Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

Those experiences that were once thought to be hardships now appear to be the path of growth that Jing Ye meticulously paved for her and the longsword.

[When the people of Izumo saw Raiden Mei's sword fall into Keiya's hands, gasps rose and fell among them. Uneasy whispers slithered through the crowd like venomous snakes, filled with fear and confusion.]

Everyone knows that the man named Jing Ye hasn't even touched the hilt of a sword in the past ten years.

No matter how rampant the demons are, or how urgent the war is, for a man of Izumo, this is undoubtedly the most shameful and contemptible thing.

[Now, this sword, which once accompanied Raiden Mei in slaying demons and fighting bloody battles, has inexplicably left its master and fallen into his hands?]

Memories of the past, like reopened wounds, slowly resurface. In the past, Jingye was always like a wandering shadow, lingering around Raiden Mei, seeking her martial arts lessons, yet he never learned a single move.

The people of Izumo once placed all their hopes on Raiden Mei; she was a war goddess on the battlefield and a beacon protecting their homeland.

It was as if as long as the sword was in her hand, the Izumo Kingdom would never fall.

But now, this knife, which carries so many hopes, has so easily fallen into Jing Ye's hands.

[And Jing Ye, that guy who usually stays on the fringes of everyone's attention and is considered useless, how did he manage to take this knife?]

While many of the people of Izumo were filled with anxiety and fear, Raiden Mei felt somewhat relieved by Keiya's appearance.

The moment Jingye appeared, it was as if a ray of dawn pierced through the dense dark clouds, dispelling the gloom that lingered in Raiden Mei's heart.

[For days she had been fighting demons without sleep or rest, every muscle in her body aching terribly. Watching the cities of Izumo teeter on the brink of collapse amidst the flames of war, and the people displaced, despair gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.]

[And that resolve to die, which had long been ingrained in his heart, quietly changed at this moment.]

Her slightly straightened back relaxed a little, and her taut nerves were no longer as likely as before to snap under the strain.

She knew Jing Ye's unfathomable strength. Perhaps this time, he could truly be the key to turning the tide of the battle and bringing a chance to this doomed defeat.

This realization brought her a moment of peace, like a ship adrift in a stormy sea finally finding a tranquil haven after weathering the storm.

However, this hard-won stability is like the dew on the tip of a blade of grass in the morning—beautiful yet fragile, fleeting in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, a wave of unease washed over her once more.

Jing Ye's appearance was too sudden. She couldn't help but repeatedly ask herself why he had remained aloof from this battle that concerned the life and death of the Izumo Kingdom.

[Should we allow demons to run rampant, the people to suffer, and war to spread?]

Why, then, do they appear at this crucial moment, when the outcome of the battle is almost decided?

More importantly, once he obtains the longsword, will he truly fight with all his might to protect Izumo Province, as everyone hopes?

Countless questions, like black crows circling in my mind, cackled incessantly and wouldn't go away.

She recalled Jing Ye's unpredictable behavior, sometimes mysterious and unpredictable, sometimes cold and aloof. These memories intensified her unease, like a raging fire that burned ever brighter.

Raiden Mei gazed at Jing Ye's figure, wielding a long sword, not far away. With Jing Ye's unfathomable strength, his arrival should have been the hope to turn the tide of the battle.

She should have been eagerly anticipating Jing Ye's display of skill, wielding his sword to slay demons and save the Izumo Kingdom from its dire straits.

But at this moment, an indescribable unease clung tightly to her heart like vines, and a chill slowly crept up her spine to the back of her neck, making her tremble slightly.

Watching Jingye casually toy with the longsword that once belonged to him and had gone through countless life-and-death battles alongside her, the cold glint of the blade reflecting on his lips, that familiar yet strange sense of detachment intensified Raiden Mei's unease.

On the battlefield, a deathly silence, where demons no longer howled, lingered, weaving into an eerie melody in the air.

She told herself countless times that Jing Ye was strong enough to turn the tide; with him there, there might still be a chance for this war to turn around.

However, Raiden Mei felt uneasy, sensing that Jingye's appearance was about to bring an even greater disaster for her.

Chapter 129 All the Insect Princesses are Dead!

Another voice kept reminding her that every appearance of Jing Ye was accompanied by the unknown and uncertainties; would his arrival bring even greater disaster?

In the impending storm, will she lose what she cherishes most—her life, her beliefs, or the future of Izumo?

In an instant, a chilling aura swept across the battlefield before the flash of blades. Like the opening of the gates to the underworld, the cold air tore through the thick smoke of battle.

A chilling arc of light streaked across the dark, oppressive sky. Unlike the brilliance of stars, this arc carried an aura of death, instantly casting an eerie crimson glow over the flames raging on the battlefield where it passed.

[A long sword unlike any seen before was in Jing Ye's hand, its blade gleaming with a cold, subtle, and sinister light.]

Each flash of light carried a chilling aura, as if capable of freezing one's soul.

[When Raiden Mei's gaze fell upon the blade, a chilling cold suddenly spread from her line of sight to the depths of her heart, making her temples throb. Images uncontrollably exploded in her mind.]

She saw herself and her mother being forced back by Jingye's iaido sword, and saw her teacher, Himeko, being forced to kneel in a sorry state by Jingye's swordplay.

[Seeing Fulibas being slammed hard into the shoulder by Jing Ye with the back of a knife, his entire body pressed into the mud, his dignity completely lost]

The moments when she was humiliated by Jing Ye's Iaijutsu surged back like a tidal wave. The chill emanating from the new sword seemed to be a key to unlocking painful memories, revealing the past she least wanted to face.

The flashing frequency of the aura on the hilt of the sword was strangely synchronized with Raiden Mei's rapid heartbeat, as if it were a call from the underworld. The humiliation and resentment she felt became increasingly clear with the eerie light emanating from the blade.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze like a ghostly arrow piercing through layers of mist, fixed directly on Raiden Mei.

In that instant, the entire battlefield seemed to freeze, falling into a deathly silence.

The previously deafening sounds of battle, the roars of demons, and the crackling of flames vanished without a trace, as if all things in the world trembled in fear of this power emanating from the underworld.

Raiden Mei held her breath, watching as the forces that had once fought alongside her were merging into her new sword in an almost unbelievable way.

The dark red blood-red veins on the surface of the new knife intertwined and coiled, outlining a breathtaking scene on the blade.

The blade was adorned with exquisite patterns, and the blood caused the buds of the spider lily to bloom on its surface. The petals were an eerie crimson, while the stamens emitted a chilling silver light.

Raiden Mei stood rooted to the spot, her heart churning with indescribable complex emotions.

This suddenly appearing new sword not only fits her perfectly, but also inherits the power of the old sword.

The new sword, inheriting the power of the old one, flew towards Raiden Mei like a streak of light. Where the blade passed, the air emitted a sharp, explosive sound, a shriek of approval for the arrival of this divine weapon.

[Raiden Mei instinctively reached out, and the moment her fingertips touched the hilt of the sword, a surge of immense power rushed into her body like a raging tide.]

A feeling that is both familiar and strange, as if a dormant bloodline has been instantly awakened.

The eerie light emanating from the spider lily bud on the hilt of the sword traveled along her arm, resonating with every meridian in her body.

She could clearly sense that the power flowing within the blade was not only the weapon's sharpness, but also mixed with the lingering resentment of her mother, Himeko, and Furibas. Those humiliating memories transformed into scalding blood, surging endlessly between the blade and her.

This power resonated perfectly with her, after all, the knife was originally a part of her body.

She took a deep breath, and the longsword traced a graceful arc in her hand. Where the blade passed, space distorted and shattered like a mirror, and a dense aura of sword energy spread out as if it were a tangible substance.

Before the distant demon army could even roar, it was torn apart by this terrifying blade energy. The giant demonic wolf was cleaved in two at the waist, its body exploding into a bloody mist and turning into a pile of minced meat in mid-air.

The piercing screams rose and fell, yet they seemed so weak under the oppressive force of the sword energy.

In an instant, corpses fell like rain, and blood stained the earth crimson. The originally scorched earth was soaked through with thick blood, forming pools of foul-smelling blood.

[Splattered drops of blood landed on Raiden Mei's pale face, mingling with the sweat on her forehead, and dripping down her chin.]

However, seeing the demons still surging in like a tide, Raiden Mei felt no joy whatsoever.

On the horizon, countless dark shadows drew ever closer, their roars so intense they made our eardrums ache.

The power of this sword was indeed beyond imagination, and it was easy to use. However, when faced with endless demons, she felt an unprecedented despair.

No matter how many she killed, the number of demons seemed never to decrease; instead, they surged forward with increasing frenzy, their scarlet eyes burning with a destructive desire, as if they wanted to devour her and the land along with her.

She slowly turned her head, gazing at Jing Ye, who remained unmoved not far away.

Why was he so composed?

[Raiden Mei no longer intended to inquire about the origin of this knife, since she couldn't fathom Jingye's intentions and plans; she would simply accept the knife he had given her.]

But in this doomed battle, can this knife truly be the key to turning the tide?

Raiden Mei now deeply understands that the three previous breakdowns and humiliations were undoubtedly key turning points that spurred her transformation.

Each time he suffered a major blow, his body and mind were torn apart by pain, but he also achieved breakthrough after breakthrough.

Gazing at the unopened spider lily bud atop the longsword in her hand, she was filled with confusion and fear. What heavy price would she have to pay for this fourth transformation, for the bud to fully bloom?

The spider lily bud on the longsword in his hand trembled slightly, its eerie light flickering erratically, like a will-o'-the-wisp lurking in the darkness, as if urgently and silently urging something.

She slowly lowered her eyes, staring intently at the blade. Those unbearable memories of the past surged uncontrollably through her mind like wild horses.

She seemed to see that nightmarish scene again: her mother's frail body was mercilessly pressed against Jing Ye's long sword; her mother's eyes were filled with despair and helplessness, those eyes like sharp blades stabbing cruelly into her heart.

[The once dashing and heroic teacher Himeko was now kneeling on one knee in a disheveled state, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. The crimson blood dripped into the dust, staining a dark patch—a symbol of her shattered dignity and pride.]

[And then there's Furibas, brutally forced into the muddy ground, his body struggling in the mire, covered in splattered mud, while she could only watch helplessly, filled with anger and resentment, yet powerless to lend a hand. That deep sense of defeat and humiliation, like a bone-deep ailment, still gnaws at her heart to this day.]

These three humiliations, while burning her, also tempered her like refined steel, pushing her to break through her own limits time and time again.

Now, standing at this crossroads of fate, facing her impending fourth transformation, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, her heart filled with dread.

"What else do we have to pay?" Her voice, amidst the cacophony of shouts and screams on the battlefield, sounded so small and weak, as if it might be swallowed up by the cruel torrent of war at any moment.

In the distance, demons, baring their fangs and roaring, surged forward like a tidal wave. Their sharp fangs gleamed with a bloodthirsty light in the firelight, and the earth trembled wherever their massive bodies passed.

[Should you abandon your last shred of dignity and sink completely into the mire?]

Or perhaps, she will be ruthlessly stripped of her soul, reduced to a mindless, murderous puppet in Jing Ye's hands, losing all self and will?

[Or... what Raiden Mei least dared to imagine was exchanging the lives of her closest loved ones?]

Jing Ye's calm gaze still made it difficult to predict his next move.

[Mei Raiden's mind was as clear as a mirror. Having undergone three near-death experiences of humiliation and collapse, her inner threshold was already higher than that of ordinary people.]

Those scenes from the past that once caused her unbearable pain are etched deep into her soul like a brand. They are still unforgettable when she recalls them now, but they are no longer enough to cause her to break down again.

That deep sense of defeat and humiliation, like a persistent festering sore, still gnaws at her heart to this day.

But now, even though these memories still pierce her heart, they can no longer so easily shatter her will as they once did.

[Through countless nights of licking her wounds alone, and countless painful struggles with herself, she had forged a resilient armor within her heart.]

[The humiliating methods Jing Ye had previously employed, in Raiden Mei's eyes at this moment, whether it was the heart-wrenching pain of witnessing her loved ones suffer before her eyes, or the humiliation of having her dignity ruthlessly trampled upon, she had endured them all with unwavering willpower.]

Each bout of pain was like a raging fire forging a blade, allowing her to be reborn from the ashes and undergo transformation after transformation.

Now, if Jing Ye were to attempt to use similar methods to plunge her back into the abyss of collapse in order to achieve that so-called breakthrough, it would be impossible.

However, this clear understanding of the situation did not bring Raiden Mei any sense of security. She knew better than anyone that Jing Ye would not give up until he achieved his goal.

Since the old methods of humiliation have become ineffective, given his methods, he will inevitably be secretly brewing even more terrifying and unpredictable conspiracies and schemes.

Raiden Mei's gaze suddenly turned to the back of the battlefield, a sudden jolt of unease washing over her as her anxiety intensified.

[The relatively peaceful area behind the battlefield, untouched by demons, appeared even more sinister and terrifying under the blood-red sky stained by the flames of war; it was none other than the stronghold where their loved ones had fought so hard to hold out.]

【"No..." Raiden Mei's voice was as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible claw. Each syllable was accompanied by a painful sob, which eventually dissipated into broken whimpers and drifted away in the wind.】

The most terrifying image uncontrollably flashed through her mind: Jing Ye wielding a sharp blade, slaughtering indiscriminately in the stronghold.

[Her mother, Himeko, and Furibas lay in pools of blood, their desperate and disbelieving eyes like sharp steel needles piercing her heart.]

"Could it be that they... have already been killed by Jing Ye?"

Once the thought arose, it lingered like a bone-deep infection, and her breathing became rapid and erratic, her vision blurring in waves.

She stared intently in that direction, her body leaning slightly forward as if she could see clearly the safety of her loved ones if she got just a little closer.

Jingye stood silently, his mocking gaze piercing through the thick smoke and landing directly on Raiden Mei.

Her gaze held a condescending mockery, as if silently declaring that everything was under her control, even confirming the very thing she dared not and did not want to believe.

[Raiden Mei felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze, her hands trembled uncontrollably, and the long sword almost slipped from her grasp.]

Jingye's silence was more intimidating than any words. Raiden Mei felt as if she were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and a suffocating feeling overwhelmed her.

She desperately hoped this was just a nightmare, that she could see her loved ones appear safe and sound the next second. But the churning black mist and Jing Ye's mocking gaze relentlessly reminded her that reality might be far more cruel than she imagined.

A chill crept up Raiden Mei's ankles, as if countless cold hands were groping her spine.

Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, making a soft, clattering sound that mingled with the distant howls of demons, creating a desperate lament on this bloody battlefield.

The sob that escaped her throat was torn apart by the howling wind. Raiden Mei bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her trembling. The taste of blood spread on her tongue.

Jing Ye's gaze was like a poisoned dagger; every second he stared at her left invisible wounds on her skin, tearing open memories soaked in blood.

She once thought that after experiencing the darkest moments—her mother being humiliated before her eyes, Himeko-sensei being seriously injured, and Furibas being broken—her heart would be like charred embers burned by a raging fire, incapable of any further ripples.

These memories were buried deep within her heart, sealed away by layers of shackles called "strength." She thought she had forged a heart of steel in the nights she spent licking her wounds alone, but she never expected that a single glance from Jing Ye could shatter all her pretense.

But now, looking at that unmoving figure in the distance, as steadfast as a demon, she realized she had been deceiving herself.

Jing Ye raised his hand and caught a falling blood-red petal; with a gentle flick of his fingertips, the petal turned to dust.

This casual movement caused Raiden Mei's pupils to shrink sharply. She seemed to see the afterimage of Jing Ye wielding his sword, each blade striking precisely the most vulnerable points of her loved ones.