This Is What a Villain Is Like

Chu Chan’s face grew slightly pale. Her mind raced, and for the moment, she abandoned any thought of resistance.

’Since this person is meddling, unafraid of offending Jiang Lan, he must be confident in his abilities. If I turn on him now, there’s no telling if he’ll retaliate against me later.’

’Is he here to play the hero and save the damsel, rescuing Chu Chan? In the original story, Lin Fan was the one to step in, but now it’s this guy...’

Watching the scene unfold, Jiang Lan’s eyes grew profound. A moment ago, he had been wondering who this reckless fool could be.

But when Ye Ming appeared, he had a sudden realization.

Although the man had altered his appearance and even concealed his cultivation fluctuations, how could he possibly escape Jiang Lan’s perception?

As long as a person’s life essence remained unchanged, no amount of physical alteration made any difference to Jiang Lan.

’The original protagonist, Lin Fan, is dead, so another person with Great Luck has taken his place?’

’The Celestial Dao works in mysterious ways, and all things in nature evolve and change.’

’My appearance changed the predetermined trajectory, so it’s understandable that other things would shift in response.’

’I was originally planning to slowly harvest you people with Great Luck, but since you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep so quickly, you can’t blame me.’

Jiang Lan had a fairly clear memory of Ye Ming from the original story.

He was another person who carried Great Luck, guided by a wisp of an Immortal Residual Soul.

But unlike the protagonist, Lin Fan, the narrative focus hadn’t been on him.

Otherwise, he could have been a protagonist in his own right, with no shortage of fortuitous encounters, Divine Objects, or beautiful women.

The legacy of the Blood Immortal Sect was originally meant for him to obtain.

"Mengning..."

"Kill him," Jiang Lan said suddenly, his voice calm and devoid of emotion.

As his words faded, a serene, ice-cold aura descended upon the room.

The entire private room seemed to freeze. A tall, slender figure with flowing black hair materialized. She wore a light, cyan-colored gauze over a slightly loose, draped long skirt. Her hair was styled in a cloud-like bun, adorned with a slanted jade hairpin, and a misty veil concealed a face of fair, flawless, otherworldly beauty.

Her pair of clear, glass-like eyes held no trace of emotion. She was like an ice sculpture, radiating a frosty aura that warned all to keep their distance.

A formidable, serene Sword Intent filled the Void, locking firmly onto Ye Ming.

If he made the slightest move, he would face a devastating, lightning-fast strike.

"What..."

Ye Ming’s previously calm and composed expression suddenly twisted. His pupils trembled and contracted violently.

Of course, he recognized this woman.

She was the person from the Blood Red Plateau. When the beast horde had rampaged, she alone had moved against the tide, heading deeper into the plateau. Her strength was immense.

No matter their level, no Fierce Beast could withstand more than a single strike from her sword.

Ye Ming had never imagined that this woman was with Jiang Lan. His throat felt dry, and a terrifying chill instantly swept through his body, making his scalp tingle with fear.

’No wonder I felt that faint sense of familiarity...’

’The terrifying young man shrouded in blood-red mist, deep within the Earth Palace that day... had to be the Jiang Lan before me now!’

Once he realized this,

a chill invaded Ye Ming’s entire body. The hand gripping his Original Short Staff couldn’t help but tremble.

’This is an anomaly that even Old Ghost called an aberration beyond all reason... an Innate Saint, born with control over the Power of Law!’

Who could have imagined that the most powerful noble in Great Xia, a publicly acknowledged wastrel scion, was hiding himself so deeply.

’Flee!’

’Flee now!’

This was the only thought left in Ye Ming’s mind.

He could no longer worry about saving Chu Chan; his own survival was far more important.

BOOM!

Wincing at the cost, Ye Ming threw down a peculiar Elixir Pill. It exploded with a BANG, releasing a cloud of iridescent mist that obscured all sight and spiritual signatures.

He then transformed into a streak of light and fled without the slightest hesitation. His decisiveness was so absolute that it left both Chu Chan and Su Qinghan completely stunned.

The assassin was so direct—he’d chosen to flee for his life without a second thought.

Beyond their shock, both women looked toward Li Mengning. Though they didn’t know who she was, they couldn’t help but feel a burgeoning sense of awe.

Just how powerful was she to make such an arrogant assassin turn tail and run?

"Disobedient as ever."

Jiang Lan simply watched Li Mengning, who remained unmoved and had not given chase. He felt a slight headache coming on. ’She really is both foolish and disobedient.’

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain."

Li Mengning simply replied with this phrase, clearly still brooding over the incident at Qingshui Village.

After speaking, her serene eyes swept over Su Qinghan and Chu Chan.

Her gaze lingered on Chu Chan for a moment. It seemed she wanted to say something, but after thinking for a while, she couldn’t find the words.

"It’s fine," said Jiang Lan. "This time, it’s unlikely anyone will fight their way back like before."

Li Mengning clearly didn’t believe him.

Still, after a moment’s thought, her figure vanished from the private room as she gave chase.

By now, the sounds of the great battle outside had mostly subsided.

Ye Ming had failed and fled in terror, though he hadn’t forgotten to call on the Old Ghost. His ten puppets were all damaged, some with shattered parts, but to cover his retreat, Ye Ming had reluctantly left them behind.

Soon, a large crowd of people swarmed outside the private room, all of them trembling with fear.

The man in the lead was the manager of the Drunken Immortal Residence. His face was pale and filled with terror. Jiang Lan had, after all, been targeted by an assassin in the Drunken Immortal Residence. If anything had happened to him, they would all be held responsible.

However, Jiang Lan did not blame them. He simply waved a hand, dismissing them.