I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1763. The misunderstandings from the outside world really are quite deep… Tai Xuan Ancestor God

Outside the courtyard, peach blossoms bloomed in dazzling profusion. A cold and beautiful woman, with cloud-like coiffed hair and dressed in a dark gauze long dress, stood there nervously, her hands lowered and bound in restraint.

The commander who had accompanied her here had already bowed and taken his leave, leaving her alone to wait.

Chen Yi did not understand why, for no apparent reason, she had been summoned by the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

Decades ago, she had followed the envoys of the various factions within the Zhengyi Alliance, traveling across countless distances to the Heaven-Defying Alliance, hoping to request an audience with its leader to discuss how to deal with the Dark Beings. However, the moment they stepped into the hall—without even catching a glimpse of the alliance leader’s true appearance—they were arrested on charges of assassination and thrown into prison, where they were held for several years.

Although the alliance leader later granted a general amnesty and they were released, they had lost their freedom due to the accusation of attempted assassination. All of them were confined within the city, placed under strict daily surveillance, and forbidden from leaving without permission.

From her initial helplessness and unwillingness, Chen Yi gradually came to accept and let go of the situation over time.

Compared to being imprisoned in a dungeon for life, this restricted freedom was actually not so bad—at least she would not lose her life. However, even now, she still did not know whether the accusation of attempting to assassinate the alliance leader was true.

Was it that among those envoys, someone truly harbored ill intentions, seeking to sabotage the relationship between the Heaven-Defying Alliance and the Zhengyi Alliance? Or was it merely a fabricated charge imposed by the Heaven-Defying Alliance?

In the past, Chen Yi would never have wavered in her doubts about the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

But after witnessing the actions of the Zhengyi Alliance, she could not help but begin to question its sinister motives instead.

During her years in the Heaven-Defying Alliance, Chen Yi gradually came to understand certain things.

The Heaven-Defying Alliance was not as strange, mysterious, or terrifying as the outside world imagined—like a dragon’s lair or a demonic realm. In fact, it was very likely that such rumors were the very reason why the beings of the outside world avoided it like the plague, speaking of it with fear.

From what she had personally observed over the years, the various races and factions living within the Heaven-Defying Alliance could even be described as living in peace and prosperity, with calm seas and clear rivers—there was not the slightest sign of chaos or unrest.

Order was strict, everything well-organized.

She saw no trace of worry or fear toward the Dark Beings among the inhabitants.

No matter how turbulent and chaotic the outside world became, it seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the tranquility of the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

She had never seen even the slightest hint of fear or unease in the eyes of its inhabitants. Even when discussing the turmoil and wars outside, everyone appeared indifferent, as if completely unconcerned about being affected—detached from it all.

And all of this was because of the presence of the alliance leader. With him there, no external enemies dared to invade, making the Heaven-Defying Alliance one of the few pure lands remaining in the vast expanse.

Chen Yi had once sighed with regret—if only she had known earlier about the true state of the Heaven-Defying Alliance, would things have turned out differently if the Xieyue Sect had joined them sooner?

She had long been aware that the Zhengyi Alliance had signed a humiliating peace treaty with the Dark Beings. She also knew that many sects and factions—including the Xieyue Sect—had been treated as expendable pawns by the Zhengyi Alliance, used as cannon fodder against the Dark Beings and ultimately annihilated in the river of time.

Her former fellow disciples and students had all become part of the countless wandering souls.

Though Chen Yi felt deep sorrow, she also understood that she was powerless to change anything.

When the Dark Beings invaded, the Zhengyi Alliance—who had promised to protect everyone—chose to retreat and abandon them. Only the Heaven-Defying Alliance had dispatched numerous powerful experts to provide assistance.

Under such circumstances, many races and sects vanished forever—including the Xieyue Sect, where she once belonged.

Time is the greatest power—it can smooth away the grief in people’s hearts. As the years passed, Chen Yi gradually emerged from that overwhelming sorrow and began to face her current life.

Those former envoys of the Zhengyi Alliance, though they had lost their freedom and were forbidden from leaving the ancient city, had each now found their own place within the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

She was no exception. She had become an instructor at an academy within the alliance. After all, she was a Dao Realm cultivator who had survived several Heavenly Decline Tribulations—her insight and strength far surpassed that of ordinary practitioners.

“You’ve arrived. Then come in.”

Just as Chen Yi’s thoughts were racing and she stood there nervously, a calm and gentle voice suddenly came from the courtyard before her.

Hearing that voice, Chen Yi froze, her eyes widening slightly.

She felt that the voice sounded familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

In the next moment, the courtyard gate opened silently. The fragrance of tea drifted out. By a crystal-clear pond, a young man reclined lazily on a rattan chair.

Beside him, an incomparably beautiful woman was brewing tea, gently fanning the fire. The flame in the small red clay stove burned brightly, and the charcoal crackled softly.

Chen Yi’s already widened eyes grew even larger as she stared at the scene before her in disbelief, her entire body stiff like a clay statue.

“How… how is this possible…” she murmured.

How could she forget—back when they were on their way to the Heaven-Defying Alliance and were attacked by Dark Beings, who was it that had stepped in to save them?

That noble and handsome young man had even handed her a bottle of pills. Though the bottle was now empty, she had kept it to this day.

During the years she had been imprisoned in the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s dungeon, Chen Yi had often fantasized that someone might come to rescue them.

Would that white-robed young man who had extended a hand of kindness in the darkness appear once more?

She had imagined many possibilities—but never once had she considered that the very same young man would be the Heaven-Defying Alliance’s leader, the figure feared and dreaded across the vast world.

“Miss Chen Yi, please sit.”

Gu Changge’s voice broke through the chaotic and unbelievable thoughts in her mind.

She felt as though her mind had gone completely blank, as if it had crashed. She didn’t even know how she walked over or sat down by the stone table. She hadn’t even noticed when a cup of hot tea had been placed before her.

Gu Changge let the fishing rod lie casually by his feet, in no hurry to disturb her, waiting for her to regain her composure.

Ling Yuling, with a scrutinizing gaze, observed Chen Yi, curious as to why Gu Changge had suddenly summoned this woman.

Could it be that there was something special about her?

“Greetings, Alliance Leader.”

Chen Yi finally came back to her senses, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of her lips. Everything before her was simply too dreamlike and unbelievable. So it turned out she had already met the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance—and had even told him about their purpose in coming.

Yet at the time, Gu Changge had revealed nothing about his identity.

She had never imagined that he was the alliance leader. Originally, Chen Yi had many questions and things she wanted to say, but now that she truly stood before him and knew his identity, she found herself at a loss for words.

“You must be wondering why I summoned you.”

Gu Changge smiled, gesturing for her not to be nervous.

“Recently, many within the alliance have encountered scattered disciples of the Xieyue Sect who were fleeing outside and brought them back. I thought that since you were once an elder of the Xieyue Sect, perhaps you could take charge of settling those disciples.”

Hearing this, Chen Yi froze on the spot, almost suspecting that she had misheard.

The leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance personally summoned her… just for something like this?

With his status, shouldn’t he be unconcerned with such trivial matters? Why would he think to have someone bring her here and ask her in person?

“Alliance Leader… is there anything else?” Chen Yi asked subconsciously, still somewhat in disbelief.

Gu Changge glanced at her strangely, then shook his head with a faint smile.

“There’s nothing else. I just happened to hear a report from my subordinates about the Xieyue Sect disciples, and I suddenly thought of you. After all, you did tell me back then that you were an elder of the Xieyue Sect.”

“Oh, right. How have you been during your time in the Heaven-Defying Alliance? For certain reasons, you’re still unable to leave for now, but once the matters concerning the Zhengyi Alliance are resolved, the world should return to peace. At that time, if you wish to leave, I don’t think anyone will say anything.”

Chen Yi continued to stare at him blankly, feeling somewhat at a loss.

It felt as though she were nothing more than an insignificant blade of grass by the roadside—yet somehow, she had always been noticed.

“Thank you for your concern, Alliance Leader. During my time in the Heaven-Defying Alliance, I’ve been living quite well. I’m not disturbed by the outside world, and the old hidden injuries I once had have also been healed thanks to the medicinal pills you gave me.”

Chen Yi spoke softly, then explained, “Back then in the great hall, we truly didn’t expect that someone would harbor malicious intent and attempt to assassinate you…”

At that point, she was already firmly convinced that among the envoy group back then, someone had indeed intended to assassinate Gu Changge. It was not as the outside world rumored—that the Heaven-Defying Alliance had fabricated charges as a pretext to act against the Zhengyi Alliance.

She had once found it strange why, for such a heinous crime as attempting to assassinate the alliance leader, they had merely been imprisoned instead of executed.

Now it all made sense. After all, Gu Changge had once saved their lives. There was some degree of acquaintance between them. Before the truth was fully understood, how could he have indiscriminately killed the innocent?

A person of such noble character and integrity—how could he be as terrifying as the rumors claimed, the kind that could make children stop crying at the mere mention of his name?

The outside world truly had deep misunderstandings about the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance.

“It’s fine. That matter has already passed. Those petty tricks couldn’t harm me.”

Gu Changge waved his hand with a smile, then said with a hint of regret, “It’s just a pity… when I learned that the Xieyue Sect was under attack by the Dark Beings, I immediately sent people to reinforce them. But unfortunately, we were still a step too late. By the time they arrived, the Xieyue Sect had already become ruins…”

“Alliance Leader, there’s no need for you to feel guilty or blame yourself. If not for the Zhengyi Alliance abandoning us, the Xieyue Sect wouldn’t have been destroyed.”

Thinking of her former fellow disciples and students, Chen Yi’s emotions sank into gloom and dejection.

“You don’t need to be overly sorrowful either. As far as I know, before its destruction, the Xieyue Sect’s elders led many disciples to flee in scattered groups. They escaped in batches. Now they are merely scattered across the world. Perhaps one day, the Xieyue Sect may be rebuilt.”

Hearing this, an indescribable warmth rose in Chen Yi’s heart.

With Gu Changge’s status, he had still taken the time to comfort her over such a small matter. In this unfamiliar Heaven-Defying Alliance, she seemed to have found a trace of belonging and warmth.

After that, she did not stay any longer to disturb him. She gathered herself, then took her leave. Outside, a commander-level figure led the way, escorting her away.

Flowers bloom again when the time comes—and the Xieyue Sect would naturally have a day of rebirth as well. Why should she remain immersed in grief and cling to the past? There were still former disciples waiting for her to take care of them.

Perhaps some of her own disciples—like Lan Xin, Gu Xian’er—were still among them…

“The tea is still hot…” After Chen Yi left, Ling Yuling glanced at the cup of tea that had just been poured for her and shook her head.

She did not believe that Gu Changge would have the leisure to personally summon Chen Yi and say so much over such a trivial matter concerning the Xieyue Sect. Moreover, regarding the supposed assassination attempt by the Zhengyi Alliance envoys, she knew very well that it was merely an excuse Gu Changge had casually fabricated—there had never been such a thing.

He had never instructed the upper ranks of the Heaven-Defying Alliance to dispatch forces to reinforce the Xieyue Sect either.

What he had just said was likely nothing more than something he casually made up to placate that woman named Chen Yi.

So what was his real purpose?

Was it related to the Xieyue Sect?

“Hm? A fish has taken the bait?”

Gu Changge paid no attention to Ling Yuling’s confusion. He glanced at the fishing rod by his feet, which had begun to tremble slightly. With a lift of his finger, the rod instantly broke through the surface of the pond, and the fishing line snapped taut.

The previously calm water surface suddenly churned with mist. Chaotic light surged, golden radiance burst forth—as if some terrifying creature on the other side of the pond was struggling, trying to break free.

Ling Yuling focused her gaze.

Roar—

With a thunderous dragon’s roar that seemed to shake the heavens, a terrifying creature covered in golden scales, radiating divine light, with a body as vast as a star and exuding an ancient, weathered aura, was yanked up from the pond, tightly bound by the fishing line.

With a thud, Gu Changge flung it onto the ground, where it continued to struggle and thrash. This fearsome creature resembled a true dragon, covered in dragon scales, with imposing horns. Yet as soon as it landed in the courtyard, its boundless body shrank in an instant to the size of a small snake, its eyes filled with terror and trembling.

Only then did Ling Yuling clearly see that at the other end of Gu Changge’s fishing hook was a white, delicate arm—smooth like jade, resembling a snow-white lotus root—crystal clear and flawless, as if it had been cleanly severed from the shoulder.

The wound was smooth as a mirror, emitting a rich fragrance, truly resembling a lotus root.

“Divine essence… this is the arm of an Ancestor God?”

Ling Yuling was highly knowledgeable and immediately recognized it. Her beautiful face filled with shock and astonishment. Her gaze then shifted to the creature bound by the fishing line at the edge of the pond—it was also a deity, though the divine essence within it was far less concentrated than that within the arm.

In this day and age, very few beings still follow the Divine Path system, let alone cultivate to the level of becoming deities.

The innate gods have long since vanished, and most of the remaining deities are those who have cultivated step by step along the Divine Path to reach their current realm. However, it was obvious that the arm Gu Changge was using as bait belonged to an extremely ancient Ancestor God—definitely not a deity that came into existence later.

“I thought I’d hooked something big. Didn’t expect it to be just a small trash fish.” Gu Changge shook his head slightly.

“Y-you… you are the leader of the Heaven-Defying Alliance?”

The creature bound tightly by the fishing line looked at Gu Changge in terror, its voice trembling.

“It’s good that you recognize me. That Ancestor God named Taixuan—where is he? If he wants to reclaim his arm, he’d better come personally.” Gu Changge spoke indifferently.

“Alliance Leader, spare me! Spare me! How could a minor god like me know the whereabouts of such an existence as an Ancestor God? I only sensed a dense concentration of divine essence within spacetime and thought that perhaps some deity had been fighting a great enemy and accidentally lost a part of their body into the void of spacetime. That’s why I rashly approached…”

The creature explained in fear, trembling all over.

“You really think I’m so easy to fool? Since you won’t speak, then there’s no need to speak at all.”

Gu Changge gently shook his head, his eyes completely calm. He extended a finger.

The creature’s pupils shrank violently, filled with terror and unwillingness. Then, with a bang, it exploded, turning into a mass of golden divine essence.

Ling Yuling looked at him in confusion.

But Gu Changge had no intention of explaining. He casually tossed the mass of divine essence into the teapot. As the tea bubbled and boiled, it transformed into a pot full of shimmering golden liquid.

Back then, after the Immortal Chu Realm was destroyed, an Ancestor God named Taixuan had once attempted to scheme against him—trying to use a believer named Chen Jinhan as a medium to corrupt his power of faith and taint his divine incarnation.

Chen Jinhan’s consciousness had been polluted by Taixuan, his desires running rampant, his mind spiraling into madness—he had nearly committed blasphemy within the Temple of Heaven-Defying.

Because of this, Gu Changge had split off a strand of his consciousness, tracked down the spacetime location of that Ancestor God Taixuan, and severed one of his arms. After that, the Ancestor God fled into endless spacetime and vanished without a trace. All karmic traces were erased, as if he had completely evaporated from the vast universe.