I’m looking for intelligent novel with a lot of scheming and betrayal. More like the first 3 volumes of Gu Master, instead of the later volumes of Reverend Insanity. Not necessarily light novel/webnovel. Evil/ruthless MC is not required.

What I’ve tried:
Romance of Three Kingdoms - more like this please
Grandmaster Strategist - more like this please
Nano Mashin - dropped it because of Spoiler
Omniscient Reader Viewpoint - dropped because translator change and general drop in quality
Trash of the Count’s Family - dropped because blandest shit ever
Lord of the Mysteries - I have a lot of issues with this novel, but it’s certainly good

Reading:
Smiling Proud Wanderer - pretty entertaining, everyone is such a jerk in this novel

Plan to read:
Count of Monte Cristo

Evil MC. FFF-Class Trash Hero

Lots of Scheming.
Rebirth of the Urban Immortal Cultivator (By the others)
Im The Great Immortal