Impossible!
How could he possibly know that name!
Liu Yue froze in stunned disbelief, her eyes darting between shock and suspicion as she stared at the man lying on the bed—head propped on one arm, yawning lazily, looking like he couldn't care less about the storm he'd just unleashed.
Could it have just been a slip of the tongue?
...
Ding! Congratulations to the host for shocking the Mysterious Heavenly Realm Powerhouse Liu Yue. You have altered part of the future. Reward: +15,000 Villain Points.
Sun Qian yawned, his eyes narrowing slightly. He ignored the intense gaze burning into him, acting as if the Heavenly Realm powerhouse in front of him was nothing more than a passing stranger.
As if he wasn't the least bit afraid of whatever reaction she might have.
From his previous Villain Simulations, he knew Liu Yue would never dare to harm him—she'd even risked her life to save him time and time again. That alone proved she was, in some way, on his side.
This time, he'd just been testing the waters to see how she'd react.
But beneath his calm, carefree facade, his right hand—pinned under his head—clutched a blood-red talisman, ready to activate it at a moment's notice.
「This simulation just dropped a bombshell of a secret… but there are still so many unanswered questions.」
「I thought I'd finally seen the truth—but it turns out I'm still stuck in the middle of the maze.」
A flicker of cold, rational light lit up Sun Qian's eyes. He instantly slipped into Supreme Mode, his mind racing a mile a minute as he pieced together the clues...
Having tricked Liu Yue into spilling the beans, you'd confirmed your earlier suspicions beyond a shadow of a doubt.
You really weren't a member of the Sun Family. You were of the Qianyuan Imperial Bloodline—and an extremely special one at that.
First off, you could rule out the possibility of being a bastard child.
A bastard would never be important enough to make a prince fear for his life, let alone drive the entire Sun Family to risk everything to protect you.
Unless… you were the Crown Prince of the Qianyuan Empire? The empire's first in line for the throne!
But even that raised a host of unsettling questions.
「If I really am the Crown Prince—such a lofty, legitimate heir—why was I sent to be raised by the Sun Family? Why would the Qianyuan Emperor turn a blind eye to my existence…」
「If this were true, why would the Sun Family keep it a secret? They should've told me from childhood, groomed me to take the throne, and ridden my coattails to even greater glory as my loyal supporters…」
「And if I'm truly this extraordinary, why would Liu Yue say my veins run with the most evil, most reckless, most sinful blood? As a subject of the Qianyuan Empire—even a Heavenly Realm powerhouse—would she really dare to slander the Emperor, to insult an Earth Immortal?」
One baffling question after another popped into your mind, leaving your thoughts tangled in knots.
It was like a new layer of mystery had descended, blocking your path to the full truth.
The truth seemed so close, yet at the same time, infinitely far away.
But there was one thing you could be certain of now: you definitely had Qianyuan Imperial Blood flowing through your veins.
This wasn't just because of the Supreme Emperor Bone in your body, or all the inexplicable things that had happened to you. It was also because Liu Yue had no reason to lie to a dying man.
In the span of a heartbeat, you'd thought through a thousand different possibilities—but you'd severely underestimated just how terrifying a Heavenly Realm powerhouse's perception truly was.
Liu Yue, who'd been wallowing in a moment of pity for you just a second ago, instantly picked up on the fleeting shift in your emotions. Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her.
「You tricked me!!!」
In the blink of an eye, she figured it out. You'd only known bits and pieces of the truth—and then you'd manipulated her into spilling all the juicy details with a few well-chosen words.
She—a Fifth-Rank Heavenly Realm powerhouse—had been outplayed, outmaneuvered, by a little brat like you.
Oh no. She'd let her guard down.
You cursed inwardly, annoyed that your plan had backfired—but you didn't feel the least bit afraid.
「Sun Qian! You bastard! You're dead meat!!!」
Liu Yue flew into a rage, all trace of mercy vanishing from her face. She raised her hand, ready to teach you a lesson you'd never forget.
「I won't let you touch him!」
Seeing Liu Yue suddenly turn hostile, Su Mei stepped in front of you like a mother hen protecting her chicks, determined to shield you from harm.
She knew she stood no chance against this mysterious, overpowering woman—but in that moment, Su Mei didn't hesitate for a second. She planted herself firmly between you and Liu Yue, her small frame trembling but her resolve unshakable.
Maybe it was because you'd killed the Ghost Physician Venerable and avenged her brother. Maybe it was for some other reason entirely...
Watching this scene, a warm, unfamiliar feeling stirred in your heart. You could tell—Su Mei was different from all those other women who'd only ever wanted you for your looks or your status.
Slap!
You forced your weak body to sit up, placing a hand on Su Mei's shoulder and giving her a reassuring pat.
「It's okay. Let me handle this. She wouldn't dare do anything to me.」
「If something happens to me, a lot of important people are going to die right along with me.」
Your voice was firm and unyielding, as if you were absolutely certain Liu Yue wouldn't dare lay a finger on you.
Just as your eldest brother Sun Shou had said in his message—head south, and someone would protect you.
This meant the Sun Family wasn't the only force watching over you.
The countless powerful figures tied to your fate were far more than Liu Yue could afford to cross.
「Trying to trick me again, huh? Trying to worm more secrets out of me? Dream on!」
Liu Yue let out a cold snort—but she stopped advancing, her steps halting mid-air.
「I might not dare kill you… but I can still beat you within an inch of your life. The big shots backing you won't bother getting involved over a little punishment!」
With that, she resumed her approach, the overwhelming pressure of her Heavenly Realm aura exploding outward—far more terrifying than anything the Ghost Physician Venerable had ever mustered.
The air itself seemed to freeze solid around you.
Clearly, she hadn't given up on her little plan to "take the seed and discard the father."
Faced with Liu Yue's tough talk, you curled your lips into a mischievous grin. You suddenly spoke up, your tone light and teasing.
「Liu Yue, do you know what you remind me of?」
「What?」
Liu Yue's steps faltered, her imposing aura wavering for a split second. She knew you were just stalling for time—but she couldn't help but feel curious.
「I think you're just like Sun Wukong on the Journey to the West.」
You blurted out this seemingly random line, then suddenly wrapped an arm around Su Mei's waist, your hand closing around the blood-red talisman hidden in your palm.
「Sun Wukong on the Journey to the West?」
Liu Yue blinked, clearly confused by the analogy.
Then, a voice laced with mischievous laughter whispered directly into her ear—so quiet, yet so infuriatingly clear.
「Always so obsessed with fetching the Buddhist scriptures!」
Whoosh!
Liu Yue finally realized what you meant. Her face turned bright red with rage.
Pfft!
You didn't give her a chance to fly off the handle. You activated the Life-Substitute Blood Escape Talisman yourself, and in an instant, a burst of blood-red light engulfed both you and Su Mei, whisking you away into the distance.
「The Life-Substitute Blood Escape Talisman! How do you still have one of these?!」
Liu Yue stared after you in utter shock, completely caught off guard.
Unlike your previous simulations, where you'd revealed you had this talisman and given the mastermind time to prepare countermeasures against it...
In this simulation, you'd never asked your eldest brother for another one.
No one had known—you'd been keeping this final trump card hidden all along. It was the perfect surprise to catch Liu Yue off guard.
「Hahaha! Sun Wukong! Your master's leaving first! If you want to fetch those scriptures so badly—come and catch me!」
「SUN QIAN, YOU BASTARD!!!」