Villains: Starting with the Landlady

Page 127

Ling Yun clapped his hands, thinking about what he might encounter later, stood still, held his breath, adjusted his mindset, and quickly ran downstairs.

Upon reaching the lower level, they found several tall, dark-faced men standing at the entrance. They wore clothing clearly not in the style of the Central Plains, and their menacing appearances suggested they were not good people. These were the Black Miao people who had traveled from Miao territory incognito, intending to kidnap Zhao Ling'er.

"Boss lady, please bring the wine to our room later!"

The leading man said loudly, and Sun Lan immediately replied with a smile, "Okay, sir!"

After saying that, she turned to look at Ling Yun, who had just come downstairs, and immediately put on a serious face: "Hurry up, Ling Yun, aren't you going to take our distinguished guest upstairs?"

Ling Yun smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to the group, then led several burly men from the Black Miao ethnic group to the guest rooms upstairs.

After leading them to the room, Lingyun ran downstairs and into the spacious kitchen.

Sun Lan was preparing the dishes when Ling Yun, watching her graceful back and seeing her unceremonious attitude towards him, grinned mischievously and walked up behind her, hugging her tightly.

Sun Lan almost dropped the kitchen knife in her hand. Ling Yun was much taller than Little Li in the original novel, and his embrace was very warm. Sun Lan was even reluctant to break free from his embrace.

Although the two were not related by blood—after all, Ling Yun had only transmigrated to take Li Xiaoyao's place—she was unaware of this, and her feudalistic beliefs led her to grab Ling Yun's arm.

"Lingyun, don't do this..."

"Auntie, I just want to hold you, that's all." The young man clung to her shamelessly, even bringing his nose close to her cheek to sniff. "I'll definitely achieve great things in the future, and I won't let you down!"

These words only fueled Sun Lan's anger.

"Lingyun, are you thinking of going out to become a chivalrous hero and uphold justice again? I told you long ago, if it weren't for these grudges and feuds back then..."

"I can't be a great hero." Ling Yun still held her tightly. "When I have the ability, I will build a powerful force. Those who obey me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish. I will protect everything I want."

"Alright, Master Ling, you haven't forgotten what we're supposed to do now, have you?"

Ling Yun released her waist and took the osmanthus wine from the side. He opened the lid, smelled it, and frowned, saying, "Those people are obviously from Miao territory. The wine they drink is very strong. They probably won't be used to our diluted osmanthus wine."

"Go away, go away! Our inn isn't very big. If we used strong liquor for everything, we would have lost money long ago! Hurry up and give them the liquor!"

"Okay."

Ling Yun didn't leave immediately, but quickly pecked her cheek before running away before the tigress could completely erupt.

Sun Lan stood there stunned for a long time before touching her hot, damp cheeks, then felt both ashamed and angry.

"That brat..." She felt a long-lost sweetness of girlishness, but was also torn by their identities. In the end, she could only clench her fists and say, "When no one's around, I'll loosen his bones!"

However, after saying that, she suddenly laughed, her mind filled with the feeling of Ling Yun holding her just now.

Indeed, the brat has grown up, but he's never left Yuhang Town under my watchful eye. But am I really protecting him by doing this...?

After busying herself in the kitchen for a while, she came out to the hall, where Ling Yun had just come down as well. The two exchanged a glance. Seeing that she didn't seem to be angry, Ling Yun felt relieved.

[Master, are you still worried about the "beauty who recognized you as her master" that Nana gave you?]

Nana's voice rang in his ears. Ling Yun smiled faintly and replied in his heart, "Nana, you're finally online."

[Master, are you satisfied with Auntie?]

"I'm satisfied, but it feels a bit weird."

[Understood, next time I'll assign the master an uglier character...]

"Hey, hey, no way, it's fine as it is now."

Nana didn't speak, but her barely suppressed giggles made Ling Yun realize that the girl was teasing him. However, Nana hadn't materialized yet, so he couldn't pull her out to give her a good scolding.

Sun Lan was about to ask Ling Yun to bring up the dishes she had just prepared when a drunken Taoist priest appeared at the door.

The Taoist priest's robe was originally blue and white, but now it was filthy. He sat down at the entrance of their inn, blocking the way out.

"Hey, where did you come from, you stinky Taoist priest? Get out of the way!"

Sun Lan frowned and walked over, but was quickly driven away by the unpleasant smell of alcohol on him.

"Wine..." The Taoist priest glanced at Sun Lan and Ling Yun, but when he saw Ling Yun, a glint of light flashed in his eyes. "Give me some wine, and I'll be leaving!"

Chapter 305 Wang Xiaohu

"Wine? We don't even have enough to sell ourselves, let alone have extra wine to give you!"

Sun Lan covered her nose and waved her hands repeatedly, seemingly trying to dispel the strong smell of alcohol on him.

"No..." The Taoist priest leaned against the threshold, persisting, "Give me the wine and I'll leave, or I won't leave!"

“Hey…” Sun Lan rolled up her sleeves. If it were her temper when she was young, she would have taught this Taoist a lesson no matter what. But now she was running an inn, and harmony was the most important thing. Besides, Ling Yun was here, and she didn’t want to expose her skills in front of him.

"Lingyun, go and chase this Taoist priest away. I'm going upstairs to deliver the vegetables!"

Sun Lan didn't want to argue with the Taoist priest, so she went back to the kitchen, picked up the plates, and went upstairs.

After seeing her go upstairs, Ling Yun rubbed his hands together and pretended to be an innocent young man as he approached the Taoist priest.

“I say, Master, we don’t have any good wine here, and we’re just an ordinary business. You might have to make a wasted trip.”

"Young man, sneak into the kitchen and get me some wine." The Taoist's eyes gleamed after Sun Lan left. "I'll just have a sip, really!"

"No way, if my aunt finds out, who knows what she'll do to me!"

"Hey, just one bite! If you can do that, I'll teach you a sword technique, okay?"

"Forget it," Ling Yun said with a disdainful look. "What kind of swordsmanship could a stinking Taoist like you possibly know! Don't give me that kind of common, low-quality stuff!"

"No, this sword technique is the culmination of my life's learning, and I only bestow it upon those with the right destiny."

Ling Yun quietly looked at the middle-aged Taoist priest opposite him. This man, who seemed somewhat unconventional and was always drunk, was none other than Situ Zhong, a lay disciple of Mount Shu.

He also has an even more resounding title—the Drunken Sword Immortal.

In the current context of the entire Shu Mountain sect, his combat power is enough to be considered top-tier. Even if he is not as good as the Moon Worship Cult Leader after merging with the Water Demon Beast, he is not far behind.

Ling Yun pretended to hesitate for a moment, then finally got up and ran to the kitchen.

Instead of trying to fool him with ordinary wine, he took out the Guojiao wine he had bought in the main world, poured it into an ordinary wine pot, and brought it to the Sword Immortal.

The Sword Immortal smelled the aroma from afar, and his eyes widened instantly. Like a person dying of thirst in the desert seeing a water source, he snatched the wine jug and drank deeply.

He downed the entire contents of the wine jug in one gulp, then shook the empty jug before savoring its taste and lamenting, "Good wine, but too little."

Ling Yun felt a pang of regret; that one bite had cost him tens of thousands of Chinese currency. However, learning a superior sword technique made it all worthwhile.

"You're a true friend, kid. You didn't try to trick me with ordinary wine." The Sword Immortal patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "It must have been difficult for you to get this wine. Here's what we'll do: meet at the Mountain God Temple in Shili Slope at midnight tonight, and I'll definitely teach you!"

After he finished speaking, he staggered to his feet and disappeared through the door in the blink of an eye.

Ling Yun watched his ethereal steps and felt a pang of envy.

Although his talent was higher than that of the Drunken Sword Immortal, and his actual strength was not much different, he was far inferior in terms of power system.

It's like a gun; he can only use the butt to hit people, while the Drunken Sword Immortal can pull the trigger and kill the target from a distance.

He needs to transform all his internal energy into higher-level spiritual energy.

Just as he was looking outside, Sun Lan walked up behind him.

"You brat!" Sun Lan spotted the empty wine jug in his hand at a glance and grabbed his ear without saying a word. "You little rascal, do you really think my wine falls from the sky? You actually let him drink it?"

"Hey, Auntie, be gentle!"

Ling Yun begged for mercy repeatedly, as Sun Lan's strength was truly formidable, probably comparable to Wu Yazi's: "I just used water to fool him; he was so drunk, how could he tell the difference!"

"Really?" Sun Lan asked, half believing it.

"Of course! Don't you believe me?"

Sun Lan frowned and didn't say anything. She snatched the wine pot from his hand and muttered, "The shop is out of shrimp. Go to the market and buy some!"

"okay!"

Ling Yun ran out as ordered, while Sun Lan watched his retreating figure with a smile, her thoughts deepening.

After leaving, Ling Yun did not go directly to the market, because he knew the plot. Recently, the sea was rough and the fishermen dared not go out to sea, so they had not caught any shrimp. So he wandered around the village.

The villagers had mixed opinions about him. Young girls generally liked him, but older women and men didn't like him much, thinking that Lingyun was always slacking off and not doing anything productive.

However, neither Li Xiaoyao nor he cared about this at all; how could a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?

"Brother Ling!"

A clear, childlike voice rang out. Ling Yun, who was flirting with the Ding Xianglan and Ding Xiulan sisters, turned around and saw a little boy with a peach-shaped hairstyle running towards her.

The little boy had very bright and lively eyes, a sturdy build, and thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Name: Wang Xiaohu

【Age: 8】

[Protagonist's Fate: Honest and simple-minded. He is from the same hometown as the original "protagonist," Li Xiaoyao, and has admired him since childhood, wanting to become his disciple. After realizing this was hopeless, he followed Aunt Li to learn the Cloud Piercing Palm technique. Later, he went to Hangzhou to become a disciple of Sheng Zunwu, one of the "Three Great Constables," known as the "Divine Eye Demon Blade," and learned the Demon Blade technique. A passionate young man, he is courageous, hates evil, and believes in human will. He eventually discovers Zen Master Qianye's conspiracy and, together with others, defeats him. Special Ability: Profound Sword Technique]

[Recent opportunities: None]

【Luck: 3500】

[Combat Strength: E+]

[Affection: Admiration (or Love)]

This is the male protagonist of Chinese Paladin 2! However, Wang Xiaohu is still an honest and well-behaved little kid. A while ago, his father fell seriously ill, and he risked going to the legendary Fairy Island to find the fairy sister and obtain the elixir to save his father.

It would be unreasonable for Ling Yun to kill him now. Even if he doesn't brainwash this teenager, Wang Xiaohu will become his right-hand man in the future.

He hatched a plan, released the two sisters whose faces were flushed, and squatted down to support Wang Xiaohu's shoulders.

"Little Tiger, do you want to learn martial arts?"

"Mmm!" Wang Xiaohu straightened up excitedly when he heard him say that.

Wang Xiaohu's desire to become an apprentice only arose after the original Li Xiaoyao returned from Miao territory; the current Li Xiaoyao doesn't think about that much anymore.

"In a few days, I will teach you a set of palm and sword techniques, which will be enough for you to make your way in the martial arts world. You won't need to apprentice under a master anymore."

“This…” Although Wang Xiaohu trusted him a lot, he still doubted what he said.

"You don't believe me? Come with me!"

Ling Yun pulled Wang Xiaohu and ran towards the back mountain.

Chapter 306 Sun Lan Falls Ill

The two walked to a secluded spot on the back mountain, where Ling Yun took out Mo Bai in front of Wang Xiaohu.

Now transformed into a spirit weapon, Mo Bai, nourished by the spiritual energy of a true immortal world, hummed continuously. Its jet-black exterior emitted a dazzling white light, leaving Wang Xiaohu speechless.

"Little Tiger, watch closely!"

To demonstrate the power of the Meteor Blade Technique, Ling Yun deliberately slowed down the speed of the Meteor Slash, then charged up his power slightly before unleashing a sudden strike. A white streak flew forward, severing countless large trees!

This move completely reshaped Wang Xiaohu's worldview. He never expected that there would be such a powerful sword technique in the world!

"Brother Ling... Brother Ling, you're amazing!"

Children have limited vocabulary, and Wang Xiaohu doesn't know many words either, so he just calls him "powerful".

"anything else!"

Ling Yun put Mo Bai back and unleashed a flurry of blows at the earthen slope. The terrifying power of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms sent the nearby small animals fleeing in panic.

"How about it? Do you want to learn?"

"Yes!" Wang Xiaohu nodded vigorously, the seed now deeply planted in his heart.

[Because the master altered the fate of the "protagonist" Wang Xiaohu, Wang Xiaohu's luck value has decreased by 2000 points, leaving him with a current remaining luck value of 1500 points!]

It's a pity that the critical hit effect of [Villain's Heart] couldn't be triggered. Is it not even possible to get the 50% chance?

Ling Yun thought for a moment, then secretly patted the area around his kidney point, destroying his passage and turning him into a cripple.

[The protagonist, Wang Xiaohu, loses his abilities, triggering the "Villain's Heart" critical hit effect, dealing a 6x damage. Wang Xiaohu's luck value decreases by 3000 points (base 500 x 6). Wang Xiaohu's luck value reaches zero, and he loses his "protagonist status"!]

Although he received a huge safety net, at least the plunder was successful. Ling Yun immediately used mind control on him, without changing his original thoughts, but only making him loyal to him.

The luck points plundered from the myriad realms cannot be distributed to his underlings, but now that he has a future super-powerful fighter, Ling Yun's efforts have not been in vain.

He has now plundered 20 main characters, and Xiao Na has also presented him with a timely gift.

[Congratulations, Master, on successfully plundering 20 "protagonists"! "Invisible in the Dust" and "Avoiding Harm" have been enhanced and merged into a new ability, "Lucky Blessing." With the blessing of the goddess of fortune, disaster will always be one step behind you! You will have a high probability of turning various dangers into safety, and when attacking, there is a chance to inflict a critical hit, with a critical hit rate of 20% and critical hit damage of 3 times.]

This effectively replaced the two previously useless abilities. Ling Yun considered himself quite lucky; if he could land a critical hit with [Star Annihilation], one of the top-tier killing moves he currently possessed, in actual combat, he probably wouldn't have much trouble instantly killing the final boss.