Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

"Senior Shao Ji!" Suddenly, the pawn, who was the first to speak, cried out, his face alight with excitement as though the truth was already known to him. "Since Mo Hao's family has gone to the front lines, they must have planned meticulously. How could they leave their treasures vulnerable to theft?"

He added, "The treasures that were stolen are mere trinkets. Mo Hao still possesses the truly valuable ones."

Hearing this revelation, everyone's expressions shifted, faces lighting up with sudden understanding.

"Exactly!" Shao Ji concurred. "Mo Hao's family is far from foolish."

"So, it appears that the scum has a way to survive after all."

He scoffed, "Well, surviving is one thing, but we can't allow the demon to obtain his treasures; otherwise, it would be a significant loss for us."

Turning to the other three cultivators in the Transcendence realm, he proposed, "Many among us have longstanding grievances with Mo Hao. What do you say we join forces to hunt him down and share the loot?"

At this juncture, influenced by Jiang Chen's pawn, everyone was convinced that Mo Hao remained alive.

Furthermore, the notion of Mo Hao's 'treasures' had deeply kindled avarice in many hearts.

"Why hesitate?" One individual piped up, eagerness coloring his voice. "I'm very keen on acquiring Mo Hao's treasures."

"To let a wastrel like Mo Hao hoard the Mo Clan's treasures is a travesty. They would be better utilized in our hands."

"It's agreed, then. Our intel on the Immortal Martial Continent suggests that the demon race army has been temporarily pushed back, leaving only stragglers. There's no immediate urgency; we can focus on dealing with Mo Hao before gathering more detailed information."

Shao Ji and the rest exchanged knowing glances, swiftly coming to a mutual decision to pursue Mo Hao.

However, as they were about to embark on their hunt, Jiang Chen directed his pawn to interject once more, "Esteemed seniors, while Mo Hao may be alive, he'll undoubtedly seize the chance to return to human territory!"

Wearing an expression of one who had unraveled a mystery, he added, "The only human stronghold in the Pure Frost Domain is the Moon Plucking Heavenly Sect. It stands to reason he will return here. All we need to do is lie in wait."

"Oh? There's such a reasoning?" Shao Ji's brows lifted subtly, before nodding. "It does ring plausible."

Finally, he turned to the pawn and queried, "You've shown considerable insight, young man. May I inquire your name?"

"My name is Lu Jianbai," Jiang Chen's pawn answered.

"Hmm, if you're correct, consider yourself under my wing. If you lead us astray and cause us to miss a prime opportunity to capture Mo Hao, don't think I'll spare you!" Shao Ji warned, arrogance radiating from his features.

"That seems fair," another voice echoed in agreement.

"Lu Jianbai, we'll heed your advice for now. But make no mistake: if you're wrong, your life is forfeit," added the rest of the group.

Just as they were speaking, a streak of light appeared in the distance, registering within the divine senses of Shao Ji and the other Transcendence realm cultivators.

"It's that scoundrel Mo Hao!" Shao Ji exclaimed, his face gleaming with glee. "So, he truly is alive and has even returned!"

Quickly, he slapped Lu Jianbai on the shoulder. "Well done, Lu Jianbai. Your wit has proven useful. From now on, you're with me," he said, unaware that Lu Jianbai was actually under Jiang Chen's influence.

By this time, the streak of light representing Mo Hao was drawing near.

'Hmm,' Mo Hao pondered internally. 'The man with the scarred face and the dark sprite demon chased me with murderous intent. They must've thought I was as good as dead.'

'Now that I've returned alive, their expressions will surely be priceless!'

'Pretentious Points, here I come!' Full of anticipation, Mo Hao directed himself toward the Moon Plucking Heavenly Mountain. In no time at all, he reached the vicinity of the Moon Plucking Heavenly Sect. However, as he arrived, he found Shao Ji and a sizable group already stationed at the entrance, awaiting his return.

"Shocked, aren't you? A bunch of losers!" Mo Hao taunted, hovering above the crowd.

But the scene didn't unfold as he'd anticipated. Shao Ji and the others betrayed not an ounce of surprise, as if they had fully expected his return.

'What is happening?' Mo Hao felt flummoxed. 'They were supposed to believe I was dead, weren't they?'

'Why are they staring at me so calmly, showing no signs of astonishment?'

'Could they have known I'd come back alive? How is that even possible?' A sense of deep disappointment and frustration washed over him.

Once again, Mo Hao's attempt to show off had failed spectacularly. Not a single Pretentious Point was scored!

Meanwhile, system notifications rang in Jiang Chen's Sea of Consciousness.

[Ding! You've slightly altered the plot, successfully preventing Protagonist Mo Hao from flaunting his survival, thereby proving others wrong. Mo Hao's Heavenly Fate Value has decreased by 1000 points!]

[Ding! You've earned 2000 Villain Points!]

'Heh, heh,' Jiang Chen smirked internally. 'I've successfully thwarted his attempt to show off and set the record straight.'

'And what a hit to his Heavenly Fate Value!'

'Logically, all he did was act pretentiously; he didn't even harm anyone to gain benefits. How could he lose 1000 Heavenly Fate Value points?'

'When I took down Scarface earlier, Mo Hao lost the same amount of Heavenly Fate Value, and that was for a Transcendence realm opponent.'

'Could Mo Hao actually possess a system connected to showiness? Does flaunting his achievements in front of a larger audience bring him greater rewards?' Jiang Chen began connecting the dots, lost in deep thought.

He sifted through the 'knowledge' he'd accumulated from Earth, forming a series of speculations that gradually approached the truth.

Quickly refocusing on the unfolding scene below, Jiang Chen pondered the motivations at play.

Why had Mo Hao returned? To flaunt his survival and to seek retribution.

And what of Shao Ji and the others? They were gathered here to ambush Mo Hao and seize his treasures.

Left to their own devices, a grand confrontation would surely erupt.

Under the sway of Heavenly Fate, Shao Ji and his companions would most likely fall. The remaining people would kneel and beg for mercy, allowing Mo Hao to grandstand triumphantly.

'This isn't acceptable! I can't allow him the satisfaction of boasting,' Jiang Chen mused. 'It seems the time has come for me to intervene.'

Simultaneously, Shao Ji broke the silence. "Mo Hao, you've managed to escape the dark sprite demon, which clearly means you must be in possession of treasures bequeathed by your family."

"Though you've concealed them well until now, unfortunately for you, we're aware."

"Surrender your treasures immediately, or brace yourself for an array of excruciating torments," he jeered, his eyes alight with both greed and anticipation.

"Yes, hand them over now, Mo Hao!" Another Transcendence realm cultivator chimed in.

"Valuables ought to be in the hands of the deserving. You, a wastrel, are unworthy of them. Surrender them immediately!"

"Mo Hao, didn't your elders teach you that treasures can bring calamity to their possessor? Allow us to be your educators today!"

"Give us your treasures this instant, lest you discover the meaning of true cruelty!"

One by one, the cultivators set their eyes avariciously upon Mo Hao, rapidly forming a circle around him.