My Disciples Are All Villains

Gu Xunhe locked eyes with Qin Gou, his gaze filled with murderous intent and madness.

For ten tense seconds, the two men stared each other down. Qin Gou began flexing his right hand, readying himself.

“You’re not worth my time!”

Finally, Gu Xunhe’s face darkened as he turned on his heel and stormed away, his robes billowing behind him.

The forces eyeing the Forgotten Self Mystic Realm weren’t limited to the Seed Demon Holy Sect. Gu Xunhe couldn’t afford to waste his strength on internal conflicts with someone like Qin Gou, whom he saw as a mad dog.

***

“Big Brother!”

Gu Yinjiao caught up to Gu Xunhe, his face incredulous. “You’re just going to let that little bastard act so arrogantly?”

“Let it go?” Gu Xunhe’s lips twitched with barely contained rage. “This isn’t over. When the Mystic Realm opens, I’ll show that Qin brat what true cruelty looks like.”

Gu Yinjiao frowned. “What are you so worried about? Do you really think that kid would dare slap you like he said? He wouldn’t dare!”

Gu Xunhe gave his brother a strange look. “He’s already done it once.”

***

“Why hasn’t the Mystic Realm opened yet? We’ve been here for two days,” Qin Gou asked, puzzled, as he turned to Gu Feiyan.

Gu Feiyan held the map of the Forgotten Self Mystic Realm, her expression calm. “Soon. Father said that once strange phenomena begin to appear, it means the Mystic Realm is opening. At that point, we just need to jump into the well to enter.”

“The well? What well?”

Gu Feiyan shot him an exasperated look. “This used to be a bustling village. What kind of well do you think? A water well, obviously.”

“Senior Sister Gu, Junior Brother Qin, look! There are two suns in the sky!” Liu Ying exclaimed, pointing upward in awe.

“Find the well!” Gu Feiyan ordered.

The group quickly entered the nearest courtyard, where an ordinary-looking well glowed with an eerie blue light.

“I’ll go first!” Hu Le said, leaping into the well without hesitation.

Silence followed.

“Hu Le!”

No matter how much they called, there was no response—not even the sound of him hitting the bottom.

“It seems Hu Le has successfully entered the Mystic Realm,” Gu Feiyan observed. She glanced at the others, smiling faintly before gracefully jumping into the well.

Qin Gou followed close behind.

***

As soon as he entered the well, Qin Gou felt as though he were sinking into a vast ocean. He descended through icy waters before reaching a warm, tranquil depth. Darkness surrounded him, obscuring everything.

Then, a heavy drowsiness washed over him.

***

“Master, let me massage your shoulders.”

At Arc Moon Mountain.

Cranes soared through the sky, and spirit monkeys frolicked in the trees. The serene scene was like something out of a celestial paradise.

Ye Qishuang stood behind Qin Gou, her hands skillfully kneading his shoulders. Her voice was soft and fragrant as she said, “Master, we’re all grown up now. You don’t need to worry about us so much anymore. You should enjoy life for yourself. We’ll always remember your teachings: ‘Act righteously and uphold justice.’ We wouldn’t dare forget.”

Qin Gou closed his eyes, smiling warmly. “I trust you, Qishuang. You’ve always been kind-hearted, even as a child. You’d forgive those who bullied you and even plead on their behalf. I know you’d never misuse the skills I taught you to harm others. If you ever did, I’d write my name backward, haha!”

“Master, stop treating me like the silly girl I used to be!” Ye Qishuang pouted, giving him a playful glare.

“Ah, but the one I worry about most is Xinting,” Qin Gou said with a sigh. “He’s always been mistaken for a girl because of his delicate looks. I’m afraid he might hold a grudge and do something he’ll regret.”

“Master, you’re badmouthing me again! I heard that!” Zhao Xinting appeared, dressed in white and smiling sweetly. “But I have a surprise for you!”

“Oh?” Qin Gou’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Master, as the head of the Purple Pole Holy Land, I’ve been elected leader of the Righteous Alliance by my peers. I now command the entire righteous path! Aren’t you proud of me?” Zhao Xinting said, beaming.

“Is that true?” Qin Gou asked, his voice filled with joy.

“Would I lie to you, Master?”

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!”

“Master, I have good news too!” Qiu Qianyue chimed in, appearing like a mischievous sprite. She perched on the armrest of Qin Gou’s chair, stealing two spirit fruits from the table. “My father announced my martial arts tournament for marriage. The line of suitors stretches from Arc Moon Mountain all the way to Senior Brother’s Purple Pole Holy Land!”

“And that brat Man’er has been making waves on the High Virtue Hero Rankings. They’re calling her the ‘Righteous Sword Fairy.’”

“Even Little Five—Ah Yuan—has gone down the mountain to find his long-lost mother. He says he has a huge surprise for you. You’ll never guess who she is!”

“Master, why are you crying?”

Qin Gou wiped his eyes, forcing a smile. “Crying? No, I’m just so happy. Seeing all of you grow up and become so accomplished, it’s more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m so proud of you all.”

“Now that I don’t have to worry about you anymore, I’ve been thinking. I still have so many years left to live. Spending them all in secluded cultivation would be too dull. I’ve decided to write a book. I’ll call it My Disciples Are All Villains. I’ll include all of you, but I’ll make your characters the exact opposite of who you really are. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I’ll definitely support it,” Ye Qishuang said, her smile radiant.

Zhao Xinting added confidently, “I’ll make it required reading for all my disciples. They’ll marvel at their Grandmaster’s literary talent.”

“And I’ll make it a rule: anyone who hasn’t read Master’s book can’t participate in my martial arts tournament!” Qiu Qianyue said, her fox-like grin mischievous as she finished off the spirit fruits.

“Good, good. You’re all such good kids. It’s a shame… none of this is real.”

Suddenly, Qin Gou’s smile turned self-deprecating. As soon as he spoke, the world around him began to darken.

Ye Qishuang, Zhao Xinting, and Qiu Qianyue all turned to him, their gazes eerie and unnatural.

“Master, have you lost your mind?” they said in unison.