Villain: After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse

Whoosh!

Ye Qingcheng, holding her long sword, aimed it at Du Goyun's throat. The sharp tip of the sword pressed against him as she coldly demanded, "What's your father's name, and where is he now?"

"Ye Sister!" Du Goyun stiffened, caught off guard, completely unprepared for Ye Qingcheng's actions.

The lethal tip of the sword and the boiling killing intent clearly indicated Ye Qingcheng's seriousness. If he doesn't respond properly, she might actually kill him. This baffled Du Goyun. Why would she act like this? He hadn't offended Ye Qingcheng; in fact, he had helped her, albeit in a minor way.

"Just answer my question!" Ye Qingcheng said, her voice as icy as ever. Having confirmed the truth from Jiang Chen's internal voice, she had developed a killing intent towards Du Goyun.

Everything, from Jiang Chen's known experiences with him to the subsequent events surrounding the Innate Yin-Yang Qi, revealed Du Goyun as a person with a malicious heart and unscrupulous methods.

Swallowing hard, Du Goyun, slightly panicked, replied, "I don't know who my father is! I've never seen him; he abandoned my mother and me when I was young." Speaking of his father, whom he had never met, Du Goyun's voice was icy and filled with bitterness. He hated his father for abandoning them.

"Hmm?" Ye Qingcheng looked deeply at Du Goyun, sensing from his tone that his words were likely true. The guy genuinely didn't know his father. This frustrated Ye Qingcheng, who had hoped to glean some clues from Du Goyun.

"Ye Sister, do you know my father?" Du Goyun asked, his eyes fixed on her. He surmised that she must know his father to ask such questions.

"I don't know!" Ye Qingcheng replied, annoyed. If she knew, why would she come asking him? She approached him precisely because she didn't know.

"Impossible! If you don't know my father, why are you looking for him?" Du Goyun refused to believe her. In his view, her knowledge of his father was the only reason for her inquiry. "Tell me, what is my father's actual name?" Du Goyun pressed, eager to know about his father.

"I don't know!" Ye Qingcheng sighed deeply, trying to calm herself. If she knew, there would be no need to ask. It seemed that only Jiang Chen could reveal Du Goyun's father's identity.

While she could investigate, it would take a lot of time, and she might not even find the answer. Without any leads, finding information about Du Goyun's father, whom he had never met, seemed improbable.

"It looks like I can only find out who Du Goyun's father is through Jiang Chen," Ye Qingcheng thought. "But how should I ask? Directly asking might not be appropriate." She hesitated, knowing that asking directly might arouse Jiang Chen's suspicions.

Acting cautiously, Ye Qingcheng didn't want to reveal her ability to hear Jiang Chen's heart's voice just yet. While she hesitated, Du Goyun seized the opportunity to flee swiftly. Watching him escape, Ye Qingcheng didn't bother to chase.

Her intention was only to find out about his father, and since Du Goyun didn't know either, there was no point in pursuing him. Moreover, killing him there could have exposed her and was not appropriate, considering the implications of killing a disciple of the sect.

Hundreds of kilometers away, Du Goyun was still feeling frightened as he looked around cautiously, afraid Ye Qingcheng might suddenly appear. He had sensed her intent to kill and knew he wouldn't stand a chance against her with his current strength. To escape, he had used one of his trump cards.

"Why does Ye Qingcheng want to kill me?" Du Goyun couldn't help feeling indignant. He had no enmity with her; in fact, he had even helped her once.

"It might be related to your father," Canglao speculated, trying to make sense of the situation. Though disappointed in Du Goyun lately, Canglao didn't wish him harm as he was his only hope.

"But she said she doesn't know my father," Du Goyun protested, puzzled. "And even if she has a grudge against him, why take it out on me?"

"If she has a grudge against your father, you are his son. Without knowing your relationship, why would she treat you kindly?" Canglao pointed out the harsh reality.

Silenced by this logic, Du Goyun realized he would have reacted similarly. Now, returning to Primordial Holy Land seemed impossible with Ye Qingcheng watching him.

Canglao advised him to stay outside and return only for the inner sect competition. Shining in the competition and becoming a true disciple would grant him a status where even Ye Qingcheng couldn't touch him.

"True disciples are the pillars of the Primordial Holy Land, even the Holy Son can't act recklessly against them," Canglao reminded.

"I'll listen to you, Master," Du Goyun agreed, aware of the danger posed by Ye Qingcheng and her status in the Holy Land. Becoming a true disciple in the inner sect competition could change his fortunes.

"If I succeed in my cultivation, I'll surely avenge today's humiliation," he vowed, turning the incident with Ye Qingcheng into motivation.

Thus, the original protagonists of the story, Ye Qingcheng and Du Goyun, diverged completely, becoming enemies.