I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 1275:

1636. Fate of the Marquis’ Blade

As the initial chaos within Xianchu Hao soil began to stir, the suffocating stalemate of recent days finally showed signs of waning. Despite the ongoing investigations by the royal family, their intensity seemed to have diminished, a shift that left Chu Bai feeling deeply unsettled. He could sense an invisible, predatory force pulling the strings from the shadows.

The assassination of the Marquis’ wife likely concealed a truth far more sinister than it appeared, involving entities and figures that transcended the comprehension of the masses. Prompted by the Spirit of the Shooting Sun Bow, Chu Bai realized with a jolt that the conspiracy against the Marquis might be rooted within the imperial capital itself.

If this were true, the orchestrators would never permit the Marquis’ inner circle to return to the capital alive. Such a calculated strike—occurring precisely while Xianchu Hao soil faced a massive crisis and the Marquis was away on campaign—was unprecedented.

“Brother Chu Bai speaks the truth. Why did I overlook this? The capital’s internal state is clearly more fractured than we presumed.”

“Who possesses the audacity to move against the Marquis? Is it possible that with the Heavenly God General’s fall, His Majesty’s favor has shifted toward the Marquis, sparking deadly envy?”

Frowning at the encroaching darkness of the night sky, a dark-complexioned man wielding a purple-gold dragon’s whisker hammer pondered aloud. This was Chu Kui, a premier expert of the Ability Masters’ Mansion whose prowess rivaled Chu Bai’s own.

His speculation caused a visible ripple of unease among the group. Though they were elite talents of Xianchu Hao soil, discussing such treasonous possibilities was dangerous. The Ability Masters’ Mansion was divided into cliques; while some leaned toward the Heavenly God General and his peers, this group remained loyal to the Marquis.

Chu Kui’s insinuation clearly pointed the finger at the Divine Generals’ faction.

“Mind your tongue, Chu Kui. Reckless talk serves no one and only invites disaster. We must refrain from creating enemies until the truth behind the death of the Marquis’ wife is brought to light.”

The speaker was Bi Xin, a statuesque woman in a purple gown. Her skin was as pale as fresh snow, and her eyes, an arresting emerald green, shimmered like a mystical lake. As a master of the Dao of Wood and Water, her abilities were notoriously difficult to predict, and she was considered the most likely among them to achieve a breakthrough into the Dao realm.

“Cease this speculation. Our mission is the protection of the Marquis’ men, not to incite unnecessary conflict or guess at shadows.”

A resonant, authoritative voice boomed from the darkness, belonging to a Daoist expert who remained concealed from view.

Immediately, Chu Kui, Bi Xin, and Chu Bai fell silent, showing profound deference to the hidden master.

“Chu Bai, are you certain Han Feng will use this pass?”

The deep voice questioned again as a heavy, spiritual gaze descended from the sky to lock onto Chu Bai.

“This is the swiftest path connecting the front lines to the capital. Han Feng, a man the Marquis trusts implicitly, has refined the blood of the Ancient Emperor Kun, making him the fastest individual alive. To return in secret, he would undoubtedly choose this shortcut; he should arrive within days,” Chu Bai answered firmly.

Han Feng was a legendary figure known to them all. Having served under the Marquis alongside him, Chu Bai was certain the Marquis would have summoned him back. To evade detection, Han Feng would avoid the public Broken Domain Transmission Arrays in favor of secluded routes and shortcuts.

This path was unavoidable.

Chu Bai knew that if he could deduce this, the conspirators in the capital could as well. They would almost certainly dispatch killers to this very spot to ensure Han Feng never reached his destination.

The surrounding terrain was dominated by mountains so massive they resembled the world's spine, formed from the remnants of fallen stars. Ancient magical seals were etched into the sky, and a heavy, lethal aura permeated the air. Any Cultivation expert attempting to fly through the void here risked being struck by divine thunder, leading to the total destruction of their body and soul.

As the group waited in the stillness, a sudden sandstorm erupted across the horizon. A flickering silhouette appeared, crossing the distance between the horizon and their position in a heartbeat. He moved with such velocity that time and space seemed to warp around him in a blur of thunder and light.

“Han Feng has arrived.”

Chu Bai’s pulse quickened as he tracked the figure, though he remained perfectly still, signaling the others to stay hidden.

“I smell blood. His Qi is erratic—he’s clearly fought through multiple ambushes already,” Chu Bai noted, his concern deepening.

“The political depths of Xianchu Hao soil are far filthier than I expected. Who has the Marquis crossed to warrant such a brutal pursuit of his subordinate?” the Spirit of the Shooting Sun Bow remarked within Chu Bai’s mind.

This thought weighed heavily on Chu Bai. It meant the enemy’s reach extended far beyond the capital, into every corner of the realm.

“Do you suspect the royal family is pulling the strings?”

The Spirit’s inquisitive voice echoed again. Previously, Chu Bai would have dismissed such a thought. However, after Chu Gucheng’s recent attempt to secretly seize the Shooting Sun Bow by placing a hidden mark upon it, Chu Bai had seen through the ruler's virtuous mask.

“Even if the Divine General faction is responsible, the King would likely suppress the truth to prevent internal collapse while foreign enemies are at the gates,” Chu Bai whispered, finding the logic sound.

Both the Divine Generals and the Marquis were Chu Gucheng’s trusted pillars, yet he played them against one another to maintain his own absolute control. If the King was indeed complicit, his cold-bloodedness was truly disheartening.

“You’ve followed me this far—are you still too cowardly to show your faces?”

A freezing laugh cut through Chu Bai’s thoughts. He looked toward a nearby peak where Han Feng stood, bathed in the dim light of the moon. The Qi of the heavens began to swirl toward him like a whirlpool.

His very pores radiated light as he absorbed the starlight to mend his wounds. Having reached a half-step into the Dao realm, Han Feng had sensed the approaching killers long ago. The murderous intent here was so thick it felt physical, causing distant stars to seemingly tremble.

His journey from the border had been a gauntlet of assassination attempts. Han Feng couldn't fathom who the Marquis, Chu Heng, had angered so deeply that they would risk destabilizing the entire realm to stop him.

Thus far, he had escaped because no Daoist experts who had survived multiple Heavenly Calamities had appeared. Such figures were rare and easily identified by their unique auras. He assumed the enemy wouldn't dare deploy them for fear of exposure.

“You are quite resilient to have made it this far. Unfortunately, your journey ends here. The capital is in sight, but you shall never enter it,” a frigid voice declared.

The space before Han Feng rippled as the laws of the Dao buckled. A masked figure in a plain, oversized robe stepped out. Though the man looked ordinary, his elongated fingers surged with a terrifying Daoist power. Several other powerful figures emerged behind him, their presence warping the very fabric of reality.

Han Feng stared at them, his voice rasping with exhaustion. “Who sent you? While the Marquis bleeds on the front lines to protect Xianchu Hao soil, you cowards strike from behind. You drove his wife to suicide and now you seek to cripple his command. What is your goal?”

The masked leader offered only a cold, silent stare. To him, Han Feng was already a corpse.

“Wasted breath. If the decree is for the Marquis to fall, then fall he shall. You are merely the first to go,” the figure stated before vanishing into a sudden strike.

A titanic wave of energy erupted, shaking the foundations of the world. The laws of the Dao condensed into a massive, crushing seal that descended upon Han Feng, tearing the void into jagged chasms.

This was a Daoist master who had survived at least two Heavenly Calamities. The sheer scale of the power left Han Feng in a state of pure despair. Simultaneously, the figures behind the masked man sat in a circle, chanting. A mist of chaos rose as they activated a string of seven-colored prayer beads, sealing the entire region in a pocket dimension that was untraceable from the outside world.

“A two-Calamity Daoist expert... they really spared no expense,” Han Feng thought, his heart filled with bitter resentment.

He might have outrun a one-Calamity expert, but against this level of power, there was no escape. He couldn't understand why such a high-level figure would personally act to erase him.

“What is happening in the capital? To deploy a two-Calamity expert for a mere subordinate... what kind of monster is directing this?”

Hidden nearby, Chu Bai and his companions were equally paralyzed by shock. Even ancient noble families rarely possessed Daoist ancestors of this caliber. The presence of such a master sent a shiver through their souls.

“Senior Wu Xuan, please... you must act!” Chu Bai urgently transmitted to the hidden expert.

“I am outmatched, but I will do what I can to stall him. The rest of you must help Han Feng break the formation. They intend to wipe him out without leaving a single trace,” the deep voice replied. A middle-aged man in scholar’s attire stepped from the void, holding a feathered fan. Though he radiated a vast, space-like aura, he was only a one-Calamity Daoist expert.

“For a figure of your standing to ambush a subordinate of the Marquis... is this not beneath you?” Wu Xuan challenged coldly. He swept his sleeve, manifesting a massive stone inkstone to intercept the descending seal.

As Wu Xuan engaged, Chu Bai and the others lunged forward like streaks of divine light toward the desperate Han Feng.

“Han Feng, hold on! We are here to assist you!”

Chu Kui roared, swinging his Dragon Whisker Hammer to summon a localized sea of purple lightning, attempting to shatter the spatial blockade. Bi Xin and Chu Bai followed suit, unleashing their strongest techniques.

Overjoyed at the unexpected reinforcements, Han Feng shouted, “My thanks, brothers! The Marquis will not forget this debt!”

“Wu Xuan of the Ability Masters’ Mansion? Predictable. I knew someone would crawl out of the woodwork to save him,” the masked man remarked, his voice dripping with condescension.

“You know me? Then you are certainly someone from the capital. Why hide behind a mask?” Wu Xuan’s expression darkened as he struggled to hold back the pressure.

He fanned his weapon, sending waves of five-colored Daoist light to shatter the air, trying to create an opening.

“Do not struggle. This entire sector is sealed. Even a Daoist expert cannot flee this cage. This man must die here, far from the eyes of the city,” the masked man said indifferently. With a casual flick of his wrist, Wu Xuan’s surging Daoist tide was instantly frozen and crushed.

Wu Xuan’s face turned pale. The chasm between a one-Calamity and a two-Calamity expert was an insurmountable abyss. He realized then that the enemy intended to slaughter everyone present to bury the secret forever.

Chu Bai and his team hit the barrier, only to find it unyielding. The power infused into the prayer beads was far beyond their ability to break. Despair began to settle over them as they realized the true scale of the conspiracy against the Marquis.