19 The First Official Villain
The trio naturally drew a lot of attention.
Yan Zhen, as the young master of the Lord’s Manor, was once the most outstanding genius of Wudang City three years ago. Yet in those three years, his cultivation had made no progress at all, degenerating into a mere waste. This sensational story had long spread throughout the entire city, and many citizens recognized him.
As for Yan Meng’er and Huang Fu Wenqing…
The former used to frequently stroll the streets with Yan Zhen, so her face was well-known. Although the latter wasn’t from Wudang City, the arrival of the Huang Fu family yesterday had already attracted widespread attention, allowing those aware to immediately guess her identity.
Moreover, not to mention anything else, the appearance and bearing of either beauty would cause passersby to turn their heads at least eighty percent of the time. Together, it was a hundred percent head-turning rate.
Wherever the trio went, they became the center of attention. Gradually, they also began to feel rather uncomfortable, with various discussions reaching their ears.
“The young master’s cultivation still seems to be at the third level of Mystic Disciple, without any change at all. It’s been three years already.”
“Who could have imagined that the former genius would fall from grace overnight, still unable to get back up after three whole years?”
“Not just three years, it may remain this way forever. It’s such a pity that our lord went missing because of his son. Now the old lord has to shoulder the burden again. Alas~”
“I heard that the precious daughter of the Huang Fu family was betrothed to our young master from a young age. You think their visit this time is to call off the engagement?”
“That’s unlikely. The marriages between great clans are no simple matter – they probably can’t just directly call it off.”
“No, no, no. That Lady Huang Fu is said to have exceptional talents. Not only was she granted the title of Princess by the King himself, but she was also accepted as the National Master’s personal disciple. Our young master is completely outclassed by her now!”
Heh, those familiar NPC chatter lines felt rather nostalgic to hear… Yan Zhen’s expression remained unchanged, but he couldn’t help feeling a tinge of emotion.
Not because he was a masochist, but ever since he started playing the protagonist’s role, the supporting characters Yan Meng’er and Huang Fu Wenqing hadn’t been following the script, with only the beautiful senior martial sister being mostly true to it.
Now, hearing these NPC lines that matched the script perfectly, down to the punctuation marks, he felt a slight sense of gratification.
Could this mean the storyline was still progressing on track?
[Indeed, the host’s efforts have not been in vain. Please keep it up.]
Mmhm~
While Yan Zhen’s mood was good, Yan Meng’er and Huang Fu Wenqing didn’t feel the same.
The two ladies already felt guilty towards Yan Zhen. Hearing these people discuss Yan Zhen’s situation made them recall their own foolishness from their previous lives, causing them to feel even more remorseful.
“Cousin, we’ve finished eating. Let’s go somewhere else.”
“Where would you like to go?”
“How about the Jade Gem Trade Company? I heard they recently released a brand new line of dresses, it sounds intriguing~”
“Wenqing, what do you think?”
“Let’s go then. I’m also curious about these new dresses. It’s been so long since I last visited the Jade Gem branch in the capital that I didn’t even know about this.”
With a consensus reached, the trio left the snack street and headed towards the Jade Gem Trade Company in the eastern district.
The Jade Gem Trade Company was the largest commerce association in the Karo Kingdom, with branches not only across the nation but also in other countries. In addition to cultivation supplies, they would occasionally release all sorts of novel and eccentric items. From officials and nobles to commoners, everyone loved shopping there.
According to the script, the head manager of the Jade Gem Trade Company was a great beauty, who would soon cross paths with Yan Zhen.
After a series of events, the two would become sworn siblings of the opposite sex.
This head manager provided Yan Zhen with considerable support during his early growth and was his closest confidante, even rivaling the beautiful senior martial sister for the position of the main heroine!
[Ding! System Reminder: This is a harem world without a true heroine. Host, please do not—]
—I know, I was just commenting. And you perverted system, stop peeking into my thoughts, or I’ll report you!
[hontou ni sumimasen] (1)
—You…!
Nevermind, I won’t bother arguing with a bunch of code.
More importantly, I’m about to have a confrontation with a villain next.
Although just a measly “goblin”-level baddie, it’s still the first official villain, so I need to take it seriously.
As soon as the trio arrived in front of the Jade Gem Trade Company building, Yan Zhen spotted a well-dressed and rather portly youth emerging, followed by a few crony guards.
The other party also noticed Yan Zhen, as well as Yan Meng’er and Huang Fu Wenqing by his side. His eyes immediately lit up as he beckoned his underlings to trot over with a smug smile.
“Lady Meng’er, we meet again. It seems we’re truly fated~”
Seeing the leering expression on the newcomer’s face, Yan Meng’er’s brows furrowed slightly as her hands tightened their grip around Yan Zhen’s arm.
This person was the young master of the “Ao Family”, one of Wudang City’s three great clans, named “Ao Ge”. A notorious profligate playboy in Wudang City, skilled in all manners of debauchery. Ever since laying eyes on Yan Meng’er, he had persistently pestered her, refusing to give up even after being directly rejected.
Previously, Yan Zhen’s presence had deterred him. But after Yan Zhen’s cultivation fell, Ao Ge grew bolder, always bringing his men to block Yan Meng’er’s path whenever encountering her on the streets.
Though still respectful of Yan Meng’er’s status as the Lord’s Manor’s princess, he dared not overstep his bounds. Nevertheless, his behavior remained quite vexing.
“Young Master Ao Ge, you and I are not that close. Please show some restraint.”
Undeterred, Ao Ge continued smiling smugly.
“Lady Meng’er, you say that, but we’ve met so many times now. One meeting is still fresh, two meetings and we’re already familiar. If Lady Meng’er would grace me by dining and listening to some tunes together, we’d become even closer.”
A look of disgust flashed across Yan Meng’er’s face.
“I won’t go. Hurry up and get out of the way, don’t block the road.”
“If Lady Meng’er is worried about going alone, you could bring your sister along. Right, Miss Pretty I’ve never seen before?”
Ao Ge turned towards Huang Fu Wenqing, his eyes revealing a hint of admiration.
Unlike Yan Meng’er, Huang Fu Wenqing exuded an entirely different kind of charm.
Huang Fu Wenqing ignored him. Regardless of status or cultivation, this guy wasn’t even worthy of taking off her shoes.
Moreover, she utterly despised so-called profligate young masters. If she really went all out, she wouldn’t show the slightest mercy – those in the capital would flee at the mere sight of her.
Yet Ao Ge refused to give up, continuing:
“This pretty miss surely isn’t from Wudang City, is she? I’ve never seen such a beautiful face before, otherwise I could never forget it.”
Ugh, such a cringeworthy pickup line… Yan Zhen seized the moment to interject:
“Hey, Pig Ao Ge, didn’t you hear me tell you to get out of the way?”
Ao Ge acted as if he had just noticed Yan Zhen standing between the two ladies, glancing at the intimate way their arms were linked with his before his face contorted with jealousy.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Young Master Yan Zhen? Long time no see, you’re still at the third level of Mystic Disciple, huh?”
Hearing that line, Yan Zhen almost instinctively shot back with “Yeah, whatever” before starting to moonwalk. Composing himself, he responded according to the script:
“Pig Ao Ge, are you itching for a beating again?”
[hontou ni sumimasen] (1) I’m terribly / so sorry (Japanese Phrase)
