Reborn as the Villain, No More Sidekick - Chapter 2:

Chapter 2: Seriously Injure the Protagonist, Enter the Bridal Chamber, and Tame the Fierce Horse:

With Great Grandmaster Dian Wei protecting him, Cao Xu felt secure. 

No matter how strong Lin Hao was, he couldn’t match Dian Wei. Lin Hao might be the former Prince’s close friend and the so-called Son of Destiny, but that didn’t concern him now.

“Dian Wei, do you know Cao Cao?” Cao Xu asked, curious.

“Who is Cao Cao?” Dian Wei responded, scratching his head in confusion.

[Host, Dian Wei does not possess memories from his original time. His memories are entirely from this world, provided by the system.]

“I see,” Cao Xu muttered, realizing the situation. He turned to Dian Wei. “Never mind. Soon, a thief will come to assassinate me. Your time to shine has come.”

“Who dares attempt such an act against the lord?” Dian Wei’s face darkened with rage, his fierce aura becoming evident. 

Cao Xu could feel the intensity of the evil energy Dian Wei emitted, making him slightly uncomfortable.

But Dian Wei quickly caught himself, suppressing his overwhelming energy. He knelt. “I apologize for causing discomfort, my lord. Please, punish me.”

“It’s fine.” Cao Xu replied. After all, Dian Wei was his fiercely loyal protector, and there was no need to punish him over such a small matter.

…

Outside, night had fallen. A masked figure, dressed all in black, leaped over the walls of Prince’s palace and made his way toward Cao Xu’s chamber. But the moment the assassin set foot on the palace grounds, Dian Wei’s senses flared.

 “My lord, the thief is here!” Dian Wei growled.

“Let’s go catch him,” Cao Xu commanded, a cold gleam in his eyes.

“Yes, my lord.”

Dian Wei stepped out, his massive halberds strapped to his back. He didn’t even draw them, merely punched the air with a swift motion. In the distance, Lin Hao, who had been agilely navigating the palace using his light-footed techniques, was hit mid-air by Dian Wei’s punch and plummeted to the ground, severely injured.

“How dare you try to assassinate the lord? You’re nothing!” Dian Wei roared, fury evident in his voice. 

Lin Hao, though skilled, was still only at the peak of Innate, no match for Dian Wei, a Great Grandmaster.

Just as Dian Wei was about to finish off Lin Hao, another powerful presence appeared, matching Dian Wei’s strength. A mysterious figure, also dressed in black, appeared, grabbed the wounded Lin Hao, and fled.

“The thief has an accomplice!” Dian Wei bellowed, furious. His voice was like thunder, shaking the walls of the palace.

In an instant, Dian Wei pursued them, his True Qi allowing him to fly briefly through the air. He caught up to the mysterious figure and swung his halberds with a mighty force.

“Take this!”

The halberds descended like two mountains crashing down, but the mysterious figure summoned a True Qi shield, barely blocking the attack.

BOOM!

The impact sent the mysterious figure flying, but they quickly recovered and ran without looking back, clearly unwilling to fight Dian Wei head-on.

Dian Wei watched them disappear into the distance, his expression grim. He didn’t give chase, concerned it might be a trick to draw him away from Cao Xu. His lord’s safety was his top priority.

“My lord, the thief had help. They managed to escape,” Dian Wei reported when Cao Xu approached. “I failed in my duties. Please punish me, my lord.” He knelt, ashamed.

“It’s not your fault. Stand up,” Cao Xu said, understanding that luck was on Lin Hao’s side. As the Son of Destiny, Lin Hao was always protected in some way. It wasn’t surprising that a Great Grandmaster appeared out of nowhere to save him.

This was the palace of the Prince. If Dian Wei had unleashed his full power, he could have leveled the entire place. Caution was necessary.

[Ding! You have severely injured Lin Hao, the Son of Destiny. Reward: Luck +500, Villain Value +8000.]

Even though Lin Hao had escaped, the system still rewarded Cao Xu for severely injuring him.

“My lord, are you unharmed?” Palace guards arrived with torches, surrounding Cao Xu protectively. They eyed Dian Wei with suspicion, unfamiliar with him.

“My Prince is unharmed. Dian Wei is the guard I have personally recruited, and he will now serve as the leader of the palace guard,” Cao Xu announced. The guards accepted his words without question, thanks to the system’s influence.

The system was truly remarkable. It had rewritten everyone’s memories to ensure no one doubted Cao Xu’s identity. The former Prince had been forgotten, and Cao Xu’s position was secure.

“Inform the Imperial City Division that there has been an assassination attempt. They must find the culprits,” Cao Xu ordered. Even though they knew who the assassin was, formal procedures had to be followed. If they could catch Lin Hao, all the better. If not, he’d find another way.

“Yes, my lord,” The guards replied, scattering to carry out his orders.

With the danger temporarily dealt with, Cao Xu turned his attention to more personal matters. He had survived an assassination attempt and severely injured the protagonist—now it was time to address the bridal chamber and his new bride, the princess.

..

Outside the bridal chamber, Cao Xu signaled to a maid. “Bring me my riding crop.”

The maid obeyed, fetching the item quickly. With the crop in hand, Cao Xu kicked open the door and entered the room. Inside, red candles flickered, casting soft light across silk curtains and embroidered decorations. The scent of agarwood filled the air.

A beautiful voice rang out, sharp with indignation. “How dare you enter? Who gave you permission?”

Cao Xu, already irritated, looked at the woman standing before him. This was Su Lingxuan, the princess—his wife. She was stunning, her figure wrapped in elegant wedding robes, her phoenix crown and harem adding to her allure. But her attitude was unacceptable.

“This is the Prince of Wei’s mansion, and I am the Prince of Wei,” Cao Xu said coldly. “I don’t need anyone’s permission to enter my own chambers.”

Su Lingxuan, startled by his boldness, instinctively pulled her robes tighter. 

“You married the princess today, yet you leave her to spend the night alone? Do you think I’m happy to see you now?”

“Cao Xu, have you forgotten our agreement?” Su Lingxuan’s voice trembled with anger as she stood up.

Cao Xu looked at her in confusion. 

He searched the memories of the former Prince and found the agreement. Apparently, the former Prince  had promised never to touch her unless she allowed it. 

What a pathetic fool.

But Cao Xu wasn’t the old Prince. He wasn’t going to follow some ridiculous promise.

***
T/N:

Halberds:

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