After the intense clash that left Rio and Roxanne defeated but enlightened, Leo stood tall on the platform, gazing at the twin siblings with a rare softness in his eyes.
The proud smirk remained, but his tone had shifted to something resolute.
"Butler Wang, arrange immediate treatment for both their parents," Leo ordered, his voice carrying the weight of authority.
"Send my best healers and use the high-grade restoration pills from the vault. Spare no effort."
"Understood, Young Master," Butler Wang replied, bowing deeply.
The shadow guards around them nodded silently, their eyes gleaming with pride.
This was the man they chose to follow—a true leader who crushed enemies but protected allies.
Turning to Rio and Roxanne, Leo handed each a spatial ring. "Inside are cultivation resources.
Pills, spirit crystals, a few manuals, and a protection talisman from the Skydawn Pavilion.
You'll need strength for what comes next."
Rio looked stunned. "Why would you... after all this, give us these?"
Leo sipped his tea like a noble villain from a drama.
"Because I need you two strong. You will be my sword and shield within Bladecrest.
" He smiled. "And because I like giving my future in-laws proper gear."
Roxanne's cheeks reddened. Rio looked like he was ready to punch a mountain.
Then, Leo's face darkened. "Now... it's time we turn to the true disease festering in this clan. The head of Bladecrest."
The moment those words escaped Leo's lips, the temperature around them dropped.
Butler Wang stepped forward with a scroll. "Shall I begin the investigation, Young Master?"
Leo nodded, and Butler Wang vanished like a whisper in the wind.
"It won't be easy," Rio warned. "Our uncle... he's meticulous.
He's always kept his dealings clean.
Outwardly, he's a man of virtue."
Roxanne nodded. "He even donates to orphanages and temples... publicly."
Leo smirked. "Every so-called righteous man has skeletons in his closet.
Or in his case, corpses and ledger books."
Within two hours, Butler Wang returned. His face, though calm, held a storm beneath the surface.
He handed over a thick scroll bound in red string.
Leo chuckled as he unfurled it. "Let's see what dirt crawled out."
As Leo read through the long list of offenses, his eyebrows raised.
"Embezzling clan funds... selling high-grade resources to the black market... bribery... oh, this one's juicy—harassing married women.
Tsk, even going after underage girls?"
Rio and Roxanne's faces turned pale with rage.
"He's not a nobleman," Roxanne growled. "He's a beast."
"No," Leo corrected, his eyes flashing. "He's a cockroach dressed in silk. And I'm the one bringing the slippers."
Leo tossed the scroll toward them. "Read it. Digest the truth. Then tell me—how do you want to proceed?"
Rio clenched his fists. "We... we expose him."
Roxanne was quiet, thoughtful. "That might shake the clan too much. There are still loyalists to him. We must be strategic."
Leo's smirk widened. "Exactly. That's why we won't strike the head first. We target the limbs."
He turned to Butler Wang. "Gather intelligence on all the elders and officers.
Who have secrets?
Who's disloyal?
Who can be bought?
Who can be blackmailed?"
"Already done, Young Master. I anticipated your next step," Butler Wang said as he produced another scroll.
"You spoil me, Wang," Leo chuckled.
Even Roxanne stared at Leo in awe. "You think ten steps ahead, don't you?"
"Of course," Leo said, reclining with his usual arrogant flair. "Chess is only fun when your opponent thinks it's still checkers."
Rio muttered under his breath. "More like this guy's playing interdimensional poker."
Leo stood. "I'll be leaving for now. Roxanne—wear something nice tomorrow. We're going on a date."
Before she could answer, he vanished with a whirl of his cloak, leaving behind a confused brother and a flustered sister.
"Did he just... command me to go on a date?" Roxanne blinked.
"He treats people like his chess pieces," Rio growled. "And you're just okay with that?!"
Roxanne looked out the window. Her cheeks still tinged pink. "He's... rough. But he's dependable.
I can handle a little dominance."
Rio almost choked. "I need an exorcist. Immediately."
---
Meanwhile, Leo returned to his manor and sat on the rooftop under the moonlight, sipping aged wine.
System Notification: Ding! Quest updated: Expose the corruption of Bladecrest Head.
Leo tapped the armrest of his chair. "Speaking of corruption... Alex's mother."
He remembered her clearly.
A beauty with silver hair and violet eyes, once praised as the pride of noble bloodlines.
But Leo also remembered how she left the Bladecrest estate years ago after a huge fight.
"In the original timeline, she disappeared. But now... I'll bring her into play."
Leo's eyes sparkled. "The protagonist dared ask his own mother to join his harem.
That trash... he'll cough blood when he sees her with me."
He let out a long laugh. The kind of laugh villains do right before dropping a continent.
---
Elsewhere in the Bladecrest family estate...
Alex sneezed. Then again.
"Why do I feel like... something is slipping away from me?" he mumbled, looking up at the stars.
Sophia and Selena walked by but ignored him.
"Sophia! Selena! Wait!" he called.
Selena rolled her eyes. "Don't talk to me unless it's important."
Sophia didn't even stop.
Alex scratched his head. "Weird. My charm must be on cooldown. Time to launch Drama Plan #47."
He stared into the mirror, practiced crying, then grinned. "They won't resist this face."
From the shadows, a few of his former followers sighed. "Isn't this the fifth drama plan this week?"
"More like the fifteenth."
"Honestly, I miss when Leo kicked him across the training field."
"Me too."
---
Back at Leo's mansion, Butler Wang returned with more files.
"Young Master. Here are details on the whereabouts of Alex's mother. She now lives near the Mistfall Lake, isolated but well-guarded."
Leo grinned. "Perfect. Tomorrow, I'll go fishing."
The shadow members bowed. "Shall we prepare the boat or the blade, Young Master?"
Leo laughed. "Both. I never fish without bait or backup."
Chapter End.
---
[ TO BE CONTINUED ]
---
Author's Note:
Boom! The chapter ends… but my journey as a humble author continues!
If you laughed, raged, or felt the urge to slap a fictional character today—don't forget to drop a Power Stone or add this novel to your collection!
It fuels my fingers and feeds the system behind this villainous tale.
Got an idea? A plot twist suggestion? Or just wanna yell at a character?
Slide into the comments—I read everything.
Until next time,
Stay evil, stay awesome, and thanks for reading!
– Your Scheming Author
azuredragonx
---