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

a year ago?

Qin Huaiyu felt it was too much of a coincidence, and he asked:

"They fled. How much time passed between the time the crime occurred and their arrest?"

"It seems to have been that day, but I'm not entirely sure of the specifics," Chu Yanxi said.

Qin Huaiyu frowned. The marks on the alchemy furnace hadn't been cleaned up, which meant they had left in a hurry.

There are only two possibilities in this case.

First, Xue Wenyuan discovered the people who had been arrested.

Second, someone urgently tipped them off.

The second possibility is the most likely. Chu Langtian wouldn't do things in such a grand manner. He must be a meticulous person, otherwise he wouldn't be so highly regarded.

If that's the case, then the matter is becoming increasingly perplexing.

Ugh, my head hurts!

He rubbed his temples.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Seeing that Qin Huaiyu's expression was rather unpleasant, Chu Yanxi asked with some concern.

Qin Huaiyu shook his head. "It's nothing, maybe I'm overthinking it."

What's on his mind now?

Chu Yanxi frowned slightly, thought for a moment but still didn't speak.

Forget it, some things still need to be considered. Saying them now will only cause him more trouble.

The two, each with their own thoughts, withdrew their gazes.

At that moment, the group stopped.

The voice of the greedy ghost came from the front.

"Stop! You guys take him away."

The men in black who had received the order immediately took the villagers away.

"Sizzle"

The iron chain scraped against the ground, making a harsh sound.

Stiff steps, one after another, led them forward in a shaky manner.

In no time, the entire platform was empty.

The greedy ghost strode to the pillars of the main hall and plopped down on them.

He pricked up his ears and squinted his small eyes, spying on the main hall.

The upturned corners of his mouth were impossible to suppress.

What kind of weird quirk is this?!

Qin Huaiyu rolled his eyes. What kind of grudge or resentment could possibly warrant someone kneeling against the wall like that?

"Let's go, before he notices us, let's sneak in quickly."

After he finished speaking, he pulled Chu Yanxi up and quickly joined the group of several men in black in front of them.

"Look, the boss is so smug again."

"What's the use? A beating is a sign of affection, a scolding is a sign of love. Scarface at least had a chance to be punished by the Second Master, but the eldest doesn't even have that chance."

"This time is different, isn't it? I've heard that Second Master is much angrier than before. If he really goes all out, he might not hold back."

"Speaking of which, our village's Second Uncle isn't the most powerful person. Isn't there an Eldest Uncle above him? So how come he's the one who handles everything?"

Several men in black gossiped among themselves.

Grandpa, is there a leader in this village?

Qin Huaiyu's expression changed, and he smiled as he joined in the gossip:

"Brothers, isn't our village supposed to be ruled by Second Master? Why is there another First Master?"

Upon hearing this, everyone else turned their attention to Qin Huaiyu and his companion.

"Brother, you look unfamiliar. How come we've never seen you before?" asked a tall, rugged-looking man in black.

Qin Huaiyu had already prepared his explanation, and said:

"I was just transferred here by the Second Master. Look, Brother Gui is busy right now and hasn't reported it yet."

As he spoke, he took out some silver notes from inside his clothes.

"I started my cultivation too late and have not yet acquired any spiritual objects, so I can only interact with you through worldly etiquette."

"Haha, you're too kind. Now that you're in our team, we're brothers." The tall man in black took a card without any hesitation.

Seeing this, the others all smiled and accepted the silver notes.

Although cultivators detach themselves from worldly affairs, they still exist within them. Money is still essential, and valuable worldly items can be exchanged for spiritual items. Only a fool would refuse such a thing.

As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's money is bound to him, and he who eats another man's food is bound

The tall man in black was very worldly-wise; he smiled broadly and said:

"Brother, you don't know this, but our village actually has two heads, one is the eldest master, and the other is the second master."

The old man was too mysterious; he never showed his face, and no one knew who he was.

Uh, here we go again, behind the scenes. So, who is this person...?

Qin Huaiyu asked, puzzled:

"Has the old man never been to the village before?"

The tall man in black shook his head and said:

"How could I not have been here? It's just that the old man only goes to the Blood Pool in the back mountain to cultivate, and no one except the head of the family can enter that place."

Cultivation, Blood Pool?

Could it be...?

Qin Huaiyu considered a possibility and asked:

"Brother, are you saying that the villagers we arrested were prepared for the blood pool?"

"Hehe, not entirely!"

The tall man in black sneered, then continued:

"These villagers are actually going to be sent to the teleportation array, but you should understand the principle of leaving a trace."

...What does that mean? Could it be that Black Cloud Stronghold wasn't the mastermind, and this place was just a transit point?

Qin Huaiyu frowned. "Brother, explain clearly. What teleportation array? And where does it lead?"

"The teleportation array is near the blood pool. As for where it leads, no one knows. Perhaps only the eldest and second eldest masters know."

"You weren't teleported?"

The tall man in black shook his head. "No, the teleportation array is protected by a restriction. Ordinary cultivators cannot enter. Some brothers once went in out of curiosity and were instantly pulverized into a bloody mist. It was as terrible as it gets."

So cautious, giving cultivators absolutely no chance.

What were these people used for?

Qin Huaiyu's mind was in complete turmoil. This damned thing was all interconnected, and the person behind it had almost cut off all the clues pointing to the truth.

Now only two people remain…

Sigh, it seems I have no choice but to confront Xue Wenyuan directly. But how do I deal with these men in black?

His brain was working at a rapid pace.