I Really Am A Villain Chapter 4 - Lin Ruhu
Previously on I Really Am A Villain...
Shortly after Xu Zimo departed, a hoarse chuckle echoed from the Scripture Vault's shadowy corner.
“Eh? Did that kid spot me earlier? Impossible…”
Returning to the first floor, Xu Zimo randomly selected a Yellow-grade Meridian technique.
In the Primordial Heartlands, every cultivation method and Meridian technique fell into one of eight ranks:
Universe, Galaxy, Star, Planet, Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.
Universe ranked supreme; Yellow sat at the bottom.
The manual he chose went by the name “Sword-Drawing Technique.”
It featured just a single action: unsheathing the sword.
Straightforward and ruthless: pull out your blade, and your foe's head tumbles off.
Like the proverb says: with a swift enough steed, not even a Grand Emperor can chase you down.
Hmm... utterly fearsome!
Draw your sword with enough speed, and you can sever even a Grand Emperor's head.
Exiting the Scripture Vault, Xu Zimo started to circulate the power sealed in the sphere inside him—power from his previous life's God Meridian Realm—to refine his physique.
His organs, meridians, and key channels fortified themselves visibly to the naked eye.
Crackling and popping noises resounded from deep within his frame.
His cultivation surged upward in a flash.
Mortal Realm – Stage One
Mortal Realm – Stage Two…Mortal Realm – Stage Nine!
Upon hitting the Mortal Realm's pinnacle, right before unlocking his initial meridian gate, he halted.
He refused to hastily enter the Spirit Meridian Realm; the sudden leap had shaken his foundation's stability.
A towering edifice rises from solid groundwork. He chose to solidify his base more before pushing ahead.
In the True Martial Sacred Ground stood a unique training spot named the Gravity Tower, designed to harden disciples' physiques.
This structure boasted ten floors, where gravity intensified almost ten times per level ascended.
En route to it, Xu Zimo got abruptly halted.
“Bro Zimo, hold up!” a shout rang out. A plump lad came huffing from afar.
Short-haired, with a candy stick between his lips and a trail of snot swinging from his nostril.
“Bro Zimo, no surprise I couldn't track you down today—you were tucked away here,” the plump boy remarked, smoothly wiping his nose and relishing a lick of his candy.
“Ruhu, long time no see,” Xu Zimo said warmly, gazing at the recognizable youth.
Lin Ruhu—that was his full name—the grandson of the sect's Third Grand Elder and Xu Zimo's boyhood accomplice.
He served as Xu Zimo's devoted follower, trailing after him and obeying every command.
During his prior life, Lin Ruhu lingered in the shadows, shunning the limelight. Yet his innate talent matched Xu Zimo's, if not surpassing it.
At the time, Xu Zimo believed his regal presence and divine allure inspired Lin Ruhu's adoration.
That illusion shattered in the late-life conflict, as Lin Ruhu intercepted a deadly sword strike aimed at Xu Zimo—one from the protagonist, Chu Yang.
Clutching the blood-drenched young man, Lin Ruhu bellowed, “Why? Why would you do this?!”
In his dying breaths, the youth unveiled the root of his unwavering loyalty.
At age ten, they had slipped from the sect and fallen under attack from a White-Eyed Tiger.
Xu Zimo positioned himself ahead, guarding Lin Ruhu, and urged him to flee.
Lin Ruhu questioned, “Why protect me?”
Xu Zimo could've simply abandoned him without issue.
Yet Xu Zimo answered simply, “Because we’re brothers. I’m the older one, you’re the younger one. That’s what it means, ‘brother’ comes first.”
From then on, unbeknownst to Xu Zimo, the pudgy child vowed in silence,
“For the rest of my life, I’ll stay by your side. Even if the sun and moon fade and the seas turn to dust, I’ll protect you.”
Catching Xu Zimo's words, Lin Ruhu appeared baffled. “What do you mean, ‘long time no see’? Weren't we together just yesterday?”
“Nothing at all,” Xu Zimo laughed lightly, shaking his head. “I'm off to the Gravity Tower for training. Wanna join?”
Lin Ruhu matched Xu Zimo's age closely; the moment had arrived for him to begin cultivation as well.
“Yeah, yeah!” Lin Ruhu bobbed his head enthusiastically. To him, anything Xu Zimo suggested was bound to be worthwhile.
…
Heading to the Gravity Tower, Xu Zimo eyed Lin Ruhu's look once more.
Snot dangling from his nose, casually flicked away, perpetually munching a candy stick...
He embodied peak childish messiness.
Xu Zimo had to comment, “Ruhu, maybe cut back on the sweets and clean your nose occasionally? Mind your appearance a bit.”
“What's bad about my look?” Lin Ruhu queried, perplexed.
Xu Zimo reasoned: they're youths entering the age of budding romances. Lin Ruhu ought to care about girls' opinions soon enough.
Thus, he shifted tactics: “Bet you fancy someone. But in this state, who's gonna like you back? Listen to me: tidy up some. You might just capture her affection.”
Lin Ruhu, looking even more baffled, asked, “Why would I want to win her heart?”
“Feelings work both ways,” Xu Zimo explained. “You can’t have one-sided affection.”
“Her agreement isn’t necessary. I’ll make it happen by force,” Lin Ruhu replied bluntly.
“They say a forced melon isn’t sweet.”
“I get that,” Lin Ruhu nodded, “yet it still satisfies your thirst.”
“...Damn it,” Xu Zimo halted his steps, utterly shocked. “You’re some kind of genius.”
“How can you deliver the silliest lines so seriously and make them sound logical?!”
…
Reaching the Gravity Tower, its oval form came into view, crafted in the style of a pagoda.
Numerous disciples were already cultivating within.
Using the Gravity Tower required payment. Sect disciples finished missions to gain contribution points, trading them for entry time.
Yet for Xu Zimo and Lin Ruhu, given their identities, contribution points never posed an issue.
The tower’s first floor doubled the gravity, while every floor above intensified it ten times over.