My Disciples Are All Villains Chapter 1: The Patriarch of Villains
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Those so-called notable orthodox sects are too despicable! How could they take advantage of others’ difficulties? Let me go out and slaughter them all!”
“Third Senior Brother, don’t be reckless and fall for their tricks.”
“Fifth Junior Sister is right. We must not panic right now. Even if Master cannot fight, they can’t cause too much trouble with the four of us here.”
“But, the top ten orthodox experts of the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm are all here! Besides, Master’s condition...”
“Be quiet, all of you! Can’t you see Master is resting?”
Amid the clamor of a heated argument, Lu Zhou gradually opened his eyes. Chaotic memories pierced his mind like countless sharp needles, while disjointed visions swiftly assembled in his thoughts.
‘Where is this?’
‘What happened to me?’
A torrent of memory fragments overwhelmed him!
‘Wait...what? I’ve become Ji Tiandao, the evil Patriarch?’ Astonishment filled Lu Zhou as he gazed at the scene before him.
A gazebo atop Golden Court Mountain, four wicked disciples nearby, and tens of thousands of orthodox cultivators massed at the base...
More memories kept surging into him...
Ji Tiandao had accepted nine disciples in his lifetime—all mighty villains who dominated various lands and sowed chaos far and wide.
Yu Zhenghai, his eldest disciple, betrayed him to establish his own Sect. He now ruled as leader of the infamous Nether Sect, Great Yan’s foremost evil Sect.
Yu Shangrong, his second disciple and a sword prodigy, had transformed into the dreaded Sword Devil. He roamed challenging masters everywhere, striking down foes at the slightest offense.
His third, fourth, and fifth disciples ventured out sporadically to stir trouble, but thankfully stayed rooted on Golden Court Mountain.
Ye Tianxin, the sixth disciple, served as palace master of Derived Moon Palace. Backed by throngs of female cultivators, she bore the moniker Jadeface Shura.
Si Wuya, his seventh disciple, controlled a vast worldwide intelligence network. A cunning and devious villain, he once sparked a devastating war through tactics of division, inflicting countless deaths and immeasurable woe.
Zhu Honggong, the eighth disciple, seized the title of Evil King just a few years after descending the mountain.
Ci Yuan’er, his ninth disciple, joined latest and remained his most favored. She was the only one with a trace of conscience left, always lingering on the mountain.
Regrettably, Ji Tiandao had endured nearly a thousand years, nearing a cultivator’s lifespan limit. With age, his hold over the nine disciples slackened, as did his fearsome aura. Ultimately, five turned against him, severely undermining his supremacy.
One month earlier, the ten premier orthodox experts laid a trap and assaulted the wicked Patriarch together. Ji Tiandao clashed with the ten alone, ending in a deadlock.
Presently, orthodox Sect elites gathered at the mountain’s foot, preparing their assault.
Golden Court Mountain confronted a crisis like never before.
Lu Zhou felt at a loss between laughter and tears. When he attempted to stand, he collapsed back down, nearly toppling over. Emptiness and frailty gripped his body.
“Master seems to be awake!”
“Master!”
The four disciples, who had waited patiently outside the gazebo, streamed in and prostrated before Lu Zhou. He swept his gaze over them and cleared his throat.
He stayed silent.
Every disciple before him was a ruthless villain, and the defection of the other five stood as a grim lesson.
“How do you feel, Master?” asked his third disciple, Duanmu Sheng, with worry.
“I’m fine.”
Delight spread across the four disciples’ faces.
“Master... the experts of the orthodox sects are at the foot of the mountain now. I’m worried that it won’t take them too long to break the defensive shield,” said Mingshi Yin, his fourth disciple.
Lu Zhou willed himself to composure. In this instant, fully merging with Ji Tiandao’s memories and body was his sole path forward.
“Why don’t I go out and ask Eldest Senior Brother to come back and help? Considering his relationship with Master, he should not sit by idly. He is now the sect leader of the Nether Sect, with thousands of minions under him.”
“Or maybe Seventh Junior Brother, he’s a witty man...”
“Master...”
“Shut up!” Lu Zhou cut them off. ‘Stay calm, no panicking. Regardless, I’m their Master, leader of these villains. I mustn’t reveal my vanished cultivation base. If I do, I’ll be helpless like meat on the block—these four disciples would slay me before the orthodox foes outside even get the chance.’
“The shield of Golden Court Mountain can endure for a while longer. Why are you all panicking?” Lu Zhou scolded sharply.
Shame colored the faces of the four disciples as they hung their heads low, not daring to utter another syllable.
“Old Third, what were you saying earlier?” Lu Zhou inquired, mimicking Ji Tiandao’s exact tone.
Ji Tiandao, that ancient monster who had survived a millennium, possessed a mindset superior to most. Lu Zhou, however, picked things up quickly. With their memories fused together, a bit of imitation without slip-ups would keep any oddities hidden from them.
“Master, please summon Eldest Senior Brother back to lend us his aid,” Duanmu Sheng replied. As he saluted with a cupped fist and bowed, he sneaked a quick peek at Lu Zhou.
With a sigh and a shake of his head, Lu Zhou declared, “Ten great experts ambushed me together, and I only managed a tie after a fierce fight. You really believe no one orchestrated this?”
A subtle shift crossed Duanmu Sheng’s face. “Master, are you implying that Eldest Senior Brother plotted against you from the shadows?”
For years, Ji Tiandao had dominated the world without mishap. Age had weakened his power and diminished his fearsome reputation. Still, taking him down wasn’t simple. Such a flawless ambush required intimate knowledge of his every detail.
Yu Zhenghai, the eldest disciple, understood his master most deeply, while Si Wuya excelled in schemes—making both prime suspects.
Mingshi Yin, the fourth disciple, spat curses, “Those ungrateful bast*rds! Not content with abandoning Golden Court Mountain, they even dared to scheme against Master!”
“Without the shield, they’d probably be storming the mountain right this instant!”
“...”
“Enough!”
The sharp command silenced the room instantly. Lu Zhou’s tone carried clear irritation as he continued, “Think I’m clueless about your thoughts? You all wish for my demise, right?”
“Ah?”
In a flash, the four disciples knelt and chorused, “This disciple wouldn’t dare!”
Lu Zhou eyed them coldly, snorting before he spoke, “Each of you has reached the Divine Court realm’s mastery, and like your Eldest and Second Senior Brothers, you might enter the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm within mere years. When that happens, how could your Master possibly keep you in check?”
“One day’s teacher is a father for life! We’d never turn against Master!” The four disciples prostrated themselves.
Drawing in a deep breath, Lu Zhou felt his prior mental readiness fray a bit amid this tense scene.
“Go now. I’ve got my strategy to repel these foes.”
“Understood!” Obediently, the four disciples withdrew.
‘Strategy be damned—I just crave some peace.’ Relief washed over Lu Zhou at last; he realized his back was drenched in cold sweat from earlier. ‘Gotta steady myself. Easier said than done with four traitorous disciples ready to pounce anytime and hordes of self-righteous cultivators outside?’
‘Ji Tiandao, what mess did you leave that I must sort out?’
‘Not enough to sin on your own—you had to raise a pack of villainous disciples too?’
‘Curse you! Death was too kind!’
‘How do I tackle foes inside and out with this frail, barely mobile old frame?’
‘Any other dimension traveler got it worse than me?’
“Ding! Task completed. Time taken: 1,000 years. Complete 9/9 of the task of inheriting and teaching.”
“The merit system is officially activated.”
‘Eh?’ Lu Zhou’s heart skipped. ‘The golden finger arrives!’
Clarity struck him on why Ji Tiandao had nurtured nine wicked disciples.
Alas, a lifetime’s toil merely smoothed the path for betrayers—a millennium wasted!
The system panel materialized, displaying a faint blue screen before Lu Zhou’s vision.
Name: Ji Tiandao
Race: Human
Cultivation Base: The ninth-tier of Body Tempering
Merit Points: -100,000 (Can be used to exchange life force, lucky draw, etc.)
Remaining life: 3 days
Items: None
Cultivation Techniques: None
Other functions: Lucky draw, shopping mall.
...
‘-100,000!’ Lu Zhou’s eyes bulged as he mused, ‘For real? Minus a hundred thousand merit points? Fine, dump me in an old geezer’s body—but this? And only 3 days left to live?’
“Reassessing...”
“Wrong information corrected. Ji Tiandao is now changed to Lu Zhou.”
“Ding! A prerequisite task of the primary mission is triggered: Drive back the enemies.”
“Complete the prerequisite task and correct yourself, then the merit points will be zeroed.”
“Detected that the host is too weak. A novice gift pack is awarded. Do you want to open it?”
This barrage of notifications drew a pleased nod from Lu Zhou.
Now that’s what I’m talking about.
The prerequisite mission assigned by the system made perfect sense to him. After all, Ji Tiandao's entire life had been marked by infamous atrocities.
Thankfully, the system displayed fairness. It recognized how feeble this aged body truly was, thus granting him a beginner's gift pack.
“Open it.”
“Ding! You’ve received 1 x Reversal Card, which can provide some life force.”
“You’ve received 3 x Peak Form Cards, which grant 30 minutes of Ji Tiandao’s peak form.”
“You’ve received 5 x Critical Block Cards, which can block 5 fatal strikes for the host.”
‘These items aren’t bad at all.’ Lu Zhou checked his personal panel once again.
Name: Lu Zhou
Race: Human
Cultivation Base: The ninth-tier of Body Tempering
Merit Points: -100,000 (Will be zeroed if the prerequisite task is completed.)
Remaining life: 2 days and 23 hours...
Items: 3 x Ji Tiandao Peak Form Card, 5 x Critical Block Card (passive), 1 x Reversal Card.
Cultivation Techniques: None