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

Chapter 16: The Truth Behind Jiang Chen’s Actions

As Jiang Chen smiled, Lin Feng furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi observed Jiang Chen and Lin Feng, aware that a conversation between them was about to unfold.

At that moment, they both realized a misunderstanding had occurred between Lin Feng and Jiang Chen, and they hoped it would be resolved.

"Lin Feng," Jiang Chen began earnestly, "now that your Dantian has been restored, why not return with me to the Starry Abyss Sect?"

"The Starry Abyss Sect is among the most powerful sects on this continent, boasting ample resources and advanced techniques to aid your progress, enabling you to rise swiftly," he proposed thoughtfully.

"Return to the Starry Abyss Sect? Hah!" Lin Feng scoffed. "Have you forgotten how the Starry Abyss Sect treated me?"

"I shall never forget those humiliations, and you, don’t feign kindness towards me. Have you forgotten how you treated me when I was expelled from the sect?"

"You even manipulated my relationships with Li Kai and Liu Qing using two pills, subjecting me to public humiliation..." he recounted bitterly, gradually delving into the events that had transpired at the sect’s main gate.

Upon hearing this, Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi were astonished. ’What!? Young Master Jiang Chen would engage in such manipulative tactics?’ they thought, never expecting to hear of such actions.

Jiang Chen sighed, a weary expression on his face, and began explaining, "I did offer to help you remain in the sect at that time, but you rejected me, believing I intended to harm you."

"I merely wanted you to comprehend that, with my influence, harming you would be all too simple, and there would be no need to resort to any schemes!"

"It seems you still haven’t grasped my original intent, and you continue to harbor resentment," he stated, a trace of disappointment in his voice.

’So that’s how it was,’ Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi thought in stunned realization.

’Did Lin Feng previously reject Jiang Chen’s offer, forfeiting the chance to remain in the Starry Abyss Sect?’

’He believed that Young Master Jiang Chen intended to harm him, but Young Master Jiang Chen merely sought to demonstrate his lack of ill intent.’

’...’

A flurry of thoughts raced through their minds. Currently, it seemed that Lin Feng harbored an unwarranted bias against Jiang Chen.

"Hehe!" Lin Feng sneered with disbelief. "Employing two precious upper-grade Clarity Awakening Pills to showcase your vast power?"

"Young Master Jiang, your extravagance surpasses even that of a Mysterious Platform realm cultivator!" he mused scornfully.

"Lin Feng," Jiang Chen spoke softly when Lin Feng remained silent. "Give it some thought; return to the Starry Abyss Sect with me."

"No need, I have already accepted Master Qiu as my alchemy mentor and will not return to the Starry Abyss Sect!" Lin Feng declared coldly, then nodded to Qiu Liaoxi, who smiled faintly and was quite pleased.

"Very well, it’s merely my personal gesture of goodwill," Jiang Chen responded, his tone unruffled, not taking offense.

"If you cannot let go of your biases against the Starry Abyss Sect, then don’t return," he advised, his voice maintaining an air of indifference.

Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi felt relieved to see this, and their esteem for Jiang Chen grew slightly. They had anticipated that Jiang Chen would be displeased, but they didn’t expect him to be so magnanimous.

"Hmph," Lin Feng grunted in response and ceased speaking.

At this moment, Jiang Chen spoke once more, his tone appearing sincere. "How about this?"

"I invite you to join my Jiang Clan as an honorary guest," he offered, the sincerity in his voice unmistakable. "This won’t affect your master-disciple relationship with Alchemist Qiu, and you can also gain access to some additional resources."

"Join your Jiang Clan as an honorary guest!?" Lin Feng questioned, his expression reflecting a blend of doubt and astonishment. He genuinely couldn’t comprehend why Jiang Chen would extend such an offer to him.

Could it be that Jiang Chen truly harbored no ill intentions?

Was his initial use of subtle tactics to manipulate him actually just a test?

Had his effort to keep him at the sect been genuine?

Reflecting on all that Jiang Chen had done, Lin Feng found himself somewhat perplexed. However, the intuition that had always guided him prompted a deep-seated suspicion that something about Jiang Chen seemed off, leading him to promptly dismiss those thoughts.

At this moment, Jiang Chen nodded at Lin Feng and said encouragingly, "Yes, join my Jiang Clan as an honorary guest, how about it?"

"You can rest assured, I won’t let you suffer any disadvantages," he assured, his voice filled with a persuasive confidence.

"No need," Lin Feng shook his head, his tone firm.

"Still, thank you for your kindness, Young Master Jiang," he expressed with a courteous nod, appearing somewhat grateful on the surface, but inwardly he was smirking.

With the Burning World Red Lotus, his confidence and self-esteem had soared to the point that he didn’t even care about a mere Jiang Clan in Autumn Glory City, let alone accepting Jiang Chen’s generosity. Thus, his refusal was clear and unequivocal.

This left Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian somewhat baffled, but they chose not to bring it up directly. After all, Lin Feng was a disciple recently accepted by Qiu Liaoxi, and one who would potentially inherit the mantle. It wouldn’t be proper to cause him any embarrassment.