This Is What a Villain Is Like

That’s what he said, but only he knew if he would actually follow through.

After composing herself, Emperor Xia learned that there were quite a few addendums to the three rules Jiang Lan had proposed. It wasn’t as she had thought—he wouldn’t use his title as Feng Jun to do things that would damage her authority or reputation.

It’s just that defining their future relationship with a rigid set of rules seemed a bit cold and impersonal.

Logically, this should have been a good thing for her, but she felt a deep sense of unease, like a fishbone caught in her throat.

As they continued their discussion, time slipped by quietly until it was midnight.

"Regarding the whereabouts of the Dragon-Suppressing Seal... investigating it will be difficult. But we must find a way to mitigate the damage before the Blood Immortal Sect reveals its loss. This is a disaster in the making, and it’s bound to blow up sooner or later."

"That way, when we have to deal with it, we won’t be caught flustered and on the back foot."

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"The best approach is to prepare on two fronts. First, secretly dispatch trustworthy people to investigate the Blood Immortal Sect’s whereabouts, especially the movements of their successor, Ye Ming. It’s highly likely he has relevant clues."

"Second, you should mobilize your confidants, gather master artisans, find some Other Mountain Stone, and go to the heart of Jade Mountain to collect Ten Thousand Year Emperor’s Heart Jade. Use it to forge a replica of the Dragon-Suppressing Seal..."

"With the support of your Eighth Realm cultivation, even a replica Dragon-Suppressing Seal can produce a similar effect. It might not pass for the real thing up close, but it’s more than enough to fool the common people. This will ensure that public morale doesn’t collapse."

Before the jade table, Jiang Lan spoke with confidence, laying out his strategy for Emperor Xia.

Emperor Xia watched him with her bright eyes, careful not to interrupt. The infuriating demeanor from before was gone. Now, his handsome, peerless face was calm and composed, as if he could foresee everything. His words revealed a strategic mind and profound wisdom.

Seeing him like this was surprisingly reassuring.

She thought for a moment, a slight smile playing on her lips. With a teasing tone, she asked, "How shall we be sleeping tonight?"

The moment the words left her lips, she felt a sudden chill. Something was wrong.

The red candles swayed, and the small red lanterns hanging high above trembled in unison, their light flickering erratically.

Emperor Xia instinctively fell silent, her expression flickering between various emotions.

Watching this, Jiang Lan feigned surprise and gave her an inquisitive look.

Emperor Xia’s face darkened, but she said nothing more. A clear flicker of anger burned deep in her eyes.

"I’ll be right back." Jiang Lan stood up as if he understood what was happening.

Emperor Xia looked as if she wanted to say something, but held her tongue.

"Wait for me." Jiang Lan glanced back, giving her a reassuring look.

Emperor Xia stared blankly as he pushed open the doors of the hall and walked out into the night wind, his retreating figure leaving her lost in thought.

Outside Mingde Hall, atop the wall, the moonlight billowed like a hazy mist.

Jiang Ruxian stood there. The night wind scattered her dark hair, strands brushing across her cheeks. Her eyes held a distant, lonely look, making her seem like an ethereal Moon Fairy, untouched by the mortal world.

She had been standing quietly outside the palace for a long time. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to push open the doors to the bedchamber.

She had been here since the grand ceremony ended.

The bedchamber was engraved with Restriction Array Patterns to conceal auras and muffle sounds, but for someone like her, who moved with such ease, how could they possibly have any effect?

So, from beginning to end, she had heard every word of the conversation between Jiang Lan and Emperor Xia.

From Emperor Xia’s initial questions to their three rules and the subsequent negotiations, she had heard it all, not missing a single word.

But when Emperor Xia’s last question came, the sharp, twisting pain in her heart finally became unbearable...

’If not for that accident in the past, she should have been the one entering the bridal chamber with Jiang Lan tonight, not Emperor Xia.’

’I’d already warned her. How dare she still probe like that?’

"Jiang Ruxian, what is the meaning of this?"

Jiang Lan’s figure appeared outside Mingde Hall.

He looked at the ethereal figure standing on the wall, his tone calm. Thanks to his Destiny Dao Fruit, he had known Jiang Ruxian was outside the bedchamber from the very beginning.

Therefore, his entire conversation with Emperor Xia had been well within his control.

Both Emperor Xia and Jiang Ruxian were people of extraordinary fortune. However, due to their different Life Charts, personalities, and other factors, the methods he needed to use to seize that fortune from each of them were completely different.

To claim the fortune from Jiang Ruxian, he had to cause severe fluctuations in her state of mind.

While it seemed he was just bickering with Emperor Xia in the bedchamber, he had actually been silently seizing a great deal of fortune.

The sight of Jiang Lan in his conspicuous dragon-and-phoenix wedding robes was jarring to Jiang Ruxian, and she slowly averted her gaze.

She lowered her eyes and said softly, "I wanted to see you."

"You don’t have to resort to this just to see me. Are you trying to threaten and intimidate Junxi? She is my legitimate wife now."

"If you try to harm her, I won’t just stand by and watch," Jiang Lan said, his tone still calm.

"Junxi?"

Jiang Ruxian paused, then realized he was using Emperor Xia’s given name.

She suddenly smiled. "I doubt Emperor Xia even knows you call her by such an intimate name."

Jiang Lan said flatly, "That has nothing to do with you."

Jiang Ruxian looked at him. "I actually want to kill Emperor Xia. But since she seems to be an important pawn of yours, I won’t harm her."

"You’re as obsessive as ever. But that, too, has nothing to do with me."