This Is What a Villain Is Like

Now that Emperor Xia had secured her throne as empress regnant, with the support of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, the entire political landscape of the Great Xia was poised for a new era of change.

For ordinary cultivators and commoners alike, this was naturally a good thing.

The various Noble Families and Clans at court had a complex web of interests, and none of them wished to see the Prime Minister’s Mansion grow all-powerful. But alas, in this world, might makes right; great power is concentrated in the individual, and the strongest have the final say.

Although the Prime Minister’s Mansion had been established for far less time than those ancient clans, Prime Minister Jiang Lintian himself was a man of peerless, heaven-sent talent. Backed by the Taiyi Sect, the current leader among Immortal Sects, his cultivation had reached a level unfathomable to gods and demons. Even old monsters who had cultivated for hundreds, or even nearly a thousand years, were no match for him.

Moreover, since Emperor Xia had personally written and decreed the matter of appointing a Feng Jun, the opposition was not nearly as great as the public imagined...

「In the blink of an eye, the day of the Feng Jun Grand Ceremony arrived.」

The Imperial Capital was bustling with excitement. Though the ceremony itself was to be simple, the walls and courtyards throughout the Imperial Palace were still adorned with festive red lanterns.

All the eunuchs and palace maids, as well as the guards on duty, had changed into festive robes. Smiles graced every face.

The guests in attendance included high-ranking ministers, the heads of Noble Families and Clans, and Elders from the various Immortal Sect Lineages. While the scale of the event might not compare to the Southern Hunting exercises, it was still an unprecedentedly grand occasion.

A red carpet, as vibrant as fresh makeup, stretched from outside the palace gates all the way to the center of the main road.

Emperor Xia’s brows were lightly powdered. She wore a golden crown and a ceremonial cape, over which lay a Dragon Robe of black and crimson. Her bearing was majestic, and every gesture carried the aura of the Emperor. Billowing Dragon Energy and a surging golden light surrounded her, obscuring all else.

With her hands clasped behind her back, her tall, elegant figure stood proudly before the Imperial Palace. Anyone who saw her could sense her stunning, peerless grace.

Many among the younger generation in attendance could barely tear their eyes away. For most, it was the first time they had seen Emperor Xia’s true face, and they had never imagined she could be so breathtakingly beautiful.

Though her expression was frosty, imbued with an inviolable imperial majesty, her exquisitely beautiful, picture-perfect features still made many hearts flutter. She was a sight one could never forget, stirring feelings of envy and jealousy in their souls.

Beside her stood Jiang Lan, also clad in a long robe of black and crimson. The wide cuffs were embroidered with vivid, shimmering totems of a dragon and a phoenix.

He wore no other adornments, save for a piece of Ancient Jade hanging at his waist. His figure was tall and slender, his bearing extraordinary and transcendent, as if he were a Banished Immortal cast down to the mortal realm.

At first glance, they looked as perfectly matched as a celestial couple.

From start to finish, his expression remained easygoing and composed, calm and untroubled. He exuded an air of transcendent detachment, which secretly astonished those who had harbored deep suspicions about him due to the various rumors.

Furthermore, upon probing him, many were surprised to discover that the fluctuations of Magical Power emanating from him were no weaker than those of many young Celestial Prides. In fact, he gave off an indescribable sense of being utterly unfathomable.

It was only today that many finally realized they had all been fooled by his outward appearance.

’This fellow has hidden himself well. Perhaps, just as some speculated, he was simply biding his time and concealing his true abilities.’

’If he had truly just begun his cultivation journey, how could he possess such strength?’

The many young Celestial Prides were also secretly stunned.

The ceremony was a grand affair. Civil and military officials, mounted on horseback or riding in carriages, followed closely behind a ceremonial procession, making their way in a great, majestic column toward the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Though it was called the appointment of the Feng Jun, its true purpose was the Emperor’s wedding.

Therefore, after the rites honoring heaven, earth, and the ancestors were complete, to the sound of bells and drums, the grand procession set off for the Prime Minister’s Mansion to perform the wedding ceremony.

At such a crucial moment, Li Qingshu, Jiang Lan’s mother, naturally set aside all her duties at the distant Taiyi Sect and rushed back at the earliest opportunity, her face wreathed in smiles.

Also present in the Prime Minister’s Mansion was an old man in a white robe. His face was indistinct and seemed to possess an ancient quality, making it impossible to see clearly, but his demeanor appeared quite benevolent.

But if one were to look closely, they would discover that he seemed to be the very center of the world, yet at the same time, not to exist within it at all. He flickered between reality and illusion from moment to moment, making it impossible for anyone to pinpoint his true location.

Among the guests were powerful experts of the Seventh Realm, yet the instant they laid eyes on the old man, they broke out in a cold sweat that immediately drenched their backs.

’The current Supreme Elder of the Taiyi Sect. A truly supreme existence in all the Nine Provinces Land.’

’He’s actually here, in the Prime Minister’s Mansion! No wonder the Great Xia’s Dragon Guard Mountain has been so silent on this matter.’

’Of course, they knew this had to be just a wisp of an avatar. His true body was likely in seclusion or exploring the depths of spacetime somewhere.’

The Elders from the various Immortal Sect Lineages felt their hearts pound, uncertain whether they should step forward to pay their respects. This was a true living fossil, a being who had lived for an unknowable length of time.

Emperor Xia, who had moments ago been filled with a host of emotions and wore a frosty expression, was now on her best behavior. Looking utterly docile, she stood quietly beside Jiang Lan.

’The moment she saw the old man, she understood why Jiang Ruxian wasn’t here. So, even she has people she fears.’

"Grandfather, Father, Mother..." Jiang Lan bowed respectfully.

The white-robed old man’s expression was benevolent. His gaze swept over Jiang Lan, and in an instant, he seemed to have perceived countless secrets.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

His smile grew even more gratified. He nodded and said, "Not bad."

With that, he reached out a hand. A fissure split open in the Void before him, and two streams of light flew out, manifesting as the ethereal forms of a dragon and a phoenix.

The two ethereal forms intertwined affectionately in the Void before transforming into two sets of Soft Armor, shimmering with vibrant light and suffused with a divine radiance.