Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 496 Chong Sheng Returns

Just as everyone anticipated a period of tranquility—

A letter arrived.

Delivered straight from the imperial palace of the Falling Star Empire, it bore the personal mark of Empress Sun Yaoqing.

The letter was clearly addressed to Bai Zihan.

Bai Zihan felt a surge of surprise and anticipation, wondering if the Empress had finally captured the Mysterious Organization or managed to track down Chong Sheng.

As he scanned the message, a cold grin spread across his face.

"Heh, it appears you have finally decided to reveal your shadow, Chong Sheng!"

***

It had been several months since the night Chong Sheng unmasked himself as a Demonic Cultivator and vanished.

For the majority of the Falling Star Empire's populace, the chaotic events within the Quan Clan had begun to fade into distant memory.

The Quan Clan had dispatched numerous search parties tasked with hunting him down.

Quan Lingshu believed that only by eliminating the wretch who had stained his family's honor could he truly reclaim his dignity.

However, no sign of Chong Sheng ever surfaced.

Whispers circulated that he had likely fled the borders of the empire.

Others were convinced he must have succumbed to his wounds shortly after his escape.

The Quan Clan was desperate to believe those rumors.

Yet, deep in their consciences, many clan members recalled the raw, burning hatred in Chong Sheng's eyes.

And the chilling vow he had left behind.

Though time had dulled the senses of many, they eventually returned to their mundane routines.

Then, on a quiet, unassuming night, the silence was shattered.

Victory had recently been declared by the Desolate Heaven Empire against a massive tide of high-level demonic beasts.

The Falling Star Empire remained in a state of high alert, as demonic beasts had been stirring within their own borders, though the intensity was far from the devastation seen elsewhere.

Even so, the tension remained high, fueled by the fear that if the Desolate Heaven Empire had fallen, they would have been the next target.

Fortunately, those anxieties proved unfounded.

The clans, including the Quan Clan, eventually let their guard down, convinced that the worst of the crisis had passed.

A silver moonlight bathed the Quan Clan compound in an eerie, pale glow.

Most of the residents had long since retired to their quarters.

Quan Lingshu, however, remained awake.

Within the confines of his study, several jade lamps flickered, casting shadows over the vast stacks of reports littering his desk.

His face darkened as his eyes scanned the ledger.

"...Damn it all!"

With a roar of frustration, he slammed a jade slip onto the desk.

"If not for that detestable Bai Zihan...!"

His chest heaved with suppressed rage.

The Quan Clan had been at the peak of its power.

Through covert agreements with the Mysterious Organization, they had funneled a vast amount of resources into their coffers.

All they had to do was maintain the secrecy of the organization's base within their domain, ensuring no word of it reached outside ears.

It was a simple, lucrative deal.

More importantly—

They had the backing of the Second Prince.

With such royal patronage, the Quan Clan was virtually untouchable throughout the Falling Star Empire.

Quan Lingshu had been certain his path to glory was paved.

Once the Second Prince ascended to the throne, the influence of the Quan Clan would soar to unprecedented heights. He, Quan Lingshu, would rise in tandem.

He would be second only to the crown.

A High Noble of the realm.

Only the royal lineage would sit above him.

But that reality...

Had been shattered by one man.

"Bai Zihan!"

He spat the name with pure venom.

Since that young master stepped foot in their empire, the entire foundation had begun to crumble.

The secret base lay in ruins.

The Mysterious Organization was eradicated.

Their steady stream of resources had been severed overnight.

And even worse—

Empress Sun Yaoqing’s sweeping reforms had targeted noble privileges, pushing for an equality that stripped away the advantages once held by families like his.

Their grip on power was slipping.

"Damn you!"

Quan Lingshu snatched a report, hurling it across the chamber.

Just as he believed his clan was destined for eternal prosperity—

They were dragged back to a harsh reality.

"Useless!"

He slammed his fist onto the mahogany surface.

"You are all absolute failures!"

He bellowed into the empty room.

"What is fueling such intense anger?"

A voice, calm and detached, echoed from the darkness behind him.

"...!"

Quan Lingshu froze, his heartbeat stuttering.

An icy shiver raced down his spine.

There was someone standing within his inner sanctum.

Impossible.

The compound was crawling with elite guards. How could an intruder infiltrate the most secure wing of the manor without making a sound?

Furthermore, how did he fail to detect a presence this close?

"Who goes there?!"

He pivoted instantly, his Qi flaring as he readied a strike.

But upon seeing the figure obscured by the shadows of the doorway—

His face turned deathly pale.

The youth leaned casually against the wall, as if he had been watching him for hours.

A shaft of moonlight fell across his face, and for a heartbeat, Quan Lingshu struggled to recognize him.

"...Chong Sheng?"

The name slipped out, though disbelief choked his voice.

The man looked changed.

The facial features were identical, yet they seemed sharper, refined by time.

He looked older. Mature.

His entire aura had undergone a metamorphosis.

The pathetic slave, bloodied and trembling, was vanished.

This individual possessed a cold, unnatural beauty and an aura of absolute poise.

But the most terrifying detail—

Was the thick, suffocating demonic Qi that swirled around him like a living, predatory shadow.

Chong Sheng allowed a faint smile to play on his lips.

"Oh... you still remember me. I am truly flattered, Clan Leader Quan. I feared you might have forgotten my existence by now," Chong Sheng remarked, his tone mocking.

Quan Lingshu felt his pupils contract.

Sweat poured down his back.

"How... how did you manage to infiltrate this place?"

His mind scrambled, searching for answers.

The guards. The arrays. The defensive formations.

Nothing had tripped alarms.

Chong Sheng pushed off the wall.

Thud. Thud.

His measured footsteps fell like hammer strikes in the silence.

"Entering was trivial, to be perfectly honest."

He glanced at the ruined financial documents scattered on the floor.

"It seems the Quan Clan is finding times quite difficult."

Quan Lingshu gritted his teeth.

"Guards!" he bellowed.

"What are you doing? There is an intruder in our midst!"

He shouted, yet, dead silence greeted him.

Panic began to take root.

"Keke... They won't be answering you," Chong Sheng replied, revealing a blade stained with fresh blood.

He had clearly butchered the sentries before ever stepping foot near the study.

"And if they did appear? They would only join the ones already lying in the dust."

An oppressive pressure descended, crushing the air in the room.

The demonic Qi radiating from Chong Sheng was far more potent than it had been months ago.

"This is impossible... You have entered the Void Refinement Realm?"

Quan Lingshu whispered in horror.

How could an escaped slave achieve such a breakthrough in such a short window of time?

Chong Sheng halted inches from him, his mocking grin widening.

"There is no such thing as impossible for me."

He stepped closer.

"You were so full of confidence, back then."

His voice was barely a whisper, yet the killing intent laced within caused the very air to freeze.

"Let us see if you can hold onto that same arrogance today."

Quan Lingshu’s eyes burned with resolve.

Before the intruder could utter another syllable—

He struck.

A hidden blade materialized in his hand as he surged forward with lethal intent.

Slash!

The steel sliced through the air, aimed directly at the youth’s throat.

He exerted every ounce of his Qi to ensure the strike was fatal.

For a fleeting second, a triumphant grin twisted his features.

"Fool!" he roared.

"Never run your mouth in front of an enemy!"

His gaze was one of savage satisfaction.

"You should have attacked the second you arrived. Your vanity has guaranteed your demise."

Then—

His expression went hollow.

The blade swept through the youth's throat.

Yet—

There was no resistance. No blood. No severance of flesh.

The steel had merely cut through thin air.

The figure before him flickered like a fading mirage—

And dissolved into nothingness.

Quan Lingshu’s eyes went wide.

"...What?"

A soft, chilling voice spoke from directly behind his ear.

"Really?"

The cold draft of a breath against his skin caused Quan Lingshu to seize up. Chong Sheng was standing right there.

"Wait—"

Before the syllable left his lips.

Chong Sheng’s hand shot out with blinding speed, latching onto his throat.

"Ghk-!"

With one powerful thrust, Quan Lingshu was slammed into the wooden wall.

The structure buckled and groaned under the pressure.

He summoned his remaining Qi, clawing and struggling for air, but the grip on his windpipe remained as rigid as iron.

He stared into eyes devoid of pity.

"I gave you a vow when I made my escape," Chong Sheng whispered, his voice dangerously low.

"That I would return. And when that day came..."

A violent surge of demonic Qi exploded from him.

"...I would burn your clan to ashes."