Lin Chen smiled and said to Lu Zhang, "You know, sometimes using force only causes damage. The harder people seem on the outside, the softer they are on the inside. Even if I were to forcibly take their land, it wouldn't be enjoyable for me. It would just be another regular day. But now that Lu Xiaoran is involved, this has become personal. I plan to win over the villagers and become the hero they want. At the same time, they will come to hate Lu Xiaoran. I will make sure of it. Once he has no one left by his side, I will kill him just like before. You know, when I was weak, I was always humiliated by Lu Xiaoran. Now, I will pay him back a hundred times."
Pov: Vik
While Lin Chen sat in his car, driving away from the community and plotting Lu Xiaoran's downfall, someone was watching him. In the distance, a hidden camera was placed on the roof, disguised as a light pole. Watching the live footage from the camera, Vik laughed at Lin Chen's efforts.
Currently, Vik was sitting on a large boulder with Pushpa beside him. Meanwhile, Lu Xiaoran and Roman were sweating as they worked the land for their training. Vik looked at them and said with a smile, "Stop, disciples. You've plowed enough land for now. You can take a break."
At his command, both disciples stopped and released their plows. They walked over to Vik, panting. Exhausted, they lay on the ground in front of the boulder.
I wondered why, despite being in the Golden Core and Soul Formation realms, they got so fatigued from plowing. It might have to do with the land in this forest. Perhaps it's gone through some sort of mutation, making it tougher to work. I let them rest and set out some food. The meal included fruits from the forest, some rice I cooked, and a dish I bought in the city.
They wasted no time and began eating, but neither of them liked the rice and dish. They only chose the fruits for breakfast. When I asked why, they told me they were used to the delicious and miraculous fruits from the forest, which is why other dishes didn't appeal to them.
I understood. After reaching the Golden Core realm, a normal person can fast for six months, and with enough strength, even a whole year. At this stage, the body only needs more spiritual energy to function, and those fruits are rich in spiritual energy, which is likely why they prefer them.
After they finished their breakfast, I handed them some seeds and instructed them to plant them. I taught them the right technique for planting, as my seeds only contained wheat, making it easier for them. I planned to plant rice tomorrow since it needs more water than wheat. After planting the wheat seeds, I gathered water from a nearby pond and spread it across the fields like a gentle rain. With that, today's work was complete.
I looked at the time and saw it was 1 PM. Today's physical practice was over, and it was almost time for the evening Qi practice. I decided to work on something else. I summoned my disciples to the main hall of the Anonymous Hall. In the spiritually rich environment of the hall, where the energy almost condensed into a dense white fog, I sat in the main chair while my disciples took their seats across from me.
I explained Lin Chen's actions and possible plans to them. Both of my disciples looked concerned for the villagers after I shared the information. Following my explanation, Roman said, "Master, I'm worried he might hurt those villagers because of his grudge against us. I don't want innocent people to get harmed. Shouldn't we do something to ensure their safety?" Lu Xiaoran agreed with Roman's suggestion.
"That's a good idea, Roman," I replied. "But there's no need. Lin Chen won't resort to violence; that's not his plan. He will manipulate the villagers to do what he wants. Until he finishes his goal, he won't harm them."
"But Master," Lu Xiaoran said, "I think Lin Chen is being foolish in his planning. Yesterday, he did many things to hurt those villagers and take their land. Now he thinks that just by apologizing and throwing a party, he can win their trust. Any sane person would find that suspicious."
"That's called arrogance," I said.
"Yeah, Master. He is very arrogant," Lu Xiaoran agreed.
Vik: "No, disciple. I'm talking about you. You're becoming arrogant by underestimating the power of a protagonist. Protagonists have an aura that makes those around them less smart. For example, if a protagonist were to kill an innocent man, his family might forgive him as long as he apologizes sincerely. It's even possible for the protagonist to blame the man and turn him into a villain. There's a chance that if a protagonist kills a father, the daughter may seek revenge but end up falling in love and joining his harem. So don't underestimate the power of protagonists. I call this phenomenon the protagonist halo. Just like angels in stories, protagonists have a halo that makes them seem right in the world's eyes, even when they commit crimes that others would despise."
Lu Xiaoran: "Master, how can we deal with him? If things go as you predict, those villagers will be fooled by Lin Chen."
Vik: "Things aren't as simple as you think, Lu Xiaoran. If his plan succeeds, those villagers might willingly give him their land without considering their own lives. They would become stepping stones for Lin Chen. But that won't happen on my watch. There are many ways to bypass this protagonist halo, and we will slowly make him fall into his own trap. You know there's a method to solve any problem. We just need to follow four steps, and we will use this to deal with Lin Chen."