Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

The afternoon sun filtered through the high, arched windows of the Cloud-Peak Pavilion’s private study, casting long, geometric shadows across the polished spirit-wood floor. Dust motes danced in the beams of light, swirling in the silent, heavy atmosphere of the room. The scent of burning sandalwood incense hung in the air, a calming aroma that belied the dark web of manipulation being spun within these walls.

Wang Jian sat behind his massive desk, his posture relaxed yet commanding. He wore robes of deep midnight blue, embroidered with silver constellations that seemed to shift and shimmer with his breathing—a testament to his deepening cultivation of the Stellar Demonic Meridian Scripture. Before him stood Hua Ling, the Young Sect Mistress of the Fragrance Melody Sect.

She had grown over the past few months. The naive girl who had been overwhelmed by the brutality of the cultivation world was gone, replaced by a young woman with a steelier gaze and a aura that vibrated with the power of the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm. Yet, as she looked at Wang Jian, that steel melted away, replaced by a adoration so profound it bordered on worship.

”You summoned me, Young Master Wang?” Hua Ling asked, her voice soft, her hands clasped respectfully before her.

”I did, Ling’er,” Wang Jian replied, his voice warm and inviting. He gestured for her to approach the map spread out on his desk. ”Come, look at this.”

Hua Ling stepped around the desk, standing close enough that the sleeve of her white training robe brushed against his arm. She looked down at the map. It detailed the perilous waters of the eastern sector of the Myriad Reefs Sea Domain. A specific island was circled in red ink: The Thundering Amber Isle.

”The Thundering Amber Isle,” Hua Ling murmured, recognizing the geography. ”It is a dangerous place. The storms there never cease, and the lightning strikes possess a physical weight.”

”Dangerous, yes,” Wang Jian agreed, turning his chair slightly to face her. ”But it is also the only known habitat of the Thunder-Heart Grass.”

Hua Ling’s eyes widened. ”Thunder-Heart Grass? But... isn’t that an extinct herb?”

”Rare, not extinct,” Wang Jian corrected gently. ”Elder Mu has been researching ancient pill recipes. She believes she has found a formula—the Nine-Revolution Core Cleansing Pill. It is a medicine designed specifically to stabilize and expand the dantian of an Early Stage Core Formation cultivator. It could be the key, Ling’er. The key to helping your mother breakthrough to the Middle Stage.”

Hua Ling gasped. Her mother, Sect Leader Hua Yimei, had been stuck at the Early Stage for nearly a decade. The stress of managing the sect and fending off the Demonic factions had taken a toll on her cultivation. If she could advance, the Fragrance Melody Sect’s safety would be guaranteed for another century.

”If... if this is true,” Hua Ling stammered, her hands trembling with excitement, ”then we must get it! I will petition the Elders to organize a retrieval team immediately!”

”No,” Wang Jian said, shaking his head slowly. ”We cannot make this a large operation. The Blood Shark Hall has spies everywhere. If we mobilize a large force, they will know we are after something valuable and they will intercept. We need a small, elite team. Someone trustworthy. Someone strong enough to survive the environment, but not high-profile enough to draw the attention of the Core Formation monsters.”

He looked deep into her eyes. ”I thought of you.”

”Me?” Hua Ling pointed to herself.

”You have grown strong, Ling’er,” Wang Jian said, his voice filled with pride. ”You are at the Middle Stage now. You need combat experience to stabilize your foundation. And who better to retrieve a gift for the mother than the daughter who loves her most?”

Hua Ling felt a surge of emotion. He trusted her. He believed in her strength. And he was giving her a way to help her mother. ”I... I will do it! I won’t let you down, Young Master!”

”I know you won’t,” Wang Jian smiled. ”But I won’t send you alone. Senior Sister Chen Ying will accompany you as your guardian. And I will assign three Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Elders to support you. The threat level on the island is mostly Third Order Sea Monsters. With Chen Ying there, you will be safe.”

Hua Ling nodded vigorously. ”I will prepare immediately!”

”Wait,” Wang Jian said softly. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her slightly closer. ”Before you go... come here. Let me check your meridians. The lightning qi on that island is insidious. If your heart meridian isn’t stable, you could suffer a backlash.”

It was a flimsy pretext, but to Hua Ling, his word was law. She stepped between his spread knees, standing directly in front of him. ”Is... is something wrong with my cultivation?”

”You have been pushing yourself too hard,” Wang Jian murmured. He placed his large hands on her shoulders. He could feel the tension in her muscles. He began to knead them, his thumbs digging into the knots.

Hua Ling let out a soft sigh, her head dropping back slightly. ”It... it feels good.”

Wang Jian’s hands moved lower. They slid from her shoulders, down the curve of her collarbone, and rested on her upper chest.

”The heart meridian connects here,” he whispered, his voice dropping an octave, becoming husky.

His hands slid further down, covering the swells of her breasts through the silk of her robes. They were massive, soft, and heavy—a trait she shared with her mother. Wang Jian cupped them fully, his fingers curling to test their weight.

Hua Ling’s breath hitched. Her face flushed a deep crimson. This... this wasn’t a medical examination. She knew it. Deep down, she knew it. But she didn’t pull away. She couldn’t. The heat of his hands seeped through her clothes, igniting a fire in her lower abdomen that made her knees weak.

”Relax,” Wang Jian commanded softly. ”Let the energy flow.”

He began to massage her breasts in earnest. He kneaded the soft flesh, shaping them with his palms, his thumbs circling inward to find the hardened peaks of her nipples through the fabric. He pinched them, gently at first, then with a teasing pressure that sent a jolt of electricity through her spine.

”Ah! Young Master...” Hua Ling whimpered, her hands gripping his forearms for support. Her legs were trembling.

”You have grown so much,” Wang Jian praised, his lips brushing against her ear as his hands continued their aggressive exploration. ”Beautiful. Perfect. A treasure of the sect.”

’So soft,’ Wang Jian thought, a smirk playing on his lips that she couldn’t see. ’Like ripe peaches waiting to be crushed. Her body is ready. Her mind is pliable. She belongs to me completely.’

”Ling’er,” he whispered, nipping at her earlobe. ”When you return from this mission... when you bring back the herb and prove your strength... I will have a conversation with Lingshan.”

Hua Ling’s eyes snapped open, hazy with lust and hope. ”With... with Sister Yue?”

”Yes,” Wang Jian promised, his hands squeezing her breasts hard, eliciting a moan from her lips. ”I will speak to her about bringing you into our family officially. As my partner.”

The promise hit her like a thunderbolt. To be his. Officially. To stand beside him not just as a Young Mistress, but as his woman.

”Do you mean it?” she breathed, turning in his arms to look at him, her eyes shining with tears of joy.

”I never lie to you,” Wang Jian lied smoothly.

Hua Ling threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. ”I won’t disappoint you! I will get the herb! I will prove I am worthy!”

She pulled back slightly, her face burning but her eyes determined. ”And... and when I return... Young Master... I want you to take me.”

Wang Jian raised an eyebrow. ”Take you?”

”My... my virginity,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. ”I want to give it to you. I will only love you in this life. Please.”

Wang Jian felt a surge of triumph. The flower had bloomed and was begging to be plucked. He ran a hand down her back, cupping her buttocks and pulling her hips against his groin so she could feel the hardness of his desire.

”You are tempting me, Ling’er,” he growled. ”But patience makes the wine sweeter. Focus on your mission first. Playing with your body is good enough for now... but when you return, I will claim everything.”

He kissed her, deep and possessive, sealing the promise.

When Hua Ling finally left the study, flushed, disheveled, and adjusting her robes, she looked like a woman on a holy crusade. She would walk into hell for him.

As the door clicked shut, Wang Jian’s expression shifted instantly. The warmth vanished, replaced by the cold calculation of a chess master.

He pulled a transmission talisman from his spatial ring.

”Chen Ying,” he spoke into it. ”The piece is in motion. Proceed to phase two.”

Across the sect, in the martial training grounds, Chen Ying paused her meditation. She retrieved the message.

”Understood,” she whispered.

She checked her storage bag. Inside lay the Phoenix-Fire Defensive Array Disc, a masterpiece created by Yue Lingshan and reinforced with Mu Lianhua’s Core Formation essence. It was a turtle shell capable of withstanding a bombardment that would level a city.

She also checked her beast pouch. The Black-Scaled Flood Serpent was restless, sensing the coming violence.

”Only use the Serpent to survive,” Wang Jian’s voice echoed in her memory. ”Do not win. Endure. Make it look desperate.”

Wang Jian then pulled out a second talisman. This one was darker, made of black jade. It connected to Su Ning, deep within the Blood Shark Hall.

”Su Ning,” Wang Jian commanded. ”The target is moving. Route Gamma-Nine. Destination: Thundering Amber Isle. Ensure the Crimson Shark receives the ’leak’. Make him believe his own spies found it.”

Thousands of miles away, in a dark underwater cavern, Su Ning smiled. She walked toward the grand hall of the Blood Shark, a scroll in her hand.

”Old Monster,” she thought, her eyes flashing with malicious amusement. ”Your dinner is served. Try not to choke on the hook.”

The journey to Thundering Amber Isle took three days. The massive warship of the Fragrance Melody Sect cut through the waves, its white sails stark against the darkening sky. As they entered the storm zone, the air grew heavy with static. Yellow lightning forked across the heavens, striking the ocean surface with deafening cracks.

Hua Ling stood at the prow, her silver armor gleaming in the flashes of light. She was nervous, but the memory of Wang Jian’s touch and his promise burned in her heart, giving her courage.

Behind her stood three Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Elders—loyal men of the sect, unaware they were being led to their deaths. And beside them stood Chen Ying, silent as a shadow, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

”We have arrived,” an Elder shouted over the thunder. ”Thundering Amber Isle!”

The island was a jagged mass of yellow rock, constantly struck by lightning. The vegetation was sparse, twisted, and scorched.

”The Thunder-Heart Grass grows in the central crater,” Hua Ling shouted. ”We move quickly! Land the ship!”

The ship docked on a rocky beach. The group disembarked, their boots crunching on the electrified gravel.

”Keep your senses sharp,” Chen Ying warned, her voice low. ”The energy here masks spiritual fluctuations.”

They moved inland. They had barely reached the treeline when the ocean behind them began to boil.

It wasn’t a natural boil. It was a displacement of massive volume.

ROAAAAAR!

A sound like a collapsing mountain erupted from the sea. A massive shape breached the surface, sending a tidal wave crashing onto the beach.

It was a shark. But not just any shark. It was the Blood-Maw Megalodon, a Fifth Order beast the size of a palace. Its skin was scarred and grey, its mouth a cavern of serrated teeth capable of crushing spirit-steel.

Standing atop the shark’s head, wreathed in a crimson aura that repelled the lightning, was a man. He was huge, his skin grey, wearing armor made of shark bones.

Old Monster Crimson Shark.

”Little Princess!” the Crimson Shark bellowed, his voice amplified by his Core Formation cultivation. ”Did you think you could sneak into my backyard?”

Around the island, the water erupted. Hundreds of demonic cultivators from the Blood Shark Hall and the remnants of the Iron-Blood Hall surfaced, riding armored sharks. They surrounded the island in seconds.

”Ambush!” one of the Fragrance Melody Elders screamed. ”Protect the Young Mistress!”

”Kill the men! Capture the girl!” Crimson Shark ordered, waving his hand dismissively.

The demonic horde charged.

The battle was instant and brutal. The three Fragrance Melody Elders were brave, but they were facing hundreds of enemies and a Middle-Stage Core Formation expert.

Crimson Shark didn’t even use a weapon. He simply punched the air. A massive fist of condensed blood-qi smashed into the lead Elder.

SPLAT.

The Elder exploded. He didn’t even have time to scream.

”Formation! Defend!” the second Elder cried, but a dozen blood-spears impaled him from all sides.

Hua Ling watched in horror as her protectors were butchered in seconds. Panic, cold and sharp, pierced her heart. ”No... no...”

”Play!” Chen Ying barked, drawing her sword. ”Don’t freeze!”

Hua Ling snapped out of it. She summoned her jade zither. Her fingers flew across the strings.

”Melody of the Raging Storm!”

She harmonized with the ambient lightning of the island. Bolts of lightning were drawn down from the sky, striking the demonic cultivators. It was a powerful attack, frying a dozen enemies, but there were too many.

”Cute,” Crimson Shark sneered. He leaped from his Megalodon, landing on the beach with a tremor that knocked Hua Ling off her feet. He walked towards her, ignoring the lightning striking his blood-shield. ”You have spirit. I like that. It makes breaking you more fun.”

He reached out a massive hand to grab her.

”Now!” Chen Ying shouted.

She slapped her beast pouch.

HISSSSSSS!

The Black-Scaled Flood Serpent burst forth. It expanded instantly to its full size, a hundred feet of muscle and scales. It lunged at the Crimson Shark, its jaws snapping.

Crimson Shark was surprised. ”A Fifth Order beast?! So the rumors were true!”

He was forced to dodge, leaping back. The Serpent slammed into the ground where he had been standing, shattering the rock.

”Go! To the caves!” Chen Ying grabbed Hua Ling’s arm and hauled her up. ”The Serpent can’t hold him forever!”

”But the Elders...” Hua Ling sobbed, looking back at the corpses.

”They are dead! Move or join them!” Chen Ying dragged her towards the central peak.

The demonic horde tried to intercept them, but the Flood Serpent thrashed wildly, its tail creating shockwaves that cleared a path. It spat hydro-pumps that punched through the ranks of the enemy.

However, the Blood-Maw Megalodon had joined the fray. It lunged out of the water, beaching itself to bite the Serpent. The two massive beasts began a titan’s struggle, shaking the island.

Chen Ying and Hua Ling reached the cavern entrance halfway up the volcano. It was a natural chokepoint.

”Inside! Hurry!”

They scrambled into the dark maw of the cave. As soon as they were past the threshold, Chen Ying spun around. She pulled out a disc made of red crystal—the Phoenix-Fire Defensive Array Disc.

She injected her Qi.

HUMMMMMM.

A barrier of swirling fire and wind erupted across the cave mouth. It solidified into a translucent dome, sealing them in.

Seconds later, a blood-blast from the Crimson Shark slammed into the barrier.

BOOM!

The cave shook, dust falling from the ceiling. But the barrier held. The Phoenix Fire burned away the corruptive blood qi upon contact.

”A Turtle Shell Formation?” Crimson Shark’s voice echoed from outside, filled with rage. ”You think this will save you? I will pound this island into dust until there is nowhere left to hide!”

Inside the cave, the roar of the bombardment was deafening. The barrier flared with every hit, illuminating the terrified faces of the surviving female disciples who had managed to flee with them.

Hua Ling slid down the wall, hugging her knees. She was shaking uncontrollably. The image of the Elder exploding was burned into her mind.

”We... we’re trapped,” she whispered. ”He’s a Middle Stage Core Formation expert. We can’t escape.”

Chen Ying stood by the barrier, her face grim. She recalled the Flood Serpent back into its pouch remotely (a trick Wang Jian taught her), leaving the outside unguarded but saving the beast from being overwhelmed.

”The formation will hold for a few days,” Chen Ying lied, making her voice sound strained. In reality, she knew this array could withstand a month of bombardment. ”But the energy consumption is high. We need help.”

”Help?” Hua Ling looked up, hope warring with despair. ”Who can help us? We are so far away...”

”The Sect Leader,” Chen Ying said. ”You must signal her.”

Hua Ling fumbled for the jade slip Wang Jian had given her. Her hands were shaking so bad she almost dropped it.

”Mother...” she sobbed. ”Mother, please...”

She crushed the slip.

A beam of invisible spiritual light shot out of the cave, piercing the barrier and the storm clouds, carrying a message of absolute terror across the ocean.

In the Orchid Palace of the Fragrance Melody Sect, Sect Leader Hua Yimei was in a meeting with her internal elders when the soul-token at her waist shattered.

She froze. The color drained from her face, leaving her as pale as a ghost.

”Sect Leader?” an elder asked.

Hua Yimei stood up so fast her chair toppled over. ”Ling’er...”

The distress message flooded her mind. Mother! Ambush! Thundering Amber Isle! Core Formation enemies! Powerful beasts! We are trapped!

Panic, cold and irrational, seized her heart. Her daughter. Her only child. Trapped by demons.

”Mobilize the warship!” she screamed, her composure shattering. ”No... the ship is too slow!”

She didn’t wait for the elders. She rushed out of the palace, flying straight towards the Cloud-Peak Pavilion.

”Sister Mu!” she cried out, her voice breaking. ”Sister Mu!”

Mu Lianhua emerged from the pavilion, looking calm and composed. ”Sect Leader? What has happened?”

”Ling’er... ambush... Crimson Shark!” Hua Yimei gasped, grabbing Mu Lianhua’s hands. ”I must go! I need help!”

Mu Lianhua’s expression shifted to one of shock and immediate resolve. ”We go at once. Every second counts.”

”Should we summon the other Guest Elders?” Hua Yimei asked, looking around frantically.

”No,” Mu Lianhua said firmly. ”They are Foundation Establishment. They will only slow us down. Against the Crimson Shark, they are fodder. Only Core Formation cultivators can make it in time. We go alone.”

”Right. You are right,” Hua Yimei nodded, desperate for direction.

She turned to the gathered deacons who were running up the path. ”Activate the Grand Array! Seal the sect! This might be a diversion! Defend the sect with your lives!”

”Yes, Sect Leader!”

Hua Yimei summoned her flying artifact—a massive lotus petal. She and Mu Lianhua stepped onto it.

”Hold on,” Hua Yimei said, burning her blood essence to boost the speed.

They shot into the sky, a streak of pink light heading east.

As they flew, the wind tearing at their robes, Hua Yimei’s mind was a chaotic mess of fear. Please be safe. Please hold on.

Beside her, Mu Lianhua looked grim and focused. But internally, she was calm. She opened a private channel with her spiritual sense, sending a coded pulse that would be picked up by the relay arrays Su Ning had set up.

’The Queen has left the hive. Estimated arrival: four hours.’

Deep in the ocean near the Thundering Amber Isle, Su Ning received the pulse. She smiled, her eyes glowing in the darkness.

”Preparation complete,” Su Ning whispered to her subordinates. ”Activate the Deep-Sea Binding Array. Prepare the Rotting Soul Fog. Our guests are coming to dinner.”

Four hours later, Hua Yimei and Mu Lianhua arrived at the Thundering Amber Isle.

The scene was a nightmare. The island was surrounded by hundreds of sharks and demonic cultivators. The central peak was under constant bombardment.

”Ling’er!” Hua Yimei screamed.

Old Monster Crimson Shark looked up from his Megalodon. He grinned, revealing rows of serrated teeth.

”Ah,” he boomed. ”The mother has arrived to join the daughter! How touching! I was getting bored waiting for that shell to crack.”

”Die!” Hua Yimei roared. She summoned her Nine-String Phoenix Zither.

She plucked the strings violently. ”Phoenix Cry: Heaven’s Wrath!”

A wave of golden fire swept down from the sky, incinerating a dozen shark riders instantly.

”Attack!” Crimson Shark ordered.

The battle began.

Mu Lianhua summoned her cauldron, preparing to support Hua Yimei. But just as she moved, the ocean below her exploded.

”Now!” Su Ning’s voice echoed from the depths.

Massive chains made of condensed, black water shot out of the sea. They were inscribed with binding runes. They lashed out, wrapping around Mu Lianhua’s cauldron and her legs.

Simultaneously, the Blood-Maw Megalodon leaped from the water, snapping its jaws at her.

”A trap!” Mu Lianhua shouted, feigning surprise. She flared her blue flames, struggling against the chains. ”Sect Leader! They have an array! I am pinned down!”

Hua Yimei turned to help, but Old Monster Crimson Shark intercepted her. He swung a massive anchor made of white bone.

”Eyes on me, beauty!” he laughed.

Hua Yimei was forced to engage him. It was a mismatch. She was an Early Stage cultivator, exhausted from the flight, fighting a Middle Stage veteran in his home element.

She fought bravely. Her zither released waves of destruction, keeping the Shark at bay. But she was losing ground.

Then came the strike.

Su Ning, hiding amidst the chaos, saw her opening. She pulled out a gourd made of purple crystal.

She uncorked it and used a wind talisman to propel the contents.

A cloud of pink, sweet-smelling mist drifted across the battlefield. It looked like a standard poison attack.

”Rotting Soul Fog!” Su Ning shouted, misnaming it intentionally.

Hua Yimei saw the mist. She immediately erected a Qi barrier. ”Poison!”

But the mist—the Yin-Yang Harmony Dust—was not a simple poison. It was a gaseous artifact. It didn’t corrode the barrier; it permeated it. It seeped through her pores like water through silk.

Hua Yimei inhaled a tiny amount.

Immediately, a strange heat bloomed in her chest. Her Qi circulation stuttered. Her vision blurred for a microsecond.

What is this? she thought, panic rising. It burns... but it feels... hot?

That microsecond of distraction was all Crimson Shark needed.

”Got you!”

He swung his bone anchor. It smashed through her weakened sonic barrier.

CRACK!

The heavy weapon struck Hua Yimei in the side. Her ribs shattered. She was flung through the air, crashing violently onto a jagged reef jutting out of the water.

She vomited a mouthful of blood, her zither falling from her numb fingers. She tried to rise, but pain lanced through her body, paralyzing her.

”Sect Leader!” Mu Lianhua screamed, acting her heart out as she ’struggled’ against the chains.

Crimson Shark landed on the reef, looming over the fallen beauty. He licked his lips.

”Finally,” he growled, reaching for her. ”You are mine.”

Hua Yimei looked up, her vision swimming, despair crushing her heart. Her daughter was trapped. Her ally was pinned. And she was broken.

Is this the end?

Suddenly, the sky tore open.

A bolt of black starlight descended, striking the reef between Hua Yimei and the Crimson Shark.

BOOM!

The impact forced the Shark back.

A figure landed in the dust. He wore black robes, his back to Hua Yimei, his sword humming with a terrible power.

”Get away from her,” Wang Jian said, his voice cold as death.

Hua Yimei’s eyes widened. ”Deacon... Wang?”

The hero had arrived. But this time, he wasn’t here to save the day. He was here to claim the prize.