I Am the Fated Villain
chapter-312

“Prince Shen has fallen…” The entire place fell deadly silent following the King with Six Crowns’ words, and many became fearful.

If there were still some who still doubted the validity of things, it was now very much verified. After all, it wasn’t just the Phoenix Lady who thought so; even the King with Six Crowns, who was known for keeping a low profile, had said so too. Thus, what other possibility was there? Neither of them were also the kind who would speak irresponsibly.

“Prince Shen… can’t possibly have died in there… could he? But he’s the heir to the Sky Emperor Mountain and Sky Emperor Shen’s son! He’s powerful and has many trump cards. How… how is it possible… the Successor of Demonic Arts! He is truly ruthless!”

Many were dumbstricken when they heard such words, with chills running down their spines and frost creeping up to them.

Just then, someone blurted out in a shaky voice, “Impossible! Young Master’s so strong, and he even has the protection of a Sacred Emperor Grade artifact given by Sky Emperor Shen! How could he have fallen here… This… this has to be a lie! Master must still be somewhere else! Surely he hasn’t come here!” At that, all of Prince Shen’s followers were rendered stupefied, like they had been struck by lightning. Their countenances were ghastly pale, all enveloped in incredulity.

To them, Prince Shen was an inevitably invincible existence. He would defeat all his enemies and become the best of the best. Thus, how could he have been defeated by the Successor of Demonic Arts, and have his life cut short here!?

They dared not imagine what would happen if those in the Sky Emperor Mountain learned of this. Surely, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe it as sky-shattering and ground-shaking.

“Sigh… It’s not impossible for Prince Shen to have fallen when Young Master Changge has suffered such serious injuries.” Many lamented, and their gazes became despondent, feeling inexplicably complicated as they could foresee what would possibly happen next. The long tranquil Upper Realm would most certainly shake up once again because of this.

“Looks like Ying Shuang mustn’t be underestimated when Gu Changge has ended up like this as well, given how strong he is.” The King with Six Crowns, the Phoenix Lady, and the others no longer bothered themselves with Prince Shen’s followers. Instead, they put their attention back on Gu Changge. With various emotions and thoughts between them, they moved towards where Gu Changge was.

Meanwhile, Chosen Monk Jin Chan, whose injuries have pretty much healed, also came over. His clothes were stained with patches of blood but with his Buddha aura still looming around him, he still seemed slightly otherworldly. As he approached the King with Six Crowns and the others, he put his hands together and greeted them, “Greetings, you’ve come at a perfect time, fellow brothers and sisters. It’s a shame that Prince Shen has fallen by the hands of the Successor of Demonic Arts…”

After hearing his words, the gazes of the young prodigies, who were still optimistic, dimmed.

“Do you know what exactly went down, Chosen Monk Jin Chan?” the Phoenix Lady couldn’t help asking. Because of her tall stature and long legs, she towered over most women, and she would give people an indescribable kind of intimidation whenever she spoke.

“I know a little. By the time I arrived, Prince Shen had already been killed. Even Young Master Changge had suffered grave injuries. So, whatever happens before that, I have no clue at all,” Jin Chan answered flawlessly with a smile.

“Is that so? Not even you know what happened before that? No wonder you look alright and haven’t suffered many injuries,” the King with Six Crowns noted with interest as he sized Jin Chan up with an unfathomable gaze.

In his opinion, Jin Chan was, at most, Prince Shen’s level, and he had clearly gone ahead with Prince Shen while Gu Changge followed after them later. But in the end, Prince Shen died, and Gu Changge suffered serious injuries while he was safe and sound. Heck, even his injuries weren’t serious!

This in itself was very peculiar. Either Jin Chan hid his abilities well, or he had hidden away and never joined the battle at all. It was, without a doubt, an excuse Jin Chan had come up with because he didn’t want to admit that he had chickened out after sensing danger.

This notion also struck many, for their expressions turned subtly awful. However, none burst his bubble and only watched what he would say next.

The King with Six Crowns’ words didn’t seem to surprise Jin Chan, as he remained smiling. “I, too, am regretful that I didn’t show up sooner.”

Subsequently, everyone rushed to where Gu Changge was, but his followers had already occupied nearly the entire mountain range.

Thus, everyone swept their gaze across the surroundings warily, in case someone suddenly became enraged and belaboured Gu Changge’s followers. After all, no one knew if the Successor of Demonic Arts still had any allies hidden amongst them.

Many artifacts and divine lights shrouded the space. In fact, many Sacred Grade artifacts could be seen floating about, and casting mists and glows of various colours, emitting a sense of threat.

Gu Xianer, Yin Mei, and the others rushed over the moment they arrived and were all looking worryingly at Gu Changge. Even Gu Xianer, who would frequently bicker with Gu Changer, was now worry-stricken, looking absolutely uneasy with her fingers interlocked.

It was her first time seeing Gu Changge suffering such a severe injury. She wanted to help but didn’t know how. She was like the others, who could only watch him continue to fight against the Demonic Qi that had invaded him.

Even when he looked calm, his face was beyond pale, which reminded her of when they were at Skyward Schloss. To allow her to avenge the bone he dug out of her, he permitted her to kill him without resisting, taking on her strike. That injury was very much like this one, nearly splitting him apart, which looked absolutely horrifying.

“Senior Changge is powerful and has profound hidden means. This level of injury shouldn’t be worrying for him.” It was instead Yin Mei who had calmed down at this time and comforted Gu Xianer, who nodded in response as her expression brightened a little. However, another issue troubled her. What were they to do if Gu Changge’s demonic nature erupted from failing to suppress his Demonic Heart? By then, there was probably no one else around here but him who could save himself.

The Phoenix Lady, the King with Six Crowns, and the others arrived to where they were in no time. Then, the Phoenix Lady asked as glimmers of light shone in her eyes, “How is Brother Changge doing?”

The Phoenix Lady said as Celestial Phoenix-like runes glimmered in her eyes, studying Gu Changge’s current condition.

The same went for the King with Six Crowns. The divine light shone within his eyes as various runes circulated, attentively examining Gu Changge. In the end, he sighed inwardly as he discovered that Gu Changge had indeed damaged his Source. And because Gu Changge performed a Forbidden Technique earlier, he further sacrificed his Source and Blood Essence, causing his injury to worsen. Who knew just when he could recover at this point. Alas, this was far worse than the injury the King with Six Crowns had assumed on his way here.

[The Successor of Demonic Arts has really pulled a good one this time. It’ll probably be half a month before Gu Changge can use his powers again… Sky Emperor Mountain will undoubtedly be outraged by Prince Shen’s death. Even so, there’s nothing they can do, as the former Prince Ying was once an heir to Sky Emperor Mountain…] The King with Six Crowns mused as he took an unfathomable gander at Jin Chan, only to discover that the latter looked exceptionally calm amidst his looming Buddha aura. He seemed completely unconcerned about Gu Changge’s injuries. Or perhaps, he already knew everything.

Just then, Jin Chan smiled. “Young Master Changge risked burning up his own Source amidst being gravely injured to fend off the Successor of Demonic Arts. I’m truly impressed by his magnanimity and righteousness.”

At that, he pulled a pale yellow, crystal-clear pill out from his robe. Buddha aura shone brightly in various colours on the pill, making it look majestic. Even a sense of holiness lingered in the void, like many eminent monks were sitting there, chanting to the dead and dispersing everything.

“This is the Sacred Buddhist Pill, something that only the Buddhist Mountain can produce. It was made by many eminent monks, using their great karma. It’s of absolute holiness and works wonders against all sorts of Demonic Energy. Perhaps it would be of great help to Young Master Changge’s injuries.”

Meanwhile, Gu Changge sat cross-legged peacefully there as slivers of dark mist surrounded him, giving him a demonic vibe. Then again, apart from his severe injuries, there wasn’t anything visibly abnormal about him.

Upon hearing Jin Chan’s words, he opened his eyes and took a faint glance at the monk. “I appreciate your generosity, Chosen Monk Jin Chan, but you should save this Sacred Buddhist Pill for yourself for another time. You won’t be this lucky the next time you encounter the Successor of Demonic Arts.” Gu Changge might have underplayed it, but many young prodigies turned grim. None were idiots, and they could all read the faint mockery and displeasure Gu Changge had towards Jin Chan. It got many to furrow their brows and began imagining the entire story.

The King with Six Crowns narrowed his eyes with great interest as well, having a hunch as to why Gu Changge would say so.

“What happened? Why would Young Master Changge speak to Monk Jin Chan like this?” Many young prodigies looked towards them with bafflement. They had a feeling Jin Chan did something wrong for Gu Changge to speak up like this.

Gu Xianer, the Phoenix Lady, and others, too, fixed their gaze upon Jin Chan, seemingly wanting an explanation from him.

“Yeah, just what exactly happened? Why is the Chosen Monk doing alright when he went in first, but Young Master Changge is gravely injured instead? Can it be that the Successor of Demonic Arts didn’t attack him?” When everyone began rushing over, they caught Gu Changge forcibly urging his Source and burning his Blood Essense to form a horrifying attack to drive the Successor of Demonic Arts back. At that time, no one took notice of Jin Chan, nor were they certain what he was doing. Now that the notion crossed their minds, many now had a good guess as to what really went down, and they began feeling contemptuous towards him.

As the Chosen Monk, he let Young Master Changge, who was seriously injured, forced out an attack at a critical time instead of stepping in himself. With that to compare, Gu Changge’s righteous act became admirable even though he was normally overbearing.

Meanwhile, Jin Chan’s countenance shifted slightly, surprised that Gu Changge would say something like that, but he regained his composure in no time and smiled. “I appreciate your concern, Brother Changge, but I still have many Sacred Buddhist Pills with me. I’ll still have a way to save myself if I happen to be so unluckily that I’d bump into the Successor of Demonic Arts again.”

“You are indeed lucky this time, Chosen Monk Jin Chan. I mean, who’d have thought you two would split up,” Gu Changge sighed and didn’t deny it. With that, he tried to stand but it seemed to have irritated his injury, causing his face to pale and cough up blood, making him look even weaker. Many prodigal damsels were heartbroken at the sight of it. Was this still the Young Master Changge that they all knew and admired?! Right then, he looked more like a fallen divine being that was suffering tremendous pain.

“Are you alright, Gu Changge?” Gu Xianer hurriedly went up to support him, evidently worried.

“I’m fine. What can possibly happen to me?” Gu Changge smiled at her, but before he could finish his words, blood streamed out from the corner of his mouth again, and his face turned paler by the second.

“Don’t speak anymore. How can you still act tough at a time like this?” Gu Xianer’s heart ached for her cousin. She pulled a clean handkerchief out and wiped the blood off him. Everyone reacted differently upon seeing it, but because they all knew who Gu Xianer really was, they weren’t surprised.

“Indeed, Young Master Changge. I should’ve stayed by Prince Shen’s side at that time. If we hadn’t split up, he wouldn’t have died,” Jin Chan sighed, once again surprised by Gu Changge’s statement. [Is he asking for me to explain myself?]

Everyone else, on the other hand, was made baffled by the direction the conversation was heading.

“Since you knew early on that this was all the Successor of Demonic Arts scheme, then why didn’t you stop Prince Shen?” asked Gu Changge composedly as he ignored his cousin’s glare. Anyhow, poisoning the well was something he could accomplish smoothly without even batting an eyelid.

The Successor of Demonic Arts was the main culprit for Prince Shen’s death, but Ying Shuang’s identity was rather awkward, for he, too, used to be the heir of Sky Emperor Mountain, after all. So Gu Changge naturally had to devise a way to provide Sky Emperor Mountain a mean to vent their frustration, and Jin Chan was the best choice no matter how one looked at it.

On the other hand, the Floating Buddhist Temple was built by the Buddhist Mountain to guard against the abnormal movements of the Demon-Burying Abyss. Thus, putting the blame on Jin Chan also meant setting things up for his later plans.

“Gu Changge, can you please stop talking? You’re already in terrible shape…” Gu Xianer mumbled.

“What do you mean, Young Master Changge?” Jin Chan’s countenance turned slightly awful, but he tried to maintain his composure, for he knew Gu Changge was pinning the blame onto him. Indeed he knew all of this was the Successor of Demonic Arts’ scheme, but he made no attempts to stop Prince Shen.

The way he saw it, the young prince was in over his head and he knew that Prince Shen wouldn’t listen to him either, so stopping the young prince wouldn’t do anything. Hence, instead of wasting his time and effort, he might as well let Prince Shen fend for himself. But now, for Gu Changge to keep holding onto the matter was tantamount to thrusting him into the limelight.

“You knew this was the Successor of Demonic Arts’ scheme all along!?” The Phoenix Lady, Ying Yu, and the others were rendered shocked by the revelation, except for the King with Six Crowns, who seemed to have foreseen it.

Many, too, grew upset upon hearing the conversation, and their gaze at Jin Chan turned unpleasant. They wanted an explanation from him, especially all of Prince Shen’s followers. [Why didn’t the Chosen Monk stop him when he knew it was a scheme all along?! He wants to see Prince Shen and Gu Changge dead, doesn’t he!? No wonder Gu Changge would speak to Jin Chan like this!]

“As a monk and especially the Successor of Buddhist Mountain, how can you not be compassionate but instead bear such malicious thoughts… Are you not going to explain yourself, Jin Chan!?” Those from Sky Emperor Mountain couldn’t help question the monk. In the past, they wouldn’t have dared question him like this, but now that Prince Shen had fallen, their fate wouldn’t be any better, so they naturally weren’t afraid.

“What do you mean, Young Master Changge?” Jin Chan reiterated as he looked calmly at Gu Changge while ignoring everyone else.

“A monk doesn’t lie. Do speak of the truth, Chosen Monk, and serve Prince Shen justice.” Gu Changge locked eyes with him calmly.

Gu Xianer, on the other hand, was rather upset when her cousin ignored her. But she left him be, knowing that he was suffering from a serious injury. Right then, her gaze at Jin Chan was also laced with unpleasantness.

“Please deliver justice for our Master, Young Master Changge! Please, we beg of you!” Those from Sky Emperor Mountain all knelt with a thump. They knew Jin Chan wouldn’t bother himself with them, so they turned to Gu Changge, hoping he would help deliver the fallen Prince Shen justice.

They knew no one here other than Gu Changge could do so as Jin Chan had the Buddhist Mountain’s protection, which was no lesser than Sky Emperor Mountain. The King with Six Crowns and the others, on the other hand, had distanced themselves and merely watched the drama.

Though the Successor of Demonic Arts was responsible for Prince Shen’s death, it still had to do with Jin Chan one way or the other.

“All of you, please stand. There’s really nothing I can do about Prince Shen’s tragedy either,” said Gu Changge helplessly after a sigh as he took a gander at them.

“You sure have incredible foresight, Young Master Changge. I have indeed figured out that this was all the Successor of Demonic Arts’ scheme…” Jin Chan sighed as well. Like Gu Changge said, a monk doesn’t lie. He might have a temperament unlike any other monks, but he still had to obey a plethora of commandments. Lying would mean that he had broken his vow, and his years of cultivating would’ve been all for nothing if he did lie.

Everyone’s eyes widened with incredulity upon hearing so, as none expected Jin Chan to admit it so frankly.

“Well, looks like Prince Shen didn’t die in vain.” The King with Six Crowns chuckled, having foreseen such a turn of events.

Despite being a monk, Jin Chan was very astute. He chose to turn away from the Successor of Demonic Art’s scheme, and Prince Shen happened to not have sensed any of it.

“Young Master Shen had nothing against you. Why would you do this to him, Chosen Monk Jin Chan?!” Those from Sky Emperor Mountain flew into a rage, glaring at Jin Chan with rage as they demanded an explanation.

“It was Prince Shen himself who insisted on the suicidal act. It had nothing to do with me, and even if I tried to stop him, he wouldn’t listen. My condolences, everyone.” Jin Chan answered without even so much as blinking an eye.

However, their anger burned much brighter after hearing his words. Compared to the Chosen Monk’s usual appearance making truth the priority, he seemed to be lying now.

[How can he be so audaciously to say that Prince Shen was too obstinate when he turned his back on the prince!? Prince Shen is no idiot. If he knew this was a conspiracy, he would’ve surely retreated and not gotten himself killed! Gu Changge, on the other hand, got seriously injured because of the Successor of Demonic Arts. Sure, the man’s overbearing, but you have to admit that he’s admirable for standing up without any hesitation when trying to be righteous.] And now, having compared the two, many more were captivated by Gu Changge.

Jin Chan had successfully caused public outrage with his words. So, even the Phoenix Lady and the King with Six Crowns couldn’t say much at this time either.

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Gu Changge helplessly as he waved his hands when he saw many were outraged and wanted to attack Jin Chan to avenge Prince Shen. “We can’t blame Chosen Monk Jin Chan for this when he has put it that way. After all, it’s indeed that he can’t force Prince Shen, whether he had advised him or not.”

Gu Changge naturally knew when to quit while he was ahead after he had stirred enough animosity and aggression.

At this point, many would think Jin Chan had just about everything to do with Prince Shen’s death, and though it might have looked like he was consoling both sides, he was, in fact, fanning the flames.

As a monk, the Chosen Monk no less, Jin Chan was expected to be compassionate. However, with what he had done, people would inevitably wonder if he and Prince Shen held grievances towards each other. Otherwise, why would he sit back and watch the young prince walk towards his death?

From that day on, the Sky Emperor Mountain and the Buddhist Mountain would inevitably clash, and it was something that Gu Changge wished to see.

As unwilling as those from Sky Emperor Mountain were, they dared not say anything more, as they’d be disrespecting Gu Changge when he had already put it that way.

Followingly, they related all that had happened to those back in Sky Emperor Mountain. It was something Sky Emperor Mountain should have already been aware of. After all, it would be a major incident, especially when someone noticed Prince Shen’s Life Plaque shattering to pieces.

“Since you’re doing alright, Young Master Changge, then I shall be taking my leave. I fear that the Successor of Demonic Arts will be a tough enemy to defeat when he has already taken hold,” Jin Chan said plainly. Seeing that Gu Changge nod to him, he smiled as his Buddha aura appeared beneath his feet and he left on a cloud. It looked as though he wasn’t at all bothered by what everyone else thought of him.

[Chosen Monk Jin Chan isn’t someone easy to get along with when he’s so scheming] the Phoenix Lady and the others mused with mixed feelings, then, too, left after bidding Gu Changge farewell.

Either way, what the Successor of Demonic Arts did would surely stir up the entire world once again.

When they bid farewell, Gu Changge naturally wouldn’t ask them to stay. After all, this was also where the corrosive Yin Energy was, and it wasn’t as safe as the outside world.

Besides, he had a good guess as to everyone’s thoughts.

“Relax. These injuries will heal in no time; they won’t affect me. Let’s leave this place.” Gu Changge smiled at Gu Xianer, Yin Mei, and the lot.

With that, everyone eventually turned into divine rainbows and left the place.

…

Word travelled far and fast very quickly through word of mouth and caused an incredibly horrifying uproar.

Not only was the Immortal Academy shaken, but many formidable factions in the Upper Realm were also rendered stupefied, causing a huge storm. None could’ve imagined that a simple trial would draw out so many horrific incidents. The death of Prince Shen and Gu Changge suffering serious injuries, as well as ending up with a damaged Source.

Either news was already enough to cause those who heard it to shudder as chills ran down their spines. The Successor of Demonic Arts’ audacious act made everyone apprehensive and felt imperilled.

To many, the Successor of Demonic Arts was provoking the plethora of forces in the Upper Realm by successfully scheming and killing many of their young prodigies. For a moment, many forces were debating whether to send their strongest men to hunt down the Successor of Demonic Arts, and their prudence towards the issue elevated to an unimaginable degree.

The Immortal Academy had also sent their Elders over after receiving the news. Though the trial was still ongoing, the incident traumatised many.

And through this incident, Gu Changge’s reputation reached another height while Jin Chan suffered quite the infamy. However, he was not concerned about this in the slightest.

After returning to the Black Tortoise Empire, Gu Chagge naturally sent everyone on their way, including Gu Xianer and Yin Mei. He declared that he would enter a retreat to recuperate and that he wouldn’t be seeing anyone.

His injury was so believable that not even a Sacred Emperor Realm expert could tell it was fake. In fact, he might be able to act more overtly in the future as too many young prodigies had seen everything that had happened for themselves. Even if his true identity was revealed in the future, many would probably just suspect him to be framed.

Anyhow, he would just turn whoever wanted to visit him by saying he had entered retreat to recuperate. Besides, no one would be dumb enough to barge in at this time, unless they wanted to suffer the public’s wrath.

Meanwhile, the world was in a state of restlessness, and the emperors of all the empires were even more apprehensive as they feared being dragged into the incident.

That said, Yin Mei had figured out Gu Changge’s plan and cooperatively led many of Gu Xianer and his followers, as well as used the Alliance of Thousand Merchants’ forces to investigate Qing Xiaoyi’s whereabouts.

Naturally, Gu Changge still hadn’t forgotten about Sky King Zhi Yang, who was pretty much helpless himself after such a major incident had occurred. Though he still hadn’t shown himself, he would’ve surely gotten related news and was furious and livid with rage but dared not show himself.

Subsequently, Gu Changge took advantage of the restless state and left Black Tortoise Empire covertly. He plans to head to the Land of Eternal Overcast, where Jiang Chuchu was at, as he had received an update from her.

He could very well take this chance to obtain the opportunity, then devise a few plans in the meantime.