Could it be that I am the cruel villain?

"With your personality, you'd know when to back down."

"Even if you have a chance of winning, you'd never go to such lengths, risking so much, especially in a match between fellow disciples. Winning or losing never mattered to you, so just spill it."

"What did Gu Miyun say to you?"

Someone's lips twitched.

Even if he went on a trip, he couldn't hide it from his senior sister's eyes. There was no way around it; his behavior was indeed out of character. Having spent three years together, she knew her junior brother's personality inside out. As Jiang Feng himself would say, it's all about risk-reward control; he'd never do something so foolish.

Finally, after days of busywork, Mr. Jiang put down what he was doing.

"Senior Sister, can't I have a bit of privacy...?"

"No."

A direct denial.

After a few seconds of silence, someone still hoped to struggle a bit, so with a straight face, he said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Senior Sister. We now live in a lawful and civilized society. Your nosiness doesn't live up to the name of Liu Xianzi..."

"You tell me, or I search myself, your call."

She tossed out the words lightly.

If Liu Tangxi really wanted to know, she could just take a peek in Jiang Feng's Divine Soul. Others might fear that remnant soul, but she's not afraid. She has completely sealed it with her half-divine soul cultivation and Swordmaster Peak's inheritance.

Or she could go ask Ao Qing and a few others at the Mountain Gate who were in the know. With her intelligence, she'd figure out a lot. So, Liu Tangxi was already giving her junior brother considerable face.

Her tone was slightly playful. She was someone who enjoys watching the world burn. In her eyes, Jiang Feng was always mild-mannered and slow to anger. Although he'd sometimes swear, it was always just talk. She never saw him like this before.

Did something get you down? Don't keep it in, spill it and make your sister happy.

With a calm expression adorned with a trace of undisguised schadenfreude, looking at Liu Xianzi's face, he might as well have plastered that sentence on her forehead. So all he could do was say with a straight face, "Those old Biden geezers at the sect want to find an ally for the expedition to Phoenix Heavenly Cave, so they plan to arrange a matchmaking for that kid."

"Oh?"

She raised an eyebrow.

At the mention of the word "matchmaking," Liu Tangxi immediately straightened her posture. If nothing else, those words were all too familiar to her.

A smile she couldn't hide appeared on her face, her lips twitching as if she could burst into laughter at any moment. By now, she finally experienced the feeling of watching from the sidelines, especially watching a junior get troubled by such matters was indescribably satisfying.

"Senior Sister, if you want to laugh, just laugh. Don't hold it in, you might hurt yourself."

He blurted out.

The corners of her mouth that were about to give in finally held back, and with a feigned calmness, she nodded, assuming a listening posture.

Come to think of it, it was quite amusing. Since Jiang Feng entered the mountain, after Swordmaster Peak reopened its gates, the elder members of the sect had never inquired about these matters again. To a cultivator, bloodlines are important, but more important is the inheritance. To put it bluntly,

If these old Bidens had to choose between their most outstanding disciples and children, more than eighty percent would choose the disciples.

The remaining twenty percent who chose their children probably did so because their children were exceptionally outstanding.

It might sound counterintuitive, but for cultivators, it's the disciples who allow them to leave a lasting legacy. Hundreds of years later, your descendants are unlikely to remember your name, at most offering incense at the ancestral shrine once a year. However!

If you are the founder of the Mountain Gate and a competent mentor, cultivating a sufficiently outstanding disciple, congratulations.

Even if you're just a Foundation Establishment pup, as the ancestral master, your name will spread far and wide, remembered by the world even after ten thousand years. That's the value of an excellent disciple.

As a lone cultivator achieves greatness, even guides like Lu Luo and Su Yi are cared for with utmost consideration by this stellar junior brother. It's like if you wanted the stars, this guy would pluck them from the Big Dipper for you. Currently, Liu Tangxi has branched out, imparting her lifelong knowledge to the Mountain Gate disciples, continually providing new blood to the sect.

Under such a premise, the elders naturally wouldn't continue urging.

"Then, Senior Sister, I'll make an irresponsible guess."

Suppressing laughter forcibly.

"Our Purple Cloud Palace has a decent reputation for over a thousand years. Although it suffered a bit due to Heavenly Power Peak's incident and Swordmaster Peak's affairs, its diplomatic ties remain solid, both with the North and the Demon Race, where some cultivators and the Sect Master have developed good relationships."

"However, the Phoenix Heavenly Cave expedition is a significant matter, not only the largest for nearly a millennium but also involving inheritance from over a dozen forces. Forming allies with other clans is indeed unsuitable, as crossing the line with other human forces might not end well."

"Different species stand apart; though I don't quite agree with this saying, people's prejudices are like mountains. Purple Cloud Palace would never make such a basic mistake, so the most likely scenario is partnering with forces from the same Human Clan, whose traditions don't conflict, preventing a fight over some artifact."

"The Southern Border is a good option. Both parties have needs that won't clash, and as fellow humans, cooperation prevents complications."

"Is that so?"

The man's face, while busy preparing explosives, turned pitch black.

He didn't expect that by providing just a keyword, his senior sister could deduce the whole story. But on second thought, it made sense. When did Jiang Feng ever take things seriously?

Who else could it be?

"It's indeed Cen Yueyue."

Speaking leisurely.

After spending so much time together, Liu Tangxi had picked up Jiang Feng's slyness. That unhurried tone, like a dull knife cutting flesh, was unbearable. But ultimately, it's her junior brother, so she started to consider Jiang Feng, so...

"What, are you scared of losing to Gu Miyun, and then having this spread to Yue Yue, making you feel embarrassed?"

"Worried that he'll outshine you, or that you'll look foolish in front of the girl, or just poor, pathetic male pride?"

Directly piercing his psychological defenses.

She knew too well how to break her junior brother's defenses, seeing how his face was about to turn from normal to liver-colored, Liu Tangxi finally changed the subject.

"I think you're overthinking this."

"Thirty years of cultivation versus three, there's no comparison. To put it bluntly, as long as you don't lose too badly this time, everyone will see it as a win for you. Nobody will think you lost; how could that girl Yue Yue be swayed by such trivial matters?"

"Plus, although they're sending him for matchmaking, it's really about probing, testing the Southern Border's reactions. As the Sect Master's grandson, his marriage is far from simple, likely a political arrangement in the future."

"But Cen Yueyue is different. As the Southern Border Saintess, just these four words grant her enough freedom; no one can or dares to constrain her. Simply put."

"Gu Miyun isn't worthy of her. As for you..."

She raised an eyebrow.

A joyous smile appeared on her face. He thought his senior sister finally chose to stand by his side, to soothe his fragile heart, yet...

"It's like a toad thinking it's deserving of a swan."

"..."

Silence.

His liver-colored face turned ashen gray.

Without a word, he merely stuffed the newly prepared explosive into a metal cylinder, using talisman paper as the ignition. The narrow metal barrel was covered with patterns, and on closer inspection, they were all Daoist Skills inscribed with thunder symbols!

Strictly speaking, the weapon Jiang Feng was researching had surpassed the category of "firearms" and "hot weapons" and became a true Magic Treasure, a pure offensive type with no grade limitation.

It caused chemical reactions with Black Stone Fire Saltpeter for intense damage while blending in the most basic Five Elements Daoist Skills like thunder, wind, and fire for amplification and included lightning strike destructiveness. It was a perfect combination of modern technology and cultivation.

Click!

He pressed a three-inch metal cylinder inside, twisted his palm, and it spun in his hand, finally aiming at...

His own senior sister.

"What are you doing, attempting to bite the hand that feeds you in a fit of rage?"

Her tone carried a hint of uncontrollable mockery. Usually, Jiang Feng would break her defenses, every time she got infuriated at his words; now she finally caught his chance, she had to pay him back.

"Senior Sister, want to try out my new Magic Treasure?"

"Hmm?"

Seeing the ominous gun barrel, a gleam of interest flashed in the woman's eyes, and she raised her chin.

"Go ahead."