Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate - Chapter 257

Chapter 257: Plans in Motion Chapter 257: Plans in Motion After three rounds of toasts, Feng Liu’s eyes lit up as he said, “Brother Niu, your impressive handling of the demonic beasts earlier left me in awe.

Your composure and skill were truly remarkable!” “Absolutely!” added one of Feng Liu’s closest aides, nodding enthusiastically.

“Brother Niu’s strength is unmatched!” “And that invisibility skill!

The moment you vanished, those demonic beasts were completely lost, unable to sense you at all!” The others quickly joined in, piling on more praise for Gu Ran, as if their words could lift him to the heavens.

An ordinary young man might have felt a little full of himself after such flattery.

But Gu Ran was anything but ordinary.

He continued to respond with his usual calm and composure, unfazed by their admiration.

“Brother Niu, you have my deepest respect!” Feng Liu said, his curiosity plain to see.

“I would truly love to see that invisibility skill of yours again-it’s absolutely extraordinary!” “Nonsense!” Feng Hongbo cut in sharply, his voice firm as he reprimanded Feng Liu.

“Young friend Niu Qing has just been through a tough battle.

He needs rest, not pressure to show off his skills!” “To ask him to demonstrate again-don’t you think that’s asking too much?” Despite his scolding, Feng Hongbo couldn’t entirely hide his own curiosity.

He was just as eager to figure out the secret behind Gu Ran’s invisibility-was it a special technique or some rare magical treasure?

Even so, he believed that pressing Gu Ran for a demonstration now would be highly inappropriate.

That said, Feng Hongbo’s words weren’t just aimed at Feng Liu-they had another purpose: to subtly provoke Gu Ran.

It was a mild attempt at reverse psychology.

If Gu Ran felt the need to prove himself, he might take the bait.

If not, there was no harm done from Feng Hongbo’s perspective.

But was Gu Ran the type to seek validation by showing off?

Definitely not.

His calm and composed demeanor set him apart from the typical protagonist.

Rather than someone brash like Fang Yuan, he resembled Ye Fan-careful and steady, yet firm in his resolve.

“Indeed, I could use some rest,” Gu Ran said with a polite bow.

His tone was calm, and a faint smile crossed his face as he addressed Feng Hongbo, Feng Liu, and the others.

“Perhaps another time, I can demonstrate the skill for everyone.” “Haha, well said!” Feng Hongbo laughed heartily, raising his cup high.

“Everyone, raise your glasses!

Today, Blackwood Island has survived the tide of demonic beasts, and we owe it all to the timely intervention of our esteemed savior.

Let us toast to this moment of relief and gratitude!” His words lifted the mood, and the room erupted in cheers and lively energy.

The banquet continued in full swing, finally coming to an end only after an entire day had passed.

Afterward, Gu Ran was escorted to the area of Blackwood Island with the richest Spiritual Qi, ensuring he could rest in the best possible environment.

…

At that moment, a battered spirit boat appeared on the horizon, slowly making its way toward Blackwood Island.

The boat showed clear signs of a fierce battle-its surface was scarred from attacks by demonic beasts, and the cultivators aboard looked utterly drained.

Their bodies were bruised, and their faces were filled with exhaustion.

As the boat drew closer, Feng Hongbo immediately sensed its presence.

Wasting no time, he gathered a group to meet it.

From their first look at the vessel, Feng Hongbo and his group concluded that these cultivators were likely survivors of the demonic beast tide.

Onboard the spirit boat was Zhang San, an Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm cultivator, along with others at the Heavenly Origin, Mysterious Platform, and Spiritual Awakening realms.

As expected, Feng Hongbo started a conversation with Zhang San, the strongest among them.

It didn’t take long for him to learn the truth.

These individuals weren’t a unified group; they had banded together during their desperate escape and barely knew each other.

This revelation thrilled Feng Hongbo.

With no ties to an established organization, he could recruit these cultivators freely without worrying about offending any powerful factions.

If they had belonged to a sect or clan, attempting to enlist them could have been seen as poaching-something Feng Hongbo couldn’t risk.

What Feng Hongbo didn’t realize, though, was that every single person on that boat was a death warrior secretly sent by Jiang Chen!

Feng Hongbo warmly welcomed Jiang Chen’s death warriors ashore, offering them generous hospitality.

During this time, many cultivators from the boat chose to go their separate ways, uninterested in staying with the temporary group.

Some quietly disappeared into the population of Blackwood Island, blending in so well that they became almost indistinguishable from the island’s regular inhabitants.

Meanwhile, Zhang San, the leader, along with a few skilled cultivators from the group, accepted Feng Hongbo’s invitation to stay at the Feng Clan’s estate.

From that point on, Zhang San and his companions began secretly watching Gu Ran.

Gu Ran quickly noticed their attention.

However, their behavior didn’t seem much different from that of Feng Hongbo and his clan members-warranting caution, but not immediate concern.

Gu Ran guessed that Zhang San and the others were trying to align themselves with the Feng Clan, which explained their interest in him.

This only made him more watchful of their actions.

The next evening, Feng Hongbo hosted another banquet, this time to officially welcome Zhang San and his group into the clan.

In the days that followed, Zhang San and his companions focused on recovering from their recent ordeal.

For his part, Feng Hongbo made the most of the situation, trying to recruit even more cultivators from the scattered group.

…

After spending some time getting to know Zhang San, Feng Hongbo finally hinted at the idea of recruiting him as a guest elder.

Zhang San admitted that he was a wandering cultivator, tired of living without support and constantly relying on himself.

His recent brush with death had made him crave stability-a place where he could focus on cultivating without constant danger.

Their goals aligned perfectly.

Not long after, Zhang San, along with a few Heavenly Origin realm cultivators, officially joined the Feng Clan.

This development only reinforced Gu Ran’s suspicions.

To him, it seemed clear that Zhang San and the others were now fully part of the Feng Clan.

He had no idea they were actually Jiang Chen’s agents!

At that moment, a system alert echoed in Jiang Chen’s mind: [Ding!

You have successfully slightly altered the plot.

Protagonist Gu Ran’s Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 500 points!] [Ding!

You have earned 1000 Villain Value points!] Slightly altered the plot?

Jiang Chen thought, a faint smile appearing on his face.

It seems the main plan is going perfectly.

His eyes gleamed with a cold determination as a new thought surfaced.

Next, the plot involving Gu Ran taking lives on Blackwood Island will soon begin.

With his mind full of strategies, Jiang Chen turned his focus to Blackwood Island, extending his divine sense across the area.

Carefully avoiding Gu Ran’s position, he began observing the other supporting characters.

His goal was simple: to analyze their Fate Values and predict the timing of their deaths.

Only by doing this could he deploy his death warriors strategically to throw Gu Ran’s plans into chaos!

…

Time steadily passed on Blackwood Island.

As repairs on the teleportation array continued, Feng Hongbo, Feng Liu, and the other Feng Clan members grew more impatient to advance their secret plans.

To move things along, they organized another banquet, disguising it as a celebration of a clan marriage.

As the guest of honor, Gu Ran couldn’t refuse the invitation and joined the festivities.

As expected, after the third round of drinks, Feng Liu and his followers began their routine of over-the-top praise, urging Gu Ran once again to demonstrate his invisibility skill.

Gu Ran’s heart filled with sardonic amusement.

By now, it was painfully clear to him that the Feng Clan was running out of patience.

This so-called celebration was nothing more than a flimsy excuse to probe the secret behind his invisibility!

“If you wish to see it, then I shall oblige,” Gu Ran said, standing with a calm but unreadable expression.

Without hesitation, he activated his bloodline power, revealing his cloaking ability.

In an instant, his figure vanished.

Even the sharpest divine senses in the room couldn’t detect him.

“Remarkable!

Daoist friend Niu Qing, your invisibility skill is truly incredible!” an elderly man exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

“Indeed!

It’s so powerful that even our divine senses can’t sense him!” “An undeniable young hero-what extraordinary talent!” “I wonder if young friend Niu Qing might need a maid?” The room erupted with a mix of awe and excitement as voices overlapped, each trying to outdo the other in praise.

After a short while, Gu Ran reappeared.

He gave a slight bow and performed a fist-and-palm salute, barely acknowledging the crowd’s praises and compliments.

However, those with hidden agendas, like Feng Hongbo and Feng Liu, couldn’t hide their shock.

Even though they were nearby and had pushed their divine senses to the limit, they still couldn’t figure out how Gu Ran had turned invisible.

Was it some kind of secret art?

Or maybe a powerful artifact?

This young man’s invisibility is something special!

Feng Hongbo thought, his greed growing stronger by the second.

As for Feng Liu, his mind was already running wild with fantasies about the life he could have if he somehow managed to obtain Gu Ran’s invisibility skill.

The banquet went on late into the night.

Eventually, most of the guests left, leaving behind only the Feng Clan’s core members, Gu Ran, and a few key figures like the guest elders, including Zhang San.

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