This Is What a Villain Is Like

"That’s enough..."

Jiang Ruxian’s smile vanished. She cut her off, her face now completely devoid of expression.

Hearing Emperor Xia’s praise for Jiang Lan made her deeply uncomfortable. It felt as if something that should have been hers had been forcibly taken away and was now being flaunted right in front of her.

Emperor Xia knew she had said too much and immediately fell silent. Her power was no match for Jiang Ruxian’s. If she angered her, she would be the one to suffer.

"I didn’t realize you held such favorable feelings for Jiang Lan," Jiang Ruxian said coolly.

"I merely appreciate him. What you call ’favorable feelings’ are emotions for shallow women. I am the ruler of a nation, the sovereign, how could I be burdened by such worldly sentiments?" Emperor Xia replied with considerable disdain.

She had always found it unbelievable that a figure like Jiang Ruxian could be shackled by something as trivial as love.

’If I had her level of power,’ she thought, ’I would have long since built a grand legacy and left my mark on history. How could I be so petty as to be obsessed with a single man?’

Of course, she only dared to think such things. Saying them aloud would only provoke Jiang Ruxian.

"I don’t care what you think. You need only know that if you try to fool or deceive me, the consequences will be severe."

Jiang Ruxian seemed to chuckle as she reached out and grabbed Emperor Xia’s wrist.

Emperor Xia was confused but made no attempt to resist.

The next moment, she felt a strange, chilling aura emanate from Jiang Ruxian’s palm. It flowed up from her wrist, through her limbs and meridians, spreading deep into her body before vanishing without a trace.

"What was that?"

Emperor Xia’s brow furrowed. She mobilized all the power of her Divine Soul to inspect her own body, trying to locate that chilling aura, but it was like a stone dropped into the ocean—it had completely vanished, assimilated into her system.

Her expression turned icy. Dragon Energy surged around her, materializing into golden True Dragons that coiled in the air. She glared at Jiang Ruxian, ready to fight to the death, consequences be damned.

’Right in front of me, Jiang Ruxian actually dared to place a Restriction on me?’

"Don’t worry, it poses no danger to you. It’s merely to prevent you from getting any ideas about what you’re supposed to be guarding."

Jiang Ruxian paid no mind to the terrifying aura erupting from Emperor Xia. With a simple lift of her hand, she suppressed it completely.

Her tone was light and casual, as if she had just done something utterly insignificant.

"You..."

Emperor Xia’s gaze grew even colder. ’What does she take me for?’

Jiang Ruxian said placidly, "Unless I remove it, no one will be able to touch you. You won’t have to worry about Jiang Lintian’s schemes succeeding. As long as you bear no heir, the throne will remain yours. Isn’t that a good thing for you?"

Emperor Xia gritted her teeth, her gaze bone-chilling. She was filled with a suffocating sense of humiliation and extreme rage.

The majestic ruler of Great Xia, having a Restriction planted inside her by Jiang Ruxian... If word of this got out, countless people would mock her.

At that moment, she silently swore an oath. If she ever had the power and opportunity, she would make Jiang Ruxian taste the same humiliation she felt today, repaid a hundredfold.

"Heh, are you afraid that I and Jiang Lan will actually fall in love and disrupt your plans? Is that why you pulled this little trick on me?"

"Jiang Ruxian, you’re not so impressive after all. If I were to have a relationship with Jiang Lan, I would do so openly and honorably."

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The rage in Emperor Xia’s heart was nearly impossible to vent. But she was no ordinary person. She quickly regained her composure, a mocking, derisive smile touching her lips as she spoke.

Jiang Ruxian was unfazed. "Sparing your life and permitting you to form a marriage contract with him is the greatest tolerance I can offer," she said casually. "If you have other ideas, you’d be wise to suppress them. He is not someone you can covet or possess."

"You want to secure your throne, and I can help you at critical moments. But that is the extent of it."

"Besides, isn’t your goal also to secure your rule over this world? When this is all over, I will help you remove the Restriction. After that, you can choose any man in the world you wish. That will be your business, and I will no longer interfere."

"As long as you harbor no unnecessary thoughts, what difference does it make whether this Restriction is there or not?"

"I hope you keep your word."

Emperor Xia took a deep breath, her expression now calm once more.

Before, she had felt a slight pang of guilt toward Jiang Ruxian over this matter, but that feeling was now completely gone.

From the very beginning, Jiang Ruxian had never treated her as an equal.

’And since my strength is far inferior to hers right now, whatever she does, whatever she says, is right...’

Jiang Ruxian had arrived suddenly, and she departed just as abruptly. The shimmering mist before them dissipated, and her figure vanished like smoke, leaving no trace.

Emperor Xia’s eyes were cold, but for once, she did not fly into a rage. After being threatened and suppressed by Jiang Ruxian, the restlessness that had accompanied her breakthrough to the Eighth Realm gradually settled, becoming calm and stable.

"Spring Orchid, prepare a decree."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Spring Orchid, who was standing nearby, quickly took out a scroll and began to grind the ink.

"We believe the proper ordering of the household is the source of all civilization, and the Imperial Court is the standard for the realm. Thus, as the ruler governs external affairs to cultivate the Yin, so must a consort govern internal affairs to uphold the Yang..."

Emperor Xia’s eyes revealed deep thought as she carefully chose her words. After all, appointing a Feng Jun was a matter to be announced to the entire world; it could not be done carelessly.

Once this decree was proclaimed today, it was certain to cause a tremendous uproar throughout the Great Xia dynasty.

Countless influential clans would be sent into a frenzy of speculation. The Imperial Clan Court and Dragon Guard Mountain, in particular, would surely have an extremely strong reaction and attempt to stand in her way.