I Was Reborn as the Villain, but the System Bound Itself to the Female Leads - Chapter 25:

Chapter 25: Heading Alone to the Depths of Savage Peak

At Savage Peak, three lanterns hung in front of three tents, illuminating the small clearing around them.

Lin Yuan didn’t eat much. After a quick cleanup, he put on his headlamp and said to the others, “I’m going to explore deeper into Savage Peak. Anyone want to come with me?”

He Yuwei was visibly surprised. She looked at Lin Yuan with confusion. The sky was already completely dark—going deeper into the mountain at night was extremely dangerous.

“Do you really have to go now? It’s dangerous. Why not wait until morning?” she asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern.

“Because it’s more exciting at night,” Lin Yuan casually made up a reason. He couldn’t possibly reveal his true purpose to them.

“We’re not going. It’s too dangerous at night. We’re just here for a relaxing trip, not to risk our lives. If you want to seek thrills, go alone,” Zhang Long said bluntly.

He had no intention of risking his youth and future just to chase danger in the dark. Seeking thrills? Only a fool would do that.

“Alright then, I’ll go alone.”

“I’ll go with you,” Yang Gang immediately stood up. He couldn’t let his Young Master go on an adventure alone.

“You stay. I’ll go by myself,” Lin Yuan said. He then leaned close to Yang Gang and whispered something only the two of them could hear.

“Those two bastards don’t seem like good people. Keep an eye on them. If they try anything, stop them immediately. Got it?”

Lin Yuan knew what was about to happen. Leaving Yang Gang here served as a safeguard.

Even though he didn’t want to get entangled with the female leads from the original novel, knowing someone was about to get hurt—and that person was right in front of him—if he turned a blind eye, it would be as if he were an accomplice. Lin Yuan couldn’t bring himself to do that.

“But I’m only responsible for your safety, Young Master,” Yang Gang replied. Though he understood, he didn’t want to interfere. For him, Lin Yuan’s safety came before anyone else’s.

“Cut the crap. I’ve taken a liking to those two women. You know what that means. Anyone who dares lay a finger on them, even a strand of their hair, I’ll hold you accountable. Got it this time?” Lin Yuan said impatiently, putting on his old tyrant act.

“Got it,” Yang Gang nodded. No wonder the Young Master wanted him to stay—it was to keep an eye on those two punks and stop them from touching the women he had his eyes on.

“Alright. I’m counting on you,” Lin Yuan said.

Yang Gang was loyal to the extreme. He only cared about Lin Yuan and had no interest in anything else. He was the perfect henchman.

If it had anything to do with Lin Yuan, Yang Gang would give it his all, even if it was something heinous.

In the original novel, Yang Gang didn’t have much description—just that he was Lin Yuan’s loyal subordinate who helped him commit various crimes and eventually died at the hands of Long Haochen while protecting him.

Lin Yuan had always been curious—what kind of reason made Yang Gang so devoted? If there’s a chance later, he’d definitely ask.

Having finished his arrangements, Lin Yuan turned on his headlamp and set off alone toward the depths of Savage Peak.

“Your buddy really isn’t afraid of death, huh?” Zhang Long sneered at Yang Gang after seeing Lin Yuan walk off alone.

He couldn’t understand people like that. Was being alive not good enough? Why go looking for danger? Must be crazy.

Yang Gang didn’t respond, which quickly made Zhang Long lose interest. He turned and started chatting with Wang Qianyue, while Zhou Feng talked with He Yuwei.

Yang Gang simply watched in silence, keeping in mind what Lin Yuan had told him.

Lin Yuan moved swiftly, machete in hand, cutting through the thick vegetation as he advanced.

Along the mountain trail, he heard the constant chirping of insects. Occasionally, bugs would fly in front of him or land on his forehead, drawn by the headlamp’s light.

“This trail really is tough to walk,” Lin Yuan muttered. Brushing away mosquitoes and bugs, he pushed forward. He had to find the cave mentioned in the original novel. Without external aids, it was his only shot at competing with Long Haochen.

But after walking for a while, he bitterly realized—he was lost.

The forest at night severely limited visibility. The narrow beam of the headlamp wasn’t enough to clearly see the surroundings.

He tried to stick to relatively flat ground, but had no idea how far he had walked.

“Charging ahead blindly won’t help. I’ll just lose my way back,” Lin Yuan thought. He debated whether to return and wait for daylight before continuing the search.

Just as he was about to turn back, he suddenly spotted a faint light flickering in the distance—about a hundred meters away.

“What the hell? Is someone else exploring Savage Peak too?”

Lin Yuan was surprised.

Still, it gave him a target. If they were also adventurers, maybe he could ask them about the area to help him locate the cave from the original novel.

Without hesitation, Lin Yuan walked toward the distant light.

What he didn’t realize was this—when they drove up to Savage Peak, there were no other vehicles parked nearby.

As he got closer, the light became clearer. He could also faintly hear some voices.

“Don’t… stop… how dare you…”

It was a weak female voice.

Hearing this, Lin Yuan froze. He frowned. Was someone… doing that kind of thing? If he suddenly barged in, wouldn’t it ruin their moment?

He slowed his steps. If it was what he suspected, walking in on it would be awkward.

Just then, another sharp, furious scream rang out—this time full of desperation.

“Zhou Feng! Zhang Long! You two deserve to die!”

Lin Yuan snapped out of it instantly.

He recognized the voice—it was He Yuwei.

And in that moment, everything became clear. The light up ahead wasn’t from some other group… it was from their own camp. He had unknowingly circled back.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

He instantly picked up speed, hacking away at the overgrowth with his machete, clearing a path forward as fast as he could.