Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 129: Bearing the Blame and Seeking Fated Chances; Truly a Hard Life for Him

On the other side of the Immortal Ancient Continent, Chi Ling and Ye Ling’s group had run into a wall of trouble.

They hadn’t been inside the continent for long when they were ambushed by a monstrous rhinoceros-like beast. It was a terrifying creature at the True God Realm. Chi Ling, while a young supreme, was only at the early Conferred King Realm; she could hold her own against Void God Realm opponents, but a True God Realm beast was a different breed of nightmare.

Even with her Magical Artifacts, she struggled to find a killing blow. She had heavier treasures and forbidden weapons, but she was reluctant to burn them so early in the expedition. She cursed her luck; why did a True God beast have to be their welcoming party?

The rhinoceros opened its massive maw, spewing a torrent of celestial flame that turned the valley into a hellscape. Several of her clansmen were incinerated instantly, leaving the survivors trembling in terror.

“Chi Ling, let’s do this together. You hold its attention, and I’ll finish it,” a voice called out from among her followers.

It was Ye Ling. Hidden behind his disguise, he had spent the last few days trying to whisper poison in Chi Ling’s ear about Gu Changge. He wanted her to see the “righteous” successor for the monster he truly was. But Chi Ling either didn’t understand his hints or simply didn’t believe them. It was a frustrating impasse; Changge’s mask was simply too perfect, his face too deceptive.

Now, Ye Ling saw his opening. He was a master of the “underdog” comeback, used to slaughtering enemies levels above him. This was his stage to shine.

Chi Ling glanced at him, but before she could speak, her other followers erupted.

“What are you babbling about? You want to show off that badly?”

“You’re barely at the Conferred Lord Realm. Are you courting death? Do you think the Heavenly Maiden will be impressed by your suicide?”

The followers and the female prodigies of the Vermilion Bird Clan looked at him with disdain. To them, Ye Ling was just a low-level hanger-on trying to play hero. Ye Ling was used to the mockery; it was the standard script for his life. He merely rubbed his nose and let out a cold sneer.

“Later, open your dog eyes and watch closely. I’ll broaden your horizons.”

Ye Ling began to circulate his power. A black-and-white radiance flickered around him, carrying a faint, chilling aura that seemed to whisper of the grave.

Ye Ling is actually quite strong, Chi Ling noted, feeling a surge of confidence.

Suddenly—

Buzz!

The void itself shuddered.

A crystal-clear, exquisite palm print, seemingly carved from immortal jade, tore through the sky. It was faster than thought, descending from a nearby ridge with the weight of a collapsing mountain.

Pfft!

The True God rhinoceros didn’t even have time to roar. The palm slammed into its back, shattering its scales like brittle glass and splattering its lifeblood across the stones.

“Hiss!”

The crowd gasped, their eyes snapping to the small mountain above.

A company of knights appeared, clad in golden divine armor and mounted on ferocious beasts. At their head stood a woman whose robes fluttered like the wings of a phoenix. Her black hair danced in the wind, and her gaze was a cold, deep abyss. She looked less like a cultivator and more like an Empress descending to claim her world.

“It’s her!”

“Yue Mingkong!”

“The Crown Princess of the Unrivaled Celestial Dynasty!”

The Vermilion Bird prodigies were paralyzed with awe. The beast they couldn’t touch had been decimated by a single casual strike from this future Empress.

“So strong… she must be at least at the mid-stage Conferred King Realm,” Chi Ling whispered, her heart sinking. Even among young supremes, there were tiers. Chi Ling was the middle ground; Yue Mingkong was the peak.

Ye Ling stood frozen, a flash of raw admiration—and envy—passing through his eyes. Every time he saw this woman, her beauty left him breathless. She was a masterpiece of the heavens.

Gu Changge is a lucky bastard. It’s a waste on him… Ye Ling thought, his jealousy burning. He was convinced Yue Mingkong’s previous attempt on his life had been orchestrated by Changge. His hatred for the man grew another notch. But he took comfort in his disguise; if Changge couldn’t see through him, this woman had no chance.

“Thank you, Crown Princess, for your aid!” the Vermilion Bird followers called out.

Chi Ling cupped her hands, her expression complicated. “We are in your debt, Crown Princess!”

She suspected this wasn’t a random act of kindness. Women understood women; after seeing Chi Ling chatting with Gu Changge at Wushang Peak, Yue Mingkong was likely marking her territory. It was a silent declaration of sovereignty.

Yue Mingkong didn’t say a word. She cast a single, freezing glance at Chi Ling before turning her mount and leading her knights deeper into the continent.

She had only intervened because she knew Chi Ling was a pawn in Changge’s game. This was a warning: Stay away from my man. She hadn’t noticed Ye Ling hiding in the crowd. In the previous timeline, he had come here openly, without a mask, and gathered immense fortunes. She had her own list of Fated Chances to secure—fragments of Emperor-level formations and the Immortal Spirit itself.

Changge is likely already heading for the ancestral tombs, Mingkong thought, rubbing her temples. His Demonic Art needs fresh ‘nourishment,’ and those graves are his natural breeding ground. By the time he leaves, his cultivation will be terrifying.

She knew what he was doing, but she couldn’t stop him. No one could. Even if he had spared her, the shadow he cast over her soul remained. She needed to get stronger—strong enough that he would always find her “useful.”

As Ye Ling watched Yue Mingkong vanish, he felt a sudden shift in the air. Combat fluctuations rippled from the forest nearby. He turned and saw a flash of red.

“That… that’s Yin Mei!”

“She’s in danger!”

Ye Ling didn’t hesitate. He transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward the conflict. To him, Yin Mei was the key to his redemption—the only witness who could prove he hadn’t killed Bai Lie.

“Ye—!” Chi Ling tried to call him back, but he was gone. She felt a twinge of disappointment. She was risking everything to hide him, and he was treating her retinue like a revolving door.

Ye Ling arrived to see Yin Mei locked in a fierce struggle with a radiant young supreme. The forest was being leveled, talismans raining down like fire. Yin Mei looked exhausted, blood staining her lips as she struggled against her opponent.

“Yin Mei, hold on!”

Ye Ling summoned a crimson short sword and hurled it. It tore through the clouds like a streak of blood, forcing the radiant youth to back off.

“Who dares?” the youth shouted, his body wreathed in flames. He parried the blade, but sensing Ye Ling’s arrival and noting that Yin Mei seemed to be feigning weakness, he decided the Star-Sword Grass wasn’t worth the risk. He vanished into the mist.

Yin Mei looked at her savior, her eyes filled with feigned confusion and gratitude. “Thank you, Dao Brother… who are you?”

She knew exactly who he was. Gu Changge had told her a “handsome fair-faced man” would come to her rescue. Ye Ling’s predictable obsession with women was his greatest flaw.

Ye Ling hesitated. If he revealed himself and she betrayed him, he was dead. But looking at her haggard face and recalling how she had defended him before, he chose to trust her.

“Yin Mei… it’s me. I’m Ye Ling.”

“What?!”

Yin Mei’s eyes widened in perfect, practiced shock. “Are you courting death? How could you come here? If they find you—” She looked frantic, her worry seemingly genuine.

If Changge were here, he’d give her a standing ovation, Yin Mei thought. Her acting was flawless.

“Don’t worry, my concealment is perfect,” Ye Ling whispered, moved by her concern. “I’m here to clear my name. And there are things in this continent I must find.”

“I never believed it was you,” Yin Mei said, looking him in the eye. “Bai Lie was angry, but he loved you like a brother. You wouldn’t kill him.”

Ye Ling felt like a weight had been lifted from his soul. Finally, someone who saw the truth!

“Yin Mei, you have to be careful,” Ye Ling warned, lowering his voice. “I suspect the one who framed me… is Gu Changge.”

“What?! Senior Brother Gu?” Yin Mei played the part of the horrified, disbelieving junior perfectly.

The boy isn’t entirely brainless, she mused internally. He’s guessed the truth, but he’s still too stupid to see the trap he’s currently standing in.

Soon, Ye Ling re-joined Chi Ling’s group, but this time with Yin Mei’s followers in tow. The two groups decided to cooperate, moving deeper into the continent. Ye Ling took the lead, his luck guiding them to ancient herbs and buried weapons.

“Old Turtle,” Ye Ling whispered to his pendant. “Are we heading toward the Reincarnation Platform?”

“Yes,” the Turtle replied. “The Ancient Heavenly Sovereign left his greatest gifts there for you.”

Ye Ling grinned. He was the main character; the world was his for the taking.

Little did he know that behind him, Yin Mei was carefully marking their path with secret signals.

Not only is he taking the blame for Master, Yin Mei thought with a hidden, mocking smile, but now he’s acting as Master’s personal treasure-hound. Truly, life is hard for you, Ye Ling.