The Reincarnated Villain Can Break the Fourth Wall!-Chapter 81: Trial of Shadows!

The Sect Hall.

Whoosh!

Su Xiaobai stepped through towering doors etched with phoenixes and dragons locked in eternal battle. The hall yawned out like a beast’s belly, lit by jade lanterns that floated around like drunken fireflies, casting long shadows.

Rows of elders lined the sides, their robes a vivid display of sect hierarchy. Fire Peak Elders glowed in red like walking coals, Verdant Peak’s green robes oozed ’look at us, we’re so earthy,’ and Frost Peak’s icy blue screamed, ’don’t talk to me.’ But their faces? Predatory. Every single one of them. Like hawks eyeing a chicken dinner.

Yeah, the hall was exactly what Su Xiaobai had imagined—stuffy, judgmental, and packed with people he wouldn’t piss on if they were on fire.

’Vultures. All of them. Just waiting for me to trip so they can claw me to bits.’

His eye twitched. Not a single "regular" elder in sight.

Nope, every seat was occupied by a Peak Lord, the highest echelon of power, who flaunted their freedom from uniform constraints.

Meanwhile, the regular elders were stuck with their grape-colored uniforms.

Seriously, who thought ’purple’ was intimidating?

Wait—scratch that. There was one grape.

Elder Xu An. Oh, great. The same guy who’d watched him "discipline" some bratty disciples earlier and didn’t lift a finger because Elder Han had been nearby. And now? There he was, standing next to the Sect Master.

Su Xiaobai’s eyebrow twitched harder. This guy? Su Xiaobai thought he was just a mid-level watchdog, barking at juniors for fun. But now he’s playing the big dog next to the Sect Master?

Judging by the Sect Master’s face, even he wasn’t thrilled about the reshuffling.

Little did Su Xiaobai know, the Sect Master was having the same ’what the hell’ moment.

’Someone standing beside Bai Yujian? She doesn’t escort anyone—not even Liu Zhenhai, her other disciple. What game is she playing now?’

Before Su Xiaobai could puzzle it out, his gaze snagged on Liu Chenfu, the Peak Lord of Stormfire Peak, whose fiery glare practically screamed die.

Ah, right. He ’accidentally’ crippled some of his disciples today. Boo-hoo. Not Su Xiaobai’s fault they couldn’t handle a little sparring. Discover exclusive tales on novelbuddy

Some elders looked like they wanted to roast him alive; others seemed torn between annoyance and reluctant respect. Su Xiaobai smiled to himself. Guess today’s big event is "How to Screw Over Su Xiaobai."

And then, he saw her.

A woman lounging in her chair like she owned the place, waving at him as if they were best friends from another life. Her green robe hugged her figure like it was sewn by a pervert, not exposing much but somehow making him feel like it didn’t need to.

She looked like she belonged in a pleasure house, not a Sect Hall—breathtaking, sultry, and completely out of place.

Su Xiaobai blinked. ’Do I know her?’

Before he could sort through his mental catalog of mistakes and regrets, the Sect Master’s voice echoed sharply, "Qingqing, behave yourself."

The room collectively snapped to attention as the woman—Qingqing, apparently—dropped her hand with a lazy smile. But her gaze stayed locked on Su Xiaobai, gleaming with amusement, like she knew something he didn’t.

Her eyes sent a chill down his spine.

What is she? A predator? A serial heartbreaker?

"Ahem." Bai Yujian’s cold glare shut Qingqing up faster than a slapped talisman. Straightening her posture, Qingqing gave the Bai Yujian a fake smile but couldn’t resist sneaking glances at Su Xiaobai.

’Who the hell is this woman?’ Su Xiaobai’s brain buzzed with questions.

And why is she interested in him?

His irritation bubbled up. Don’t tell me they’re about to drop a bomb like, "Hey, Su Xiaobai, congrats on your new psycho wife." No thanks. He’s not signing up for a lifetime of dodging a woman who can kill him by sneezing.

Finally, his gaze landed on the Sect Master himself—a man who looked like he balanced calm wisdom and imminent homicide on the daily. With his silver-streaked hair and calm but intimidating presence, the guy felt like a volcano pretending it wasn’t about to blow.

But compared to Bai Yujian? He was—somehow—tame.

"Su Xiaobai," the Sect Master’s voice boomed, shaking the hall like thunderclouds rolling in. "Do you know why you’ve been summoned here?"

Su Xiaobai fought the urge to roll his eyes. ’Why else? To slap my wrist in front of everyone, hand me a reward under the table, and act all magnanimous about it.’

Instead, he bowed respectfully, his face a perfect mask of clueless innocence. "This humble disciple is unsure, Sect Master. I can only hope I haven’t disgraced the sect."

A loud snort broke the silence. Of course, it was Liu Chenfu, who spat, "Disgrace? You practically set the outer court on fire!"

Another elder chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You crippled eight of our disciples! How do you plan to compensate for that, boy?"

Su Xiaobai’s eye twitched. *L’Compensate? Maybe they should compensate me for wasting my time.’

He smiled politely. "Apologies, elders. But perhaps your disciples shouldn’t walk the path of cultivation if they’re scared of minor fights."

"!!"

The room went dead silent.

Yan Zhenwu, the elder who spoke, looked like someone had just slapped him with a fish. "What did you—?"

’Yep, told him to fuck off. Politely.’

The murmurs began, low and scornful, but Su Xiaobai didn’t care. He kept his head down and thought, ’Let them argue. Old people love to bicker. It’s like their sport.’

Finally, Bai Yujian’s icy voice cut through the noise. "Enough."

The room fell silent.

"My disciple broke no rules," she declared, her gaze sweeping over the elders like a blade. "If any of you still shamelessly demand compensation, perhaps you should reconsider your qualifications as Peak Lords. This is the path of cultivation, not a playground. Disciples will clash, and they will suffer. That is their reality. Stop embarrassing yourselves."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Even Su Xiaobai, who always had a comeback locked and loaded, found himself momentarily speechless.

Damn. Savage.

Did she just, in her cold, elegant way, tell them all to fuck off?

The Sect Master nodded, his tone measured. "For better or worse, the boy has shown potential."

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Su Xiaobai nearly snorted. Here it comes. The ’potential’ speech.

"However," the Sect Master continued, his voice turning sharp, "potential without discipline is a disaster waiting to happen."

Before he could finish, Bai Yujian’s gaze landed on Su Xiaobai, she added with an confident smile, "That is why he will undergo the Sect’s Trial of Shadows."

The murmurs erupted once more, louder this time.

Su Xiaobai’s lips twitched. ’Trial of Shadows? What next, public execution?’

This wasn’t part of the script, okay. Could we please stick to the original plan where he didn’t end up as some sacrificial lamb for everyone’s entertainment?

He glanced at Bai Yujian. She stood there with her parasol, smiling like the trial was a done deal. Her confidence was maddening. ’Does she think I’m some righteous hero here to prove my worth? Lady, my heart’s not a shrine—it’s a den of thieves, and they’re armed.’

Zhao Tianxuan, the Sect Master, was just as stunned, his eyes shining with a complicated light.

He knew Bai Yujian’s true identity—a figure far beyond their crumbling sect’s grasp. He had planned to let Su Xiaobai off lightly, but her suggestion? It changed everything.

"So be it," Zhao Tianxuan declared, his voice firm. "Prepare him for the Trial of Shadows."

The words hit like a hammer, sealing Su Xiaobai’s fate.

He let out a slow breath, suppressing the urge to laugh. ’A trial to test my soul? What are they expecting? A spotless saint? My soul’s a bottomless pit, and I’m the one who dug it.’

The Trial of Shadows was infamous, designed to strip a cultivator bare, forcing them to confront their deepest truths.

Bai Yujian, of course, looked utterly unbothered, twirling her parasol like this was all part of her master plan. Her serene smile only made her look more dangerous.

’She’s either testing me or setting me up to fail spectacularly. Knowing her, she’s probably in her delusional phase again.’

The elders whispered among themselves, some gleeful, others wary. He could feel their anticipation, their hunger to see him stumble.

’Dream on,’ Su Xiaobai thought, his lips curling into a sharp smile. ’You want a villain? I’ll give you a villain.’

That sharp smile, however, didn’t last long. It faded into nothingness the moment reality came crashing down.

What the hell...

That was Su Xiaobai’s first coherent thought as he was unceremoniously shoved into a pitch-black chamber. The air was filled with swirling mist, the kind that kissed his skin and seeped into his lungs, making him feel like he was drowning on dry land.

Everywhere he looked, the mist stretched endlessly, a suffocating eternity where nothing existed but shadow and silence.

Then came the voice.

[MAKE YOUR CHOICE, WARRIOR. WHO WOULD YOU SAVE?]

The words didn’t simply echo—they drilled into his mind, buzzing with an unnatural intensity. Su Xiaobai winced, clutching his head as the sound reverberated inside his skull.

"!"

When his eyes finally focused, he froze.

In front of him, illuminated by an eerie, ghostly light, were faces he never thought he’d see again. Faces from a past he had buried deep, faces that shouldn’t be here.

’What kind of sick joke is this?’