This Is What a Villain Is Like

Upon the wall, moonlight spilled down in a swath of pristine white.

The figure standing there silently seemed to have known all along that Emperor Xia would pass this way.

A night breeze blew, scattering her dark hair across her flawless, almost celestial face. A closer look, however, would reveal a hazy, ethereal mist enveloping her, making her seem indistinct, as if she did not exist in the same world as everyone else.

She was clearly there, yet she seemed to transcend the mortal plane.

It was Jiang Ruxian.

Her gaze swept over and fell upon Emperor Xia, as if she had been waiting here for a long time.

But she did not speak, merely watching her with a cold, calm gaze.

"Your Majesty, you must leave!"

"We’ll hold her off."

The four handmaidens, Spring Orchid and Xia Zhu among them, were on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy. Ripples of Magical Power began to emanate from their bodies.

The indescribably terrifying aura felt like a colossal mountain hanging high above their heads, threatening to fall at any moment. They didn’t dare to relax for even an instant.

This was especially true for Xia Zhu, who was one of the few to have personally witnessed how terrifying Jiang Ruxian could be.

That day, outside the desolate, ruined temple, this woman in white had faced an attack from three masters of the Seventh Realm. With a mere flick of her hand, she had grievously wounded them and sent them flying. It had been utterly effortless.

Her power was enough to make one tremble, to make one’s scalp go numb with fear.

Xia Zhu could never have imagined that Jiang Ruxian would appear so silently within the Imperial Capital, let alone intercept Emperor Xia on the very path she had to take back to the Imperial Palace.

’Is she here to assassinate His Majesty Emperor Xia?’

In contrast to the four handmaidens’ tension and vigilance, Emperor Xia appeared exceptionally calm and composed.

After her initial surprise, she had quickly composed herself.

She was, however, still curious as to how Jiang Ruxian had found her and confirmed her identity.

After all, she was dressed as she always was: hair bound up, wearing an elegant brocade robe with a tall crown and wide sash, a smooth piece of Ancient Jade hanging from her waist. She looked every bit the part of a rich, noble son.

In the entire Imperial Capital, no one would have given her a second glance unless they were looking for her specifically.

’But now... isn’t the time to dwell on these things.’

"There’s no need to be so tense. I doubt she has any malicious intent..."

Emperor Xia simply waved her hand, signaling for the four handmaidens to calm down and not to panic.

She then turned to face Jiang Ruxian, her expression perfectly composed.

Jiang Ruxian remained silent. Her gaze fell on the Emperor’s face, as if she were studying her carefully.

As someone who had been reborn, she naturally knew that the Emperor Xia before her was, in fact, a woman.

In the timeline of her past life, this woman would become the sole empress of Great Xia, her might extending across the four seas and shaking the eight wastes.

But... in Jiang Ruxian’s eyes, she was no different from an ordinary mortal.

As the night wind blew and her dark hair danced, her eyes grew even colder, more indifferent.

"How should We address you?"

"As Jiang Lan’s sister? Or something else?"

A smile touched Emperor Xia’s lips as she spoke, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts.

’Here in the Imperial Capital, as the ruler of Great Xia, I hold an inherently unbeatable position.’

’No matter how strong Jiang Ruxian is, assassinating me would be no easy task. The slightest commotion would quickly attract the attention of others.’

’And Jiang Ruxian doesn’t seem like the type of person to do something so foolish.’

’She must have another reason for intercepting me...’

With this, the tension in her heart eased considerably. She had no desire for a major confrontation with Jiang Ruxian, especially not now.

Upon hearing Emperor Xia mention Jiang Lan’s name of her own accord, a flicker of movement passed through Jiang Ruxian’s cold eyes.

In the next instant, her figure vanished from the wall into thin air. When she reappeared, she was already standing before Emperor Xia, only a few steps away.

The four handmaidens, however, were pinned in place by this immense pressure, unable to move. Even breathing became a struggle.

"Were you the one secretly spying outside the ruined temple that day?"

Jiang Ruxian did not answer the Emperor’s question. Instead, she stared directly at her and spoke, her voice calm and level. Her tone held no fluctuations, showing no deference whatsoever, even when facing the present ruler of Great Xia.

Emperor Xia nodded frankly. "Indeed, it was Us."

"And it was We who informed Jiang Lan of your existence beforehand, allowing him to prepare."

She thought for a moment before adding this.

Jiang Ruxian watched her calmly.

She had come looking for Emperor Xia partly because of the prying eyes she had sensed outside the ruined temple that day.

And partly because of matters concerning Jiang Lan.

Emperor Xia’s candid admission was entirely within her expectations.

Back in Guangyuan City, the only people she had come into contact with were the female Commander from the Observatory and her companion.

She just hadn’t expected that even after erasing both of their memories, her whereabouts would still be exposed. It could only mean that one of them was hiding a secret she was unaware of.

"What is your purpose?" Jiang Ruxian asked.

Emperor Xia shook her head slightly. "We are already aware of the grudge between you and the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

"But We have no interest in getting involved. We only hope that this Southern Hunting exercise can proceed smoothly."

"There is no conflict of interest between you and Us."

She didn’t expect a being like Jiang Ruxian to be someone she could command, nor was she confident she could control such a person.

Jiang Ruxian continued to watch Emperor Xia calmly, her expression unreadable in response to this answer.

"What is your relationship with Jiang Lan?" she asked, getting to the question that concerned her most.

Emperor Xia was slightly taken aback. She had assumed Jiang Ruxian had intercepted her out of fear that, knowing of the grudge with the Prime Minister’s Mansion, the Emperor would interfere.

But instead, she was asking directly about her relationship with Jiang Lan?