Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 555 Feng Xiaoyuʼs Slow Change Of Heart

Dong Aigou paced nervously within the cavern, the faint glow of his soul lamp illuminating the cavern walls. Hours had bled into one another since Feng Xiaoyu had entered Yin Lianʼs abode. He kept checking the signal amplifier embedded in his own earring, a device specifically designed to pick up the faint signal from Feng Xiaoyuʼs earring.

Finally, a tremor ran through the amplifier, a single, pre-arranged pulse. Relief washed over Dong Aigou. Feng Xiaoyu had made contact. He activated his own teleportation artifact, a swirling vortex of blue light encompassing him before dissipating him from the cavern.

He reappeared before a startled Feng Xiaoyu, who quickly masked her surprise with a sly smile.

”How did it go?” Dong Aigou wasted no time in his inquiry, his eyes filled with a question that demanded a clear answer.

Feng Xiaoyu, a sly smile playing on her lips, tilted her head with a hint of pride. ”My charm worked wonders, Aigou,” she boasted. ”Wang Jian is putty in my hands. It will be childʼs play to lure him into the trap.”

However, a mischievous glint flickered in her eyes as she added, ”Thereʼs one minor detail.”

Dong Aigouʼs stomach clenched. ”What is it?”

”To ensure he follows me willingly, I need to… cultivate a closer relationship,” Feng Xiaoyu explained, her voice dripping with faux innocence. ”I need to spend more time with him, cater to his desires, make him trust me completely.”

Dong Aigouʼs jaw clenched tight. The very idea of Feng Xiaoyu playing damsel in distress to Wang Jian made his blood boil. But he understood the necessity. Reason overruled his possessive anger.

”Do what needs to be done,” he said through gritted teeth. ”Just make sure this ʼcultivating a relationshipʼ doesnʼt become a real one.”

He could see the amusement dancing in Feng Xiaoyuʼs eyes, but she simply nodded. ”Of course, Aigou,” she said, her voice laced with playful sarcasm. ”My affections are reserved for someone far more worthy.”

Dong Aigou forced a smile. ”Alright, Feng Xiaoyu. Do whatever you need to. Just make sure it works.”

He knew the risks. Wang Jian was a dangerous snake, and close proximity could prove poisonous for Feng Xiaoyu. However, he trusted her strength and cunning.

”Now,” Dong Aigou said, switching gears, ”we need multiple layers of concealment array formations,” he declared, his voice firm. ”These will mask the trapʼs presence from even the keenest spiritual senses. Additionally, we need powerful barrier formations that will prevent Wang Jian from escaping, even if he attempts to use the Laws of Space or other powerful techniques.”

Feng Xiaoyu nodded, her expression serious. ”I understand. Leave the resources to me. Iʼll send you everything you need immediately.”

”Good,” Dong Aigou said, his eyes gleaming with determination. ”Iʼll start constructing the trap right away. The concealment arrays will be the most time-consuming, but with those in place, we can weave in the barrier formations and other elements.”

The following days were a blur of frenetic activity. Feng Xiaoyu, true to her word, procured a mountain of resources – rare crystals, potent spirit stones, and complex formation diagrams. Dong Aigou, fueled by a potent mix of anger at Wang Jian and a desire to protect Feng Xiaoyu, worked tirelessly. He meticulously etched formations on the cavern walls, channeling his formidable cultivation power to activate them.

Days bled into weeks. The cavern, initially a desolate space, began to transform. Glowing lines snaked across the walls, forming intricate patterns. The air crackled with a faint electrical hum as the formations hummed to life. In the center of the cavern, Dong Aigou constructed a platform of obsidian, its surface etched with swirling runes that pulsed with a faint crimson light.

This would be the heart of the trap, the point where the Lunar Rock Dragonʼs immense power would be unleashed. As Dong Aigou toiled, a sense of satisfaction bloomed within him. The day of reckoning was drawing closer, and Dong Aigou couldnʼt wait to see the look on Wang Jianʼs face when he would be faced against the Lunar Rock Dragon.

Unbeknownst to the tirelessly laboring Dong Aigou, a subtle but seismic shift was occurring within Feng Xiaoyu. Each day, their pre-arranged charade unfolded. Feng Xiaoyu would visit Wang Jian, initially apprehensive about the forced intimacy. But with every stolen touch, every shared laugh on walks past historical sites or amidst vibrant natural landscapes, the tension eased. Wang Jian, to his credit, proved to be a surprisingly engaging companion. Witty, insightful, and surprisingly helpful, he tackled several long-standing problems plaguing Feng Xiaoyuʼs Trade Association.

One day, Wang Jian casually suggested a solution to expand their market reach into previously unclaimed settlements. Another day, he presented a brilliant plan to secure a shipment of rare treasures vital for their alchemists. The efficiency with which he solved these problems that had plagued Feng Xiaoyu for months left her speechless. Here was a man of action, a leader with a strategic mind that rivaled her own.

Subconsciously, Feng Xiaoyu began to compare Wang Jian to Dong Aigou. Dong Aigou, her trusted friend, a decent cultivator with a burning grudge. But Wang Jian? He possessed a raw cunning and a charisma that drew Feng Xiaoyu in like a moth to a flame. She found herself eagerly anticipating their daily interactions, her initial reluctance to touch him replaced by a surprising comfort in his presence.

A seed of doubt, tiny at first, began to take root in her mind. Was betraying Wang Jian, a man who so readily offered his aid, truly the best course of action? With him by her side, the Trade Association could rise to unprecedented heights. The power he wielded, his sharp intellect – it was everything she aspired to achieve herself. The decision wasnʼt made overnight. Instead, a cunning plan began to form in Feng Xiaoyuʼs mind.

Deliberately, she began delaying the shipment of vital resources needed for the trap. Each dayʼs delay brought a surge of conflicting emotions – a pang of guilt for Dong Aigou, but a thrill at the potential power she could hold with Wang Jian as her ally. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, walking a tightrope between loyalty and ambition.

Little did she know, Wang Jian had anticipated this very shift. From the moment they met, he saw the ambition burning bright in Feng Xiaoyuʼs eyes. He knew the charade wouldnʼt be enough. He needed to earn her trust, not through forced intimacy, but by proving his worth. Each problem he solved, each advantage he secured for the Trade Association, was a carefully calculated move to cultivate loyalty.

He observed her hesitation, the way her resistance melted with every passing day.He saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes as she contemplated their future together. A small smile played on his lips. He had her right where he wanted her – caught between a fading loyalty and the allure of power.

Meanwhile, deep within the earth, Dong Aigou toiled tirelessly. Days bled into weeks, the cavern becoming a labyrinth of glowing lines and humming formations. The platform of obsidian pulsed with a crimson glow, a hungry maw waiting to devour its prey.His dedication was fueled not by blind hatred, but by a desperate hope to protect Feng Xiaoyu from Wang Jianʼs predatory gaze.

One day, as Dong Aigou etched the final intricate rune into the barrier formation, a tremor ran through the cavern. A prickling sensation alerted him to a shift in the flow of energy – a familiar signature, faint but undeniable. It was Feng Xiaoyu. But something felt wrong.

A cold sweat beaded on Dong Aigouʼs forehead despite the cool temperature emanating from the cavern walls. The tremor that heralded Feng Xiaoyuʼs arrival sent a shiver down his spine, not just from the shift in energy, but from the disquieting undercurrent he sensed within it. It was a primal instinct, a cultivatorʼs intuition honed by countless battles and near-

death experiences. He pushed the unsettling feeling down, attributing it to stress. Feng Xiaoyu wouldnʼt betray him, could she?

With forced cheer, he channeled his spiritual energy to activate a teleportation formation. He materialized in the familiar chamber within Feng Xiaoyuʼs opulent mansion. Feng Xiaoyu, clad in a silken robe that accentuated her curves, arched an eyebrow at his arrival.

”Ah, Dong Aigou,” she greeted, her voice laced with a nonchalance that felt off-putting. ”Done with your dayʼs work already?”

Dong Aigou forced a smile. ”Almost,” he replied. ”Just needed to check on a few things.” He cleared his throat. ”About those resources for the final formations, any luck acquiring them?”

Feng Xiaoyu sighed dramatically, running a hand through her hair. ”Those specific materials?” she shook her head. ”Turns out theyʼre incredibly rare. Ever since I severed ties with my previous supplier, finding them has been a nightmare.”

Feng Xiaoyu met his gaze with a studied innocence. ”Honestly, Aigou,” she said, her voice laced with mock hurt. ”Do you think Iʼd willingly sabotage our plan? Relax, Wang Jian is falling for me hook, line, and sinker. Heʼll be trapped in no time.”

Her words were reassuring, but the lack of urgency in her tone gnawed at Dong Aigouʼs already frayed nerves. He nodded curtly, trying to mask his doubts.

”Thatʼs good to hear,” he mumbled, forcing another smile. ”Itʼs just... the sooner we activate the trap, the better.”

”Absolutely,” Feng Xiaoyu agreed readily. ”But until those resources arrive from the capital, is there anything else I can do to help?”