Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Wang Jian knew that he couldn't prolong this game any longer.

Continuing this charade could put him in a precarious situation, forcing him to face Hong Meilin in a battle that could potentially be disastrous.

He had a few reasons for engaging with Hong Meilin for as long as he did.

Firstly, he wanted to discern the true nature of her relationship with Ye Chen.

After observing her for some time, he came to the conclusion that their relationship was strained, to say the least.

This allowed him to gain a better understanding of Hong Meilin's personality - a proud individual who would stop at nothing to fulfill her promises.

It was evident from her actions - summoning the Pope and offending a Royal Prince - that she would do whatever it took to repay the favors.

Naturally, the prerequisite was these favors must not demand her to do something she was completely repulsive of.

Secondly, Wang Jian was assessing the possibility of reinforcements arriving to aid Ye Chen.

After conversing with Hong Meilin for a while, he realized that no one else would be coming to assist Ye Chen.

The World's Essence seemed to have determined that Hong Meilin's presence with her entourage was sufficient to safeguard Ye Chen's life for the time being.

Furthermore, Wang Jian had a third motive for prolonging the interaction with Hong Meilin.

He sought to establish a genuine sense of indebtedness in her towards him. This was a far cry from when Hong Meilin had first requested Wang Jian to release Ye Chen.

Had Wang Jian complied with her request at that point, Hong Meilin would have assumed that he acquiesced out of fear of the Church of Divine Light.

Given that her status as the Saintess of the Church was higher than Wang Jian's status as the Seventh Prince of the Everlasting Mystic Empire, this would have been a reasonable assumption.

Thus, Wang Jian had to maintain his bluff, such that Hong Meilin would truly believe that he was capable of eliminating Ye Chen even if she tried her hardest to stop him.

Wang Jian's lips curled into a sly grin. "You should understand by now that even if you try your hardest, Ye Chen will still die," he said with a taunting tone. "Are you still determined to stand against me, Hong Meilin?"

Hong Meilin's response was chilly and resolute. "So be it."

Wang Jian chuckled, his amusement clear.

In response, Hong Meilin pulled out a dazzling command seal. This was precisely the Radiant Light Guardian Talisman which would instantly summon the Pope for her protection.

Wang Jian spoke once more, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement, "Very well, if you insist on fighting to protect Ye Chen, I'll release him. But keep in mind, this isn't out of fear for the Church of Divine Light. It's because you asked me to. And remember, you now owe me a personal favor."

Hong Meilin and her entourage were taken aback by Wang Jian's unexpected retreat from the battlefield. They watched him as he made his way towards his caravan.

Taking her eyes off Wang Jian, Hong Meilin turned to her comrades and suggested, "Let's take Ye Chen with us and escort him to the nearest city. We cannot be sure that Wang Jian won't change his mind and return to kill him."

Her followers readily agreed with her proposal, nodding their heads in unison. "You are right, Saintess."

As Hong Meilin's group set off carrying Ye Chen and tending to his wounds, Wang Jian met up with Chen Yiyan.

Approaching Wang Jian with a visible look of concern etched on her face, Chen Yiyan gently placed her hand on his body, searching for any signs of injury or harm that he may have sustained during the battle against Ye Chen.

"You're not hurt, are you, Jian?" she asked with worry in her voice.

Wang Jian's lips curled into a smile as he responded, "Do you think so little of me? I am not so weak that I would be injured by someone with lower cultivation than mine."

Chen Yiyan was taken aback by his response and quickly tried to clarify, "No, that's not what I meant. I knew you would easily win the battle."

Wang Jian chuckled softly as he gazed fondly at her. "You're adorable when you get flustered like that," he said while brushing his fingers against her flushed cheeks.

Chen Yiyan blushed at his words and laughed with genuine happiness.

Meanwhile, Wang Jian's attention shifted to the four women standing nearby, observing them with a calculating look in his eyes.

Meng Xiangyi, Xiao Ling, Bixi Shuyan, and Lady Zhuoran were the four women standing close to Wang Jian.

Among them, he believed that only Meng Xiangyi held no resentment towards him.

On the other hand, the rest of them found him distasteful, and he suspected that they wished for Ye Chen to emerge victoriously from the battle.

As Lady Zhuoran had become Ye Chen's heroine alongside Bixi Shuyan, Wang Jian suspected that Ye Chen was a perverted man who did not discriminate based on the social status or identity of the women he fancied.

This was the only plausible explanation as to why the World's Essence had designated Lady Zhuoran and Bixi Shuyan as Ye Chen's heroines.

Additionally, Wang Jian was aware of another crucial piece of information: a former Heroine could regain her heroine status if she encountered a new protagonist and developed positive feelings towards him.

These feelings could be as simple as hope or even a shared goal and didn't necessarily have to involve romantic attraction.

The four women couldn't help but shudder in terror as they noticed the calculating expression in Wang Jian's eyes.

Bixi Shuyan wore a look of regret on her face, and she glared angrily at her mother.

In fact, while Wang Jian was fighting Ye Chen and talking to Hong Meilin, Bixi Shuyan had urged her mother to take advantage of the situation and flee.

It was the perfect opportunity to escape.

However, to Bixi Shuyan's surprise, Lady Zhuoran had rejected her suggestion without offering any explanation.

In reality, Lady Zhuoran had also considered the idea of taking advantage of the situation and making a run for it.

However, her feet remained rooted to the ground as she recalled the information Wang Jian had shared with her the previous night.

He had revealed that he had injected her and her daughter with his spirit using a special technique that allowed him to track their every move.

Even if they were to escape, he could easily find them. If that were to happen, their fate would be much worse than death.

Thus, she instantly rejected her daughter's idea of fleeing.

Wang Jian employed the True Eyes technique to assess their luck levels.

[

Luck

Host: 17,217

Meng Xiangyi: 1,584 (Stagnant)

Heroine Xiao Ling: 4,023 (Rising Rapidly)

Heroine Bixi Shuyan: 5,161 (Rising Rapidly)

Heroine Bixi Zhuoran: 8,654 (Rising Rapidly)

]

Upon reviewing their luck values, Wang Jian deduced another critical fact.

'The rapid increase in their luck is due to their perception of Ye Chen as my opponent, and they view him as their ally.'

'Nevertheless, their luck hasn't grown enough to make it beyond my control,' he contemplated.

With a lecherous grin, he realized, 'I can now finally indulge myself after enduring for so long.'

Wang Jian no longer had any reason to restrain himself from engaging in sexual relations with these women.

After a while, the caravan resumed its journey towards the Royal Palace of the Everlasting Mystic Empire.

As they had crossed the border and entered the empire's mainland, they encountered many inns along the way where they could take a break and rest for the night.

Wang Jian took charge of booking accommodations for the entire entourage, ensuring that they were able to stay in comfort and safety for the night.

After settling in, they decided to set up a bonfire outside the inn and enjoy some quality time together before retiring for the night.

The warm glow of the fire and the sound of the crackling wood provided the perfect backdrop for Wang Jian and his group to unwind and relax after a long day on the road.

Once they had their fill of the outdoors, they headed inside the inn, where they were greeted with warm meals. The group members, including the women, savored the delicious food before returning to their rooms to get some rest for the night.

However, the peacefulness of the night was soon interrupted by a loud and persistent knocking on Xiao Ling's door, causing her heart to race with fear and anticipation.

As soon as Xiao Ling opened the door, Wang Jian greeted her with a depraved and cheeky grin, relishing the sight of his maid in front of him.

"My dear maid, I couldn't help but pay a visit to your room. I hope you don't mind my intrusion," he said, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint.

With a fake smile, Xiao Ling forced herself to utter, "Please come inside, Master."

Wang Jian entered her room, and the door behind him closed slowly.