But Wife, I Really Am a Villain!

Yang Huo's eyes snapped open, greeted by the familiar darkness of the void realm. As he pushed himself into a sitting position, a sharp, stinging pain surged through his head, halting him mid-motion.

All at once, it felt as though a lock deep within his consciousness had shattered. Knowledge surged forth from the recesses of his mind, flooding him with fragments of worldly knowledge.

The influx was overwhelming, leaving him dizzy and nauseous. His stomach churned uncomfortably, but despite the physical discomfort, Yang Huo's focus remained on the chaos unfolding in his mind.

Before he could steady himself, a screen flickered into his shaky vision, accompanied by a familiar, cheery voice.

[Did you miss me, Host?]

Although the owl was absent, Yang Huo instantly recognized the familiar tone. The System had finally returned.

[No need to be shy, I'm sure you did!]

[Anyway, congrats on your synchronization!] it continued, punctuating the words with a cheerful, celebratory toot.

But Yang Huo ignored the System entirely, his focus entirely on processing the sudden influx of fragmented information flooding him. He barely reacted, his silence intentional.

Oblivious to his indifference, the System continued.

[Hehe, are you wondering what Body and Soul synchronization means?]

[It's very simple actually! It's—]

Yang Huo clicked his tongue sharply. "Quiet!" His voice cut through the System's chatter with an unmistakable edge of irritation.

[...Eh?] The System faltered, momentarily stunned by the coldness in his tone.

H-Had it been gone for too long? Was Yang Huo angry that it disappeared without notice?

Yang Huo's gaze sharpened. 'Will you answer me if I ask where I am right now?'

When the System heard his sudden question, the System hesitated. The System naturally knows the answer. But....

[W-well...]

Yang Huo pressed further, his tone cutting. 'Then will you answer me if I ask how the original Yang Huo is still alive?'

[N-not really…]

Yang Huo had long learned that the System rarely gave anything for free. It wouldn't even bother to inform him that he was a guest in the Su residence, let alone explain this bizarre situation he found himself in. Expecting it to offer answers now would be laughable.

Yang Huo's gaze remained cold as he let out a slow, measured breath, 'Do you not see the situation I'm in? I've been dragged into god-knows-what, stabbed in the back by a dead person, forced to relive their memories, only to wake up alive, yet still trapped in this place—with the enemy nowhere to be seen.'

At first, his words carried a sharp irritation, but as he spoke, the edge dulled. The emotions drained from his voice, leaving a detached, matter-of-fact delivery.

'So unless you have something useful to help me right now, be quiet.'

The System hesitated, then replied meekly. [Y-yes…]

It felt wronged, all it wanted was to congratulate him, why did it got scolded?

But Yang Huo's commanding presence was too overwhelming. To say anything more felt... unwise.

After removing the distraction, Yang Huo no longer had his attention on the System anymore.

Body and Soul synchronization? The term was self-explanatory enough. With a bit of logical deduction, it was likely triggered by his death.

That wasn't hard to infer on his own.

Right now, the priority was to get out of this accursed place. And finding out why that suddenly-alive-man was nowhere to be seen.

Yang Huo's mind churned as he began analyzing.

The first clue came from the System itself. The person it declared dead had supposedly been alive—alive enough to stab him, no less. Yet the System showed no signs of alarm or acknowledgment to this. Strange.

The System may be stingy, but it had no reason to be deceitful. If it had been wrong about something as critical as the original Yang Huo's death, it wouldn't shamelessly brush it off so easily.

'Could it be that the one I saw isn't the real Yang Huo?' he mused.

Assuming the original Yang Huo was truly dead, who was the person that stabbed him?

Whoever it was, they clearly knew he had taken over this body. But how? He'd only been in this world for mere hours.

If this imposter had been close to the original Yang Huo, it made even less sense. What kind of person would stage such a grotesque charade—pretending to be a dead man returned to life—only to strike once before vanishing?

Just to terrify him?

Yang Huo's gaze swept across his surroundings. The void remained infinite and featureless, offering no answers. Darkness stretched endlessly around him, swallowing every direction.

He was utterly alone in this unending abyss.

'Just where the hell am I?'

One moment, he had been sitting in the guest room. The next, that person had dragged him into this surreal realm, right under the noses of the Su family experts.

How?

The Body and Soul synchronization hadn't given him the original body's memories. Instead, it filled his mind with ingrained knowledge—common knowledge, the kind so basic it operated near the subconscious level.

Meridians, cultivation stages, the societal roles of cultivators, even the general prices of mundane goods—it all surged into his awareness as though it had always been there, filling gaps he hadn't known existed.

At first glance, it seemed mediocre. But to him, it was invaluable.

As someone new to this world, information—especially the kind no one thought to explain—was his greatest limitation. How could he learn what he didn't even know existed? And how could he ask the right questions when others assumed he already knew the answers?

This newfound knowledge bridged that gap, allowing him to piece together the basics of this world's logic.

And it was precisely this clarity that made the strangeness of this realm all the more apparent.

This abstract, undefined space was too intricate and bizarre for just anyone to create. Those capable of such a feat wouldn't need such a convoluted method to attack him.

Yang Huo lowered his gaze, inspecting his chest. Not a single speck of blood marred his robes, not even a tear where the blade had pierced. His clothing was pristine, free from dust or wear. It was as though the stabbing had never happened.

'Healing me is one thing,' he thought, his eyes narrowing. 'But my clothes too? What am I supposed to believe? That this person reversed time and space to undo it all?'

Absurd.

No, the simpler explanation was that this was the properties of the realm itself. Perhaps an illusionary space? But if it was all a mental trick, how had it triggered the Body and Soul synchronization?

The synchronization wasn't something that could occur without a significant catalyst. It should require more than mere mental manipulation—something deeply tied to his soul within this body.

As he considered confirming the synchronization's trigger with the System, a sudden thought cut through his analysis.

Until now, he had assumed Su Meiying's necklace was the key to his being transported here—a medium used to pull him into this place, or perhaps even the realm itself.

It was a reasonable assumption.

But what if he was wrong?