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

noon

The courtyard was quiet as usual. Ziyao under the tree had disappeared. In order to prevent theft, a sign was set up where the money was buried. It was a bit too cautious.

Qin Huaiyu was both amused and exasperated; the old saying was indeed true!

Fortunately, it was right outside his own door, so it wasn't a big deal, and the people in the mansion probably wouldn't dare to steal from him.

However, this modern-day version of Zhang San is somewhat lacking in intelligence.

"Sigh, this girl clearly hasn't experienced the harsh realities of life."

"Young Master."

Just then, Butler Du came running over from the front yard, calling out to them.

He was still the same as always, hunched over like a shrimp, looking like an honest man.

Qin Huaiyu stood up, smoothed out his slightly wrinkled clothes, and went to greet him.

"Uncle Du, what's the matter?"

"The mayor's steward just delivered something to the young master, saying it's something promised."

As he spoke, Du Ming handed over a brocade box with a cloud pattern.

They're pretty fast, but unreliable in their work. However, they're quite trustworthy in their credit.

Qin Huaiyu took the brocade box and opened it. There, on the yellow silk, lay a spiritual herb.

Its color is bright, with an overall purplish-red hue and dense branches and leaves that spread out like a fan. If you look closely, you can see that the veins have a faint purple flow, which is quite strange.

Is this the white cinnabar grass?

Qin Huaiyu sensed the abundant nightmare power with just a thought, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

It really is a precious medicinal herb, but it looks somewhat familiar. Have I seen it somewhere before...?

He thought about it for a moment, but his memory quickly negated his thoughts.

Du Ming glanced at it and said calmly:

"Young master, the mayor has released details of the missing persons case."

News of your single-handedly defeating two great masters has spread throughout the town. Now everyone looks at you with new respect, and your reputation far surpasses what it once was. This is truly a cause for celebration.

...Damn, it's already spread!

Did you get my permission?

Qin Huaiyu's mood immediately soured, and his handsome face instantly darkened.

"What's so great about this? Doesn't he know that people are afraid of becoming famous, and pigs are afraid of getting fat? He's just asking for my long life."

"............."

Du Ming was stunned. Wasn't becoming famous a good thing? How did it involve his life?

"Forget it, you don't understand. It's no use saying anything. I'll demand an explanation from the mayor when I see him another day."

Qin Huaiyu was extremely frustrated. Although he was the one who solved the case, putting him in the spotlight would inevitably make him a target for those with ulterior motives. He couldn't accept no compensation.

"...It is this old servant's stupidity."

After Du Ming finished speaking, he lowered his head and glanced at his young master's face, hesitating to speak.

"What, is there anything else?" Qin Huaiyu asked, seeing the butler's timid expression, knowing he hadn't finished speaking.

"Young master, there is one."

"Then say it."

"Master has been missing and has not returned. Although the family business can operate on its own, the decisions regarding merchant caravans going out require my personal attention. Now, a message has arrived from a shop in Jian'an City, urgently requesting a caravan to purchase raw materials. What do you think?"

"What ingredients?"

Qin Huaiyu knew that the Qin family's business was very large. Not only did they have many shops in Pingxing Town, but they also had many businesses in Qin Hai, Jian'an City, which was far away, covering many aspects.

Although the old man was cunning and despicable, one had to admit that he was indeed a business genius who had led his family to become a prominent and wealthy clan in just a few years.

"Some oil dyes are used to dye cloth, and some are rare minerals used by craftsmen."

"Then go ahead, and also tell the caravan to change their route."

Qin Huaiyu instructed that he had overheard a servant mention that when Qin Hai was alive, there were several accidents during his business trips, resulting in the loss of all people and property without a trace. This showed that the old route had significant safety hazards.

"Yes, young master, this old servant will give the order immediately."

After saying that, Du Ming was about to leave, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the sign under the crooked tree.

"Huh, is this a case of trying to hide something?"

"Young master, why are you burying the money in the ground?"

".....Forehead?"

Qin Huaiyu was taken aback. See? I told you, anyone who isn't a fool can see that.

He quickly denied it:

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me!"

"Oh?"

Du Ming looked puzzled, but his expression quickly changed, and he looked at Qin Huaiyu with a smile in his eyes.

"This old servant understands, understands. Young master, please continue burying it. I didn't see anything."

After saying that, he turned and fled the place as if he were escaping.

".........What do you know? It really wasn't me!"

The shouts echoed, but the person had already vanished without a trace.

Qin Huaiyu felt like dying at that moment. Did I really look that stupid...?

"Girl, you've really gotten yourself into trouble!"

..............

夜

In complete silence, the candlelight in the room swayed gently in the breeze, its glow flickering intermittently.

On the bed, Qin Huaiyu held the white cinnabar grass in his hands, and strands of pure nightmare power surged into his body as if they were physical entities.

The blood core circulated, and the golden liquid flowed into the dantian.

Following the instructions of the Nightmare Condensation Chapter, he guided the golden liquid to cleanse his seven meridians and eight extraordinary vessels. A slight pain was mixed with a tingling sensation, and his divine sense was also improving and growing.

Everything inside my body seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

"At this rate, we won't be far from building a pond!"

As he was talking to himself, he suddenly felt some discomfort in his eyes.

It felt like I was under a spell, and the pressure was quite painful.

"What's going on? My eyes are acting up again?"

Qin Huaiyu frowned, but the pain intensified as the golden liquid circulated through his meridians. The needle-like stinging gradually turned into a thousand ants biting, and his eyes felt as if they were being roasted on lava.

But the fact that his divine sense was enhanced and his consciousness was exceptionally clear only added fuel to the fire.

Pain, intense pain, stimulated my nerves.

His body trembled uncontrollably, his forehead was covered in sweat, and he wished he could gouge out his eyes to relieve the pain.

But it was all just wishful thinking.

And at this time, inside the body.

The nightmarish power of the white cinnabar grass was continuously refined, and the golden liquid increased. It even began to circulate on its own, circulating through the meridians and returning to the dantian to accumulate. The flowing liquid began to take shape as if it were about to solidify.

First, it lay flat as a base, then it condensed into golden petals that spread outwards in a fan shape.

Clearly, they have already begun constructing the pond.

Qin Huaiyu didn't care about any of that anymore. His face was deathly pale, his whole body was convulsing, his clothes were soaked with sweat, and the pain in his eyes was intensifying rapidly, as if it had seeped into his very bones.

"what!"

He wanted to vent, but all he could make was a whimper.

An unusually clear mind seems to tear a person apart.

.............

Yoshihisa

Only when the white cinnabar grass in his hand withered and turned into dust did Qin Huaiyu gradually recover from his pain.

He opened his eyes and a beam of golden light shot out, then he returned to calm.

Everything in sight became crystal clear at this moment. On a wooden table a few meters away, an ant crawled in a crevice, waving its antennae and probing left and right.

A moth with fluttering wings landed on the window sash, a tiny nematode still struggling in its mouth.

Qin Huaiyu was stunned, and after a few seconds, joy crept onto his face.

Could it be that my eyes have undergone some kind of strange change?

He immediately thought of the Golden Eye and hurriedly looked around, but apart from clearer vision, there was no penetrating effect.

Sigh, it seems like only my eyesight has been enhanced. If only I could see through things...

Qin Huaiyu sighed, but the thought of the pain he had just experienced sent shivers down his spine.

The most important thing in life is to be content with what you have; what more could you ask for?

After calming himself down, he opened his mind to sense his body. As soon as he entered, he was taken aback.

The meridians were covered with a thin layer of golden light, making them look exceptionally resilient, and the pool of golden liquid in the dantian had already taken shape.

It resembles a golden lotus in full bloom, with half of its petals already open. Although it is not yet complete, it already looks exceptionally beautiful.

The Mysterious Pool is taking shape!

Qin Huaiyu was overjoyed, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. He had finally taken another step forward. The second minor realm, the Profound Pool, was worth it!

"Click"

Just then, an unknown voice suddenly rang out from outside.

"Is anyone there?"

Qin Huaiyu quickly stood up and slipped outside the door.

The blood moon hung in the sky, emitting a hazy red light. There was no one in the courtyard, except for a black cat that meowed once from the corner of the wall.

.............