Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist Chapter 952: Sanctuary At Fragrance Melody Sect

The enhanced iron-wood spirit vessel sliced across the last fierce waves, abandoning the wild torrents of the Black-Tide Region. With time, the heavy gray skies started to fade, yielding to a canopy of gentle, light-blue shades. The sharp salty mist from the vast sea shifted into a milder, more fragrant gust, bearing the distinct fragrance of flowering jasmine and spirit-cherry blooms.

One week following the massacre at the Crimson-Fang Sea Fortress, their target came into view on the distant line.

The Isle of Whispering Petals stood as more than just an island; it formed a haven shaped by countless cultivators focused on elegance and creativity. The terrain emerged from the waters like a gemstone, its hills blanketed in vast woods of pink and white flowering trees. Blossoms drifted down in such profusion that they blanketed the nearby sea, transforming the swells into a flowing tapestry of petal hues. The atmosphere hummed with a subtle, harmonious vibe, as though the breeze weaving through the island's special landscape strummed an endless, calming melody on a massive zither.

Wang Jian positioned himself on the deck, arms folded behind him. He took on the stance of a modest, courteous servant, lingering one pace after Mu Lianhua. Yet his gaze remained keen, examining the nearing haven with the icy appraisal of a hunter eyeing fresh territory.

"It is beautiful," Yue Lingshan murmured, positioned next to him, her gaze broad with wonder. "The formation covering the island... it utilizes sound waves to filter spiritual energy. It is gentle, yet resilient."

"A gilded cage," Wang Jian whispered, scarcely parting his lips for her ears alone. "Beautiful, but fragile against brute force."

As the vessel neared the sect's majestic pier—crafted from pristine marble and gleaming spirit-wood—a squad blocked their path. It consisted of twelve women disciples, soaring via vast enchanted items resembling petals. They donned drifting garments in soft green and pink, faces hidden by veils, their energies emitting watchful caution.

"Halt!" the squad's chief commanded, her tone melodic yet resolute. "This is the territory of the Fragrance Melody Sect. Identify yourselves and state your business."

Wang Jian retreated, dipping his head in submission.

Mu Lianhua advanced to the front. She tuned her aura, unleashing a precise force. It avoided the overwhelming might of her actual Peak Late-Stage strength, instead showing the steady, deep essence of an Early Stage Core Formation master.

"I am Mu Lianhua," she declared, her words echoing sharply across the waves, infused with the noble poise of a skilled Alchemist. "A wandering cultivator and refiner of pills. I come bearing a gift for your Sect Leader, Hua Yimei. The item she lost to the Iron-Blood Hall has been recovered."

The squad leader's eyes expanded beneath her veil. The Heavenly Wood's disappearance was a tightly held mystery, a well of deep embarrassment and worry for the sect. For a stranger to know it and assert recovery was astonishing.

"Recovered?" the disciple faltered, her caution giving way to amazed optimism. "Senior Mu... do you speak the truth?"

"I do not jest about such matters," Mu Lianhua replied evenly. "My disciples and I are tired from our journey. We seek an audience."

The squad leader swiftly triggered a transmission talisman. Soon after, the island's mighty protective formation—a glowing barrier of rose light—wavered and parted to allow passage.

"Please, Senior Mu," the disciple urged, inclining deeply. "Follow us. The Sect Leader has been informed."

The vessel anchored without issue. Wang Jian, playing the role of the loyal follower, aided in arranging the party. He kept his gaze downcast toward the earth, yet his spiritual sense extended fully. He probed the many female disciples bustling at the piers and lower sect areas. Each was stunning, selected for poise and skill. It resembled a paradise of mortal pleasures, and he slipped in like the serpent at the main entrance.

A veteran deaconess, a lady in her forties bearing the demeanor of a stern overseer, waited at the dock's conclusion.

"Sect Leader Hua Yimei requests your presence immediately in the Orchid Palace," she stated, scrutinizing the party with blended thanks and doubt.

They ascended a curving trail lined with spirit-jade, past clusters of chiming bamboo and cascades gleaming in spectrum hues. At last, they arrived at the main peak's top, where the Orchid Palace rose.

It represented architectural brilliance, formed from sheer spirit-crystal and adorned with miles of flowing silk drapes that swayed in the breeze. The aroma of jasmine and orchids overwhelmed here, crafted to ensnare the senses and ease defenses.

They stepped into the primary chamber.

At the distant side, upon a seat hewn from one block of rose-quartz, rested Sect Leader Hua Yimei.

Wang Jian lifted his sight just a touch, enough for a peek, and sensed a surge of true desire.

Hua Yimei was breathtaking. She seemed in her early thirties, a full, alluring beauty exuding seductive grace. She clad herself in an intricate, multi-layered gown of rich red and gold that shrouded her flesh but failed to mask her striking contours. Her waist slimmed finely, her hips broad and alluring, and her breasts swelled enormously, rising faintly with eagerness against her silk top. Her features formed a heart shape, her eyes resembling profound springs of clear water, now shadowed by concern and dignity. As an Early Stage Core Formation cultivator, her aura wavered a bit, suggesting unrest from her absent artifact.

Beside the seat stood her youthful likeness, a maiden who appeared drawn from a scroll of heavenly sprites.

Hua Ling, the Young Sect Mistress. She had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. If the mother evoked a mature peach, the daughter suggested a fresh lotus—innocent, otherworldly, with flesh pale enough to shine. She held the title of top beauty in the Myriad Reefs Sea Domain, and beholding her, Wang Jian conceded the tales rang true.

'The mother is ripe, proud, and desperate,' Wang Jian pondered, his inner thoughts laced with sinister purpose. 'The daughter is pure and protected. I will have them both. I will break the mother’s pride and stain the daughter’s purity.'

Hua Yimei’s glance passed over the assembly. She overlooked Wang Jian entirely. She overlooked Chen Ying and Liu Ruyan. Her focus fixed on Mu Lianhua. She detected the presence of an equal, another woman Core Formation cultivator.

"Mu Lianhua," Hua Yimei uttered, her voice resembling tinkling bells. "You claim to have the Phoenix Fire Wood?"

Mu Lianhua moved ahead, holding her composed superiority. She drew the blood-jade case from her sleeve. With a flick of her wrist, the cover sprang apart.

A radiant gold-red glow filled the throne chamber, soothing and cleansing. The essence of the Nirvana Phoenix Fire Wood proved undeniable.

Hua Yimei rose, her poise fracturing. She hurried down the platform steps, her ample breasts jiggling with motion. She halted by the case, her fingers quivering as she extended to sense the heat.

"It... it is real," she gasped, ease flooding her expression. "You actually recovered it."

She regarded Mu Lianhua, eyes broadened. "How? The Iron-Blood Hall had an Elder guarding it."

"We encountered the demonic scum on our travels," Mu Lianhua fabricated seamlessly, adhering to Wang Jian's prepared tale. "We were resting at a supply outpost when we heard rumors of a high-value convoy. Being righteous cultivators, and seeing the atrocities the Iron-Blood Hall was committing in the area, we decided to intervene. My disciples and I set an ambush. It was a hard fight, but we dispatched them."

She halted, taking on an expression of just anger. "Afterwards, I inspected the loot. As an Alchemist, I recognized the wood immediately. I heard in a nearby trading town that the Fragrance Melody Sect’s envoy had been ambushed. I knew I could not keep such a thing; it belongs to you."

Hua Yimei viewed her with affection and deep thanks. "You have done us a great service, Sister Mu. Truly. I need this wood for my Lifebound Treasure, the Nine-String Phoenix Zither. Without it, my cultivation has been stagnant, and the sect’s grand array has been weakening. You have saved us."

She signaled the servants. "Prepare a feast! We must celebrate our benefactors."

She faced Mu Lianhua again. "How can we repay you? Spirit stones? Artifacts? Ask, and if it is within my power, I shall grant it."

Mu Lianhua inclined faintly, a trace of fatigue marking her features.

"To be honest, Sect Leader Hua... the seas are chaotic. The demonic sects are becoming lawless. The life of a loose cultivator is dangerous, even for one at my level. I have to constantly watch over my disciples."

She indicated Wang Jian and the rest. "We are tired of wandering. We seek a quiet place to cultivate, to practice alchemy, and to live in peace. We ask only for a safe harbor."

She met Hua Yimei's gaze directly. "If the Fragrance Melody Sect would have us... perhaps as Guest Elders? We would offer our services in alchemy and defense in exchange for residency."

Hua Yimei beamed with joy. Securing a Core Formation Alchemist meant a huge advantage for any sect, particularly one facing strain. It would boost their status and battle strength.

"Granted!" Hua Yimei cried, gripping Mu Lianhua’s hands. "You shall be the Head Guest Elder! Your disciples may stay as well, with full privileges of the inner sect."

Right then, a stir arose from the palace doorway.

"A new Core Formation Elder? And I wasn’t informed?"

Five men marched into the chamber. They served as the current Guest Elders of the Fragrance Melody Sect. All hovered at the Late Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, save their chief.

The chief towered high, with wide shoulders, a slick skin tone, and wandering eyes. This was Elder Pang. He held Early Stage Core Formation, the sole other Core Formation powerhouse in the sect apart from Hua Yimei.

Elder Pang advanced with haughty stride. He paused close to the group, his stare promptly undressing Mu Lianhua, Liu Ruyan, and Yue Lingshan. His desire shone blatant and repulsive.

"Sect Leader," Elder Pang drawled, his tone slick. "Who are these... guests?"

"Elder Pang," Hua Yimei responded, her voice chilling. She plainly despised the fellow. "This is Elder Mu Lianhua. She retrieved the Phoenix Fire Wood. She is joining us as the Head Guest Elder."

Elder Pang's eyes tightened. He sized up Mu Lianhua. A competitor. Yet also... a female. A lovely, strong female. He ran his tongue over his lips.

"Welcome, Sister Mu," Elder Pang mocked. "Head Guest Elder? A big title for a newcomer."

Next, his attention landed on Wang Jian.

Wang Jian remained with head lowered, appearing innocuous. He was striking, beyond question, but he had curbed his aura to mimic an ordinary Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment follower.

"And who is this pretty boy?" Elder Pang guffawed, jabbing a digit at Wang Jian. "Does he carry your cauldron, Sister Mu? He looks like he’s never held a sword in his life. Weak. Soft."

The remaining guest elders snickered, spurred by their head. They viewed Wang Jian as a rival for the women disciples, eager to claim superiority right away.

Wang Jian stayed calm, without surging his aura.

He bent low, quaking faintly as though daunted.

"I am but a humble student of alchemy, Senior," Wang Jian uttered, his tone quivering. "I assist Teacher Mu with her herbs. I... I do not like fighting."

Elder Pang roared with laughter. "A gardener! Ha! Well, keep to your herbs, boy. Leave the fighting to the real men."

He ogled Yue Lingshan. "And this one? Your wife?"

"Yes, Senior," Wang Jian affirmed, edging ahead of Lingshan like a shield, yet seeming petrified.

"A pity," Elder Pang grumbled, volume sufficient to carry. "Wasted on a coward."

Hua Yimei scowled. "That is enough, Elder Pang. Show some respect to our guests."

Elder Pang lifted his shoulders, showing no regret. "Just testing their mettle, Sect Leader. We can’t have weaklings eating our rice."

Wang Jian stared at the floor, but within, a chill, shadowy grin unfurled in his spirit.

'Perfect,' he mused. 'You are arrogant. You are lustful. And you are stupid. I won’t even have to work hard to kill you. I will use your own dicks to hang you.'

The assembly received a lavish residence close to the Sect Leader’s peak, an expansive manor encircled by orchid blooms.

The ensuing months unfolded in false tranquility.

Wang Jian set a daily pattern. To the sect, he embodied the "Perfect Gentleman." He dedicated himself wholly to his spouse, Yue Lingshan, frequently spotted strolling with her amid the blooms, clasping her palm, voicing verses. He honored the Sect Leader, inclining whenever she neared. He aided the women disciples, mending faulty arrays or assisting with tough herbs, yet always directing his sight away, never fixating on their forms or limbs.

This conduct, paradoxically, rendered him hugely appealing to the sect's ladies. They knew the crude leers from Elder Pang and his allies. Wang Jian offered refreshing contrast—comely, gifted, and apparently beyond reach.

Even Young Mistress Hua Ling felt pulled to the residence. She devised pretexts to drop by—seeking Mu Lianhua's guidance on cultivation, but dawdling to observe Wang Jian honing script or nurturing spirit plants.

"He is... different," Hua Ling whispered to her mother one night. "He is not like the other men."

"That is good...It seems Sister Lianhua has raised a fine disciple," Hua Yimei observed, a touch of longing in her tone.

Mu Lianhua fulfilled her role flawlessly. She forged a close bond with Hua Yimei. They devoted hours to chats on the Dao and alchemy. Mu Lianhua deftly, bit by bit, sowed ideas in Yimei’s thoughts. She described Wang Jian’s concealed abilities, his sorrowful history, his promise, depicting him as a raw gem awaiting the proper chance to gleam.

At the same time, beyond the sect, the Shadow Flowers spun a web of ruin.

Bai Xue, stationed in the Myriad Ocean Palace guild, disclosed details on the Fragrance Melody Sect’s transport paths. Su Ning, within the Blood Shark Hall, circulated tales that the Fragrance Melody Sect faltered, their Guest Elders unhappy and susceptible to payoffs.

Within the sect, Wang Jian launched his scheme against Elder Pang.

He employed his covert techniques to infiltrate Elder Pang’s lodgings while the man pursued disciples. He hid proofs—demonic relics seized from the Iron-Blood Hall, documents faked in script resembling Elder Pang’s, outlining schemes to weaken the sect’s shield array for females and supplies.

He further deployed subtle illusion arrays by Elder Pang’s home. Disciples nearby glimpsed "dark shapes" slipping in and out of Elder Pang’s space after dark. Whispers started to circulate.

The area's strain intensified. The Demonic Sects, spurred by Shadow Flowers' data, tested the Fragrance Melody Sect’s borders. Minor clashes erupted. Routes for supplies suffered hits. The sect sensed the burden rising.

Hua Yimei became tense. Her dependence on Mu Lianhua deepened. And Elder Pang, detecting the threat, grew more insistent and hostile, aiming to extract maximum enjoyment from the sect before the downfall he dreaded arrived.

One evening, half a year since their entry, Wang Jian assembled his women in the insulated room of their residence.

"The board is set," he informed them, his tone stripped of the mild facade he displayed outside. "The fear has taken root. The Sect Leader is desperate. The Guest Elders are hated."

"When do we strike?" Chen Ying inquired, polishing her blade.

"We wait," Wang Jian replied. "We wait for the sky to fall. When the demons come, I will be the only pillar left standing. And they will cling to me."

At that moment, a transmission talisman ignited before him. It bore an urgent note from Su Ning.

"Master. The Iron-Blood Hall has mobilized. A full assault force. Three hundred disciples, twenty deacons, and their Sect Master—a Late Stage Core Formation expert. They are coming tonight."

The note went on. "They believe they have bribed Elder Pang to lower the southern array node. They are expecting an open door."

Wang Jian scanned the note and grinned. His eyes shimmered in the low glow.

"The trap is sprung," he breathed. "If the Fragrance Melody Sect investigates after the attack, all the evidence will point to Elder Pang. He will be the scapegoat. The demons will attack, expecting an easy win, but they will find us waiting."

He rose, turning to Mu Lianhua.

"Tonight, the Fragrance Melody Sect burns," Wang Jian declared. "And from the ashes, we will rise as their saviors. It’s showtime."