This Is What a Villain Is Like

Xiao Yingyue was a bit stunned, but being as clever as she was, she quickly understood what Jiang Lan meant.

He wanted to hide his cultivation and strength, so he needed someone to take the blame for killing Lin Fan and the Demon Python.

And right now, the most suitable person for that was, of course, her.

"Aren’t you making things difficult for me, Young Master Jiang? I have no cultivation to speak of. I can barely take a step in this pitch-black Abyss of Despair..."

She gently shook her head, her limpid eyes revealing a faint trace of helplessness and sorrow.

"Miss Xiao, why must you sell yourself so short?"

Jiang Lan smiled, his gaze falling on her picturesque, fairy-like face. He waved a hand to cut her off. "As a Supreme Elder of Medicine King Valley, if you can’t even handle one Lin Fan and a Sixth Realm Demon King, it’s a bit hard to justify, wouldn’t you say?"

"What..."

Xiao Yingyue froze for a moment, then her beautiful eyes widened. Her face was filled with astonishment, and she almost wondered if she had misheard him.

’What did Jiang Lan just call me?’

’A Supreme Elder of Medicine King Valley?’

’When did he discover my identity? Even the Elders of Medicine King Valley might not know who I am when I stand right before them.’

However, Xiao Yingyue’s face remained a mask of bewildered confusion. Her beautiful eyes stared at Jiang Lan without blinking, as if she couldn’t understand a word he was saying.

"Should I continue calling you Miss Xiao Yue, or Supreme Elder Xiao Yingyue?" Jiang Lan asked with great interest.

"How did you know my identity?"

Xiao Yingyue’s expression faltered, and she asked faintly.

Now she was finally certain. Jiang Lan even knew her real name.

Within Medicine King Valley, only the other few Supreme Elders in seclusion knew her real name.

’Could it be the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s network of spies that spans the world? Has my every move been under their watch from the very beginning?’

"That’s something you don’t need to know, Miss Xiao. You only need to know that I mean you no harm." Jiang Lan smiled faintly, not forgetting to add,

"And I certainly won’t tell any of the Medicine King Valley disciples about your... preferences."

"You..."

Xiao Yingyue felt a mix of shame and anger. A crimson blush, born of indignation, finally crept onto her flawless, pale cheeks.

’What does he mean, "my preferences"?’

’In other words, from the very beginning, Jiang Lan knew her identity and background, but he had no intention of exposing her. He was deliberately toying with her.’

’This guy is infuriating.’

"How do you expect me to help you? As you can see, I have no cultivation right now..." Xiao Yingyue shot him a cold glance.

"If I’m suggesting this, it’s because I’m confident I can help you recover your cultivation," Jiang Lan said unhurriedly.

’In the original plot, Xiao Yingyue recovered her cultivation by finding a strange companion flower growing next to that exotic grass. All things in the world are governed by the principle of mutual generation and restraint.’

’Rouge Rest Grass is no exception.’

But Jiang Lan didn’t have time for her to go looking for that strange flower now.

Xiao Yingyue looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Jiang Lan didn’t waste any words. He immediately told her about the records concerning Rouge Rest Grass from Lin Fan’s memories.

"So that’s how it is..."

Xiao Yingyue’s shapely brows furrowed. She wasn’t too surprised; she never believed that Jiang Lan wouldn’t have searched Lin Fan’s memories after capturing him.

The solution, besides finding its counteracting substance, was to use immense Magical Power to completely achieve its Refinement.

"My own Magical Power dissipated after being contaminated by the Rouge Rest Grass. Are you sure you can help me with the Refinement of that wisp of aura?" She was still a bit suspicious. No matter how strong Jiang Lan’s cultivation was, it couldn’t possibly be stronger than hers at her peak.

’He’d better not fail to help me and end up getting himself into trouble as well.’ 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Jiang Lan nodded lightly. "It shouldn’t be a problem to try. If worst comes to worst, we can just wait here to die together."

Of course, he was fully confident; otherwise, he wouldn’t take such a risk so lightly.

A slight curve touched the corners of Xiao Yingyue’s lips.

Seeing how serious and sincere he was, unafraid of the consequences, she didn’t waste any more words. But the thought of the Refinement process made the tips of her ears burn.

’For Jiang Lan to use his Magical Power to help her with the Refinement, he would inevitably have to send it into her limbs and bones, circulating it through all the meridians in her body... How is that any different from dual cultivation?’

’But right now, would he even allow me to refuse? This concerns his secret, and I don’t seem to have the ability to say no.’

Immediately, the two sat cross-legged, facing each other.

Jiang Lan reached out and took hold of her wrist, which was as white as frost and snow, and slightly closed his eyes.

"Calm your heart, focus your mind. Don’t let your thoughts wander..."

His gentle and calm voice sounded beside Xiao Yingyue’s slightly burning ears.

Not counting the time she had grabbed Jiang Lan while they fled for their lives on the same mount, this was the first time in her life she had been in such close contact with a man.

Even though her heart was usually as calm as still water, at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel her thoughts fall into disarray.

A moment later, feeling Jiang Lan’s Magical Power begin to surge into her, Xiao Yingyue lowered her gaze and gradually reined in her scattered thoughts.

HUMMM!!!

The next moment, wisps of blood-red mist rose and swirled around them, quickly forming a large, blood-colored cocoon that completely obscured the scene within.

At this moment, not even Jiang Lan noticed that the entire Abyss of Despair had fallen deathly silent. The roars of Demon Beasts that had been rising and falling in the distance also quieted down.

A wind that seemed to carry the aura of the Netherworld swept up from the Bottom of the Abyss, as if death itself had descended upon the mortal realm.

Wisps of life force were drawn from the bodies of those Demon Beasts, converging on the blood-colored cocoon.

Vaguely, two blurry figures could be seen sitting cross-legged inside. But for some unknown reason, one of the slender figures suddenly leaned forward and embraced the other.

...

「An hour later.」

A streak of azure light shot up from the Bottom of the Abyss, piercing through the clouds and miasma as it raced toward the exit.

"You just recovered your cultivation. With so much Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi suddenly rushing in, your meridians and limbs can’t handle it. Feeling sore and weak should be normal."

"Mmm..." Her soft, mellow voice, for some reason, seemed to carry a hint of moisture.

"Get used to it for a bit, and it should be back to normal soon," Jiang Lan said, looking at her dewy eyes that seemed to glisten with moisture.

"Mmm..."

Xiao Yingyue still gave a short reply, as if speaking even one more word was a great effort right now.

Jiang Lan said, "Look, I really only meant to help you dispel that wisp of Rouge Rest Grass’s aura. Do you believe me...?"

"I don’t."

"..."

"Taking advantage of someone’s predicament is not the act of a gentleman."

"I’m no gentleman. But since you don’t believe me, I guess I’ll just have to reluctantly admit to it," Jiang Lan said with a straight face.

"I believe that there’s a problem with the Cultivation Technique you practice." Xiao Yingyue gently lifted her limpid, shimmering eyes to stare at his face.

Jiang Lan thought about it carefully. ’The Blood-colored Forbidden Canon is an Underworld Cultivation Technique to begin with. It’s probably normal for it to have some side effects.’

He and Xiao Yingyue had no grievances or enmity. On the contrary, they could be considered to have weathered a crisis together.

Jiang Lan didn’t consider himself a good person, but he wasn’t so depraved as to pull something like that on Xiao Yingyue.

After all, from a perspective of maximizing benefits, he was after the fortune she carried. Xiao Yingyue would be his, sooner or later. Causing a backlash by acting now would only bring harm and no profit.

’It’s just that she’s being abnormally calm.’

"My cultivation... seems to have improved quite a bit..."

Xiao Yingyue managed to sit up from Jiang Lan’s embrace, her tone laced with astonishment.

"Then you have me to thank," Jiang Lan said.

Xiao Yingyue rolled her eyes at him and said in a low voice, "I can feel that your Cultivation Technique seems quite deviant. You’d better switch to another one, lest you stray onto the wrong path."

She didn’t know why she had said those words so seriously.

Jiang Lan smiled, unconcerned, but on the surface, he still agreed earnestly, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

"Don’t worry, I won’t make you take responsibility."

Xiao Yingyue naturally didn’t believe his placating words. She suddenly gave a musical laugh. The moment she stood up, she was a little unsteady, staggering slightly, but she quickly recovered.

Her steps were light as she walked through the Void, instantly transforming into a streak of light. When she reappeared, she was already at Jueyuan.

Her clothes fluttered in the wind, her black hair cascading down, concealing her fairy-like, picturesque face.