Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Zhu Ziyan walked out of the grand administrative office, her steps slow and measured.

Her brows were furrowed into deep lines of concentration, and her right hand was raised, her thumb and index finger lightly pinching her chin as she remained utterly immersed in deep, analytical thought.

The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind her, muting the bustling sounds of the League’s internal staff, but she barely noticed.

If an outsider were to see her troubled expression, they might have assumed that the high-stakes negotiation inside had ended in a disaster.

But that wasn’t the case at all. No, the contract proceedings had actually gone well—extremely well, in fact.

The terms laid out by the League Champion and Qiao Yi were far more generous than anything she had dared to hope for when she first arrived in the academy.

The Pocket-Beast League was pulling out all the stops for her development.

According to the spirit-bound parchment she had just signed, they were completely willing to provide top-tier, specialized teachers to personally instruct her, guiding her through all the fundamental basics of advanced beast-tampering, spiritual cultivation, and tactical combat, as well as the most highly guarded, advanced techniques of their organization.

Not to mention, to ensure her absolute safety and comfort, they had also immediately granted her a luxurious, fully furnished apartment room located within the inner ring of Aimless Cloud City, the heavily fortified, sovereign territory of the Pocket-Beast League.

In a metropolis where real estate was worth its weight in high-grade spirit stones, this alone was a massive fortune.

To top it all off, the financial compensation was staggering.

The League promised to provide her with a steady stipend of 100 Dao Points every single month.

In the Imperial Academy, a hundred points was more than enough to cover all of her daily living expenses and premium cultivation resources, leaving her with an extremely handsome surplus to stash away for future emergencies and long-term savings.

However, despite the massive windfall, the financial contract was not what was currently occupying her thoughts.

What she was truly analyzing, with a growing sense of cold clarity, was that strange, unsettling man the Champion had addressed as Young Master Yun.

She had incredibly strong suspicions to believe that the arrogant young man was none other than Tai Yuhao, her former fiance whom she had long thought died during the horrific, bloody destruction of the Ogre Academy back in the Eastern Region.

It is indeed possible for one’s physical features to be altered by some high-level disguise technique or standard plastic surgery techniques popular among noble houses, but the core essence of a person was much harder to mask.

That specific, arrogant gait... that exact, rigid posture when he was trying to look imposing... they couldn’t be faked at all.

It was an exact match for the boy she had grown up alongside.

If her deeply rooted suspicions were true, it would perfectly explain the otherwise inexplicable anomalies of their brief interaction.

It explained exactly why a random noble scion from a premier Central Region clan miraculously knew about her personal history, her origins, and the obscure, obliterated academy she had once called home.

She stopped walking for a moment, standing near a grand arched window that looked out over the city, and nodded firmly to herself.

The puzzle pieces were clicking into place, forming a coherent picture.

Yes, she now believed that she already understood the general situation perfectly.

Her former fiance, for some reason or another, had somehow survived the terrible destruction of Ogre Academy that night.

And then, by some bizarre cosmic miracle or twisted stroke of karmic fate, his soul had probably managed to survive the death of his original body and had taken over the physical vessel of that wealthy Young Master Yun through a forbidden art like possession.

Alternatively, perhaps the original Young Master Yun had stumbled upon a remnant soul fragment and had simply absorbed the memories and consciousness of Tai Yuhao, blending their identities together.

Whatever the exact metaphysical case may be, the conclusion remained the same: the entity known as Young Master Yun was a ghost from a past she had no desire to unearth.

As that realization solidified in her mind, Zhu Ziyan completely lost any remaining shred of interest in meeting up with that man.

Since she believed she had already deduced the entire mystery behind his identity and motives, then for what possible reason did she have to actually go through with his arrogant invitation?

To sit across from him in a secluded room? To have a pleasant, nostalgic drink with him while he looked at her with those possessive, unhinged eyes?

’In his absolute dreams!’ she thought, a flash of pure disgust crossing her delicate features.

She owed him absolutely nothing. Their engagement had died alongside their old lives in the ashes of the Eastern Region.

With a decisive sweep of her black-and-purple robes, she turned away from the grand staircase that led down toward the building’s private dining facilities.

She decided to simply bypass his invitation entirely, heading straight toward the main exit of the great Pagoda.

After all, the only reason why she was even curious about him is because he knew about her.

But now that she knew the truth... what’s there to be curious about?

*

*

*

Meanwhile, far below in one of the Pagoda’s most luxurious, soundproofed VIP dining suites, a completely different scene was unfolding.

Tai Yuhao sat comfortably on a plush, velvet-lined sofa, swirling a crystal chalice filled with dark, expensive spiritual wine.

A wide, arrogant grin was plastered across his face as he stared at the closed double doors of the room.

In his mind, an elaborate, deeply satisfying scenario was playing out on a loop.

He was vividly imagining the exact moment Zhu Ziyan would walk through those doors.

He could see it perfectly: she would immediately burst into hysterical tears of shock and overwhelming relief upon realizing his true identity.

She would surely throw herself onto the floor, kneeling down at his feet, desperately begging for his forgiveness for ever dare abandoning the Eastern Region and betraying his memory by continuing to live her life without him.

And Tai Yuhao, being the profoundly magnanimous and generous man that he considered himself to be, would graciously grant her his forgiveness.

Of course, that forgiveness came with a strict, immutable caveat: she would have to willingly become his absolute, unquestioning slave.

He had already modified his plans from earlier.

Forget about granting her the relatively honorable position of a concubine, and absolutely forget about her ever becoming his primary wife.

Since she was clearly no longer a pure, untouched virgin, her mature, overwhelmingly sexy aura giving away the fact that she had grown experienced during her travels, then he could only allow her to exist by his side as a low-grade slave, existing solely to serve his whims and nurse his bruised ego.

Just the mere, intrusive thought of another man ever getting their filthy hands on his designated woman was driving him completely insane.

The jealousy was like a physical sickness in his gut, warping his perception of reality.

As he stared into the dark red liquid of his wine, his mind fractured slightly, and he hallucinated a terrifying image.

He could vividly see a faceless, shadowy male figure standing over him in a mocking stance.

The entity was holding a crude, mocking crown made of interwoven wild grass—the universal symbol of a cuckold.

Then, the faceless man placed the grassy crown gently upon Tai Yuhao’s head, before slowly turning around, pointing a mocking finger directly at his face, and whispering in a chilling, echoed voice:

”Next, it’s your turn.”

”Arrgh!” Tai Yuhao roared under his breath, a sudden surge of erratic spiritual energy exploding from his palm.

In his sudden, unhinged fury, he clenched his fist so incredibly hard that the fragile crystal glass shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.

Sharp shards dug deep into his flesh, and expensive red wine blended with his own crimson blood, dripping heavily onto the pristine white tabletop.

However, he completely ignored the sharp physical pain.

He took a few deep, ragged breaths, violently forcing the dark hallucinations away as he quickly regained his elegant composure.

Then, he used a silk handkerchief to wipe his hand, smoothing down his expensive robes.

After all, he couldn’t look disheveled; Zhu Ziyan should be opening that door any second now.

He smirked once again, fixing his gaze on the entrance, waiting for a arrival that would never come.

However, he has no idea about it, and he will be forced to wait until the sun sets.

*

*

*

At that very moment, completely oblivious to the brewing insanity in the VIP room, Zhu Ziyan stepped out of the heavy, cool shadows of the grand Pagoda’s main entrance.

The bright, warm sunlight of the Central Region washed over her, and she was immediately welcomed back by the deafening, vibrant symphony of the city’s bustling streets.

All around her, cultivators and merchants alike were loudly buying, selling, and fiercely haggling over rare monster parts, spirit herbs, and enchanted weapons.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air, feeling a profound sense of relief to be away from both the stuffy boardroom and the creepy Young Master Yun.

However, as her eyes swept across the crowded thoroughfare, her gaze suddenly locked onto a specific, impossibly prominent figure walking leisurely through the sea of ordinary people.

The crowd seemed to naturally part around him, completely unaware of why they felt compelled to step aside.

He was a striking man with brilliant, golden hair that shimmered under the sunlight, dressed in immaculate, flowing black and gold robes that screamed hidden authority.

”Young master?” Zhu Ziyan subconsciously muttered, the words escaping her lips before she could even consciously process her own actions.

Her heart leaped with genuine excitement.

The young master, Shen Haoran, paused in his tracks as if hearing that barely audible whispere as he slowly glanced back over his shoulder toward the source of the voice.

Upon spotting her, a calm, knowing smile graced his handsome features, and he offered a polite, silent nod of acknowledgment.

Then, before she could even take a step toward him, Haoran moved.

With a single, effortless step that completely bypassed the laws of space, his figure blurred into a non-existent afterimage.

In the blink of an eye, he completely vanished from the crowded street and materialized directly in front of her, his sudden, seamless appearance startling her so much that she took a sharp step back, her cat ears twitching in surprise.

”Have you officially joined a faction?” Haoran asked smoothly, his deep, calm voice carrying an undercurrent of effortless amusement as he looked down at her

Then, he stared at the pagoda behind her.

Zhu Ziyan blinked rapidly, her mind struggling to transition from her previous worries to his sudden presence, but she nodded quickly.

”Yes, I just signed...” But then, a sudden wave of panic washed over her features as she realized something.

Could it be—?

Her hands began to wave frantically in front of her. ”A-A-Am I supposed not to? Oh heavens, I’m so incredibly sorry, young master! It’s only because I-I thought it is allowed, and I needed the resources, I didn’t mean to offend—”

He raised his hand, and she instantly swallowed her words back.

Finally, Haoran shook his head, ”No, don’t fret. I did not forbid anyone from joining another faction.”

In fact, having different subordinates go to different factions will be more efficient for his further plans.

Hearing his words, Zhu Ziyan immediately sighed in relief.

”...By the way, if you’re not busy, do you want to come with me?” Haoran asked calmly.

Zhu Ziyan blinked her eyes, looking slightly confused as her mouth hanged slightly open as she processed the sudden offer. ”Come with you? To... to where exactly, young master?”

Haoran tilted his head slightly, the sunlight catching the sharp angles of his face as he let out a distinctly devious, dangerous smirk that promised absolute chaos for anyone standing in his way.

”To get some points.”