I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1290 The Explanation Chu Gucheng Gave, Vast Army Presses Forward

"This is ridiculous, completely ridiculous."

"What exactly is the Xiyuan Sacred Hall trying to achieve? Lacking solid proof, they actually dare to challenge the identity of Saintess Xiyuan? Is the Xiyuan Sacred Hall planning to select a replacement saintess?"

"The Immortal Chu Dynasty has forever upheld justice and integrity. We've never allied with the Black Calamity's lingering forces. This is nothing but 'fabricating charges when intent on blaming someone.'"

Within the palace halls, numerous veteran officials erupted in anger, denouncing the Xiyuan Sacred Hall's hasty verdict.

A thick, suffocating tension enveloped the entire assembly.

Yet Chu Gucheng stayed quiet, his icy stare locked toward the palace's exterior.

Elder Jin, Ouyang Ji from the Carefree Heavenly Palace, Elder Xingying of the Yinxu Cave, along with various other visitors who hadn't departed from the Immortal Chu Dynasty, observed the scene mutely.

Chu Xinyue, the one who had posed as Saintess Xiyuan, now positioned herself in the majestic chamber.

Gazing upon the ministers' faces marked by dread and distress, a wave of bewilderment washed over her. She couldn't grasp what had derailed their scheme or how events had spiraled to this chaos.

The genuine Saintess Xiyuan remained confined in a spacetime prison. Chu Xinyue had overseen the saintess's custody throughout this period, so precisely how had the secret escaped?

Beyond her father and a select few, nobody was aware of their plot to detain the saintess.

How on earth had the Xiyuan Sacred Hall uncovered it?

Chaos swirled in Chu Xinyue's thoughts. Her sight even blurred momentarily, drowning out the veteran officials' urgent calls for her to assume command. "Your Majesty, I demand an explanation."

In that instant, a booming bellow thundered from beyond the palace walls.

A fierce, horrifying presence surged alongside it, as ominous clouds plunged from the remote heavens, like the sky crumbling down and unleashing a crushing burden.

Amid the clouds loomed a colossal silhouette armored in heavy plates.

It turned out to be Champion Marquis Chu Heng.

Trailing him were the ex-Grand Tutor Han Feng, Chu Bai, and their companions, all bearing solemn looks. The former Grand Tutor's features twisted in profound grief and incredulity.

Champion Marquis Chu Heng had commanded his forces to race back from the frontier with utmost haste.

Nevertheless, his troops hadn't advanced into the capital; they held position just outside.

"Champion Marquis..."

Countless courtiers whipped their heads around at the enraged cry.

The crown prince, Chu Wushang, paled further, barely managing to steady himself.

As his eyes landed on Champion Marquis Chu Heng and the duo of jade pendants gripped fiercely in his fist, his complexion drained to ghostly white.

He had no clue how the missing pendant had fallen into Champion Marquis Chu Heng's possession.

But with the pendant now visible, the reason behind Champion Marquis Chu Heng's desertion of duty and frantic return from the border overnight became glaringly obvious.

Chu Gucheng's face mirrored serene waters, his eyes profound and inscrutable. His attention turned to Champion Marquis Chu Heng, and for the first time, a trace of feeling cracked his impassive demeanor.

He demanded icily, "Champion Marquis, by forsaking your command, ignoring the frontier's defense, and pulling back your soldiers, you've endangered the Immortal Chu Dynasty's security. What penalty should you face?"

Champion Marquis Chu Heng dropped from the skies and marched into the palace. He swept a chilly glance over the officials before settling his stare on the ashen-faced crown prince, Chu Wushang.

"Even now, Your Majesty, do you persist in protecting the crown prince? I've served the Immortal Chu Dynasty with unwavering loyalty, broadening its domains and battling in its name for years, amassing endless accomplishments. Is this your way of rewarding me?"

While uttering these words, he displayed the matching mandarin duck jade pendants from his grasp, his gaze brimming with raw fury and chill.

Chu Gucheng's eyes moved to the pendants, his voice steady and resolute. "I fail to grasp your implication, Champion Marquis. I've always regarded you as my flesh and blood, nurturing you like a son. I imparted techniques and divine abilities to you, supplied boundless resources and prospects, and invested immense faith in you, elevating you to your current stature."

"Yet here you are, turning against me to ally with foreigners?"

The courtiers in the chamber froze in astonishment.

Those uninformed about the facts couldn't fathom why Champion Marquis Chu Heng seethed with such wrath that he'd disobey commands and leave the border unguarded. Still, others surmised the reality, their faces shifting in stark horror, laced with incredulity.

Witnessing Chu Gucheng's ongoing denial and pretense of ignorance, Champion Marquis Chu Heng's spirit sank deeper into despair.

He'd initially harbored some remorse over his choices that day, but it had evaporated entirely.

Chu Gucheng had truly favored him, and his successes owed much to that backing.

However, Chu Gucheng had ultimately viewed him as a mere tool, permitting his biological son to degrade his spouse.

Prior to entering the palace, Chu Heng had reached out to Han Feng, Chu Bai, and their group, securing the second pendant.

Once the pair united, they generated a unique domain, replaying the day's occurrences and enabling him to vividly restore the moment of his wife's degradation.

The visions that surfaced ignited fury in Chu Heng's eyes. An overwhelming rage consumed him, yearning to rewind time and revisit that day to slay the offender.

Before restoring the scene, he'd envisioned endless scenarios.

But never had he anticipated the offender to be the crown prince of the Immortal Chu Dynasty, Chu Wushang.

This revelation hit him like lightning, leaving him dazed and rejecting its truth. He even questioned if his eyes deceived him.

Chu Heng was aware that his wife, Qinglan, and Chu Wushang shared a bond from youth.

Before Chu Gucheng adopted him, Qinglan and Chu Wushang had cultivated side by side, maturing as intimate allies with budding sentiments.

Eventually, Qinglan wed him out of true affection. Chu Heng had forever seen Chu Wushang as a sibling, never crossing lines.

Only after Qinglan affirmed her lack of romantic ties to Chu Wushang—viewing him solely as an older brother—did Chu Heng court her.

He'd been oblivious to Chu Wushang's intense attachment to Qinglan, even presuming she'd forsaken him.

This lay at the heart of why, on the evening of Chu Gucheng's birthday feast—post Chu Heng's departure from the capital—Chu Wushang had shamed Qinglan.

Now, regardless of Chu Heng's regrets or wrath, the deed was irreversible. No matter the motive behind Chu Wushang's atrocity, retribution was essential. Else, how could his wife find solace?

"Words are pointless now. If Your Majesty continues safeguarding the crown prince, then reveal the facts to these officials."

Chu Heng's features hardened like ice, his stare sharp as a frozen edge, making the nearby void quiver.

With a flick of his wrist, the mandarin duck pendants soared forth, radiating vibrant hues. The misty glow cast a foggy realm aloft, where visions started to materialize.

A splendid array of structures rose, featuring lofty towers and soaring roofs. A woman clad in fur with a shawl over her shoulders stood in a serene garden, staring afar with a touch of melancholy, apparently fretting over her spouse amid the wars.

Though Chu Heng had veiled the woman's visage through spellwork, the attending officials identified her as Champion Marquis Chu Heng's consort, Qinglan.

"Is this a revival of the evening Champion Marquis's wife met her end?"

An official murmured in surprise upon beholding the display. The chamber's occupants now riveted their focus on the unfolding projections.

Earlier, various probes into Champion Marquis's wife's demise had occurred within the Immortal Chu Dynasty, with attempts to revive the incident, yet all proved futile.

Presently, Champion Marquis Chu Heng had inexplicably succeeded in summoning that night's happenings.

In the hazy projections, Qinglan appeared in the garden, chatting with her servant, voicing worries about the Demon Court's bold advances and Purple Mist Mountain's threats, dreading peril for her husband. All appeared routine, devoid of anomalies.

Chu Gucheng observed with detached chill, tracking the projections. But as a new form entered the frame, his pupils shrank, and his countenance twisted sharply, as though denying the sight before him.

"What?"

Numerous officials gasped in alarm, some rising abruptly, their gazes bulging in denial.

Chu Heng's chest tightened anew as he revisited the horror, yet he permitted it to play on.

Merely as his wife neared violation did he reclaim the pendants. The chamber plunged into deathly hush, devoid of utterances.

"This captures all that preceded Qinglan's murder," Champion Marquis Chu Heng declared frostily, shattering the quiet.

"How could this be..." The officials reeled in total shock, their thoughts in disarray.

Without witnessing it firsthand, who could accept that the actual offender was the crown prince, Chu Wushang?

The crown prince, renowned for his poise and dependability, the very one they'd pinned grand expectations upon?

Now, countless eyes turned toward Chu Wushang, brimming with incredulity, encompassing even Chu Gucheng's remaining kin.

Chu Wushang's visage was wan, avoiding all glances. He gradually shut his lids.

It appeared he recognized the outcome as fixed. From the instant Champion Marquis Chu Heng unveiled the proof, his destiny was locked.

His silence, to the onlookers, equated to confessing his direct involvement in the deed.

"Why?"

Chu Gucheng's look darkened severely, as if rejecting the revelation he'd beheld. "Whether these visions hold truth, all can judge for themselves. Now, I seek only Your Majesty's clarification."

Chu Heng stated icily, his eyes boring into Chu Gucheng's reactions. He doubted Chu Gucheng's feigned surprise. Earlier, an Ancestral Dao Realm powerhouse had surely meddled to scrub the karma, concealing Chu Wushang's deeds.

After all, absent Chu Gucheng's approval, how might Chu Wushang enlist an Ancestral Dao Realm entity for aid?

Presently, Chu Gucheng feigned obliviousness, deceiving only the uninformed.

"I apologize. I was unaware Wushang committed this."

Chu Gucheng regarded Champion Marquis Chu Heng with anguished sorrow, his tone quivering faintly, as though he too grappled with profound agony and reluctance.

Various officials lingered in stunned haze, their heads abuzz, sensing the realm had dimmed.

What afflicted the Immortal Chu Dynasty? Was this fated doom? With foes besieging, how could such an inconceivable scandal erupt inside?

Champion Marquis Chu Heng merely eyed Chu Gucheng with frigid detachment, unaffected.

In this juncture, Chu Wushang, who had mutely sealed his eyes, at last voiced. "I have betrayed Your Majesty's confidence and the lofty expectations from the officials. The incident that night stemmed from my hand. Subsequently, I employed an ancient relic to wipe away the karmic imprints. Fearing Champion Marquis might unearth the reality, I falsified Your Majesty's edict, orchestrated ambushes on his loyal followers en route, and purged his spies within the capital..."

"I prove unfit as the crown prince of the Immortal Chu Dynasty. My deeds were monstrous, staining the dynasty and shaming Your Majesty." He faced the chamber's officials, his expression etched with torment and remorse, as if lamenting his choices profoundly. Yet slowly, his demeanor steadied to tranquility. "Why commit such an act, crown prince? This defies everything we know of you."

Many veteran officials ached with grief, loath to accept Chu Wushang's guilt.

Chu Wushang offered a wry smile and a shake of his head. "Qinglan turned into a fixation and inner demon within me. I merit this retribution."

Simultaneously, he regarded Chu Heng, a flicker of remorse in his eyes, though it soon yielded to serene detachment.

"You have shattered my faith and tarnished the crown prince's mantle of the Immortal Chu Dynasty. I've ever been equitable and resolute. Today, I enforce righteousness and deliver Champion Marquis the vindication owed." Chu Gucheng's face chilled as he fixed on Chu Wushang. Upon concluding, he lashed his sleeve, launching a palm straight at Chu Wushang's brow. With a splatter, blood and cerebral fragments sprayed the chamber. Despite Chu Wushang's Dao Realm prowess, Chu Gucheng's wrathful blow offered no escape. His spirit fractured and dispersed instantly.

To the assembly, it seemed Chu Wushang had long embraced death and offered no defense.

Officials poised to halt the act halted in shock, unable to credit the spectacle.

Chu Gucheng had struck with such brutal finality, slaying his own heir before the court?

Beholding Chu Gucheng's glacial ruthlessness, many shivered involuntarily.

Champion Marquis Chu Heng hadn't foreseen Chu Gucheng's unyielding cruelty, ready to sacrifice his son without pause.

From evidence's reveal to Chu Wushang's demise, events cascaded with blinding speed.

Or perhaps Chu Gucheng had foreseen it, and Chu Wushang had steeled for demise?

"Wushang is gone. He's atoned with his life. May this resolution content you, Champion Marquis."

Having slain Chu Wushang himself, Chu Gucheng eased his eyes shut, as if veiling inner torment.

At this stage, Chu Heng found no further retort.

The reckoning he'd pursued was delivered. Chu Wushang's end mirrored his wife's. What more demand? Still, it soothed none of the gall and ire churning within.

That he hadn't delivered the vengeance personally, and Chu Wushang's passing proved so swift, bred profound dissatisfaction.

"With dire foes looming, I urge you to embrace the broader cause, Champion Marquis. The welfare of the Immortal Chu Dynasty's myriad subjects now hinges on you."

Chu Gucheng addressed once more, apparently reclaiming poise. Chu Heng inclined his head. "Your Majesty, fear not. I comprehend the necessities."

Chu Gucheng nodded silently, though sorrow flashed as his gaze brushed Chu Wushang's form.

As chamber officials commenced debating countermeasures for the Immortal Chu Dynasty's peril, a colossal, roiling surge of power abruptly burst from the horizon's edge.

There, reality warped, birthing a enormous fissure. A being forged a spacetime passage from afar, aimed at the Immortal Chu Dynasty.

Blinding, resplendent beams rent the cosmos, akin to a dread grasp extending from beyond, savagely tearing the firmament.

Sacred, luminous droplets cascaded from the spacetime conduit, brightening interworld veils, rendering them sheer.

Indistinct silhouettes lingered across the conduit, scrutinizing the Immortal Chu Dynasty.

"The Immortal Chu Dynasty has conspired with Black Calamity survivors, detained Saintess Xiyuan, defied cosmic law, and undermined Prime-Origin Civilization's edicts. We summon all powers to unite and eradicate them."

The proclamation resounded through the void, originating from the conduit's remote terminus, echoing across the Immortal Chu Dynasty, instilling terror in myriad cultivators and entities.

Beyond the spacetime conduit, escalating numbers of forms amassed, as though gearing to traverse and invade this realm...