Chosen One, how did I end up as the villain?

夜晚

A clearing in the woods, right next to the rocks.

"Crackling and popping"

The campfire roared, its golden flames leaping half a person's height as it scorched a pheasant on the fire stand. Drops of lard dripped from its golden skin, causing the flames to rise even higher.

Upon seeing this, an old Taoist priest, dressed in a filthy robe, quickly twirled the wooden stick with the pheasant stuck in it. Looking at the charred, yellowed skin, he swallowed hard and then shouted towards the woods:

"You little rascal, are you done yet? If people knew you were taking a dump, they'd think you were sneaking off to eat."

As the words fell.

A soft rustling sound came from inside the forest, followed by a boy running out, dressed in tattered coarse cloth clothes and wearing straw sandals.

His face was somewhat dirty, but his straight, arched eyebrows and bright eyes still revealed him to be a handsome young man.

"Old Shi, you old bastard, how dare you be so disrespectful to your elders! What do you mean by 'stealing food'? I'll tear your mouth apart!"

The boy rushed forward, ready to fight to the death.

But as soon as he reached the old Taoist priest, the priest reached out and grabbed the boy's ear.

"You little rascal, you have no manners! I'll teach you another lesson."

As he spoke, he twisted it forcefully.

"Ouch, it hurts! Old Master Shi, I was wrong! Let go! Let go!"

The boy winced in pain and quickly begged for mercy.

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest revealed a smug smile on his filthy face and then released his grip.

"You never learn! How many times have I told you? I'll always be your boss. You still want to act like a rascal in front of me? You deserve to be punished!"

The boy rubbed his bright red ears, looking quite annoyed, and said:

"That was because you spoke recklessly first. And how many times have I told you, my name is Li Chengye, not a hooligan."

"Okay, okay!"

The old Taoist priest waved his hand impatiently and said:

"He's just Li Chengye, that scoundrel, got it."

"you........."

Li Chengye was speechless with anger.

"What, you want to do it again!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengye instantly lost his temper.

Seeing this, the old Taoist priest smiled, then took the roasted pheasant and smelled it, saying with great relish:

"It smells so good!"

He tore off two large chicken legs and then handed the wooden stick to the boy.

"Here you go. You said that I, Shi Ye, not only saved you, but also provided you with food, shelter, and protection. So what if I called you a rascal?"

"Indecent!"

Li Chengye took the wooden stick, and with his hands still wet from relieving himself, he began to gnaw on the pheasant, a truly elegant gesture.

The old Taoist priest glanced at him and thought, "This rascal's eating manners are too unsightly. He's really letting my roast chicken down."

He shook his head and began to devour the chicken leg, which smelled delicious, leaving his mouth greasy.

However, just as the two were engrossed in their meal...

A rustling sound inexplicably came from the woods on the right, as if something was moving rapidly inside.

The old Taoist priest was the first to react, frowning as he looked into the woods.

"Hehe, look at me, are you afraid of me?"

Just then, a seductive voice came from inside the woods.

Li Chengye was startled and quickly looked in the direction from which the sound came, but the woods were pitch black and he couldn't see anything.

"Speak up, are you afraid of me?"

The alluring voice rang out again, and this time there seemed to be a tremor in the darkness, as if something was about to burst out.

Li Chengye was afraid, but he refused to admit defeat and made a gesture as if to answer.

Before he could even utter a sound, the old Taoist priest covered his mouth.

"Shut up, shh..."

Li Chengye was puzzled, but dared not struggle. He looked up at the old Taoist priest and saw that his dirty face was full of solemnity, and his eyes were staring intently in one direction.

This has never happened before.

He was terrified and looked in the direction the old Taoist was looking. Because of his low position, he first saw a pair of fair, bare feet with toes touching the ground.

Upwards...

He raised his head slightly, and with just one glance, his face was filled with terror.

That was a…

She wore a plain white dress, her figure was graceful, and her long black hair danced in the breeze, making her very alluring, but her face had no features.

The skin and flesh spiraled downwards, layer upon layer, with a hole in the middle, making the whole face look like a giant ear.

It stood there silently in the darkness, as if listening intently to something...

"Crackling and popping"

Just then, the sound of the campfire grew louder.

At that moment, the one-eared woman moved. She touched the ground with her toes and rushed towards the sound as fast as two sticks.

"Where are you? Why are you ignoring me?"

Li Chengye trembled with fright. He saw it: the woman had no mouth, but the voice was coming from her body.

The old Taoist priest held his breath and bent over, with a faint light shimmering on his left hand.

"If you don't speak, I'm going to get angry!"

The woman's alluring voice carried a hint of coldness. She stopped in front of the fire, bent down, and listened carefully.

The flames continued to burn, but the atmosphere suddenly plummeted to freezing point. The two held their breath, neither daring to make a sound.

An eerie, silent atmosphere spread, seemingly threatening to engulf the entire forest.

"Tap, tap..."

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from behind.