Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

At This Moment, in a Cafe.

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaded-glass windows of the establishment, casting long, dusty beams of amber light across the polished mahogany floorboards.

It was a quiet, upscale establishment tucked away in a secluded corner of the Imperial Academy Dimension, in one of its more affluent cities—the kind of place where senior students and student faction leaders came to whisper secrets they dared not speak aloud in the court.

At this moment, in a corner table beside a window, sat Xu Jingshan.

The third prince of the Great Tian Yuan Empire looked like a shadow of his former princely self.

He sat slumped over the table, staring blankly into a cup of lukewarm spiritual tea that had long since stopped steaming.

His high-collared, gold-embroidered robes—usually immaculate and crisp—were slightly rumpled.

Deep, dark bruises of exhaustion hung heavily under his bloodshot eyes, and his jaw was shadowed with several days’ worth of neglected stubble.

He looked thoroughly haggard, and incredibly tired.

Because of the disastrous incident a few days ago, his life had devolved into an endless, waking nightmare.

He had spent seventy-two consecutive hours sleeplessly running between the grand estates of the Academy’s most influential student noble factions.

He had bowed, pleaded, and used every ounce of his political capital to keep the arrogant, hot-headed heirs of these powerful clans from contacting their families outside to cause more trouble.

The situation right now is incredibly delicate, and the timing of the incident could not possibly be any worse.

Right now, the Immortal Road was about to appear.

The competition would be brutal, and the younger generation of the Tian Yuan Empire desperately needed the resources, the teachers, knowledge, and the highly specialized training of the Imperial Academy more than ever.

If the academy’s reputation crumbled now, the entire foundation of the empire’s future would go down with it.

Perhaps the only ones who will remain unaffected are the Immortal Clans and Immortal Sects.

They simply could not afford to let the academy lose its standing in the eyes of the public, nor could they allow a civil war to break out between the prideful nobility and the academic authorities.

"My, my~, to actually call two beautiful ladies out for a date in such a secretive place, you are quite bold, Third Prince."

The playful, melodious voice cut through the heavy silence of the booth like a silver bell.

Xu Jingshan immediately turned his head, his tense shoulders slumped slightly in relief as he saw two figures walking toward his table.

It was Bai Wenxin and Su Xishi, two of the most outstanding young cultivators of their generation, their presence alone seemed to brighten the dim, oppressive atmosphere of the cafe.

"Sister Wenxin, Sister Xishi," Xu Jingshan said, his voice raspy as he stood up hastily, offering a polite, respectful bow, and motioned to the plush seats directly across from him. "Thank you both so much for agreeing to meet me on such short notice. Please, take a seat."

The two girls nodded in acknowledgment and sat down, their movements graceful and effortless.

Bai Wenxin, as cold and aloof as a block of thousand-year-old glacier ice, adjusted her pristine purple robes.

She didn’t spare a glance at the tea or the menu, her sharp, clear eyes staring directly at him. "Jingshan, let’s skip the pleasantries. What is it that you want?"

"Oh, it’s definitely our help," Su Xishi chimed in.

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, pointing a slender finger at him with a playful, teasing smirk. "If not, then he probably just wanted to experience the fleeting feeling of being on a double date with two of some of the most sought after maidens. Am I right, Your Highness?"

Xu Jingshan let out a long, weary sigh, rubbing his temples. "Please don’t tease me, Sister Xishi. I am at my wit’s end here. I desperately need your help."

Seeing his genuine distress, the playful glint in Su Xishi’s eyes faded, replaced by a more serious, contemplative expression.

She leaned back, crossing her arms. "It seems the impact of that incident was far more serious than the public realizes."

Xu Jingshan nodded slowly, his expression grim. "Yeah. The entire Empire is in turmoil. Behind closed doors, alliances are fracturing. The vassal states are mobilizing their troops under the guise of ’border patrols,’ and there are even quiet, whispered signs of outright rebellion among the outer provinces. If we don’t stabilize the situation soon, the Tian Yuan Empire might tear itself apart before the Immortal Road even opens."

"That bad?" Su Xishi blinked, her brows furrowing. The scale of the chaos was grander than she had anticipated.

Bai Wenxin frowned, her cold demeanor hardening further. "If that is the case, I don’t think I can help you with this, Xu Jingshan. The Immortal Clans and the Immortal Sects usually do not interfere with the mundane affairs of mortal dynasties. Even if we share the same teacher, I cannot disregard the ancestral laws of my sect for your imperial politics."

As for the Shen Clan actively interfering and even overthrowing the previous Imperial Family tens of thousands of years ago, pushing the Xu family to the throne...

Are you tired of living? You want to point fingers at them?

The Shen Clan was a colossus that stood above the heavens, a supreme existence that could rewrite the history of the continent on a whim.

The Golden Cloud Immortal Sect was a perfect example.

Although those guys were already in decline, they were still a recognized Immortal Sect with tens of thousands of years of heritage.

And yet, the moment they offended the young master of the Shen Clan, the entire clan mobilized and annihilated them overnight.

Not a single stone was left standing.

Xu Jingshan nodded at her, "I know, sister Wenxin. But I came here today to ask the two of you for help in a different way. I want you to help me ask Young Master Shen Haoran for his personal assistance."

He leaned in, his voice urgent but hushed. "The Immortal Clans and Immortal Sects cannot interfere with the mundane world due to ancient treaties, yes. But that doesn’t mean the Shen Clan can’t. They are the law. If Young Master Shen speaks a single word of support for the Imperial Family, the rebellious factions will dissolve overnight out of sheer terror."

He and Shen Haoran weren’t that closed despite having followed him in the resistance against the giants.

Not to mention that for some reason, he had this particular dislike for that man that he couldn’t quite explain.

Because of that feeling, he had always wanted to avoid him because he doesn’t know what he’ll do.

But now, the Empire desperately need Shen Clan’s help, he had to swallow whatever he is feeling for the same of greater good.

Xu Jingshan turned his gaze to the two women, trying to appeal to their connections.

"The Immortal Sects maintain a close relationship with the Nine Immortal Clans, right?" he said, hoping to find a leverage point.

He then turned his gaze specifically toward Su Xishi. "And Sister Xishi... your sect once helped Young Master Shen in spreading that recording about my older brother. You already have an established line of communication with him."

Bai Wenxin frowned, contemplating his words.

What Xu Jingshan said was technically true. The Great Immortal Sects did indeed maintain a delicate, highly respectful degree of relationship with the ancient Immortal Clans.

They would occasionally send their most talented descendants and core disciples to one another’s territories for joint training, trials, and banquets to foster goodwill.

But that was the limit of their interaction.

No sect master in their right mind would dare to casually demand a favor from a high-ranking member of an Immortal Clan, let alone the young master of the Shen Clan.

She wanted to refuse, but as she stared at the haggard, desperate face of Xu Jingshan, she couldn’t help but soften.

Despite his royal blood, he was currently nothing more than a drowning man clutching at straws.

She closed her eyes, letting out a soft, resigned sigh.

Forget it, treat it as helping a fellow student.

"Very well," Bai Wenxin said quietly, opening her eyes. "I cannot promise any results, Jingshan. But I will try."

Xu Jingshan’s face lit up, a wave of profound relief washing over his tired features.

He felt as if a physical mountain had been lifted off his chest. "Thank you, you two. I will remember this debt of gratitude forever."

However, the hope was quickly dampened as Su Xishi simply frowned and shook her head.

"Don’t thank us both just yet," Su Xishi said, her tone polite but entirely devoid of her previous playfulness. "That help my sect provided to Young Master Shen in spreading the video was a very minor thing. It barely qualifies as a favor. In the world of cultivation, a favor from someone of Young Master Shen’s stature is worth more than an entire kingdom. It might come in handy to save my sect or my own life later down the line. I am not willing to cash it in right now just to bail out your imperial family, Third Prince. So... I’m sorry, but I can’t help you."

Her refusal was cold, pragmatic, and entirely logical.

To her and her sect, the rise and fall of mortal dynasties were like the passing of the seasons.

They couldn’t care less who the ruling Imperial Family of the Tian Yuan Empire was, as long as the political shifts didn’t affect their sect’s resources or personal safety.

If the Xu family fell and a new dynasty arose, the sect would simply sign a new treaty with the new rulers.

Xu Jingshan’s smile stiffened, but he quickly forced a polite nod, masking his bitter disappointment. "I see. I understand your position, Sister Xishi. It was selfish of me to ask. Thank you for being honest with me."

"If that is all, then I will be taking my leave," Bai Wenxin said, standing up. Her white robes rustled softly, her cold aura returning in full force.

"Me too," Su Xishi smiled, her playful demeanor returning as she stood up alongside her friend. "I have to learn some dance move. It might come in handy if I get a man in the future."

Seeing them prepare to leave so quickly, Xu Jingshan reached out a hand. "Aren’t you two going to order anything? It’s my treat. We could at least have some tea..."

"No need," Bai Wenxin replied simply, without turning back.

With that, the two women walked away, their graceful figures disappearing past the velvet curtains and out of the cafe, leaving the Third Prince alone in the quiet booth with his cold cup of tea.

*

*

*

Outside the quiet cafe, the heavy, humid air of the academy’s districts immediately enveloped them.

The distant, muffled sounds of shouting merchants, moving carriages, and patrolling guards echoed through the wide, stone-paved streets, reflecting the high-alert state of the city.

Su Xishi adjusted her elegant silk sleeves, her steps light and unhurried as she turned her head towards Bai Wenxin, her eyes twinkling with sudden curiosity. "You two actually shared the same teacher? I didn’t know you and the Third Prince were fellow disciples."

Bai Wenxin nodded slowly, her expression remaining as cool and unreadable as glacial ice. "Technically, yes. Though, to be completely honest, we barely even qualified to be called his official students, much less a disciple."

"You?" Su Xishi stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in absolute, stunned disbelief as she stared at her companion. "The most talented woman of this entire generation? Barely qualified? Are you joking with me right now, sister Wenxin?"

Bai Wenxin turned her head slightly to meet her gaze, her nod firm and entirely without exaggeration. "Yeah. It’s the truth. In our teacher’s eyes, our talents are nothing more than a passing breeze."

"Your teacher must be someone incredibly great, then. An ancient supreme powerhouse..." Su Xishi murmured, her curiosity instantly spiking to unprecedented heights. "What’s his name? Maybe I have actually heard of it?"

Bai Wenxin shook her head slowly, her eyes drifting toward the high, perpetual clouds of the horizon. "I highly doubt it. My teacher is a deeply reclusive expert who exists completely outside the standard registries. He likes to play the role of a simple, helpless mortal in the mundane world, constantly telling us with a straight, serious face that he’s just a completely ordinary, harmless person with no cultivation whatsoever. But... that couldn’t be any further from the truth. His casual household guard dog is actually a peak Heavenly Saint Realm expert who protects his front gate."

Su Xishi stared at her with wide, completely blown eyes, her breath catching in her throat as her jaw practically dropped.

"Holy shit. Are you actually serious right now?!" Su Xishi gasped, her playful demeanor completely vanishing as she lunged forward, grabbing Bai Wenxin’s shoulders with an uncharacteristic, frantic excitement. "Sister! You absolutely have to introduce me! Introduce me to him! I need to see a senior of that legendary level!"

Bai Wenxin let out a soft, helpless sigh, her cold lips curling into a tiny, amused smile at her friend’s dramatic reaction.

She nodded gently. "If we eventually have the right chance and he is willing to receive guests, I will try to take you with me."

"Yes!" Su Xishi pumped her fist into the air, her face lighting up with absolute, triumphant joy.