemed unable to stir even a ripple on her expression.]

Furibas felt as if she were facing a complete stranger; her once inseparable friend seemed to have vanished.

But she also knew that all these changes stemmed from those painful experiences. The powerful yet unfamiliar Raiden Mei before her left her bewildered, unsure how to help her find herself again.

[Raiden Mei's mother was already sobbing uncontrollably. The daughter who had once filled her with such pride and joy now seemed like a complete stranger.]

The once gentle and virtuous gaze now held no tenderness, only endless coldness. The mother slowly reached out, wanting to touch her daughter, but stopped mid-air. She sensed the powerful force emanating from her daughter, a force that even frightened her.

Jing Ye's smile grew even more blatant as he gazed at the sword in Raiden Mei's hand, its patterns shimmering with an unusual luster.

The fruits of his painstaking planning have finally reached a crucial juncture—Raiden Mei's sword has undergone its third transformation.

[On the blade, dark red and deep blue intertwine to form clusters of vibrant red flower buds, their delicate patterns outlining the petals, like life preserved in ice and snow, quietly dormant on the blade's surface. These buds, though unopened, exude a power poised to burst forth, as if awaiting a special moment to unleash their astonishing brilliance. And the catalyst for this blossoming will be Raiden Mei's fourth breakdown.]

At this moment, these bud-like patterns trembled slightly, as if sensing something, but they did not fully reveal the true power of the Blade Spirit. Only when Raiden Mei is once again pushed into the abyss of despair, experiencing that fourth breakdown that would destroy her mind, will these buds fully bloom, releasing the powerful force hidden within.

Although this third transformation has not allowed the power of the sword spirit to fully bloom, it is enough to endow it with unique abilities.

A faint, ethereal light swirled around the blade, like fine threads connecting it to the surrounding space. When Raiden Mei stood holding the sword, the flower-bud-like patterns emitted a subtle glow.

[The sword could potentially transfer its power to another sword at any time. However, this transfer has not yet been triggered; the blade remains quietly dormant in Raiden Mei's hand, waiting for the opportune moment to complete this migration of power.]

Meanwhile, Jingye had already secretly prepared forging materials, waiting only to forge a custom sword for Raiden Mei.

That sword will become the sharp scythe that Raiden Mei uses to tear apart the world's order.

The air seemed shrouded in an invisible frost, filled with a suffocating stillness. Raiden Mei stood alone in the darkness, her long, slender fingers, with their distinct knuckles, slowly, inch by inch, tracing the blade as if exploring an unknown, mysterious world.

The flower bud patterns, interwoven with dark red and deep blue, on the blade seemed to come alive as her fingertips gently brushed against them, warming slightly as if engaging in a silent dialogue with her.

Her eyes were lowered, her gaze fixed firmly on the blade. The faint light emanating from the sword was clearly reflected in her cold, unfathomable eyes, like a will-o'-the-wisp flickering in the cold night, carrying an eerie quality.

However, when her gaze swept over her half-gray hair, her eyes remained eerily calm, as if those strands of hair, suddenly turned white like frost, were not growing on her own head, but rather an ornament casually worn by someone else, having nothing to do with her.

[After a long while, Raiden Mei slowly raised her eyes, her gaze meeting Jing Ye's admiring smile, hidden in the shadows yet crystal clear.]

In her blood-red pupils, Jing Ye's figure was stretched infinitely, becoming distorted and elongated, much like the fragmented memories deep within her mind, relentlessly crushed and torn apart by pain and betrayal. Each fragment was like a sharp knife, piercing her heart.

She silently turned the blade, her eyes fixed on the patterns on the flower bud, which flickered in and out of focus in the dim light.

"Satisfied?" Raiden Mei finally spoke, her voice seemingly piercing through layers of ice, devoid of any warmth; each word was like a frozen frost, chilling to the bone.

Before she could finish speaking, she swiftly sliced ​​the blade across her palm, and crimson blood instantly welled up, dripping like broken beads onto the patterns on the flower bud. The moment the blood touched the patterns, it vanished without a trace, as if absorbed by a dried sponge.

Immediately afterwards, the seemingly still patterns that had been lying dormant on the surface of the blade seemed to be infused with a powerful life force, suddenly writhing wildly like a living thing.

[In a flash of light, translucent flower bud-like images slowly bloomed on the surface of the blade, as if these buds were swaying gently in the wind.]

[Raiden Mei stood like a statue forged from ice, her gaze like two sharp, cold beams, fixed intently on Jing Ye.]

Her aura grew increasingly chilling, sending shivers down her spine wherever she went. Her hand gripping the knife trembled slightly, the blade gleaming coldly in the dim light. That subtle tremor was like a predatory beast gathering its strength, poised to strike at any moment with lightning speed.

Himeko instinctively took a step forward, trying to get closer to Raiden Mei, but it was as if she were stuck in a thick swamp, unable to move.

As a teacher, she knew that Jing Ye's strength was unfathomable, like a towering, terrifying mountain that made it hard to breathe.

Himeko gazed at Raiden Mei's seemingly resolute yet frail back, her lips trembling slightly as she whispered, "Mei, please don't act rashly..." Her voice was as weak as a flickering candle in the autumn wind, yet it was filled with a teacher's deep and urgent worry for her student.

[Furibas's body was taut like a fully drawn bow, ready to unleash a fatal arrow at any moment.]

She bit her lower lip tightly, her teeth almost digging into her soft lips. Looking at her friend's current state, the icy aura emanating from Raiden Mei and her eyes seemingly consumed by hatred, Furibas felt as if a thousand needles were piercing his heart, a mixture of heartache and fear.

She knew better than anyone how intense the hatred in her friend's heart was. But reason, like a sudden blow to the head, kept echoing in her mind.

[Raiden Mei's mother tried to rush forward to pull her daughter away from the dangerous standoff.]

However, Jing Ye's overwhelming pressure, like an invisible net, bound her tightly.

She could only stare at her daughter and Jing Ye with eyes filled with fear and despair, silently praying that the crisis would miraculously subside, her heart filled with dread that she would witness her daughter being mercilessly devoured by Jing Ye's terrifying power at any moment.

However, Himeko's gaze darted back and forth between Raiden Mei and Keiya, sensing the excessively cold aura emanating from Raiden Mei.

"Perhaps..." Her throat tightened, but she swallowed the rest of her words, though a flicker of hope unconsciously ignited in her eyes.

Furibas's nails dug deeply into her palms, the pain only making her more lucid. She gazed at her friend's hair, more than half white, which in the dim light resembled a layer of frost; each silver strand was like a scar, telling the story of the pain and torment Raiden Mei had endured.

The heartache surged like a tidal wave, but when she saw the powerful aura emanating from Raiden Mei, she couldn't help but wonder: had those hardships truly given her the strength to fight against Jing Ye?

The air seemed to instantly lose all its warmth, trapping everyone inside. It felt as if an invisible hand had clenched everyone's heart.

Time seemed to stand still, each passing second an agonizing torment to everyone's nerves.

In the long, deathly silence, Raiden Mei slowly moved. Her arms seemed to bear an immense weight; every movement was stiff and sluggish. The gleaming blade of her sword also slowly lowered.