This Is What a Villain Is Like

Chapter 162: Chapter 91: Even the Saintess Is Manipulated, the Crowd in a Frenzy

Ling Zhuyun figured Jiang Lan must already know that she’d made an exception and lied, so there was no longer any need to deliberately maintain her saintly, detached image.

This sense of ease felt comfortable for no reason at all.

Jiang Lan felt the Providence within his Mud Ball Palace skyrocketing, and he could only sigh inwardly.

’This Saintess is so naive and easy to fool. You could get a few more just like her, and their combined wits still wouldn’t match Chu Chan’s.’

’No wonder Chu Chan ends up snatching the position of Jasper Pool Sect’s Sect Leader from her in the original story.’

’Both Li Mengning and Ling Zhuyun are the pitifully naive type.’

’And then there’s a guy like Ye Ming. He acts all proper on the surface but secretly does just as many wicked and deplorable things as I do. Yet Ling Zhuyun sees him as some kind of open-minded and honorable person.’

’Meanwhile, I’m the one who’s supposed to be the villainous cannon fodder, yet I yearn for the light and abide by the law. But I’m the one who’s constantly misunderstood and judged with prejudice.’

’This world is so unfair.’

...

On the way to the entrance of the Secret Realm, Ling Zhuyun would occasionally take the initiative to speak up and ask Jiang Lan a few questions, though most of them were about Chu Chan.

She greatly admired Chu Chan and believed she could become a pillar of the Jasper Pool Sect in the future. So, she wanted to know how Chu Chan was faring with Jiang Lan.

On the topic of Chu Chan, the conversation inevitably turned to the reason for Ye Ming’s assassination attempt on Jiang Lan.

Ling Zhuyun then explained her understanding of the events to Jiang Lan.

"Don’t just pin all the blame on me. I never forced her, not from the very beginning."

"Speaking of which, back at the Drunken Immortal Residence, she was pushed out by your own Jasper Pool Sect disciples..."

"As the Saintess of the Jasper Pool Sect, you don’t even know that one of your own disciples has been constantly bullied. That day, Chu Chan cried by my side all night, telling me how she’s been mistreated in the Jasper Pool Sect for years. It was a story sad enough to make anyone weep."

"As for whether any of this is true, you can find out by investigating when you get back. It’s your Jasper Pool Sect’s own shit. I won’t have you trying to dump it on me."

Jiang Lan, of course, said all this with an air of righteous indignation, proclaiming his complete innocence.

At that moment, Ling Zhuyun had the sudden urge to throw him off her.

"Then why did you publicly snatch a disciple of my Jasper Pool Sect in front of everyone?" she asked.

"I just wanted to test Zhao Dieyi. Who knew she’d be so tolerant and treat Chu Chan like a disposable pawn?" Jiang Lan said, reaching up to rub the space between his brows.

"You’re saying there’s something wrong with Zhao Dieyi?"

"It’s just a guess. Back in Yu Yi City, right after the assassin Lin Fan was captured, her grandfather, Zhao Tianhe, showed up to rescue him. A dignified Great Scholar of the Seventh Realm, appearing in Yu Yi City of all places... and at such a convenient time."

"Who else would I suspect?" Jiang Lan said, his expression unchanging, completely absolving himself of any blame.

Hearing this explanation, Ling Zhuyun fell silent for a long while before understanding gradually dawned on her.

’So that’s what really happened that day.’

’The assassin, Lin Fan, was a remnant of the Blood Immortal Sect, yet a Great Scholar was willing to risk offending the Prime Minister’s Mansion to save him.’

’How could that not be suspicious?’

’And then Ye Ming suddenly appeared at that exact moment to assassinate Jiang Lan. No wonder Jiang Lan always considered Ye Ming a remnant of the Blood Immortal Sect.’

’If she were in his shoes, she would have undoubtedly suspected the same thing.’

"I..."

At this thought, Ling Zhuyun’s expression grew even more conflicted.

"You what?" Jiang Lan raised an eyebrow.

"I... I never realized before, Young Master Jiang, that you thought so deeply about things. I always treated you like a typical, spoiled rich heir..." Ling Zhuyun said, her voice laced with guilt.

"I am a spoiled rich heir," Jiang Lan admitted.

"No, you’re not," Ling Zhuyun said, shaking her head.

At that moment, she felt as if she suddenly understood Chu Chan.

She understood why Chu Chan seemed so dead set on following Jiang Lan.

Ling Zhuyun had initially thought Chu Chan was being forced, but now it seemed very likely she was doing it willingly. In her heart, Chu Chan knew full well who treated her better: the Jasper Pool Sect or Jiang Lan.

...

Inside the Secret Realm, the sounds of battle were utterly chaotic.

Around the ritual grounds, brilliant beams of divine light tore through the sky. All sorts of Magical Artifacts soared into the air, and powerful Runes flickered with formidable divine might. The iridescent streams of light made the very heavens rumble.

Cultivators from every faction were locked in a free-for-all. Dozens of people fought over every single Magical Artifact, their eyes red with bloodlust.

In other areas, guardian Demon Beasts appeared, throwing their heads back to roar. The mountains rumbled as if struck by a great earthquake.

The powerful force sent the qi and blood of all the cultivators into turmoil, causing them to fly backward while spitting up blood. Some lost their lives on the spot, their blood spraying across the sky.

Even so, nothing could extinguish the crowd’s blazing greed.

Men die for wealth as birds die for food. Faced with the temptation of great opportunity, no one would retreat even half a step, despite the mortal danger.

No one retreated from the powerful Demon Beasts. Soon, a large group of cultivators charged forward, combining their strength to unleash various weapons and Mysterious Divine Techniques, eventually slaying a Demon King.

Afterward, people discovered that the area guarded by each Demon King held great treasures—either ancient scriptures, or Spiritual Pills and Magical Artifacts, all of which were exceedingly precious.

This led them to the depths of the herb gardens, where they found an Ancient Medicine Garden guarded by several Demon Beasts. A rosy mist swirled within it, and the faint light of Array Patterns and Runes flickered in and out of view. The air was thick with the rich fragrance of all kinds of herbs.

Many cultivators, upon hearing the news, abandoned their pursuit of other Magical Artifacts and rushed toward the Ancient Medicine Garden.

A chaotic battle erupted within. Blood sprayed across the sky as corpses rained down. Some powerful expert, their eyes burning red, unleashed an incredibly tyrannical Magical Artifact, sweeping clean a vast area.