◎He’s a Villain!◎
"It's you." Jiang Biehan paused, recognizing Bai Li. After all, he had rarely encountered someone who would abandon their savior and flee in a moment of crisis.
"Yes, yes! It's me! Fellow Daoist Jiang! You saved me!" Bai Li nearly couldn’t resist the urge to leap up and hug him. The only one who could make the villain hesitate was the male lead, the beacon of righteousness!
Xue Qionglou slowly withdrew his gaze. "So, you know him."
"Of course! We’re comrades who’ve weathered hardships together!" Bai Li emphasized the words "weathered hardships" with extra weight.
No matter how much this hypocrite wanted to silence her, he wouldn’t dare act in front of the male lead.
Xue Qionglou silently studied her for a long moment before loosening his grip.
Dealing with her here wasn’t the wisest choice. He’d observe her behavior later before deciding whether to let her live.
Jiang Biehan sheathed his sword and turned, his face lighting up with pleasant surprise. "Fellow Daoist Xue, so you’re here! No wonder I couldn’t find you earlier." His tone suggested the two were already well acquainted.
Xue Qionglou stood up casually. "I was just handling a few stragglers and happened to find this fellow Daoist here. I stayed a while longer to ensure she wasn’t badly injured."
Bai Li stared at him in shock. How could he lie so effortlessly?
"I see." Jiang Biehan didn’t doubt him and smiled at Bai Li, as if genuinely relieved for her. "You ran off so quickly earlier—I was afraid you’d gone the wrong way. But meeting him was truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
Bai Li: "..."
"Fellow Daoist Bai!" A bright figure in goose-yellow robes appeared behind Jiang Biehan. Ling Yanyan hurried to Bai Li’s side, helping her up, her eyes brimming with the joy of reuniting after a brush with death. "You really are here! I was so scared—I thought you’d been captured by that Wen scoundrel! Thank goodness you ran into Fellow Daoist Xue instead."
She shot the young man a grateful glance. "Ah, you might not know him yet. This is the young master of the Jinlin Xue Clan, one of our allies. He’s been a great help to us this time."
No! Open your eyes and see his true nature!
Bai Li blurted out, "Xue—" Xue Qionglou is a villain!
The moment the thought of exposing him crossed her mind, the system blared a frantic warning in her head: "Host must comply with plot rules! Host must comply with plot rules!"
A splitting headache struck Bai Li, draining the color from her face.
Ling Yanyan steadied her, concerned. "What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Is your head injury severe?" Xue Qionglou turned slightly, blocking the faint candlelight in the room. His words were slow and deliberate, laced with a dangerous undertone. The concern in his eyes flickered with threat under the shifting light.
"N-no, I’m fine." Bai Li clutched her forehead as the excruciating pain gradually subsided.
Xue Qionglou’s dark eyes remained fixed on her, his gentle tone masking a sharp interrogation. "What were you about to say just now?"
Bai Li squeezed her eyes shut and lied through her teeth. "I was going to say… Fellow Daoist Xue is such a good person! If I hadn’t met you, I’d surely be dead!" You villain—running into you must’ve used up all my luck for a lifetime of double-yolk eggs!
The young man blinked, then smiled gracefully. "It was nothing. No need for thanks."
How can you admit that with a straight face?!
"Everything’s fine now." Ling Yanyan patted her shoulder. "I’ll take you to the front hall to rest. It’s safe there—you don’t need to be afraid. —Senior Brother Jiang, I’ll escort her back first. You two can continue investigating here."
"Be careful." Jiang Biehan reminded her before turning back, his expression darkening.
"The White Jade Tower is mostly secured. The remaining stragglers are no threat, but unfortunately..." He frowned. "Zhao Mingrui of the Shouyang Sect and his team of four died inexplicably on the way. Even those two siblings have gone missing."
Xue Qionglou stood beside a dying lantern tree, the dim light casting deep shadows across his brow. He lowered his head in thought. "How strange. Zhao Mingrui took the main road with three companions. Even if they clashed with Wen’s disciples, they shouldn’t have been at a disadvantage. How could they—"
After a pause, he suddenly asked, "By the way, why didn’t we see Wen Hua’s snake today?"
"Snake?"
That infamous venomous serpent?
Jiang Biehan froze, then quickly pieced it together.
That snake, notorious for hunting beauties, would exhaust its spiritual energy after a hunt and sleep in its master’s arms for a full day. Earlier, when he fought Wen Hua, the snake hadn’t appeared to ambush him—meaning Wen Hua had indeed been out.
If so, then Junior Sister Ling’s encounter with him likely happened right after he killed Zhao Mingrui.
The thought of such a man slipping away to wreak havoc filled Jiang Biehan with regret. If he’d realized sooner, the Shouyang Sect disciples might still be alive.
"What’s wrong?"
Jiang Biehan turned away, recalling the room full of broken, lifeless youths. Suppressing his fury, he said coldly, "I know who it was—Wen Hua, without a doubt. That heinous criminal has already fallen to my sword."
"Dead..." Xue Qionglou sighed as if genuinely disappointed. "Then we’ll never get answers."
Jiang Biehan thought there was no need for questions—the culprit was obvious.
He took a deep breath, unclenching his fists, then suddenly remembered something and turned to the young man beside him. "Fellow Daoist Xue..." Though they’d met several times, they weren’t yet close enough for casual familiarity. His words carried a hint of distance. "Thank you for your assistance this time."
"You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist Jiang." Xue Qionglou smiled faintly. "When Zhongzhou is in peril, the Eastern Domain cannot stand idly by. If my father were here, he would’ve done the same."
The Jinlin Xue Clan of the Eastern Domain was separated from Zhongzhou’s major sects by the vast White Wave Sea, like an isolated island of immortals. Tales of the Eastern Domain always carried an air of mystery.
Jiang Biehan still remembered his first encounter with the young man. Back then, Xue Qionglou had traveled to Zhongzhou on his clan’s orders, stopping by Xieyang Mountain to visit the Shouyang Sect. At first, he hadn’t revealed his identity and was left waiting outside the mountain’s protective barrier by some snobbish disciples. When the misunderstanding was cleared, the disciple who’d barred him expected severe punishment, but to everyone’s surprise, the young noble showed no anger. Instead, he blamed himself for not introducing his status earlier, causing unnecessary trouble. His humility and scholarly demeanor won over many in the sect—even the old-timers who usually scorned aristocratic families softened, looking at him as if he were their own dutiful disciple.
Chen Li, the Shouyang Sect’s leader, took a liking to him and extended the hospitality of a host. In return, Xue Qionglou presented several of his clan’s formation blueprints as gifts.
For days, both host and guest enjoyed each other’s company.
Jiang Biehan, who had always been held up as the "model child" by others, finally got a taste of what it was like to meet someone else's "model child."
To trace their connection, Jiang Biehan’s master, Master Duanyue, and the head of the Xue family had been close friends since their youth, often exchanging letters in private. In the martial world, such bonds were passed down through generations—once the elders formed a friendship, their juniors would naturally hit it off as well.
"Speaking of that pair of siblings, if they were indeed intercepted by Wen Hua, they’re probably still hidden in the White Jade Tower. Maybe we should..." Xue Qionglou’s voice cut through Jiang Biehan’s contemplation.
"Let them go," Jiang Biehan shook his head. "To be honest, Elder Chen wanted to execute them publicly in front of Ancestor Wen, but I disagreed. My master and the other elders didn’t approve either. No matter how many sins the Wen family has committed, those siblings are innocent." He then turned to seek agreement. "What do you think?"
Xue Qionglou smiled faintly. "I was thinking the same."
"I knew you wouldn’t support something so cruel." Finding common ground, Jiang Biehan gave a relieved smile.
The two continued their conversation as they walked away. Passing by a lantern-lit tree, Jiang Biehan was momentarily blinded by the flickering light. When he lowered his gaze, he noticed a deep crack in the ground.
Xue Qionglou paused beside him, following his line of sight. "Brother Jiang, what’s wrong?"
Jiang Biehan snapped out of his daze and took a few steps back, allowing the web-like fissures to become more visible. Hesitantly, he asked, "What is this?"
The crack looked as though it had been forcibly struck by a weapon, sprawling like a giant spiderweb beneath their feet. Xue Qionglou studied it with interest, his eyes darkening, though his tone remained casual. "Oh, this? I noticed it earlier when I arrived... Probably just remnants of a fight."
The crackdown on illicit activities was nearing its end, and the front hall was filled with the wounded—now including Bai Li.
Xia Xuan, clad in a pale green crane-feather cloak, sat quietly in a corner like a plucked rooster, devoid of his usual bravado that could rival a collapsing mountain.
Bai Li glanced around—all the seats were occupied by the injured—so she cautiously settled down beside him.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Before she could even sit, Xia Xuan leaped up as if scalded, clutching his arm with a pale face. A medicinal pill still in his mouth, he mumbled incoherently, "Don’t sit so close, you’ll bump my wound!"
Bai Li stood awkwardly. "Should I stand, then?"
Ling Yanyan delivered a swift knock to her junior brother’s head. "It’s just a cut. Stop being dramatic. Move—let Sister Bai sit."
When the senior sister spoke, disobedience wasn’t an option. Xia Xuan grudgingly scooted aside, muttering under his breath, "When Jiang Biehan got hurt, you weren’t like this. I’m telling Master—favoritism and betrayal!"
Ling Yanyan rolled up her sleeves.
Xia Xuan, as if mourning his own demise, jumped onto a small stool—only for it to be shattered by a single palm strike. He darted behind Bai Li, seeking refuge. "Save me, fellow cultivator!"
Bai Li was stunned. "..."
So the delicate, soft-spoken female lead could split iron stools with her bare hands when the male lead wasn’t looking.
Since when did the "fragile beauty" trope get so deceptive?
"Stop fighting, stop fighting!" She stretched her arms out to shield the quarreling sect siblings, lamenting, "You can’t kill each other like this!"
Xia Xuan: "???" I may not be human, but you’re truly something else.
Ling Yanyan finally calmed down, rubbing her flushed cheeks. She picked up the stool, dusted it off, and placed it behind Bai Li, sheepishly saying, "Sorry about that. Please, have a seat."
Bai Li thanked her and leaned over to examine Xia Xuan’s arm. Tentatively, she offered, "I’m a healer. If you don’t mind, I can treat your wound."
"That’d be great. By the time the others bring medicine, it might’ve gotten worse." Ling Yanyan turned to Xia Xuan. "Roll up your sleeve and let A’Li take a look."
The young man initially hesitated, but after a light kick from Ling Yanyan, he reluctantly pulled up his sleeve, revealing a gash stretching from his wrist to his elbow. It had been hastily bandaged, but blood still seeped out, the flesh torn and curled from lingering sword energy.
Bai Li’s storage pouch was stocked with herbs for emergencies, and now they proved useful.
After tying a neat butterfly knot around his arm, Xia Xuan looked at her differently, declaring solemnly, "Turns out you’re not completely useless... Ow!"
Ling Yanyan retracted her fist. "Be polite."
Xia Xuan wiped away imaginary tears. "Fellow cultivator, your skills are divine, a reincarnation of Hua Tuo! Far better than my senior sister... Ow! Senior sister, my wound’s splitting open—it’s splitting open!!!"
The commotion drew the attention of other injured cultivators, who flocked to Bai Li for treatment. She obliged without hesitation, distributing her last bottle of restorative pills until it was empty.
By the time Jiang Biehan returned with medicine, everyone had already regained their vigor. He stood there bewildered, scratching his head.
"Senior brother, you’re too late—A’Li already treated everyone," Ling Yanyan said, putting in a good word for her.
"I see." Jiang Biehan stepped forward and bowed formally. "Thank you for your efforts, Fellow Cultivator Bai. I’ll make sure to replenish the herbs you used by tomorrow."
Bai Li, flustered, waved her hands. "It was just a few pills—no need for such formalities, Brother Jiang."
"If anything, I should be the one thanking you." He smiled, then remembered something. "Ah, Fellow Cultivator Xue is also injured. Could you check on him?"
Bai Li: "..."
Right, he’d been hurt back in the carriage.
She tilted her head slightly, stealing a glance before quickly looking away, forcing a dry laugh. "Can I refuse?"
Jiang Biehan was taken aback. "Why?"
Before she could answer, he seemed to have an epiphany and bowed deeply. "Tonight has been chaotic. If we’ve been lacking in hospitality, please forgive us."
What is this blockhead imagining?!
Bai Li covered her face in despair. "I was joking! How could I ignore an injury... I mean, refuse to help?"
"You’re truly straightforward." Jiang Biehan laughed heartily, flashing a bright smile. "If you weren’t a woman, I’d swear brotherhood with you."
Bai Li: "...No, you’d be better off swearing brotherhood with a certain flower monk named Lu Zhishen."
Jiang Biehan: "?"
