This Is What a Villain Is Like

"M-Master, that person just now was so strong..."

After Emperor Xia left, You'Er whispered in Jiang Lan's ear.

She had been completely silent just now, like a shadow, her aura fading until it was almost nonexistent.

"She is indeed very strong. In the Imperial Capital, at least, she is innately invincible."

Jiang Lan reached out and rubbed her head, then fell into deep thought.

Emperor Xia's reminder was mainly born from a fear that Jiang Ruxian's sudden appearance would disrupt the upcoming Southern Hunting exercise.

Jiang Ruxian's strength is immense; she is currently at least in the Eighth Realm Tribulation Bridge Realm.

If Emperor Xia were to fight Jiang Ruxian, his chances of victory would be slim even within the Imperial Capital... unless he used the National Treasure Dragon-Suppressing Seal.

'I need to go back and figure out how to deal with this.'

Jiang Lan glanced at the sky. It was almost 9 p.m. Although his strength had been steadily increasing during this time, there was still a considerable gap between him and figures like Emperor Xia.

Jiang Ruxian's premature appearance also gave him a slight sense of urgency.

Of course, this urgency didn't stem from the difference in their power, but from the fact that events were gradually slipping from his control.

'This is all happening faster than I expected.'

Shortly after returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion, Jiang Lan received a message from Song Youwei. Something unexpected had happened; she never imagined that the people she had dispatched would all meet a gruesome end.

They had also lost track of the Liu Clan's whereabouts, so she was planning to go to Guangyuan City to investigate personally.

Jiang Lan quickly sent a message to stop her.

Since the Liu Clan had been unexpectedly saved by Jiang Ruxian, it would be pointless for Song Youwei to go now.

To the young Celestial Prides of her generation, Jiang Ruxian was a terrifying, insurmountable mountain. It was impossible for anyone to be her match.

Any young Celestial Pride was no different from a clay chicken or a pottery dog before her. Although Jiang Lan had many tricks up his sleeve, if he were to fight Jiang Ruxian one-on-one, he would most likely be killed.

'In the original story, even after I died, she destroyed my cenotaph with a single palm strike, leaving not even bones behind...'

'If word of my recent actions reaches Jiang Ruxian's ears, she will definitely grow suspicious. Given her stubborn and frenzied personality from the original story, it would be merciful of her not to smash me into a pulp.'

'But, something unexpected has happened...'

Jiang Lan's brows knitted tightly.

Ordinary methods would be useless against Jiang Ruxian.

However, the Liu Clan's appearance, by a strange twist of fate, had caused the situation to deviate from Jiang Lan's original plan.

Jiang Ruxian would save the Liu Clan, and would then inevitably learn the so-called truth of what happened back then from them.

But... revealing the truth to Jiang Ruxian was never part of Jiang Lan's plan.

Yet now... quite unexpectedly, through his own arrangements, Jiang Ruxian had come to understand the truth of those years.

This also indirectly advanced some of Jiang Lan's original intentions.

'Even so, I'm still not sure what her attitude toward me will be after she learns the truth...'

'But that doesn't change the fact that I should strike first.'

Jiang Lan caressed the spot over his heart, as if he could feel the beating of the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Immortal Heart within. His gaze gradually grew profound as he murmured to himself, "You will soon meet your true master."

With the Destiny Dao Fruit and the Phoenix Void Primordial Scripture, his Life Force and Recovery Power could only be described as terrifying.

Although he had not yet reached the stage of Blood Rebirth or becoming truly immortal, losing a heart was not a life-threatening matter for him.

With his Nirvana Power, even if he returned the heart to Jiang Ruxian, he could grow a new one.

After returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion and delegating some matters to Song Youwei, Jiang Lan went to the study to find his father, Jiang Lintian, who was poring over Ancient Texts.

At Jiang Lintian's current level, ordinary Daoist Techniques and Ancient Texts were of little use to him, and he no longer needed to frequently enter seclusion for cultivation.

The Cultivation Technique he practiced was intrinsically linked to the National Fortune of Great Xia.

Thus, it often seemed that his father was even more at leisure than his mother.

During this period, his mother, Li Qingshu, and Li Mengning were still at the Taiyi Sect and had not returned.

"Lan'Er, what is it? Is there something you need your father's help with?"

Seeing Jiang Lan approach, Jiang Lintian, a smile on his refined face, set down his book and asked in a gentle voice.

"There is indeed one matter I need your help with, Father," Jiang Lan said, sitting down beside him and seeming to choose his words carefully.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

It was rare for Jiang Lan to seek him out these days, so Jiang Lintian was slightly surprised.

"I need a lot of manpower. It would be best if I could mobilize some of the Tributors and retainers in the mansion."

"The stronger, the better," Jiang Lan said.

Jiang Lintian's expression turned serious. He looked at his son and asked, "Has something major happened?"

"It's not a huge issue, but I need to make some preparations."

"Because Jiang Ruxian... has returned," Jiang Lan said with a solemn expression.

"Jiang Ruxian?"

Jiang Lintian was stunned for a moment, then his expression shifted slightly. He sat up straighter, his demeanor turning grave.

Jiang Ruxian was the true Immortal Embryo that he and his wife, Li Qingshu, had brought out from the Kunlun Immortal Ruins.

In this world, no one understood the terror of Jiang Ruxian better than he and his wife.

In their youth, they too had considered themselves peerless Celestial Prides, with few rivals among their peers.

But compared to the Jiang Ruxian of the past, the difference was like heaven and earth. It was like a mortal facing an Immortal—there was simply no comparison.

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