Chapter 35: The Law of Zero Providence Drops; That Man Named Gu Is Not a Good Person

For Gu Changge, the only reason Ye Chen was still breathing was that he didn’t deserve the title of “enemy.”

A true enemy? Gu Changge would never allow such a threat to exist for long. If someone truly posed a danger, he would have utilized every method at his disposal to crush them the moment they offended him. There would be no mercy, no “leaving them to grow.”

Ye Chen, Lin Tian… to put it nicely, they were Sons of Providence. To put it bluntly, they were leeks. They were tools.

Harvest one batch, and another grows in its place.

Sons of Providence came and went like flowing water, but the Villain stood firm as iron.

Gu Changge wasn’t stupid. He adhered to a simple truth: Since ancient times, Villains have perished due to excessive monologuing and arrogance.

He didn’t talk too much, nor was he arrogant. He simply knew more than they did. While he couldn’t claim omniscience, toying with these lower-realm Sons of Providence was as easy as turning over his hand.

He hadn’t killed them instantly because, frankly, neither Ye Chen nor Lin Tian posed any threat to his current self. Gu Changge enjoyed stripping away everything they held dear, piece by piece, milking them for Destiny Points until their value was utterly exhausted.

Doing otherwise would be far too boring.

Since he had crossed over to become a Villain, he naturally had to live for his own amusement.

Furthermore, the System had just revealed a new mechanic: [The Providence Clearance Drop Rule].

If he killed a Son of Providence whose Providence Points had been drained to zero, the System would grant an additional “Heavenly Dao Reward.”

Heavenly Dao Reward. It sounded quite enticing. At the very least, Gu Changge was moved.

If not for this, given the tracking methods he had placed on Ye Chen’s Master, locating the fugitive would have been effortless. But Gu Changge chose to wait. He needed Ye Chen to act as his “Treasure-Hunting Mouse,” to open the ancient ruins and locate the Eight Desolate Demon Halberd.

Ye Chen needed to burn bright and generate heat for him until the very last moment. That, after all, was his true purpose for descending to the lower realm.

As Gu Changge pondered this, a soft knock sounded from outside the palace doors.

“Qingge, go open the door.”

Gu Changge sensed the visitor’s identity and raised an eyebrow slightly. He gestured to Su Qingge, who was reading through ancient texts nearby.

“Yes, Young Master.”

Su Qingge set down her book and moved with lotus-like steps.

At the entrance stood Lin Qiuhan. She wore a light blue dress and had applied a touch of makeup, making her look even more stunningly glamorous than usual. In her hands, she held a small food box that emitted a faint, enticing fragrance.

“These are Spirit Cakes Qiuhan made personally. I thought… if Young Master Gu gets hungry at night, these might satisfy his appetite,” Lin Qiuhan said to Su Qingge, her face flushing slightly.

It was a strange impulse. She didn’t know what had come over her, but she had suddenly felt the urge to bake. As a cultivator, she had long reached the state of Inedia and had no need for food. However, the desire for taste was not something easily extinguished.

Since she was confident in her culinary skills, she thought to send some pastries to Gu Changge.

“I understand. Thank you for your trouble, Miss Lin, coming personally to deliver food so late at night.”

“Qingge will thank you on behalf of my Young Master.”

Su Qingge wore a flawless, polite smile. Her voice was cool and clear, yet it carried a subtle layer of territorial implication.

She enunciated the words “my Young Master” very clearly.

This simple woman before her had met him only once, yet her heart had already been captured. Su Qingge briefly considered warning her to avoid jumping into the fire pit.

But considering Gu Changge would likely punish her for ruining his fun, she abandoned the thought.

Lin Qiuhan, far less astute than Su Qingge, missed the hidden meaning entirely.

“Then I will trouble Saintess Qingge. I won’t disturb Young Master Gu’s rest any longer.”

Nervous and flustered, Lin Qiuhan handed the food box to Su Qingge and fled as if escaping a predator.

“Captured after a single meeting… Young Master’s skill in manipulating the human heart is truly becoming more masterful by the day.”

Su Qingge returned to the hall and walked to Gu Changge’s side, opening the box as she spoke.

Hum!

Instantly, a rich fragrance filled the air. Wisps of multicolored light drifted from the pastries, and faint auspicious visions manifested above them. The ingredients used were clearly extraordinary.

“Miss Lin’s craftsmanship is indeed excellent. Qingge, you should learn a thing or two.”

Gu Changge ignored her pointed comment. He was in a good mood. After tasting a few bites, he couldn’t help but offer praise.

“If Young Master likes it so much, why not just keep Miss Lin by your side? Wouldn’t that be simpler?” Su Qingge suggested coolly.

Hearing this, Gu Changge glanced at her with a faint, teasing smile. “Is Qingge jealous? A jealous woman… that doesn’t seem like you.”

“Be careful. Jealousy isn’t a likable trait.”

Su Qingge shook her head. “Young Master’s thoughts are too deep. Qingge knows her place; it is hard to truly win Young Master’s affection. Whether I am jealous or not is irrelevant.”

Although her tone was calm, it couldn’t quite hide a trace of grievance.

“When did you become so duplicitous?”

Gu Changge laughed.

…

From a distance, Lin Tian saw Lin Qiuhan returning from the luxurious guest palaces deep within the Lin Estate.

That direction was precisely where Gu Changge was staying.

A woman… going there alone late at night?

His face twisted with annoyance and hidden resentment. His fists clenched tight.

“Xiao Tian? What are you doing here? And where were you this afternoon? I looked everywhere but couldn’t find you.”

Lin Qiuhan’s face was still a mix of joy, shyness, and nervousness. But the moment she saw Lin Tian, she swept those emotions away, replacing them with the stern mask of an elder sister.

Lin Tian gritted his teeth, jealousy burning in his gut. He forced himself to remain calm. “Late at night… where did you go, Sister? Did you go to see that Young Master Gu?”

He didn’t know exactly what emotion was driving him right now. He knew the remnant obsession was clouding his judgment and affecting his mental state. He had to find a way to resolve it, and soon.

Hearing his question, Lin Qiuhan panicked slightly, feeling as though her secret thoughts had been exposed.

But in front of Lin Tian, she maintained her authority. “Do not meddle in my affairs. Focus on your own cultivation.”

“That man named Gu is not a good person. Don’t be fooled by his appearance. I can tell at a glance that he’s the type who specializes in deceiving women. Lin Qiuhan, you need to wake up!”

Lin Tian’s face was dark as he shouted her full name.

He couldn’t let her sink any deeper. If words failed, he would have to use forceful methods.

“How is Young Master Gu ‘not a good person’?”

Lin Qiuhan frowned, her expression turning ugly.

Since when did Lin Tian have the right to lecture her?

Furthermore, after interacting with Gu Changge all day, she hadn’t seen a single flaw. He was humble, polite, gentle, and refined. Despite his terrifying background, he carried no arrogant airs.

“Do not slander Young Master Gu. If you could be even one percent as outstanding as him, I would be relieved,” Lin Qiuhan scolded, convinced her brother was just being difficult.

“How can you be so stupid? Can’t you see it?”

Lin Tian was furious.

He had warned her so clearly, yet she remained stubbornly deluded. What kind of love potion had that surname Gu fed her?

“What is wrong with you lately? You’re acting so strange. Even if Young Master Gu isn’t a ‘good person,’ what could he possibly want from me?”

Lin Qiuhan was exasperated. She threw the rhetorical question back at him, then stepped around him and strode away with her long legs.

Hearing this, Lin Tian froze.

What could he want?

Wait…

Halfway back, Lin Qiuhan suddenly stopped. She remembered she had forgotten to interrogate Lin Tian.

How did he learn alchemy and cultivation? And where did he disappear to this afternoon?