I, the Villain, Stopped Simping, and Now All the Female Leads Are Panicking

Chapter 5: The Chosen One?

Wanchong Mountain Range.

This land was covered in endless mountains, the terrain twisting and coiling like dragons and serpents. Stretching endlessly for thousands upon thousands of miles, it earned the name Wanchong. To the east was the Great Wilderness, to the north the Frozen Tundra—its geographical position was uniquely dangerous. It was rightfully called one of the Nine Forbidden Grounds of the Heaven’s Origin Continent.

Due to its unique environment, Wanchong Mountain Range was blessed with an abundance of resources. Countless spiritual herbs, rare treasures, and exotic beasts could all be found here. As the saying goes, “Fortune lies in danger.” Though the region was perilous, its richness drew an endless stream of cultivators eager to try their luck and search for their fated opportunities.

At this moment, inside a cave somewhere deep within Wanchong Mountain Range, a young man with short black hair and dressed in a dark robe sat at the cave entrance, occasionally scanning the distance. His appearance was unremarkable—thin lips, a narrow nose—but his eyes were as sharp as blades, brimming with a sinister, cold glint. His entire body emanated a faint aura of evil that made one shiver just from a glance.

“Master, this plan of mine is flawless. Just watch, it’s guaranteed to work.” Xiao Fan spoke with great confidence, eyes never leaving the surroundings outside the cave.

A soft chime echoed—“ling-ling”—and a faint light flashed. Within the cave, a blurry figure slowly formed, as if a gust of wind could scatter it at any moment. It was a graceful, noble woman with arched willow brows and skin as fair as snow. Her bearing was elegant and her looks peerlessly beautiful. But the trace of worry between her brows gave her an air of melancholy.

This woman was Xiao Fan’s so-called “Ring Grandpa,” named Ye Shuang’er. Once a powerful cultivator from the Upper Realm, she had been ambushed by enemies, her physical body destroyed. Only her soul remained, forcing her to flee to the Lower Realm.

“Disciple, Liu Yanran is a prodigy of the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect. A woman like her must be exceptionally sharp-minded. I’m not trying to discourage you, but if your plan fails, you might offend the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect. And once that happens, it’ll be nearly impossible for you to join them in the future. I suggest you think this through again—see if there’s anything you’ve overlooked,” Ye Shuang’er said with a sigh, clearly uncertain.

Half a month ago, after seeing Liu Yanran, Xiao Fan had shared his plan: to perform a heroic rescue and win her over. Ye Shuang’er hadn’t been optimistic about it. The plan was too crude. Xiao Fan had learned from information gathering that the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect often sent disciples to train in Wanchong Mountain Range. So he decided to lie in wait for Liu Yanran—hoping to catch her off guard like a rabbit falling into a trap.

Once Liu Yanran arrived, Xiao Fan planned to lure a nearby ferocious beast toward her and force her into a fight. Then, when she was gravely injured and on the brink of death, he’d rush in—not to slay the beast, since he didn’t have that power—but to shield her with his own body, risking his life to protect her. Then he’d escape with her.

With the pretext of saving her life, he believed Liu Yanran would surely open her heart to him. Xiao Fan’s fantasy was beautiful, but the plan had a major flaw.

Even if Liu Yanran came to Wanchong Mountain Range, ordinary beasts wouldn’t be able to hurt her. Only high-tier ferocious beasts had a chance, but those kinds of monsters had a strong sense of territoriality and wouldn’t venture out so easily. A sudden beast riot and the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar man—put together, it would clearly look like a trap. Forget a genius from the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect—even a slightly intelligent woman would sense that something was off.

“Hahaha, Master, that’s where you don’t understand. This plan is seamless! There’s no way it’ll fail!” Xiao Fan laughed loudly, brimming with confidence.

He believed it was perfect. He considered himself a master at reading women’s hearts. As long as he stayed by Liu Yanran’s side and got injured badly enough, looking pitiful enough, her sympathy would surely be aroused. Once that connection was established, he would get closer to her, shower her with a man’s warmth, and then show off his so-called peerless talent. By then, Liu Yanran—just a woman—would be his for the taking. No matter how cold she was, she’d fall into his hands.

Seeing Ye Shuang’er still hesitant, Xiao Fan burst into laughter again. “Master, don’t overthink it. I understand women better than you do!”

Ye Shuang’er opened her mouth but said nothing. In the end, she could only let out a deep sigh.

Xiao Fan continued to fantasize about his grand future. “Once I save Liu Yanran, I’ll use her to enter the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect. From there, I’ll rise step by step—first as chief disciple, then as Holy Son, and finally as Holy Lord. By then, I’ll control the entire sect! And when that time comes, I’ll help Master restore your soul, rebuild your body, and take revenge on your enemies!”

At that moment, Xiao Fan glanced at Ye Shuang’er from the corner of his eye. A flash of lust passed quickly, only to be replaced by a burning glow—ambition. A raging fire of desire.

Ye Shuang’er, seeing how confident he was, didn’t know what to say anymore. She could only nod lightly. “Alright, then. I believe in you.”

Though she agreed outwardly, deep down, she still disagreed. This plan was far too naive. It treated the other party like a complete fool. No normal person would fall for such a setup.

And yet, in the original plot, Liu Yanran—the Heavenly Dao Holy Sect’s proud female lead—had indeed fallen for it. She didn’t suspect Xiao Fan’s actions at all, and later even developed some girlish affection toward him.

This wasn’t some clever story progression between the male and female leads. Honestly, it was just the fault of the author. Unable to come up with anything more interesting, the writer resorted to this brainless, cliché setup. It was pure plot armor—overriding all logic and forcing the characters to act like fools. In the end, whether it made sense or not, the two of them ended up together.

With the author’s endorsement, even the most absurd plot became “reasonable.”

“She’s here!”

Xiao Fan suddenly stood up, eyes fixed on a white figure in the distant sky.

It was none other than Liu Yanran—the “rabbit” Xiao Fan had been waiting for.

“This place isn’t good enough. I need to go deeper in.” Liu Yanran muttered inwardly while flying deeper into the Wanchong Mountain Range.

Since she was putting on a performance, she had to make it convincing. Otherwise, with Yan She’s cultivation, he’d see through a fake injury with just one glance.

This area was still only the outer region of Wanchong Mountain Range, where no powerful beasts roamed. If she wanted to fool Yan She, she’d have to attract a beast at the level of a ferocious monster.

Ironically, in this regard, Liu Yanran’s thoughts weren’t all that different from Xiao Fan’s. They both treated the other like a fool.

What they didn’t know… was that the real fool was neither of them. It was themselves.