The grand hall of the Azure Dragon Sect gleamed beneath the light of spirit lanterns. Silk banners bearing ancient emblems swayed in the evening breeze, and celestial melodies played from floating instruments crafted of divine wood. Over a thousand cultivators had gathered—elders, young talents, nobles, and rogue geniuses—each one vying for a glimpse of the rising star.
Kuro Ren stood at the center of it all, calm as still water.
He wore robes of deep obsidian trimmed with crimson gold, and a thin silver chain dangled from his collar, holding a crystal token denoting his identity as the sect heir. His dark hair was tied neatly behind his head, and his sapphire-blue eyes scanned the room with disinterest.
He looked noble. Perfect. Untouchable.
"Tonight," the Sect Master declared, raising his jade wine cup, "we celebrate the rise of a genius—Kuro Ren—who has broken through to the Core Formation Realm at the age of seventeen. A feat unmatched in our sect's history."
Thunderous applause followed.
Kuro offered a slight nod, not too arrogant, not too humble. Just right. Exactly what they expected from a prodigy. But beneath the applause, beneath the practiced smile on his lips, something stirred.
> [Villain System Booted.]
[Daily Task Generated.]
Target: Liu Tian, Heavenly Sword Prodigy.
Objective: Sabotage his breakthrough tonight.
Bonus: Frame another sect.
Time Limit: 4 hours.
Rewards: +500 Villain Points | Skill Unlock: Shadowstep | Bonus Item (If framed)
> [Warning: Task Failure will result in System Penalty – Fate Fragment Loss x1.]
Kuro's smile didn't shift. No one noticed the glint of calculation in his gaze.
"Congratulations, Brother Ren," came a friendly voice.
He turned.
Liu Tian.
The so-called Sword Saint of the East. Born under a divine comet. Fated son of the Heavenly Sword Sect. He had golden eyes, an aura as sharp as unsheathed steel, and the smug righteousness of someone who thought the heavens owed him glory.
Kuro bowed slightly. "Brother Tian honors me with his words. I merely followed the elders' teachings."
> [Villain System: Lie Detected. +5 Points.]
[System Comment: Smooth. He's buying it.]
"You're too modest," Liu Tian said, laughing. "A toast, then. To rising stars."
Kuro raised his cup. "To destiny."
Their cups clinked. One of them meant it.
---
The Banquet Unfolded
The hall buzzed with social games. Young ladies fluttered near the rising talents, noble sons exchanged polite insults under the guise of compliments, and sect elders cast strategic glances as if already calculating marriage alliances.
Kuro moved through them like a shadow cloaked in silk.
He offered warm words, fake humility, and practiced nods. He recited verses of philosophy, praised the patriarchs, flattered the disciples.
And every time someone turned away, his expression emptied like a mask taken off.
He walked past the wine tables. Past the pavilion. Into the open courtyard under the moonlight, where energy veins glowed beneath the tiles like living veins of the mountain.
A figure approached—graceful and cold.
Fuyue.
Clad in ice-blue robes embroidered with white lotus petals, her silver hair cascading like snow silk. The only daughter of the Sect Master. They had grown up together. Childhood friends. To the sect, they were a perfect match.
"You disappeared," she said softly.
He offered a smile. "I needed a moment."
"You always do."
Silence hung between them.
Then she stepped forward, her voice lower. "Is it real, Ren? That you reached Core Formation so fast?"
He met her eyes. "Do you think I'm a liar?"
She studied him for a moment. "No. But you're hiding something."
> [System Notification: Fuyue Suspicion +2]
[New Side Task: Plant Doubts About Liu Tian in Fuyue's Heart. Reward: Rare Fate Fragment + Sin Resonance 1%.]
"Liu Tian seems too perfect," Kuro said casually. "Too clean. You know what they say about blades that shine too brightly?"
"They dull faster?"
"They're often hiding bloodstains."
She blinked.
He turned away, satisfied.
---
Midnight — Cultivation Chamber
Kuro slipped through the silent corridors of the guest palace, the robe around him fluttering with a subtle shadow art.
Liu Tian's personal chamber was sealed by an advanced array—but he had studied it hours ago. While others toasted and laughed, he'd memorized the cracks in its flow.
One press of a finger, and the array shimmered, then unraveled.
Inside, Liu Tian meditated, his aura condensed like a sword ready to unsheathe. Golden threads of Qi spiraled around him. Bottles of ancient pills and spirit incense filled the air.
Kuro stepped behind the pillar. The Villain System blinked in his mind.
> [Sabotage Options Available:]
1. Corrupt Qi Circulation Array
2. Tamper with Incense Using Demonic Powder
3. Replace Guiding Jade with False Technique
4. All of the Above
He chose four.
His fingers moved silently. A whisper here. A touch there. A powder so faint it left no trace. A replacement jade hidden in plain sight.
By the time Liu Tian's breathing deepened into trance, Kuro was already gone.
On his way out, he made sure to pass the side corridor—where a young elder from the Crimson Thunder Sect was meditating with his eyes closed.
Perfect scapegoat.
> [System Notification: Sabotage Complete.]
[Framing Probability: 93%.]
[Villain Points: +500]
[Skill Unlocked: Shadowstep (Low-tier Movement Art)]
[Bonus Item Received: Karma Concealment Ring]
[Fate Fragment Acquired: +1]
---
Back at the Banquet
Kuro returned, pouring himself wine under the starry sky.
The flames of the lanterns danced, but his heart remained cold.
Fuyue was watching him again. So were several others.
"You're quiet tonight," she said.
"Just thoughtful."
"You smiled when Liu Tian approached earlier. But your eyes said otherwise."
He turned to her. "And what did they say?"
"That you were lying."
He sipped his wine. "Then you're seeing clearly. But for the wrong reasons."
Her brows knit together. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he said softly, "you shouldn't trust everyone who wears light."
> [System: Fuyue Suspicion +4]
[Progress: 34% toward Side Task Completion]
---
Chaos at the Cultivation Hall
A sudden explosion of spiritual energy cracked the stillness.
Alarm bells rang across the sect.
Elders appeared in a flash. Disciples scattered.
From the guest palace, Liu Tian was carried out—unconscious, his meridians glowing red, face pale, blood dripping from his nose.
"The array was tampered with!"
"There's a scent of demonic powder in the air!"
"That elder from the Crimson Thunder Sect—wasn't he near the palace?"
Accusations flew like arrows.
The Crimson Thunder elder was dragged into questioning. Furious voices clashed with defense and denial. Sects turned on each other. Trust shattered.
And from atop the pavilion roof, beneath the moonlight, Kuro Ren sipped his tea.
> [Hidden Task Success – Karma Displacement Triggered.]
[System Upgrade Progress: 12%]
[Faction Suspicion: 0%. Villain Aura Concealed.]
He smiled and whispered to the stars, "Let them chase ghosts. I'll remain their golden boy."
Fuyue stood not far away, watching the chaos, her eyes flickering toward him again.
The doubt had been planted.
---
[Villain System Interface]
Name: Kuro Ren
Role: Hidden Villain (Masked Genius)
Cultivation: Core Formation – Initial Stage
True Path: Shadow Dao | Karma Inversion
Villain Points: 1015
Fate Fragments: 2
Sin Resonance: 0.1%
Unlocked Skills:
– [Deception Mask] – Appear righteous unless directly exposed
– [Shadowstep] – Short-distance stealth movement
– [Villain Insight] – Identify protagonist traits and lucky encounter probabilities
– [Karma Concealment Ring] – Masks negative karma signatures from divine senses
Current Objectives:
– Main: Await next Daily Task
– Side: Corrupt Fuyue's loyalty (Progress: 34%)
– Hidden: Discover next protagonist to intercept fate
---
Kuro stood alone beneath the moonlight, the hall behind him still ablaze with voices.
The world would call him a genius.
One day, they would call him a monster.
But by then, it would be too late.
Because he wasn't part of the story fate had written.
He was rewriting the script—line by line.
And this time, the villain would win.
---