Villain: Slacking My Way to Emperor, The Protagonist Is Losing It!

"Su Beichen knew Liu Qingran's whereabouts in advance and was aware that she would be heading to the Wild Beast Mountains."

"So, he orchestrated a beast riot, forcing that airheaded woman into a desperate situation where she'd be completely surrounded."

"Then, he would make his grand entrance, acting as the heroic savior."

"And if he deliberately took some injuries in the process? Oh, that'd make the whole act even more convincing."

"This kind of cheap, cliché drama—anyone with an IQ over 20 could see through it."

But what shocked Chen Xuan the most was—

Liu Qingran actually believed it.

And not only did she believe it, but she fell for Su Beichen on the spot.

Then again…

Even if she didn't believe it, it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

She would've been fooled by Su Beichen in the end anyway.

Chen Xuan glanced at Liu Qingran's cold and delicate face, then let his gaze drift downward for a moment.

Suddenly, he understood.

All the nutrients meant for her brain must have been absorbed by her chest.

No wonder she was this stupid.

Liu Qingran's small fists clenched in fury.

That bastard Chen Xuan!

Calling her stupid, brain-dead, easily fooled?!

And what was that about her brain's nutrients…?

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to strangle him to death on the spot.

Was she really some brain-dead thunderhead?!

If someone was scheming against her, did he really think she couldn't tell?

Her chest rose and fell sharply, her rage barely contained.

She bit her lip, saying nothing, silently vowing—

She would make sure to slap Chen Xuan's face in the coming days.

"If you don't know him, then forget it!"

Liu Qingran puffed out her cheeks, barely restraining her urge to slap him on the spot.

"Since Senior Sister has nothing else to say, I won't be keeping you."

"Also, from now on, please address me properly—call me Holy Son."

Chen Xuan had no intention of getting entangled with Liu Qingran any further.

He just wanted her to leave as soon as possible, so he could enjoy his slacking lifestyle in peace.

"Hmph! Farewell, Holy Son!"

Liu Qingran was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, responding with an icy tone.

She cast one last glance at Chen Xuan's calm, indifferent face, then swiftly turned and left Linxian Peak.

In the past, Chen Xuan would have begged her to stay.

This was the first time he had ever driven her away.

Since there was no reason for her to stay any longer, she descended the mountain at full speed.

As she walked away, she could clearly feel something had changed.

Chen Xuan was no longer the same person he used to be.

There was no trace of his old self left.

At the foot of the mountain, Liu Qingran turned back to glance at the Holy Son's Grand Hall atop the distant immortal peak.

A strange, subtle sense of emptiness filled her heart.

It was as if something had slipped away from her grasp.

For the longest time, she had wished for Chen Xuan to stop bothering her.

But now that her wish had finally come true…

She felt no joy at all.

...

"Good riddance! Finally!"

The moment he sensed Liu Qingran's presence disappear, Chen Xuan let out a long sigh of relief.

Women… only slow down a man's sword."

Honestly, aside from being dumber than the other celestial beauties, Liu Qingran also had zero awareness.

With a woman this unlucky, the best course of action was to stay as far away as possible.

And more importantly—

She was the female lead of this world.

If he got even slightly involved with her…

The consequences were beyond imagination.

"But still… how did she learn about Su Beichen's name?"

A trace of doubt flickered across Chen Xuan's mind.

In the original game's storyline, at this point in time, she shouldn't even know Su Beichen existed.

"Could my transmigration have caused some kind of bug in the plot?"

Then again, right about now, Su Beichen should already be aware of Liu Qingran's existence.

That day in the secret realm, even though they had only briefly crossed paths,

Su Beichen had fallen for her at first sight.

Her appearance had been deeply imprinted in his heart.

From that moment on, he swore to make Liu Qingran his dual cultivation partner.

And to achieve that goal—

Seven days later, in the Wild Beast Mountains…

Su Beichen would make his move.

Su Beichen orchestrated his own grand rescue, setting up a dramatic scene where he would swoop in like a hero.

And shockingly—

Liu Qingran actually believed it.

Once they established contact, Su Beichen began displaying his protagonist-level, heaven-defying abilities.

Whether it was his cultivation talent or his insight into martial arts,

It was as if he were blessed by the gods themselves.

Well, that's just how it is for protagonists.

After spending a lot of time together, Liu Qingran fell completely.

Chen Xuan narrowed his eyes.

If Su Beichen wasn't the protagonist, he wouldn't even survive past the first chapter of a Xuanhuan novel.

It was normal for a protagonist to be ruthless and use any means necessary to achieve their goals.

But Su Beichen?

Absolutely shameless.

For the sake of a single pill, he would slaughter mountains of people without hesitation.

He would betray his brothers and friends—

One moment, he'd be your sworn brother, the next moment, he'd stab you in the back and sell you out.

He even came close to betraying the old soul living inside his ring.

And worst of all—

After coveting the Liu Clan's treasured artifact, Su Beichen had teamed up with his older brother to launch a midnight raid on the Liu Clan.

The most infuriating part?

He pinned the entire crime on Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan was beyond frustrated.

Why the hell would the Holy Son of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Land need to kill millions of people just to steal a single pill?

But of course—nobody believed him.

Chen Xuan's name was forever stained, condemned by the entire world.

Why?

Because he was the villain.

That was the role of a villain—

When the critical moment arrived, all they had to do was silently take the blame.

Meanwhile, the protagonist got to scheme and manipulate all he wanted.

And why?

Because Su Beichen was the protagonist.

So, no matter what he did, it was always "the right thing" to do.

Not a single person was allowed to question it.

Chen Xuan had played all the way to the final chapter of the game.

When he saw Su Beichen standing at the peak of the Immortal Path,

He had almost picked up his computer and smashed it into pieces!

It was infuriating!

Absolutely infuriating!

After venting for a moment, Chen Xuan took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

He had the Slacking System now.

He couldn't let some garbage protagonist get under his skin.

As if sensing his thoughts, the system's ethereal voice echoed in his mind—

"Ding! If the host continues slacking off, rewards will be granted as usual."

"However, if the host chooses to interfere with the storyline, this round of slacking will yield no rewards—but there will be no penalties either."

After delivering this message, the system fell silent.

"Interesting."

Chen Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

So basically—

He could continue slacking off and keep earning rewards.

Or, he could choose to intervene, but just this once, he wouldn't get a reward.

But if he resumed slacking later, he'd still receive rewards like normal.

"Wait… what if I claim my rewards first, and then take action afterward?"

In his previous life, he had to take the blame for his boss.

Now that he had transmigrated, he still had to take the blame for the protagonist?

Chen Xuan's lips curled into a playful smirk.

No way in hell was he going to let that happen.

"I'll wait for now. I'll stockpile my slacking rewards first, then strike at the perfect moment."

"Protagonists never die easily. If I attack too early, I'll just be giving him a chance to power up."

That was the golden rule of protagonists.

Even in situations where death was certain, they could always pull out some miraculous treasure at the last moment and escape.

And not only would they escape, but they'd also walk away with the best treasure in sight.

Chen Xuan understood this all too well.

Besides, Su Beichen still had Deep Blue System Points,

And the old man in his ring wasn't just any ordinary soul.

His name was Soul Elder,

And throughout the storyline, he had saved Su Beichen multiple times.

Since the protagonist couldn't die yet,

Chen Xuan decided to just let them play their little game for now.

"Time to slack off."

Letting out a yawn, Chen Xuan turned and headed back to his chamber for some rest.

…Inside a Fragrant Cave Dwelling…

"Damn you, Chen Xuan! Bastard Chen Xuan!"

Liu Qingran lay on her bed, furious, punching her blanket in frustration.

But as she kept beating the blanket, she suddenly remembered—

This was also a gift from Chen Xuan.

Which made her even angrier.

She sat up, forcing herself to calm down.

Everything that had happened today was too much to process.

For some reason, she had gained the ability to hear Chen Xuan's thoughts.

And now, in seven days, she was supposed to meet some Su Beichen.

"How does he know that I'll be heading to the Wild Beast Mountains for training in seven days?"

"And how does he know I'll meet this Su Beichen?"

This was what confused Liu Qingran the most.

Could it be that…

All of this was part of Chen Xuan's conspiracy?!