Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 216 - 152 Departure_2

Chapter 216: Chapter 152 Departure_2

The answer is obvious.

Many have broken their heads in pursuit of this so-called true transmission, many have schemed and struggled to obtain even a slight hint of Sword Intent, and this kind of true transmission transcends the concept of cultivation realm.

Just like that day, Liu Tangxi, far from being Lan Tianyong’s match in terms of cultivation, was able to repel him with a single sword strike and even forced the Great Elder of the Taixu Sect to lower his head and admit his mistake.

Liu Tangxi only mentioned to Jiang Feng the story of how Taiyi True Man cultivated, comprehended the Dao, and ascended to heaven, never revealing that she herself was also on this path.

Faced with such a true transmission, how many people are itching to make a move?

Jiang Feng is but a rootless weed, without familial support or anyone to lend him a hand, relying solely on himself.

"The sect does not bend to my will alone, I hope Miss Cen doesn’t develop any misunderstandings about the Purple Cloud Palace. A talent as extraordinary as Brother Jiang is naturally someone we would desire but cannot obtain."

"How do you explain what happened today?"

Cen Yueyue was already immune to such roundabout speech; the Purple Cloud Palace was vast, with a complex internal situation, especially with the Nine Peaks governing themselves and taking turns vying for the position of Sect Master.

This forced method of power-sharing is much scarier than that of her own Cen Family Village; in her home, it has always been her father’s word that’s absolute.

As long as he speaks, not to mention the sect, there’s scarcely anyone in the entire Southern Border who dares to lay a finger on Jiang Feng.

But the same can’t be said for the Purple Cloud Palace.

Not to mention if Liu Tangxi spoke up, even words from the Sect Master themself might not be effective.

"Sigh."

The beautiful woman could only helplessly hold her forehead, the smarter the young lady, the more difficult she is to deal with, but she still replied: "As for someone following you, of course I’m aware of it."

"Then why..."

"I merely thought that the two of you could handle the situation. I didn’t expect Miss Cen to be all talk; the last time you confronted me, I truly thought you had some capabilities, and yet after inheriting from the Divine Beast, you’re still so beset by difficulties, almost leaving you and your husband both without a home to return to. It’s truly disappointing."

This time it was tough.

Not Jiang, but Miss Cen.

Her face instantly turned the color of liver, if not for the huge difference in their realms, she probably would have already thrown her golden hairpins.

Just last month she had heard Jiang Feng mention Yu Ying over and over, saying how vile this woman’s character was, and how even spending a moment with her could drive one to death; at that time, she didn’t think much of it, but after experiencing it firsthand...

Indeed, this woman has made so many enemies, it’s no injustice at all, and she’s also very vindictive, harboring grudges over things over two months old, even making sure to hit back with insults.

This crazy woman not only shifted all the responsibility onto herself but also mocked her own lack of strength, managing to deftly sidestep her questioning just moments ago.

And the woman put on a false smile again.

"It was just a joke, I hope Miss Cen doesn’t take it to heart."

"Answer me, if you don’t give me a satisfactory answer, I will come and take the person myself."

Her expression returned to calm.

She understood this was Yu Ying trying to stir up her anger, to make her leave sooner, so she laid her cards on the table.

These words carry weight; if it were someone else, Yu Ying would probably just laugh it off, but Cen Yueyue... she believes in the power of this young girl, someone who stood out from the Southern Border Twelve Villages and is the Village Chief’s daughter, she has the capacity.

The fake smile on the face disappeared.

Replaced with an extremely cold demeanor.

"Before this, whether it was my intelligence or that of others, even Jiang Feng himself, believed that Wu Fangsheng was at Top-grade Core Formation."

The tone changed from the previous respectful one, with a sharp voice and expression that was somewhat disconcerting.

"Having him stay in Shuangfeng City for a few more days was indeed my idea. However, if I never leave, Wu Fangsheng would never show up, always lurking near Jiang Feng. How should one deal with that?"

"Perhaps for the next few hundred years, someone must be assigned to watch over him constantly?"

"Even Master Liu only gave me a word of advice, to let things play out without forcibly intervening, and then chose to leave. Or do you, a young girl, think you can teach the Purple Cloud Palace how to instruct disciples?"

"This matter is an open strategy; to put it bluntly, something you could think of, how could Jiang Feng not consider it?"

"Since he chose to stay, it means he has confidence in his own strength. If he can’t even handle his enemies, what accomplishment can he have in the future? Or is he destined to shame the title of Sword Immortal Disciple?"

"Or do you think everyone is like you, with family elders to clean up your messes? It’s implicitly agreed; if he can solve it himself, let him solve it."

"The only miscalculation in this matter was that none of us had expected that person to have already condensed a Nascent Soul; otherwise, Wu Mingsheng would have been killed by Jiang Feng long ago."

Hearing this, Cen Yueyue’s expression stiffened for a moment.

The attentive girl recalled the object in Jiang Feng’s hand that resembled fireworks. The last time she saw a single one, it was able to blast a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment, like Wu Fangsheng, to death.

This time, it was a bundle. According to Jiang Feng himself, that was his last stock, and its power was evident.

It was just enough to kill a cultivator at the top-grade Core Formation.

A coincidence?

No, wrong, given that guy’s character, he must have anticipated someone following him and even roughly gauged the pursuer’s realm of strength.

Thus, he deliberately left just enough of his stock with the exact power necessary. If there were no miscalculation in judging the realm, then...

Everything just happened to align perfectly.

"It’s actually you," Yu Ying did not stop but turned her head to glance over.

"Miss Cen, as the lead figure for the next World Martial Arts Competition and the foremost among the youngest Fourth Generation Disciples, you truly disappoint me."

"They say Nascent Soul and Core Formation are as different as heaven and earth, but we both know that, with the support of the sect’s heritage and various magic treasures, the gap between Wild Fox Zen and that of a prestigious sect can only be described as gaping."

"Wu Mingsheng just condensed his Nascent Soul, at most, a year ago. He had neither high-level skills nor any notable Daoist skills at his disposal. The only thing of significance he had was that Demon King level Tiger Spirit."

"Originally, I thought, even if Jiang Feng couldn’t handle Wu Mingsheng alone, you could still be the backup, but unexpectedly..."

"You couldn’t overpower him, and your spirit was shattered by Jiang Feng."

Her body shivered.

Her teeth clenched hard on her lips, biting so fiercely that even the skin broke, oozing fresh blood, but she didn’t know how to refute, for it had been Jiang Feng who had been in command throughout the day’s battles.

Even the final plan was personally executed by Jiang Feng, trading his life for the chance to eliminate the opponent.

Yu Ying’s voice paused for a few seconds, then after looking at the boy who remained unconscious on the ground, she continued, "Miss Cen, although I may be harsh, you did save Brother Jiang’s life this time, our Purple Cloud Palace will naturally remember this favor."

"But you must also reflect on why your family elders turned a blind eye to your lone travels, and whether you are content with the results of this outing?"

"If the man by your side has the same realm as you... no, even if he is just one minor realm behind you, do you have the confidence that you could prevail against him?"

"It has been merely four months since Brother Jiang started his cultivation, and he is already at Foundation Establishment. When you meet again at the World Martial Arts Competition, will you still be worthy to stand by his side?"

"I am aware of your feelings for Brother Jiang, but if your own strength is insufficient, there may not be a future between you two."

"I hope Miss Cen will ponder this after you leave."

She regained her previous dignified and elegant composure, and also resumed using respectful terms, as Cen Yueyue’s fingernails that had dug into her palm slowly relaxed.

Without uttering a word, she simply took the antique golden hairpin that looked a bit old-fashioned and inserted it back into Jiang Feng’s hand.

Then she took a glance at Yu Ying, showing neither resentment nor jealousy, but rather calmness and contemplation.

"I have learned my lesson."

After a deep look, she hesitated no more. After several hours of rest which were enough for her to recover most of her stamina and Spiritual Energy, she flung her flying sword and promptly left.

The events of this day would likely haunt her dreams for years to come.

Yu Ying’s face still wore a falsely amiable smile as she continued to adjust the cow intestine strings, constantly plucking and tuning the pitch and angle.

After a while, she sighed.

"Brother Jiang, even if I had not come, you would likely have survived this ordeal by playing dead. Wu Mingsheng would probably have a hard time telling if it was a living person or a corpse."

"Now the villain’s role I played is over, and the person has left."

"You’re here sleeping quite peacefully. Aren’t you worried about hurting that young girl’s heart?"

"That child fancies you... quite a bit."

The body on the ground, no, someone on the ground, shivered.

But still cautiously lifted an eyelid, and then, enduring the pain, he forced a grinning grimace and struggled up from the ground.