Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Hong Meilin's countenance twisted into a disapproving frown at the sound of Ye Chen's shout, which rang out with unbecoming familiarity.

Her voice took on a chilly edge as she addressed him, "I would appreciate it if you refrained from addressing me by my given name, Daoist Ye."

Ignoring her request, Ye Chen continued with the same level of familiarity, "I cannot express how grateful I am that you are saving me, Sister Meilin."

Hong Meilin sighed heavily, "I was only passing through when I sensed a disturbance in the nearby vicinity. I decided to intervene, as I owed you a favor as you saved my life in the Celestial Sage's Temple. However, after this deed is done, we shall no longer owe each other anything."

Despite Hong Meilin's cool demeanor, Ye Chen's expression remained elated. "As you wish," he replied with a nod.

Wang Jian's attention was focused on the faction's flag that Hong Meilin carried.

He recognized the emblem and spoke with a composed voice. "I see you carry the symbol of The Church of the Divine Light. May I ask who you are?"

Hong Meilin stood tall and composed as she introduced herself, exuding a regal aura that commanded respect.

"I am Hong Meilin, a disciple of the esteemed Church of Divine Light," she announced with a dignified tone.

Wang Jian maintained his composure as he spoke, his eyes fixed on Hong Meilin. "I understand. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Seventh Prince of the Everlasting Mystic Empire," he said, his voice steady and firm. "I must ask, do you still intend to obstruct me, despite being aware of my identity?"

One of Hong Meilin's group members spoke out in a rude and loud manner, "You heretic, don't think you can scare our Saintess with that identity!"

Wang Jian was not taken aback by Hong Meilin's reputation as a Saintess. It would have been astonishing if someone as powerful as Hong Meilin were simply an ordinary disciple of the Church of the Divine Light.

She was at the peak of the Lord Realm.

"Are you not curious about the reason behind my fight with this man?" Wang Jian inquired in a calm, measured tone.

Hong Meilin's voice was as icy as her reputation. "I don't need to know the reason," she replied, "as I plan to save him regardless of what it is."

Ye Chen's eyes lit up with gratitude, moved by Hong Meilin's unwavering kindness.

But Wang Jian was not so easily swayed. With a roll of his eyes, he spoke with disdain. "Well, just for the sake of it, I will tell you. This man ambushed me here and wanted to kill me. Giving him a swift death is already mercy towards him."

Hong Meilin's pupils widened in shock, and she turned to Ye Chen with a hint of frustration in her expression. After a moment's pause, she spoke through gritted teeth. "I would still implore His Highness to let him go for today. I will owe you a favor."

Wang Jian chuckled in amusement. "You should have realized the disparity between our cultivation realms," he said, his tone mocking.

"If I want to kill him, you can't possibly stop me. Or is it those King Realm experts hidden amongst your followers that give you such confidence to stand before me?"

The old follower of the Church of Divine Light stepped forward, accompanied by another follower with a long white beard, signifying his high age and experience.

"So, you have already discovered us, Your Highness," he said, acknowledging Wang Jian's keen perception.

These two King Realm experts had been assigned to protect Hong Meilin from any possible dangers, and they stood ready to fulfill their duty.

Wang Jian's demeanor was unperturbed as he answered with nonchalance, "It wasn't hard to detect, given that only the two of you retained a composed and focused demeanor, while everyone else bore a relaxed and foolish countenance."

His words naturally elicited angry reactions from all the followers accompanying Hong Meilin.

They all turned towards the two older men, and one of them spoke with a tone of urgency, "Lord Bishop, please take action against this blasphemer for showing disrespect towards the Radiant God's followers!"

"Yes, we demand justice! This man should be punished for his insolence!" cried out another follower with righteous indignation on his face.

The two bishops remained silent, assessing the situation with a watchful eye.

Finally, the older man with the long white beard spoke up, "Everyone, please calm down. This is not the way of the Church of the Divine Light. Violence and anger are not the answers to our problems."

The other bishop added, "We must show compassion and understanding towards our fellow humans, even those who may not share our beliefs. It is through kindness and tolerance that we can spread the Radiant God's message."

The followers seemed to calm down at the bishops' words, but their eyes still glared at Wang Jian, who remained unfazed by their anger.

The two bishops gazed at Wang Jian with a composed demeanor.

The elder with a long white beard addressed him in a smooth tone, "Your Highness, it would be wise to accept the Saintess's proposal. It is a favorable deal for you."

The other bishop interjected, "Indeed. You may not be aware, but this brat is the sole disciple of the previous Heavenly Blade Sect master. As you know, the old monster is at the Emperor Realm."

Despite their words, Wang Jian maintained his composure and approached Ye Chen. "What if I choose to end him today? I am not afraid of the Heavenly Blade Sect's retaliation."

The two bishops exchanged a glance, silently seeking guidance from Hong Meilin.

They preferred to avoid confrontation with Wang Jian, especially over Ye Chen.

Although the former sect master of the Heavenly Blade Sect was formidable and daunting, he was no match for the Emperor of the Everlasting Mystic Empire.

Hong Meilin's expression hardened as she spoke with steely resolve, "Although you are at King Realm, I have two King Realm experts by my side. If we fight, our victory is inevitable! Leave now before you force our hand!"

Wang Jian let out a low, amused chuckle upon hearing Hong Meilin's words, causing her followers to tense up, sensing that he had made his decision.

He thought, 'I didn't think I would hear these words again. And so soon at that.'

The last time Wang Jian heard these words, it was from Lady Zhuoran.

However, Wang Jian knew he couldn't make the mistake of underestimating these two bishops of the Church of the Divine Light.

Unlike Lady Zhuoran and Mei Yan, these bishops had lived in the Everlasting Mystic Empire for all their lives and possessed much more powerful cultivation and battle techniques compared to those in the Windhaven Kingdom.

Moreover, this particular church possessed the Light Element with a Holy Attribute, which was one of Wang Jian's only weaknesses. It was a deadly combo against Wang Jian, so he inferred it would be unwise to fight both of them at the same time.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen's eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of Wang Jian's demise, his eyes greedily scanning the five beautiful women who had retreated from the fray with the rest of the caravan.

'Once this bastard is dead, I will take good care of all of you,' Ye Chen thought, his mind consumed with lust.

Wang Jian's eyes gleamed with a sly glint as he addressed Hong Meilin, "Before you decide to make any move against me, have you really scanned the region properly? Are you absolutely sure there are no other King Realm experts lurking in the shadows?"

His statement stirred up a sense of astonishment among the followers of the Church of Divine Light.

The two bishops promptly extended their senses to scan the area, only to discover the presence of another mid-level King Realm expert.

This individual was naturally none other than Lady Zhuoran.

The revelation caused both bishops to wear sour expressions and direct their gaze towards Hong Meilin.

In low voices, they spoke, "He's right. There's another King Realm expert here and at mid-level strength. This fight may not be as straightforward as we had initially thought."

Hong Meilin's fists clenched tightly as she glared at Ye Chen with fury.

She couldn't believe that he would choose to attack someone like Wang Jian, who held a special identity and was protected by powerful individuals.

"Are you truly determined to lead this to a battle? Don't forget that I can summon the Pope by activating the Radiant Light Guardian Talisman," Hong Meilin spoke coldly.

Wang Jian responded nonchalantly, "That threat might have worked on someone else, but it's useless against me. I possess the Royal Guardian Jade Talisman that would immediately summon an Emperor Realm expert. Moreover, my father will also be alerted about this incident. I wonder how the Church of Divine Light will explain this matter to him."

Hong Meilin was utterly astonished to hear his words. She didn't think that Wang Jian would actually be so prepared.

It was only natural for her to be shocked. Not all princes of the Everlasting Mystic Empire were blessed to receive the protection of an Emperor Realm expert.

In fact, only the top three princes or princesses were entitled to this service. It was because they were the only individuals who were considered serious contenders for the throne.

The rest of the princes had extremely weak factions in comparison.

Noticing Hong Meilin's stupefied look, Wang Jian truly wanted to laugh aloud, but he held it inside.

In reality, it was all a ruse. He possessed no such jade talisman and was just intimidating her.