This Is What a Villain Is Like

"Chaos will reign as a star of calamity descends. This vast and mighty empire, I fear, will be destroyed at her hands."

"Fortunately, the late emperor foresaw this long ago and left a contingency plan in place."

National Master Ge Qixing’s eyes were profound. His long robes fluttered around his striking and unusual features. He seemed to embody the accumulated wisdom of the mortal world’s cycles and the fundamental principles of the stars’ movements. His every word and deed carried the weight of some ultimate truth.

Two young acolytes stood by with their hands lowered, not daring to speak out of turn.

Ge Qixing, however, seemed to be in the middle of a divination. Myriad constellations shifted within his eyes, sometimes appearing as a churning river of stars, other times as a great star falling from the heavens, before finally returning to stillness.

"Strange. Why has the Shaking Light Origin, one of the Seven-Star Origins in my divination, vanished?"

’Could it have emerged ahead of schedule and already been claimed by someone?’ he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed.

The Seven-Star Origin was an indispensable component for fusing with the Life Soul of the Master of Stars and defying the heavens to alter one’s destiny.

If even one of the components was missing, it could trigger a backlash from the Master of Stars, rendering all their efforts useless.

A being of that caliber would have long foreseen their own fatal calamity and left numerous countermeasures in place. They had to proceed with extreme caution.

’However, my calculations show that a Star Remains Ruins is about to emerge. This might be an opportunity for Teng’Er.’

’Before the Star Body can be revived, it needs a large amount of Star Remains to refine the physical body and unlock its hidden potential...’ As Ge Qixing pondered this, a Compass suddenly appeared in his hand. Specks of light dotted its surface, illuminating an array of strange patterns that resembled the linked Seven Stars. An inexplicable and profoundly mystical power surged from it.

Meanwhile, in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Prime Minister Jiang Lintian, dressed in a wide brocade robe and flanked by his retainers, accepted the imperial edict.

Everyone else, with the exception of the Prime Minister himself, was utterly shocked. Their reactions were no different from the public’s—completely blindsided.

"Prime Minister, it seems Emperor Xia’s move is a show of weakness, a gesture of goodwill. From this day forward, the Great Xia empire will truly be yours to command..."

The many retainers and Tributors were exhilarated and excited.

Jiang Lintian put away the edict, his expression as profound as ever, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

He waved his hand. "Speak no more of this. A ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject; we must not disrupt the order of the court. Although Emperor Xia will be a daughter-in-law of our Jiang Mansion, we must not forget our propriety and etiquette in public."

"Yes, Prime Minister. We understand," the crowd of retainers and Tributors immediately replied. They understood his meaning: Emperor Xia was still to be respected, and they could not start acting brazenly because of this development.

’After all, won’t the empire belong to the Prime Minister’s Mansion in the future anyway? If they fought with Emperor Xia, it would only be the Prime Minister’s Mansion that suffered.’

"Prime Minister, what about the young master?"

At this, someone asked, his face etched with concern. That day had been the first time they had ever witnessed the Prime Minister’s rage. Even from miles away, the memory of that overwhelming aura was still terrifying.

In all these years, it was likely the first time the Prime Minister had ever been truly furious with his son, confining him to his room and forbidding him from taking even a single step outside.

"Has Lan’Er admitted he was wrong?"

Jiang Lintian casually handed the edict to the steward beside him and asked the question, his expression unreadable.

"The young master is still resisting," the man replied with a helpless sigh.

Jiang Lintian snorted. "He’s been thoroughly spoiled. He can’t grasp what’s important in a matter of this magnitude. How is marrying the current Emperor Xia a bad thing for him?"

The hearts of the retainers and Tributors trembled, and they hurriedly spoke up, urging the Prime Minister to quell his anger.

"Mengning, if you keep sneaking fruits and wine in to Lan’Er, I will have you confined right along with him."

He spoke as he seemed to notice a figure in a green silk-gauze skirt peeking furtively from around the corner of a corridor, his expression instantly darkening.

"Pri... Prime Minister..."

Li Mengning hesitated, biting her lip before walking over. As if mustering all her courage, she said, "Jiang Lan doesn’t... he doesn’t want to marry Emperor Xia."

Jiang Lintian’s expression darkened further, radiating an intimidating aura without any overt display of anger.

The surrounding retainers and Tributors trembled in fear and hastily bowed their heads.

Li Mengning boldly met his gaze, but her courage lasted only a moment before she flinched away. She could only put on a brave front for so long before an elder, especially when Jiang Lan wasn’t there to give her confidence.

"I am aware that Lan’Er is unwilling."

"But as the Son of the Prime Minister, he has responsibilities he must bear," Jiang Lintian said. "Are you worried that after marrying Emperor Xia, Lan’Er will be constrained by her?"

Li Mengning hesitated for a long while, unsure how to respond.

Jiang Lintian sighed. "You two are still young. He will eventually come to understand it on his own."

With that, he led the group of retainers and Tributors away.

Li Mengning lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, an indescribable frustration welling up inside her.

Back in the rear of the mansion, she went to the chambers where Jiang Lan was confined and knocked softly on the door.

However, the door was sealed with Restrictions and Array Patterns, so no sound could be heard from within.

"I’m going in," she said to the two guards standing at the entrance.

The two guards looked troubled, but under Li Mengning’s clear and steady gaze, they could only step aside in resignation.

Inside the chamber, Jiang Lan was seated cross-legged on a Zafu, quietly cultivating. When Li Mengning entered, she found a place to the side and sat down, careful not to disturb him.