[Simulation Officially Begins]
[Age 0: You are born. You are one of the descendants of the Ten Lords, destined to inherit the throne of the Ten Lords in the future.]
Renji was startled—this origin was extraordinary.
Everyone in the Xianzhou Alliance knew that the Marshal governed life, while the Ten Lords presided over death.
All Xianzhou natives would eventually succumb to the Mara-struck state, and the Ten Lords Commission was responsible for guiding those who fell into it.
Additionally, the Ten Lords Commission handled major cases within the Xianzhou. Under special circumstances, they could even arrest a Xianzhou general.
This institution, which predated Lan's ascension to divinity, was not only ancient but also wielded immense power.
Being born as a descendant of the Ten Kings practically made him one of the top-tier second-generation elites in the Xianzhou Alliance.
Truly worthy of a golden trait.
But what surprised Renji even more came next.
[Age 1: Your family begins training your body using an ancient, inherited method to prepare you for learning the arts of the Underworld.]
[Age 2: While other children are just learning to speak, you are already receiving basic education.]
[Age 3: While other children are playing freely, you are already undergoing simple training.]
[Age 5: You happen to hear rumors about a swordswoman named 'Jingliu.']
[Countless denizens of the Abundance have fallen beneath her sword: the Winged Ones' Feather Guards, the Abundance-worshipping Nest Fathers, even titanic war beasts towering like mountains couldn't withstand a single strike.]
[A sudden conflict arises in your heart…]
[1. You want to become Jingliu's disciple.]
[2. You don't.]
Any seasoned gamer would know that the obvious choice here was '1,' otherwise the game's plot would hardly progress.
Yet Renji decisively chose '2,' embodying pure rebellion.
Just kidding—he actually wanted to test whether this would lead to multiple endings and how it might affect his evaluation.
After Renji made his choice, the simulation continued.
[From then on, you grow up, undergoing the family's rigorous training throughout your childhood.]
[You gradually heard more about Jingliu—her endless military feats, and even her capture of the Helm Master Hulei of the Vidyadhara's enemies, which secured the Foxian people as the Xianzhou's most loyal allies.]
[The last time you heard news of Jingliu, she had become the Sword Champion of the Luofu, the undefeated symbol of the Cloud Knights, thanks to her past achievements... That year, you were 18.]
[You joined the Ten Lords Commission and became a Judge.]
[During an operation to capture a heavily afflicted Mara-struck criminal, your skills proved insufficient. The criminal pierced your heart and head.]
[You died.]
[Simulation ended. Evaluation too low. No rewards obtained.]
Renji's lips twitched.
That was a rather... abrupt way to die.
Not only was it abrupt, but also suspicious.
As a distinguished descendant of the Ten Lords and a top-tier second-generation figure of the Xianzhou Alliance, to die at the hands of a criminal—nine times out of nine, it was an assassination plot.
The position of the Ten Lords is one of immense power and prestige, so naturally, there are those who do not wish to see him ascend to it.
It seems the title of "Descendant of the Ten Lords" is a double-edged sword—granting Renji a higher starting point, yet also bringing him greater danger.
Moreover, he quickly discerned a way to break through this predicament.
In truth, the simulator had already made it clear to him: he was outmatched in strength, leading to his defeat at the hands of the criminal.
Thus, as long as he could attain sufficient strength before the event began, he could smoothly overcome this obstacle.
The white-tier "Accumulated Experience" was clearly insufficient to grant him the power to turn the tables.
Only with a purple or even gold-tier "Accumulated Experience" might he amass enough strength.
But herein lay the problem—if he already possessed purple or gold-tier traits, would he still need to repeatedly grind this beginner-level simulation scenario filled with white-tier traits?
Obviously not.
Having realized this, Renji initiated the simulation once more.
[Age 0: You are born as one of the descendants of the Ten Lords, destined to inherit the throne of the Ten Lords in the future.]
...
Soon, the critical choice arrived.
This time, Renji decisively selected "1"—to seek Jingliu as his master.
The simulation swiftly branched into a different path.
[You express your desire to become Jingliu's disciple, much to your family's displeasure. Given your family's influence, they could even arrange for the Marshal of the Xianzhou to take you as a disciple at some cost. Why should you settle for an "unknown nobody"?]
[You persist in your decision. Coupled with Jingliu's extraordinary talent—her repeated victories against formidable foes and rising fame—your family reluctantly agrees to let you become her disciple.]
[Jingliu, merely a Cloud Knight Lieutenant at the time, naturally could not refuse the "request" of the Ten Lords' family. She takes you as her disciple, and you become her first apprentice.]
Renji stroked his chin. At this point, Jingliu had not yet succumbed to Mara—she was a swordsman of lofty ideals and ambitions, a bold and heroic warrior.
Once Mara took hold of her, she became cold, deranged, and ruthless. If someone dared to threaten her then, she might just cut them down on the spot.
[Having been forced to accept you as a disciple, Jingliu initially treated you with indifference. Moreover, this was her first time as a teacher, and her own master had perished before properly instructing her. Thus, Jingliu was exceptionally strict with you.]
[She often held you to the standards of an adult in training, perhaps hoping you would give up in the face of hardship.]
[Despite the grueling training that even adults struggled with, you gritted your teeth and persevered, never slacking off.]
[Age 6: A year passed, and your unwavering determination gradually moved Jingliu. She began to teach you earnestly.]
[Age 16: Ten years passed, and you realized your talent in swordsmanship was limited. Though you trained diligently every day and made progress over time, your growth paled in comparison to some prodigies of the blade.]
Renji sighed. It seemed the white-tier "Accumulated Experience" had some effect, but not enough. To achieve rapid progress in swordsmanship, he'd likely need a specialized trait like "Sword Prodigy."
Fortunately, survival in Xianzhou relied not on brute strength but on social acumen.
Meanwhile, the simulation continued.
[Jingliu's battle record grows ever brighter—slaying feathered guards of the Wingmakers, hive fathers of the Vidyadhara, and behemoth war-beasts like mountains—all in one stroke.]
[You look at the sword in your hand, then at your master Jingliu. The radiance around her grows ever brighter, and the distance between you seems to stretch further. An inexplicable emotion quietly stirs within your heart...]
Renji couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. So soon? The corruption of filial piety—truly worthy of the Villain Simulator, showing no mercy at all.
Unbidden, the image of that frosty, heroic swordswoman flashed through Renji's mind.
If it's Jingliu... well, that wouldn't be so bad!
[Age 18: Jingliu captures the Foxian war leader Hoolay alive, forging an alliance between the Foxians and the Xianzhou.]
[You gaze at your master's increasingly dazzling figure, desire flaring within you like flames—a fierce longing called possessiveness.]
["She's mine! Mine alone!"]
[You swear this silently in your heart.]
[As a swordsman, especially one seasoned in battle, Jingliu is acutely sensitive to malice. Having spent day and night together, she seems faintly aware of your little thoughts.]
Oh no! Am I really going to die this quickly?!
Renji stared in shock at the simulation's display.
The number of Abundance slain by Jingliu's hand could be counted in the tens of thousands.
Renji's mind conjured an image of Jingliu, eyes blood-red, filled with madness and icy killing intent, wielding a razor-sharp crystalline greatsword as corpses impaled by icicles littered the ground around her...
Renji frowned in distress.
Why couldn't you just focus on learning swordsmanship properly? Why did you have to go and become a rebellious disciple? And worse—get caught!
Renji could already envision the tragic scene of himself being sliced into several pieces by Jingliu.
How to turn this around now?
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