This Is What a Villain Is Like

Additionally, several Immortal Sect Influences had been annihilated one after another for offending the Prime Minister’s Mansion. The survivors scattered and went into hiding, biding their time for revenge.

As for the identity of the mysterious person the Prime Minister’s Mansion had dispatched numerous experts to intercept that night, and the ultimate outcome of the confrontation, it all remained an unsolved mystery.

Not even a whisper came from the Royal Family. The Observatory and the Immortal Suppression Bureau were no different, all of them maintaining a uniform silence.

Inside the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Jiang Lan had more or less recovered his strength and spirits.

He had given his father, Jiang Lintian, a simple account of the previous night’s events, omitting many of the details.

Jiang Lintian didn’t press for more information. He only told Jiang Lan that his mother already knew of Jiang Ruxian’s return and would likely hurry back from the Taiyi Sect.

The news gave Jiang Lan a headache.

He simply stated that his parents should not interfere in the feud between him and Jiang Ruxian, and that from now on, the two of them were completely unrelated.

If Jiang Ruxian insisted on retaliating against the Prime Minister’s Mansion, he would not stand idly by and would treat her as an enemy.

He also told his parents not to send anyone to track Jiang Ruxian down and eliminate her for good.

To this, Jiang Lintian naturally agreed.

Jiang Lan, however, was more worried about his mother. Knowing Li Qingshu’s personality, she would very likely take matters into her own hands, creating a whole new series of problems for him.

His father, Jiang Lintian, would consider the bigger picture, but his mother, Li Qingshu, couldn’t care less about such things.

Her regret over the years was not for what she had done to Jiang Ruxian, but for failing to kill her completely back then. That failure had left behind the root of all this trouble, which ultimately led to Jiang Lan getting hurt...

Jiang Lan didn’t consider himself a good person, but compared to his mother, he at least had some lines he wouldn’t cross.

So, he sent a follow-up message telling Li Qingshu not to make a big scene or interfere, lest she ruin his grand plan.

Seeing how serious Jiang Lan was, Li Qingshu changed her mind about returning to the Prime Minister’s Mansion early and had Li Mengning go back first instead.

During this time, the Sui Ji Li Family had discovered a Void Secret Collection and was aggressively excavating it, but they had encountered a counterattack from the Native Clans dwelling within.

That was why even Li Qingshu had to remain with the Li Family to oversee some important matters.

The current Patriarch of the Sui Ji Li Family, who was Li Qingshu’s older brother and thus Jiang Lan’s maternal uncle, was busy dealing with the issue of succession among the three branches of the Taiyi Sect.

The other high-ranking members of the Li Family’s Direct Lineage also had their own important duties and were stretched thin, which was why Jiang Lan’s mother had been called back to take charge.

After all, the newly discovered Void Secret Collection contained a special, natural divine ore. Once refined, it would yield the core ingredient for a long-lost ancient Elixir Recipe, making it incomparably precious.

After the Li Family’s leadership confirmed this, they decided to mobilize their forces and seize the Void Secret Collection.

In the years to come, that divine ore could be used to cultivate even more experts for the Li Family.

In fact, many of the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s Tributors and retainers had gone with Jiang Lan’s mother. Otherwise, he could have mobilized even more experts the previous night.

Within the Imperial Capital, the surface was calm, but a turbulent undercurrent flowed beneath.

The various Immortal Sect Lineages and Noble Families all harbored their own schemes, waiting for the Southern Hunting trials to begin.

「Several days passed in a flash.」

Outside the Prime Minister’s Mansion, a still-graceful, middle-aged woman stood timidly, a reserved expression on her face. But after a moment’s hesitation, she walked up to the guards at the gate and stated her purpose.

It was Lady Liu.

In a courtyard, Jiang Lan soon received the report.

’It was a little unexpected, but on second thought, it made sense.’

’But is Lady Liu—this person I created with my own hands—seeking me out on Jiang Ruxian’s orders, or is this her own idea?’

Afterward, Jiang Lan ordered his servants to bring Lady Liu to him. After a few casual questions, he learned that Jiang Ruxian had never suspected her true identity—a testament to the profundity of his methods.

By questioning Lady Liu, he also learned of Jiang Ruxian’s movements over the past few days.

After sitting listlessly in that desolate, ruined temple for two days, she had set off again with Lady Liu, still heading toward the Imperial Capital. However, she had parted ways with Lady Liu just outside the city walls.

Lady Liu didn’t know where Jiang Ruxian had gone; she had simply followed her instructions to find Jiang Lan and seek his protection.

During those two days in the ruined temple, however, Jiang Ruxian had questioned Lady Liu exhaustively about everything she knew—all of which were true memories of what had happened to Jiang Lan during that period in his past life.

However, these were not firsthand experiences, but rather accounts narrated from a third-person perspective.

Though this made them feel less immediate, it also made them far heavier and more oppressive.

Afterward, Jiang Lan ordered someone to arrange a residence and servant maids for Lady Liu outside the mansion, putting on a display of great care.

As for the news concerning Lady Liu, he decided not to explain anything unless his parents asked.

’So many people were executed back then. They could never be certain if one or two had slipped through the cracks.’

After getting Lady Liu settled, Jiang Lan learned that the Royal Family was opening the Qianyuan Prefecture.

He had no interest in it, however, so he used recuperation as an excuse to remain in his residence and focus on comprehending the Age Dao Fruit.

A hazy and mysterious Realm Mansion materialized deep within the Imperial Capital, seeming to open up from the Void itself.