True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress

Pan Yuanyuan slowly regained consciousness. Once her mind cleared, she realized that her spiritual power had been sealed. Across from her sat none other than Mo Yue Jūnshàng, watching her with a half-smile that sent chills down her spine.

Panic drained the blood from Pan Yuanyuan's face. She struggled to speak, her voice barely steady.

"Mo Yue Jūnshàng, what is the meaning of this? Why am I restrained?"

"Heh. Are you really going to pretend? Was it not you who lured me here on purpose?"

Before Jian Dan could respond further, Mo Qi spoke with open disdain.

"Why waste words with her? Just kill her. Tang Jian dotes on her too much for us to act normally, but now that she's fallen into your hands, there's nothing more to say."

Pan Yuanyuan's face turned even paler. With both Jūnshàng present, she realized she had miscalculated—she had not accounted for Mo Qi.

"Mo Yue Jūnshàng, I truly don't understand what you mean... I'm innocent..." she still tried to stall, voice trembling.

Let's turn back the clock to earlier that day. Not long after Jian Dan and Mo Qi entered the city, Jian Dan had caught a glimpse of Pan Yuanyuan out of the corner of her eye. The woman was wrapped tightly in layers of robes, trying to avoid recognition. As she passed by, she subtly brushed Jian Dan's skirt with her sleeve, releasing a droplet of Shadowtrace Grass sap—its size no bigger than a pinhead.

But from the moment Jian Dan had stepped into the Heavenly Demon Palace's territory, her vigilance had never relaxed. That petty trick was laughably transparent to her spiritual sense. She immediately exchanged a glance with Mo Qi, encased the sap with her spiritual awareness, and instructed Gong Yi to continue browsing the market casually.

Meanwhile, Jian Dan and Mo Qi took a single step and intercepted Pan Yuanyuan just as she turned into an alley. With a flick of her Dreaming Eye, Jian Dan cast an illusion and began to probe her motives.

Pan Yuanyuan had long been arrogant on Mo Yun Peak. After being humiliated by Jian Dan several times, she had been looking for a way to get back at her. And now, with the recent deaths of two successive heads of the Ma Clan, she saw her opportunity. She secretly fed the Ma Clan a slanted story: that Mo Yue, the new Peak Lord of Mo Ying Peak, was behind it all.

Though her suspicions weren't exactly wrong, she had no evidence. Worse, anyone with basic knowledge could tell that a mere early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator like Jian Dan could never take down a Void Refinement expert and a mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivator without leaving a trace. The framing was obvious.

But the Ma Clan, reeling from one blow after another, was desperate for a scapegoat. Jian Dan was the most convenient target. Striking her down would avenge their losses and send a warning to the Heavenly Demon Palace that they weren't to be trifled with.

Pan Yuanyuan's role was to act as the bridge. Her plan was bold: lure Jian Dan into an ambush. If the Ma Clan succeeded in killing her, the Pan Clan could swoop in with righteous indignation, claiming vengeance and seizing glory. If the Ma Clan failed, they could eliminate both Jian Dan and the Ma cultivators, framing the whole mess as a blood feud. Either way, the Pan Clan would benefit.

It was a solid plan—except for one fatal flaw. Pan Yuanyuan had overestimated herself, and underestimated Jian Dan.

Jian Dan hadn't come to Tian Mo City just to wander the market. She needed to pass along news of the Ming Valley situation to the sect, ensuring they would be prepared. And now, unexpectedly, she discovered that the Pan Clan was bold enough to cooperate with the Ma Clan, and that the latter was already moving against her.

"Senior Sister Mo Qi," Jian Dan asked with a sly smile, "do you know what men hate most?"

Mo Qi blinked, confused for a moment. But when she glanced at Pan Yuanyuan's pale, trembling face, understanding dawned. She grinned.

"Mo Yue, you really are wicked. But this might be too much, no? How should we handle it?"

Her mock-disdain couldn't mask the amusement in her eyes. Jian Dan chuckled and waved her hand casually.

"We'll need our dear and beautiful friend Pan to make a little guest appearance."

With that, she activated her Dreaming Eye and sent several slashes of demonic energy to rip through Pan Yuanyuan's robes. Then she applied a powerful hallucinogenic powder—one she had taken from the Xuange Pavilion in Huancheng—and disappeared with Mo Qi from sight.

"Shimei, those four Divine Transformation cultivators won't go down quietly," Mo Qi warned.

"They think I'm easy prey. They've got reinforcements? So do we. I've already sent message talismans to Mo Su and Mo Yi. They'll deal with the two Pan Clan cultivators. We only need to handle the Ma Clan brothers."

"You're bolder than I thought. Do you think Divine Transformation fights are just games?"

"Relax, Senior Sister. I can open an independent spatial barrier. That should be enough for the two of us to have some fun."

Jian Dan flashed a cheeky wink. Showing off one's capabilities at the right time was a good way to secure allies. No one wanted a weak teammate in a life-or-death battle.

"You're impressive," Mo Qi admitted, eyes lighting up. "To master a Divine Soul-level technique before even reaching that realm... No wonder the palace master insisted you become a peak lord."

"Senior Sister, keep it lowkey."

While the two exchanged words in secret, Pan Yuanyuan woke again. Her mind seemed unaffected, and she continued moving through the alleyways as if nothing had happened. Turning corners, she passed through a merchant's backdoor and entered a run-down courtyard.

"Jūnshàng, I've already marked her. I even let her see part of my face. She'll be drawn here for sure."

Ma Long and Ma Hu exchanged a glance. Ma Long eyed Pan Yuanyuan's torn robe with a smirk.

"What happened to your clothes?"

His gaze lingered on the exposed flesh. Pan Yuanyuan flinched, then suddenly went limp, collapsing into the brothers' arms.

"Mmh..."

A soft moan escaped her lips. The brothers shivered with delight. Pan Yuanyuan's awareness dimmed as her body instinctively clung to Ma Long, rubbing against his chest. What followed was an indecent scene, the three of them entangled in lust beneath the afternoon sun.

From the shadows, Mo Qi held up a recording stone, capturing every detail with glee. Jian Dan, standing beside her, couldn't help but want to cover her face. What kind of hobby was this?

When she judged the timing was right, Jian Dan nodded. Mo Qi stowed the recording stone with a grin of satisfaction.

Jian Dan opened her palm. A crimson Manjushahua bloomed in her hand, formed entirely of demonic qi. With a flick, she threw it into the run-down courtyard. As it hit the ground, a spatial barrier snapped into place, sealing the area completely.

Inside, Ma Long and Ma Hu were jolted awake. Realizing the woman beneath them wasn't what she seemed, they scrambled to dress and ran for the door.

"Quite the mood you two were in," a cold voice echoed overhead. "But isn't it improper to lust after someone else's concubine? Where does that leave my Senior Brother's pride?"

Two figures appeared in the sky above, one clad in black, the other in red—Jian Dan and Mo Qi, looking down with icy smiles.