This wave netted him over a hundred thousand villain points.
Only, the number was a bit odd. Not a round figure at all.
And facing the olive branch Jiang Wuhen had extended, Xiao Chen fell silent for a moment. After a visible internal struggle flickered across his face, he cupped his fists and said, “Your actions this time are tantamount to giving me a second life. By all rights, I should indeed enter your service and repay this debt.”
“It’s just that I have other duties weighing on me, so…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Wuhen waved his hand with a smile and cut him off.
“Don’t rush to a decision. After all, you’ll be staying at the Heavenly One Immortal Sect for a while yet.”
“As for my proposal, think it over carefully. When it’s time for you to leave, that’s when you can answer me.”
Jiang Wuhen said with an easy smile.
This Xiao Chen wasn’t bad. At least he was easy on the eyes. If the chance came around, Jiang Wuhen might just recruit him as an underling.
Even if this fellow was ambitious and refused to serve under him, he could still make a fine long-term tool for fleecing.
As for killing him?
Jiang Wuhen had no such inclination for the time being.
Hearing this, Xiao Chen nodded.
“Well enough, then…”
A smile spread across Jiang Wuhen’s face.
“Haha, that’s the spirit!”
“Brother Xiao, did you just break through again?”
Jiang Wuhen asked.
“Indeed. Your words earlier were like the tolling of a great bell, shaking me awake as though from a dream. It was as if the clouds parted to reveal the sun and everything became clear at once.”
“My dao heart broke and reformed. Not only did I perfect my blaze art to the saint grade, but I also used it to refine the green lotus emperor fire into an origin pill fire. In terms of cultivation, I broke through the barrier and stepped into the first level of the divine martial realm.”
“This breakthrough has truly been of immense benefit to me!”
Xiao Chen said with a satisfied smile.
But just then, he faintly noticed that the way Jiang Wuhen was looking at him seemed… off.
That gaze was like a hunter sizing up his prey.
Even back in Heavenly Fire City, I heard that some nobles have peculiar tastes… a particular fondness for men.
Could Jiang Wuhen be that kind of person?
At this thought, Xiao Chen couldn’t help but shudder.
[Ding dong. The host has enlarged the shadow in the Son of Fortune’s heart. Reward: three thousand villain points!]
The notification rang out, and Jiang Wuhen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him.
This Xiao Chen was quite perceptive.
Seeing this, Xiao Chen swallowed hard, cold sweat nearly pouring down his face.
“Um… if the Imperial Son has nothing else, I’ll be heading back…”
With that, Xiao Chen tried to make his escape.
Only to be stopped by Jiang Wuhen.
“Three days ago, though we fought fiercely, there were some techniques I couldn’t freely employ in front of so many powerhouses of the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain.”
“Now, your cultivation has broken through and your strength has soared. As for me, I’ve also gained some insights over these past few days. Why not take this opportunity for another exchange?”
“If you’re a man, then let’s have a proper, no-holds-barred brawl!”
Jiang Wuhen said with a light chuckle.
The moment the words left his mouth, and before Xiao Chen could answer, Jiang Wuhen swept his hand out and struck a screen in the hall with a blast of palm gang.
In an instant, the landscape-painted screen rippled with runes.
Within it lay another world!
“Brother Xiao, please!”
Under Jiang Wuhen’s ‘warm invitation,’ Xiao Chen had no choice but to engage in the battle.
Though Xiao Chen had benefited enormously from this breakthrough, by comparison, Jiang Wuhen’s strength had skyrocketed as if he were outright cheating.
From the very start, this fight was a one-sided crushing.
Even with Xiao Chen wielding two great ancestral fires and putting up a desperate struggle, he was still defeated by Jiang Wuhen in the end.
[Ding dong. The host has defeated the Son of Fortune. Reward: ten thousand villain points!]
With the reward in hand, Jiang Wuhen nodded in satisfaction.
“As the sage said, ‘Review the old and learn the new, and one can become a teacher.'”
Which meant: you needed to stay active and practice regularly. Even fighting the same person, you could gain new insights each time. One man could serve as a teacher all by himself.
Mm, Confucius never lies to me!
Looking at Xiao Chen, who stood covered in injuries after his defeat with lingering fear on his face, Jiang Wuhen hurried over to comfort him.
First, he gifted healing pills, then tonics to strengthen the bones and tendons, cleanse the marrow, and refine the essence. He told Xiao Chen that from now on, there was no need to stand on ceremony at the Heavenly One Immortal Sect; he should treat it like his own home.
Finally, he forcibly arranged their next sparring session before reluctantly letting Xiao Chen go.
After all, when it came to fleecing, haste made waste.
You had to learn to let the stream flow gently. Fatten up the sheep, then shear it slowly. Only then could it last.
After Xiao Chen left, Yi Shanjin walked into the main hall, approached Jiang Wuhen, and cupped his fists. “Imperial Son, this subordinate doesn’t understand. Why do you treat that boy so well?”
“Have you forgotten how he slandered and defamed you in front of all those powerhouses three days ago?”
“The Imperial Son may be merciful, but this subordinate cannot swallow that anger. I have already sent men to secretly monitor Xiao Chen. The moment an opportunity arises, I will cripple his cultivation and put him to death…”
The instant these words left his mouth, Jiang Wuhen’s expression turned dark.
“Idiot!”
“Who gave you permission to act on your own? Withdraw everyone immediately!”
“Listen well. Without my orders, no one is to lay a hand on Xiao Chen.”
“Anyone who disobeys will be killed!”
Jiang Wuhen said coldly.
“Y-yes…”
Yi Shanjin broke into a cold sweat and quickly cupped his fists in acknowledgment.
But just then—
“Wait!”
Jiang Wuhen spoke up.
“Imperial Son, what are your further instructions?”
Yi Shanjin asked.
Jiang Wuhen pondered for a moment, his gaze darkening.
“Don’t withdraw them yet. Have them keep constant watch over Xiao Chen and everyone from the Divine Maiden Sect. Report any movement to me at once.”
“But one thing: you must not show the slightest hostility toward him, and you absolutely must not make a move against him.”
“If you botch this, you know what happens!”
In that moment, Jiang Wuhen displayed the ruthless streak a villain ought to have.
Yi Shanjin swallowed hard and hurried off to carry out the orders.
Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Wuhen narrowed his eyes.
“This man is loyal, true. But his habit of acting on his own initiative will cause me trouble sooner or later.”
“Time to find a few smarter confidants…”
…
As the saying goes, when the tale branches in two, each thread must be told.
Now, after Xiao Chen left Jiang Wuhen’s temporary palace, he hurried back to the courtyard where he was being held, the pills and tonics Jiang Wuhen had given him tucked away.
Once he confirmed he was alone, he finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
And just then—
“Little Chen, don’t let your guard down. Someone is secretly following you!”
A vigorous voice rang out from the depths of Xiao Chen’s consciousness.
Xiao Chen’s eyes sharpened.
“Shizun, who are they? Could they be arranged by Jiang Wuhen?”
The voice fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Even if they aren’t his, they can’t be entirely unrelated. However, it seems this group is only shadowing you in secret and hasn’t shown any hostility for now.”
“Little Chen, from now on, you must be on your guard when dealing with Jiang Wuhen.”
“He is unlike anyone we’ve encountered before. Sometimes, even this old man cannot see through his actions.”
“Even now, this old man still doesn’t know what he’s truly after.”
There was a note of wariness in those words.
“Earlier, he proposed that I join under his banner. Then he sparred with me, injured me, and gifted me these precious pills.”
“Could there be something hidden in those pills? Does he want to use them to control me?”
Xiao Chen speculated.
“If that were the case, this old man wouldn’t be so wary of him.”
“This old man has already examined the pills he gave you. There’s nothing wrong with them. Use them without worry.”
“But that leaves his true purpose a mystery…”
“For now, we can only assume he admires you and wants to win you over.”
“That’s the best-case scenario. The most… ideal outcome!”
“If that guess is true, then this man… is worth befriending. Still, keep your wits about you. Until the variable arrives, do your best to go along with what he wants.”
For Xiao Chen, this was probably the best course of action.
“Shizun, I understand!”
“But this variable you mentioned…”
Xiao Chen asked.
The voice paused for a beat, then changed the subject.
“If the Divine Maiden Sect has received word, they should be… sending someone to negotiate soon…”
