Villain System: Stealing the Protagonist's Harem and Luck

Chapter 80: You Look Beautiful… But Aren’t You Cold?

A heavy silence fell over the ancient city.

The members of the exiled Gu lineage stood frozen, their combat arts primed, ready for a fight to the death. They had expected an executioner. They had not expected a God King Realm elder to bow and deliver an invitation.

“Is this a conspiracy?” one whispered, eyes narrowing.

“On the surface, he welcomes us back. In reality? perhaps he intends to lure us into a trap and slaughter us all at once.”

Suspicion spread like a contagion through the mansion. Brows furrowed in deep concern. None of them could decipher Gu Changge’s true intentions.

“I want to know what poison Gu Changge is hiding in his gourd…”

“No matter how audacious he is, surely he wouldn’t dare strike against us so openly?”

While the prospect of returning to the Immortal Gu Family made their hearts beat faster, these were not foolish people. They had survived in the harsh Outer Domain for years; they knew that free meals were often poisoned.

Buzz!

Space rippled as more clansmen emerged from the city’s depths. Though their cultivation bases had been sealed upon exile, suppressing their peak strength, the natural aura of authority they carried—born of high blood and long rule—could not be fully masked.

The local cultivators and creatures of the city watched in trembling awe. The gap between the Outer and Inner Domains was vast, separated by starfields as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. They found it hard to believe these exiles were kin to the terrifying, heaven-spanning colossus that was the Immortal Gu Family.

“Were you truly sent by Gu Changge?”

A middle-aged man, his face etched with a natural, imposing dignity, stepped forward. His gaze locked onto Elder Ming like a hawk.

“This old servant comes by the Young Master’s direct command,” Elder Ming replied smoothly, adhering strictly to the script. “The Young Master will soon assume full control of the Gu Family. He specifically instructed this old slave to retrieve his wandering kinsmen.”

Elder Ming kept his expression humble. In truth, he had no idea why this lineage had been banished. He was a mere retainer, unworthy of entering the Inner Island. However, he had heard whispers of the taboo events from over a decade ago—secrets that could cost a man his head if he dwelled on them too deeply.

“Taking charge of the Gu Family?” The middle-aged man sneered, his voice dripping with cynicism. “Heh. Does he think our branch is toothless now? That we pose no threat?”

He laughed coldly. “Expecting that wolf cub to have a change of heart is like expecting the sun to rise from the west.”

The surrounding clansmen remained impassive, their hostility palpable. They were not grateful.

Elder Ming bowed slightly and continued his recitation. “The Young Master said he wishes to restore justice to your lineage. Whether you believe him is irrelevant to the command. The Outer Domain is vast, yes, but it is a barren cage compared to the ancestral grounds. Furthermore… the Young Master mentioned that he might consider releasing the uncles and elders currently held in the great prison.”

Elder Ming sweated internally. Without Gu Changge’s explicit orders, he wouldn’t dare mention those imprisoned taboos even if he were given a hundred extra gallbladders.

“Does that wolf cub truly intend to correct his mistakes?” The middle-aged man faltered, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes.

Such conciliatory words did not sound like the Gu Changge they remembered.

Is there another scheme?

He trusted his fellow clansmen implicitly. Aside from Gu Changge, no one in the main family would conceive of harming their own blood.

The exiles began to whisper among themselves. They had only left the Inner Domain because of the relentless suppression from Gu Changge’s father. After years in this spiritual wasteland, the prospect of return was an irresistible lure. The Outer Domain, for all its “freedom,” was a pigsty in the eyes of an Immortal Family.

But why? Why would he do this?

“It must be the Clan Elders,” someone realized aloud, a sneer forming on their lips. “They forced his hand. With his temperament, he would never do this willingly. The Elders must have blocked his ascension unless he recalled us.”

“That makes sense,” another nodded, rationalizing the situation instantly. “He wants the seat of the Family Head, but he lacks the support. This is a compromise.”

They convinced themselves of this narrative. It was the only way the world made sense. They had won a political victory.

Elder Ming, of course, knew nothing of this, but he remembered Gu Changge’s final instruction for this exact moment.

“You will understand everything once you return,” Elder Ming said gravely. “Why waste energy on suspicion? Do not let the compromise of the Clan Elders be in vain.”

The middle-aged man took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. “Fine.”

If they returned under the watchful eyes of the entire clan, Gu Changge would be handcuffed. unless he planned to fracture the family and destroy his own inheritance, he wouldn’t dare touch them.

Hidden in the shadows, Gu Xianer watched the scene unfold, her expression frozen in shock.

This was not what she had predicted.

She had tailed the black-robed elder all the way here, fully expecting him to massacre her family on Gu Changge’s orders. She had been ready to risk her life to intervene.

He’s taking them back?

Her mind spun. Her first instinct was to scream ‘Conspiracy!’

But she was close enough to see Elder Ming’s face. The old man’s expression was gentle, respectful, and seemingly sincere. It didn’t look like the face of an assassin.

What happened in the Gu Family?

Is Gu Changge… capable of kindness?

The thought was absurd. Her “good brother” was a monster—ruthless, indifferent, a creature of ice and blood. He had ripped the bone from her chest. He would never spare a potential threat.

She knew her family’s survival over the years was due to the secret protection of the Clan Elders, not him.

“I don’t believe it,” Gu Xianer whispered, her eyes hardening. “I need to see what medicine he’s selling in that gourd. He is not kind.”

“I cannot reveal myself yet. But… at least they are safe.”

She watched until her family began packing their belongings, a weight lifting from her shoulders. Then, she turned and vanished into the void.

Before she left Peach Village, her Masters had given her a destination: the Daootian Immortal Palace.

She was to find the Great Elder, a terrifying existence in the Upper Realm who owed her Master a favor. The Daootian Immortal Palace was an imperishable sect with a heritage stretching back to the dawn of the Immortal Era. It was a place where Imperial Princes and Saintesses gathered to cultivate.

Her cultivation was still too weak. She needed the ancient scriptures and the protection of the Palace.

I will cultivate. I will become strong. And then… I will stand before him and take back everything that is mine!

Upper Realm, Inner Domain, Immortal Gu Family.

Deep within the rear mountains of Gu Changge’s private Divine Island.

Heavy formation patterns sealed off the area, isolating it from the rest of the world. Aside from Gu Changge, the island was deserted.

In the center of a secluded valley lay a pool filled with liquid light. Mist, thick with immortal energy, curled off the surface. The water shimmered with a brilliance that would blind a mortal, swirling with crimson and black-gold flames.

Inside the pool, a graceful silhouette sat in meditation.

Tens of thousands of years’ worth of holy medicines, divine materials, and spiritual liquids were dissolving, transforming into a torrent of pure divinity that rushed into the figure.

The scene was opulent to the point of obscenity. If an alchemist were to see this, they would likely vomit blood and die of heartache. The sheer waste of priceless resources—items that auction houses would kill for—was staggering.

Suddenly, the turmoil ceased.

A vast, terrifying Pressure erupted from the pool.

It was the pressure of the Saint Realm. No… the Great Saint Realm.

Splash.

Water cascaded off smooth skin as Yan Ji rose from the pool. Her eyes were bright, filled with the sheer ecstasy of existence.

“Young Master Gu…”

Her gaze landed immediately on Gu Changge, who was standing by the pool’s edge. Her voice was clear and cold by nature, but now it trembled with unconcealed joy.

Gu Changge nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over her with the critical appreciation of an artist viewing his masterpiece.

“Not bad.”

The investment had not been in vain. The body was flawless, remolded to perfection as if sculpted by the Heavens themselves. She possessed divine bones and an immortal posture, radiating a transcendent, icy aura. Yet, dancing through her hair were strands of crimson-gold fire, adding a dangerous, passionate undertone.

Pure, yet intoxicatingly alluring, Gu Changge noted.

“Young Master Gu… do I look good?”

Yan Ji spun around playfully, a rare, girlish delight in her movements. This was the first time she had possessed a true body since meeting him; the freedom from her remnant soul state was exhilarating.

Gu Changge smiled, his voice smooth. “You look beautiful.”

Yan Ji beamed, her happiness radiating like the sun.

“However,” Gu Changge tilted his head slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Aren’t you cold?”

“Ah?”

Yan Ji froze.

Her mind short-circuited. She suddenly remembered that unlike a remnant soul, which was formed of energy and projection, a physical body required… physical covering.

She was currently wearing absolutely nothing.

And she had just spun around in a circle. In front of him.

Boom.

Her face exploded into a shade of red that would put a boiled shrimp to shame. The majestic Great Saint wanted nothing more than to dissolve back into the water or burrow into the earth.

It’s… too shameful!

Seeing her mortification, Gu Changge decided to show some mercy. He retrieved a pristine white robe from his spatial storage and draped it over her shoulders.

“There is plenty of time for that later,” he said, his tone casual yet carrying a hint of ambiguity that made her flush deeper. “For now, I have a task for you.”

Yan Ji wrapped the robe tightly around herself, taking a moment to regain the composure befitting a cultivation master. “Thank you, Young Master.”

“I need you to go to the Outer Domain,” Gu Changge said, his demeanor shifting to business. “Specifically, the Land of Abandoned Immortals.”

“Go deep into that forbidden land. Look for anything unusual—ruins, energy signatures, anomalies. Contact me the moment you find something.”

He handed her a shimmering talisman. “This is a Domain-Breaking Talisman. If you encounter an enemy you cannot defeat, use it to escape immediately. Do not hesitate. Your life is the priority.”

The Land of Abandoned Immortals was where Gu Xianer had vanished to in the past. According to the tropes of this world, a protagonist surviving in a forbidden zone meant only one thing: a massive Fated Chance.

Yan Ji was a Great Saint; she could traverse the danger zones that would crush others. Gu Changge needed to know who—or what—was backing Gu Xianer. He needed to know the variables before he could formulate his next plan.

Sending a family member was too risky; the Clan Elders were watching the movements of the Gu forces closely. If he sent a squad to the Land of Abandoned Immortals, they would instantly link it to Gu Xianer.

He didn’t want to shatter the benevolent image he was carefully constructing just yet.

“The Land of Abandoned Immortals?” Yan Ji accepted the talisman, her expression serious. “I understand. Please rest assured, Young Master. I will not fail you.”