I’m the Villain, but the Female Leads Didn’t Panic—They Teamed Up with Me to Defy Fate - Chapter 2:

Chapter 2: The Secret Message and the Variable

The muddy mountain path remained soaked by relentless wind and rain.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the official returning from the cliff, especially the bearded leader of the guards—Wang Meng. He snatched the copper tube from his subordinate’s hands. It was coated in mud and about the length of a forearm.

The tube was sealed tightly, its joints secured with red wax, bearing an unusual stamp—an interwoven emblem of a wolf’s head and a curved blade.

The moment he saw that mark, Wang Meng’s pupils contracted. He had spent years at the northern frontier and knew this emblem all too well—it was the mark of the Shadow Guards from the Northern Barbarians’ Royal Court. This was not something an ordinary spy could ever possess.

He turned abruptly, his gaze like blades slicing toward Chen Mo. How did this dying, disgraced young master know the exact location of such a covert message? Could it be that all his past debauchery had been an act?

Chen Mo endured the burning pain of the whip wounds on his back and forced himself to meet Wang Meng’s scrutinizing eyes. He couldn’t flinch—this was his only shot at survival. In a hoarse, strained voice, he said clearly, “Officer… do you believe me now…?”

Wang Meng didn’t answer immediately. He held the copper tube so tightly his knuckles turned white. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for his men to move Chen Mo under a nearby rock to avoid the rain. Then he turned his back, shielding the tube from the storm and the curiosity of the other prisoners, and carefully opened it.

Inside was a roll of finely tanned parchment.

He unrolled the parchment. The writing on it was drawn in a dark red pigment, twisted and winding—barbarian script. Wang Meng could recognize some of it. His face grew increasingly grim as he read. By the time he reached the end, his expression was like iron.

This wasn’t just a warning of minor border unrest. It was a detailed military route map outlining the Great Yan Empire’s northern defenses—troop deployments at key strongholds, rotation schedules, and even a hidden path through the treacherous Duanhun Ridge. At the end was stamped the personal seal of the Barbarian Left Sage King.

This wasn’t ordinary intel—it was classified military intelligence that could shake the entire border and decide the lives of tens of thousands.

Wang Meng quickly rolled the parchment back up, shoved it into the copper tube, and clutched it tightly in his hand. His chest heaved. When he looked at Chen Mo again, his gaze had completely changed. The disdain and murderous intent were gone, replaced by suspicion, doubt, and a hint of… fear.

Someone who knew about secrets of this level couldn’t be simple, even if he was a convict. More importantly, the location Chen Mo pointed out had been pinpoint accurate.

“You…” Wang Meng stepped closer and lowered his voice, filled with complexity, “How did you know?”

Chen Mo had already prepared an explanation. Half-truthfully, half-deceptively, he panted and replied, “My father… once served as an imperial inspector at the northern frontier… he once intercepted a similar tube… studied its hiding methods… passing through here today, I found the terrain… looked familiar… so I took a chance…”

The explanation barely held up. 

The original Chen Mo’s father had indeed served in the north. Though his rank had been low, it was plausible he had come across some border affairs. 

Wang Meng was still uncertain, but now the matter of how to handle the letter—and this prisoner—was a far trickier problem than carrying out the vague “orders from above.”

Kill Chen Mo? 

What if he had more secrets? 

What if the letter needed his testimony?

Spare him? 

Then how would he answer to his superiors?

Wang Meng was torn. He weighed the copper tube in his hand. It was a burning potato right now—but if handled well, it could become a monumental achievement.

[Ding! Successfully altered fate node: Accident during Exile. Fate Reversal Points +50!]

[Current Fate Reversal Points: 60]

The system prompt in his mind brought Chen Mo a moment of relief. Sixty points. A long way from one million, but this tangible reward was a powerful dose of hope.

Defying fate was not a fantasy!

Chen Mo carefully watched the flickering emotions on Wang Meng’s face, knowing the danger wasn’t over yet. He had to give the man an irresistible reason to spare him.

“Officer…” Though his voice was still weak, his tone had a guiding edge, “This message… is of grave importance. If you deliver it yourself to a northern general… or even straight to the capital… it would be… a monumental merit…”

He paused, gauging Wang Meng’s reaction, then added, “As for me… just a convict on death row… if I serve as witness to this message… perhaps it would… strengthen your case…”

He was implying that his life was more valuable than his death. A man who exposed a massive barbarian plot—even if condemned—was still a contributor, a tool to justify the entire discovery. Killing him would only raise suspicion.

Wang Meng’s eyes flickered, clearly weighing the pros and cons. In the end, the lure of glory won over the fear of unclear orders. He grunted heavily and said to Chen Mo, “You’re lucky! From now on, you’d better behave. Try anything funny, and I’ll be the first to gut you!”

Then he turned and barked at the other three guards, “Watch him closely! Give him water and rations. Don’t let him die! The rest of you, pick up the pace—we need to reach the next relay station fast!”

His attitude had clearly shifted.

Chen Mo was escorted back to the group, but his treatment had changed. He received clean drinking water and a rock-hard biscuit. Even the pain from his wounds seemed to lessen a little.

Silently, he chewed the food, feeling strength return to his limbs little by little—but inside, waves surged.

The first step—he had survived.

But the real danger was only beginning. Ling Chen’s people would not let this go. The emergence of that letter had disrupted their plans and would surely provoke an even more aggressive response.

And… that white figure glimpsed in the rain—who was it?

…

Meanwhile, several dozen kilometers away, in a refined mountain manor.

Candlelight flickered, casting shadows beside a window where a graceful white figure stood. Su Wanqing had changed out of her slightly damp outer garments and now wore a pale blue robe. She stood before a half-played game of Go, delicately holding a smooth white piece between her slender fingers, yet had not placed it down for a long time.

A maid dressed in tight-fitting clothing, her presence calm and restrained, quietly entered the room and whispered, “Miss, news from the exile convoy. Wang Meng didn’t take action because… that Chen Mo… correctly identified the location of the ‘Wolf Shadow’ No. 3 message drop.”

“Oh?” Su Wanqing’s fingers paused slightly. Her beautiful and cold face showed no expression, but a faint ripple stirred in her deep, serene eyes.

After her rebirth, she had only learned about that hidden message site much later—when Ling Chen used it to take down a political rival. That letter should have only been buried recently.

Chen Mo—a cannon fodder who should’ve been cowering and resigned to death by now—how did he know?

Coincidence? Or…

She recalled that moment in the rain, when the young prisoner lifted his head. The look in his eyes—calm, stubborn, strangely out of place amid the numbness and despair of the others.

Those weren’t the eyes of a dying scoundrel.

“Understood,” Su Wanqing responded softly, finally placing the white piece on an unremarkable spot on the board.

The game of chess seemed to shift ever so slightly, deviating from its original course.

She gazed quietly at the board, her eyes unfocused, as if peering through the nineteen lines into the fog of past and future.

This Chen Mo… truly had become an interesting variable.