Villain: You Want Me to Follow the Plot and Die? I’m Done Pretending - Chapter 50:

Chapter 50: No More Secrets:

(The Whale Shark Town)

The place was bustling with people selling various fish-beasts, with simple clothes spread out to create makeshift stalls. Gu Feng followed the bearded man through the lively market, observing everything with an air of calm, seeming perfectly at ease.

However, the bearded man looked slightly apologetic. “The market smells a bit fishy, as we live off the sea here.”

Gu Feng waved his hand, dismissing it. Every place had its own unique character, just as every corner of the cultivation world did.

They arrived at the bearded man’s home—a modest two-story courtyard that looked relatively prosperous.

“Father!” A small boy in a patched outfit ran toward them from a distance.

“Sir, this is my son, Zhang Sanyan.” The man said with a proud smile, wrapping an arm around the boy.

Zhang Sanyan? Gu Feng’s eyebrows rose slightly as he looked at the dark-skinned, skinny boy with wide, curious eyes.

The system chimed in, [Host. He has natural luck energy!]

Gu Feng felt a twinge of annoyance. “What’s wrong with you? Did traveling through the portal make you stupid? Zhang Sanyan is destined to be Ye Fan’s close friend, so of course, he has luck energy.”

The coincidence amused him.

To think he’d encounter one of the novel’s important supporting characters so soon after arriving. Zhang Sanyan was nothing more than a child, with big, innocent eyes staring at him in awe.

“Big Brother, are you a Golden Core Realm cultivator?” The boy asked, curious and blunt as only children are.

Gu Feng smiled and shook his head. “No.”

The bearded man scolded him, smacking him lightly on the back of the head. “Mind your manners! Sir, please don’t mind him; he’s just a child and doesn’t know better.”

“It’s fine. I won’t hold a child’s words against him.” Gu Feng looked around the man’s home. “Would it be alright if I stayed here for a few days?”

“Ah! Of course, of course! It would be an honor!” The man quickly replied.

Before he finished speaking, Gu Feng dropped a monster core into his hand. “I’ll stay on the second floor.”

The man stared at the object in his palm, eyes widening in disbelief. It was the core of the five-tier beast—the very same giant octopus—still faintly glowing with a soft purple light.

“Father…is this what I think it is?” Zhang Sanyan asked, his big eyes fixated on the core.

“Yes, it’s a five-tier monster core.” The man whispered, voice trembling with excitement.

“Keep this quiet. This guest is an important man, and we must treat him with the utmost respect.” He warned his son as he pocketed his core.

Zhang Sanyan nodded earnestly, thinking that he would do whatever it took to show his gratitude.

The system chirped, [Zhang Sanyan profile acquired! According to the novel, he loses his father at age twelve and is later taken in by a sect, eventually becoming Ye Fan’s closest friend in the higher realms…and eventually dying in battle against…the host?]

“Are you some kind of fake system? I remember this character, and you’re just now picking up on him?” Gu Feng asked.

The system fell silent. [Well…because…some of the data is automatically sent back.]

“Oh? So after a thousand years together, I find you’re hiding things from me.” Gu Feng’s tone was low and dangerous.

[Well, the data transmits in real-time…also, transporting you to the first day in the novel costs a lot of energy!] the system stammered.

Gu Feng looked down at his hand, where he’d forced the system’s form into a yellow, laughing emoji. He held it up, scrutinizing it with a piercing gaze.

“These past thousand years,” he said slowly, “I’ve thought a lot about why you keep sending people into these novel worlds.”

The system shuddered in his hand.

[If I’m right, it’s to drain the world’s original source, correct?]

The system remained silent, but the truth was already written in its uneasy hum.

He laughed, giving the system a small squeeze. “So, this world evolved past what you expected, and the Heavenly Dao realized the source was being drained. That’s why it’s targeting you, isn’t it?”

No response came.

“Once I become favored by this world’s Heavenly Dao, I’ll essentially be helping the gods above siphon its energy away. We’ll break the Dao’s defense and get you back to the Creator. And that’s how I’ll leave this world, too…isn’t that right?”

The system stayed silent, understanding that it was best to say nothing.

Gu Feng laughed again. “Stop pretending. For now, we’re on the same side.”

He clenched his hand, and the system’s projection shattered. “It just took me a thousand years to realize that after all this time, you’ve still been hiding things from me.”

After a long silence, the system sighed, [Don’t worry, Host. I’ll never harm you.]