Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 122: This Pot Must Be Securely Fastened; Turns Out She Knows Ye Ling

Gu Xian’er’s mind was a buzzing hive of confusion. Around her, the air was thick with the voices of True Disciples offering their fawning congratulations to Gu Changge, but she remained rooted to the spot, dazed and frozen.

By the time she snapped out of her trance, Gu Changge had already descended from the high platform and made his way toward the spectator seats. He didn’t spare her a second glance, let alone offer a word. He didn’t even approach her with that infuriating, arrogant smirk that usually provoked her into a fit of rage.

Suddenly, a strange sense of loss gnawed at her.

Logically, she should be satisfied. Gu Changge had stood there and taken her strike. He had endured the agony of fractured bones and a brush with death to repay a portion of the suffering he had caused her. What more could she realistically expect?

In this cold, cultivation-driven world, true altruism was a myth. Gu Changge had ostensibly sought to atone for his past transgressions and had paid a bloody price for it. While they were far from even, the mountain of hatred between them had certainly begun to crumble. He had even used his influence to restore her branch of the family and release her imprisoned kinsmen.

He had extended an olive branch from the very beginning, yet she had dismissed it as the condescending posturing of a man with hidden, malicious intent. Her various Masters had drilled into her the need for skepticism, teaching her that every smile in the cultivation world hid a dagger. It was that very caution that had led her to wound him so severely.

And yet, she felt a profound sense of dissatisfaction.

She had toiled for years, driven by a singular, burning hatred. How could Gu Changge dissolve a decade of enmity so effortlessly? She hadn’t even truly defeated him in battle—how could he act as if the debt were settled? How could he look at her as if she were a mere stranger, a passerby, or someone beneath the status of an enemy?

As these thoughts swirled, Gu Xian’er fell into a somber, bewildered silence.

The conferment ceremony concluded without further incident. Gu Changge moved effortlessly among the visiting young supremes, his charisma magnetic as he chatted and laughed. The Grand Elder and the other high-ranking officials had tactfully vanished, leaving the arena to the younger generation.

The praise was unrelenting. Being the Successor of the Daootian Immortal Palace was a massive achievement, but when paired with his status as the Young Master of the Immortal Gu Family, Gu Changge’s influence was nearly peerless. Among the geniuses of the Upper Realm’s inner domains, few held such a terrifying array of titles.

Worse yet—for his rivals—his fiancée was the future Empress of the Unrivaled Celestial Dynasty. Provided he didn’t perish prematurely, Gu Changge was destined to stand at the absolute zenith of the world, a man whose whims could decide the fate of entire planes and countless lives.

“Congratulations, Brother Gu,” said Peng Fei, the successor of the Golden-Winged Great Peng Clan. His golden hair shimmered with a soft luminescence. Normally, Peng Fei was the epitome of arrogance, a man who looked down his nose at everyone. Yet, in front of Gu Changge, he was remarkably civil. “Your strength is truly unfathomable. You are a model for us all, and your new position only makes our envy grow.”

Several other young supremes chimed in, echoing the sentiment. When even the “invincible” Peng Fei tucked his tail, it was clear just how much of a deterrent Gu Changge had become. It wasn’t that they necessarily feared him in a life-or-death struggle, but they weren’t fools. Why offend a man with such a background and talent for no reason? This wasn’t some “trash” protagonist they could mock to gain “face.”

Gu Changge smiled faintly, his tone polite. “Brothers, you are too kind.”

He enjoyed the perks of his status. When everyone was on the same level of power and social standing, the dialogue remained sophisticated. There was a lack of “face-slapping” drama, which made things a bit dry, but it saved him from dealing with idiots who lacked basic survival instincts.

He hadn’t encountered a single “foolish protagonist” jumping out to challenge him today. Instead, it was usually he who did the provoking. It seemed the era of the “waste-wood counterattack” was losing its charm—unless the “trash” had a truly heaven-defying cheat, they were destined to be crushed underfoot.

This thought brought his mind back to Ye Ling, the current scapegoat.

A proper Son of Providence, blessed with the inheritance of the Reincarnation Ancient Heavenly Sovereign. Ye Ling was supposed to be on a meteoric rise, slapping the faces of these very young supremes and writing his own legend. Instead, thanks to Gu Changge, he was a street rat, hunted and loathed, mere steps away from being declared an enemy of the entire world.

Gu Changge caught himself smiling a bit too broadly and suppressed it. He continued to play the perfect host, occasionally glancing at the distant, dejected figure of Gu Xian’er.

He knew exactly what was going on in her head. Every doubt, every flicker of guilt—he had carefully cultivated those feelings. No matter how much Providence she possessed or how many “mysterious Masters” guided her, she was still just a soft-hearted, sheltered girl. In a game of manipulation, he could run circles around her for eons.

He wasn’t in a hurry. Everything was moving according to plan. All he needed now was the right moment to tighten the noose.

“Brother Gu, what are your thoughts on the recent news regarding the Demonic Art inheritor?”

A crisp, cold female voice broke through the chatter. Gu Changge looked up.

The speaker was Chi Ling, the Heavenly Maiden of the Vermilion Bird Clan. Despite her petite, thirteen-year-old appearance and her vibrant, five-colored feather garment, her obsidian hair and snow-white features exuded a chilling arrogance.

“The Demonic Art inheritor is a blight that must be purged by all,” Gu Changge replied smoothly. “Why does the Heavenly Maiden ask?”

The other young supremes leaned in. The reappearances of the forbidden Demonic Arts had sent shockwaves through the long-peaceful Upper Realm. Panicked rumors were everywhere, especially after the Young Master of the White Tiger Clan had been murdered.

The Immemorial Imperial Clans were a vast, interconnected web of power. Some, like the Immemorial Ye Clan, were even considered “Immemorial Immortal Clans” because their ancestors had ascended to godhood. If these clans united in their rage, the world would burn.

“Doesn’t the exposure of this inheritor feel… a bit too convenient?” Chi Ling asked, her brow furrowing. “Historically, Demonic Art inheritors are shadowy, terrifying figures who shake the heavens before they are caught. Their strength is always monstrous.”

She paused, looking around. “But this supposed inheritor, Ye Ling… isn’t he a bit weak? He hasn’t even reached the Conferred King Realm. How did he silently kill Bai Lie, a man protected by numerous White Tiger life-saving treasures?”

This was the discrepancy she couldn’t ignore. While the White Tiger Clan was hunting Ye Ling with artifacts designed to strip away disguises, Chi Ling remained skeptical. She had met Ye Ling in a secret realm once. He was a determined, intelligent man with the heart of a seeker. His methods weren’t always honorable, but they weren’t the cruel, cold-blooded actions of a Demonic Art butcher. Moreover, she suspected his secret inheritance was something far more ancient and “righteous.”

“You raise an excellent point, Heavenly Maiden,” Gu Changge said, adopting a thoughtful expression. “I have also harbored suspicions regarding Brother Bai Lie’s death. As a Young Master, he surely had countless trump cards. To be killed without a sound… it is indeed strange.”

He nodded as if considering her words deeply. “I’ve heard Brother Ye mention this Ye Ling before. He’s a collateral member who rose quickly despite having zero resources. And with the sudden disappearance of several talented geniuses recently, it was only natural for people to connect the dots.”

He sighed, the image of a reasonable, open-minded leader. “In fact, when I was catching up with Brother Ye earlier, I even questioned him about it.”

Gu Changge was effectively playing both sides. By appearing to “defend” Ye Ling’s innocence, he was actually projecting an aura of magnanimity that made him seem even more trustworthy to the group.

Chi Ling’s cold expression softened. “It seems Brother Gu and I are of the same mind.”

She had heard rumors that Gu Changge was a callous, eccentric tyrant, but the man standing before her was as refreshing as a spring breeze—gentle, refined, and exceptionally rational. She decided the rumors were likely the work of jealous detractors.

Beside them, Ye Langtian stood up, his divine halo shimmering. His face was grim. “Whether we believe it or not isn’t the issue. The fact is, a Demonic Art has appeared. Brother Gu and I discussed this previously.”

He turned to the group. “I investigated Ye Ling. He is a collateral member with no resources, yet his cultivation skyrocketed. He disappeared for a long period of ‘training’ that no one can verify, and he has no known Sect or Master. The suspicious points are piling up.”

Ye Langtian was under immense pressure to provide an answer for his kinsman’s alleged crimes. “My clan will provide an explanation to all. I am doing everything in my power to track him down.”

“Brother Ye’s logic is sound,” Chi Ling countered, “but to brand someone as a Demonic Art inheritor on such flimsy evidence? Isn’t that a bit arbitrary?”

She couldn’t reveal that Ye Ling held a Heavenly Venerate’s inheritance. If she did, the greed of the cultivators present would be a far greater threat to Ye Ling than the current murder charges.

“If he is the inheritor, his ‘surface’ strength is a lie,” interjected Wang Wushuang, the mysterious youth from the Immortal Wang Family. “Killing Bai Lie would be child’s play for such a monster.”

“But who has actually seen him use these arts?” Chi Ling argued, her voice rising with displeasure. “We cannot condemn an innocent man on pure speculation!”

The atmosphere turned cold. The other young supremes were beginning to look at Chi Ling with suspicion. Why was she so adamant about defending a wanted murderer?

“Innocent?” Peng Fei sneered. “Why don’t you go tell that to the White Tiger Clan, Chi Ling?”

Ye Langtian’s eyes narrowed. “I remember my investigation mentioned that when Ye Ling was training in a certain secret realm, you were there as well, Heavenly Maiden. Is it possible you actually know him? Is that why you’re defending him?”

The air in the room became suffocating. In the current climate, being linked to a Demonic Art inheritor was a death sentence for one’s reputation. Even as the Successor of the Vermilion Bird Clan, Chi Ling couldn’t afford the fallout such a connection would bring to her family.

Chi Ling fell silent, her face pale.

“Brother Ye, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Gu Changge said, waving a hand to de-escalate the tension. He offered a comforting smile. “I’m sure the Heavenly Maiden is simply worried that we might let the true culprit escape while we hunt an innocent man. Such a blunder would lead to a catastrophe.”

He looked at Chi Ling with an expression of “understanding.” “She is only thinking of the safety of all living beings. There’s no need to take it so seriously.”

His smile was filled with a hidden, predatory mirth. So, Chi Ling actually knows him. I couldn’t have asked for a better development.