Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 435 Declaration Of Love!

The Emperor showed no sign of anger.

In its place, a smile appeared on his face.

This smile was composed and deliberate, devoid of any warmth or enmity, embodying pure command mixed with shrewd intent.

"This Emperor knows full well," he declared unhurriedly, his words resonating across the hushed chamber, "of the betrothal linking Bai Zihan to you."

A subtle hesitation followed.

"From what this Emperor understands," he went on, "that betrothal came about to forge a pact between the Bai Clan and the Chu Clan."

The Emperor laid it out straightforwardly. His intent to weaken the betrothal was evident.

Regardless of the cause, a betrothal remained a binding commitment.

The Emperor's eyes flicked—quickly and discreetly—over to Chu Ziyan.

"Yet," he remarked, his voice easing slightly, "this Emperor's Ninth Daughter has developed deep affection for Bai Zihan."

Murmurs rippled through the hall.

Affection?

The Emperor pressed on with steady composure, as though discussing a perfectly logical affair. "She respects his achievements and his determination amid hardships," he explained. "Such emotions are beyond this Emperor's power to dismiss lightly."

His eyes turned back to Chu Ziyan.

"Thus, this Emperor requests your comprehension," he stated flatly, "and that you willingly end this betrothal."

A moment of silence elapsed.

Afterward—

"This Emperor ensures the Chu Clan faces no detriment," he supplemented. "Ample recompense shall be granted."

Resources.

Territory.

Imperial favor.

Even ongoing safeguarding.

The implication of his statement rang clear.

The Emperor issued no mere plea.

He bargained from a stance of absolute dominance.

Turmoil churned within the hall, even as appearances of propriety held firm.

Numerous attendees viewed it as a favorable offer from the Emperor. Chu Ziyan would escape wedding a disabled man.

In earlier times, opinions might have differed—but with Bai Zihan's recent crippling, union with him felt like a heavy chain.

Thus, gaining a chance to sever ties without mess, while earning imperial boons on top, proved an extra windfall.

All present mulled over comparable ideas and schemes.

Yet Bai Zihan's mind wandered far from those notions.

(What game is this Emperor running?)

Outwardly serene, his thoughts surged ahead.

Bai Zihan pondered the Emperor's motive for wedding the Ninth Princess—Qin Lingxiao in particular—to him.

(Could he actually be the true Emperor?)

The suspicion emerged.

Prior to this day, Bai Zihan held no such qualms. Plenty of masters could spot lies with ease.

Still, after discovering Qin Lingxiao's secrets and prowess, it seemed plausible the Emperor too had been substituted.

In that case, he could be colluding with the false Ninth Princess to target him—or the Bai Clan itself.

Still, confirming it proved no simple task. If Immortal Realm powerhouses spotted no issues, he certainly couldn't.

Two scenarios lingered.

First—the Emperor stood genuine, yet swayed or convinced by Qin Lingxiao.

Second—the Emperor had been supplanted, much like Yu Feiyan.

No matter which, be it the Emperor's design or Qin Lingxiao's scheme, their aim was plainly to penetrate the Bai Clan.

And Bai Zihan dared not probe either risk.

His glance veered—only a touch—toward Qin Lingxiao.

She remained poised, her features soft, regal, impeccable.

As though events progressed precisely to her design.

(What profit do you seek here?)

Bai Zihan wondered wordlessly.

Breaching the Bai Clan?

Securing ties through wedlock to him?

Drawing nearer to his side?

Or—

(Usurping my position?)

A shiver raced along his back.

She possessed all the means for it, and by seizing Yu Feiyan's role, she had

demonstrated her effortless skill at such feats.

He lacked the hubris to confront a Golden Immortal Realm expert with hidden motives.

Wedlock lay utterly impossible.

Tethering to an enigma of unseen aims—one mighty enough to vanish him effortlessly—

Spelled certain doom.

But flat refusal?

Not ideal either—though preferable to entanglement with such peril.

Suddenly—

Chu Ziyan rose and opposed the union.

!!!

(Opportunity!)

He mused. "Granting him yet another match," she uttered steadily, "would prove

unsuitable—and unjust."

Chu Ziyan voiced her stance with resolve.

The Emperor held back his reply at first.

He observed Chu Ziyan intently for an extended beat, his look profound and unreadable, as

if evaluating depths beyond her mere statement.

Next—he exhaled.

A gentle exhale.

"It might be argued," the Emperor uttered deliberately, "that this Emperor's suggestion is

truly... a touch improper."

A wave of astonishment swept the chamber.

Such candid admission of irregularity from the Emperor came seldom.

"However," he proceeded, his manner altering to evoke a parent's concern over a sovereign's decree, "this issue did not arise from this Emperor's sole effort."

His eyes drifted—softly—toward Qin Lingxiao.

"My daughter," he noted, "demanded it."

The statement dropped softly, but hit with force surpassing any roar.

"Never before has she sought a favor from this Emperor," he added.

"This marks her initial romance."

The chamber plunged into profound quiet.

Certain faces eased.

A handful sneered silently, though all restrained from speaking.

"In my role as father," the Emperor declared composedly, "how might this Emperor deny her?"

His eyes swung back to Chu Ziyan.

"Regarding the pact linking the Chu Clan and Bai Clan," he affirmed, "endless alternatives exist."

Unions among different kin.

Diplomatic pacts.

Trades of assets.

"Yet my daughter's sentiments cannot be swapped out so readily."

Chu Ziyan's digits quivered faintly under her robes.

Her poise faltered—barely. Evidently, the Emperor yielded no ground without fight.

From outsiders' views, it appeared she resisted yielding amid such lavish terms to dissolve an unwanted betrothal.

Chu Ziyan advanced a pace.

"Your Majesty," she intoned, her tone straining against her bid for steadiness,

"I too—"

Yet prior to completion—

A silhouette stirred.

Bai Zihan advanced.

He drew near Chu Ziyan's position, narrowing the gap until none remained

between them.

His palm rose smoothly to encircle her limb, grasp secure but tender, pulling her nearer.

Chu Ziyan tensed. A light flush colored her face.

Her respiration caught as she shifted half a pace in, her side grazing

his torso.

For observers—

The act screamed closeness without doubt.

Bai Zihan positioned ahead of her a bit, guarding her form while lifting his sight to the seat of power.

At that point, words came from him.

"Your Majesty," Bai Zihan announced distinctly, his tone firm and unwavering, "this junior

cannot accept the imperial decree."

Inner uproar burst in the hall.

"In reality," he continued evenly, "Ziyan and I share true affection."

Chu Ziyan's eyes contracted sharply.

The declaration seemed to jolt the entire assembly.

Even as all assumed the betrothal served only practical ends—as widely recognized—Bai Zihan issued a daring claim.

Chu Ziyan's pulse raced fiercely.

Her cheeks burned—with mortification and astonishment.

She whipped around to face Bai Zihan.

"You—!"

Yet Bai Zihan's hold on her robe firmed a notch.

An unspoken cue.

(Have faith in me!)

His gaze conveyed as much, or so he believed.

In any event, the plan's sole weakness hinged on Chu Ziyan's unwillingness to play along.

Based on her prior demeanor, though, he figured concern proved needless

there.

The Emperor's

countenance at last altered.

Slightly—colored by astonishment.

"Do you truly care for one another?"

The Emperor inquired.

"Yes!"

Bai Zihan answered promptly.

His tone stayed unshaken.

Chu Ziyan flushed anew at Bai Zihan's audacious claim. She knew every bit of his current speech rang false. As though he could flip so swiftly.

She figured Bai Zihan merely sought to dodge the Ninth Princess's betrothal—employing her as barrier, akin to her own past use of the betrothal to repel suitors.

Nevertheless...

The flush persisted.

Bai Zihan's daring avowal of romance—proclaimed amid the crowd, voiced

before the Emperor directly—while clasping her limb so steadfastly in guard... Ultimately, regardless of a woman's outer strength, inwardly they all

cherished such visions.

A noble figure.

An open vow of devotion.

Defying all opposition.

And Bai Zihan embodied it precisely—right before the Emperor.

Thus, this moment embodied the ideal for any maiden.

Shocked intakes echoed in the Grand Ceremonial Hall—

As if myriad souls struck in unison.

Among junior cultivators—women foremost—a clear commotion arose.

Some pressed hands to lips.

Some gaped in awe at the display. Some sensed their pulses thunder.

A daring vow of romance—right before the Emperor.

Were it not for Bai Zihan's shattered cultivation....

It would form an flawless tale.

"A vowed eternal tie..."

"Proclaiming it so boldly..."

"He guarded her too..."

One maiden gripped her garments unwittingly, her gaze aglow.

"If Bai Zihan weren't disabled..."

"It'd make the ultimate match."

Countless harbored that sentiment.

What a shame.

A sorrowful tale of passion. Fierce devotion chained by destiny.

Still—

Not all felt swayed. The seniors.

The plotters.

The Emperor.

They pierced the facade.

The Emperor's stare locked on Bai Zihan—intense, serene, evaluative.

Anger absented his features.

Joy evaded them too.

Merely contemplation.

He discerned plainly Bai Zihan's maneuver.

Evading the imperial union.

Leveraging Chu Ziyan as barrier and mainstay.

And

still—

Chu Ziyan had voiced her piece.

Bai Zihan had voiced his.

Forcing their parting now would appear—

Far

too crude.

Far too overt.

Particularly with the multitude watching. The Emperor grasped this well.