I am the villain in the book

Save her, or not?

Although Wei Changtian's face showed no emotion, he had already clearly weighed the pros and cons in his heart.

If he really wanted to protect You Jia, then facing this Second-Rank from the Lotus Temple, along with seven or eight Third-Ranks, would cost him at least a thousand points to win.

Moreover, unlike killing Chang Shu'an on the top of Yan Yun Mountain last time, this time there would not only be no gains, but he would also incur the enmity of the Lotus Temple.

No matter how he looked at it, it wasn't the right choice.

But if he directly handed her over... You Jia had, after all, saved Xu Qingwan's life.

Based on this point alone, he should probably ensure she didn't die.

Frankly speaking, if the Lotus Temple wanted Xu Qingwan, Yang Liushi, or even Lu Jingyao, Wei Changtian would probably have unhesitatingly smashed them with a 'Divine Strike'.

But as for You Jia...

With calm eyes devoid of any emotion, Wei Changtian stared at the latter's tearful eyes and softly asked:

"Miss You, can I trust you?"

"..."

You Jia trembled as she looked up at Wei Changtian, shrinking into Xu Qingwan's arms like a frightened fawn.

"Young Master Wei, please, don't, don't hand me over..."

"Answer me."

His tone unchanged, Wei Changtian asked again.

"Can I trust you?"

"..."

"...Yes, yes!"

You Jia nodded frantically.

Wei Changtian's eyes seemed to soften as he got the answer, and he glanced at Xu Qingwan again.

Little Xu returned his gaze, seemingly relieved.

Of course, she absolutely didn't want to send You Jia to her death.

But Xu Qingwan also knew very well that neither Qin Zhengqiu nor Liang Zhen, nor the Heavenly Net Sect nor the Suspended Mirror Division, would listen to her wishes.

The one who could really make this decision was, after all, Wei Changtian.

Xu Qingwan really wanted to beg Wei Changtian not to hand over You Jia, and she almost said it several times.

However, she never actually spoke the words.

Because her father had taught her since she was little—a woman should not make decisions for a man.

So even though she knew that if she begged, Wei Changtian would most likely agree, Xu Qingwan still stubbornly refrained from saying a single word.

Fortunately, the current outcome should be good.

"..."

On the high platform, Ning Yongnian's smile deepened.

At this moment, he was only one step away from completing his plan.

As long as Wei Changtian considered You Jia's life-saving grace to Xu Qingwan and chose to refuse to hand her over, then no matter who lived or died tonight, the conflict between the Wei family and the Buddhist sect would be irreparable.

Ning Yongnian even hoped that Wei Changtian would survive.

After all, what happened on the top of Yan Yun Mountain still needed an explanation.

Staring at that tiny figure in the distance, Ning Yongnian smiled and said:

"Old Li, it seems you've lost this bet."

"..."

Li Huaizhong cursed inwardly, thinking, 'When did I agree to bet with you?' but on the surface, he flattered:

"Your Majesty's ability to recognize people is something this servant cannot..."

Suddenly, his voice stopped abruptly.

He was only one word away from finishing his flattery.

But as if choked by something, Li Huaizhong stared blankly with his mouth open, unable to utter the last word.

As for Ning Yongnian...

"Swish!"

He suddenly stood up, looking at the scene in the center of the lake in disbelief, his expression freezing on his face for a moment.

How could it be?!

As the moon set over the Milky Way, starlight and shadows intertwined and blurred on the lake's surface.

Like the shocked Ning Yongnian and Li Huaizhong, Xu Qingwan also hadn't expected the situation to reverse so quickly.

Almost the moment these two words left his mouth, Liang Zhen understood the meaning in Wei Changtian's eyes.

With a "smack," he grabbed You Jia's arm, dragging her out of Xu Qingwan's arms without a second thought, and then suddenly exerted force—

"Swish!"

A struggling, beautiful figure flew through the air, heading straight towards Jing Yuan.

"No, don't!"

"Sister Xu! Save me!"

Amidst the terrified and desolate cries, Xu Qingwan didn't have time to think and subconsciously wanted to chase after her.

But before she could take a step, a hand pressed down on her shoulder.

Xu Qingwan suddenly turned her head, staring at Wei Changtian's calm profile with wide eyes, and only heard one sentence in her ear.

"Senior! The person is handed over to you!"

"Please, Senior, take her away quickly!"

"Whoosh!"

The water dragon hovering beside him opened its mouth and bit the incoming You Jia. Jing Yuan was stunned for a moment, then grabbed the latter's wrist, and after a moment, he laughed loudly at the sky.

"Hahaha! It really is the Heavenly Yin Body!"

"Good! Wonderful!!"

After laughing for a while, Jing Yuan shifted his gaze to Wei Changtian, his tone seemingly meaningful.

"Young Master Wei, it seems you are also a ruthless person."

"Senior."

Wei Changtian's expression remained unchanged: "There's no need to say unnecessary things."

"Hahaha! Good!"

"I'll leave now... Young Master Wei, we'll meet again if fate allows!"

Jing Yuan wasn't angry either, and smiled as he took one last deep look at Wei Changtian. He waved his Buddhist staff in the air, and in a few breaths, he disappeared into the vast night with You Jia.

And those dozen or so wandering monks dressed as experts left with him.

"..."

The scene returned to silence for a moment. Feeling the constantly trembling shoulders in his palm, Wei Changtian offered no comfort, nor did he explain.

In fact, the moment he turned his head to have You Jia look at him, he had already made up his mind.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to spend system points, but rather that there were too many doubts about everything concerning You Jia.

Why did this woman happen to save Xu Qingwan's life just after entering the Suspended Mirror Division?

Who exactly killed that snake demon?

Why did You Jia appear here tonight?

Why did that old monk come to snatch her away today, neither earlier nor later?

What exactly was the Heavenly Yin Body he spoke of?

If all of this was attributed to "accidents" and "coincidences," it seemed plausible.

But when one coincidence after another occurs on one person in a short period of time, then it is likely no longer a coincidence.

More importantly, just now, when Wei Changtian turned his head, he clearly saw Yang Liushi shaking her head slightly at him.

"Take care of Wan'er."

After taking a deep look at Yang Liushi and giving her instructions, Wei Changtian turned his head to look at the Liu family members, who were already retreating not far away.

With Jing Yuan and the others gone, they were destined to not survive tonight.

"Do it, don't let a single one get away."

As these words left his mouth, the shore once again descended into chaos.

Wei Changtian shook his head, seemingly uninterested in all of this.

However, the next second, his pupils suddenly contracted, and then his whole person turned into a black shadow, sweeping across the lake and rushing straight towards the high platform he had noticed long ago.

[Ding!]

[Detected that the host has successfully plundered some of the luck from the Child of Destiny, 'Ning Yongnian'!]

[Reward system points: 200]

You Jia, Dragon Finch

Damn! Should have guessed it long ago!