The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Ye Xiao placed a few copper coins in the bartender's hand and glanced at the slip of paper.

"The astrology shop is closed. You can come directly to my place, Annabelle, a cabin on the edge of the woods in the northwest of the Roma settlement."

Chapter Eighty-Three: Trap

Artorina had previously instructed Ye Xiao to take the little girl to the astrology hall in the Roma settlement using the information conveyed on the note. After inquiring at the settlement's tavern, they discovered that the astrology hall was closed that day. They could only follow the location indicated on the note passed by the bartender and wander through the huge and chaotic settlement.

On the dirty and chaotic street, two short figures wearing the same style of cloak walked on Ye Xiao's left and right sides, looking from a distance like homeless refugees leading two children.

The forest edge in the northwest was close to the forest of a tributary of the Blue Dragon River. Ye Xiao followed the path deeper into the forest until he saw a large wooden house that was at least five stories high.

The house is like a giant tree, its shadow looming like a colossal beast amidst the trees and bushes, making one feel insignificant simply by standing beneath it.

The main body of the house seemed to be embedded in the tree trunk, with a row of amethyst-like ornaments hanging from the extended eaves, and the porch was scattered with small bones that had been cut from some unknown animal.

The Roma people revere nature and wildness. As a nomadic people whose presence is felt throughout the continent, they are quite enthusiastic about primitive animal sacrifices and natural mysticism.

Ye Xiao first took out the staff from his back and stuck it into the soil behind a tree. Then he gestured for Greta to wait a few feet behind with the little girl being chased by the one with the severed finger. He then stepped forward and knocked on the door.

With a soft click, the door opened, revealing the face of an old tree bark—this wasn't a description; it truly was a piece of tree bark with a face.

The branches extending from the bark form wooden knuckles that grip the doorknob, with a few tender green leaves nestled among the grain.

"Oh, hello, you must be Miss Annabelle? Sir? I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure how to identify the sex of a tree."

“I don’t think there are many men who would name themselves Annabelle.” A slightly childish voice drifted from inside the doorway. “Also, you can call the tree spirit at the door Woodramad.”

"Excuse me, excuse me, Mr. Carriage Driver." Ye Xiao bowed slightly to the tree spirit inside the door. "Is the tree spirit named after its profession?"

“…I don’t even know where to begin correcting you,” the childish voice said with a hint of helplessness. “Come in and talk to the two people outside the door.”

Ye Xiao waved slightly, signaling the little maid to lead the girl inside. The two short girls, draped in cloaks, looked like two big mushrooms as they walked.

The tree spirit led the three of them up the hardwood staircase on the inner side. The furniture and decoration inside were surprisingly clean and tidy. Although most of them were made of wood, the different types of wood used made the color scheme quite rich.

In the spacious living room, another tree spirit was wiping the birch table with a banana leaf. When it saw Ye Xiao and his group, it waved the leaf in its hand as a greeting.

Ye Xiao and the little girl waved back, but the haughty little maid ignored them and walked straight up the stairs.

The tree spirit led the three of them to the third floor, and along the corridor they arrived at a door made of vines.

"Forgive me for not choosing to greet you all inside the museum. The stars have informed me that the mediocre crowd will interfere with the trajectory of destiny."

As the slightly childish voice reappeared, the vines that made up the door panel moved around like snakes, and the doorway suddenly opened. Inside, a delicate female doll wearing a long emerald green dress pointed to the cherry wood table in front of her.

"Nice to meet you all, I am Annabelle Dorris, the owner of the Moonrise Astrology House."

The doll sits upright and elegantly, with a pair of crystal eyes that reflect a faint light on her exquisite and beautiful young girl makeup. Her long, silver-gray curly hair gradually turns light blue at the ends, and her pointed ears are half-covered. If you don't look closely, you might even mistake her for a real human face.

The green silk fabric of her dress resembled a butterfly with outstretched wings. The upper two halves extended into a strapless bodice, while the lower two halves had slits below the abdomen. A semi-transparent white tulle was woven in the middle, and the light shone through it, revealing glimpses of the cleavage between her thighs and full breasts.

"Hello, Miss Annabelle, my name is Ye Xiao." Ye Xiao glanced at the doll's attire. "You must be... a high-level tree spirit?"

"No, these are just puppets I manipulate."

"Sorry, I thought tree spirits would be this beautiful after they evolved. I almost wanted to raise one myself." Ye Xiao crossed his legs and lightly patted Greta's silent little hand that reached to his waist. "...Hey, why did you pinch me like that?"

"Pfft." The puppet even made a gesture of covering its mouth, quite intelligently. "Mr. Ye, you flatter me. I think we should talk about serious matters."

"No need for such a long introduction. I don't have much to do. I just want to find a daycare for this child." Ye Xiao waved his hand. "However... I don't easily trust people I can't even see in person, so I'm afraid I can't leave this child here."

“Sir, there’s no need to rush into a decision.” The girl doll folded her hands back on her knees. “Do you really have enough understanding of the ‘child’ you’re talking about, or what you’re doing?”

"You've stumped me with that question." Ye Xiao stroked his chin, seemingly deep in thought. "Actually, I'm quite curious too. Why is the one-finger person so fixated on such a small child?"

"It seems that Mr. Ye is simply unwilling to stand by and watch someone die because of his pure sense of justice."

"You flatter me too much. The word 'justice' doesn't suit me at all," Ye Xiao chuckled.

He did this simply so that Artoria, who would become the new leader of the Severed Finger, would owe him a favor. Of course, he would never tell the doll this.

Keep in mind, he didn't even bother to ask the little girl's name the whole time—how heartless!

"There's a little regrettable." The doll covered its mouth and chuckled again. "I originally thought I could use this child's mother to blackmail you, but it seems that preparation was unnecessary."

Huh? Damn it, Artoria, what kind of place are you pointing me to?!

Ye Xiao cursed inwardly.

With a soft "whoosh," a human figure wrapped in vines suddenly fell from the high wooden ceiling. Ye Xiao, with quick reflexes, caught the figure just before it hit the floor, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm.

Seemingly stung by countless bee stings, he cried out in pain and instinctively let go, causing the vines wrapped around him to fall to the ground with a muffled thud. Bright red blood slowly seeped out from under the vines, forming a small pool of blood.

Ye Xiao looked at the densely packed holes on his sleeve, where the vines that wrapped around the human figure were covered with countless small, protruding thorns that were impossible to see without a close look.

The next moment, a sharp pain and numbness came from my arm.

The thorns on the vine were poisonous, and Ye Xiao realized it almost immediately.

At the same time, the tangled vines on the ground suddenly unraveled, and a woman dressed in an elegant top lay in a pool of blood with her eyes wide open. She was already a lifeless corpse.

The little girl recognized the corpse at a glance and rushed forward, crying, "Mother!!"

Chapter 84 The Maid's Favor

Although I anticipated that the sudden change in location might be a trap, the speed at which this broken doll changed its expression was indeed unusually fast.

"Pfft, Mr. Ye, instinct doesn't lie." The girl doll covered her mouth and chuckled. "Is it arrogance or foolish of you to prioritize rescue over risk avoidance?"

"But you still managed to fool me, causing me to kill a useful piece ahead of time."

It wasn't difficult for the person with the severed finger to analyze Ye Xiao's character. From intentionally protecting the girl in the alley to using spatial magic to swap the ordinary coachman into the carriage, the reason for these actions could be concluded with just a little thought.

However, the instructions given by Artoria were intercepted, which was a rather frustrating point for Ye Xiao.

"Gods, Healing Light!" Ye Xiao didn't hesitate and immediately rubbed the ring on his hand to activate the contract spell with Ella.

That was the "Granx's Experimental Spell Amplifier" that Greta had given him before. It could be used to amplify the effects of a wand, or it could be used as a medium to directly cast spells.

The blood-red magic circle opened instantly, and a dark tentacle had just emerged from the circle when Ye Xiao bit it out and swallowed it whole.

Ugh...that's really disgusting...

The slippery thing was still moving excitedly in her throat. It was Ye Xiao's first time eating her own takoyaki, and she never expected it to be so torturous.

However, he must get rid of the paralyzing toxin as quickly as possible; without his hands, he would be practically useless in combat.

Fortunately, I have already improved my attributes a lot with the general points compared to before, so now using a "mid-level healing holy light" from the Ella version only consumes half a bar of mental energy.

"Oh my, you actually know such rare magic..." The puppet tilted its head slightly, but before it could finish speaking, it was cleaved in two by Ye Xiao, who arrived in an instant.

But as it says, it's just a doll, with an exquisite wooden shell and nothing but air under its head.

A pale yellow mist suddenly surged in from all directions, and the wooden planks on all sides began to writhe. Countless vines, like flying snakes swimming in the air, attacked one after another.

Without a word, Ye Xiao rushed to the little girl's side, pulled her away from her mother's corpse, covered her mouth and nose, and grabbed the little maid's thin arm with his other hand, immediately shouting: "Shifting Shadows!"

At the critical moment, the three of them vanished into thin air, leaving themselves entangled by countless vines.

Ye Xiao wasn't unprepared. He had planted his staff outside before entering to prevent this mess. As long as he was within a certain range, his teleportation ability would allow him to instantly teleport to the bound staff.

Bringing Greta and the little girl will consume more mental energy, but the other party will not be exempt unless they deliberately use their mental energy to resist.

It's a pity that his spell proficiency can only be bound to one staff at the moment, otherwise he could just bring a bunch of staffs and scatter them like a fairy to show everyone Loren's Golden Flash.

“Hmm… there are several intertwined lines of fate at the top of that house, which should indicate the presence of several living people. One of the lines of fate is particularly neatly arranged but dimly lit, suggesting a life hanging by a thread. I think the real astrologer is probably that one,” Greta said slowly and calmly. “This place has been ‘usurped,’ is that how the term is used in your hometown?”

"Damn it, I was going to run away with the little girl if you hadn't told me..." Ye Xiao's lips twitched. "Thank you for the information, Maid, but I would be even more grateful if you could just wave your hand and wipe out all the enemies for me."

"If you were to convert to my faith... no, to Lord Mammon's faith, Lord Mammon might just lend a hand." The little maid chuckled mischievously.

"You little rascal, you always take advantage of others." Ye Xiao reluctantly pulled out his staff from the ground, but it didn't matter. He hadn't expected the little thing to help him with everything anyway, and he had to do the work himself. "Then help me look after that little girl, okay?"

"Hey! You're the little one!" Greta was about to pinch Ye Xiao's waist when he dodged and rushed towards the big treehouse first.

The autumn wind was bleak, and the killing intent was strong.

"Kill!" Ye Xiao, holding a long sword, was about to rush forward to find the guy who dared to scheme against him when he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble just as he was about to reach the door.

The enormous treehouse rose from the ground, its roots extending into the earth forming two giant claws.

The billowing smoke and dust covered the sky, and the surging momentum was like a giant beast being unleashed from its cage.

"Huh?" Ye Xiao immediately turned and ran, running as fast as he had charged forward.

But it was too late. Countless vines rained down on him several meters away, like a green curtain hanging from the sky, enveloping Greta and the little girl not far away.

This impenetrable barrier, composed of countless vines, completely blocks out the sunlight, making it look like a verdant cage on the hillside from a distance.

The giant hand formed from thick tree branches swung down, and Ye Xiao felt like a fly seeing a fly swatter coming down on his head.

He mustered all his strength and threw his staff into the distance, then sprinted towards Greta and the little girl, leaping into their arms.

The next moment, the giant tree slammed its palm onto the ground, and the resulting mountain wind blew Ye Xiao, who was just outside the range of the impact, several meters across the ground while still holding the two of them.

"Actually, you don't have to save me every time." Greta's soft face was pressed against Ye Xiao's chest and squeezed together, her voice muffled.

"Oh, sorry, it was just a reflex." Ye Xiao quickly released the two people in her arms.

The treehouse, now transformed into a giant tree-man, raised its hand again and slapped down.

"This is never going to end." Ye Xiao gritted his teeth and was about to throw the staff aside again when he heard Greta snap her fingers lightly.

A wisp of fire flickered at her fingertips, and the giant hand that the Treant was about to bring down was suddenly covered by a huge crimson fireball, burning it directly into ashes that flew everywhere, resulting in a serious carbon emission exceeding the standard.

"I'll help you with your hand, since you're always thinking of saving me." Greta crossed her arms over her chest, her rosy cheeks looking adorably innocent. "You should thank this maid properly."

Only this guy could come up with such an abstract term as "maid lady".

Ye Xiao was speechless. "Thank you for your help, Lady Greta. I have no way to repay your kindness, so I can only save you again next time."

"You...!" The little maid stomped her foot in anger, and Ye Xiao immediately turned around and rushed towards the tree man.

Facing the flying sparks and ashes, Ye Xiao gripped his staff in his right hand and unleashed a Wind Summoning Technique.

The swirling, turbulent winds swept up the surrounding dust, making Ye Xiao appear from a distance as if he were riding a churning gray somersault cloud, charging straight upwards.

The giant tree-man raised its remaining hand and struck. When Ye Xiao was about three stories high, he spotted a dark hole in the fifth floor of the treehouse and threw his staff over.

Chapter 85 A Twist of Fate

Transparent ripples spread through the space, and Ye Xiao instantly appeared at the window on the fifth floor, grasped his staff, and flipped into the room.

The tip of the cane lit a beam of light, illuminating the dimly lit room, which resembled a closed, miniature jungle, overgrown with bushes and weeds. Several large spheres, like boils, made of vines and covered in pustules, hung from the moss-covered wooden ceiling.

I wonder if the people Greta mentioned were trapped inside these giant spheres?

"I never expected you to come to me of your own accord." That slightly childish voice rang out again.

Wriggling vines covered the window through which Ye Xiao had climbed in. The lush green ground was covered with vines in circles. A wooden doll, exactly the same as the one he had seen on the third floor, appeared, but this time it had a bright smile on its face.

Ye Xiao calmly took out a blue medicine bottle and drank it down, then looked over the doll's shoulder at the several hanging vine balls behind it.

Only a true soul extends the threads of destiny, radiating outwards from the center of a sun in the void.

Greta only mentioned that the fifth floor was entangled with the threads of fate, so besides the astrologer, the enemy's true form was likely also hiding there.

The doll waved her hand gently, and like a barrage of arrows, vines from all directions surged toward Ye Xiao, who was in the center of the room.

Ye Xiao's tall and slender figure was instantly submerged in the green sea, with the vines wrapping around him again and again, like a swarm of snakes working together to strangle their prey.

"Huh, so weak?"

The puppet's voice had barely faded when a large bulge suddenly appeared on the outer surface of the rings of tough vines.

The next second, a sharp, white-furred wolf claw tore through the vines, accompanied by a roar like that of a wild beast, and countless intertwined vines were ripped open.

Ye Xiao, now in Cynthia Beast Transformation, suddenly burst out of the gap, his swift figure, now a blur, reaching the puppet in an instant.

With a casual slap, Ye Xiao shattered the exquisite doll to pieces. His gaze quickly locked onto the nearest large vine ball in the darkness, and he decisively rushed forward, tearing open the vines covering it with a single claw.

An elderly woman with gray hair fell from the ground; her slightly wrinkled eyelids trembled slightly, as if she were still alive.

"Oh, congratulations, you've drawn the girl's grandmother in the lottery." That haunting, childish voice drifted through the air, and another exquisite little girl doll slowly emerged from the writhing vine wall.

Emerald green vines rose from the cracks in the wooden planks that made up the ground, clinging to Ye Xiao's legs. However, Ye Xiao, whose strength had been enhanced dozens of times, completely ignored this slight restraint. He casually lifted his leg and broke the vines, carrying the old woman on his back as he rushed towards the next hanging vine bundle.

His current mental strength can sustain Cynthia's beast form for about a minute and a half, so he must race against time to find the astrologer.

The second vine bundle was torn open, and a huge tree-man fell out. The tree-man swung its thick arm and punched Ye Xiao squarely in the face. Even with the enhancement of his beast-transformation power, Ye Xiao was knocked back several steps.

But this was no big deal. Ye Xiao stood up and tore the wooden frame to pieces with a backhand swipe, ignoring the mockery in his ears, and rushed to the next rattan bundle.