I Am the Fated Villain - Chapter 319

Chapter 319: Invitation for tea: even if you are injured, you can still cover the sky with one hand

There was a specific reason for Zi Yang Heavenly King’s appearance here. Firstly, he was at a loss about where to go. Secondly, eager to catch up on the latest news, he awaited the arrival of his senior brother, Qin Wuya. When he heard about his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Qing Xiaoyi and his connection to the demonic arts heir, Zi Yang Heavenly King was utterly dumbfounded, feeling as though lightning had struck him. His mind buzzed, and it took him a while to regain his composure.

His initial reaction was to dismiss these rumors as false and assume he was being framed. After all, he had been in pursuit of the demonic arts heir, albeit unsuccessfully, and many of his followers had been injured in the process. But kidnapping Qing Xiaoyi? Being linked to the demonic arts heir? How could he be implicated in such acts?

As he delved deeper into the details of these rumors, Heavenly King Zi Yang became incensed and cursed the heavens in his rage, letting out a roar that seemed to shatter the surrounding mountains and rivers for miles around.

He had been framed! He hadn’t done anything to warrant such grave accusations. His followers could attest to this; ever since he had left the ancient Xuanwu kingdom’s capital to track down the demonic arts heir, he had rarely acted alone. How could he possibly have swiftly traveled to the ancient white tiger country and abducted Qing Xiaoyi in such a short period? It simply defied logic.

The multitude of details in the news, including the scene captured in the memory stone, left Zi Yang Heavenly King dumbfounded, his eyes nearly popping out. Had he not been acutely aware of his actions during that time, he might have entertained the suspicion that he had indeed taken Qing Xiaoyi. After all, it involved the power of Hongmeng! The individual who made the initial move possessed the same power as him. However, as far as Heavenly King Zi Yang knew, there was no one else in the world who wielded such power.

The circumstances at the time were even more perplexing. If the other party had deliberately framed him, how could they have known that Qing Feng possessed the divine artifact, the Heavenly Palm Bottle? Without the Heavenly Palm Bottle, Qing Feng would have perished, making it even less likely for the power of Hongmeng to be revealed. It all seemed like an extraordinary coincidence, yet it was still logically sound, with no discernible flaws or unexplainable occurrences.

Furthermore, in conjunction with another sensational event, it nearly blocked Zi Yang Heavenly King’s last avenue of escape. Wasn’t he pursuing the demonic arts heir at the time? Then why did the heirs of demonic arts suddenly emerge in the ancient Xuanwu country, captivating the attention of all the prodigies and leading them to the land of absolute heavenly extinction? Prince Sheng’s demise and Gu Changge’s severe injuries only added to the sensationalism. The impact of this incident was tens of thousands of times more staggering than Qing Xiaoyi’s abduction, with consequences beyond imagination.

This sent shivers down Zi Yang Heavenly King’s spine, nearly plunging him into darkness. A bone-chilling coldness surged from his tailbone to his head, rendering him almost immobile. Fear, anger, unease and above all, dread. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, the stain of suspicion seemed impossible to erase unless he could uncover the true culprit behind Qing Xiaoyi’s abduction. Finding that enigmatic individual who, like him, wielded the power of Hongmeng posed a challenge even greater than clearing his name.

The other party had plotted to kill him. Yet, by declaring his intent to hunt down the demonic arts heir, he inadvertently provided them with an opportunity to publicly humiliate him. It created the illusion that he and the demonic arts heir had colluded long beforehand, a web of intrigues so intricate it left him trembling.

“Qing Xiaoyi possesses an immortal demonic body; only the heir of the demonic arts would dare to kidnap her… And the one I was pursuing at that time turned out to be a false heir, all of this orchestrated to manipulate me…”

“Curses! I must uncover the identity of my scheming adversary!”

Such thoughts fueled Zi Yang Heavenly King’s fury and reluctance. His fists clenched, emanating a murderous aura that seemed capable of rending the sky. Yet, he soon regained his composure, knowing that such blind rage would lead nowhere.

“The most pressing task is to identify the enemy.”

“The Purple Mansion, my backing, cannot be abandoned because of this!”

Zi Yang Heavenly King composed himself and began contemplating countermeasures. As a member of the ancient freaks, his lineage was traced back to the power structure within the Purple Mansion.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about being abandoned by the forces backing him if such a situation arose. Later, Zi Yang Heavenly King hesitated and wrestled with himself for a moment, contemplating using a secret technique. However, doing so would deplete the immortal runes in his immortal eyes, making it more challenging to utilize them later.

“There’s no other choice. If we don’t even know who the enemy is, any countermeasure would be futile,” Zi Yang muttered to himself.

Buzz!!

Suddenly, numerous runes emerged in his blood, surging continuously and converging in the sky. The rune between his eyebrows then split open, emitting a brilliant radiance akin to various divine lights coalescing. Subsequently, a hazy screen materialized—a fragment of the future. Though blurry, Zi Yang Heavenly King could clearly discern the figure of the person.

“What?”

“That’s… Gu Changge!?? Why him again?”

Zi Yang Heavenly King’s eyes widened, the corners threatening to split as he found it difficult to believe what he was witnessing. Even though it was only a vague figure, he couldn’t mistake that demeanor, appearance, and face. This was his archenemy, Gu Changge!

Could it be that Gu Changge was orchestrating this once again? Was all of this actually part of Gu Changge’s calculated scheme? Zi Yang Heavenly King couldn’t make sense of it at all; his mind was in turmoil, yet he still yearned to uncover the details.

But in the next moment, those harrowing visions returned. Faintly, he witnessed the scene of the mountain gate being shattered and obliterated by a palm spanning eight thousand states across the sky. Every fiber of his being, every cell, every inch of his flesh and bones quivered, instilling an unspeakable dread within him.

Zi Yang Heavenly King went pale, his body drenched in sweat as if he had just emerged from the water. “How… How is this possible?” His voice trembled, his eyes wide with horror and filled with fear.

Zi Yang Heavenly King couldn’t comprehend why he was suddenly confronted with that nightmarish, memorable scene that had haunted him across generations.

….

The Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion was known as Zi Yan, though her original name was Liu Zi Yan. Her father served as the current patriarch of the Purple Mansion and wielded considerable power in the upper realm.

While Liu Zi Yan wasn’t among the ten candidate disciples of the True Immortal Academy, she still held a quasi-candidate status, albeit in a low-profile manner. Few had witnessed her in action, but it was clear her strength was formidable. Some even went as far as collecting portraits of all the beautiful girls in the True Immortal Academy, eventually selecting the ten most beautiful and dubbing them the “Ten Beautiful Pictures,” with Liu Zi Yan among them.

Adorned in a long purple dress that accentuated her beauty, Liu Zi Yan possessed a stunning face and a slender figure. Her graceful strides resembled the swaying of immortal flowers, exuding an air of glamour and nobility.

Within the residence of all Purple Mansion disciples in the Ancient Xuanwu Kingdom, within the palace, Liu Zi Yan stood at the forefront, her brows furrowed, her voice icy. “Gu Changge invited all of us for tea?”

Behind her stood the other Purple Mansion disciples, their faces grave and uneasy, displaying nervousness as they had all later pledged allegiance to the True Immortal Academy. They had followed Zi Yang Heavenly King to the ancient Xuanwu country for the trial, though many had chosen to remain due to Zi Yang Heavenly King’s discerning eye, opting not to become his followers.

“This is the master’s directive, and I hope Holy Maiden Zi Yan won’t cause him to wait,” declared a tall young man with divine light enveloping his body, standing in front of the palace gate. His name was Wang Zhong. His eyes bore divine inscriptions and wisps of heavenly light, exuding great authority with every blink.

“There will be consequences if Holy Maiden Zi Yan refuses his hospitality. I will be compelled to resort to force,” Wang Zhong continued in a deep voice.

Behind him stood numerous geniuses, each radiating formidable cultivation and an aura of greatness. Throughout the True Immortal Academy, their existence was known to very few.

The imposing pressure emanating from them startled countless cultivators and beings on the street.

“Gu Changge is quite audacious!” Liu Zi Yan remarked with a furrowed brow, her voice as crisp as thousand-year-old ice yet tinged with coldness.

In terms of seniority, she and Gu Changge belonged to the same generation. However, Gu Changge’s dismissive attitude toward her was of little concern to Liu Zi Yan. What troubled her was whether the conflict involving Zi Yang Heavenly King would embroil them as well.

During their time at the True Immortal Academy, Gu Changge and Zi Yang Heavenly King clashed, with Gu Changge even going so far as to publicly humiliate Zi Yang Heavenly King in front of all the academy’s geniuses and elders. Such a feud was not easily resolved.

Now, amidst the turmoil, the whole world was aware of Zi Yang Heavenly King’s predicament, with Gu Changge threatening to seek justice for Qing Feng. Liu Zi Yan had already discerned Gu Changge’s intentions.

At that moment, an invitation to drink tea arrived, though it was clear that the tea was just a pretext; the true intention was likely to confine them at the Hongmen Banquet.

“Holy Maiden Zi Yan, if you please,” Wang Zhong began politely, yet his words left no room for doubt. “My master has arranged a tea gathering, eagerly awaiting the presence of all from the Purple Mansion. Additionally, he asked me to relay a message: he’s nursing an injury and may come off as brusque. I hope Holy Maiden Zi Yan won’t take offense.”

Though Wang Zhong’s tone remained courteous, his words carried an unmistakable threat. Refusal would likely prompt immediate suppression from him and his cohorts.

Liu Zi Yan trembled with anger, her silver teeth clenched tightly. “What a bold young master!” Even if Gu Changge was gravely injured, she was no match for him. Moreover, Gu Changge’s intentions were crystal clear; disobedience would result in immediate suppression.

Despite her seething frustration and helplessness, Liu Zi Yan knew she had little choice. Even the disciples behind her paled with fear; after all, this haughty group was dispatched by Gu Changge. In the ancient Xuanwu country, who wouldn’t tremble? Not even the presiding elders dared offend Gu Changge.

“Even in his weakened state, he wields immense influence,” Liu Zi Yan conceded with a deep breath, composing herself before addressing Wang Zhong. “Alright, please wait a moment, Young Master Changge. Zi Yan will join you shortly.”

Zi Yang Heavenly King hailed from a lineage behind her, an ancient freak whose seniority surpassed hers by many generations.

Liu Zi Yan couldn’t bring herself to believe that Heavenly King Zi Yang would stoop to such actions. Under his guidance, she had diligently cultivated an ancient cultivation method for many days, a secret she dared not let slip to the outside world. She had also listened to Zi Yang Heavenly King expound upon his ambitions and Dao, finding it inconceivable that he would conspire with the demonic arts heir to kidnap Qing Xiaoyi.

“Holy Maiden Zi Yan, you misunderstand. My master’s intent is for everyone to gather promptly,” Wang Zhong interjected, attempting to smooth things over. “Master’s time is precious, and he doesn’t wish to waste it on trivial matters.”

However, the next words that escaped Wang Zhong’s lips left Liu Zi Yan frozen with humiliation and anger. His blatant display of power and arrogance was staggering. It was sheer contempt and indifference!

Though the other disciples of the Purple Mansion were equally incensed, they dared not voice their outrage. They remained silent, their anger simmering beneath the surface, too fearful to utter a word.

As Wang Zhong and the others witnessed the scene, mockery flickered in their eyes. How audacious of them to feign innocence in front of their master!

“Alright, let’s proceed,” Liu Zi Yan forced herself to calm down, her words nearly gritted through clenched teeth. This marked the first time she had felt such powerlessness and humiliation in her upbringing.

Soon, Liu Zi Yan and her companions departed, hastening to the palace area where Gu Changge awaited them. Upon arrival, Wang Zhong escorted them into the hall, where they finally encountered Gu Changge, who had invited them for tea.

“Master, you can’t keep treating me…” Liu Zi Yan began, her voice trailing off in exasperation.

“So cruelly every time,” she added.

Within the hall sat a chessboard, with two individuals facing each other. The woman, adorned in a look of distress, gazed at her ink-smudged face with a hint of grievance. Across from her sat a man in white attire and messy, dishevelled hair, his demeanour calm as if oblivious to his actions.

Casting a glance in their direction, he offered a slight smile. “Ah, the Holy Maiden Zi Yan graces us with her presence?”

“Qingge, go prepare some tea for our esteemed guest. Don’t keep her waiting,” he instructed casually.