This Is What a Villain Is Like

Chapter 134: Chapter 87: Once a Crack in Trust Widens, This Is the Taste (Part 2)

Ye Ming’s expression soured at these words.

Unlike Jiang Lan, Li Daoyi, Ao Xu, and Qi Heng—all prominent members of the younger generation with impeccable backgrounds—Ye Ming was effectively a ghost. Was he truly from the Great Yan Kingdom? What power backed him? From whom had he learned his skills?

Even Ling Zhuyun probably didn’t know the answers to these questions.

"Ye is a man of integrity. I’ve interacted with him many times, and there is no need to worry about his character. Qi Heng, if you doubt his character, you are free to go on your own. Why insist on traveling with us?"

Ling Zhuyun’s expression remained unchanged as she spoke calmly.

But her tone grew sharp by the end, and her eyes locked onto Qi Heng.

She was reluctant to offend Jiang Lan, but she had no such reservations about the man before her, Qi Heng.

Qi Heng’s expression shifted, but he ultimately just snorted and said no more. After all, he was still trying to court Ling Zhuyun.

If he infuriated her and completely ruined his chances, then it wouldn’t matter even if he obtained the Purple Mist True Monarch’s inheritance and offered it to her on a silver platter.

In his heart, however, his coldness and jealousy toward Ye Ming only deepened. It was the first time he had ever seen Ling Zhuyun defend a man so fiercely.

"Besides being powerful, Ye is also an Array Master," Ling Zhuyun added, turning to Jiang Lan to explain. "We may need to rely heavily on him for this journey."

Jiang Lan nodded slightly. "Since Saintess Zhu Yun herself has said so, I will naturally choose to trust you."

Ling Zhuyun was slightly taken aback. She felt there was a hidden meaning in his words. ’Choose to trust me?’

"Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Jiang," she replied courteously.

Upon hearing that Ye Ming was an Array Master, Qi Heng was inwardly startled and said no more, tacitly accepting his place in their party.

Ye Ming breathed an inward sigh of relief. He hadn’t said a single word from start to finish.

Seeing Ling Zhuyun defend him so resolutely, completely unafraid of Jiang Lan’s influence or Qi Heng’s accusations, a warmth spread through his chest. He couldn’t help but feel a secret sense of satisfaction.

’To have a wife like her... this life wouldn’t be lived in vain.’

Jiang Lan could vaguely guess what Ye Ming was thinking, and he wanted to laugh.

’I’m still waiting for this free tool, Ye Ming, to clear the path for me.’

Although he possessed the token left by Purple Mist True Monarch, the appearance of the estate this time might provoke the Temple Master of Zixia Temple into acting prematurely.

The overwhelming purple mist that had recently appeared wasn’t a sign that the estate was about to emerge. It was the Temple Master of Zixia Temple. Sensing that events were spiraling out of his control, he had activated an array ahead of schedule to prevent anyone from foiling his plans and stealing the opportunity.

In the original storyline, this purple mist was part of an array Zixia Daoist would have used to conceal the area and trap outside cultivators *after* the estate emerged.

But Jiang Lan had deliberately leaked the news, drawing the attention of various Immortal Sect influences. With so many cultivators already camped out and scouting Purple Mist Mountain, Zixia Daoist had no choice but to activate the array early.

This array was the Nine Heavens Nether Demon Trapping Dragon Array, which was recorded in the Blood-colored Forbidden Canon. Not only could it trap enemies, but it could also perform refinement on them, using them as a source of flesh and blood to provide the array with a never-ending supply of power.

Even breaking it from the outside with overwhelming force would take a considerable amount of time.

Jiang Lan, of course, knew how to break it. But with free labor right in front of him, why bother doing it himself?

Besides, he needed this array to carry out his own scheme.

The group wasted no more time. One by one, their Barbaric Beasts took to the sky, soaring through the clouds and mist. With a roar like wind and thunder, they galloped through the air, sweeping across the sky like a tidal wave as they sped away from the city.

Purple Mist Mountain was not far from Anyang City, but even at the speed of the Barbaric Beasts, the journey would take several hours at best.

...

As the strange purple mist rising from the mountains around Purple Mist Mountain grew more astonishing, the number of Celestial Pride cultivators rushing to the area also swelled.

Divine Rainbows streaked across the sky, descending from all directions. Among them were even some highly respected elders of the older generation, all coming to try their luck.

The villages at the foot of the nearby mountains had long since been evacuated, all their inhabitants gone.

In a place like this, where the appearance of a great opportunity could trigger a war between cultivators at any moment, ordinary mortals were less than cannon fodder; they wouldn’t even know how they died.

The empty houses became temporary residences and gathering points for the multitude of cultivators who had arrived.

The cultivators who had arrived early at Purple Mist Mountain gathered in the villages, some meditating quietly while others conversed and made plans.

「Outside Purple Mist Town.」

A majestic, perilous mountain rose from the earth, soaring to an unknowable height. Ancient trees thrived upon it amid lush peaks and verdant valleys. Clear springs babbled and mist swirled about its slopes.

A waterfall like a silver river cascaded down a sheer cliff face, kicking up a cloud of churning mist.

Zixia Daoist stood there, hands clasped behind his back, his expression as impassive as ever.

’According to the records on the fragmented page, the real Secret Realm estate is located within this cliff face...’

’Unfortunately, the time is not yet right. It involves spatial teleportation, and with my current power, there’s nothing I can do.’

From his vantage point, he could vaguely see the dense purple mist drifting down from the high peaks, gradually spreading to cover the entire sky, as if intending to completely submerge the region.

’The array is complete. Any outside cultivators who enter now will be trapped and refined into the array’s source.’

’No one can stop my grand plan now.’

Zixia Daoist nodded in satisfaction. Then, his ears twitched. Hearing a sound in the distance, his figure flickered and vanished.