hhnovel Chapter 180: The Disgraced Protagonist
Chapter 180: The Disgraced Protagonist
The sudden turn of events left everyone present in shock!
"Fang Yuan! The duel is over; what are you doing?" Jiang Chen exclaimed in surprise.
Instead of drawing his sword to block, Jiang Chen cleverly employed the Great Martial Eight Ghostly Steps, deftly moving backwards to evade the attack.
At the same time, a surge of exhilaration bubbled up within him.@@@@
Fang Yuan’s impulsive behavior had clearly tarnished his reputation, contradicting his role as the protagonist!
How could he, as the protagonist, disregard the established rules, show such desperation, and express his anger through such reckless actions?
Confirming Jiang Chen’s insight, two system notifications rang within his consciousness, intensifying his thrill!
[Ding! You have successfully triggered a minor shift in protagonist Fang Yuan’s character, reducing his Heavenly Fate Value by 300 points!]
[Ding! You have gained 600 points of Villain Value!]
In the depths of Fang Yuan’s mind, a surprised Nangong Wan urgently advised, "Fang Yuan! What are you doing? Your actions are bordering on madness!" Her voice rose, contrasting with her typically calm demeanor.
"Fang Yuan, stop this madness! Do you realize how much you are humiliating yourself?" Shangguan Ning added, her astonishment clear.
What was happening was not only shocking to Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning, but it also deeply disappointed them.
They had never expected Fang Yuan to descend to such a level of poor sportsmanship, behaving so inappropriately before a large audience.
The disappointment extended beyond Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning. Holy Lord Ji Mingxiu, along with other influential figures and Ji Ruxue, who was significantly important to Fang Yuan, also shared this sentiment.
"This Fang Yuan, his temperament is distressingly deficient!" Supreme Elder Mo Yu commented, his brow furrowed in displeasure. "He was clearly bested due to lesser skill, yet he denies his defeat and even resorts to aggression!"
"The Fang Yuan I once knew wasn’t like this. Perhaps the two years he spent alone have deeply affected him." Despite maintaining a stoic demeanor, Ji Mingxiu’s gaze towards Fang Yuan carried an undeniable shade of disappointment.
Previously, he had considered encouraging a relationship between Ji Ruxue and Fang Yuan. Now, he felt relieved that he had held back.
Not far away, Xie Xiaojing’s striking face contorted with evident disgust as she remarked, "What a letdown! This Fang Yuan is utterly ridiculous! Jiang Chen had such high hopes for him, even advocating on his behalf!"
"He is simply ungrateful, abandoning righteousness for his selfish pursuits. He’s unfit to be considered a friend by Jiang Chen!" she added, feeling indignant on behalf of her beloved.
Beside her, Ji Ruxue remained silent, but her narrowed eyes indicated that she too harbored her own thoughts about what had just transpired.
’I never expected Fang Yuan would show such traits,’ she mused, surprised. ’I had envisioned him as a pillar of the Purple Heaven Holy Land in the future, but it now seems that despite his commendable cultivation aptitude, his temperament falls short. I fear it might even hinder his understanding of the Dao.’
[Ding! You have successfully diminished the Unpursued Heroine Ji Ruxue’s impression of the protagonist Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan’s Heavenly Fate Value is reduced by 200 points!]
[Ding! You have acquired 1600 points of Villain Value!]
Due to Fang Yuan’s reckless actions, he suffered a significant loss of eight hundred points from his Heavenly Fate Value.
’Excellent! If this continues a few more times, Fang Yuan’s Heavenly Fate Value might plummet to a dangerous level!’ Jiang Chen thought with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Fang Yuan relentlessly pursued and launched attacks on Jiang Chen, who skillfully dodged each one. Fang Yuan’s inability to land a hit only fueled his growing frustration and anger.
"Aaagh! Jiang Chen, stop running away! Fight me!" he yelled, attempting to goad Jiang Chen. "Are you scared? I knew it! How can I be defeated?
You can’t possibly defeat me!"
Before he could utter another word, a stern roar thundered in Fang Yuan’s ear like a clap of lightning: "Stop!"
An overwhelming aura of authority, paired with an assertive command, caused Fang Yuan’s body to quiver, abruptly halting his attack.
It was Ji Mingxiu who had interjected.
He regarded Fang Yuan with a frosty gaze. "Fang Yuan, you have proven to be profoundly disappointing! To commit such an act during the Holy Son selection duel, I believe it is time for you to retreat and reflect upon your behavior!"
"I..." Fang Yuan trembled, his fists clenched, his teeth grinding so hard that fresh blood seeped from his gums.
A flicker of regret passed through his heart, but it was overwhelmingly overshadowed by sorrow, anger, and a profound sense of helplessness.
He knew he had let everyone down before.
His desperate pursuit of victory was driven solely by his desire to avoid further disappointment.
No one could truly understand the depths of his yearning for triumph.
All they did was heap blame upon him!
Seeing Fang Yuan calming down and regaining his composure due to Ji Mingxiu’s timely intervention, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret, lamenting the lost opportunity to further reduce large chunks of Fang Yuan’s Heavenly Fate Value.
Nevertheless, he quickly adapted to the situation. Stepping forward, Jiang Chen positioned himself between Fang Yuan and Ji Mingiu, facing the latter with his back to Fang Yuan. He slightly bowed, clasping his hands in front of him respectfully, and said, "Holy Lord, I beseech you to quell your anger. Junior Brother Fang Yuan’s actions were indeed a tad excessive.
However, nobody is devoid of flaws, and it is fairly common for someone as youthful as Junior Brother Fang Yuan to exhibit lapses in temperament."
"As the saying goes, acknowledging and rectifying one’s errors is the noblest virtue." Jiang Chen added, glancing over his shoulder at Fang Yuan behind him. "I have faith that Junior Brother Fang Yuan will assuredly acknowledge his errors and make amends. After all, growth is a gradual process."
With that, he turned to address everyone present, his expression earnest. "Therefore, I ask Master, as well as all fellow members of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, to bestow upon Junior Brother Fang Yuan your understanding and forbearance."