Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 154: Although My Heart is a Little Black, It is Not Completely Heartless

Yin Mei couldn’t believe her eyes.

Just a moment ago, she was certain her life was forfeit. Facing a Heavenly God and a God King—while severely injured and stripped of all life-saving artifacts—she had been prepared to embrace death over humiliation.

After all, she was nothing more than a pawn in Gu Changge’s grand design. With her utility seemingly exhausted, she assumed her existence no longer mattered. No one would care about her fate.

But then… that peerless sword light descended.

Her mind buzzed with absolute shock. She truly hadn’t expected the notoriously cold and ruthless Gu Changge to personally intervene. Her first thought was that she was hallucinating, but the suffocating, familiar aura radiating from the young man was undeniably real.

Overcome with uncontrollable joy and profound relief, Yin Mei threw herself into Gu Changge’s embrace, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. The transition from absolute despair to sudden salvation was an emotional whiplash only those who had faced the abyss could understand.

With his terrifying strength, even a God King Realm expert was nothing but dust. His presence meant absolute safety.

“What are you thinking about? How could I possibly throw you away?” Gu Changge murmured, patting her head. A faint, gentle smile graced his lips as he allowed her to cling to him.

Simultaneously, he raised his hand. A massive surge of sword energy erupted, intertwining with the terrifying, dark-gold rules of Gengjin. The sheer sharpness of the strike was apocalyptic.

Swoosh!

The blinding sword radiance shrieked like a blade drawn from heaven itself. It effortlessly tore through the fabric of space, descending upon the God King who was still frozen in disbelief.

“How is this possible…?” The God King’s face drained of all color. His eyes bulged in abject horror. He tried to evade, only to realize the surrounding space had been entirely locked down!

The sword light drifted toward him seemingly slowly, yet it carried the conceptual weight of cleaving the universe in half.

“This…” The God King’s face twisted as if he were staring at a primordial ghost. What kind of monster is this?! He was a dignified God King, a supreme existence renowned and unmatched among the neighboring native clans!

He screamed internally. Who is this young man?! How can he casually wield the power of absolute rules? He even commands spatial laws!

A bone-deep chill paralyzed him. There was no time to react. He felt a fleeting coolness across his neck before his vision plunged into eternal darkness.

Thud!

Blood sprayed into the sky as his head was neatly severed. The strike annihilated his physical body and obliterated his primordial spirit in a single breath. Form and spirit, utterly destroyed.

Gu Changge didn’t even spare the falling corpse a second glance.

Having neutralized the threat, he looked down at the softly sobbing Yin Mei. Shaking his head slightly, he took a step forward. The void blurred around them, and the two vanished from the battlefield.

The commotion of the God King’s death would soon attract the other native experts hunting Ye Ling. Lingering would only complicate his plans.

Internally, Gu Changge was slightly amused. Why did Yin Mei assume he would just toss her away? Why would he let a piece of such immense value die in a miserable ditch?

As the Heavenly Maiden of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan, Yin Mei controlled vast networks of resources. From a purely utilitarian standpoint, her continued existence was immensely profitable. Yes, he had initially coerced her using her life as leverage, but he wasn’t a sociopath completely devoid of pragmatism. She had served him with unwavering loyalty—nearly dying in the process. He wasn’t blind to that.

Although my heart is a little black, it hasn’t completely turned to ice, Gu Changge mused. He made a mental note to treat her slightly better moving forward. It would ensure she didn’t lose the will to live the next time she faced danger.

Soon, Gu Changge and Yin Mei arrived at a remote, hidden karst cave deep within the mountain range. The air here was thick with Spiritual Qi, accompanied by the rhythmic dripping of underground water. Along the way, he had casually slaughtered several Ancient Teng Snake experts who had tried to follow the scent of blood.

“Master…” Yin Mei had finally calmed down. She stepped back from his embrace, her cheeks flushed a beautiful crimson. She was too embarrassed to meet his gaze, realizing she had vastly overstepped her boundaries by throwing herself at him without permission.

However, Gu Changge didn’t reprimand her.

“You’ve suffered quite a bit recently,” Gu Changge said with a warm smile, leading the way into the cave.

“For Master’s grand design, it was nothing,” Yin Mei replied, shaking her head. Yet, hearing his gentle tone made her nose sting. Suddenly, all the grievances and agonizing wounds she had endured felt completely insignificant.

Initially, she had submitted because he held her life in his hands. But over time, she had resigned herself to her fate, eventually realizing that serving him wasn’t a curse. Once that seed of devotion took root, it snowballed out of control.

Gu Changge was manipulative, ruthless, and possessed a heart colder than the abyss. Yet, it was this very demon who made her heart flutter, making her genuinely willing to serve him.

Hearing him express actual concern—an unprecedented miracle—made her tremble. Even if it was just a calculated remark, even if he didn’t truly mean it from the bottom of his heart, it was enough. It meant she was still useful to him.

Gu Changge easily read her shifting emotions. Always the meticulous actor, he knew exactly how to soothe her in her vulnerable state.

Roar!

Suddenly, a pair of crimson eyes the size of lanterns ignited in the dark depths of the cave. A massive, ferocious beast resembling a dragon-turtle lunged forward, furious at the intruders invading its territory.

Gu Changge barely glanced at it. He casually waved his hand, and the void in front of the beast distorted violently. The air rippled like shattered glass.

The beast froze in mid-air, its eyes wide with sudden terror. Bang! The spatial laws collapsed inward, crushing the massive creature into a cloud of fine ash that drifted harmlessly to the floor.

Yin Mei watched in awe, but she wasn’t particularly surprised. Gu Changge’s true power was an unfathomable abyss. Only he knew the true limits of his strength.

“Rest here,” Gu Changge said, using a burst of qi to sweep the cave clean.

Yin Mei was critically injured and required proper recuperation. He still needed her to play an irreplaceable role in the final stage of his plan regarding Ye Ling.

With a flick of his wrist, Gu Changge retrieved an array of divine pills. Since he possessed the Purple Extreme Token from the Purple Extreme Pill Sect, he had a virtually infinite supply of high-grade Spirit Pills. A rich, medicinal fragrance instantly filled the cavern. The pills varied in function—some nourished the primordial spirit, others repaired shattered bones, and some stabilized the Spirit Sea.

“Don’t worry about anything else for now. Just focus on healing,” Gu Changge instructed.

“I understand, Master.” Yin Mei didn’t act coy. She carefully selected the pills best suited for her injuries. She had exhausted her own supply long ago, which was why her condition had deteriorated so severely.

Swallowing the pills, she sat cross-legged on the stone floor. Her usually captivating face was pale and clean, stripped of its innate allure.

Buzz!

Hazy runes materialized around her body as nine fluffy, snow-white fox tails manifested, swaying gently as the medicinal efficacy took hold.

Watching her condition stabilize, Gu Changge nodded slightly. Then, without a word, his figure blurred, and he vanished from the cave.

Words could only do so much. Sometimes, tangible actions were required to truly secure absolute loyalty.

Sensing his aura disappear, Yin Mei opened her eyes. She stared at the empty cavern entrance, her expression faltering. Disappointment, reluctance, and a sharp pang of sorrow clouded her ruby eyes.

She quickly shook her head, forcing the emotions down. What am I thinking? I am just a pawn. He descended like a god to save my life. That is more than enough. What right do I have to hope for more?

Despite her rationalizations, a bitter taste lingered in her mouth.

Night quickly fell. The healing properties of Gu Changge’s pills were exceptional, and Yin Mei eventually exited her meditative state. She gazed out at the pitch-black wilderness, the lingering remnants of her hope finally fading. He really had left.

With a quiet sigh, she gathered some dry kindling and lit a small bonfire. The flames cast dancing shadows across the cave walls, but they offered no real warmth to her chilled heart. She rested her chin on her knees, her ruby eyes reflecting the solitary firelight.

Then, her fox ears twitched.

Footsteps approached the cave entrance. She snapped her head up.

Gu Changge walked in from the darkness. In his hands, he carried freshly washed spiritual fruits and a large, pristine green lotus leaf filled with clear spring water.

The warm firelight danced across his handsome face. Yin Mei’s breath hitched, an overwhelming wave of surprise and joy crashing into her. He hadn’t abandoned her.

“Master…”

Gu Changge smiled warmly. “How are your injuries?”

He walked over, handing her the dripping fruits and the improvised cup of water. “You must be hungry. I just stepped out to resolve some minor inconveniences nearby.”

He offered the explanation casually, framing his absence as a tactical necessity rather than abandonment. The specific “inconveniences” he dealt with didn’t matter to Yin Mei. What mattered was that he had intended to return all along.

Gu Changge played her psychology like a master musician. He knew exactly what a wounded, emotionally vulnerable woman needed to cement her devotion.

Taking the carefully washed fruit, Yin Mei felt a profound warmth melt the ice in her chest. All her previous self-pity evaporated. When she was broken and bleeding, he hadn’t left her to rot; he had gone out of his way to care for her. He wasn’t the heartless monster she had convinced herself he was.

Seeing the look of absolute adoration in her eyes, Gu Changge smiled inwardly, though his outward expression remained a picture of gentle concern. She was a valuable asset; trading a few minutes of rudimentary care for her eternal, unquestioning loyalty was the most profitable transaction he could make.

“Master, the rift between Chi Ling and Ye Ling has been completely severed. If I am not mistaken, Chi Ling has already left the area entirely,” Yin Mei reported softly as she took a small bite of the fruit.

Gu Changge nodded approvingly, deciding to reward her with a glimpse into his broader machinations. “Perfect. However, Ye Ling cannot die just yet.”

The moment the duo’s relationship shattered, the System had notified him of a massive influx of Luck Points. Chi Ling, backed by the Vermilion Bird Clan, was a major pillar of support for Ye Ling. Severing that tie was a lucrative harvest.

“I understand. Master still needs Ye Ling alive to continue carrying the blame,” Yin Mei nodded.

Ye Ling was the designated successor of the Reincarnation Ancient Heavenly Sovereign—an existence that rivaled or even surpassed true Immortals from the Ancient Immortal period. The Sovereign hadn’t left behind a sect or a clan; he had concentrated his entire cosmic legacy into one singular inheritance. The sheer magnitude of that Fated Chance would drive even the most ancient orthodoxies into a frenzy.

Yin Mei had observed Ye Ling closely. Because he didn’t dare expose his true inheritance, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and absorb all the infamy Gu Changge piled onto him. Gu Changge’s scheme was diabolically flawless. Ye Ling possessed the innate ability to mask his origin and evade pursuit, allowing him to survive as the continent’s most hunted rat.

“Ye Ling is infinitely more valuable alive than dead. I’m relying on him to lead me directly to the Sovereign’s hidden cave abode,” Gu Changge chuckled lightly, his tone carrying zero regard for Ye Ling as a human being.

Killing the boy now would be trivial. But to Gu Changge, a Son of Providence was a sponge. What was the point of crushing it before squeezing out every last drop of value?

“Rest assured, Master. As long as you require it, Yin Mei will do everything in her power to assist you,” she vowed, her ruby eyes gazing at him with absolute, unwavering resolution.

“With those words, my mind is at ease,” Gu Changge smiled, reaching out to pull her gently into his arms. “However, it means I will have to subject you to a bit more hardship. I’ll need you to return to his side for a little while longer.”

He had been considering how to manipulate her into volunteering for the vanguard again. By speaking up first, she had saved him the effort of fabricating another emotional manipulation.

“Serving Master is never a hardship,” Yin Mei said earnestly. There was not a single trace of falsehood in her voice.

“You truly are a creature worthy of affection…” Gu Changge sighed softly, looking deeply into her eyes.

Hearing this, Yin Mei’s face flushed with a mixture of shy anticipation and deep yearning.

In that moment, Gu Changge naturally knew exactly what he needed to do.

…

It was a sleepless night.