I Am the Fated Villain
chapter-289

“Vermillion Bird Emperor, you don’t have to panic. We are not monsters. Our journey will be led by this Gu and the Successor of the Mortal Palace, so you don’t have to worry. Are you not assured by her character?” There was a light laugh.

*Mmmmm!*

Golden light emitted from the ancient battleship, shining brilliantly and surrounded by runes. A golden path extended from under Gu Changge’s feet as he descended. A group of young prodigies followed suit. Even Jiang Chuchu trailed several steps behind him, as no one dared to walk side by side with him. His power made the people of the Vermillion Bird Empire shocked and in deep disbelief.

All the young prodigies of the Immortal Academy were proud and aloof, believing they were undefeated and could crush the world. None of them would ever admit to being inferior to someone, yet they were willing to follow this man. [Just who is he?]

“Introducing themselves as Gu and the Successor of Mortal Palace?” The Vermillion Bird Emperor’s head began to ring as he remembered something, eyes widening.

“Could that be him? Greetings, Young Master Changge!” He reacted quickly, calling out respectfully and sincerely while attempting no hint of other emotions.

“Greetings, Young Master Changge!” The courtiers and generals realised that too and immediately greeted him, feeling relieved. There had been too many rumours surrounding the man which even they had often heard of. His reputation as the greatest of the young generation, the Avatar of the True Immortal, and many others belied his mysterious strength and demeanour.

“You don’t have to be so polite. We’ll have to trouble you a lot during this trial, so I hope the Emperor does not mind.” Gu Changge waved his hand, looking mild and dignified.

“Young Master Changge is too polite. Your words flatter me.” The Vermillion Bird Emperor looked a little surprised and pleased. He hadn’t expected the group to be led by Gu Changge. This made him feel thankful and relieved. All the rumours painted him as an extraordinary, polite, and mild-mannered man, which was now proven to be true. He had even been courteous to a mere emperor of a small kingdom like him. He didn’t have to worry about any other problems arising as long as they did not do anything to enrage or offend these young prodigies, or the Empire would be in trouble.

The beautiful princesses of the Empire also found the courage to raise their heads secretly, and study Young Master Changge. It allowed their imaginations to go wild. Some of them had even decided on their descendants’ surnames. They all showed respect and praised him. Gu Changge’s polite behaviour showed that he was a perfect example of how the Successor of the Immortal Gu Family behaved.

Of course, only Jiang Chuchu knew clearly that Gu Changge’s behaviour was all just an act. Everyone who had witnessed his cruelty knew how cold he could be, and she didn’t even know sometimes if his behaviour with her was also just a pretence in order to capture her heart. If that was true, then he was truly terrifying.

[If he really is pretending, then he wouldn’t have been so rude towards me…] She shook her head and dismissed the thought. She felt that he still had some kindness in his heart, or he wouldn’t have asked her to find the location of the Eternal Overcast Source or saved her life. His cruelty though, thoroughly overshadows his kindness.

The Empire quickly made an order to vacate the best palace for Gu Changge and his entourage. The news of his arrival quickly spread through the Empire and led to great commotion. He was just about the only young prodigy everyone could recall; even a young child beginning to cultivate would have heard of him. His name was legendary among the young generation, so the news seemed to resolve the chaos and panic within the empire. The people were all excited and happy as they felt they were saved.

[From the change in Fortuity and the acquired information, the current Fortuitous One should be the Third Prince who has abruptly returned.] Within the palace, Gu Changge’s eyes were sparkling with black and white light. A strange strength seemed to evolve from the World Principles, like coming out of a cocoon. The Fortuity of the Empire was changing before his very eyes. He quickly knew of the Third Prince’s background after sending someone to look into it.

[The Third Prince is following the ‘Not Trash Archetype’. He had a strange phenomena occurring and also a crane bringing a priceless gift on the day of his birth. After that, he showed great Talent, which the Empire couldn’t cultivate well. Thus, he had no choice but to leave his home and lead a life of wandering. It was unknown which Master or Sect he now cultivates under though. Nonetheless, he has now returned after a few hundred years with an unknown cultivation level.]

[He’s a serpentine hawk that can consume a dragon… Even the Fortuity of his has a hint of purple, which only the Mortal One’s reincarnation possess.] Gu Changge closed the scroll containing the information he had investigated. [Does that mean he might be a reincarnation of some ancient powerful being?]

He had some thoughts about this now. These Fortuitous Ones with purple Fortuity were the best to harvest but drew out more from his hand. After all, there were several types of reincarnations. including those who were so severely injured that they had no choice but to shed their weapons and reincarnate or those like the Mortal One, who did it voluntarily while leaving behind cards to play, to prepare for his eventual rise to the peak again. He wasn’t sure which one the Third Prince was.

[Jiang Chuchu had already set off to find the location of the Eternal Overcast. Her diligence saved me a lot of trouble, but it seems like she doesn’t want to see me.] Gu Changge did not take this to heart, quickly sending down the order for the Immortal Academy’s prodigies to begin their trial, to kill the Eternal Overcast creatures and end this crisis.

Nonetheless, Gu Changge knew that he needed to put a front as though he was working hard, even though he had no interest in doing such a stupid thing that even his followers could do on their own. He wasn’t going to protect them either, as he wasn’t their nanny and had no spare energy for that. Rather he had something else more important.

He left the palace after that, searching for suitable prey. It was time that he progressed in his cultivation level.

[The mission regarding Su Qingge is about her background?] he asked the System internally. There were great rewards for the Fortuity Mission and he needed plenty of Fortuity to exchange for more Absolute Detachment Bone.

<Yes, Master.> the System answered.

[I think we have to pay attention to her movements. The current information says that she has a strong connection to that woman at the Third Prince’s side.] Gu Changge did not follow Su Qingge as he didn’t have to worry too much about it. After all, she would tell him of her own accord in her own time.

[Besides, my cultivation level is almost reaching the Scared Lord Realm. Hopefully, I can find an expert in the Sacred King Realm with a unique Source, or even settle with a Sacred Lord Realm expert.] Thoughts flashed through his mind. The Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and the other Empires were not that far from here, and his prey was in these locations.

In a side palace, the pleased Vermillion Bird Emperor was talking to Chu Hao about Gu Changge. Ji Qingxuan and Wang Xiao listened with different expressions on their faces. Wang Xiao was unhappy about how remote the palace they were residing in was, while the young prodigies from the Immortal Academy stayed in the best location, with the thickest spiritual energy. However, he became quiet when the Emperor approached. Meanwhile, Ji Qingxuan listened closely to every word, a hint of thoughtfulness flashing across her eyes.

“I’ve heard of the person you mentioned, Father. He’s the Successor of the Immortal Gu Family and Skyward Schloss as well as the future leader of the Primal Celestial Temple,.So, the power he wields is unbelievably terrifying. I didn’t expect him to behave in such a welcoming manner.” Chu Hao nodded, expression relieved.

He had been concerned that his father would be humiliated in this situation, but it looked like that hadn’t happened. Gu Changge had been polite and mild-mannered without displaying any arrogance, which somehow made his initial dislike for the man disappear. He had intuitively decided at first, that these highborn young prodigies were egoistic and proud. It had caused him to dislike them. After all, he hadn’t been born into a good family and had run into many situations that enforced this view.

The Emperor sighed and said reflectively, “Yes. Young Master Changge is a man who I feel is most worthy of the term ‘prodigy’. His behaviour is extremely refreshing without any trace of condescension. If you had been in the same generation as him, you two could have been friends.”

Chu Hao smiled and did not reply further. He’d heard plenty of rumours about Gu Changge from when the latter was in the Celestial Ancient Continent and Skyward Schloss, and some of his behaviour couldn’t be called humble. That meant they weren’t similar. It was good enough that the Gu Changge did not humiliate his father.

“Gu Changge’s actually here… Eldest Senior Brother, I want to go out for a walk.” Ji Qingxuan suddenly said, her calm expression unchanging. She seemed to have gotten bored of the conversation between Chu Hao and his father.

“Oh? Well, please take care of yourself. There’s no danger here in the Empire, but you rarely go out alone.” Chu Hao nodded, concern in his voice.

“Alright.” Her reply was succinct.

“You can talk here, Chu Hao. I’ll accompany her,” Wang Xiao said quickly. However, she had already disappeared from the entrance. It was obvious she didn’t want him to follow.

“That girl…” A hint of anger flashed across his eyes as he quickly pursued her.

“Chu Hao, your Junior Brother and Sister…” The Emperor looked hesitant.

“I know what you want to say, Father. They’re both of extraordinary backgrounds and have proud personalities. Wang Xiao in particular can be arrogant, while Qingxuan just doesn’t like to talk. Though, she’s in fact kind and understanding.” Chu Hao smiled slightly, looking confident and reassured. “Leave them for now. I think the most important issue lies in how to resolve the current Eternal Overcast crisis…”

The Emperor nodded and the two of them fell into discussion again.

……

[How can she run so fast? She disappeared in a blink of an eye. I’ve had the feeling she’s behaving strangely after we arrived. What is she hiding from us?] Wang Xiao, having left the palace, looked annoyed at not seeing Ji Qingxuan. He had good strength but was still inferior to her, so it would be easy for her to evade him.

“Old Xuan, have you seen Ji Qingxuan?” He had no choice but to summon his guardian. The Supreme Cave Heaven had sent guardians with them in fear that something bad might happen. These guardians were in a faraway space most of the time, only appearing when they sensed that the disciples were in danger. After all, no one wanted their privacy invaded.

“No.” Old Xuan’s voice uttered into his ear, making his expression darken further.

[Hmm? Is that Ji Qingxuan?] Wang Xiao’s gaze became shocked as he spotted a familiar figure disappear into a mansion by the street. He remembered that she hadn’t been wearing those clothes when she left. [Did she find someplace to change her outfit?]

[Why is she so secretive? Who is she meeting? She has a suspicious expression on her face when they mention the Successor of the Immortal Gu Family, so does that mean she has met him before? But isn’t the Successor of the Immortal Gu Family in the opposite direction?]

He felt suspicious about everything and his fists clenched. [Had she gotten to know someone without my knowledge? She hadn’t left the Cave Heaven before this, though.]

“If I head there recklessly, she would notice me. I should see who she’s meeting first.” Making a decision, he appeared inside a tower with a dark expression. He could see the mansion she had entered from here perfectly.

Currently, within that mansion, Su Qingge was looking at the woman before her with fascination and confusion. She then spoke. “It’s you.”

“It’s you,” the woman opposite her, who was Ji Qingxuan, replied with the same words. Her voice was calm but her mind was overwhelmed. She hadn’t expected her older sister, who lived in the Lower Realm, to appear before her like this. It was too surprising. She had heard her mother talk about a sister she had in the Lower Realm, who was a year older than her.

She now knew what that strange feeling was, as it had led her to this place. She muttered quietly, “I was wondering what that feeling was…”

“I think that feeling you had is the same as mine. Should I call you my little sister or…” Su Qingge smiled, her expression open and neutral. At a closer glance, the girl before her held a 70% resemblance to herself, in terms of height and looks. With some clever disguises, even the most familiar person wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. It was like there was another one of her standing there, with a strange link between them. She just wasn’t sure if the girl also had two Souls inside her body.

“Sister, my name is Ji Qingxuan. I know your name is Su Qingge, Mother told me before.” Ji Qingxuan took the initiative and introduced herself in a cool manner. The way she spoke was no different from how Su Qingge did. No one would suspect anything if they were claimed to be twins.

“Ji Qingxuan. What a pretty name. How’s Mother?” Su Qingge asked after some silence. Her mother had always been her Achilles’ heel and held a special meaning for her, although she had no memory of her mother.

“She misses you. She’s never left our home all these years because she had gone against the family prohibitions. Except for me, only my uncle has gone to visit her . Her escaping her arranged marriage had been a family embarrassment,” she explained neutrally. “She was already pregnant with me when she was taken back to our family. I would’ve been aborted if she hadn’t pleaded them.”

Her voice was unruffled as she continued like it did not concern her. “I showed great potential after my birth, which made them finally pay attention.”

“Your life must have been hard.” Su Qingge felt a little moved by the story, knowing that her life hadn’t been easy despite living in the Upper Realm. Since she didn’t have a father and her mother had made a mistake, which resulted in house arrest, the things she had to go through were far worse than anyone her age. She might have been born in the Lower Realm, but her father was the Archbishop of the Supreme Stygian Holy Land, who had always given her the best life he could.

“What about you, Qingge? How did you come to the Upper Realm? It may be extremely hard for someone of your level of cultivation to do that,” Ji Qingxuan asked curiously.

“I was just lucky enough to meet the Young Master…” Su Qingge smiled, not concealing that fact.

“Young Master? Does that mean…” Ji Qingxuan’s murderous aura increased and she looked cold with anger. She knew that some attractive women from the Lower Realm were often taken up to the Upper Realm by cultivators with border-shattering artifacts, and ended up becoming sold as slaves at a large auctions. Her sister’s beauty would be considered ethereal even in the Upper Realm.

“You’ve misunderstood,” Su Qingge elaborated further. “I was really lucky, as I encountered Young Master Gu in the Supreme Stygian Holy Land when he was searching for something in the Lower Realm…”

“You know him, Qingge?” Ji Qingxuan looked surprised, not expecting it.

“Yes.” Su Qingge explained the entire situation, excluding some unimportant details as well as the fact that she had become the Successor of Demonic Arts.

“I envy you, Qingge. Your life seems great.” Ji Qingxuan’s gaze was envious. “I’ve always lived for my family, doing everything for their attention so I could eventually save my mother.”

“Oh…” Su Qingge looked at her slightly sympathetically.

“I want a life like yours too.” Ji Qingxuan sounded dejected.

Su Qingge was stunned, her gaze dimming. What can she do as the older sister? Fight against Ji Qingxuan’s family and save her mother? She couldn’t do that at her current cultivation level.

“Qingxuan. I will be here during this time. Why don’t we do this: you can pretend to be me for a while and do what you want without considering the consequences, while I can pretend to be you. We look alike anyway and no one can tell the difference. As long as we don’t show our cultivation level, it should be fine.” She thought of an idea and suggested it to Ji Qingxuan. This was the only way she could allow her younger sister to feel free.

“Is that fine? What if we get exposed?” Ji Qingxuan froze as if not expecting that suggestion, then shook her head. “No.”

“Yes, we can. You just need to make sure that Young Master doesn’t notice anything suspicious. He’s extremely smart and nothing gets past him. I will tell you anything that you need to know. You can leave at any time and no one will blame you.” Su Qingge smiled resignedly.

“Young Master Changge…” Ji Qingxuan muttered these words, an intriguing look in her eyes, before agreeing.