Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 155: As for Such a Demented Task, I, Gu, Am Naturally Duty-Bound

The following day, after Yin Mei’s injuries had mostly healed, Gu Changge parted ways with her.

She set off alone toward the ancient town she had agreed upon with Ye Ling, preparing to accompany him to the hidden cave abode left behind by the Reincarnation Ancient Heavenly Sovereign.

The sheer value of the Sovereign’s legacy naturally went without saying. Calling it an immortal’s cave abode was no exaggeration; it might even be a portable, independent small world. Ye Ling had risked life and limb searching for it for months, so there was no way he would abandon the prize now.

To help Gu Changge pinpoint the exact location of the inheritance, Yin Mei naturally needed to rendezvous with the “treasure-hunting rat” first.

Watching Yin Mei’s alluring silhouette gradually vanish into the mist-shrouded mountain range, a profoundly amused smirk tugged at the corners of Gu Changge’s lips.

Ye Ling was likely drowning in guilt right now for failing to “save” Yin Mei during the ambush. When she miraculously appeared at the rendezvous point, he would be far too relieved to harbor any suspicions.

Lust is a blade hovering over a man’s neck. The ancient proverb held true.

Now, all Gu Changge had to do was sit back, enjoy the theatrical spectacle he had orchestrated, and pluck the ripe fruit when the time was right.

Ye Ling’s life still held immense value. There were plenty more atrocities in the Ancient Immortal Continent that required a convenient scapegoat.

“My calculations were flawless,” Gu Changge murmured to the wind. “The moment Chi Ling and Ye Ling severed ties, she immediately fled the sector. By now, both her followers and Yin Mei’s followers have publicly questioned Ye Ling’s identity.”

“Even if Chi Ling tries to defend him out of lingering sentiment, no one will believe her. The news that ‘Ye Ling’ is here will draw swarms of self-righteous cultivators eager to slaughter the Demonic Art Inheritor.”

“Couple that with the fact that he’s actively being hunted by the Black Sky Eagle Clan and the other native races… and once the news about the desecrated ancestral tombs breaks… oh, this is simply marvelous.”

“With all these ‘coincidences’ overlapping, Ye Ling, even if you jumped into the Yellow River to wash yourself, you’d never scrub the mud off your name.”

Standing with his hands clasped behind his back atop the mountain peak, Gu Changge chuckled warmly as he gazed at the distant, ruined city.

He turned and departed. It was time to rally his followers and make his grand entrance as the shining, righteous champion leading the crusade against the vile Demonic Art Inheritor.

Meanwhile, amidst the ancient trees of a distant mountain range.

A petite figure with exquisite, albeit dirt-smudged features tore through the dense foliage. She vaulted over massive roots and jagged boulders, desperately evading the Heavenly God Realm expert hunting her.

It was Chi Ling.

Her face was pale and drawn with exhaustion, but the physical toll was nothing compared to the icy chill gripping her heart.

During her frantic escape, she had actually crossed paths with Ye Ling again. Rather than helping her, Ye Ling had taken one look at her, spun on his heel, and sprinted in the opposite direction—deliberately drawing the Heavenly God Realm expert pursuing him right toward her!

He had intentionally diverted the disaster eastward to save his own skin!

His sheer cowardice and utter lack of shame left Chi Ling entirely speechless. She realized she had been totally blind. Her previous goodwill had been fed to a rabid dog.

Fortunately, her combat prowess ranked firmly in the upper-middle echelon of the Young Supremes, and she possessed a wealth of life-saving Magical Artifacts and spiritual medicines. Though the chase appeared harrowing, she was never in any true mortal peril.

However, her thoughts drifted to Yin Mei. If Ye Ling had abandoned her so casually, what had he done to the severely injured Yin Mei? Ye Ling constantly fawned over the fox girl, yet when true danger struck, his only instinct was to run.

She had finally seen through his abysmal character.

“It seems Senior Brother Changge is the only reliable one. Should I tell him everything?” Chi Ling pondered as she ran.

Gu Changge had publicly sworn to uphold justice, protect the common people, and eradicate the Demonic Art Inheritor. Naturally, he would be highly interested in Ye Ling’s movements. Furthermore, Gu Changge had previously confided in her that he suspected Ye Ling.

Now that she had officially broken ties with the coward, she seriously considered exposing everything to Gu Changge. Whether Gu Changge chose to continue giving Ye Ling the benefit of the doubt or decided to intervene directly would be up to him.

Feeling the Heavenly God closing in again, Chi Ling gritted her teeth and pulled out another Divine Movement Talisman. Her heart bled a little—these talismans were priceless and single-use. If it weren’t absolutely necessary, she would never waste one.

Buzz!

She crushed the jade talisman. A hazy, resplendent radiance enveloped her, manifesting as a pair of brilliant Vermilion Bird wings of light. With a flap of the spectral wings, she vanished from the forest, reappearing hundreds of miles away.

“Damn it! She slipped away again!” the Heavenly God roared in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. Cornering a Young Supreme with deep pockets was an exercise in futility.

Shortly after, utilizing a secret communication artifact, Chi Ling successfully reunited with her followers in a hidden valley.

To her immense surprise, the valley was currently serving as a staging ground for a massive coalition of Young Supremes. Among the gathered prodigies was Wang Wushuang, the notoriously mysterious heir of the Immortal Wang Family, and the Young Supreme of the Immortal Deathless Lake.

Even Ye Langtian, the heir of the Immemorial Immortal Clan—and the person she had originally suspected of being the Demonic Art Inheritor—was present.

She hadn’t expected the crusade against Ye Ling to mobilize so quickly.

“Lady Chi Ling! Are you alright?!”

Seeing her descend into the valley looking exhausted and stained with blood, her followers rushed forward. Kong Yang of the Peacock Clan looked particularly relieved and excited. He had been the one to broadcast Ye Ling’s location, successfully rallying this massive army of prodigies.

“I am fine,” Chi Ling assured them, waving off their concern.

“Lady Chi Ling… where is our Heavenly Maiden?”

The young elites of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan pushed through the crowd, their faces pale with anxiety. Yin Mei had been traveling with Ye Ling and Chi Ling. If Chi Ling had barely escaped the demon’s clutches, where was their Lady?

Chi Ling’s expression tightened. She weighed her words carefully. “Yin Mei… might still be with Ye Ling. But they may have also separated during the ambush.”

Before she could even finish her sentence, the valley erupted in an absolute uproar.

“What?!”

The Heavenly Fox clansmen practically exploded. Everyone now “knew” that Ye Ling was the Demonic Art Inheritor. If Yin Mei was still with him, her situation was catastrophically dangerous.

Hearing the commotion, Wang Wushuang, the heir of the Immortal Deathless Lake, and Ye Langtian quickly strode over, their expressions grim.

“Chi Ling, are you certain about this?” Wang Wushuang demanded, his golden eyes burning with an intense, divine fire.

“For Ye Ling to show his face here and actively kidnap Heavenly Maiden Yin Mei… this complicates matters immensely,” Ye Langtian frowned deeply.

As the heir of the Immemorial Ye Clan, he knew that if this situation devolved and Yin Mei was killed, the collective wrath of both the White Tiger Clan and the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan would burn the continent to ash.

Chi Ling took a breath and quickly summarized the sequence of events. She couldn’t confirm Yin Mei’s current status, only detailing the brutal ambush they had suffered at the hands of the Black Sky Eagle, Ancient Teng Snake, and Divine Crocodile clans.

Crucially, she chose not to mention that Yin Mei believed Ye Ling was innocent. In the current climate, defending Ye Ling was tantamount to suicide; no one would believe it anyway.

Hearing her recount the relentless pursuit by the native clans, the gathered Young Supremes radiated freezing Killing Intent.

“Damn that scum! What atrocities did Ye Ling commit to provoke the absolute fury of three major native clans?!”

“Did he slaughter their younger generation to fuel his Demonic Art?!”

The prodigies, hailing from apex orthodoxies, understood the apocalyptic threat the Demonic Art posed. If the Inheritor was allowed to mature, he would eventually plunge the entire upper realm into an era of darkness.

“Chi Ling, do you know what his ultimate objective is?” Wang Wushuang asked heavily. “If we engage him here, it will inevitably draw in the native factions. We might even provoke the older generation.”

“He mentioned rendezvousing at an ancient town,” Chi Ling replied, shaking her head. “But we separated during the ambush. I honestly don’t know what his true goal is.”

As she spoke, she closely monitored Ye Langtian’s reactions. However, his face remained a mask of solemn concern. Since severing ties with Ye Ling, her suspicions had shifted back to him. If the Demonic Art allowed one to perfectly mask their origin, then Ye Ling was just as likely a suspect as Ye Langtian.

“This requires careful planning,” Ye Langtian stated gravely. “Fortunately, I received word that Brother Gu is rushing here as we speak.”

The mention of Gu Changge instantly lifted the oppressive atmosphere in the valley.

“Really? That’s incredible news!”

“With Brother Gu leading us, our chances of cornering the Inheritor skyrocket!”

“Even the native Young Supremes tremble at Young Master Changge’s name! He will undoubtedly stand with us on the side of justice!”

A collective sigh of relief washed over the assembly. Facing a monster capable of surviving the combined manhunt of three major native clans was a terrifying prospect. But with Gu Changge—the undisputed apex predator of their generation—at the helm, they felt invincible.

Sure, Gu Changge had a reputation for ruthlessly plundering his peers’ Fated Chances, but in the cultivation world, the weak are prey to the strong. It was expected.

“That is wonderful news. If Senior Brother Changge is coming, this will go much smoother,” Chi Ling said, a genuine smile breaking through her exhaustion. She had much to discuss with him.

Suddenly, a massive, thunderous commotion erupted from the eastern horizon.

Dozens of brilliant divine rainbows tore through the sky, radiating awe-inspiring power. Leading the vanguard was a young man clad in a flawless, moon-white feathered robe with wide sleeves. The fabric seemed to be embroidered with the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, containing the cosmos itself. He descended from the heavens, exuding an indescribable, transcendent nobility.

It was Gu Changge, arriving right on cue to play the “righteous hero.”

“Greetings, Young Master Changge!”

“Greetings, Senior Brother Changge!”

The entire valley—including Wang Wushuang, Ye Langtian, and Chi Ling—bowed respectfully. His mere presence injected the coalition with boundless confidence.

“Brother Wang, Brother Ye… Miss Chi Ling,” Gu Changge greeted them as his boots touched the grass, a warm, natural smile gracing his flawless features.

Naturally, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Chi Ling here.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ye Langtian cut straight to the chase. “Brother Gu, how do you propose we execute this crusade?”

Gu Changge adopted a look of profound contemplation. “Truthfully, I still harbor some doubts regarding this entire affair. I will need to consult with Miss Chi Ling privately later. However…” His expression hardened into a mask of righteous resolve. “Ye Ling has appeared and abducted Junior Sister Yin Mei. As the heir of the Daootian Immortal Palace and her Senior Brother, I absolutely cannot sit idly by.”

He delivered the speech with such unwavering conviction that he didn’t even blink.

The gathered prodigies were deeply moved. “Truly worthy of Young Master Changge! Such profound righteousness!”

Everyone knew that Yin Mei had publicly disrespected and angered Gu Changge back at the sect. Yet, when her life was in danger, he was willing to cast aside personal grievances for the greater good!

“Young Master Changge’s moral character is as high as the heavens!” the Heavenly Fox clansmen praised, tears of gratitude welling in their eyes. They had feared he would use this opportunity to eliminate a political rival, but they had clearly misjudged his boundless magnanimity.

“I have many details to share with you as well, Senior Brother Changge,” Chi Ling nodded, utterly convinced by his performance.

This was the Gu Changge she knew. He was nothing like that cowardly rat, Ye Ling. Yin Mei had previously warned her that Gu Changge was a tyrant who ruled the sect with an iron fist, but clearly, Yin Mei’s personal bias had clouded her judgment. Gu Changge’s character was immaculate.

“Then it is settled!” Wang Wushuang declared. “Why don’t we elect Senior Brother Changge to command this crusade? Under his leadership, we will eradicate the Demonic Art Inheritor and restore peace to the cultivation world!”

The crowd roared in fervent agreement, gazing at Gu Changge with burning fanaticism.

Outwardly, Gu Changge maintained a solemn, thoughtful expression. Inwardly, he was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

They want me to lead a crusade against myself? Oh, pardon me—a crusade against the scapegoat carrying my crimes? As for such a demented, utterly psychotic task… he was naturally duty-bound to accept. How could he possibly refuse?

“Everyone… your absolute trust in me is truly humbling. I fear I am unworthy of such a monumental burden,” Gu Changge said slowly, his voice laced with the perfect amount of humble hesitation. He paused, letting the silence stretch, before his eyes hardened with unyielding heroic resolve. “But since you all insist, how can I, Gu Changge, decline in this world’s hour of need? Rest assured, I will lead you to uncover the Demonic Art Inheritor and restore peace to our realm.”