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

Chapter 38: The Return to Vast Spirit House

Lin Feng turned to face Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian, his voice raspy with emotion. "Master! Ning Xian! You believe in me, don’t you?"

Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi fell silent for a brief moment, their expressions unreadable.

Indeed, Lin Feng had shown potential. The prospect of him reaching the Heavenly Origin realm was a real possibility, a key reason why Qiu Liaoxi had chosen to bestow her teachings upon him.

However, the notion of surpassing the Heavenly Origin realm was another matter entirely. To date, they had yet to witness any extraordinary abilities in Lin Feng that would hint at such a future.

Primarily due to Jiang Chen’s meddling, Lin Feng had barely managed to leave an impression on the master and disciple duo. As a result, he struggled to gain Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi’s recognition of his abilities.

Therefore, suggesting that they believed Lin Feng could exceed the Heavenly Origin realm and reach a higher level was at odds with their true sentiments.

As Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi were lost in their thoughts, Lin Feng watched them closely, then let out a wry smile. "What? You don’t believe in me either?"

Jiang Chen, wearing a look of concern, softly implored, "Lin Feng, please, try to control your emotions."

He then offered a high-grade medicinal pill, adding with urgency, "Take this Grand Extremity Reviving Spirit Pill right away. I’m concerned you might experience a Qi deviation."

"Back off! You’re the one suffering a Qi deviation, not me!" Lin Feng snapped back, eyes wide and furious, glaring at Jiang Chen with bloodshot veins throbbing in his eyes.

"You’re always trying to manipulate others into following you! It’s maddening! Leave me alone!" he yelled, his voice laced with anger. In a swift motion, he slapped the medicinal pill from Jiang Chen’s hand, sending it flying through the air.

Ning Xian cried out in shock, "Lin Feng, how could you behave this way!"

"I’ll prove that I, Lin Feng, am right!" Lin Feng shot a quick glance at Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi before charging headfirst into the nearby woods.

Seeing this, Qiu Liaoxi felt an urge to chase after him and called out urgently, "Lin Feng! Get back here!"

Jiang Xingtai, catching Jiang Chen’s subtle signal, held back Qiu Liaoxi and said soothingly, "Alchemist Qiu, give him some space to regain his composure."

"Exactly, let him cool down a bit. We’re close to the city, and there’s no real danger here," added Du Bailei, his voice tinged with irritation, clearly holding a low opinion of Lin Feng.@@@@

Hearing their words, Qiu Liaoxi realized the sensibility in allowing Lin Feng some time to collect himself and reluctantly halted her pursuit.

"Alas," Jiang Chen sighed, watching Lin Feng disappear into the distance. Yet, inwardly, he felt a surge of excitement, as notifications from his system echoed in his mind.

[Diing! You have successfully created a rift between Lin Feng and the master-disciple pair, Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian. Lin Feng’s Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 200 points!]

Initially, Ning Xian had been shy about being carried by Jiang Chen, a reaction typical for a young woman. Yet, both instances were justified: the first was an urgent effort to save Lin Feng, and the second was to follow him and prevent any potential problems.

As the saying goes, familiarity breeds comfort. Ning Xian’s initial hesitance slowly diminished in her heart.

During their return journey, to keep up with Lin Feng, Jiang Chen once again carried Ning Xian on his back. It wasn’t until they reached the city gates that he finally set her down.

The city served as a safe haven, and it was unlikely that Lin Feng would encounter any further trouble there.

Therefore, Jiang Chen, smiling at Ning Xian beside him, suggested kindly, "Alchemist Qiu has already returned to the Vast Spirit House. Once Lin Feng calms down, he’ll surely come back on his own, so I’ll take you back first."

"Mm-hmm," Ning Xian responded with a smile, graciously accepting Jiang Chen’s offer.

...

At the Vast Spirit House, within a private room, the scent of tea filled the air.

Three people were seated around the table: Ning Xian on one side, with Jiang Chen and Qiu Liaoxi facing each other. The scene was strikingly similar to a recent one involving Lin Feng, but now, it was Jiang Chen’s turn.

Qiu Liaoxi, breaking the silence, expressed gratefully, "Young Master Jiang Chen, I am deeply thankful for your help today."

"My disciple Lin Feng behaved rather rudely, and as his master, I apologize to you on his behalf," she continued, standing up and bowing formally to Jiang Chen.

Ning Xian rose as well, attempting to emulate her master’s gesture.

However, Jiang Chen quickly stood up, gently guided Qiu Liaoxi back to her seat, and stopped Ning Xian from continuing her apologies.

"It’s alright, there’s no need to thank me," he reassured them with a gentle smile.

"I understand Lin Feng quite well. He’s probably been under a lot of mental strain within the sect since his Dantian was shattered. So, I don’t hold this incident against him."

"Moreover, I completely understand his wish to stand on his own. Let’s not bring this up again," Jiang Chen concluded, speaking with understanding and empathy.

The original plan to recruit Lin Feng as a subordinate was more of a strategy to get closer to both Lin Feng and Ning Xian.

Yet, when Lin Feng reacted vehemently against the idea of being ’recruited’, this pretext became unsustainable. Insisting on it would have seemed like harassment and risked damaging the respectable image Jiang Chen had cultivated.

Besides, Jiang Chen, Ning Xian, and Qiu Liaoxi had already become familiar with each other. There were plenty of legitimate reasons for them to interact.

Thus, Jiang Chen prudently and logically abandoned the initial pretext, moving forward in a more natural and sensible manner.