This Is What a Villain Is Like

Jiang Lan said coolly, "If you continue to make a move against her, you will have to bear whatever consequences follow."

Jiang Ruxian whispered, "I’ll listen to you, then. But you can’t get too close to her."

"Why should I listen to you? Jiang Ruxian, aren’t you overstepping your bounds? There’s nothing between us anymore."

"Xia Junxi and I exchanged vows and were wed. Are you trying to meddle in my private affairs with her, too?"

"You should know, the person I’m married to now is not you."

"What right do you have to say such a thing to me?"

Hearing this, Jiang Lan suddenly let out a cold laugh, as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. His eyes were filled with ice and derision.

Jiang Ruxian stared at him, stunned. Her delicate frame trembled, and a bitter taste suddenly filled her mouth.

’That’s right. The one married to him now isn’t me...’

’What right do I have to say such a thing to him?’

After saying this, Jiang Lan seemed to realize his own emotional outburst. He quickly took a deep breath, gradually regaining his composure.

"Forget it. There’s no point in saying any of this now. I don’t want a day to come where I have to raise my sword and strike you down."

With that, he turned and walked away, heading into Mingde Hall.

"If I let go of my hatred for the Prime Minister’s Mansion, would things not be so difficult for you?"

Jiang Ruxian watched Jiang Lan’s retreating back, her eyes, lustrous as moonlight, filled with earnestness.

But Jiang Lan either didn’t hear her or chose to ignore it.

The corner of Jiang Ruxian’s mouth curved into an unreadable expression. She stood silently for a long moment before her figure slowly faded and disappeared.

In the bedchamber, the candles had long since been extinguished. Even the hanging lanterns and Golden Lamps were dark.

On the bed, Emperor Xia was already asleep, still fully clothed.

Jiang Lan glanced at her but said nothing, choosing instead to meditate for the night in an adjacent side hall.

For many in the Imperial Capital, this was destined to be a sleepless night.

The political landscape of the court was shifting dramatically—a time of celebration for some, and sorrow for others.

In Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, Prince Wuxuan’s Mansion, Prince Chong’an’s Mansion, and the residences of the various Immortal Sect Lineages... throughout the vast expanse of palaces and manors, lights burned bright. Many would find no sleep tonight.

Countless eyes were fixed upon the Imperial Capital, waiting for the great reshuffling that was to come. Hidden currents surged beneath the surface.

It was foreseeable that after the Grand Ceremony of the Feng Jun, the power of the Prime Minister’s Mansion would reach an unprecedented peak. The various factions of the Royalist Faction began to tremble, fearing they would be purged and suppressed.

Across the entire Great Xia, the Noble Families and Clans and the powers of the Immortal Sect Influence watched in silence.

Deep within the National Preceptor’s Mansion, National Master Ge Qixing sat cross-legged upon a simple zafu as hazy starlight gathered and wove itself into patterns before him.

As he channeled his energy and performed his divination, shimmering lines of light appeared, eventually forming a vast, boundless star chart.

At that very moment, high in the distant celestial sphere, a vast, boundless Star Realm seemed to flicker in response.

Several brilliant stars within it suddenly flared with an unprecedented radiance, overwhelming the surrounding Void and eclipsing all else.

"The Seven-Star Secret Collection..."

He studied the star chart, his brow furrowed in concentration. His hands moved continuously, forming intricate hand seals as he divined the future.

Soon, the star chart vanished, condensed by him into a Jade Talisman shrouded in starlight. It resembled a Talisman and was filled with a boundless, vast aura.

"After the Grand Ceremony of the Feng Jun, the very aura of Great Xia has shifted once more. The dragons and serpents emerge from the abyss. The time has come for the late emperor’s final decree to take effect."

Ge Qixing looked up at the celestial signs, silently calculating.

The various powers of the Celestial Central Province also seemed to be waiting for something. From the depths of ancient Noble Families and Clans, long-hidden figures emerged to observe the celestial signs in the night sky.

"The great powers are rising, and the destiny of the Celestial Central Province is in flux. According to the ancient texts, this is an omen of a world-altering upheaval."

"The situation to come will be even more chaotic. The other provinces of the Nine Provinces Land have long eyed these lands with covetous gazes. I fear they will not be able to restrain themselves for much longer..."

"Such cataclysmic turmoil, bursting with serendipity and opportunities, is the very catalyst needed to achieve a state of eternal, unshakable power."

Deep within the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Li Ran, Supreme Elder of the Taiyi Sect, stood upon a high platform shrouded in a hazy gray mist. With his hands clasped behind his back, he seemed to be gazing out at something in the distance.

Jiang Lintian, Li Qingshu, and the others stood silently behind him, not uttering a single word.