The moment the energy wave swallowed him whole, Li Yang's face froze in stunned disbelief.
He'd never imagined that he'd end up as a disposable pawn—his own grandfather's pawn!
He caught a glimpse of the Li family patriarch's cold, murderous eyes, and then Sun Qian's face—smirking playfully, staring right at him, as if he'd been waiting for this moment all along.
In his final split second of consciousness, a look of sudden realization dawned in his eyes.
So you knew… you knew everything from the start…
SPLAT!
A spray of scalding, sticky liquid splattered all over Zhao Kun. He gaped at the spot where Li Yang had just stood, his face drained of all color, his body trembling uncontrollably. His mind went completely blank, overwhelmed by the sheer horror of what he'd just witnessed.
A living, breathing person—his equal, his so-called "friend"—had been blown to bloody mist right beside him. The warm blood soaked through his clothes, clinging to his skin like a curse.
This was a trauma that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
「AAAAGH! DEAD! HE'S DEAD! EVERYONE'S GONNA DIE!」
Zhao Kun snapped, screaming like a madman, thrashing wildly on the floor.
But he wasn't the only one stunned by this sudden, brutal turn of events.
Except for Sun Qian, everyone in the room stared in horrified silence.
No one could have predicted this. One moment, the Li family patriarch had been begging for mercy to save his grandson; the next, he'd struck without hesitation, killing his own flesh and blood—his most beloved, most promising heir—without even giving him a chance to speak.
At this moment, the only person in the room who knew the real reason behind this was Sun Qian himself.
「Cold-blooded old bastard,」 Sun Qian sneered silently, a hint of mockery in his eyes. 「Willing to kill his own grandson just to cover his tracks.」
The Li family patriarch's ruthless act had been forced—by him.
The second he'd proposed a Soul Search to prove Zhao Kun and Li Yang's innocence, he'd sealed Li Yang's fate.
Because Li Yang's mind was filled with secrets—secrets that could destroy the entire Li family if they ever came to light.
The plot to assassinate Sun Qian… the truth about the Li family's betrayal… the identity of the mastermind pulling the strings…
If even a single one of these secrets leaked, the Li family would be wiped out by the Sun family and the mastermind's forces.
For his own sake, for the sake of his entire clan, the Li family patriarch had no choice but to kill Li Yang—silence him permanently, before he could say a single word that might doom them all.
Even if Li Yang was his favorite grandson.
And this outcome was exactly what Sun Qian had wanted—planned for.
On one hand, Li Yang was the snake who'd probably plotted against him in the first two Villain Simulations. His cultivation might have been weak, but his scheming was insidious, impossible to guard against. Getting rid of him early was the smart move.
This was a small taste of revenge, a chance to vent some of the frustration he'd felt in those simulations.
「A shame, though,」 Sun Qian thought to himself. 「Li Yang's memories must have held some useful information for me. But a Soul Search would've drawn the mastermind's attention—exposed me, and brought their assassins down on my head before I was ready.」
「This outcome is perfect. I've foiled their assassination plot without revealing my true strength. Now the mastermind will have to go back to the drawing board, rework their plans from scratch.」
「I've just bought myself more time.」
「Old Li! Have you lost your mind?!」 Qi Wei, the Deputy Director of the Magic City Security Bureau, who'd been silent up until now, suddenly roared, breaking the stunned silence. 「You just killed your own grandson! Did you know all along that Li Yang was the mastermind behind tonight's chaos?!」
The Zhao family patriarch finally snapped out of his daze, yanking the hysterical Zhao Kun behind him protectively. He turned to Sun Qian, bowing deeply, his voice dripping with eagerness to shift the blame.
「Young Master Sun! The culprit has revealed himself—it was all the Li family's doing! My grandson was just a naive pawn, tricked into going along with their scheme!」
At this point, the Zhao family patriarch had clearly figured out why the Li family patriarch had killed his own grandson. It must be to cover up some dark secret—family taboos, forbidden plots, something that couldn't see the light of day.
But he didn't care about any of that. All he wanted was to pin all the blame on the Li family and save his own grandson's skin.
The Li family patriarch, now the target of everyone's suspicious stares, finally realized his mistake.
He'd acted too rashly—too desperate. It had only made him look more guilty.
But it was too late to take it back. As long as he'd buried the truth, it had been worth it.
「Young Master Sun, I… I can explain—」 He opened his mouth, scrambling to come up with a plausible excuse to cover up his actions.
But Sun Qian cut him off coldly, his voice sharp as a blade.
「Who gave you the right to kill someone in my presence?」
「Sun Zhong! Teach this old dog a lesson he won't forget!」
The Li family patriarch's face paled. Before he could even react, he saw a blur of movement—Sun Zhong had appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, faster than the speed of light.
BOOM!
A single palm strike slammed into his chest.
The Li family patriarch was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the wall with a deafening crack. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body crumpling to the floor—severely injured, his cultivation base shaken to its core.
The gap in their realms was too great. A Fourth Layer Saint stood no chance against a Seventh Layer Saint.
After delivering the crippling blow, Sun Zhong didn't press his attack. He just turned and stepped back, returning to his spot behind Sun Qian, silent and imposing as ever.
「Do that again,」 Sun Qian said calmly, his eyes cold as ice, ignoring the stunned gasps of the crowd. 「And I'll take your head off personally, old dog.」
He couldn't kill the Li family patriarch right now—not yet. Making a move against a Saint Realm patriarch would stir up too much chaos, draw far too much attention from the mastermind's forces.
But crippling him? That was perfect. It would slow the Li family down, buy him more time for his next simulation, and serve as a warning to anyone else who dared to cross him.
「T-Thank you… Young Master Sun… for sparing my life…」 The Li family patriarch gasped, clutching his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He was seething with rage, but he didn't dare show it—only bow his head in humiliating gratitude.
This was the ultimate humiliation. To be beaten half to death, forced to thank your attacker for not finishing you off.
Ding. Host has cleverly manipulated the situation, forcing the Li family patriarch to kill his own grandson Li Yang, completely foiling the first assassination plot against you. You have turned everyone into your pawns. Special Reward: 30000 Villain Points, Temporary Talent Level +1 for your next simulation.
Temporary Talent Level +1 for the next simulation!
Sun Qian raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise and satisfaction crossing his face.
If he managed to draw a Red Talent like You Can't See Me in his next simulation, this bonus would upgrade it to a Purple Talent.
He couldn't even imagine how powerful that would make the ability.
Truly, the biggest rewards came from breaking the timeline—changing the future, rather than following the script.
「Alright,」 Sun Qian said, clapping his hands together lightly, breaking the tense silence. He slung his arm around Liu Yue's waist, his voice ringing with authority. 「The matter is settled. Li Yang was the mastermind behind tonight's chaos—case closed.」
「I have important business to attend to. You're all dismissed.」
「Young Master Sun is truly wise and just!」 The Zhao family patriarch bowed deeply, his voice brimming with relief.
「THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR! YOU'RE MY SAVIOR!」 Zhao Kun—still half-crazed from the trauma—suddenly dropped to his knees, screaming hysterically, kowtowing to Sun Qian like he was a judge handing down a verdict.
The Zhao family patriarch's face turned as black as coal. He backhanded Zhao Kun hard, knocking him unconscious, then slung him over his shoulder and fled the room in a hurry, eager to get away from this disaster.
「Young Master Sun. If that's all, this old man will take his leave as well.」 The Li family patriarch struggled to his feet, bowing awkwardly, before hobbling out of the room, his back bent with pain and humiliation.
Soon, only Qi Wei remained in the room, standing stiffly, unsure of what to do next.
「Then this subordinate won't disturb Young Master Sun any longer,」 Qi Wei said quickly, bowing respectfully. He glanced at Sun Qian's arm around Liu Yue's waist—clearly, the young master had more "important business" to attend to—and prepared to take his leave.
「Wait a minute, Director Qi.」 Sun Qian's voice stopped him.
Qi Wei froze, his heart skipping a beat. Had he done something to displease the young master?
「You've worked hard tonight,」 Sun Qian said casually, nodding at him. He tilted his chin at Sun Zhong. 「Sun Zhong—reward him.」
SWISH!
A stream of spiritual energy lifted the jade ruyi—the Royal Artifact with healing powers that the Li family patriarch had just offered as an apology—and floated it gently over to Qi Wei.
This thing had come from the Li family patriarch's hands. Who knew what kind of tricks or hidden formations were embedded in it? Sun Qian wanted nothing to do with it.
Might as well use it to buy a man's loyalty. It was a win-win.
Qi Wei stared at the jade ruyi floating in front of him, his eyes widening with disbelief.
A Royal Artifact! A genuine Sixth-Tier Royal Artifact with life-saving healing abilities!
This was a treasure that countless cultivators would kill for—a treasure that could turn the tide of a battle, save a life in the blink of an eye.
And Sun Qian was just… giving it to him? Like it was a trivial trinket?
「Y-Young Master Sun! This is too valuable! I can't possibly accept this—」 Qi Wei stammered, his voice trembling with excitement and gratitude.
「Take it,」 Sun Qian waved a hand dismissively, his lips curling into a lazy smirk. 「Consider it a bonus for your loyalty tonight. And Director Qi—」
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper.
「Keep an eye on the Li family and Zhao family for me. I want to know their every move from now on.」
「Yes, Young Master Sun!」 Qi Wei knelt on one knee, clutching the jade ruyi tightly to his chest, his eyes burning with fanatical loyalty. 「This subordinate will not disappoint you! I swear to you, I'll watch those two clans like a hawk!」
To think that he'd gone from a struggling Deputy Director, stuck in a dead-end job, to the personal ally of the Sun family's heir—rewarded with a Royal Artifact for his troubles.
He'd made the right choice. The only choice.
Sun Qian nodded in satisfaction, then turned, slinging Liu Yue over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. He strode toward the door, his tall figure exuding an aura of unbridled dominance, leaving Qi Wei kneeling there, watching his back with reverence.
The night was far from over.
And Sun Qian's game had only just begun.