Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 447 False Betrayal, True Scheme

The mood inside the Li-Zhao Alliance felt oppressively dark.

The bold assurance that previously dominated the chamber had vanished.

Vanished too were the boisterous talks, the chuckles, and the firm belief in triumph. In their place lingered only quiet stillness.

Right after securing an edge with the Imperial Family's support, the Bai Clan unleashed a strategy that offered no room for counteraction.

Their coalition wasn't crumbling from external foes; instead, numerous groups had departed seeking better opportunities—which currently meant aligning with the Bai Clan.

"Three additional clans departed today," one participant uttered at last, his tone rough and strained. "Each one pledged loyalty to the Bai Clan."

Surprise was absent from the group.

Yet acceptance proved no simpler.

"They skipped any talks entirely," another remarked with resentment. "They bolted right after verifying the cultivation technique."

Though their words sounded like grievances, inwardly, plenty desired to follow suit.

After all, High Earth-Grade cultivation techniques belonged solely to elite clans and the Imperial Family.

And regardless of an alliance's might, outsiders never received instruction in such methods.

Still, numerous members had invested deeply to claim their present positions in the coalition.

Differing from the lesser members who fled—recognizing the Bai Clan's rewards far surpassed staying's gains—these higher-ups hesitated to risk all their hard-earned progress.

A low buzz rippled across the assembly hall.

Resentment.

Irritation.

And anxiety.

"The Bai Clan..." Shen Hao murmured deliberately, his tone deep and icy. "They've crossed the line!"

"High Earth-Grade cultivation techniques?" another mocked. "Do they imagine such treasures sprout everywhere? They have to be fooling the masses!"

Even as the words escaped, uncertainty flickered in his stare.

For the intelligence reports stood beyond dispute.

This wasn't a lure.

This wasn't trickery.

This was genuine.

Yet another clan head gripped his hands tightly.

"Should this persist, we'll forfeit more than just small clans," he warned darkly. "We'll end up with nothing but our own forces!"

"Certain attached families of ours are starting to hesitate too."

Silence descended on the hall anew.

All grasped the underlying threat.

Even if leaders wished to remain, the push from members eager for the Bai Clan would force a choice, or internal unrest would boil over.

Leaders though they were, solitary decisions weren't possible. Witnessing former inferiors surge ahead in cultivation, many within the clans understood that skipping the Bai Clan and its High Earth-Grade cultivation technique meant falling hopelessly behind soon.

Unlike the Li and Zhao Clans, few harbored irreconcilable hatred toward the Bai Clan—at least nothing a High Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique couldn't mend.

Thus, they hinted that ongoing trends might compel even them to abandon the alliance.

Should that occur...

This conflict would conclude prior to any major clash.

Even alongside the Li Clan.

Even beside the Zhao Clan.

Even supported by the Imperial Family—

Without further partners, defeat loomed inevitable.

That silent dread chewed at every soul there.

Luckily... despair hadn't fully claimed them.

The groups that deserted or turned against the alliance consisted of low-tier ones ignorant of the Imperial Family's involvement.

Thus, their covert backer stayed concealed—and the Bai Clan would be caught off guard upon the eventual unveiling.

Those privy to core secrets—aware the Imperial Family backed the Li-Zhao Alliance—had chosen to stay.

Maybe their loyalty stemmed from this knowledge.

With the Imperial Family's aid, success seemed assured.

Nevertheless—

That assurance started fracturing as moments ticked by and the Bai Clan's allied forces swelled enormously.

For the Bai Clan continued amassing supporters.

From every side.

Relentlessly.

Unwaveringly.

However, not every one of those clans would sacrifice for Bai Zihan. Fundamentally, it formed no bond-forged union—merely one driven by avarice.

... Yet, for all that, even lacking solidarity—

Even without genuine devotion from many clans—

Even prone to dispersal at the first setback—

The reality persisted.

Their sheer volume terrified onlookers.

A shaky pact, bloated to such magnitude, could shatter peaks merely by its mass.

That realization weighed down the hall.

Until—

A gentle chuckle shattered the hush.

"Heh!"

Gazes swiveled.

Zhao Wutian.

Through the whole crisis, he stayed seated, face serene, fingers lightly drumming the chair's arm.

At this point, he lifted his head, a subtle grin touching his mouth.

"I understand your concerns, everyone," he stated steadily. "But worry isn't necessary."

His statement stirred waves across the space.

Did true assurance underpin this?

Or was it a facade to shore up a crumbling pact?

"Clan Head Zhao," an elder ventured warily, "what grounds your claim?"

Zhao Wutian's grin widened.

"Because," he answered leisurely, "not every clan that 'defected' from us... actually defected."

The assembly stilled.

"What are you implying?" a voice burst forth.

Zhao Wutian rose gradually.

"We dispatched one among them," he explained straightforwardly. "Posing as a defector. To infiltrate the Bai Clan."

A collective gasp resounded in the hall.

"We assigned a mission," Zhao Wutian went on. "Infiltrate the Bai Clan. Earn their confidence. Secure the cultivation technique they're sharing."

A beat.

"And they pulled it off."

Thrill burst forth immediately.

Chairs shifted noisily.

Eyes gleamed.

Even Shen Hao's dour look changed, surprise and eagerness clashing in his eyes. Zhao Wutian lifted his palm, and the clamor faded.

Then, methodically, he produced a jade slip.

It glowed softly, spiritual energy swirling over it. "This," Zhao Wutian declared, satisfaction evident in his voice, "holds a duplicate of the High Earth-Grade cultivation technique the Bai Clan shares—acquired while feigning alliance."

Whispers surged once more, more intense now.

Some leaped to their feet.

Others bent closer, stares intense. "Impossible..."

"They handed it over just like that?"

"No checks at all?"

Zhao Wutian let out a quiet laugh.

"The Bai Clan appears hungrier for recruits than anticipated," he noted. "No background probes. No loyalty tests. Whoever signed on... got it. It proved remarkably straightforward."

Far too straightforward.

Zhao Wutian reflected inwardly.

His eyes scanned the gathering, keen and appraising.

"With this now ours," he pronounced deliberately, "ask yourselves—must we truly dread the Bai Clan?"

Glances darted between many.

After brief reflection, most concluded otherwise.

For if the Bai Clan's prime asset was replicated—

If their edge evaporated—

Fear became needless.

Furthermore—

As that idea took root, a voice at last expressed the shared notion.

"Clan Head Zhao," an elder inquired cautiously, gaze locked on the jade slip, "may we... cultivate it?"

The query pierced to the core.

The hall hushed again—but now buzzed with eager tension.

Zhao Wutian's grip firmed on the jade slip.

For an instant, wariness flashed in his eyes.

Doubt.

For he sensed it as well.

Too seamless.

Too effortless.

A High Earth-Grade cultivation technique distributed freely, sans inspection, protections, or pause?

That triggered warnings alone.

Still—

Refusing at this juncture...

Wavering now...

It would seem like hoarding secrets and selfish hoarding.

Far too many teetered already.

Far too many eyed the Bai Clan's standard hungrily.

Denying them this...

Unrest would spark outright betrayal.

Zhao Wutian breathed out steadily.

Then inclined his head.

"Cultivate it freely," he stated flatly. "Beyond that, deploy it to soothe your clan folk."

A surge of elation coursed through the hall.

"We'll leverage this technique to draw fresh allies too," Zhao Wutian added. "Bai Clan's edge nullified, fewer will rush to their side." Nods came swiftly. Faces lit up.

Many wasted no time—jade slips touched brows as spiritual senses dove in. Layers of deep wisdom revealed themselves.

Qi flow routes.

Meridian honing.

Base strengthening.

Soft exclamations of wonder spread.

"It's authentic..."

"Incredibly potent. My Qi stirs just from scanning it."

"No surprise they swarmed the Bai Clan..."

Even Li Jianhong's gaze sparkled.

A High Earth-Grade cultivation technique carried immense weight.

Artifacts like this could reshape a clan's destiny.

But prior to his words—

A grip seized his robe.

"Li Jianhong."

Zhao Wutian's whisper was hushed.

He drew him apart, beyond eavesdropping ears.

Li Jianhong scowled. "What's wrong?" Zhao Wutian's face grew stern.

"I don't trust it," he admitted directly. "Not completely."

Li Jianhong tensed. "...So we avoid cultivating it?"

"For the moment," Zhao Wutian affirmed. "Indeed."

Li Jianhong's forehead creased.

A prime chance dangled before them—something elite clans would battle for.

Hesitation meant forfeiting leads.

"I value your insight," Li Jianhong replied measuredly, irritation seeping through despite efforts, "yet this marks a High Earth-Grade technique. Scarce. Valuable. Do you suggest we discard it?"

He nearly appended—

I decide for myself.

But Zhao Wutian cut in before utterance.

"Li Jianhong," he murmured softly, "doesn't this strike you as odd?"

Li Jianhong halted.

"Odd... in what way?"

"If the Bai Clan hands out such valuables so freely," Zhao Wutian pursued, stare piercing, "what do you suppose their inner circle practices?"

Li Jianhong went rigid.

Zhao Wutian hammered further.

"Do you truly think their elites rely on the very technique offered to strangers?"

Silence! Insight hit like thunder.

Li Jianhong's eyes bulged. "...They possess superior ones." "Far superior," Zhao Wutian confirmed. "And should this be a ploy's piece—if it hides traps—we'd stumble right in."

Li Jianhong balled his fists. Gradually, he agreed.

"We hold off then."

Zhao Wutian held his look.

"Let others pursue this High Earth-Grade technique," he stated composedly. "Once we crush the Bai Clan, we'll seize their true methods for our own."