Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate (Old Version)

However.

Leaving the trade fair was not an option at this time.

Jiang Chen's course of action was twofold.

Firstly, he would wait for the subordinate who had procured the Aura Finder Smoke to locate Lin Feng.

Secondly, he would dispatch someone to intercept the Spiritual Awakening realm cultivator from the Zhou Clan, ensuring that no "grand gift package" reached Lin Feng.

In addition, he sought to uncover the truth behind these events.

"You two, one of you will continue tracking Lin Feng, while the other must return to thwart the Spiritual Awakening realm cultivator from the Zhou Clan. Be mindful of the following considerations..."

Jiang Chen discreetly conveyed his instructions through his divine sense.

The two subordinates who received their orders promptly set off in different directions to execute their missions.

Nonetheless.

Jiang Chen soon obtained a response.

"Young Master!"

"I have failed. I was unable to intercept the Zhou Clan guest cultivator."

"He sped past me from afar, giving me no opportunity to speak, and I couldn't forcibly halt him..."

Jiang Chen had assigned him the task of delaying the Zhou Clan guest cultivator.

However, he was not to engage in any conflict with the other party, and he must not disclose his involvement with Lin Feng.

"Proceed to follow him."

"Take heed, maintain a safe distance. Even if you cannot gather any information, you must ensure that Lin Feng remains unaware of your presence."

Jiang Chen did not reproach his subordinate and calmly issued further instructions.

Thus,

The subordinate pursued the Zhou Clan guest cultivator, following his trail closely.

Before long,

Jiang Chen's two subordinates reconvened and stealthily navigated the forest.

All at once,

An enraged bellow resounded: "You, how dare you slay our Zhou Clan's Second Young Master! Perish!"

The duo was taken aback by the unexpected outburst!

The Zhou Clan's Second Young Master, wasn't that Zhou Yihe!?

Zhou Yihe was dead!?

This was a momentous event!

Consequently,

The pair promptly relayed this information to Jiang Chen!

'Zhou Yihe is dead?'

'The Zhou Clan guest cultivator seeks to confront the one who killed Zhou Yihe?'

'The individual responsible for Zhou Yihe's death is likely Lin Feng. I arrived a moment too late.'

'The protagonist status is truly remarkable. In such a brief period, a major event has unfolded. It's utterly unpredictable.'

'Now... all we can do is strive to compensate for this.'

Upon reading the message, Jiang Chen's pupils narrowed slightly.

Without delay,

He instructed the two subordinates not to return.

Instead, he directed them to stick together and venture further to gather medicinal herbs and the like.

The primary reason was to avoid Lin Feng discovering and eliminating them, while the secondary objective was to establish a valid justification for departing the city.

'Given the current situation.'

'Lin Feng has slain Zhou Yihe.'

'The Zhou Clan guest cultivator is likely to meet his demise at Lin Feng's hands as well.'

'This individual's combat prowess is quite impressive. Defeating adversaries of higher levels... it's truly a hallmark of a protagonist!'

'Next, Lin Feng will clash with the Zhou Clan. In the original plot, it was probably with my Jiang Clan.'

'Furthermore, in the original plot, Du Bailei should have shielded Lin Feng, granting him more time to grow.'

'Now, he shall face the fury of the Zhou Clan!'

'Nevertheless, as the protagonist, he cannot perish here.'

'The Zhou Clan will become Lin Feng's stepping stone, ceaselessly providing him with heads to collect...'

'Such an outcome must be prevented!'

Jiang Chen resolved to alleviate the animosity between the Zhou Clan and Lin Feng.

Subsequently.

He awaited further updates with patience.

As anticipated!

In less than the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea, news arrived that Zhou Yihe had been slain outside the city, and the Zhou Clan's Patriarch was incensed!

Moreover, two Spiritual Awakening realm cultivators from the Zhou Clan, Ma Qiwei and Bao He, had also been killed!

The information was relayed by Bao He just prior to his death!

And the culprit's name was Lin Feng!

The VIP room where Jiang Chen resided stood in contrast to the surrounding noise.

Within the VIP room, utter silence reigned.

Everyone gazed at Qiu Liaoxi in disbelief.

They all recognized Lin Feng's name.

He was none other than Qiu Liaoxi's disciple!

At this moment, news broke that Lin Feng had killed Zhou Yihe?

It was truly a shocking revelation that stunned everyone!

Qiu Liaoxi herself was also incredulous, her eyes wide with astonishment, struggling to process the news.

Just then!

"What!?"

"Lin Feng was the killer!?"

"How could that be? Lin Feng is merely a cultivator in the Soul Refining realm. How could he have slain two cultivators in the Spiritual Awakening realm? This must be a jest!"

"The true culprit must be someone else. Lin Feng is undoubtedly being framed!"

"I, Jiang Chen, will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Jiang Chen rose to his feet, his face a mix of shock, anger, and disbelief, as he spoke with great indignation.

Only his uncle was aware of his impressive display of acting prowess!

"Indeed!"

"Lin Feng's strength is well-known to all; he's merely at the Middle-stage Soul Refining realm."

"To claim that he could eliminate two Spiritual Awakening realm cultivators from the Zhou Clan, along with several others at his same level, is simply too far-fetched!"

Ning Xian remained composed and methodically assessed the situation.

"That's true!"

"Lin Feng's strength is insufficient!"

Jiang Xingtai nodded in agreement with Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen reciprocated the gesture towards his uncle, a faint smile gracing his face, "Hence, there must be some misunderstanding in all of this!"

At that moment,

A senior member of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce cautiously interjected: "It has been reported that before Bao He perished, he captured Lin Feng's image with an Image Projection Stone, and it is indeed him..."

"It is abundantly clear that he was framed."

Jiang Chen declared without hesitation.

Just then,

Additional news arrived.

It was reported that Zhou Ruiyu, the patriarch of the Zhou Clan, led a sizeable group of cultivators toward the location where Zhou Yihe had been killed!

It appeared they sought vengeance and aimed to settle the score!

"Although Lin Feng isn't skilled at socializing, he remains a good person."

"I have some acquaintance with him and cannot simply stand by as he is framed and killed."

"Uncle, President Du, I plan to head to the city outskirts as well."

Jiang Chen's brow furrowed slightly as he stood up, determined to 'seek justice' for Lin Feng.

"I shall accompany you."

"Since he is Jiang Chen's friend and may have been framed, I cannot merely stand aside and do nothing."

Jiang Xingtai rose to his feet, his expression grave.

"I cannot ignore this matter!"

"Although I am an outsider, I believe I possess some influence."

Du Bailei also stood up and spoke his mind.

Everyone understood.

He was getting involved in this matter due to Jiang Chen's connection.

The others rose to their feet and reached a unanimous agreement - to aid Lin Feng in 'clearing his name and proving his innocence'!

Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi were overwhelmed with gratitude towards Jiang Chen!

Now, it was a young master of the Zhou Clan who had been killed!

Even though it was possible that someone had framed Lin Feng, very few people were willing to involve themselves in this matter!

Jiang Chen knew that doing so would antagonize the Zhou Clan, but he still chose to stand up for Lin Feng.

How could they, as master and disciple, not feel grateful for this display of righteousness and kindness?

Qiu Liaoxi even offered a slight bow to Jiang Chen!

"Jiang Chen, thank you!"

Ning Xian stood up, looked Jiang Chen in the eyes, and nodded deeply to him.

Their eyes met, and they both saw a hint of approval in each other's gaze.

[Ding! Ning Xian's affection for you has increased, and Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 300 points!]

[Ding! You have gained 500 points of Villain Value!]

The system prompt resounded.

"No need to thank me. Let's go!"

Jiang Chen smiled slightly and took Ning Xian's slender arm, walking out with her.

Ning Xian's face flushed a bit, and she made a gentle effort to break free, but couldn't, so she allowed Jiang Chen to hold her.

The rest of the group followed closely behind.