Born a Villain

Three days later, evening, Willow Pavilion.

The Willow Pavilion was filled with song and dance as usual today.

Yu Qinglian was performing on stage, her pipa playing reaching a state of divine mastery.

Today, she had even employed a few techniques from the Infatuation Path.

Her already stunning features were enhanced by a touch of melancholy and fragility.

This stirred an inexplicable protective desire in the patrons below; their eyes were fixed, and their lower abdomens began to heat up inexplicably.

"Damn, it's really stifling in the Willow Pavilion today!"

"How is it that Yu Qinglian's performance looks so stimulating today?"

"I can't take it anymore. If I could sleep with her just once, I'd be willing to lose ten years of my life," a man with a dissolute air and his chest wide open couldn't help but shout.

Most people who came to the Willow Pavilion prided themselves on being refined, if not exactly virtuous, and they looked at the man with disdain, silently distancing themselves from him.

However, everyone secretly agreed with his sentiment.

Though the words were crude, they weren't entirely wrong—they were just too vulgar.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from below.

"Hey, hey, this guest, you aren't allowed on stage during the performance."

"Get lost, you old hag! I go where I want—who do you think you are?"

At that moment, a tall man in Brocade Clothes, reeking of alcohol, eyes half-closed, and stumbling in his gait, walked toward the stage. He slapped the madam blocking his path, sending her flying, then leered toward Yu Qinglian.

Startled, Yu Qinglian stood up in terror, the strings under her fingers snapping with a jarring sound.

"Who are you? What are you doing?"

"Who am I?" The man's eyes were bleary, his mouth twitching incessantly. "I am Li Baoyu! As for what I'm doing? Little bitch, I came up here to fuck you!"

"Li Baoyu? Who is that? He's bold enough to cause trouble at the Willow Pavilion."

"That guy has quite the background; he's the son of the Green Pine Martial Hall master!"

"The master's son! His father is a Seventh-grade martial artist?!"

A Seventh-grade martial artist was considered top-tier strength in this border town of Jiaqing County.

Even the county magistrate would have to show him some respect upon meeting him.

"This Li Baoyu is close with the magistrate's son, Zhang Xun; they're sworn brothers."

"Hah, sworn brothers? They're two of a kind."

"Zhang Xun? Didn't I hear that Zhang Xun wanted to marry Yu Qinglian?"

"Hah, can the magistrate's son marry a courtesan? At most, he'd take her as a concubine."

"Zhang Xun has plenty of concubines—at least a dozen. But he's a dissolute yet loyal man who treats his brothers well. Whenever his men get into trouble, he's the first to step in, and after taking a new concubine, he even shares them with his brothers to play with..."

"Then what about Yu Qinglian!?"

"Sigh, there's no helping it. His background is too strong; you can't afford to offend him. You wouldn't throw your life away for a woman, would you?"

Li Baoyu chuckled foolishly, saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.

If one looked closely, they would see an eerie, dark purple glow flickering in his half-closed eyes.

This was precisely Lin Yi's Corpse Puppet Path technique.

The Corpse Puppet Path, as the name suggests, uses corpses to create puppets to drive and defend against enemies; its foundation lies in the word "control."

However, this control is not limited to corpses; it can also be used on the living, though it is much more troublesome.

Corpses have no souls to fight for control, so they can be manipulated with ease.

For the living, one must first plant a "Corpse Puppet Seed" and wait until the target's mind is clouded before seizing the body.

Even when the target is sober, one can influence their emotions and thoughts through subconscious suggestion.

This is the insidious and treacherous nature of the Corpse Puppet Path. However, this technique has a limitation: the Corpse Puppet Seed cannot be used on those with cultivation equal to or higher than one's own, or it is easily detected.

Yet, the current situation surprised Lin Yi.

Although Li Baoyu was heavily intoxicated, his subconscious was still active. Theoretically, there should have been some resistance to the control, but after the Corpse Puppet Seed was activated, his subconscious cooperated with every action without the slightest resistance.

In other words, this man already harbored these filthy thoughts; Lin Yi had merely removed his final layer of inhibition.

Li Baoyu approached step by step, the lecherous grin on his face truly nauseating to behold.

Yu Qinglian frowned slightly, a trace of regret rising in her heart.

She regretted not asking for a higher fee.

The Willow Pavilion rarely encountered such situations.

The shop had hired thugs, and they all emerged.

But Li Baoyu's status was, after all, extraordinary.

The identity of a Seventh-grade martial artist carried too much weight.

In the entire Jiaqing County, who would dare to raise a hand against him?

To dare to lay a finger on Li Baoyu today meant that by tomorrow, one's entire family would be planted in the ground like scallions.

For that meager monthly salary, why would anyone risk their life?

This led to a bizarre situation.

The surrounding thugs were ready, most of them glancing at each other, yet not a single person dared to step forward and make a move.

Yu Qinglian glanced at the indifferent crowd around her; even though she had anticipated this, a wave of sorrow couldn't help but rise in her heart.

"Heh heh, little lady, just submit to this young master. My father is Li Qingsong; follow me, and I guarantee you'll have a good life..." Li Baoyu chuckled.

Lin Yi, who was controlling Li Baoyu, was left speechless.

This line of dialogue wasn't added by Lin Yi; it was something Li Baoyu had added subconsciously.

Lin Yi couldn't understand how this person could be so straightforward, blurting out standard villain lines without a moment's hesitation.

Was this the natural talent of a born villain?

Yu Qinglian was also a drama queen; her eyes turned red in an instant, and she struck a pose of terror, retreating repeatedly.

"I... I am a pure performer at the Willow Pavilion; I only sell my art, not my body."

"Jie jie jie, who cares?" Li Baoyu laughed wildly.

"My father is Li Qingsong! In Jiaqing County, I am the law, I am the heavens!"

"Whatever I, Li Baoyu, do, who dares to stop me? Who can stop me!"

The crowd below was startled.

He was too arrogant!

This was practically treason!

Yu Qinglian was stunned.

Feeling the sheer madness in Li Baoyu's words, she couldn't help but be taken aback.

She knew Lin Yi was controlling Li Baoyu from the shadows, and she couldn't help but secretly grumble to herself.

Was Little Lin being a bit too deliberately flamboyant?

Lin Yi felt wronged; heaven and earth were his witness, he had only manipulated this guy to get on stage—everything else was his own improvisation.

"I, Li Baoyu, will put it out there today: I am going to have Lian Niang. Whoever stops me, I'll send them to meet their ancestors. Even if the Emperor came, he couldn't stop me—that's a promise."

With that, Li Baoyu lunged toward Yu Qinglian like a starving wolf.

Yu Qinglian's face paled, and she dodged with a nimble movement.

But at the same time, several thugs who often followed Li Baoyu had already surrounded her.

Yu Qinglian took a deep breath, looked deeply at the crowd below, and a sense of pessimism flickered in the depths of her eyes.

"I... I will go with you."

"However, doing this in front of such a crowd is no different from a beast. Follow me to the backyard..."