I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1269:
Previously on I Am the Fated Villain...
1630. Ling Yuxian’s Love Tribulation, the Tragic Incident that Shook Xian Chu Haotu
“Qinglan, why would you treat me this way…”
Chu Wushang let out a low growl, his gaze overflowing with intense resentment. His body shuddered before the space in front of him warped, allowing him to vanish instantly into the void.
A short while after Chu Wushang’s departure, Uncle Fu’s form materialized once more from the nearby shadows. A look of bitterness and resignation flickered across his wrinkled features. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, he too quickly faded away.
At that same hour, within the residential palace assigned to the members of the Yuxian Palace, Gu Changge sat by candlelight, calmly scanning through a jade slip.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he cast a brief look toward the window.
“Whether the victim can successfully strike back depends entirely on what happens tonight.”
A tiny, subtle smile played upon his lips.
“What do you mean by ‘victim’?”
Abruptly, accompanied by a delicate fragrance, a tall woman dressed in a flowing long gown adorned with tassels pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Yuxian Shijie, it is late and you should be resting. Why have you come to see me at such an hour? It is hardly proper for a man and a woman to be alone together deep in the night.”
Gu Changge looked up at the approaching figure and casually set aside the jade slip.
Ling Yuxian walked forward of her own accord, replying, “I was suddenly struck by a thought regarding today’s events, and since I could not find peace of mind, I came to seek answers from you.”
Gu Changge gave a small nod and asked, “What is it? Could it not have been discussed during the day? Why raise the issue now?”
Ling Yuxian spoke with blunt honesty, “Because if I do not uncover the truth, I fear sleep will elude me tonight.”
Gu Changge offered a gentle smile. “Then please, ask away, Yuxian Shijie. I shall answer you with total sincerity, keeping nothing back.”
“Why did you join the Yuxian Palace? Initially, I assumed you were like me—a reincarnated soul who had begun Cultivation anew. I thought you remained in the Yuxian Palace solely to obtain the Wheel of Reincarnation. When we formed our alliance, you claimed you harbored no ill will toward the Yuxian Palace and merely wished to take back what belonged to you. Based on that agreement, I promised to assist you to the best of my abilities.”
“However, as time passes, I find that I cannot see through you at all. Your thoughts remain a mystery, and your true goals are impossible to discern. I cannot even distinguish between your truths and your lies. You have kept far too many secrets from me. I once believed I understood you, but today’s occurrences proved that what you reveal to the world—and to me—is only the tip of the iceberg. Who are you truly? What is your history? What is your ultimate aim? I am completely in the dark.”
Ling Yuxian’s stunning eyes remained fixed on Gu Changge, her voice emphasizing every word.
After discovering at Chu Gucheng’s birthday feast that Gu Changge was the shadow leader behind the Fati Alliance, Ling Yuxian had not uttered a single word to him. She had waited for him to offer some sort of clarification.
Yet, to her frustration, he had simply departed after the banquet concluded, showing no desire to explain himself to her.
This left Ling Yuxian feeling agitated upon returning to her quarters. She had always felt a sense of familiarity with Gu Changge. Despite their occasional friction, they were no longer strangers. Yet his demeanor toward her remained unchanged—cold and detached, appearing and disappearing as he pleased. He only sought her out when he required something, and once satisfied, he would leave without a second thought or even a polite word.
Ling Yuxian realized her restlessness wasn't just about his hidden motives; it was because she was constantly agonizing over what Gu Changge actually thought of her.
She had originally intended to discuss the banquet's events with her sister, Ling Yuling, but eventually lost the heart for it. Her sister had been correct—she should never have been so inquisitive about Gu Changge, nor should she have developed such a strange fondness for him due to his past actions.
Regardless, she felt compelled to find him tonight to confirm one specific truth.
Perhaps she was currently encountering the first Love Tribulation of her long path of Cultivation. And this tribulation was centered entirely on Gu Changge.
“Yuxian Shijie, why are you suddenly so stirred up? Why not sit and enjoy some tea?” Gu Changge looked at her with a hint of feigned surprise, standing up to pour a cup for her.
Gu Changge was somewhat bewildered by her sudden emotional display and her cryptic words. He didn't quite grasp the reason for her intense agitation.
In his view, his relationship with Ling Yuxian was primarily one of mutual utility. Back at the Yuxian Palace, he had approached her intentionally to streamline his own agendas.
But Ling Yuxian was sharp; she had already seen through his motives. Their performance of being close was largely a facade to make Jing Xiao back off.
Ling Yuxian had known from the start that the rumors within the Yuxian Palace were false. She had never denied them, but she hadn't confirmed them either.
Both were aware of this unspoken arrangement. Their bond had always been a sophisticated game of theater.
After all, she had once stood at the peak of the world, surviving endless trials. Even if her memories were fragmented by reincarnation, there was no reason to lose her composure over such small things.
Gu Changge felt a cold sneer in his heart.
Compared to her sister Ling Yuling, who possessed the cunning of an old fox, Ling Yuxian was as naive as a blank canvas. To preserve such innocence after living for eons was, in Gu Changge's view, more unique than the rarest flower in a den of vice.
Ling Yuxian looked at the tea Gu Changge provided, her lips pressed tight. she knew her behavior tonight was somewhat irrational.
She took a breath to steady herself and waved the tea away. “I don’t want tea. If my tone was harsh, it is only because I need to understand the truth.”
“Is this answer… truly that vital to you, Yuxian Shijie?” Gu Changge smiled thinly, taking his own cup as he walked to the window.
The frigid moonlight streamed down, creating a silvery mist in the courtyard that felt strangely biting.
The nights in Xian Chu Haotu were even more silent than one would expect.
“It is very important.”
Ling Yuxian didn't fully grasp his meaning, but she answered firmly.
Gu Changge shook his head. “I believe the answer is actually irrelevant. My identity, my past, or my goals—none of these things will change anything for you, Yuxian Shijie.”
Ling Yuxian’s eyes stayed locked on him. “How could it not? You never hinted that you were the shadowy figure leading the Fati Alliance. Even though it is a new power, it has caused massive waves and terror across the Xiyuan civilization. Many believe the Fati Alliance is a remnant of the Black Calamity. They tremble at its name and want nothing more than to see it wiped out.”
“Whether the Fati Alliance is linked to the Black Calamity or not is irrelevant to the Yuxian Palace. I have stated before that I wish no harm upon your Sect. If I intended to strike at the Yuxian Palace, why would I have saved your sister in the past?”
Gu Changge smirked. “Perhaps you think I did it for the Door of Eternal Life, but I wouldn't have even known your sister possessed it if you hadn't told me yourself.”
Ling Yuxian stood there, speechless. She knew all of this to be true.
But was this the answer she was looking for?
No, it wasn't.
She simply wanted to know what she meant to him. What was his true opinion of her? That was the only thing that mattered to her.
“If you are truly concerned that I will harm the Yuxian Palace, then you should prepare yourself now. I am not a virtuous man, and you should be aware of that by now,” Gu Changge said with a light laugh.
“To avoid future regret once you see my true nature, it isn’t too late to take action. Of course, I personally hope we never reach a day where we must cross swords.”
Observing the stunned and silent Ling Yuxian, Gu Changge smiled again.
“The night is late. If there is nothing else, Yuxian Shijie, you should return to your room.”
With those words, a soft, breeze-like force manifested, gently pushing Ling Yuxian out of the courtyard.
The door shut with a faint creak, seemingly dividing their two worlds.
Ling Yuxian stood outside, dazed, still trying to process his words.
A sudden wave of hurt washed over her. Even knowing he led the Fati Alliance, she had never doubted him. She didn't believe for a second that he was connected to the Black Calamity.
She could never have imagined Gu Changge actually attacking the Yuxian Palace.
Ling Yuxian couldn't even remember how she got back to her room. Her sister tried to contact her through a transmission, but she ignored it.
She sat on her couch, appearing like a hollow shell, lost in her own thoughts.
Ling Yuxian, who had never known a Love Tribulation, finally understood why so many before her had spent lifetimes trapped by such feelings, unable to find their way out even as they grew old.
……
Inevitably, the chaos at Chu Gucheng’s birthday celebration could not be suppressed.
The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the world and the ears of every cultivator.
A massive shockwave hit the Xiyuan civilization; the entire world was left in disbelief.
No one expected that a birthday banquet would trigger such a catastrophic shift for the entire civilization.
At the border of Xian Chu Haotu and the Demon Court, the Sect Master of Zixiao Mountain, Zhi Wanha, arrived in person. Leading a host of experts, he joined forces with the Demon Court to wage a brutal war against the Xian Chu Haotu military.
Several Heavenly Gods of Xian Chu Haotu were slain on the battlefield.
This news alone was enough to leave the world trembling with fear.
Furthermore, Zhi Wanha had personally delivered a mysterious black coffin to Xian Chu Haotu. From its landing point, a thick black fog erupted, drowning a massive portion of the territory within a single day.
Numerous ancient provinces were consumed by this mist, leaving no life behind.
The Clans and Sects residing there were forced into a desperate exodus. Along their path, entire star systems were swallowed by the darkness and snuffed out in the void.
Anarchy gripped Xian Chu Haotu. Once the social order crumbled, the laws of the land became worthless.
Even though Chu Gucheng sent his highest officials and generals to contain the mist, their efforts were futile.
The black fog moved with terrifying speed, claiming billions of miles in a heartbeat.
One vibrant world after another was drained of life, leaving behind only icy desolation.
The horrific scenes of slaughter terrified the various Daoist Sects. Many began to believe that Zixiao Mountain had indeed allied with the remnants of the Black Calamity, as the destruction mirrored the ancient stories of that dark era.
As these rumors intensified, even the most reclusive ancient tribes felt forced to act.
Tribes that were once loyal to Xian Chu Haotu began calling for a grand coalition. They urged the Xiyuan Holy Hall to step in and form an alliance to destroy Zixiao Mountain and its supposed dark allies to bring peace back to the world.
However, amidst this chaos, another shocking scandal broke out in the capital of Xian Chu Haotu, stunning every guest and representative present.
Ruler Chu Gucheng was consumed by fury, his palm strike reducing his palace desk to splinters.
His ministers were equally horrified, unable to process the gravity of the news.
On the very night of the banquet, a horrific crime occurred at the residence of the Marquis Champion. The Marquis's wife was brutally assaulted, and the guards who tried to intervene were all murdered.
Following the attack, the wife, unable to face her husband who was fighting at the border, ended her own life in her quarters.
The capital was thrown into an uproar by this tragedy, leaving officials in a state of shock.
The wife, Qinglan, was the daughter of a former Grand Tutor and a legendary beauty of the capital. It was Chu Gucheng himself who had arranged her marriage to Marquis Champion Chu Heng.
They were known as a perfect couple, famous for their mutual devotion. Chu Heng had never even taken a secondary wife, making them the envy of the city.
No one could believe such a crime could happen on the night of the Emperor's own birthday feast.
What kind of criminal would be bold enough to commit such an act in a city filled with top-tier experts, right under the Emperor's nose?
The guests were just as stunned as the ministers.
The Marquis had only just left for the front lines, and his wife was violated and driven to suicide that same night?
This was a blatant slap in the face to the entire Xian Chu Haotu. How would the Marquis react while leading his army?
Chu Gucheng’s rage was boundless as he ordered an immediate investigation to find the culprit.
Naturally, the guests fell under suspicion. Powerful experts flocked to the Marquis’s estate, attempting to reconstruct the night’s events. Unless the perpetrator was incredibly powerful, they had to have left a trail.
Xian Chu Haotu’s best trackers and masters of deduction were already on the case.
Generals and officials close to the Marquis also arrived, vowing to find the murderer.
An incident of this magnitude could not be hidden from the public eye.
Meanwhile, at the border, Marquis Champion Chu Heng was livid upon hearing the news. He was tempted to abandon his post and return to the capital for vengeance.
He couldn't fathom who would do this, but it was clearly a calculated move to break his spirit and ruin his army’s morale.
“When I destroyed the Gui Zhun clan, I found a set of Yin-Yang jade. I had them carved into mandarin duck pendants—one for myself, and one for Qinglan.”
Chu Heng’s eyes were bloodshot as he spoke with a raspy voice, sitting atop a red-eyed wolf-like beast. He handed a pendant to his most trusted subordinate.
“Take this to the capital. If Qinglan’s pendant still exists, it will allow us to find the culprit and see exactly what happened.”