The Villain Saint is my secondary account

The assassin flipped over and dodged the vicious blow of the solid staff in an instant. He then stood up gracefully, gripped his dagger, and moved nimbly. In a flash, he was close to Ye Xiao, who had abandoned his knife, and thrust his weapon straight into his lower abdomen.

Ye Xiao missed his first attack, bent down and threw the brick instead of a spear, gripping his staff with both hands and thrusting it at the assassin.

The assassin took a half-step to the side and slightly evaded the staff. At the same time, his dagger moved in an arc, hooking towards Ye Xiao's throat, who had his head down.

As if he had anticipated this, Ye Xiao immediately threw away his staff and stepped forward, turning his head to avoid the dagger while revealing the dart he was holding in his mouth.

The assassin immediately realized the problem, but his outstretched arm couldn't be retracted in time. Ye Xiao, who had snuggled into his arms, bit the dart and plunged it hard into his shoulder.

This was only because he twisted his upper body in a moment of panic; otherwise, Ye Xiao's dart would have pierced his chest.

The assassin, in pain, immediately pulled Ye Xiao's arm, which was now wrapped around his inside arm, so close that Ye Xiao, whose hands were empty, could no longer avoid the dagger in his hand.

But the next second Ye Xiao disappeared again, using the staff he had just thrown to move away and create distance between himself and the assassin.

Even knowing that Ye Xiao could teleport using his staff, it was still difficult to take this factor into account every time in close combat, relying on combat experience and muscle reflexes for many actions and judgments.

This opponent, neither a mage nor a swordsman, made the assassin realize for the first time that a battle could be so disgusting.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: A Moment's Difference

"Flame-Flying Technique." Now that his mouth was free, Ye Xiao began chanting the incantation again, and a ball of fire that enveloped the field of vision was directly shot out from the tip of his staff.

The Fire Fan spell is actually a lower-level spell than the Fireball spell. Its less efficient magic concentration makes its range and power far inferior to the Fireball. However, on the narrow roof of the carriage, its vast area made it impossible for the assassin to avoid.

The assassin, covered in smoke from the raging flames, had no choice but to crouch low and dodge to the edge of the carriage. At the same time, he flung a cold glint at Ye Xiao, as he had to stop Ye Xiao from releasing this area-of-effect spell.

"Phase Shift." Ye Xiao pointed directly at a passing sign, which swapped with the dart in the air, forming a wooden shield in front of him.

Hiding behind the thick wooden sign, Ye Xiao peeked out with half his head, raising his staff in one hand and shouting repeatedly, "Fan Fire Technique! Fan Fire Technique!"

The relentless bursts of fire from the wind made it impossible for the assassin, a class specializing in assassination, to get close. His thrown darts were all blocked by the wooden shields. In the narrow terrain on the roof of the carriage, the mage's fighting style was simply unbearable.

Enraged by the burning flames, the assassin had no choice but to pull out a scroll and tear it open. A shield formed from blue spiritual light appeared in front of him, blocking the fan-shaped flames that Ye Xiao kept spewing out.

This precious Shield Scroll could have been used to block some powerful third or fourth-level spells, but now it has to be wasted on defending against a trash first-level spell like Flame Fan.

Enraged, the assassin, now protected by a magical shield, lunged forward with his dagger, ready to charge at Ye Xiao behind the wooden sign. But just then, a new incantation rang out in the wind: "Frost Cloud Technique!"

A sudden white mist blew in, and this round of ice magic didn't do much damage, but it instantly caused a layer of slippery ice to form on the redwood roof of the carport.

"How despicable!" The system politely translated the words the assassin shouted for Ye Xiao.

Seeing his opponent lose his balance, Ye Xiao, carrying the wooden sign, leaped forward and shouted, "Summoning Wind Technique!"

Accompanied by the howling wind around him, Ye Xiao, carrying the large wooden sign protecting him, suddenly crashed into the fallen assassin. Even though the assassin reacted quickly and thrust out a dagger, he could only helplessly pierce a hole in the large wooden sign.

The wind carried Ye Xiao to the wooden sign, which slammed the assassin off the roof of the car. As the two flew out of the rear of the car, there was a crisp "crack" sound, as if something embedded in the wood had been pulled out.

The assassin, propelled into the air by the wooden sign, suddenly noticed the staff embedded in the grille window at the rear of the car and instantly understood Ye Xiao's intention—this guy wanted to knock him off the car and then teleport back!

He immediately raised his hand and shot the sharp point of the steel cable hidden in his sleeve towards the rear of the car, but as soon as he made the move, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

A strong killing intent pierced through from behind the huge wooden sign in front of him. The assassin immediately kicked off the sign and tried to block with his other hand, pulling out the dagger that had just been thrust into him, but it was too late for this series of actions.

In a duel between masters, the difference lies in a single thought; that slight delay can mean the difference between life and death.

A sharp, cold light slashed diagonally from top to bottom. Ye Xiao, gripping the knife with both hands, delivered a powerful diagonal slash that cleaved the assassin and the wooden sign in two.

Crimson blood bloomed in mid-air like lilies, the wooden sign split in two and fell with the wind, Ye Xiao stepped on the assassin's upper body, which had been slashed open, and leaped into the air.

The cloaked, powerless body rolled on the roadside amidst the flying blood droplets and dust, while Ye Xiao, who had won with a single strike, flashed back to the air above the rear of the car.

He drew his staff, the end of which was embedded in the lattice window, performed a graceful backflip, sheathed his sword mid-air, landed elegantly, and then slipped on the roof of the car he had previously iced.

"Grass!"

Ye Xiao lost his balance and leaned back, cursing angrily at the sky. His lower back crashed through the redwood roof, which had become brittle from being heated by fire and frozen, and he fell headfirst into the carriage.

"Wow!" Gladys exclaimed as she looked at Ye Xiao, who suddenly appeared upside down in front of her. "Your entrances are getting more and more unique."

"Ah... my back..." Ye Xiao grimaced. After the intense battle, she had relaxed her body and hadn't bothered to use her energy to protect herself. The fall had left everyone else numb.

"Are you alright? Do you need any help?" Seeing that Ye Xiao seemed to be in real pain, Greta tugged at Ye Xiao's shoulder.

"Holy crap! Don't move! Don't move!" Ye Xiao cried out in pain, "That's enough for now, let's leave it like this..."

The little maid shrugged, sat back down, and stared at Ye Xiao, who was hanging upside down.

The speeding carriage, with the extra half of its body on the roof, rumbled and disappeared around the street corner.

……

A room in the palace.

The blond man sitting at the long table was looking at a crystal ball whose light and shadow shifted.

The dynamic image on the crystal ball clearly showed Ye Xiao's figure flashing and weaving through the streets, killing a group of crossbowmen with severed fingers.

"What is this person's background?"

"An unknown visitor from another world, but it's said he's quite close to the Holy Maiden of Light." The reply to the man came in a very soft, tranquil, and elegant female voice.

A hand wearing a thin glove embroidered with lace gently caresses the top of the crystal ball, and the image inside shifts and zooms in, focusing on the carriage beside it.

The man narrowed his deep blue eyes. "The carriage is luxuriously decorated. Although it doesn't have a family crest, it's definitely a noble carriage... The Holy Maiden of Light is also the eldest daughter of a duke's family. Perhaps she's from the Duke of Heville's mansion?"

“It is the Duke’s carriage, but I don’t think Duke Heville has any reason to get involved.”

"Teacher, what do you think is going on?"

"Perhaps you could ask them directly."

"In that case, should we ask the Holy Maiden? Hmm... to see the Holy Maiden, I'm afraid we'll have to deal with the Holy Temple..."

"No need for that trouble, the Holy Maiden of Light will come here herself."

As soon as he finished speaking, a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." The man's voice instantly became authoritative, completely different from the humility he had shown when speaking to the woman.

A richly dressed servant pushed open the door and looked somewhat apprehensively at the blond man sitting on the sofa. "Your...Your Highness."

In the servant's view, there was only the prince sitting upright in the room, and even on the table there was only a clean white porcelain teacup. There was no trace of the crystal ball or anyone else.

"what's up."

"The Holy... Holy Maiden of Light from the Holy Temple has come to visit."

A flicker of surprise crossed the nobleman's eyes, but his expression remained impassive.

"Why? I don't think I have an obligation to welcome the Holy Maiden when she visits."

The servant swallowed hard, his expression growing increasingly tense. "The second prince... who was detained by the Holy Temple a few days ago... passed away this morning."

The man paused for a moment, then looked puzzled. The sudden death of his brother didn't seem to be a major, heartbreaking event for him, but rather a mystery that puzzled him.

"Well, back off."

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Imperial Palace Council

The Royal Palace of Loren is situated at the mouth of the Valond Cliff Waterfall, and its facade is supported by a golden dome supported by sixteen massive, arched stone pillars.

Beneath the dome stood a magnificent hall, with three-tiered porticoes on either side separated from the main hall by several arched doorways carved from white marble. Noble ministers and ministers, dressed in their finest attire, stood on either side, guarding the towering throne in the center.

The old king, crowned and with graying temples, sat leaning against the throne. His wrinkled face was somewhat languid, and his deep blue eyes were half-open. Only when a graceful figure in a white dress slowly entered through the side archway, escorted by a group of Templar Knights, did his lifeless eyes regain a little light.

All the eyes of the royal nobles were focused on that petite and ethereal figure, not only because of her striking beauty, but also because they were interested in the news she brought.

"Your Majesty, the Chosen of Light, Priestess Ella Hevil of the Loren Sanctuary, and Her Highness the Second Princess have arrived," a servant standing beside the throne announced softly.

The old king did not reply; his seemingly weary gaze was fixed on the white-clad girl at the very front of the hall.

As the chosen one of the Holy Temple, Ella was no longer obligated to bow to the King of Loren, but as the daughter of Duke Havil, she was also considered a subject of Loren, so she still nodded slightly toward the throne, "Ella Havil greets Your Majesty."

"Lilia Betis greets Your Majesty." Lilia, sitting in a wheelchair supported by her maid Winnie, gave a light greeting as well. The butler, Winters, stood by and silently held a parasol for the little princess.

Although sunlight did stream through the towering stone pillars behind her, the fact that she was holding an umbrella in what was essentially a semi-indoor hall likely indicated that Lilia had a special lineage.

"Hmm," the old king responded softly, then fell silent.

In the brief silence, Ella quietly glanced around. On either side closest to the throne were three men dressed in the iconic dark blue royal robes, a tall and dignified blue-eyed girl with waist-length blonde hair, and a petite girl with a baby face that still looked childish. They must be Lilia's three older brothers and one sister.

The surrounding nobles were mostly the king's and the five men's confidants and supporters. Since it was not a public meeting but a private matter involving the royal family, only these few people were present in the spacious hall.

King Loren had eight children in total: five princes and three princesses. However, Princess Lilia, the second princess, was the illegitimate daughter of the king and a vampire, and few people knew of her existence except for the high-ranking nobles who often worked within the palace.

Excluding the second prince who was beheaded, and the fifth prince, whom Ella had never seen before and who was said to have no magical talent whatsoever and was currently indulging in pleasure somewhere in the capital, the rest of them had all arrived.

"It's been a long time, Ella." The first prince, with his neatly combed short hair, broke the silence. As the vice-commander of the Royal Knights, his tall and imposing figure made him stand out among the princes. "You look even more beautiful than when we last met. I hope you are in better spirits."

“It’s been a long time, Your Highness Edgar. Thank you for your blessing,” Ella smiled and returned the greeting with her hands folded in front of her lower abdomen. She did have some memories of these royal nobles in her mind. As the daughter of a duke and a student of the National Noble Academy, she had dealt with many of these royal nobles. “May the great God of Light bless you.”

However, they have had very little contact since the Second Prince broke off the engagement. The First Prince's comment that she was "feeling better" probably refers to Ella, who became gloomy after the engagement was called off.

“High Priestess Hyville, please tell me more about my brother’s situation,” said the fourth prince, Raymond Betis. Unlike his elder brother, he was thinner and shorter. “It’s not directed at you, but my brother did get into trouble at the sanctuary. He represented the royal family at the pilgrimage ceremony but ended up in this situation. I hope you can give me an explanation.”

“Although I have already sent word in advance, I can recount the situation to you all again.” Ella said slowly in a light and melodious voice without changing her expression, “However, I think it would be most convincing if you saw it with your own eyes.”

After she finished speaking, the church attendant beside her slowly walked to the group of royal members with a silver tray lined with red velvet in both hands, on which was placed a crystal for taking a picture.

Then Ella nodded slightly to another attendant on her left. The attendant raised his white staff and chanted softly. A circle of white light expanded in mid-air, and a faint light in the center gathered into a curtain with floating starlight at its edges. The light and shadow on the curtain gradually changed clearly, forming the same image as on the image crystal.

The scene depicted the headless body of the Second Prince, with a long, dark centipede writhing at the severed neck, emitting strange and piercing cries.

With the intermittent cries, the headless body strangely twisted its uncoordinated limbs in an attempt to rush towards the screen, but was immediately blocked by a magic circle circuit composed of holy light.

The bizarre and bloody scene caused the royal family members to frown, and it was indeed quite visually shocking.

The youngest princess, the third princess, hid behind the young steward with tears in her eyes and a hint of fear in her eyes.

"This...is this really my elder brother?" Prince Raymond frowned and looked at the court mage standing next to the third prince. "Master Bazel, you are very knowledgeable. Have you ever seen such an insect before?"

The long-bearded, gray-bearded Bazel, clad in a robe, shook his head slightly. "Your Highness Raymond, I'm afraid I haven't heard of this."

Both the third and fourth princes belong to the academic faction, but the third prince, Barnard Betis, has always been taciturn and rarely speaks.

The young Princess Skadi Betis stared wide-eyed at her brother's appearance, covering her mouth in grief, "By the God of Light, how could this happen..."

Ella watched the group of people put on a variety of performances, some sad and some surprised, and simply regarded the emotions they expressed as an absurd drama.

The reason is simple: this group of people chattered on and on, but they treated the second princess, Lily, who was next to her, as if she were invisible. No one greeted or even spoke a word to this black-haired princess.

Even when they saw her finally able to walk into the sunlight with an umbrella, no one cared at all.

Lilia is, after all, Lilia's half-sister. It's one thing for outsiders to discriminate against her because of her bloodline, but if these people truly had deep feelings for their own brothers and sisters, why would they discriminate against her as family?

Chapter Eighty: The Fangs of the Royal Family

It's fair to say that Ella is becoming increasingly disgusted with these royals.

She couldn't help but glance at Lilia's expression, worried that the little princess was feeling sad because she was being ignored by her family.

Seemingly noticing Ella's gaze, Lilia turned her previously expressionless face slightly and gave Ella a dreamy smile.

Okay, I almost forgot that this little princess doesn't actually have much affection for her royal brothers and sisters.

The royal family members whispered among themselves in the hall. The old king sat motionless on his throne, neither offering any opinion nor expressing any attitude. In Ella's eyes, he was like a withered tree on its deathbed, whose presence or absence seemed to make no difference.

Most importantly, the people under the throne seemed to have gotten used to ignoring the old king's presence and were talking and arguing on their own.

Princess Skadi, a conservative noblewoman, demanded a swift burial for the Second Prince and that the matter be kept under wraps to prevent public dissemination and embarrassment for the royal family. Prince Raymond, an academic, insisted on a thorough investigation of the Sanctuary, arguing that the insects on the Second Prince were a crucial clue that could not be easily overlooked. The First Prince, Edgar, believed that an investigation of the palace was necessary, as the appearance of these strange insects on the Second Prince was no accident.

The three argued back and forth, and Ella, who originally only wanted to watch from the sidelines, was quickly drawn into the fray by Prince Raymond's words: "No matter what, even if the Second Prince shows signs of corruption by dark magic, the Holy Temple should not have taken action without informing the royal family. High Priestess Havil, we still hope you can give a reasonable explanation for this matter."

“Yes, that’s true.” Edgar nodded, his face solemn. “No matter what, Prince Ken is a brother to us, and I can understand the Temple of Light’s hatred for the evil enemy. But to ignore the royal family and execute the prince directly, isn’t that a bit too disrespectful to the Loren Empire?”

Just as Ella was about to speak, Lilia, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness Raymond, His Highness Ken died at the hands of my steward. As for the cause of death, it has nothing to do with Priestess Havil or the Holy Church."

“You have no right to speak here.” Princess Skadi glanced at Lilia. “If you are willing to take responsibility for the death of your brother Ken, then go to the dungeon and await your execution, half-blood.”

Now it was Ella's turn to frown slightly. She and Lilia weren't exactly close, but they were friends. How dare this guy insult Lilia in front of her?

Ella remembered this debt and would find a chance to teach her a lesson.

Lilia was used to being mocked by her siblings and was about to speak again when she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"What kind of explanation do you all hope the Holy Temple will provide?" Ella asked slowly, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the royal family members while comforting Lilia with one hand.

“Hmm…this may be a decision for my elder brother to make.” Prince Raymond looked at the eldest prince, Edgar.

Prince Edgar pondered for a moment, then looked at Ella with a serious expression: "Ella, I know you made this judgment out of your unwavering faith in the God of Light, but you are still too young. This is not only about good versus evil, but also about the position of the nation and the Holy Temple."