The Birth of a Villainess

Bai Yan raised his head only to meet those dark obsidian eyes that were set on that impeccable handsome face. Those eyes were so intimidating that just staring at it could make a person feel that their soul was being sucked out of their body.

"You… you mean it? You will spare me?" Bai Yan stuttered. He couldn't believe that Qu Xing Xu will really spare him despite what his family did and being part of the Bai Family.

Qu Xing Xu smiled while nodding, "Yes…"

"But on one condition. I'm not sure if you can take it."

Bai Yan was prepared for any condition if it meant surviving this place and getting out alive. He didn't care about other people nor his own family dying in front of him for as long as he could still live.

He bowed his head to the floor and gladly said, "Anything! I'll do anything!"

The rest of the family couldn't believe what was going on. Bai Yan was considered the most obedient child in the family. He would follow what his elders told him and ordered him to do without complaints. Old patriarch Bai even considered him to be one of the candidates to become the next head of the family and was his favorite child.

Yet, that child would readily give up his own family for the sake of his own survival. He was even begging the same man who killed his grandfather to spare him.

"Bai Yan! By doing this, are you not afraid that our ancestors will curse on you in the afterlife!" Bai Shuang was so angered by the behavior of his nephew.

Serving and pleasing the ancestors was a thing in the past and has been part of the tradition. Being filial was also needed for one to be successful in the future. And Bai Yan, who lost his parents early should know this since he cannot face his parents with a clean conscience, however, Bai Yan dared not only disgrace his parents, he also willingly threw all guilt he felt for them.

Bai Yan glared at him, "I'm not afraid! I just want to live, what is wrong with that?"

If he can live today, won't the ancestors be happy? At least if they're all going to die anyway, might as well as let one survive to keep the family going. 

Bai Yan was naturally not trying to abandon the family who saved and took care of him after he lost his parents. What he wanted to do was to survive tonight even at the cost of the entire Bai family's lives, he shall do it. And when he finally got a chance, no matter how long it will take, he will rise and strike the man who massacred the Bai family.

Even at the mercy of  Qu Xing Xu, Bai Yan was faking his fears and submission, wishing that he would fool the duke and get out of here to avenge the Bai family in the future.

But what Bai Yan did not know was that Qu Xing Xu already knew what he was thinking and was only playing along with him. 

"You'll do anything?" Qu Xing Xu's voice was heard. Bai Yan looked up at him, his eyes filled with eagerness to execute any condition that Qu Xing Xu threw his way.

With the young man staring at him, Qu Xing Xu took a moment, deliberately prolonging the tension, and only continued to look at him, before saying, 

"Bai Yan, why don't you take that sword hanging on the wall and give me the heads of the people inside the room." Qu Xing Xu dared him.

Upon hearing him say that, Bai Yan couldn't stop himself from shivering. Not because it was cold, but because of the weight those words carried and landed on his shoulder.

Give him their heads? Bai Yan repeated, his head turning as his eyes swept on the faces of the Bai family one by one. Some of these people had a close bond with him, some did not like him, and some had a strange relationship with him. 

Would he dare cut their heads off for the sake of surviving alone?

Just as he was about to take his gaze from their faces, a crying face seemed to haunt him. It was Bai Chen Ruo, his cousin and the woman he had his sights on. 

Since they were young, Bai Chen Ruo has been with him, taking his side, protecting him, and saving him every single time when the other children of the Bai family bullied him. And because they were the closest, as a boy and a girl who will later grow into a man and a woman, their feelings together couldn't help but grow more as well.

Bai Chen Ruo should be betrothed to someone by now, but Bai Yan aimed to take the title as the next head of the Bai family in order to take her as his own bride. But if he were to kill all of the Bai family, he would have to bloody his own hands with his lover's blood.

Seeing how Bai Chen Ruo's eyes were streaked with tears and pleading for him to not do this - to not kill them, Bai Yan hesitated. His will to survive somehow diminished slightly.

And as he was hesitating, someone else took this chance to overtake him.

"I'll do it!" 

Bai Yan and all the other members of the Bai family whipped their heads towards the voice.

They saw Bai Yu standing up as he took two steps forward, "I'll do it. I'll behead everyone's head inside this room and offer it to you."

Qu Xing Xu raised his eyebrows. He was amused by the turn of events that was playing before him.

"You will?" He slowly asked Bai Yu to which the young man nodded his head. 

Threatened by Bai Yu's sudden outburst, Bai Yan quickly said, recovering from his temporary pause, "Wait! What are you doing, Bai Yu? Don't steal someone's chance to live and just wait for me to behead you!"

Bai Yu scoffed at him, "Steal from you? Wait for you to cut off my head? Are you out of your mind?! Everyone has the chance to live here. Besides, weren't you just hesitating now? People who hesitate and don't grab the chance to live shall not get that chance!"

Understanding the meaning of Bai Yu's decision, the others also suddenly had the desire to live.

"No, I'll do it!"

"I'll do it, just spare my life!"

Chaos started to ensue inside the hall because of Bai Yu's words. As if they had a wake-up call, they quarrelled amongst themselves who deserved to live and who would take others' heads.

While everyone was screaming and shouting at each other, at the center of the hall where the raised chair was located, Qu Xing Xu lazily put his chin on the back of his hand that was on the arm of the chair, watching the show with a smirk on his lips.

After a minute or so of watching idly, Qu Xing Xu finally grew tired of hearing their cries. He raised his hand, sweeping it to the side as the sword followed his hand and flew to the center of the room and before the crowd.

"Why don't we decide who will live by playing a game?" Qu Xing Xu, who was manipulating the sword to stay in the air, said, "Only one is to survive… Now, fight amongst yourselves and take the sword."