Raising the Villain in Wrong Way

"Put your hands down, you defective brat, and go wash the library dust off your face," Jiu Zui commanded, his gravelly voice carrying the absolute authority of a peak lord. "You have exactly ten minutes to put on your formal Sovereign Elder robes. Do not make me drag you by the ear again."

Ji’an blinked, dropping her hands, her tactical panic temporarily overridden by profound confusion. "Formal robes? Why? Did someone die? Are we being audited by the sect treasury?"

"Even worse," Jiu Zui grimaced, looking as though he would rather be undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation than doing whatever it was he was currently dressed for. "It is a mandatory diplomatic reception. We are to go to the Grand Hall of Ascending Heavens, though my peak has only one disciple, oh well, I have to keep up appearances for the sake of the Sect leader. The Sect Leader himself has emerged from closed-door cultivation to formally welcome the returning prodigies. That’s why every Sovereign, every Elder, and every high-ranking disciple is required to attend."

Ji’an groaned, a sound of pure, unadulterated, corporate-worker misery tearing from her throat.

Even in her past life on Earth, she had despised mandatory networking events.

The fake smiles, the uncomfortable formal wear, the agonizing small talk with middle management, it was a psychological purgatory.

To experience it in a highly lethal Xianxia setting, where "middle management" could literally vaporize you with a sneeze, was infinitely worse.

"Master, please," Ji’an begged, clasping her hands together. "I am a cook. I belong in the kitchen. Tell them I have spiritual dysentery or that I fell into a wok. At least make an excuse for me, Master! I cannot handle sect politics right now!" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"You hold the jade token of a Third Generation Martial Uncle, Ji’an. You are in the centre of the sect politics," Jiu Zui retorted ruthlessly.

But then, knowing exactly how to manipulate his notoriously nosy, information-obsessed apprentice, the old man leaned forward, dropping his voice into a conspiratorial hum.

"Besides... you will want to be there for this one," Jiu Zui noted, his dark eyes glinting. "The guest list is unprecedented. Not only are the feral beasts and foreign dignitaries attending under a temporary diplomatic truce... but the Sect Leader is formally presenting his Senior Apprentice, Shen Zechuan. And, for the first time in her life, the Hidden Princess, Bai Liyue, will be making a public appearance."

Ji’an’s complaints instantly died in her throat.

’Shen Zechuan. The abyssal vacuum cleaner. And Bai Liyue. The Supreme Heavenly Yin Body, the beauty of the century,’ her mind calculated rapidly, the gears turning with frictionless speed.

She had just been desperately researching these two individuals in the library before the Golden Retriever had tackled her.

If she attended this reception, she could assess their auras, analyze their personalities, and gauge the threat level of the new primary villain and the new primary female lead before the tournament began.

It was practically a goldmine!

Ji’an’s posture straightened.

The complaining cook vanished, replaced by the calculating, arrogant young master.

"Ten minutes," Ji’an confirmed, spinning on her heel and sprinting toward her quarters. "I will be the most obnoxiously immaculate Martial Uncle this mountain has ever seen."

***

The Grand Hall of Ascending Heavens was not merely a room; it was an architectural manifestation of the Celestial Sword Sect’s absolute, unyielding dominance over the northern territories.

Suspended at the very apex of the main peak, the hall was open to the sky, its massive, vaulted ceiling supported by towering pillars of translucent, glowing white jade.

The floor was polished starlight-glass, reflecting the twilight sky above.

Floating lanterns of spun gold drifted lazily through the air, casting a warm, opulent glow over the thousands of cultivators gathered within.

When Ji’an stepped through the massive brass doors alongside Master Jiu Zui, the sheer, crushing weight of the combined spiritual pressure in the room nearly drove her to her knees.

It was a sea of apex predators.

Sovereigns, Elders, and the absolute elite of the younger generation milled about, holding jade goblets of premium spirit-wine, engaging in polite, razor-edged political maneuvering.

"Stay close, keep your mouth shut, and do not threaten anyone with cooking utensils," Jiu Zui murmured out of the corner of his mouth, placing a heavy, guiding hand on her shoulder as he steered her through the glittering crowd.

"I make no promises," Ji’an muttered, adjusting the stiff, silver-embroidered collar of her formal white robes, feeling incredibly uncomfortable without her trusty spatial ring of spices easily accessible on her belt.

Jiu Zui didn’t lead her to the sidelines. Because they represented one of the primary sovereign peaks, he marched her directly toward the elevated, multi-tiered dais at the front of the hall.

Standing at the absolute center of the dais, surrounded by a deferential ring of high-level elders, was a man who radiated an aura so profound, so impossibly vast, that he felt less like a human being and more like a localized force of nature.

This was Bai Yunfei, the Sect Leader of the Celestial Sword Sect.

As Jiu Zui approached, the ring of elders parted.

"Ah, Jiu Zui," the Sect Leader smiled, turning to face them. His voice was a rich, melodic baritone that instantly soothed the room’s chaotic spiritual pressure. "I am pleased you could tear yourself away from your favorite peach wine to join us."

Ji’an looked at the most powerful man on the mountain, and her internal monologue immediately, helplessly flatlined.

’It is not fair,’ Ji’an thought, a hot flush of absolute, mortifying embarrassment creeping up her neck. ’It is genetically, cosmically, fundamentally unfair!’

Sect Leader Bai was breathtaking.

He possessed long, flowing hair the color of midnight silk, bound in a simple, elegant jade guan.

His features were impeccably sharp, yet softened by an expression of genuine, open-minded kindness.

He possessed the same DILF-tier, ageless, silver-fox majesty as Jiu Zui, but without the rugged, alcoholic edge.

He looked like a benevolent immortal emperor who spent his free time rescuing kittens and composing flawless poetry.