This Is What a Villain Is Like

Chapter 198: Chapter 98: He Can Bully Her, but Others Cannot; Destined to Ascend the Summit and Look Down Upon the Myriad Mountains

She explained her disappearance by claiming she had been trapped in an Array.

By her side was Chen Ning. The two of them looked quite friendly, as if they had already resolved their old grievances.

The rest of the Beiming Chen Family were also taken aback when they found Chen Ning.

However, they soon learned from Chen Ning that she had acquired many opportunities on this trip. She also said she had made Chu Chan swear an oath to no longer cause her trouble.

Furthermore, since Chu Chan had already latched onto the young master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion as a patron, Chen Ning figured it was better to avoid trouble. So, she reconciled with Chu Chan, and they even started calling each other "sisters."

This explanation was flawless, and the members of the Beiming Chen Family didn’t doubt it in the slightest.

Of course, Chu Chan had long since used the Decomposing Puppet Skill to refine Chen Ning into her own puppet. Under her control, Chen Ning naturally couldn’t reveal any flaws.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she didn’t use the surrounding Array to eliminate everyone from the Chen Family. Instead, she left some alive, creating the illusion that the others had tragically died after stumbling into the Array by mistake.

She did the same with the disciples of the Jasper Pool Sect.

But upon closer inspection, one would find that the disciples who had died mysteriously were all people who had held grudges against her and bullied her in the past.

Of course, Chu Chan wasn’t worried that the people from the Jasper Pool Sect would notice anything amiss. After all, with the dead unable to testify, she had no fear of the consequences.

After leaving the entrance of the Secret Realm, the first thing Chu Chan and the other Jasper Pool Sect disciples saw was Jiang Lan and Ling Zhuyun, who was with him.

After obtaining the Immortal Embryo Creation Dew, Jiang Lan had been planning to leave.

Along the way, Ling Zhuyun had suggested they wait at the entrance of the Secret Realm. As soon as Ye Ming appeared, she could use a Magical Artifact to reveal his true form.

As she made the suggestion, she took out a palm-sized Ancient Mirror. Its surface was simple and unadorned, yet incomparably crystalline, glowing with a radiant light.

She even deliberately explained this in front of Jiang Lan to convince him that she truly wanted to kill Ye Ming and had no intention of letting him escape on purpose.

Seeing this, Jiang Lan just gave her a perfunctory response.

He knew a fair bit about Ye Ming, a character who received considerable attention in the original plot, and was aware of the tricks up his sleeve.

Therefore, he paid Ling Zhuyun’s suggestion no mind. For one, he had no intention of killing Ye Ming. Secondly, after having his true form exposed once, Ye Ming would surely become even more cautious. ’Could an ordinary Magical Artifact really reveal his true appearance?’

Of course, as long as the fundamental nature of Ye Ming’s life did not change, he could never hide his true self from Jiang Lan.

"Young Master..."

"Chan’Er was so worried about you..."

As soon as Chu Chan reunited with Jiang Lan, she threw herself into his arms.

Her fair, beautiful face was filled with worry, and her autumn-water eyes seemed to be veiled in mist, on the verge of tears.

She was genuinely afraid that Jiang Lan had encountered danger within the Secret Realm.

After all, since leaving the Dao field, she had heard news of the Blood Immortal Sect running rampant, setting traps to slaughter the younger generation.

Many disciples from the major Immortal Sects had already met tragic deaths, and some groups were even completely wiped out, with not a single survivor.

Although Jiang Lan had experts as numerous as clouds under his command, he himself possessed no cultivation.

Not to mention, she still hoped to marry into the Prime Minister’s Mansion one day and wield power and influence.

But even beyond that, Jiang Lan was the only person who had ever treated her so well in her entire life. She couldn’t just stand by and watch him face danger and die here.

Therefore, even though she had gained a great deal from this trip and her cultivation was on the verge of breaking through to the Fifth Realm, she didn’t feel happy. Instead, she was anxious and worried.

Fortunately, seeing Jiang Lan safe and sound, the heavy stone in her heart was finally lifted.

"What are you crying for? Am I not perfectly fine?"

A faintly helpless look appeared on Jiang Lan’s face as he reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

Although he knew Chu Chan was putting on an act, he could indeed feel her genuine concern.

In a way, Chu Chan was more worried about his safety than anyone else. He was her ultimate patron, and she was terrified of any accident befalling him.

’If the towering tree she clung to collapsed before her little vine had a chance to grow, where would she go to cry then?’

"The Secret Realm is so dangerous. What if you had gone to the wrong place, Young Master..." Chu Chan mumbled.

"Chan’Er, your concern for my safety makes all my past affection for you worthwhile."

Jiang Lan smiled, gently pinching her cheek and wiping away the tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

Chu Chan leaned into his embrace, but she was secretly sizing up Ling Zhuyun out of the corner of her eye. She was somewhat surprised to see Ling Zhuyun accompanying Jiang Lan.

However, she could now clearly sense an aura of Magical Power surging from Jiang Lan. His presence had undergone an earth-shattering change compared to before.

’Could it be that, without knowing about the Dark Mansion, he managed to find it just by relying on that Token?’

Because this matter involved her younger brother Chu Yun’s secret, Chu Chan had been hesitating on how to inform Jiang Lan. But before she could tell him, they had been separated outside Purple Mist Mountain.

Seeing Chu Chan and the others arrive, Ling Zhuyun was also surprised, and pleasantly so.

Although it seemed many of her junior sisters had met an untimely demise, it was still much better than their entire group being wiped out.

Of course, she was also puzzled and asked why she hadn’t been able to contact them earlier.

"We ran into an Array and were unfortunately trapped inside. It was Junior Sister Chu Chan who helped us escape..." Chen Ning explained, her expression natural and no different from usual.

But with his Destiny Dao Fruit, Jiang Lan could see the difference in her life signature at a glance. He knew she was now just a puppet, and her true controller was none other than Chu Chan, nestled in his arms.