Villain: My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

Xie Zheng looked at Su Qingge bowing respectfully, a sly glint in his eyes, his mind already racing with calculations.

It seems that as long as he changes the trajectory of those associated with the Chosen One, he can steal Ye Chen's luck points and earn destiny points. This deal is incredibly profitable, and things are much simpler than he expected.

He abandoned his playful demeanor, his tone instantly turning cold, his words barbed and utterly merciless, displaying Xie Wei's characteristic indifference and sneer: "What are you up to by telling me all this? Do you think I'd be interested in a woman like you, and want to take this opportunity to let Ye Chen go?"

Su Qingge had expected him to be so harsh, but when she actually heard these words, she couldn't help but turn pale.

She quickly looked up to explain, her voice tinged with panic: "I dare not! I know my appearance is too plain to catch Young Master Xie's eye. What I said today is all sincere apology. I only ask that you forgive what happened that day. I have no power to interfere in Ye Chen's affairs. You are overthinking it."

She adopted an extremely humble posture, and the sincerity in her eyes seemed genuine, as if she was afraid that a single word would anger Xie Zheng and bring disaster upon the Tai Xuan Holy Land as well.

Xie Zheng, however, did not buy it. Instead, he leaned forward and his expression became even more amused.

He deliberately poked at her heart: "Oh? Ye Chen was so devoted to you, he dared to break with the entire Tai Xuan Holy Land for you, and you're so heartless, how can you face him?"

These words were like a needle, piercing Su Qingge's weak spot.

The color drained from her face instantly, her expression turning pained and gloomy. Her fingers tightened around the hem of her clothes, and her voice was low and somber: "For the sect, for my father's hard work, nothing else matters."

Xie Zheng remained outwardly cold and silent, but inwardly he was practically laughing his head off.

The tactic of winning hearts and minds proved incredibly effective; Su Qingge's current state clearly showed that he had her completely under his control.

After a moment of silence, Su Qingge seemed to have made a huge decision. She raised her eyes to look at Xie Zheng, her voice soft but firm: "Young Master Xie, Qingge has something else to tell you. Qingge's constitution is the Taiyin Xuanchai Body. No one else knows this except myself."

She knew that only by handing over her biggest weakness could she truly show her sincerity and make Xie Zheng believe in her submission.

Taiyin Xuanchao Body?

Xie Zheng raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding the situation.

He had seen records of this physique in the original owner's memories; it was definitely an excellent cauldron physique. Su Qingge actually took the initiative to reveal such a big secret, which was a bit beyond his expectations.

But then he thought about it again and understood.

This was Su Qingge's pledge of allegiance, voluntarily handing over her fatal weakness to him, which meant she would never dare to harbor any disloyalty. She certainly made a good show of submission.

Before he could even think it through, the system notification rang out precisely on time: "Ding! Detected that Su Qingge's initial intention to submit has been revealed. Ye Chen's luck has been damaged by forty points, and the master has gained two hundred Destiny Points!"

Xie Zheng was overjoyed. He really hadn't expected that winning over Su Qingge would be so easy.

In this way, Ye Chen's luck points have probably dropped to over 300. This chosen one of destiny has been half-crippled by him.

After saying these words, Su Qingge felt uneasy.

She got to where she is today entirely because of her meticulous thinking and the strategic advice of another soul with a hidden wisdom.

Xie Zheng was too unpredictable. At times he looked down on everyone with indifference, and at other times he had a playful air about fooling people. He was completely different from Ye Chen, who was as pure as a blank sheet of paper. It was this unpredictability that made her feel particularly uneasy.

Once the secret of the Taiyin Xuan Tu Body is exposed, she will definitely be targeted by those old monsters and die without a burial place.

By voluntarily handing over his weakness to Xie Zheng, he was betting that Xie Zheng would understand his sincerity and that Xie Zheng would not stoop to such despicable means against him.

Xie Zheng regained his composure, his tone remaining calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever: "The Taiyin Profound Body, such a fine physique for a vessel, and you just told me about it so easily?"

Su Qingge lowered her head, her voice soft yet firm: "I trust Young Master's character."

These were just polite words. She had no idea what kind of person Xie Zheng was. She only knew that he was very cunning and didn't seem like a decent person at all.

But right now, she has no other choice.

Xie Zheng scoffed, mercilessly exposing her lie: "You're not telling the truth."

Su Qingge pursed her lips and stopped speaking. Her anxiety deepened, and she looked completely at ease.

She was already stunningly beautiful, with delicate features and eyes like autumn water. Her soft black hair clung to her cheeks, and her slightly uneasy expression only added to her endearing charm.

Looking at her like this, Xie Zheng thought to himself: It would be a lie to say that he wasn't tempted, after all, he wasn't a saint.

Moreover, he neither advised nor forced Su Qingge to do this; it was Su Qingge's own idea, so it was only natural.

But his life was the most important thing, so he quickly asked the system in his mind, "System, she offered herself up in this situation. If I take her in, won't I be cursed by bad luck?"

The system's mechanical voice sounded: "Since the female lead has not yet truly submitted to her master, if a relationship is established, she will most likely suffer a backlash from the system's influence."

Xie Zheng rolled his eyes, cursing inwardly: Just as I thought, damn fate, what bad luck! So I can't even accept benefits that are offered to me? Luckily I was cautious enough, or I would have been in trouble.

Despite his grumbling, he remained outwardly calm, his tone suddenly becoming indifferent and distant, carrying a perfectly measured hint of disdain: "I'll pretend I didn't hear about the Taiyin Xuancha Body today. If Saintess Qingge is trying to impress me with that, please leave. Miss, please have some self-respect."

His expression and tone were exactly like someone who thought, "I'm devoted to Taoism, and I can throw away any woman's beauty."

Xie Zheng couldn't help but admire his own acting skills; it was a waste of his talent not to be an actor.

He could imagine that if the system had emotions, it would be cursing him for being shameless right now.

Just a moment ago he was lusting after her body, but now he's putting on the act of a virtuous gentleman.

Su Qingge was completely stunned. Her beautiful face was filled with astonishment, and she stood there for a long time without being able to react.

She came today prepared for the worst, even if it meant enduring humiliation, she was determined to protect her sect and her father.

Xie Zheng's words caught her completely off guard, and the panic in her heart was instantly replaced by a great sense of relief.

"This Xie Zheng is truly unpredictable; I can't guess what he's thinking at all." In her mind, the voice of another soul rang out at just the right moment, exactly the same as her current thoughts.

Su Qingge bowed and hurriedly took her leave. When she walked out of the main hall, her steps were much lighter, and her mood inexplicably brightened, no longer as lifeless as before.

As she walked, she pondered the situation and realized that Xie Zheng hadn't done anything wrong.

That day in the main hall, it was Ye Chen who spoke rudely first;

She came to see him a few days ago, and he only ignored her for three days without doing anything excessive; even just now, he clearly had something on her, but he didn't take advantage of her vulnerability.

"Perhaps I was prejudiced and wronged him," Su Qingge thought to herself, feeling secretly guilty.

"He's cunning, but isn't that normal for strong people? I myself am usually quite thoughtful, so why do you call him a bad person?"

Just as she was mentally rethinking her opinion and completely changing her mind, Xie Zheng heard a series of system notifications: "Ding! Detected that Su Qingge's opinion of the master has changed. Su Qingge's luck points have increased by twenty, and the master has gained one hundred destiny points!"

Xie Zheng was speechless, his lips twitching a few times: "Seriously? You've already imagined it all? And you're even planning your own conquest?"

He truly never expected that he could earn destiny points by relying on the female lead's self-conceptions. This was a case of overthinking and making a huge profit.

With a thought, he brought up the system interface, looked at the number in the Fate Value column, and couldn't stop smiling.

In total, he earned 700 Fate Points, but Ye Chen's Luck Points also decreased to just over 300. For this chosen one, today was definitely a day of utter collapse, a complete disaster.

Xie Zheng was in a great mood. He didn't rush to use the 700 Destiny Points, planning to save them up and wait for the system shop to open to see if there were any more powerful supernatural abilities or techniques.

Although he is not lacking in cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities, who would complain about having too many trump cards?

A more powerful technique would naturally be as fragrant as possible.

As he fiddled with the jade clasp on his fingertip, a sly glint flashed in his eyes, and his idiotic side resurfaced: "We've harvested enough of Ye Chen's leeks; now it's time for his mysterious master to take his turn."

Previously, he was wary of Yan Ji sacrificing her soul to protect Ye Chen, and also of the backlash from her luck, so he didn't dare to make a move easily.

Now that Su Qingge has stabilized her situation and earned most of her Destiny Points, she is confident enough to make a move on that wisp of remnant soul. She can not only gain more Luck Points, but also perhaps obtain unexpected opportunities. Why not?

"Tsk tsk, I'm a genius, I've calculated everything perfectly." Xie Zheng proudly raised his chin, his arrogant and irritating appearance showing no trace of the majesty of a peak Saint Lord, but rather like a child who had stolen candy.

He muttered to himself, "I'm not causing trouble. I'm just using resources wisely for cultivation and to earn Fate Points."

Just as he was happily plotting how to deal with Yan Ji, Elder Ming's voice came in again, his tone somewhat urgent: "Young Master, there's new activity in the dungeon. That brat Ye Chen has contacted three imprisoned experts and arranged to break out at midnight tonight. He also said he wants to take the opportunity to rescue Saintess Su."

Xie Zheng's eyes darkened, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

His tone turned colder, yet still held a hint of mockery: "Save Su Qingge? He must be insane. Send word to the guards at the prison to be alert and play with him. Remember, don't kill him. I'll personally drain his last bit of luck points and let him see that the female lead he's been longing for has long forgotten about him."

"Understood!" Elder Ming replied and withdrew.

Xie Zheng leaned back in his chair, his fingertips twirling the tattered World Seed, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

There's going to be a good show tonight. Ye Chen has escaped from prison, and Su Qingge has completely changed her opinion of him. Yan Ji's remnant soul probably can't protect him either. This time, he might be able to earn another wave of Destiny Points and directly unlock the system shop.

"Ye Chen, don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame it on the fact that you are the chosen one of destiny and have blocked my path."

Xie Zheng chuckled, already plotting how to "kindly" tell Su Qingge about Ye Chen's failed prison break, completely shattering Ye Chen's illusions and causing his luck points to drop even further.