Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 124: Showdown; I Know Your Deepest Secret

Even if one were to beat Chi Ling to death, she would likely never believe that the man standing before her—the refined, righteous Gu Changge—was the very Demonic Art inheritor she sought to unmask. Nor would she suspect that Ye Ling’s current status as a hunted pariah was entirely Changge’s handiwork.

After all, from her perspective, Gu Changge and Ye Ling had never even met. Without a conflict of interest, why would there be such deep-seated malice? Chi Ling simply lacked the context to see the puppet strings. Instead, she felt a wave of relief at having found such a powerful ally.

“Lady Chi Ling, since you trust Ye Ling so implicitly, you must know where he is hiding?” Gu Changge asked suddenly, his expression a mask of genuine curiosity.

“I don’t know his exact location, but I have a way to contact him,” Chi Ling admitted after a moment’s hesitation. She realized that if she wanted Gu Changge’s full cooperation, she had to offer him transparency. Trust was a two-way street, or so she thought.

“That is excellent news,” Gu Changge replied, a thin smile touching his lips.

He had been wondering how to pinpoint the rat’s nest, and here was Chi Ling, hand-delivering the solution. He almost felt a trace of pity for how easy it was to lead her by the nose.

The two continued their stroll, winding through the celestial islands of the Daootian Immortal Palace until they reached the summit of Wushang Peak.

In the distance, standing before the sprawling majesty of the main palace, was a woman. Yue Mingkong stood with her arms folded, her plain dress fluttering in the mountain wind. She looked out over the peaks with a gaze that was cold, profound, and utterly transcendent.

Even from a distance, the aura she projected was that of an Empress overlooking her subjects. Chi Ling, a proud young supreme in her own right, found herself shivering. The pressure emanating from the woman was suffocating.

“Brother Changge, is that… Crown Princess Mingkong?” Chi Ling asked, her voice tight with nervousness. She managed a strained smile, feeling an instinctive urge to lower her head in the presence of such overwhelming majesty.

Gu Changge let out a soft chuckle. “Ignore her. She’s just having a bit of a tiff with me lately, hence the icy reception.”

A tiff?

Chi Ling blinked, feeling a sudden surge of awkwardness. Had her presence caused a misunderstanding? She felt an odd urge to explain herself to Yue Mingkong; it wasn’t fear of the woman, but a desire to avoid offending someone who so clearly belonged at Gu Changge’s side. In terms of status, talent, and sheer presence, the two were a peerless match, unlike any other engaged couple in the Upper Realm.

“I’m worried the Crown Princess might misinterpret our walk,” Chi Ling noted.

“Misinterpret? No, she knows better than that,” Gu Changge said smoothly.

Chi Ling took his word for it, though she remained shaken by the Crown Princess’s sheer presence. As she prepared to depart, she paused, a final thought occurring to her.

“By the way, Brother Changge… I’ve been considering which of the young supremes is most likely to be the true Demonic Art inheritor.”

Changge’s interest piqued. “Oh? And who has earned that honor in your eyes?” He was curious to see who would be the next scapegoat on the list.

“In my opinion, it might be the Young Master of the Ye Clan, Ye Langtian. His malice toward Ye Ling is simply too intense to be natural.”

Gu Changge couldn’t help but laugh. “Brother Ye? That’s an interesting choice. But tell me, Lady Chi Ling, why don’t you suspect me? What if I am the one lurking in the shadows?”

Chi Ling didn’t even hesitate. She shook her head firmly. “A man of your status, destined for the absolute pinnacle? Why would you ever choose such a path? It’s unthinkable. You would have to be insane to throw away the Immortal Gu Family and the Daootian Immortal Palace just for a forbidden art.”

To her, the logic was sound: Gu Changge was already winning at life. Why would he cheat?

“I’m honored by your unwavering faith,” Gu Changge said, his smile deepening with a dark, hidden irony.

Chi Ling transformed into a streak of light, rushing off to join her clan. As soon as she was out of sight, the warmth vanished from Gu Changge’s face. He turned and walked into the palace.

“The Vermilion Bird successor, Chi Ling?” Yue Mingkong asked indifferently as he approached the entrance.

She recognized the girl. In the previous timeline, Chi Ling had been one of Ye Ling’s most loyal confidantes. Seeing her now, laughing and chatting with Gu Changge, made Mingkong’s heart go cold. Gu Changge had framed the man, turned him into a hunted animal, and was now casually poaching his future allies.

“So you recognize her,” Gu Changge said with a grin. He reached out to wrap an arm around her waist, but Mingkong stepped back with practiced grace, her eyes as cold as a frozen lake.

“Still angry, Mingkong?” Gu Changge sighed, looking the part of the wounded husband. “You’ve been like this since that night. Haven’t you forgiven me yet?”

Mentioning “that night” only made the killing intent in Mingkong’s eyes sharpen. She had spent days trying to identify the woman he had met, but the chaos surrounding the Demonic Art scandal had obscured all leads.

“Until you tell me who that vixen was, don’t you dare lay a finger on me,” she snapped.

“What you need to know, you will know. As for the rest… curiosity killed the cat,” Gu Changge said, his smile slowly fading into something more predatory. “But it’s been several days now. Tell me, Mingkong, do you not suspect your husband at all?”

The air in the hall grew heavy. Mingkong’s heart hammered against her ribs, but she kept her face a mask of iron. “Suspect you? Of what?”

Gu Changge shook his head, a look of mock regret on his face. “You’re far too intelligent to play the fool, my dear.”

Mingkong’s phoenix eyes narrowed. Beneath the silk of her sleeve, her fingers tightened around a runic short sword. She knew this tone. The more casual he acted, the closer he was to drawing blood.

She had seen it all. She knew that the exposure of Bai Lie’s corpse was the “smoking gun” that framed Ye Ling. And she knew exactly when Bai Lie had died—at the same time Gu Changge had “stepped out.” The loophole was gaping, obvious to anyone with her level of insight.

She knew he was the inheritor. But more importantly, because of her rebirth, she had always known. She had simply been playing the part of the ignorant fiancé. But now, the game was changing. Gu Changge realized that she had connected the dots.

In the silence of the palace, she realized just how precarious her position was. The Daootian Immortal Palace was his fortress. He had a Great Sage following him in the shadows. He could kill her here, and the world would likely never find her body.

“Mingkong, I find myself growing fonder of you every day,” Gu Changge said, stepping closer. “Beautiful, capable, discerning… the perfect wife.”

“The perfect wife?” Mingkong’s hand trembled slightly. Was this his way of lulling her into a false sense of security before the execution? A cold sweat slicked her back.

“Why bother pretending anymore?” Gu Changge sighed. “You know Ye Ling isn’t the inheritor. You’re the one who told me he was the successor of the Reincarnation Ancient Heavenly Sovereign. The rumors are a lie, and you know it.”

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Mingkong realized there was no point in lying further.

“Are you going to kill me then?” she asked, her voice steady despite the fear. “I know the truth. I know you are the one who wields the Immortal Devouring Demonic Art.”

Gu Changge’s expression didn’t flicker. He chuckled softly. “See? Isn’t it better to be honest? That facade was getting tiresome.” He paused, looking at her with a trace of regret. “The secret of the Demonic Art is paramount. By all rights, I should kill you right here.”

He stopped, just inches from her.

“Then why don’t you?” Mingkong challenged, her grip on the sword absolute.

Gu Changge leaned in, his voice a seductive, terrifying whisper. “Because I can’t bear to let you go.”

Mingkong froze. Her eyes widened, her mind racing to process his words. He knew she held the key to his destruction, and he was… sparing her?

“You… you aren’t going to kill me?” she stammered, her composure finally breaking.

“It seems you truly don’t understand your husband,” Gu Changge said, shaking his head as he reclaimed his composure. “If I truly wanted you dead, would I have bothered with this conversation?”