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

next day

As the sun rises high, Dian Jian'an, dressed in red, stands amidst rising smoke from chimneys, bringing life back to the bustling city.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The horses' hooves made a crisp sound as they trod the ground.

Three tall, brown horses galloped along the central avenue toward the outskirts of the city.

Qin Huaiyu lagged slightly behind, his dark circles under his eyes making him look like a resentful woman confined to her chambers as he stared at the two people in front of him.

Isn't it said that young men carry a beautiful future on their shoulders?

What's so special about this?

Judging by looks? Forget about it!

Thinking back to last night, he still had a headache. The young lady stayed overnight at the Yun residence, and Sister Yun was extremely unhappy about it. Since she couldn't afford to offend her, she could only take it out on him. That deadly series of blows was so intense that he could almost see his great-grandmother's soreness.

But the young lady was restless, seemingly wanting to see him make a fool of himself, and would occasionally stir up trouble.

For example, talk about the friendship that saved your life.

Now, let's talk about the tacit understanding between the two from Black Cloud Village.

And even then, she'd occasionally give him a reproachful look.

It made it seem like she had suffered some great injustice.

Definitely green tea.

Yun Suyan, however, fell for this act, and as you can imagine, the two were at loggerheads, leaving him terrified all night.

That's terrible!

But who would have thought that this morning, the two of them were like they were possessed. They not only greeted each other at breakfast, but also kept putting food on each other's plates, leaving him standing aside and ignoring him, making them seem like sisters.

"A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; the ancients were right!"

"Young man, the city gate is just ahead."

At that moment, Yun Suyan's light and airy voice drifted over.

Qin Tianyu tugged on the reins, and the horse galloped a few steps to catch up.

"How about it? Should we make a commotion?" Chu Yanxi asked, looking at the armored soldiers guarding the city gate.

Those were all people from the Commandant's Office.

"There's no need. Making a scene would only arouse suspicion. As for the news about going to Mangdang Mountain, I believe it has already reached Zhai Tianlin," Qin Huaiyu said with certainty.

The two women frowned and said:

"How could this be? No one leaked this information!"

As they were talking, Chu Yanxi suddenly realized something.

"Could it be that it's in the mansion?"

With that level of intelligence, you deserve to have small breasts.

Qin Huaiyu remained noncommittal, saying:

"The prefect and the commandant's office have never been on good terms, so there must be spies in your household."

Chu Yanxi suddenly realized, "No wonder you inexplicably called out 'Mangdang Mountain' when you went out yesterday. It was on purpose."

Yun Suyan then recalled the scene from that time, when she dragged her younger brother out the door and he shouted, "Sir, can we not go to Mangdang Mountain?"

...I thought it was a joke, but I didn't expect it to have a deeper meaning.

My brother's thoughts are terrifyingly subtle!

If this were targeting me, they'd probably sell me out, and I'd still be counting the money for them.

The teacher was right after all. Even a brute with great strength can't beat a smart ordinary person; the brute has a hundred ways to kill you.

Qin Huaiyu rolled his eyes at the two of them and said:

"Otherwise, why would I be so bored as to not use the resources available nearby? That would be a waste. I'm not stupid."

“…………”

The two women lowered their heads in tacit shame.

Are we stupid?

Qin Huaiyu saw the expressions on their faces and felt much better.

Men are bound to seek revenge. The idea that "a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years" is utter nonsense. Even waiting until the next day is considered dishonorable.

"Ah, the brain is a good thing. It makes things easier and less strenuous."

This isn't over yet...

As the saying goes, things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes. The two women, who were still deeply doubting themselves, suddenly raised their heads after hearing what he said.

Their fair faces showed their anger.

Are you saying we're brainless?

...Oh no, I've realized it.

Qin Huaiyu shuddered and immediately mounted his horse.

"drive"

The horses neighed and charged out of the city gate.

Without even stopping, he left behind the words "the county government is handling the case" and fled in panic.

"Don't run!"

Upon seeing this, the two women gritted their teeth and hurriedly spurred their horses to give chase.

After witnessing this, the armored soldiers quickly retreated, fearing they might be injured.

outside the city

The horses' hooves kicked up a cloud of dust, and the autumn wind howled, bringing a touch of coolness.

Occasionally, when traveling merchants meet, they will shake hands and wave their noses, showing slight anger, saying, "This road is not open for you. Such speed is impolite. You should hurry to your next life."

However, the steed did not stop, disappearing like a fleeting shadow.

The wind remains, the dust remains.

Only the sun remains unchanged, and the shadows of the forest sway gently, like the growth of a person: first the shortness of infancy, then the growth of adulthood, followed by the stooping of old age, until finally disappearing without a trace.

As the months turned to night, the light of day faded, and blood spilled into a dilapidated temple.

The three horses stopped, and Qin Huaiyu was the first to dismount and observe.

This temple has been abandoned for a long time. The steps are covered with moss, the beams and pillars are rotten and riddled with holes, and even the main gate is broken and incomplete.

The horizontal beams and plaques were covered with cobwebs, making it impossible to discern their original appearance, and the eaves were in a state of disrepair.

The sight of this dilapidated temple standing in the desolate night was enough to send chills down one's spine.

Qin Huaiyu felt inexplicably cold, so he wrapped his coat tighter around himself.

"Let's stay here tonight."

Upon hearing this, the two women dismounted.

The three of them led the horses into the temple.

After passing through an even more desolate temple courtyard, Qin Huaiyu tied his horse to a relatively sturdy wooden post.

He gathered some dry firewood, went into the offering hall, placed the firewood on the ground, and then flicked his finger. The demonic energy brushed against it, and sparks flew, igniting the firewood.

A dim, yellowish light shone through.

Qin Huaiyu then had the opportunity to examine the offering hall.

Perhaps due to its long neglect, there wasn't even an altar for offerings in this hall, let alone yellow silk or prayer cushions.