The improved female villains regained their memories.

Or perhaps this guy's intuition wasn't bad either, and he sensed something when he saw the real Li Chumo? The system pondered.

"The villains' emotions have become hard to understand."

Yang Pingsheng dodged an obstacle, flew against the wind, and said, "Isn't this a good thing? At least it shows that she's becoming more and more like a human."

"Similar, but not close." The system muttered, "In the end, the female villains in this life will not be like humans."

Even when it comes to feelings, one can distort those feelings into their own interpretation.

As far as the system is concerned, it doesn't matter how she twists things, as long as the desired effect is achieved. To be honest, whether it's emotional imprisonment or emotional distortion followed by imprisonment, as long as the female villain doesn't destroy this world, it makes no difference to the Heavenly Dao.

"How can someone who doesn't understand emotions understand them?" Yang Pingsheng suddenly asked. "Or perhaps Heaven has other plans and wants to use me to achieve something?"

"what......."

The system was speechless for a moment. Just then, they arrived at the master's wife's cave. It immediately transformed back into a ball of light and took back into Yang Pingsheng's body.

Yang Pingsheng felt the system's resistance and thought that even it couldn't hide the truth.

Li Chumo is not the only one who doesn't seem human.

"Master's wife."

With a call, the formation of the cave automatically dissipated, and a vast amount of spiritual energy emanated from the cave, carrying with it wisps of light.

A woman, still charming and graceful, stood there, smiling at us, her face shimmering with light, making it impossible to discern her exact expression.

Only when Yang Pingsheng approached did she smile kindly and nod, conjuring up a table, chairs, and tea set out of thin air. She then sat in the main seat and poured tea for Yang Pingsheng.

“Every year during the Lunar New Year, only you come to visit me. Among all of your master’s disciples, you are the most thoughtful.”

She smiled and pushed the tea over. Yang Pingsheng respectfully took it and took a sip. The tea leaves were very raw and hadn't been steeped at all. The tea hadn't been washed either; in fact, Yang Pingsheng was drinking the water she used to wash the tea.

But Yang Pingsheng showed no disgust, gulped down the drink, put down the cup, and said, "Master's wife, in the new year, you should still take good care of yourself and prioritize your health."

The woman nodded; she was indeed not as well as she looked.

In the battle against the Demonic Sect years ago, she was seriously injured, her bones and tendons were broken. Li Yaoyang had been keeping her in the cave with the most abundant spiritual energy to recuperate. Although her complexion had recovered a lot, the damage to her foundation was difficult to heal. All the woman could do now was to take good care of herself.

"How's Qi Tian doing? Has he caused you any trouble?"

"Master's wife, you flatter me. Qi Tian is very talented, steady, and well-liked by his fellow disciples," Yang Pingsheng said. "How could he possibly cause me any trouble?"

The woman nodded and said, "Qi Tian was born without parents. Although we don't talk about what happened back then, and he doesn't ask about it, I think he has some guesses about it."

“I disagree with giving him to you. After all, you’re so busy, how can you be qualified to take care of a child? But your master won’t allow it and insists on giving him to you.”

"Looking back now, if that incident hadn't happened back then, and if your master and I had been more open-minded and let you be with your junior sister, maybe..."

Yang Pingsheng didn't speak. His master's wife brought up the past not because she really wanted to talk about this matter, but to bring up something else.

The matter that was brought up was what she really wanted to know.

This is why Yang Pingsheng felt that the Kongling Sect didn't feel like an immortal sect. From the sect leader down to the managers, no one here spoke directly. They all spoke in roundabout ways, going around in circles, giving the impression that one's social skills were a matter of great importance.

Yang Pingsheng's current profound understanding of its meaning is something he has developed through practice; no one is born with this ability.

Sure enough, after reminiscing about what happened back then, the woman said, "I heard from the servants that you brought back an orc girl, and she calls you... Master?"

Yang Pingsheng sighed. His master's wife was right to ask this question. It wouldn't be easy for him to brush it off.

Despite the woman's seclusion in her cave, her control over the Kongling Sect was no less than that of Sect Master Li Yaoyang. However, the growing political differences between the two sides foreshadowed the Kongling Sect's later decision-making errors and the significant lack of leaders in military operations.

"It's just called that; there's no nameplate, so it can't be considered an official title," Yang Pingsheng replied, head bowed.

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly. As she continued to pour tea for Yang Pingsheng, she said, "It's not good for you to spoil him like this. I've heard that you've stopped teaching your apprentices because of that child. In fact, you even side with the child when the child has a conflict with your apprentices."

She put down the teapot and asked the crucial question:

"In my life, it seems you... don't have a Daoist partner, do you?"

Yang Pingsheng remained silent for a moment, then said, "No."

"That child?"

"I felt a connection with it, so I brought it back."

"Hehe." The woman chuckled softly, "It can't be that you've always preferred small children and enjoy the thrill of raising them yourself, can it?"

"Master's wife has misunderstood Ping Sheng."

Sometimes, it's better to have a misunderstanding.

Yang Pingsheng lowered his head, pretending not to hear the woman's words.

At this point, silence is the best course of action.

-------------

Lan Xiu's house.

Her benefactor was gone, and the girl ultimately left unsaid.

The girl who resembled her could sense a strange aura emanating from her.

The aura she found repulsive.

What's most infuriating is that the girl who looks like her is brazenly following her benefactor, as if she's been doing it for a long time.

She pursed her lips and, out of Lan Xiu's sight, traced marks on the stone table.

Why did her benefactor take her with him?

What is the relationship between her benefactor and her?

And what about herself? Has her benefactor already forgotten her?

My mind is full of thoughts, and I'm hesitant and uncertain.

Not to mention, there was that old beggar's saying.

"Believe in fate, for this is your greatest value in this life—to kill yourself and thus become a true [Supreme Creation]."

She looked up at the sky, a cold sky, where only two birds were flying, though they came from different places and flew to different places.

But the marks left by the brush were intertwined and inseparable.

Chapter 424 The Villain's Laughter

The new year brings joy to some and sorrow to others.

On New Year's Eve, fates intertwined in Yunxi City, and the fox tribe began its siege of the Flower Face Tree.

Yang Pingsheng didn't know the specifics of the encirclement and suppression, but he did know that Hua Yanshu escaped with serious injuries, the fox tribe was taken over by the Cultivation Palace, and a new clan leader was elected.

And that child, along with Lan Xiu, began to study at the cultivation academy.

All the relevant follow-up information was provided by the system, and it was specially marked to prevent the information from being too messy to understand.

Yang Pingsheng paused, looking at the child's final resting place, and sighed softly.

Entering the cultivation palace is not out of the question.

Lan Xiu's cultivation academy is also under the jurisdiction of the Kongling Sect. That child is Li Yaoyang's daughter. If her identity is made public, she can not only enter the cultivation academy, but also directly enter the outer sect to study.

"If we just look at it this way, does that mean the final outcome is that this child will end up with Lan Xiu...?"

Lan Xiu took the child to the cultivation academy to study. Once the child had mastered the skills, he could go on missions, and Lan Xiu would become the child's leader.

He tapped his shoulder, refilled his teacup, and the system, which had transformed into a rabbit, lay quietly beside him.

The sunlight shone on it, warm and comforting. It squinted its eyes, and after presenting the summarized intelligence to Yang Pingsheng, it lazily stayed there.

Um.......

Being a rabbit might not be so bad.

"In the cultivation academy, the leader is equivalent to the 'master' of the Void Spirit Sect. Is that a good thing? It adds another variable." Seeing that the system had no desire to speak, Yang Pingsheng took the initiative to ask.

The aroma of tea filled the air, a gentle breeze blew, the violets beside the table swayed, and wisps of steam rose. Yang Pingsheng's figure appeared both real and illusory. The system shook itself, transformed back into a ball of light, and shrank into Yang Pingsheng's arms.

"It's nothing serious, it just means the plan has been stretched out for longer. Some of the original preparations have been cancelled. We'll deal with them after Li Yaoyang finishes his seclusion," the system said.

"...When the seclusion ends," Yang Pingsheng sighed, "that's ten years from now."

Immortals live long lives, and each time they go into seclusion, they lose track of the year until the end.

Ten years is a long time; it can make a lot of things happen. Besides, by then, the Heroes' Demon-Slaying Gathering will be much closer.

"Sigh, but good things come to those who wait. Just hang in there. This is the third to last one. Once we finish them all, it will be over."

It's over now, that's good.

Outside the window, Li Chumo was tirelessly destroying ant nests. The leaves rustled in the wind. Yang Pingsheng glanced outside, making sure the other person couldn't see the system in his arms from his angle, before speaking:

"Yes, once it's finished, it'll be over."

I just don't know what kind of wish I would make back then.

At first, Yang Pingsheng thought about what he wanted to wish for, but later, in his first life, second life, and so on, he encountered more and more people and things, and his thoughts gradually changed.

"system."

He suddenly spoke softly, "I want to go into the city."

"Should we bring the female villain along?"

"I'm not bringing it anymore. I need an excuse. I want to take a vacation."

"it is good."

The system possesses the power to see through the essence of things; it can see that the soul has begun to crumble.

You always need to relax.

Or perhaps, what he wanted wasn't relaxation, the system thought, because only it could see that label deep within his soul and thereby understand Yang Pingsheng's desires and wants.

The Human Chess Project... aims to restrain the villains.

Yes, it's always the villains who are bound.

There have always been only villains or people destined to be villains.

"Okay, let's go together."

The system answered softly.