Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 159 The Crimson Cult's Trap

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After providing Lady Xia with detailed instructions on how to develop the beauty product business, Wang Jian received an unexpected report from one of his trusted merchants in the southern district of the Empire.

The report stated that the merchant had been contacted by a member of the notorious Crimson Cult, who was interested in placing a huge order for a number of items.

Although this information wasn't about Ye Chen, the merchant thought it would be useful information for Wang Jian and sent it to his palace immediately.

As Wang Jian read the report, a devious smile formed on his lips.

He had been searching for the Crimson Cult for a long time, and this might be his chance to finally meet with them and strike a deal.

"Interesting," he mused to himself. "Looks like I can finally meet up with the Crimson Cult."

Without wasting a moment, Wang Jian's palace swiftly dispatched a message to the southern merchant, informing him that the royal palace would be taking over the negotiations with the Crimson Cult.

In exchange for his cooperation, the merchant was generously compensated.

The merchant was overjoyed with this development.

He had never been eager to engage in business with the notorious Crimson Cult, and now he would be able to reap the rewards without the risk.

Since the message had been sent, Wang Jian had three days before he would meet with the Crimson Cult.

The meeting was set to take place at "The Shrouded Lantern" pub, a dingy establishment nestled in the heart of the Thornwood Village.

Wang Jian understood the gravity of the situation, realizing that he needed to be cautious and strategic.

He couldn't risk going alone, but he also couldn't bring too many people and risk exposing his plans.

After careful consideration, he decided to bring Lady Zhuoran and two additional King Realm experts who had been trained by his mother.

In total, he had seven King Realm experts who had been groomed by his mother. However, the remaining five were left behind to safeguard his palace.

With his team prepared, Wang Jian felt more confident and ready to face the Crimson Cult.

As they mounted their griffins, Wang Jian and Lady Zhuoran were seated together while the other two King Realm experts occupied the second griffin. The creatures' powerful wings beat against the wind as they soared through the sky.

As they soared through the sky on the backs of griffins, Wang Jian's arm tightened around Lady Zhuoran's waist, pulling her closer to him.

His touch was possessive, almost aggressive, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of fear creeping into her mind.

Wang Jian's hand began to wander, his fingers trailing up Lady Zhuoran's spine until they rested at the nape of her neck. His touch was electrifying, sending shivers down her spine, but she tried her best to ignore it and maintain her composure.

"This will be quite an adventure, won't it, my dear Lady Zhuoran?" Wang Jian whispered into her ear, his voice laced with a dark, seductive undertone. "Perhaps we can make the most of our time alone together."

Lady Zhuoran's heart skipped a beat as she felt his strong grip on her body, her skin tingling with a mixture of excitement and fear.

As they flew on, Wang Jian pressed himself closer to Lady Zhuoran, his bulge rubbing against her voluptuous backside.

The sensation sent a shiver down her spine and her body reacted in a way she couldn't control. She tried to move away from him, but his grip was too strong.

Lady Zhuoran tried to keep her composure, but the anticipation was too much.

She could feel the wetness between her legs grow as her mind was filled with forbidden thoughts. She tried to resist, but the pull of his sinister and depraved aura was too strong.

The griffins soared higher, the wind whipping through their hair as they flew towards the meeting with the Crimson Cult. But for Lady Zhuoran, the anticipation of what was to come was almost too much to bear.

The other two King Realm experts sat on the griffin ahead, maintaining a stoic façade as they ignored the display happening on the other griffin.

It took the group one whole day to reach the Thornwood Village.

As Wang Jian and his group arrived at Thornwood Village, he knew that they had to be on their guard. The looming threat of the Crimson Cult was always present, and they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

Upon entering the village, Wang Jian wasted no time in seeking out the merchant who had encountered a member of the cult.

He needed to know everything he could about them to remain on the front foot.

As Wang Jian and his group approached the merchant's shop, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

'This place is too quiet,' he thought to himself. 'And why do I feel like we're being watched?'

Suddenly, a prickling sensation ran down his neck, and his instincts went into overdrive. He used his Spiritual Sensitivity to scan the area, and his fears were confirmed.

'Seven King Realm experts lurking in the shadows,' he thought, 'keeping an eye on the shop. This can only mean one thing: a trap.'

Wang Jian's heart raced as he realized the danger they were in.

'The merchant we came to meet is probably a member of the Crimson Cult,' he thought, 'and we've walked right into their trap. We're surrounded by their allies.'

He knew that they needed to act quickly.

'We can't stay here and wait for them to make the first move,' he thought. 'We need to take control of the situation.'

Despite the danger, a sinister smile crept onto Wang Jian's face.

In a blur of motion, Wang Jian vanished from his spot, leaving Lady Zhuoran and the two guards stunned. They caught a glimpse of him darting towards the left with an intense determination in his eyes.

With a flick of his wrist, Wang Jian summoned a raging inferno of flames that he congealed into a mighty fist.

He delivered a devastating punch that collided with the building, setting it ablaze with a searing intensity.

The explosion was deafening, and the shockwave reverberated through the entire village.

In the chaos, a piercing cry of agony could be heard as a man hiding on the rooftop was consumed by the blazing inferno.

This inferno was extremely powerful as Wang Jian possessed middle-stage insight of flames. Thus, it managed to kill this individual who was enveloped by this attack.

As the smoke cleared, the other members of the Crimson Cult quickly realized that their presence had been revealed.

Six King Realm experts closed in on Wang Jian's group, their eyes gleaming with a savage intent to kill.

Meanwhile, dozens of Lord Realm experts rushed out of their houses, wielding weapons, and spells as they charged at the group.

It was only then that Wang Jian's group realized the true nature of the village. The entire population was in league with the Crimson Cult.

Wang Jian remained undaunted, his fierce determination burning like a fire in his heart.

"I will take on the four coming from the left. Zhuoran, deal with those Lord Relam experts. Li, Rui, deal with those two experts coming from the right."

Lady Zhuoran immediately pulled out the Oceanic Pearl Bead from her spatial ring and utilized it to enhance her water element.

Meanwhile, the other two experts of Wang Jian's faction pulled out their weapons. One wielded a mace while the other an axe.

The battle between Wang Jian's group and the Crimson Cult was fierce and intense, with both sides unleashing powerful attacks upon each other.

As Wang Jian engaged four King Realm experts at once, the first expert charged at him with a Thunderous Strike, a technique that sent a shockwave through the ground towards Wang Jian.

But Wang Jian was quick to react, countering with his own Starry Night Sky Strike, a powerful sword technique that sent a wave of flames at his opponent.

The second expert launched a Lightning Thrust, a fierce attack that aimed for Wang Jian's heart. However, Wang Jian's Serene Moonlight Slash was too precise, cleaving through the air and cutting the enemy in two.

The third expert summoned a barrage of fireballs with his Inferno Barrage, but Wang Jian was prepared, deflecting the attacks with his Endless Blade Defense.

He then followed up with the Swift Silver Stab, a lightning-fast thrust that impaled the enemy's heart.

The fourth expert tried to escape with his Shadowy Retreat, but Wang Jian used his Moonrise Fist to shatter the ground beneath the enemy's feet and send him flying.

Wang Jian then closed in with his Moonshadow Step and unleashed his Dark Fog, enveloping the enemy in darkness before incinerating them with flames.

Meanwhile, Lady Zhuoran faced a horde of Lord Realm members of the Crimson Cult.

One of the Cult's members charged at her with a Whirlpool Charge, a technique that created a powerful whirlpool around him as he charged forward.

But Lady Zhuoran summoned her Oceanic Pearl Bead and used her Water Dragon's Wrath to summon a massive dragon made of water that slammed multiple Lord Realm cult members into the ground.

A cult member attacked with a Tidal Wave Slam, creating a massive wave that was aimed at crushing Lady Zhuoran.

But she countered with her Tidal Wave Takedown, creating a massive whirlpool that sucked in her opponents and battered them with the force of the ocean.

A third Cult member attempted to strike with a Lightning Bolt Strike, a technique that sent a bolt of lightning towards Lady Zhuoran.

But she used her Oceanic Spear Strike to summon a massive spear made of water that impaled the enemy with deadly precision.

In the meantime, Wang Jian's guards, the mace-wielding Rui and the axe-wielding Li, were both experts in their own right, but they were facing off against two King Realm experts from the Crimson Cult who were equally skilled.

The first of the Crimson Cult experts was named Shan, and he wielded a longsword.

He began the fight by using his technique called the Bloodied Blade, a powerful sword strike that left a trail of red mist in its wake.

Rui managed to dodge the attack, but Shan was quick to follow up with his next technique, called the Crimson Cyclone.

He spun around in a circle, creating a whirlwind of blood-red energy that sent Rui flying.

Meanwhile, the other Crimson Cult expert, a woman named Mei, was facing off against Li. She used her technique called the Dancing Flames, which sent a burst of fire towards Li.

He managed to deflect the attack with his axe, but Mei was already moving in for her next strike.

She used her technique called the Burning Blade, which covered her sword in flames, and struck Li with a powerful overhead swing.

Li managed to block the attack with his axe, but the force of the blow knocked him back several feet.

Rui recovered from the Crimson Cyclone and charged towards Shan, swinging his mace.

Shan blocked the attack with his sword and countered with his technique called the Scarlet Flash, a quick strike that left a trail of red light.

Rui tried to dodge the attack, but Shan was too fast, and his sword struck true.

Rui stumbled back, wounded, and Shan took advantage of the opening to use his technique called the Bloody Rain.

He pointed his sword towards the sky, and drops of blood fell from the blade, striking Rui and causing him to fall to the ground, dead.

Li, seeing his comrade fall, let out a roar of anger and charged towards Mei.

He used his technique called the Thundering Axe, a powerful strike that sent shockwaves through the ground.

Mei tried to dodge the attack, but Li's axe struck her shoulder, leaving a deep gash.

Mei winced in pain but managed to retaliate with her technique called the Fiery Whirl. She spun around, creating a tornado of flames that engulfed Li.

He managed to protect himself from the worst of the flames with his axe, but he was left tired and disoriented.

Mei took advantage of the opportunity and used her technique called the Inferno Blade, which sent a burst of flames towards Li.

He managed to deflect the attack with his axe, but he was too tired to keep fighting.

As Mei prepared to strike down the final guard of Wang Jian, she suddenly felt a searing pain in her stomach.

She turned her head to reveal the source - Wang Jian's sword had pierced through her.

Having vanquished all of Crimson Cult's experts on his side, he had finally stepped forward to join the fray, though too late to save his fallen man.

Wang Jian had no intention of killing Mei; he simply wished to incapacitate her, ensuring she couldn't interfere.

Shan, the last remaining member of the Crimson Cult, stared at Wang Jian in terror, disbelief written on his face as he noticed the corpses of powerful experts who had been fighting Wang Jian.

Thinking quickly, Shan turned and fled, hoping to escape with his life.

But Wang Jian was not about to let him go so easily.

Utilizing his exceptional Spiritual Sensitivity, Wang Jian pinpointed Shan's location and pursued him with the incredible speed of the Moonshadow Step.

With Shan's back to the wall, he summoned his Spirit and congealed it into a Crimson Fang Wolf, a fearsome beast made entirely of spiritual energy. The wolf's fur glowed with a deep ruby red, and its teeth were razor-sharp.