“Please, this way, My Lady.” Clad in the distinctive robes of palace guards, two figures watched as Yao Lian arrived, gesturing to her and guiding her toward the hall room.
‘Why are there so many women?’ From a vantage point outside the hall room, several women—dozens of them—were seen lying down while casting furtive glances through the gaps and nearby windows, seemingly trying to catch sight of someone. Their quiet giggles and smiles were directed towards the hall room, leading Yao Lian to furrow her brow in uncertainty, questioning whether their gaze was fixed on the immortals who had arrived.
It was understandably her first encounter with the concept of immortals, even though she was fully aware that no being in this world is truly immortal. The term ‘immortal’ was merely an exaggerated label for those who wielded incredible power, and from this fact, she at least knew that those two individuals who had arrived were already far stronger than others, maybe as strong as the patriarch of the Wei family.
“Yao Lian has arrived to pay respects to the patriarch.” Entering the hall room through the door as the guards opened it, Yao Lian glanced towards the individuals, bowed, clasped her fists, and then lifted her eyes, which slowly moved upward. In her line of sight, she captured the broken flooring, shattered tiles, and finally the cracks in the nearby wall. ‘It appears the patriarch found my choice unfavorable.’
It was clear to Yao Lian that once the fact she wanted to participate in the trial of the Immortal Phoenix was brought into the hall by the elders who were on her side, the Patriarch of the Wei family would definitely act vigorously. This was evident from the state of the whole room.
‘Are they the immortals?’ As she glanced towards the head of the hall room, her eyes settled on the nearby thrones where two individuals sat: a woman in a white dress with a face that could be considered the face of a fairy from tales, and her golden pupils were something captivating in themselves.
‘I can’t sense his presence.’ However, the most captivating aspect was the man in the middle next to the woman dressed in white. His black robe, which looked regal and evoked the essence of a true immortal, seemed to render him invisible or imperceptible to her perception. It was as if he were part of the surroundings itself.
Yao Lian could distinctly feel how the Qi diminished as it came into contact with the clothes he wore, producing an effect that rendered him seemingly invincible to her senses. This led her to question whether those clothes were indeed an artifact.
‘Sharp but…’ Ryuk gazed at Yao Lian, who stood a short distance away on a slightly lower platform, observing how her eyes meticulously analyzed her surroundings. He sensed that she had focused her Qi towards him but noticed it was being nullified by his ability. This made him wonder if she had figured out the working mechanism of his ability that rendered him undetectable, and to just confirm that, he inquired inwardly, ‘Anything you want to point out about her?’
[Analyzing….]
Ding!
━─━───────༺༻───────━─━
Reasons to potentially add this candidate to the harem:
Name: Yao Lian
Current Role: Villainess
Special Ability: Possesses the ability to enhance the Host’s soul strength through dual cultivation during the moonlight.
Favorability Rating: 30/100 (Attractive)
━─━───────༺༻───────━─━
‘…Why is it short?’ Ryuk inquired, seeing the system screen where there wasn’t much information regarding the woman’s strength or her stats regarding Strength, Agility, Ability, Charm, or Luck, unlike Liu Wei.
[Host, Liu Wei was a man, and she is a jade beauty. Don’t compare—]
‘….’
[Ahem, though I can show you her stats, they are the same as the old man seated beside you.]
The system delivers information in a relaxed manner, subtly expressing its support and curiosity. Refrain from including unnecessary content to enhance both screen size and word count.
‘What? She is as strong as the patriarch?’ It took Ryuk by surprise that this woman—who was none other than the same one with whom he had talked last night—was as strong as the patriarch of the Wei family. While observing the reactions of others, it was clear that they weren’t aware of this woman’s true strength.
[Not physically, but her soul seems of the same level.]
‘….soul?’ Hearing the system’s words, Ryuk was once again reminded that this continent’s power system was primarily focused on spiritual strengthening, unlike body or energy, which were the common practices he had observed in other places.
“Yao Lian, I heard Liu Wei has woken up?” The Patriarch questioned Yao Lian, disregarding the two people seated on nearby thrones. The patriarch was seated at the rightmost part, while in the middle sat a black-robed man who had managed to secure three positions for the upcoming trial. This man had also asked the Patriarch for permission to remain within the Wei family until the trial commenced.
Although it was presented as a request, it felt more like a command, one that the Patriarch couldn’t overlook. He decided to have fewer conversations with him, allowing the man’s presence to go unaddressed until the trial was over and he exited the Wei family.
As one of the 18 most powerful families in the upper town, the Wei family was reluctant to seek help from outsiders. Unable to summon their ancestors for assistance, they found themselves in a difficult position, suppressing their pride. In response, they collectively chose to ignore the situation and welcomed these unexpected visitors as if they were esteemed guests.
“Yes, Patriarch, he seems to be showing signs of improvement,” Yao Lian observed, glancing back and forth between the black-robed man and the patriarch, puzzled as to why an outsider occupied the patriarch’s throne while he sat in a chair next to it. This arrangement made it clear to her that the man in black was not only powerful but exceptionally strong.
“Good. Accompany him for a few months and heal him completely,” the Patriarch ordered, looking towards Yao Lian coldly, showing his clear intent for her not to even think of leaving the Wei family for a few months.
‘…as expected,’ Yao Lian fixed her gaze on the Patriarch, unwavering in her resolve. She understood that he was determined to prevent her from participating in the trial, and he might go to great lengths to ensure she didn’t take part. However, what he didn’t realize was that she had already made preparations to guarantee her entry into the trial. With that in mind, she said, “Patriarch, thanks to my use of the Lian family’s heirloom, Liu Wei has completely healed. At his request, both he and I would like to join the trial.”
In the end, Yao Lian used Liu Wei as her support to make this old man let her participate in the trial. While she had assured that Liu Wei would be under her complete control due to the poisoning she had given him for this long, it was evident that he would be disqualified in the first round of her difficult trial. So, she just wanted to use him to make this old man surrender.
“….No, Liu Wei needs some rest, and being his wife, it’s your duty to take care of him.” It struck the Patriarch as absurd that a woman from a small town would dare to challenge him while playing mind games. Yet, he composed himself, realizing that if he were alone—without any unexpected visitors—he would have gladly demonstrated to Yao Lian just how humble her background really was.
“B-but—” Yao Lian tried to retaliate, seeing how this was her only chance, which was getting snatched by this old man, but she only met with an intense gaze from the Patriarch as an aura burst out of his body, filling the whole room as if a tsunami of Qi had broken out as he declared.
“I said, go back and take care of Liu Wei.” The Patriarch focused his intensity on the woman while displaying the anger that had built up from the earlier situation in which he had been humiliated by this flag bearer. To his dismay, the woman remained unfazed, as if nothing was happening to her.
‘Huh?’ Yao Lian found herself targeted by an immense pressure that could have caused internal organ damage. Yet somehow, her body appeared completely normal, as if that pressure in front of her wasn’t even ruffling a single hair strand. Before her eyes, something drew her attention towards the man seated at the head in the middle, looking toward her with those deep amber eyes that shone due to the morning rays.
“Patriarch, didn’t I ask for three seats?” Ryuk said, looking towards Yao Lian, who definitely possessed something worth considering, since he needed to strengthen his soul while also benefiting from her status as a villainess. Accordingly, he had already asked for three seats instead of just two.
And getting her on his side wouldn’t be difficult, given that he would ensure a reason for this villainess to owe him a pretty big favor.
‘Hope the Lian family has a good sleep,’ Ryuk had already crushed the pride of the Patriarch of the Wei family and knew very well that in such scenarios where rage built up, the brain would simply find a weaker victim to take out their anger on. Right now, he had maneuvered everything onto the Lian family.
“I see, Yao Lian, so that’s how it is.” Hearing Ryuk’s words, the Patriarch’s hand clenched the armrest as he understood. Before clenching, his jaws tightened as he looked toward Yao Lian, realizing that she was the one who had already collided with this flag bearer and tried to counterattack the Wei family. After all, how could someone enter Uppertown so easily? ‘Yao Lian! The Lian family will pay with their blood!’
“Sorry?” Yao Lian’s gaze shifted repeatedly between the Patriarch and Ryuk, her confusion growing as she failed to grasp the nature of their conversation. Yet, an unsettling feeling crept over her, as if the Patriarch’s eyes conveyed a silent threat.
Oblivious to the dark future that loomed ahead, she remained frozen, unaware of how she had inadvertently become a pawn in Ryuk’s game.
