This Is What a Villain Is Like

Jiang Lan glanced at Su Qinghan with interest but offered no explanation.

The moment he sat down, Chu Chan immediately scooted closer. She picked up the wine jug and demurely filled the glazed golden cup before him.

The pale golden liquid shimmered like a string of jade pearls as it flowed, releasing a rich, fragrant aroma.

Just a single whiff seemed enough to intoxicate one’s very Divine Soul.

Glazed Jade Immortal Dew.

Although Chu Chan had never been to the Drunken Immortal Residence, she had long heard of its signature wine.

The raw ingredients to brew just this one small cup were astronomically expensive, far beyond anything she could imagine.

Moreover, the Glazed Jade Immortal Dew was priceless and virtually impossible to find on the market.

Even high-level Cultivators who managed to acquire it would often save it for their collection rather than drink it casually.

Even the meat dishes, served in special vessels, still had faint wisps of rosy light flowing from them.

To say this entire spread was worth a king’s ransom would be no exaggeration.

Her heart trembled, but she maintained a calm expression, not wanting to reveal her inexperience and look foolish.

Su Qinghan’s gaze was cool and detached. Seeing Chu Chan press so close to Jiang Lan, she scoffed inwardly.

She knew Jiang Lan was a germaphobe. Chu Chan’s actions wouldn’t win his favor; in fact, they would have the opposite effect.

Of course, this was also her first time in Celestial Building No. 1 of the Drunken Immortal Residence, and the first time she had ever seen such a luxurious spread.

In a way, it certainly fit the public perception of Jiang Lan as "arrogant, extravagant, and debauched."

...

"How is the investigation in Danzhou County going?"

Meanwhile, at a table by the window in an inn in Anyang City, a middle-aged man in coarse linen clothes sat silently. On the table before him were a few small dishes and some wine.

Embroidered on his sleeve was a flower of gold and black thread, so subtle it was almost unnoticeable.

Across from him sat a woman in Light Armor. She wore a visor that concealed her features, revealing only the graceful curves of her figure.

A Token bearing the character for "Observe" hung from her waist, interwoven with Dao Rhyme and made of an extraordinary material.

"Are you referring to the incident on the Blood Red Plateau?" the woman in Light Armor asked, her tone flat.

The middle-aged man nodded. "Such a major anomaly occurred on the Blood Red Plateau. The Young Master is very concerned and wants to know if the Blood Immortal Sect was behind it."

"Thousands of years ago, the calamity of the Blood Immortal Sect plunged the world into misery. Our Great Xia suffered immense losses. If not for our strategic position in the Celestial Central Province, other territories likely would have taken the opportunity to invade..."

The woman replied, "The site is very likely the ruins of the Blood Immortal Sect. However, my Observatory has had people monitoring the area, and we detected no abnormalities. This recent anomaly is indeed strange."

"Afterward, we used certain means to trace the events of that day and made an unexpected discovery..."

"Oh?" The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What discovery?"

The woman stated calmly, "The heir to the Blood Immortal Sect has reappeared in the world."

"What..."

The middle-aged man’s expression changed, his pupils contracting violently. He nearly shot to his feet.

Even with his level of composure, he couldn’t suppress a tremor of shock and horror. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The woman was not surprised by his reaction. She nodded. "After the turmoil on the Blood Red Plateau subsided, we sent people to investigate. Although the residual aura from the Blood Immortal Sect’s old Arrays obscured many of our findings..."

"...the one thing we can confirm is that many Demon Beasts died there. All of their life force was plundered, leaving not even a corpse behind."

At this, the middle-aged man understood. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"So you’re saying that astounding phenomenon was actually the heir to the Blood Immortal Sect... cultivating?"

The woman nodded, saying no more.

The middle-aged man’s expression flickered with uncertainty. ’Such an astounding phenomenon was caused merely by cultivation?’

’Just how terrifying is the current heir to the Blood Immortal Sect?’

’Where could such a being be hiding? For so many years, there hasn’t been a single trace or piece of news.’

"In that case, was the phenomenon that day merely a provocation to all sides, or was it a call to gather the remnants of the Blood Immortal Sect?" he asked again, his voice urgent.

Beneath her visor, the woman’s brows furrowed, as if she too were pondering the question.

"My guess... is that the Blood Immortal Sect is about to make a move. The heir’s action was likely a call to gather the Sect’s remnants. Years ago, before passing away, the Abbot of Bici Temple used Destiny Communication and foresaw a calamity that would one day sweep across the Nine Provinces."

"The Blood Immortal Sect will return, far more terrible than ever before."

"Recently, in many remote regions outside the borders of Great Xia, there have been several bloody massacres. I suspect the remnants of the Blood Immortal Sect are responsible, gathering materials for blood sacrifices," she said slowly.

The Nine Provinces Land is currently divided into five major regions: the Celestial Central Province, the Southern Wilderness, the North Sea, Xiling, and Dongyuan.

Great Xia is the recognized hegemon of the Celestial Central Province.

Surrounding dynasties and suzerain states all pay tribute to it, and within its borders exist countless Noble Families and Clans, as well as various Sect and Dao Lineages.

Beyond Great Xia’s borders, other Immortal Sects hold a transcendent status, and their domains do not interfere with Great Xia’s rule.

But the emergence of the Blood Immortal Sect posed a tremendous threat to Great Xia’s status, shaking it to its core.

The entire Celestial Central Province was once engulfed in war and chaos because of it.

The Blood Immortal Sect sought to establish a religious order vast enough to rule the entire Nine Provinces Land.

All powers, be they imperial dynasties or Immortal Sect Lineages, would have to submit to its rule.