I Am the Fated Villain - Chapter 358
Chapter 358: Jiang Chen, who was planted in a fight, Yue Mingkong’s plans
In the Divine Ruins Sect, numerous young cultivators were present beside the girl in the goose-yellow dress. Both men and women appeared to be in their early twenties, their eyes radiating divine light, their bodies glowing with auras of immense power. Their cultivation levels were evidently high, marking them as not ordinary disciples. However, they all followed the girl’s lead in the goose-yellow dress.
At this moment, they observed Jiang Chen with curiosity as he approached from the mountain gate. Despite his tattered clothes, Jiang Chen’s demeanor set him apart from common mortals. His indifferent and confident expression surprised the young cultivators, making them sense that this ‘beggar’ was anything but ordinary.
“Miss, is there something special about this beggar?” a man inquired curiously, scrutinizing Jiang Chen repeatedly but failing to discern anything extraordinary. There was no spiritual energy emanating from Jiang Chen, and though he seemed to be in his twenties, he hadn’t started cultivating.
“His physique is special,” the girl in the goose-yellow dress replied. Her large, bright eyes were fixed on Jiang Chen as if she intended to see through him completely.
Jiang Chen, aware of their scrutiny, maintained his composure. He knew that the spirit of the immortal boat had warned him for a reason, and this girl’s interest in him only confirmed her unusual status. He stepped forward confidently, ready to prove himself in this new chapter of his life.
The rest of the group looked very surprised at the girl’s words, well aware of her notable status. Since even she remarked on something special about this beggar’s physique, it could only mean that this man, despite his appearance, was indeed extraordinary.
“Greetings, lady. I thank you for giving me a chance to enter the Divine Ruins Sect,” Jiang Chen said. He didn’t care about the scrutiny from the group. Instead, he walked over with a confident demeanor, his eyes clear and calm as he looked at the girl in the goose-yellow dress.
Jiang Chen could guess the girl’s identity was not simple, but he knew the black-robed older man was watching from the shadows. This gave him a sense of security, allowing him to remain indifferent and composed.
This composure made everyone look at him with even more curiosity and respect.
“You’re welcome. It was just a small gesture,” the girl in the goose-yellow dress replied, shaking her head with a gentle smile.
Although her face looked very ordinary, she exuded an unspeakable goodwill. Though beautiful and outstanding, the women behind her seemed lackluster in her presence.
“I don’t know what the girl’s name is?” Jiang Chen asked, his impression of her growing fonder.
“May I dare to ask the name of this lady…”
Before he could finish, the young men and women behind the girl in the goose-yellow dress interrupted with cold shouts, their expressions suddenly stern.
“It’s okay, it’s just a name. You can call me Chu Yue,” the girl interrupted them with a wave of her hand, indicating that making a fuss was unnecessary. She smiled at Jiang Chen.
“Chu Yue? It’s a nice name,” Jiang Chen replied with a smile. He didn’t sense any malice from the girl who had helped him, finding her presence as natural as a breeze.
Even the spirit of the immortal boat did not detect any ill intentions from her.
At that moment, a middle-aged man appeared, his wide sleeves fluttering, his complexion ruddy, and his eyes bright. He was accompanied by many disciples, all dressed in the attire of the Divine Ruins Sect.
It was evident that the middle-aged man held the girl named Chu Yue in high regard, greeting her with a slight nod.
He then turned his attention to Jiang Chen and asked, “You are the one who threatened to break the rules of my Divine Ruins Sect?”
The older man at the mountain gate had clearly informed him of the situation, prompting his swift arrival.
“Greetings, senior.” Jiang Chen bowed slightly, his hands clasped. “I am confident in my talent, and the Divine Ruins Sect will not regret accepting me as a disciple.”
The middle-aged man snorted coldly. “You speak with such arrogance.”
The others were equally shocked by Jiang Chen’s bold words, finding them hard to believe. The disciples of the Divine Ruins Sect, in particular, were well aware of the middle-aged man’s identity; he was one of the top three masters in the entire sect. If it weren’t for the girl’s presence, he would never have bothered with Jiang Chen.
“Interesting,” the man said. “Aren’t you afraid of getting into a fight?”
Chu Yue, the girl who intended to lead someone out of the mountain gate, was now intrigued and paused. She could see that Jiang Chen’s physique was exceptional, but it wasn’t necessarily easy to prove in a place like the Divine Ruins Sect.
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Senior, let’s wait and see,” Jiang Chen remarked, glancing at her. Observing her amused expression, he shook his head slightly.
Chu Yue pursed her lips, a smile playing on them. She suddenly found herself eager to witness Jiang Chen’s potential embarrassment.
“Miss, should we continue searching for that item?” a woman behind Chu Yue whispered, her voice low. “The eldest young master may not have much patience left.”
Chu Yue shook her head. “Let’s enjoy the show first. Besides, let my brother wait a bit longer. If he can’t handle it, he can go ahead.”
With a wave of his sleeves, the middle-aged man escorted Jiang Chen to the stone tablet for talent testing. This incident stirred up the disciples of the Divine Ruins Sect, prompting many to hurry over, eager to witness the spectacle.
Jiang Chen exuded confidence, buoyed by the knowledge of his Holy Body of Creation. According to the Spirit of Immortal Boat, it was one of the top ten divine bodies and among the most exceptional physiques.
However, Jiang Chen’s demeanor soon faltered as he stood before the test stone. His expression morphed into disbelief as the brilliance emanating from the stone fell short of his expectations. His confidence wavered as he realized the truth.
“This…” Jiang Chen froze, disbelief etched across his features.
“You think you can flout the rules of my Divine Ruins Sect with this?” the middle-aged man scoffed. “You’re amusing me to no end. If it weren’t for encountering the young lady, you wouldn’t even have the privilege to set foot beyond our mountain gate, let alone spout such nonsense.”
Laughter erupted from the onlookers, their gazes akin to those observing a circus act. Though clearly suppressing his anger, even the middle-aged man seemed to relish the situation.
“Artifact Spirit, what’s happening?” Jiang Chen’s expression shifted, his mind racing as he turned to the Artifact Spirit for answers.
“It appears that the Divine Ruins Sect is unable to assess your physique…” The voice of the immortal boat’s spirit sounded embarrassed, a wholly unexpected turn of events.
“For Miss Chu Yue’s sake, I’ll allow you to pay homage to me and enter the Divine Ruins Sect, but only as a disciple of the craftsman,” the middle-aged man declared before departing, shaking his head in apparent amusement.
“It’s quite amusing,” he remarked before walking away.
Chu Yue, too, vanished from sight, her laughter echoing in the distance like silver bells, lending an eerie ambiance to the scene.
Jiang Chen scratched his nose, feeling embarrassed as he realized things had spiraled far beyond his expectations.
“But being a craftsman disciple is fine. Senior Black Robe mentioned that I’ll soon activate my spiritual sea,” Jiang Chen reassured himself silently, filled with anticipation for his upcoming cultivation journey. With numerous disciples in the Divine Ruins Sect, they would all become his targets for cultivation.
As the girl named Chu Yue departed from the Divine Ruins Sect, she made her way to a distant hill. A tall man clad in a golden robe stood there, silently observing her approach. Deep as the sea, his eyes seemed almost as unfathomable and daunting as the ocean itself. His golden hair shimmered, giving him the appearance of a young deity amidst mortals.
“Chu Yue, you’re late,” the young man remarked, his tone devoid of questioning, his gaze unwavering.
“I encountered an amusing individual. It’ll be entertaining to observe,” Chu Yue replied with genuine amusement.
“Greetings, Eldest Young Master,” the people behind Chu Yue murmured in awe of the young man.
“Let’s proceed,” the young man nodded, then with a sweep of his hand, they transformed into divine light and soared towards the mountains as if searching for something.
Meanwhile, within the True Immortal Academy, in the confines of the palace, an ethereal divine light permeated the space, veiling everything in an aura of immortal mist. Seated upon a bed, Yue Mingkong, tall and slender with a visage akin to a flawless masterpiece, flipped through a tattered map, her delicate fingers tracing its surface as her thoughts meandered.
“It should be here that the Heavenly Palm Tower will manifest. Even a slight deviation in timing wouldn’t be amiss,” she murmured, her eyes narrowing in concentration.
“The Heavenly Emperor Mountains, surrounded by forces such as the Divine Ruins Sect, Ancient Ye Sect, and Immortal Luo Sect,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper as her fingertips settled upon a specific area of the map.
As Gu Changge had speculated, Yue Mingkong had been diligently seeking the artifacts of the Seven Heavenly Palms during this time. The Heavenly Palm Mirror and the Heavenly Palm Seal were in her possession. Additionally, she had gleaned the whereabouts of the Heavenly Palm Sword, albeit requiring some strategic planning to obtain it.
Thus, Yue Mingkong had invested more effort in locating the Heavenly Palm Tower. According to her memories from her past life, the Tower lay hidden beneath the earth, its location fluid and ever-changing. Compared to the other Heavenly Palm Weapons, the Tower possessed an even greater divine prowess, rumored to possess the ability to subdue the heavens themselves.
Rumors even whispered that the Heavenly Palm Tower was borne by an ancient, incomparable immortal beast, traversing the earth’s veins through the upper world. Yue Mingkong had expended considerable effort in seeking news of the Tower’s emergence, recognizing the vast deviations from her past life’s trajectory in this current existence.
“Just as I was pondering my next move,” Yue Mingkong mused to herself.
At that moment, a voice from beyond the palace walls interrupted her thoughts.
“Crown Emperor, this is a gift from Young Master Changge,” the servant girl announced, entering with an ornate box held delicately in her hands, her demeanor reverent and awestruck.
“From Changge?” Yue Mingkong’s surprise gave way to a rare, faint smile, softening her otherwise cold countenance.
The maids who had entered the hall breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight. Only when the topic revolved around Young Master Changge did Emperor Mingkong’s austere demeanor thaw into a semblance of warmth.
As the pressures of her role as the female emperor weighed heavier upon her shoulders and her cultivation deepened, interactions with her courtiers became increasingly fraught with tension. Each question posed to her was met with trepidation, the courtiers tiptoeing around her, fearing even the slightest misstep would result in dire consequences.
“What’s this? Is that fellow actually capable of such sentiment?” Yue Mingkong remarked with a hint of doubt, her words tinged with amusement.
“Perhaps pigs might fly,” she added, though the underlying tone betrayed a glimmer of genuine happiness.
Simultaneously, Yue Mingkong’s jade hands lifted, gracefully catching the exquisite box as it descended. Its surface was adorned with wispy clouds and dense purple mist, exuding an unparalleled divine aura. Yue Mingkong recognized it as a spatial box concealing a wealth of treasures.
“After seizing the Purple Mansion, he’s inherited its countless years of wealth and legacy,” Yue Mingkong reflected, her voice a mere whisper. “It’s reassuring to know he hasn’t entirely forgotten about me.”
With a quiet resolve, she opened the spatial box.
Buzz!!!
A dazzling array of treasures greeted her eyes, their brilliance reflecting off her irises. Exquisite jewelry adorned with immortal phoenix motifs, earrings, and hairpins—each intricately carved with celestial patterns—lay within. Threads of various colored laws and orders intertwined, emanating potent auras as if crafted by the hands of the divine.
Among them, sacred artifacts, quasi-supreme artifacts, divine medicines, dragon marrow, phoenix jade, and other treasures were in abundance, enough to dazzle the eyes of the maids below with envy.
Each pendant within the collection was not merely a simple sacred weapon; their refinement was exceptionally intricate. They possess formidable defensive capabilities and could also be utilized as potent offensive treasures when the need arose. Their value was beyond measure.
As a woman, Yue Mingkong naturally cherished beauty, and though she masked it behind a facade of composure, her eyes betrayed a glimmer of delight at the sight of these treasures. She recognized that Gu Changge had carefully selected each item—he understood her preferences and deliberately chose items to please her. Reflecting on this, she couldn’t help but feel touched, acknowledging silently the sacrifices she had made for him.
“You may leave,” Yue Mingkong instructed, her plain hand reaching out to accept the box’s contents. Her countenance reverted to its usual indifference as she gestured for the maid to depart. However, despite her outward demeanor, those familiar with Yue Mingkong could discern the underlying joy and contentment lingering in her expression.
Envious yet aware, the maid understood that only someone like Young Master Changge could evoke such emotions from their emperor. Just as Yue Mingkong was about to resume her contemplation of the Heavenly Palm Tower’s whereabouts, footsteps once again echoed outside the palace.
“Why are you here?” Yue Mingkong’s gaze shifted, her posture straightening as she addressed the newcomer with a clear, cold voice.
“Why? Can’t I visit my future wife when I have the time?” Gu Changge’s voice conveyed amusement as he strolled into the hall.
“After all, unlike you, who knew I was at war with the Purple Mansion’s army, yet didn’t bother to check on me. What if I had met a tragic end at their hands? Would you be content to be a widow for the rest of your days?” he continued, his tone casual but pointed.
The many maids lingering outside the door dared not intercept him as he entered. Ignoring Yue Mingkong’s cold and disdainful gaze, Gu Changge settled beside her. A delicate fragrance enveloped the air, reminiscent of a snow lotus blooming atop ancient ice-capped mountains—light, elegant, and chilly.
“No, you’re not permitted to set foot in my palace without my consent,” Yue Mingkong retorted icily.
“Very well, then I’ll leave now and refrain from returning in the future,” Gu Changge replied, rising from his seat.
“No,” Yue Mingkong’s annoyance was palpable in her clear, cold voice as she reached out to pull him back. “Neither here nor there. What do you expect your husband to do?”
Gu Changge glanced back at her with a hint of helplessness. “Have I spoiled you too much with this temper of yours?”
Yue Mingkong shot him a cross look. “Speak, what brings you here?” She knew Gu Changge well enough to recognize that he wouldn’t come without reason—there had to be something on his mind.
“Why must there be a reason if I seek your company?” Gu Changge countered, his tone light.
“I simply missed you and felt the sudden urge to see you. Is that not reason enough?” he continued, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness.
“That excuse will suffice,” Yue Mingkong conceded, a faint curve gracing the corner of her lips before she swiftly masked it. She appreciated how Gu Changge catered to her whims.
“If you’re pleased with the gifts, then I’m satisfied. Otherwise, my efforts in selecting them would have been in vain,” Gu Changge replied, a smile playing on his lips as he effortlessly pulled her into his embrace.
Yue Mingkong feigned resistance before relaxing into his arms, her eyes narrowing slightly as she savored the rare tenderness of the moment.
Gu Changge gazed at her flawless visage, his smile softening. “Mingkong, tell me truthfully, did you miss your husband during this time?”
Yue Mingkong met his gaze with a cool, clear look and emitted a soft hum.
“No,” she replied tersely.
“Stubborn,” Gu Changge murmured, leaning in closer.
Before Yue Mingkong could respond, her words were cut off as their lips met, setting the palace ablaze with their passion.
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TatsumiOga
Poor guy was better off feeding the horses 🥶