This Is What a Villain Is Like

Chapter 139: Chapter 87: Once a Rift in Trust Widens, It’s the Same Old Story

If Jiang Lan knew his true identity, he would probably kill him on the spot.

For his part, he felt no goodwill toward Jiang Lan. In fact, he harbored a deep hostility, and the enmity between them was immense.

"What a pity..." Jiang Lan shook his head slightly, a look of regret on his face.

Although the night was dark, the group could now see the scene ahead.

Though thorny bushes grew wild and vines hung down on both sides, they could faintly make out the silhouette of a village with signs of human life.

"There’s still a lot of mist drifting around, but we should be out of the Array’s range..."

"The cultivators who arrived earlier should be resting nearby, waiting for the immortal’s abode to appear."

Seeing lights in the houses ahead, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief and quickened their pace.

"Crown Prince, it seems someone has passed through the Illusion Array outside and arrived here."

In a rather dilapidated house of blue brick and tile, a tall man with a commanding presence, clad in golden battle armor, was frowning as he flipped through the Ancient Texts in his hands, cramming on the subject of arrays.

Upon hearing his subordinate’s report from outside, he froze for a moment before a look of delight appeared on his face.

"It’s been so many days. Aside from those with heaven-defying luck, not many people have made it through that Array."

"And they’re a group, which means they must have someone with profound skill in arrays."

He stood up, intending to meet them in person. If it was someone he knew, that would be even better.

This Purple Mist Mountain had been unnervingly strange these past few days. Many of the cultivators who went to investigate, including some from the younger generation, never came back.

Even though he feared neither heaven nor earth, he still felt a chill.

Just then, a man with a scholarly air entered and said, "Crown Prince, the newcomers seem to be from the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

"Jiang Lan?"

The tall man was startled, his expression flickering as he seemed to hesitate.

"Besides Jiang Lan, there are also people from the Jasper Pool Sect, and Qi Heng from the Human King Hall is with them too," the scholarly man added.

’Good. Jiang Lan has countless experts under his command. They could be useful.’

’The Jasper Pool Sect and the Human King Hall pose no threat to me.’

The tall man was none other than Xia Jie, the third son of Prince Wuxuan. Not long after the tea-brewing gathering, he had led his subordinates here ahead of everyone else.

Naturally, the commotion caused by the arrival of Jiang Lan and his party didn’t escape the notice of the other cultivators present.

Many shot out as Divine Rainbows, their figures appearing on the surrounding hilltops.

Although there were lights on in the houses, the cultivators inside were all sitting cross-legged in meditation. Naturally, no disturbance outside, no matter how slight, could escape their senses.

Jiang Lan saw many familiar faces, which came as no surprise, and his inner amusement only grew.

He had kindly advised them to do him a favor and give up on the Purple Mist True Monarch’s inheritance.

But they had all been inwardly scornful, and not a single one listened. Instead, even more people had shown up.

’Well now, if they want to court death, they really can’t blame me for it.’

"Young Master Jiang..."

"Saintess Zhu Yun..."

Among the familiar faces who appeared was Han Yiming of the Ancient Inquiring Sect.

There was also that effeminate, purple-eyed man from the Celestial Demon Hall who had been at the tea-brewing gathering.

However, Fairy Miaoyin of the Divine Maiden Palace had not appeared, which surprised Jiang Lan a little. ’Is she truly that clever, or is she genuinely not interested in the Purple Mist True Monarch’s inheritance? Or did she arrive late and get trapped outside?’

In any case, it didn’t matter.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone casually shared what they knew, but they all concealed their most critical information.

Over the past few days, a number of cultivators had mysteriously disappeared. It was unknown whether they were dead or alive. Some suspected they had accidentally entered a Teleportation Array or were trapped somewhere.

As for where the Purple Mist True Monarch’s abode was located and how it would appear, everyone was still completely in the dark.

Meanwhile, the purple mist that permeated the area grew denser each day, drifting from an unknown location with no discernible source.