Villain: After Intercepting the Female Lead, the Protagonist Collapses

Chapter 104: Dingfeng Banquet

“Ding, host has beaten up Ye Tian, changing the plot, awarding 2000 villain points.”

“Ding, Ye Tian’s luck -1000, awarding 2000 villain points to the host.”

“Fubo, stop.” Jiang Che frowned at the sight of Ye Tian, who was now disfigured with fresh blood oozing from his mouth, and signaled Fubo to stop.

This guy couldn’t die yet; after all, he was a flourishing source of villain points for Jiang Che. It would be a pity if he died just like that.

Upon hearing Jiang Che’s order, Fubo ceased his actions and stepped back behind Jiang Che.

“Ah…” Lying on the ground, Ye Tian’s face was a patchwork of bruises, his eyes bloodshot, and his face deathly pale.

The pain radiating throughout his body almost made him pass out several times.  He was coughing non-stop, his face twisted in rage.

“Kid, being too arrogant isn’t a good thing. There are always people stronger than you. Next time don’t be so arrogant, or you might lose your life.”

Jiang Che sneered at Ye Tian, then instructed his bodyguards to carry Ye Tian out and throw him away. He then returned to the living room with Ah Qing.

“Stupid kid, still think you’re tough?” Outside Crouching Dragon Villa, the bodyguards dumped Ye Tian by the roadside. They spat on him, their faces full of mockery.

“It’s only because our young master is too kind. Anyone else would have killed you many times over!”

After spitting a few more times on Ye Tian’s face, the bodyguards leisurely walked away.

After they left, Ye Tian wiped the blood off his face, his expression filled with anger. Gritting his teeth, he muttered under his breath, “Jiang Che, I will kill you!” His anger aggravated his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain.

Struggling to get up, Ye Tian found he couldn’t muster any strength and slowly crawled forward.

“Boom!”

Just then, a heavy rain began to pour down from the sky without any warning. The previously clear sky turned dark with thick clouds, and thunder roared.

The rain quickly drenched Ye Tian, causing his wounds to sting unbearably, almost making him pass out from the pain. Looking up, Ye Tian’s face was filled with uncontrollable rage. “Damn heavens! Are you against me too?”

“Boom! Boom!”

Two more loud thunders seemed to warn Ye Tian.

His face twitched, and he dared not utter another word, quickly crawling under a nearby large tree for shelter.

Despite knowing it’s dangerous to take shelter under a tree during a storm, Ye Tian had no other choice. The intense pain soon knocked him unconscious.

…

“Have you made any progress in your martial arts recently?” Jiang Che curiously asked Ah Qing, noting that she had been practicing for nearly two months.

“I’ve reached the middle stage of Dark Energy!”  Ah Qing said cheerfully. She had been diligent in her training, and with Jiang Che’s assistance, she had transformed from an ordinary person to a middle-stage Dark Energy master.

Her progress was significant, especially considering that not everyone had the advantage of a system like Jiang Che.

“That’s impressive.” Jiang Che praised her with a smile, pleasantly surprised by Ah Qing’s aptitude in martial arts.

“Hehe, thank you for the compliment, Young Master.” Ah Qing responded, smiling. She was aware that Jiang Che was just being kind, as her progress was modest compared to his.

…………

At 8 PM, the night grew darker.

Ye Tian, lying under a tree, felt the rainwater trickling down the trunk onto his face. He groggily opened his eyes. As he became conscious, intense pain engulfed his body.

“Hiss…”

Suppressing the pain, Ye Tian struggled to rise, managing to stand and walk despite his earlier blackout and hours of unconsciousness. His internal energy had somewhat recovered, allowing him to at least stand and walk.

“The humiliator is always humiliated! Jiang Che, I will kill you!” Ye Tian limped along the road, his figure pitiful.

He stopped by a small river to clean his wounds. His appearance was too frightening, resembling a ghost emerging from hell. After cleaning himself, he hailed a taxi and headed to the nearest hotel.

In Linjiang City, he had no place to stay, so he temporarily settled for a hotel.

…………

In a budget hotel room, Ye Tian sat cross-legged on the bed, tending to his internal injuries. He swallowed a medicinal pill, which melted instantly and its efficacy turned into internal energy coursing through his limbs.

Two hours later, Ye Tian exhaled a breath of turbid air. His complexion wasn’t as pale as before.

“Just a few more days of rest, and I’ll be back to full strength. Then, Jiang Che, you’ll pay dearly!” Ye Tian muttered to himself, his expression fierce.

Accustomed to the constant life-and-death struggles, he was used to injuries. But this humiliation was unbearable for him. Having recently returned to the country, the continuous schemes against him were infuriating.

However, he had become more cautious, realizing his limitations. To confront Jiang Che, he needed to build his own force in Linjiang City.

Taking out his phone, Ye Tian called Lin Canghai to inquire about upcoming high-society gatherings. He saw these events as an opportunity, a starting point for his rise.

His influential acquaintances were not in Linjiang City, so he had to start from scratch, one step at a time.

…

At Crouching Dragon Villa, Jiang Che was about to sleep when his phone rang. ‘Looking at you leaving in the swirling sandstorm…’

“Why is this woman calling me in the middle of the night?” Seeing the caller ID was Lin Xiyan, Jiang Che wondered about her intentions but didn’t overthink it and answered the call.

“Why did the beautiful Lin think of calling me? Could it be that you’re missing me?”

“Hmph, would I miss you, this scoundrel?”

“Then why are you calling me? I’m hanging up if there’s nothing.” Jiang Che spoke with a touch of irritation. It seemed to him that Lin Xiyan had a knack for getting on his nerves for no reason.

“You…” Lin Xiyan almost exploded in anger at Jiang Che’s response. Was he genuinely oblivious, or just pretending? “Can’t you hear I’m being sarcastic? I have an important matter to discuss with you…”

Lin Xiyan took a deep breath, trying to calm her rising temper and keep her voice steady. She found it frustratingly easy to get angry when talking to Jiang Che.

“In three days, there’s a Dingfeng Banquet. My Lin family has a project to discuss, and I’d like you to accompany me.”

“Dingfeng Banquet?” Hearing this, Jiang Che pondered for a moment. Indeed, in the storyline of “Wild Soldier King in the Flower City,” such a banquet played a crucial role.

It was where Ye Tian first made a significant impression and changed Lin Xiyan’s view of him. But with Ye Tian nearly beaten to a pulp by him, he probably wouldn’t be attending this event.

“No problem, I’ll pick you up then.”

“That’s settled, then. Bye.”

“Good ni…” Before Lin Xiyan could finish saying good night, Jiang Che hung up. Angrily, she threw her phone on the bed, her face turning red.

That heartless man had changed so quickly, not even caring to hear her good night. Lin Xiyan resolved not to engage with Jiang Che for the next three days!

…………

“System, how many villain points do I have left?”

Jiang Che leaned back on the sofa and inquired internally.

“Ding, the host currently has 23,000 villain points remaining.”

“That much? It’s the perfect time to level up while Ye Tian is recuperating. I should consolidate my cultivation.” With that thought, Jiang Che got up and went down to the open space in the backyard of his villa.

“System, upgrade my cultivation.”

“Deducting 10,000 villain points. Upgrading Mysterious Heavenly Scripture.”

…

After more than two hours, Jiang Che finally came back to his senses from that profound and mysterious state. Mid-stage Transformation! Success!

Feeling the abundant internal energy in his body, Jiang Che nodded in satisfaction. He did not breakthrough to the late stage of Transformation in one go.

After each advancement in cultivation, it’s better to consolidate before continuing to advance. Otherwise, the flaw of an unstable foundation can be fatal. Jiang Che stood up and headed straight to the front yard.

In these three days, Jiang Che’s life was incredibly leisurely. He either chatted on the phone with Shen Qingqiu or playfully teased the little maid. That evening, Jiang Che put on a suit and drove his Bugatti to the Lin residence as agreed, to pick up Lin Xiyan for the banquet.

Outside the Lin family mansion, Jiang Che stopped the car, called Lin Xiyan, and then waited quietly outside. Soon, Lin Xiyan, dressed in an evening gown, came out of the Lin residence.

She had light makeup today, a hairpin on her head, and high heels on her feet. Different from her usual ancient fairy-like dress, today’s Lin Xiyan looked more like a night elf enchanting all beings.

Lin Xiyan walked up to the Bugatti and sat in the passenger seat.

“You look good in this outfit today. It fits well,” Jiang Che said seriously after looking at Lin Xiyan for a while.

“You finally say something nice,” Lin Xiyan huffed, a smile appearing on her face.

She was still angry about Jiang Che hanging up the phone three days ago, but his compliment seemed to ease her anger.  Although she knew he behaved this way with every girl, Lin Xiyan still liked to hear it.

Jiang Che smiled awkwardly, pressed the gas pedal to the floor, and took Lin Xiyan straight to the International Hotel in Linjiang City, where the Dingfeng Banquet was being held tonight on the sixth floor.

At the entrance of the Linjiang City International Hotel, Jiang Che parked the car and walked in with Lin Xiyan.

The security guards at the door didn’t stop them when they saw Jiang Che. His face was the best pass; only someone tired of living would dare to stop him.

“Young master Jiang, hello…”

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you, Young master Jiang. You still look radiant!”

Along the way, many greeted Jiang Che, who responded with smiles, appearing very amiable.

(TL: Dingfeng Banquet implies a high-level, prestigious, or elite gathering, involving influential or prominent figures. The term Dingfeng symbolizes the top-tier status of the event.)