Chapter 678 Asking for Portraits - I Became the Rich Second-Generation Villain

Wang Haoran stood atop a towering structure of the Wang family estate, gazing out at the view, feeling rather vexed as he touched his nose. He'd lost count of how many sneezes he'd had today. It was obvious without a doubt that there were countless people cursing him behind his back. And the reason? Well, Wang Haoran was well aware of that too. The message that had been sent by the Wang family to the major forces of the Eastern Domain, requesting them to offer up young maidens, distinctly phrased as if it were his idea, as the newly appointed young master. Now, people across the Eastern Domain likely believed he was some kind of reincarnated lecher. Thinking of this, Wang Haoran felt a strong urge to thrash Wang Wanli. He couldn't help but wonder if the old man did it on purpose. Clearly, it was the Wang family's decision, but the wording pinned it as his intention as the new young master. Anyone who was displeased with it would surely blame him as the new young master. Having people curse him behind his back was just too normal. Wang Haoran was almost certain now that he had caught the attention of a protagonist determined to kill him. In such a vast place like the Eastern Domain, there was bound to be a heroine. His action was akin to snatching away the protagonist's woman—of course, the protagonist would be irate. However, considering he'd come to the Holy Domain to seize the heroine, clashing with a protagonist was inevitable. The protagonist wanted him dead, and he wanted the protagonist dead. A fair exchange, then. "Who's there? Come out." Sensing someone hiding behind an obstacle, Wang Haoran spoke calmly. At his words, footsteps soon followed. "Wang Tong greets the young master," came a voice from behind, belonging to a young man. Wang Haoran turned slightly, observing Wang Tong. The young man, striking in both build and looks, was a remarkable figure—just a notch below himself, embodying the image of an ideal, elegant young man of the ancient style. But this kind of appearance, coupled with his background, undoubtedly made him a prime target for a protagonist's animosity. Reality had already proven it—Wang Tong had become a stepping stone for a protagonist's showing-off not too long ago. "I hear you were the previous Wang family young master?" Wang Haoran inquired with narrowed eyes. "Yes, young master," Wang Tong nodded. "To have the young master position taken away so suddenly, do you not feel any resentment?" Wang Haoran scrutinized him deeply. "The young master is of the Wang family's direct lineage, awakened the innate spiritual body in the ancestral land, a genius without peers. You becoming the young master is well-deserved. I admire you profoundly and submit willingly," Wang Tong declared with reverence. "Just now, I hid myself because I merely wanted to witness the brilliance of the young master, yet feared disturbing your enjoyment of the scenery," he continued. Hearing this, Wang Haoran smiled. When Wang Tong said this, Wang Haoran didn't detect anything unusual; clearly, his words were true. However, such behavior was entirely predictable. Wang Tong's image and background painted him precisely as a villain. With Wang Haoran's villainous aura now exceeding forty thousand, it was effortless for him to subdue villains. "I heard you were bested in a competition for opportunity not long ago, even sustaining serious injuries. Who was it that injured you, and what's their background?" Wang Haoran asked. Having heard some stories about Wang Tong, he wanted to know more upon meeting him in person. "The person is called Su Xuan, a secular individual closely linked with the Flying Cloud Pavilion and is romantically involved with Xu Ao's youngest daughter, Xu Qingtong," Wang Tong replied. Wang Haoran pondered thoughtfully. Su Xuan? The name instantly sounded like a protagonist, and being from the mundane world? Evidently, Su Xuan wasn't a traditional immortal cultivation protagonist, but rather one starting from the urban setting, transitioning to the cultivation route mid-to-late plot. Most protagonists Wang Haoran encountered were those in early-to-mid plot phases, but Su Xuan's main storyline had clearly progressed to the latter stages. As for Xu Qingtong, she was undoubtedly the female lead. "Do you know how Su Xuan and Xu Qingtong met and how long they've been together?" Wang Haoran dug further. Most female leads in later-stage plots were already claimed by the protagonist. Wang Haoran simply wanted to assess whether Xu Qingtong had already fallen 'victim' to the protagonist. "I know little about this. I only know that Xu Qingtong, Xu Ao's youngest, used to be with her mother in the mundane world. She returned to the Holy Domain about a year ago," Wang Tong recalled, continuing, "During the recent opportunity competition, when the family master intended to act against Su Xuan, Xu Ao and Xu Qingtong intervened. That's when I learned of their relationship. How long it's been, I can't tell." Hearing this, Wang Haoran immediately deduced that Su Xuan and Xu Qingtong knew each other from the mundane world. This led him to surmise that Xu Qingtong had likely already been claimed by the protagonist. Wang Haoran sighed inwardly, already considering the possibility of eliminating both Xu Qingtong and Su Xuan. "You mentioned Xu Qingtong is Xu Ao's youngest daughter. Does that mean Xu Ao has an elder daughter as well?" Wang Haoran continued his inquiry. "Yes, Xu Ao has an elder daughter named Xu Qingxuan, who was also in the mundane world and has only recently returned to the Flying Cloud Pavilion," Wang Tong replied. Wang Haoran's mind stirred. What Wang Tong mentioned reminded him of someone—Fang Xuan. Fang Xuan's biological parents had complex backgrounds. Xu Qingxuan's situation matched Fang Xuan's, not to mention they both shared the character 'Xuan' in their names. "Send a message to the Flying Cloud Pavilion in my name, requesting portraits of Xu Qingtong and Xu Qingxuan," Wang Haoran instructed. "Why only ask for their portraits and not summon them here directly?" Wang Tong asked, puzzled. "Do as I say," Wang Haoran didn't elaborate further. He only wanted the portraits because he expected Xu Qingxuan and Xu Qingtong might not obediently come to the Wang family for him to inspect. But requesting portraits seemed plausible. Wang Haoran merely wished to see if Xu Qingxuan was Fang Xuan and how beautiful Xu Qingtong appeared. Portraits would suffice for these purposes, eliminating the need for their actual presence. If the portraits confirmed Xu Qingxuan as Fang Xuan, he planned to visit the Flying Cloud Pavilion in person. "As you command," Wang Tong withdrew to carry out the order. After Wang Tong left, Wang Haoran checked his system panel attributes. The villain points had already reached 512,700. With so many villain points, it was time to spend some. After failing to use the charm aura on Qin Huaimeng back in Shanghai, Wang Haoran had considered upgrading it. Cultivation-type female characters or leads often had high auras, making the intermediate charm aura less effective. Now, in the Holy Domain, Wang Haoran anticipated encountering cultivation-type female leads. Upgrading the aura was necessary. With resolve, Wang Haoran spent 200,000 villain points to enhance his intermediate charm aura to a high-level charm aura. (End of Chapter)