This Is What a Villain Is Like

Chapter 204: Chapter 99: Why Is Lin Fan Already Dead? He Has Returned to Take Revenge on All His Enemies From His Past Life

"Great Xia is the undisputed overlord of the Celestial Central Province. Below them are the various Immortal Sect Families and Alien Races. Among the Immortal Sects, the Taiyi Sect possesses the most profound and ancient foundation."

Jiang Lan was actually analyzing Great Xia’s situation by combining it with the plot he remembered. This was crucial for his upcoming plans.

After all, the plot he knew was merely the tip of the iceberg of this world; it couldn’t possibly reveal everything.

He was now standing outside the original plot, and many events were no longer unfolding as he knew them.

Therefore, he felt it necessary to mark the locations of all the fortuitous opportunities he knew of on a map. Then, by combining that with the information he had gathered, he could strategize more effectively.

Having resolved the visible issues with his body and successfully framed Ye Ming as the heir to the Blood Immortal Sect, he had temporarily dealt with his most pressing concerns.

Now, he had two options.

First, he could cultivate conventionally, dutifully playing the part of a second-generation heir who had ’overcome his inner demons.’ With the Immortal Embryo and the resources of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, his future cultivation would be smooth sailing. Given his ’talent,’ achieving immortality would only be a matter of time.

However, this choice presented a problem. Even with the Immortal Embryo, it would still take a considerable amount of time to reach the heights his father’s generation had achieved.

Even in the original story, it took Jiang Ruxian decades to grow so powerful that she had few rivals in the world.

Jiang Lan didn’t believe that his acquired Immortal Embryo, even with a few miscellaneous fortuitous encounters, could allow him to surpass her. Therefore, his greatest assets remained the Destiny Dao Fruit and the legacy of the Blood Immortal Sect.

Otherwise, relying on the Immortal Embryo alone, he couldn’t be sure that he could continue to prosper under the influence of this world’s corrective forces. He couldn’t guarantee that he, the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and his family could remain standing amidst the great, sweeping tides of destiny.

So, the first option was essentially out of the question.

The Immortal Embryo could only serve to conceal his true cultivation level. He would have to continue operating as a schemer from behind the scenes.

’After Lin Fan died, this Chu Yun appeared. He’s no threat to me at the moment. On the contrary, he might be useful to me in the future...’

’As for Ye Ming... no need to worry about that scapegoat for now. The day he’s no longer useful to me will be the day he dies.’

Jiang Lan was lost in thought.

He wanted to scheme for more destiny, but he had already considered and moved past all the obvious candidates.

As for his dear sister, Jiang Ruxian, she should still be on No Return Island. In the original story, her appearance came much later.

For now, he had to turn his attention to other figures.

’Su Qinghan? With her, I’d have to wait until she joins the Dao Cang Sword Sect. Then I could see if it’s possible to use her to plot against her master, the Jade Cyan Sword Immortal.’

’And Chu Chan... she’s always by my side, so she never has a chance to spread her wings. I need to find an excuse to let her operate freely. The more she accomplishes, the more destiny I’ll receive in return.’

’Currently, the situation in Great Xia is this: on the surface, the Royal Family and the Prime Minister’s Mansion are at a stalemate. The Confucius Temple’s influence is waning, and the National Master’s faction remains neutral.’

’But since I know the plot, I’m well aware that the National Master only appears neutral. In reality, he sides with the Royal Family.’

’The current Empress of Great Xia, Xia Junxi, is actually his youngest disciple—a fact that is kept strictly secret.’

Jiang Lan toyed with his writing brush.

Speaking of the current Empress of Great Xia, something suddenly occurred to Jiang Lan.

She was still, it seemed, living as a man, not daring to reveal that she was a woman.

Infighting among the late Emperor’s children had been severe. Amidst the clandestine struggles between various factions, several Princes were assassinated one after another.

The late Emperor, despite his world-shaking cultivation, had exhausted himself trying to restore order to the court. As he grew older, his strength began to fail him.

In the imperial court, the Prime Minister had seized absolute power. A man of brutal ambition, he held military authority, intimidated the various Sects and dynasties, and defended the borders against the Alien Race.

Furthermore, the late Emperor had been consuming Life-extending Elixirs refined by various Immortal Sects. The elixir toxins had built up over a long time, leaving him old and frail, his cultivation a shadow of its former peak. Desperate to father a prince to inherit the throne, he toiled day and night.

Despite his efforts, he fathered only princesses. In the end, left with no other choice, the late Emperor resorted to a grand deception: he disguised his youngest princess as a boy, announced her as his heir, and passed the throne to her.

While the late Emperor lived, he could still keep the court’s factions in check. But after he passed away, the young emperor was powerless to deter them, and the various powers grew increasingly brazen.

This was what led to the incident where Jiang Lan’s father pointed at a deer and called it a horse in court, causing the young emperor to lose face completely.

Today, though Emperor Xia holds the title, he is a powerless puppet. He has been biding his time, enduring humiliation and nursing his grievances, waiting for the day he can finally bring down the treacherous officials and powerful ministers and exterminate their clans.

In the original story, the Empress of Great Xia was attacked by assassins while on an incognito inspection tour to the north. The protagonist, Lin Fan, happened to be there and drove off the attackers. This was how he came into contact with the Empress, earning her appreciation and trust.

Over the years, the Empress has also been trying to build her own power base.

She often disguised herself as the young master of a Noble Family, visiting Jianghu Immortal Sects, searching for leads, and befriending talented and extraordinary individuals to recruit as Tributors for her cause.

In secret, she even established forces such as the Gathering Heroes Manor, the Zhengyi Association, the Naxian Alliance, and the Dark Flower Pavilion...

’However, speaking of the National Master reminds me of someone else.’