Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!-Chapter 87: Distance
The wide open courtyard of the Conferred Pagoda’s inner sanctum was a masterpiece of architectural precision, designed to capture the maximum amount of spiritual essence from the surrounding mountain peaks.
However, as Shen Haoran sat under the intricate eaves of a sandalwood pavilion, he found no comfort in the setting.
He sat with his spine perfectly straight, the black silk of his robes absorbing the afternoon light.
He raised a delicate jade cup to his lips, took a single sip of the premium spirit tea, and then set it down with a click that sounded overly loud in the heavy silence.
Then, after a long while, he let out a long, weary sigh, his golden-blonde hair shimmering as he tilted his head back.
"The air here is truly too disgusting to breathe," Haoran murmured, his voice laced with a refined sort of revulsion. "It is thick with the dregs of ancient wars and the decay of unrefined spirits. Even the Eastern Region, for all its desolation, had a certain raw purity. This place... it feels like inhaling the smoke of a burning tire."
Qing’er, standing like a carved statue of obsidian behind his right shoulder, gave a slight, imperceptible nod.
For a peak Profound Saint, her senses were infinitely more attuned to the environment than any mortal in this realm.
To her, the air was a physical weight, a slurry of impurities and "dirty" Qi that gunked up the spiritual pores.
She found herself genuinely wondering how the inhabitants of this realm could endure living in such a world.
To them, this place might be the pinnacle of holy land, but to her, it was a suffocating tomb.
"Still," Haoran said, a small, playful smile playing on his lips as he looked at the stacks of parchment and jade slips piled on the stone table, "this world is rather interesting in its misery."
It had always been Haoran’s habit to meticulously gather information about any local territory he visited. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
After all, knowledge was not just power, but it was also the foundation of control.
Whether it was the high-court politics of the Imperial Capital or the backwater customs of a minor kingdom in the Eastern Region, he refused to be ignorant of the board he was playing on.
It didn’t matter how backward or weak a place was; an unknown variable was a vulnerability he would not tolerate.
And from the intelligence he had sifted through since his arrival, he knew that the Saint Burial Realm was a fractured world divided into five main continents.
The continent where the Conferred Pagoda reigned was known as the Divine Continent—a bit of an overstatement in Haoran’s opinion, though it was undeniably the strongest in this world.
These continents were separated by an endless, turbulent sea that spanned hundreds of light-years.
And to bridge this gap, the ancient powers had set up a rudimentary spatial transportation system of portals that connects the five continent.
According to the information, these portals were made from the remains, bones of ancient experts.
If Shen Haoran were to guess, then these bones were likely from ancient saints, after all, only experts of their level can actually play around with space.
Ofcurse, traveling by sea was possible, but it was a journey that can take hundreds of years, not to mention the sea was fraught with "Unknown" beasts—remnants of the Saint War that had mutated in the deep abyss.
Just as he was about to reach for a specific slip regarding the Conferred Pagoda history, he felt two presences approaching.
He didn’t need to look up to know it was the two women who had piqued his interest when he first arrive in this realm.
They moved with a mix of practiced grace and obvious trepidation.
Once they stood just outside the shade of the pavilion, they stopped and cupped their hands in a gesture of deep respect, their heads bowed.
"Young Master, apologies for disturbing your rest," said Shangguan Mu’er.
Her bluish-silver hair was tied back, and her white robes were immaculate, yet she couldn’t hide the slight tremor in her hands.
Shen Haoran smiled, though the expression didn’t reach his eyes. It was a social lubricant, nothing more. "No worries. The afternoon was becoming a bit monotonous. Come, sit down."
The two women hesitated.
For a Nascent Soul expert like Mu’er and a rising star like Luochen, being invited to sit at the same table as a "God from the Upper Realm" was an honor that carried its own weight of pressure.
But still, after a few seconds of thought, they followed his words, sitting on the edge of the stone stools as if they expected the air to ignite.
"So? To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Haoran asked, picking up his cup again but not drinking.
Shangguan Mu’er shook her head quickly. "Young Master is joking. It is our absolute pleasure and duty to attend to you. We do not deserve the word ’pleasure’ in your presence."
Haoran simply chuckled, leeting out a low, melodic sound that seemed to hum through the pavilion.
He didn’t bother to correct her; the hierarchy was a reality that couldn’t be changed no matter how polite he acted.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to lead the conversation, Shangguan Mu’er turned serious, her Bluish-silver eyes locking onto his. "Young Master, my disciple here believes that she has information regarding the specific person you are searching for. The one named Jiang Chen."
"Oh?" Haoran turned his gaze toward Ling Luochen. The shift was subtle, but to Luochen, it felt like a spotlight of pure gold had been turned on her soul. "Is that so? Tell me what you know."
Ling Luochen took a deep breath, her blood-red eyes reflecting a mix of ambition and lingering spite. "Indeed, Young Master. My... former fiancé, his name is Jiang Chen. He lives in Fragrant Flower City, a small city located in a minor kingdom on the Southern Continent—the smallest and most resource-poor continent in this realm. He is a notorious wastrel, a man who is already twenty two years but someone who only managed to reach the 7th stage of the Body Refining realm by gorging himself on low-grade pills and herbs. He has no talent, no drive, and was a stain on his Clan’s reputation."
"Oh?" Haoran’s interest was officially piqued.
These details were almost too perfect. A "trash" young master in a backwater city on the smallest continent?
It was the classic setup for a reincarnation or a system-awakening, or even a regression!
There was no doubt in his mind now. This was the man.
Even if, by some astronomical chance, it wasn’t his father, this "Jiang Chen" was clearly a Protagonist in the making, and Haoran made it a point to prune such weeds before they could grow to challenge his mother’s garden.
"That is indeed very useful information, Miss Ling Luochen," Haoran said.
Ling Luochen blinked, her heart skipping a beat. She wondered for a fleeting second how he knew her name—she hadn’t introduced herself yet—but she quickly dismissed it as the omniscience of a higher being.
Well, it wasn’t really omniscience. But Haoran was quite a talented Seer, so if he wanted to, he can know her name if he just used his skills.
But that’s not the reason why he knew her name, he just like to gather information.
"If it turns out to be true," Haoran continued, his voice dropping into a smooth, enticing tone, "then both you and your master... I can offer you a reward beyond spirit stones. I can directly bring you both to the Upper Realm when I depart. I will provide you with a place in my clan."
Shangguan Mu’er and Ling Luochen both visibly trembled.
It wasn’t out of fear, but it was the raw, unadulterated electricity of excitement.
They had both spent their lives pursuing the peak of the Saint Burial Realm, knowing all along that they were just big fish in a very small, very shallow pond.
To be offered a path to the Upper Realm was like being offered a chance to become a true immortal.
"Alright then," Haoran said, standing up with a fluid motion, his black and gold robes billowed slightly, though there was no wind. "Ling Luochen, you will come with me and lead the way. You know the geography of this Southern Continent better than my charts. And you, Shangguan Mu’er, stay here. Inform the Pagoda Head that I am leaving to explore the world. I don’t want any ’farewell’ processions or guards following us. My presence is enough."
Shangguan Mu’er cupped her hands, bowing deeply. "As you wish, Young Master. The Pagoda will remain silent and await your triumphant return."
Shen Haoran gave a short nod to Qing’er before turning his golden eyes back to Ling Luochen.
The girl stood up, her red eyes burning with a new purpose, after all, at this moment, she was no longer just a disciple of the Pagoda, but was now the guide for a god.
"Let us go," Haoran said. "I wish to see this ’trash’ for myself."
Qinq’er waved her hand, and instantly, under the stunned and shocked eyes of Shangguan Mu’er and Ling Luochen, a spatial tear appeared in front of them.
Without hesitation, Haoran entered first.
Qinq’er stared at Ling Luochen, her brow raised.
Ling Luochen immediately followed after him before Qinq’er nodded at Shangguan Mu’er and entered the tear in space, closing it after.
As they inside this spatial tear, the air around Haoran seemed to hum with anticipation.
The hunt had begun, and thousands of light years away, the "reincarnated" Jiang Chen had no idea that his son he had never even know existed was already closing the distance, guided by the very woman who had broken his heart.
