I Am the Fated Villain
chapter-538

Xiao Ruoyin was aware of the Divine Rock Conference, and she knew that nearly all Forces of the Upper Realm would be joining. It was a significant event, and the importance and the distinguished status of a Source Masters would become apparent at this juncture. Every Force would want to get their hands on a powerful Source Master.

This time, the mysterious man showed off his abilities in one of the stone-gambling halls of the Alliance of Thousand Merchants, stirring the entire Dark Kun City.

Many believed he was a mysterious Divine Source Masters or a Successor of one. Hence, they all came up with all sorts of ways to recruit him. However, he was a peculiar character. Nearly all those who extended an olive branch towards him would be rejected at the doorstep. In fact, they never even saw the Master, himself. Yet, they were in crucial times. Thus, many Forces dared not act rough. They could only cajole their way into his favour.

That said, Xiao Ruoyin remembered how the young man intended to give her his Blood King Ginseng for nothing back in the stone-gambling hall. So, she had a feeling that the mystery man might actually see her if she paid him a visit.

After that, she could relate to him Gu Changge’s desire to recruit him. Who in the vast Upper Realm would ignore Gu Changge’s recruitment nowadays!?

“Are you certain you can help me?” Gu Changge said with great interest, feeling somewhat surprised. He had indeed come to Xiao Ruoyin for this exact purpose, but it all depended on Jiang Chen’s current attitude toward her.

“I can.” Xiao Ruoyin nodded and promised, “But I’ll still have to talk to him first.”

She couldn’t be certain either before talking to the mystery man.

“Then, I shall await your good news.” Gu Changge grinned, then gave Xiao Ruoyin a few more instructions before leaving the place.

Certainly, he’d like to witness the beginning of Xiao Ruoyin and Jiang Chen’s fallout, but he still had other things to see to, so he could only leave it be.

After Gu Changge left, Xiao Ruoyin didn’t delay in accomplishing the mission.

She was well aware that she had to get to the mystery man’s aid as soon as possible, or he would take up someone else’s offer. Hence, she quickly sorted herself out despite her discomfort and gathered her fellow disciples, who went to the stone-gambling hall with her to search for the mystery man.

…

“Say, Jiang Chen, aren’t you afraid of exposing yourself when you show off your face so openly?” Right then, in a courtyard on the east of Dark Kun City, a young woman in light yellow asked in bewilderment as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

The courtyard wasn’t large. If anything, it could only be considered a secluded corner of Dark Kun City. However, here lived the mysterious Divine Source Master that had stirred up Dark Kun City.

Jiang Chen was sizing up a cut-out purple gold item in his hand when he replied to Ji Chuyue plainly. “What’s there to be afraid of? Who else other than you know who I am now?”

Currently, apart from Ji Chuyue, only Monk Pu Du knew his real identity. Naturally, he was very trusting of Ji Chuyue.

Though she and her brother had tricked him back at the Purple Mountains, he still chose to forgive her. He understood that she had no other choice but to throw him under the bus due to Gu Changge’s coercion.

Later, he ran into Ji Chuyue again in an auction house, and the young woman had a unique ability that allowed her to see through his disguise in one glance.

At the time, Jiang Chen managed to bag a sweet deal, but he became a target and even nearly died. Fortunately, Ji Chuyue came to the rescue in the end.

One thing led to another, and the two gradually grew closer. Ji Chuyue also actually had Jiang Chen to thank for when she managed to hear Ji Shengchu’s call for help at Kun Mountain.

“I’ve actually come to tell you that this might be the last time I’ll ever talk to you as a friend. Yaoxing has laid his eyes on you for a long while now,” Ji Chuyue gave him a friendly warning, stupefying Jiang Chen for a second.

Seeing that Ji Chuyue didn’t seem to be joking, he asked gravely, “Why? Since when?”

He didn’t doubt Ji Chuyue’s kind gesture but wondered when Ji Yaoxing had begun keeping an eye out for him.

“I’m not sure either.” Ji Chuyue shook her head in response. “He warned me about you when Gu Changge paid my family a visit.”

She and Jiang Chen had become quite close. Naturally, she didn’t want to see him die because of such matters.

“Got it. I’ll be careful from now on.” Jiang Chen nodded solemnly. He always had a feeling Ji Yaoxing wasn’t as righteous as he appeared to be.

He, too, had heard about Gu Changge’s voluntary assistance towards the Ji Family, to save their Prime Ancestor. Hence, he believed Ji Yaoxing would likely tell Gu Changge if the latter decided to track him down.

[It seems that I really have been careless. This is getting a little dangerous.] Jiang Chen locked his brows into a thigh furrow. He initially believed his disguise to be impeccable, but who’d have thought Ji Yaoxing had learned about his whereabouts for a long time.

Ji Chuyue, on the other hand, snuck away soon after relating the message to Jiang Chen.

“The Ji Family treats you pretty well. To think she has voluntarily told you such information.” Monk Pu Du couldn’t help teasing as he walked over after Ji Chuyue left, leading Jiang Chen to shoot him a nasty look, saying, “you should note that you won’t be in a safe position if my cover is blown. What do we do now? Leave Dark Kun City?”

Monk Pu Du shook his head and put his palms together. “It just so happens that the Ji Family plans to invade Kun Mountain while Dark Kun City is having its once in a million years Divine Rock Conference. Do you really want to leave just like that?”

“Of course not.” Jiang Chen smiled wryly.

He still had words he had yet to say. He still hadn’t warned Xiao Ruoyin against Gu Changge. How could he leave in peace just like that? Even if he was to leave, he had to think of a way to take Xiao Ruoyin with him.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

“Who would visit at this time?” Monk Pu Du gazed out the courtyard with great interest. He had set up arrays that prevented others from spying into the place.

“I swear these Forces will never give it a rest… I already told them over and over again I’m not interested in their recruitment.” Jiang Chen frowned with displeasure, reflexively believing that another Force was attempting to recruit him, and had come to his doorstep.

However, just as he was about to ignore those people, a familiar voice travelled to his ears, “Sir from the stone-gambling hall, are you in?”

With a jolt, he jumped up from the stone bench with joy. “Ruoyin… That’s her voice. Can the person outside be her?”

The young man strode towards the door without hesitation, intending to answer it.

Monk Pu Du, on the other hand, walked away, having no intention of disturbing the two, for he could tell they were likely old friends.

Since Xiao Ruoyin had come to him, then what followed next would likely be a reunion. Thus, Monk Pu Du, an outsider, would rather not disturb them.

Outside, a stunning-looking Xiao Ruoyin dressed in white led the few fellow disciples who had gone to the stone-gambling hall with her the other day to negotiate with Jiang Chen.

“Greetings, fair Lady… Is there something I can do for you?” Jiang Chen asked as he pulled an appropriate smile while suppressing his excitement. There were others around, so he intended not to reveal his original face and speak openly to Xiao Ruoyin.

Xiao Ruoyin was rather surprised that the mysterious, temperamental man was actually willing to see her. She involuntarily pulled a polite smile, telling him her purpose of visiting, “I’ve come to talk to you about something, kind sir.”

“Oh, is that so? If you don’t mind, how about we talk inside?” Jiang Chen smiled and gestured, ‘please’.

Xiao Ruoyin wasn’t worried the young man had some kind of agenda either, for cultivators were everywhere in this city. If he made any sudden and major movements, people would immediately direct their attention here.

There was a warm tea cup still on the stone table in the centre of the courtyard. It was evident that someone else had come before them, and Xiao Ruoyin took a gander at it but asked nothing.

“Someone came and talked to me just now,” Jian Chen explained with a smile when he noticed her gaze.

This was his first time standing so close to her since they parted ways on the ancient battleship when they first arrived. But Jiang Chen frowned very quickly as he attentively noticed the young woman’s steps looked a little odd.

“Are you unwell, fair lady?” he asked with concern.

“I’ve sprained my ankle when I was trying to use a technique last night.” A hint of awkwardness laced Xiao Ruoyin’s face upon hearing the question, but she still gave a random excuse.

“You sprained your ankle? Is it serious?” Jiang Chen didn’t suspect a thing at all, and he just thought that Xiao Ruoyin was really careless. [You’re a cultivator, yet you sprained your ankle!?]

Certainly, it sounded a little exaggerated, but different cultivation techniques would likely lead to such possibilities. Those foot techniques in particular, might consist of difficult moves and it might result in injury.

“It’s not serious. I’ll be fine in a few days.” Xiao Ruoyin waved her hand dismissively, thinking this mysterious Divine Source Masters seemed to be overly concerned about her.

“That’s good.” Jiang Chen nodded, then invited everyone to take a seat before asking her purpose of visiting.

Xiao Ruoyin wasted no time either, telling him about her purpose of visiting, including the current situation in Dark Kun City as well as about the upcoming Divine Rock Conference.

Jiang Chen, on the other hand, turned from smiling to gradually stiffening and in the end, grim.

“You’ve come to me because you want me to work for Gu Changge?” Jiang Chen seethed with rage as he bore into Xiao Ruoyin while his knuckles cracked.

Never had he thought the young woman would come to him for such a reason. He was livid with rage.

Xiao Ruoyin frowned in response. She wasn’t sure why Jiang Chen had such a deep resentment toward Gu Changge, but she just assumed that he was lofty. So she couldn’t help persuading, “You should know that Young Master Gu is basically the most influential cultivator in the Upper Realm right now, and he has abilities beyond most’s imagination. Even True Daoists revered him. I know as the Successor of a Divine Source Master, you have your pride, but it’s also your honour to be able to help him.”