I'm A Minor Villain In A Martial Arts Novel (38 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 9
In “Heavenly Demon Sovereign,” Ji Tianwu often recalled the past.
The arrogant Heavenly Demon Ji Tianwu always had this saying:
“Don’t listen to the idle chatter of people who speak carelessly.”
I recited those words back to him verbatim.
“Ignore completely what those who set limits for you have to say.”
When I first read “Heavenly Demon Sovereign,” I was utterly exhausted. Nothing in my life went the way I wanted.
Endless part-time jobs I had to keep doing. My body grew increasingly worn down and weary.
Even buying a single meal required checking my money carefully. Thus, it was a life where I couldn’t even think about the future.
Amidst that hopelessness, I came across “Heavenly Demon Sovereign.”
I couldn’t forget the willful protagonist Ji Tianwu’s refreshing words from the story—they felt as if spoken directly to me.
Back then, Ji Tianwu was a small ray of hope for me.
And now.
I was saying to Ji Tianwu the very phrase he used most often.
“Don’t let others decide your future.”
Ji Tianwu hesitated briefly before quickly grasping my hand.
[This is the timeline separator]Ji Tianwu.
The boy had always believed his fate was already set. He merely dragged on day after day, surviving only because he couldn’t die, until eventually meeting his end through the Nine Yin Vein Blockage.
A life with death scheduled before turning twenty. No one saw any value in his existence.
Even so.
That’s why, when other boys beat him, Ji Tianwu didn’t care at all.
Violence was familiar to him. Being beaten while begging simply to survive was nothing unusual.
Beggars on the roadside would kick him whenever they grew bored.
“You’re going to die anyway—why are you stealing my spot for begging!”
Thus, enduring injustice was second nature to him. Even Nangong Huashu’s cruel words couldn’t wound him.
Because everything they said was true.
Ji Tianwu often wondered:
‘Why am I even alive?’
It was a life in which he himself could find no meaning. He would simply let time pass until his life ended through vein blockage.
But then… why…?
Ji Tianwu looked down at his own hands. They were filthy and grimy—his hands clearly reflected his circumstances.
He didn’t belong beside the elegantly dressed girl standing before him. Carefully, the girl began applying medicine to his face.
Having grown up on the streets, he was usually sensitive to others’ touch. But strangely, the girl’s touch didn’t feel unpleasant at all.
‘How odd.’
Ji Tianwu knew exactly what had happened through the girl’s hands.
He’d seen how those cruel boys, who had beaten him mercilessly, crumbled effortlessly before the girl’s small hands.
They’d fled, looking even worse off than he had. Ji Tianwu tilted his head, a strange ache filling his chest.
He couldn’t understand what this feeling was.
The girl’s words, spoken as she held out her hand, kept echoing in his ears:
He couldn’t understand her.
‘Why are you helping me?’
People always told Ji Tianwu that kindness toward him was meaningless.
Her kindness, too, would surely become meaningless—after all, he had only a few years left to live.
For the first time in his life receiving kindness, Ji Tianwu fidgeted with his hands.
Sensing his movement, the girl looked up.
“Does it hurt? Did I press too hard?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Ji Tianwu quickly shook his head.
“Good. That bastard Nangong Huashu actually dared to ruin such a pretty face….”
Nangong Lin nodded with relief.
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“My name is Nangong Lin.”
Ji Tianwu had already guessed that the girl, Nangong Lin, clearly came from an extraordinary family.
The room she’d brought him to was filled with luxurious furniture.
Even the fur scarf wrapped around his neck felt exceptionally refined.
Only now did he understand why.
‘She’s from the Nangong Clan.’
Someone now entirely out of his reach. Ji Tianwu touched his neck.
His fingers brushed against the scarf Nangong Lin had wrapped around him.
He lifted his head. Nangong Lin was staring straight at him.
Ji Tianwu frowned slightly.
Again.
His heart ached for no reason he could understand. At the same time, heat began rising to his face.
He placed a hand over his heart and wondered:
‘Could this also be a side effect of the vein blockage?’
Yet this symptom was unlike any he’d experienced from the blockage before.
His heart pounded rapidly and warmth flushed through him—perhaps his death was drawing even closer.
‘But before, I could still manage daily life…’
If his heart kept racing like this, even ordinary daily activities might soon become impossible.
While applying medicine to Ji Tianwu’s face, Nangong Lin asked:
“What’s your name?”
Ji Tianwu’s hand, which had been fiddling with the scarf, froze.
Nangong Lin was the first person ever to ask him his name.
Most people simply called him “hey,” “you,” or “damn beggar.”
Ji Tianwu raised his head and met Nangong Lin’s eyes. He saw clear, beautiful chestnut-colored pupils. Entranced, he couldn’t look away.
He took a short breath.
For the first time in ages, he spoke his own name aloud.
“Ji Tianwu.”
Hearing his name, Nangong Lin’s eyes curved gently into a smile.
Ji Tianwu blinked blankly. He couldn’t quite place what that feeling was just now.
He touched his chest again.
‘Definitely… something’s wrong.’
His racing heartbeat was clearly abnormal.
[This is the timeline separator]Nangong Huashu held his breath.
Before him stood Nangong Jintian, staring at him with an expressionless face.
Nangong Huashu gulped nervously. He couldn’t understand why he’d been summoned before Nangong Jintian.
‘Why did Grandfather call for me?’
Seeing Grandfather only happened on rare, special occasions. He was one of the Ten Great Masters of the world and head of the Nangong Clan—
Thunder Sword Nangong Jintian.
Even as his grandson, meeting Nangong Jintian wasn’t easy—especially since Nangong Huashu knew little about him.
For eight long years, Nangong Jintian had been away serving the Wulin Alliance.
Though he vaguely recalled glimpses of Nangong Jintian during his few visits to the estate, they’d never exchanged a single word.
Nangong Huashu touched his face. He noticed Nangong Jintian’s gaze fixed on his disheveled appearance.
‘Actually, this might work out well.’
He grinned slightly.
Grandfather must have already heard about the mess his face was in. If so, it made sense why he was summoned here.
“Do you understand why you’re here?”
Just as he’d thought.
Nangong Huashu nodded brightly.
‘Grandfather must have noticed Lin’s unorthodox techniques.’
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Clearly, Nangong Jintian intended to punish Nangong Lin.
Though she’d supposedly used Changgong Sword Art, he hadn’t taken it seriously—until he lost consciousness right after being struck by her.
Back at the estate, once he’d regained his senses, he realized how utterly absurd it was that Nangong Lin had defeated him.
Nangong Lin had always been the child who stayed locked in her room.
Because his father, Nangong Xianzong, had neglected her. While he himself had trained in martial arts for years, Nangong Lin had never properly practiced at all.
It was a fight she couldn’t possibly have won.
“I’m innocent, Grandfather! Lin definitely used unorthodox techniques!”
Nangong Huashu’s eyes gleamed as he declared this.
Nangong Jintian despised cowardly tricks above all else.
“It just doesn’t make sense! I tried to dodge the punch but couldn’t—it was clearly slow as can be….”
“…….”
“If it wasn’t unorthodox techniques, it would be absolutely impossible!”
Nangong Huashu felt uneasy.
Despite his words, Nangong Jintian showed no reaction—his expression only hardened further.
After a brief silence, Nangong Jintian extended his fist.
It was merely a slow punch. Nangong Huashu could clearly see it.
He saw it coming toward him.
Yet he found himself utterly unable to dodge.
If that fist hit him, he would die.
This thought consumed his mind.
“Pathetic creature.”
Nangong Jintian’s fist stopped right before his eyes.
Only then did Nangong Huashu realize he’d been holding his breath.
“Hah… hah…!”
He exhaled raggedly.
“Do you think I used unorthodox techniques too?”
Nangong Huashu’s face turned pale. He shook his head repeatedly.
“You’ve done many things wrong. I’ll point out only the two most important.”
Meeting Nangong Jintian’s icy gaze, Nangong Huashu couldn’t utter a word.
“First, you failed to recognize someone stronger than yourself.”
“…….”
“Second, you refused to accept defeat in fair contest.”
Nangong Huashu lowered his head.
His ears burned red with shame. Nangong Jintian spoke calmly:
“With such a mindset, you’ll never survive in the martial world.”
[This is the timeline separator]Nangong Jintian lifted the teacup before him.
Behind him, a woman emerged from the shadows. Despite her sudden appearance, Nangong Jintian showed no sign of surprise.
“So, what do you think?”
“She appears just like an ordinary child normally. There’s no visible sign she’s learned martial arts.”
“…….”
“Oh—but there is one unusual thing.”
Yao Lan, the woman standing before Nangong Jintian, blushed.
“She’s just too adorable.”
Nangong Jintian sighed.
Yao Lan adored cute children. He knew exactly how endearing Nangong Lin must have seemed through Yao Lan’s eyes.
“The more I look at her, the cuter she gets… so lovable… You really should’ve seen her today wearing that fur scarf—she looked just like an adorable dumpling.”
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Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.

Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
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Omg I am gonna cry. I hope he isn’t dead. Please come for your daughter
Give us our dad you jerks. How you dare!!??? I hate them. They separated a daughter and father 😭
Lol this uncle know everything 😂. But I want to see her dad. Please save him immediately