True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress

When Jian Dan arrived at the peak of Cai Xia Peak, Peak Lord Mo Qi was already waiting. Her attendants had prepared wine and refreshments, and Mo Su and Mo Yi had also arrived. What surprised Jian Dan was that Tang Jian of Mo Yun Peak was also present in the pavilion.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion was tense. No one spoke. All eyes were on the clouds glowing with evening light on the horizon. Mo Qi, who had been watching the mountain path, stood up before Jian Dan even came into view and walked to the pavilion's edge.

"Why are you so late?"

"I ran into two outer sect disciples at the base. Chatted a bit, so I got delayed."

"Come quickly. In another half hour, the evening clouds will reach their peak. That's when the view is most beautiful."

They entered the pavilion while chatting. Jian Dan greeted the three men and finally turned her gaze to Tang Jian.

"Peak Lord Tang, what brings you to Cai Xia Peak today?"

Tang Jian's expression was uncharacteristically blank. After a small salute, he spoke.

"I came uninvited. Apologies for disturbing your gathering."

"How polite of you, Peak Lord Tang. That's a rare sight," Mo Qi quipped.

Jian Dan smiled and said, "Do you have business here, Peak Lord Tang?"

Tang Jian was silent for a few moments before replying.

"I do have some affection for Pan Yuanyuan. As long as her actions were not too out of line, I looked the other way. But my leniency only fed her ambition and made her greedier."

"So you're blaming me for dragging her mess into the light? You still think she's within your control?" Jian Dan raised an eyebrow. She couldn't quite understand his intention.

"I only wanted to handle things more discreetly. There was no need to make it so awkward."

"Ah, so you're upset I exposed Pan Yuanyuan's failed schemes. She tried to ensnare me and ended up tangled herself, leaving you with a green hat." She made no effort to soften her words. Mo Su and Mo Yi both reached for their winecups, clearly needing a sip to cope.

Tang Jian's face darkened. He forced himself to speak calmly.

"That's not what I meant."

Jian Dan narrowed her eyes.

"Then what did you mean?"

Mo Su glanced at her and subtly gestured to Mo Qi. He knew that look well. Jian Dan was either about to strike or plot something.

With a charming smile, Jian Dan ran her fingers along the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye and addressed Tang Jian.

"As a peak lord enjoying the support of the Heavenly Demon Palace, you should act the part. If you truly believed Pan Yuanyuan was capable, why didn't you make her your official dao companion? Give her the proper title and let her assist you openly.

But no, you saw yourself as worthy of someone better. A concubine is just that, after all. Convenient, useful, but ultimately disposable. You wanted her loyalty and labor, without giving her status or name.

But the world doesn't work that way. You wanted everything without giving anything. She tolerated it for a time, convinced herself it was enough, but I shattered that illusion. She tried to claw her way up and got burned. And you, Tang Jian, you walk away clean. The real winner.

You dropped a woman you'd grown tired of, kept her family's support by pretending righteous, handed me a neat excuse to expose her, and kept your dao companion slot open. So long as you're a peak lord, there'll always be families lining up their daughters.

You lost nothing. Am I wrong, Tang Jian?"

Her final words were ice cold. Silence hung over the group, broken only by Tang Jian's shallow, angry breaths.

"Don't come to me looking for sympathy. Everything that happened was a result of your own actions. I was only the trigger. If it hadn't been me, someone else would've exposed her eventually."

She paused, then stared directly into Tang Jian's eyes.

"That little trick of yours? Overused. People will catch on. As for the trip to the Ming Valley, I won't be teaming up with you. As for these three, you can ask them yourself."

Mo Qi didn't hesitate. "I've already agreed to join Jian Dan's team. I won't be changing."

Mo Su simply nodded.

Mo Yi added bluntly, "I'm with Mo Su."

Tang Jian rose to his feet, chest tight with frustration. Never had he felt so thoroughly dismissed. He turned to leave, but before he could vanish, Jian Dan's voice called out behind him.

"See you on the battlefield, Peak Lord Tang."

Tang Jian left without a word.

Mo Qi finally spoke up, rare praise in her tone.

"That's the most I've ever heard you say. And every word hit the mark."

Jian Dan sighed. "It's hard enough being a woman cultivator in this world. Everyone chooses their own path. I was lucky. I inherited Mo Mei Zhūnzhu's legacy. I started ahead and saw farther. But not everyone's so fortunate.

Some cling to powerful men for their clan's sake. Others do it because they want easy access to resources and aren't willing to struggle from the bottom."

Mo Yi cut in, eyes curious. "If you were in Pan Yuanyuan's position, what would you have done?"

"Do my part, sacrifice as little as possible, gain as much as I can. Then leave the pig-footed man behind the moment I had the power. The cultivation world's full of handsome men waiting for someone like me."

Mo Qi burst into laughter, her refined face bright with mischief.

"You're something else. With that attitude, how come you haven't raised a little pet of your own?"

"It's not that I don't want to. He's just not willing."

"You mean that sword cultivator from the Heavenly Sword Sect, Cao Xiaoyou?"

"Mm."

"No wonder. You stood up to a Divine Soul cultivator for his sectmate."

"Of course I did. It left a good impression. His sectmate will talk me up when he returns, and that'll warm him to me."

"So roundabout. With your cultivation, why not just snatch him?"

"You don't get it. I like the chase. Forced fruits don't taste sweet. The Heavenly Sword Sect's the leading orthodox sect. Their face matters."

"What's so great about him?"

"He has the air I like. He can turn me down cleanly and confidently. That's rare. And, well, I just like that face."

Mo Qi couldn't help but laugh again.

"So it's beauty that's bewitched you."

Mo Su and Mo Yi sat silently as the two women talked without a care, their expressions unreadable. Eventually, Mo Yi broke the banter.

"So what did Tang Jian really want, crashing our gathering like that?"