Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

"Let’s start the investigation," Zhou Ruiyu said decisively, quickly mobilizing the Zhou Clan’s resources to investigate Lin Feng’s past. Meanwhile, a skilled coroner was examining the bodies found in the valley crevice.

At the same time, Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian began to see Jiang Chen in a more favorable light. They were impressed by Jiang Chen’s willingness to keep Lin Feng’s healed Dantian a secret, taking on the burden himself. This move not only protected Lin Feng from various troubles but also allowed them to continue their plan for revenge in the name of the Ning Clan.

In that moment, Jiang Chen’s mind was filled with two distinct system alerts.

[Ding! Ning Xian’s fondness for you has increased, and Lin Feng’s Heavenly Fate Value has dropped by 200 points!]

[Ding! You’ve earned 300 points of Villain Value!]

Jiang Chen felt a surge of joy upon hearing these alerts. Yet outwardly, he turned with a reassuring smile and said to Ning Xian and her master, "It’s highly unlikely Lin Feng is responsible. Let’s contact him and request his help with the investigation." He made sure his words were loud enough for the Zhou Clan members to hear.

Just as he had hoped, the Zhou Clan members, overhearing his words, felt more at ease, and their doubts about Lin Feng lessened even more.

"Okay," Ning Xian agreed, then she looked at Qiu Liaoxi. "Master, let’s compose the message together!"

Qiu Liaoxi nodded in agreement.

Immediately, the two of them collaborated in sending a message to Lin Feng.

...

In a hidden spot on a remote mountainside, Lin Feng sat cross-legged in a shadowy, moist crevice among the rocks, focused on cultivating and restoring his Origin Power.

’I just found this place by accident,’ Lin Feng thought to himself, ’and it’s hidden on the mountain’s slope. Even a Mysterious Platform realm expert would have a hard time finding it.’

’Unfortunately, I can’t go back to Autumn Glory City after killing members of the Zhou Clan. Ning Xian, Master, I promise I’ll return for you,’ he reflected, then looked at the several storage rings and bracelets with a smile of satisfaction.

Lin Feng had gathered these treasures from the fallen enemies he had defeated: two from the Spiritual Awakening realm, five from the Soul Refining realm, and six from the Original Movement realm, including Zhou Yihe, the second young master of the Zhou Clan.

Inside these spoils lay a small fortune. Importantly, they contained ready-to-use spiritual plants, perfect for rejuvenating the Burning World Red Lotus and accelerating his cultivation.

At that moment, Lin Feng’s transmission jade token began to tremble.

’Could this be Ning Xian or Master?’ Lin Feng mused, recalling that his transmission jade token, which he acquired more recently, was connected only to Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi.

Immediately, Lin Feng pulled out his transmission jade token and scanned the message with his divine sense:

"Lin Feng, where are you? Zhou Yihe is dead, and it looks like you’ve been set up! Initially, the Zhou Clan was ready to chase you down, but Young Master Jiang Chen stepped in for you. He even got help from Patriarch Jiang and President Du to hold off the Zhou Clan!"

"Young Master Jiang Chen has persuaded the Zhou Clan that you’ve been falsely accused. Still, they need to conduct a final investigation. They’re going to look into your background, your cultivation realm, and verify Jiang Chen’s statements. But don’t worry, he’s keeping the secret about your Dantian safe."

"Come back now and help with the investigation."

Lin Feng stared at the message from Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian, his mind swirling with confusion. The message essentially conveyed that Jiang Chen had nearly cleared him of suspicion, taking upon himself the secret of Lin Feng’s Dantian recovery. In short, Jiang Chen had provided significant help.

Then, they had asked him to come forward and assist with the investigation.

’Jiang Chen... why would you go to such lengths for me? You’re too much,’ Lin Feng wondered silently.

’Could it be your sharp insight, recognizing my potential and wanting to bring me into your fold?’ he pondered. ’Or are you after the secret of my Dantian’s recovery, aiding me to keep it hidden?’

’Either way, it won’t work! I’ll use your help now to avoid trouble. If you stay out of my way later, fine. But if not...’ Lin Feng thought with a hint of warning and tucked away the transmission jade token.

He had always felt uneasy about Jiang Chen, who had managed to stir up frustration and anger in him on many occasions.

Moreover, Lin Feng believed that even without Jiang Chen’s help, he could confront the Zhou Clan with confidence, growing stronger and eventually taking them down.

So, even though Jiang Chen played a big role in this situation, Lin Feng didn’t feel much gratitude. Instead, he found himself questioning Jiang Chen’s true intentions.

’Unfortunately, I can’t use these spiritual plants right now...’ Lin Feng mused, eyeing the treasures he held.

’If I did, I could probably advance to the Spiritual Awakening realm. But that would only make it harder to clear my name in Zhou Yihe’s murder,’ he thought with a sense of dilemma.

Knowing that keeping these items while under investigation would be risky, he decided to hide them temporarily.

He quickly found a large rock, hollowed out a deep hole in it, and carefully placed the storage rings and bracelets inside. After sealing it with a mix of debris and soil, he threw the rock into a deep river, concealing his valuable stash.

Right away, Lin Feng changed into clean clothes and got rid of his old ones. He carefully washed himself and then dirtied his skin a bit to remove any remaining signs.

Soon after, he took out his transmission jade token and sent a message to Ning Xian. Then, he tidied himself up again, making sure everything looked right, before quickly heading back to the site of the earlier fight.

...

At that very moment, two system notifications echoed in Jiang Chen’s mind.

[Ding! You have successfully altered the plot. Lin Feng’s Heavenly Fate Value has dropped by 300 points!]

[Ding! You have earned 500 points of Villain Value!]

’Hehe, the plot has been altered, which means that Lin Feng has agreed to come back for the investigation,’ Jiang Chen chuckled to himself.

’It also shows he’s sure of himself. Good job, Lin Feng, you’ve lived up to my expectations,’ he thought with a hint of approval.

Just then, Qiu Liaoxi said excitedly to Zhou Ruiyu, "Patriarch Zhou, Lin Feng has agreed to come and is already on his way!"

"Excellent," Zhou Ruiyu responded with a nod, "As long as he’s clean, I won’t cause him any trouble."

Having investigated Lin Feng’s past, Zhou Ruiyu confirmed that Jiang Chen’s claims were accurate.

Indeed, Lin Feng was only a Soul Refining realm cultivator who had previously damaged his Dantian, resulting in his dismissal from the Starry Abyss Sect.

Furthermore, the autopsy of the bodies supported this conclusion. While it initially appeared that Zhou Yihe and the others had been killed by a sharp weapon, the actual cause of death, including that of the Entwined Silk Vajra Python, was a particularly intense flame. This method of killing was completely different from the techniques used by the inner disciples of the Starry Abyss Sect.

Given Lin Feng’s willingness to return and participate in the investigation, Zhou Ruiyu was inclined to dismiss him as a suspect. He began to ponder which of his enemies might have orchestrated the attack.

Right then, groups of cultivators were moving all the bodies from the mountain ravine’s crevices. Despite being covered in thick cloth, the strong smell of blood was unmistakable.

Jiang Chen looked over the bodies and thought to himself, ’Burn marks? Could Lin Feng’s signature attack involve fire?’

’We’ll have to get ready to deal with this,’ he reflected, considering his next steps.

Time moved slowly.

Soon, Lin Feng appeared in the distance, walking at the steady speed typical of a Soul Refining realm cultivator.

Seeing him, Qiu Liaoxi’s face lit up with a warm smile, and she shouted, "Lin Feng!"

From afar, Lin Feng nodded and smiled back at Qiu Liaoxi before turning his gaze to Ning Xian and Jiang Chen.

Noticing how close they were standing, a wave of annoyance washed over him, but he kept his feelings to himself.

After all, Jiang Chen had recently given him substantial help, and this was well-known.

With a swift "Whoosh," and the fluttering of his robes, Lin Feng landed gracefully in front of Qiu Liaoxi. He offered a respectful bow to her, then to Jiang Xingtai and Du Bailei in turn.

He then gazed at Ning Xian and Jiang Chen, acknowledging them with a brief nod.

Finally, Lin Feng turned and gave a traditional fist-and-palm salute to Zhou Ruiyu, greeting him with a formal, "Patriarch Zhou!"