When They Finally Realized, I Was Already the Strongest Villain - Chapter 18:

Chapter 18: Villain Mission, The Female Demon Sovereign Killed by the Plot?

Hearing the transmission from the black-robed man, Gu Han was shocked, but not entirely surprised. What truly unsettled him was the sheer strength of this so-called protagonist halo. Even though he had arranged everything so suddenly, the two people connected to the protagonist had still been rescued.

And according to the bloody development of the original plot, anyone related to Ye Qingyun would inevitably achieve the supreme Dao in the future, destined to be favored by heaven itself. After instructing the black-robed man to continue searching for the siblings’ whereabouts, Gu Han was about to cut off the transmission when the black-robed man spoke again.

“Young Master Gu, there is another important matter I must report… The Young Lady said she will find time soon to meet with you.”

Gu Han, who had maintained a calm expression until now, felt his face shift slightly. What? Xia Bingli, that twisted villainess, wanted to come see him? He knew her character well. Given that she was already aware of the troubles in his sect, if she still insisted on coming, who knew what kind of mess she might stir up. Still, he had indirectly benefited from her in the past. He couldn’t ignore it completely.

“There’s no need for her to come. I’ll pay her a visit when I have time,” Gu Han said.

Not long from now, an ancient relic in the Central State would emerge. Hidden within was Ye Qingyun’s first heaven-defying fortune. Gu Han naturally had to make preparations in advance to seize it. No—what seize? That fortune belonged to him in the first place.

To activate the system’s missions earlier, Gu Han directly consumed a Breaking Mirror Divine Pill. His cultivation level soared from the 6th stage Spirit Palace Realm to the 1st stage Divine Platform Realm in one leap. The remaining Breaking Mirror Divine Pills he chose to save for later. After all, his current cultivation level already surpassed many elders. With Su Lengyue’s mark and his physique’s enhancements, his combat strength was enough to contend with Dao Integration Realm experts.

[Ding! Mission system loading complete. New missions refreshed. Please review.]

As the system voice faded, an illusory panel spread open before him.

[Random Daily Mission: The host must complete at least three actions today that align with the Villain persona or the plot. Reward: 1,500 Villain Points.]

[Villain Mission: Blood Moon Demon Sovereign]

[Mission Details: Since childhood, she endured endless suffering, yet hardship never broke her. Instead, it forged her will to rise against the world. After escaping the clutches of slavers, she mistakenly walked the path of demonic cultivation. Thus began her legendary life. Under the name of Blood Moon, she rampaged across the Eight Desolations, going so far as to refine the entire Central State to achieve her supreme throne.]

[Mission Condition: Subdue the Blood Moon Demon Sovereign Han Mengyao, make her serve you, and help her establish the Blood Moon Demonic Sect. Note: Completing this mission will unlock subsequent Villain Mainline Missions.]

[Mission Location: Tianhuang City, Slave Camp.]

[Reward: Villain Points.]

[Mission Time Limit: Two and a half months.]

“Han Mengyao…?” Gu Han murmured in surprise.

He had crossed into a world with an enormous scope. Just the number of female leads and the protagonist’s companions was countless. Similarly, cannon-fodder villains and vicious supporting female characters like himself were abundant. Han Mengyao was one of them.

Her role had left a strong impression on him. Orphaned and raised in misery, she had carved her own path on the demonic road through sheer willpower and defiance. Yet under the overwhelming protagonist halo of Ye Qingyun, she, a nearly invincible demoness in the early stages, was forcefully killed off by the plot.

He remembered it clearly. In the original plot, Han Mengyao, who had never once felt care or love, encountered Ye Qingyun by chance. Ye Qingyun praised her crimson eyes—eyes the world despised as ominous and cursed. Since childhood, those scarlet pupils had brought her ridicule and persecution. That single praise, the first she had ever received, secretly planted feelings in her heart for Ye Qingyun.

Later, when she attempted to refine all of Central State to ascend to higher supremacy, she clashed fiercely with Ye Qingyun. But because of that one casual compliment, her heart wavered. Inexplicably, she was defeated and willingly died under Ye Qingyun’s sword.

This near-invincible early-stage demoness not only became Ye Qingyun’s experience fodder but also helped him deepen his bonds with several famous saintesses of Central State. In some ways, her fate was even worse than Gu Han’s.

Perhaps because they were both villainous side characters, Gu Han couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. Besides, Ye Qingyun’s background was anything but ordinary, likely hiding even more terrifying secrets Gu Han didn’t yet know. Building his own faction of villains to counterbalance Ye Qingyun’s allies was absolutely necessary.

Times had changed. Villains weren’t fools. If they could gang up and crush the protagonist, why bother with one-on-one duels?

“In a sense, this future Blood Moon Demon Sovereign’s potential is no less than that of the future Empress,” Gu Han thought. According to the original plot, Youwei was destined to become Empress. But after suffering so many setbacks, he would no longer act like a fool, working hard only to make a wedding dress for Ye Qingyun.

After solidifying his cultivation and planning his next steps, Gu Han left his cave.

“Senior Brother, you’ve finally come out…”

No sooner had he emerged than he ran into Youwei and the others, who had been waiting outside for days.

“Senior Brother, you’ve been in seclusion for so long without eating. We specially made this food for you, it’s still hot!” Youwei smiled brightly, her beauty radiant enough to topple kingdoms.

But Gu Han didn’t even glance at her. He brushed past without a word. To him, this sudden display of gentleness was nauseating.

In the past, as their Senior Brother, he had spent countless efforts preparing delicious meals for them. Yet after Ye Qingyun joined the sect, Youwei and the others took all the cooking skills he had taught them and used them to prepare feasts for Ye Qingyun instead.

Whatever they did, they thought only of Ye Qingyun, the newcomer, never of the Senior Brother who had cared for them for years. And now, to turn those same tricks on him? It only made him feel disgusted.

…