Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 442 An Assassin Beneath the Dragon Throne

Bai Tianheng was already advancing.

He marched toward the killer lodged in the ruined stone column, his face grim and foreboding.

Several elders from the Bai Clan trailed right behind, locking down the area to block any sudden escapes.

The assassin slumped against the fractured rock, a pool of blood spreading under her body.

Her chest heaved, but only just.

Bai Tianheng extended his hand, his fingers pressing to seal her meridians.

His face shifted abruptly.

Too late!

The assassin's lips quivered slightly.

A weak, taunting grin formed at the edge of her mouth.

Then-

Crack!

A quiet noise, as if something broke inside her teeth.

Her eyes went blank in an instant.

Her breath ceased almost right away.

Dead!

Bai Tianheng's features turned utterly stormy.

"Damn it!"

The expletive boomed across the chamber.

True to form for an expert.

Poison hidden in her teeth—she had no plans to flee this place alive.

A handful of elders balled their hands in anger.

Yet Bai Tianheng pressed on regardless.

Even in death, they could probe the killer's background, potentially uncovering the mastermind of the attack.

Moreover, judging by the cultivation level she displayed, it was clear she wasn't as youthful as her looks suggested.

Though cultivators aged at a snail's pace, someone at her stage ought to appear

in her thirties or forties—

Not like a woman just entering her twenties.

Bai Tianheng lifted his hand and ripped off the assassin's face covering, just as anticipated.

Shocked inhales filled the hall.

Then-

"It's her..."

"That face—!"

"Abyssal Sparrow."

Murmurs burst forth.

One elder drew in a deep gasp.

"She's among the top fugitives in the Desolate Heaven Empire. She took down the Fan Clan leader a decade back."

"And slipped away from an Immortal Realm hunter."

That feat alone highlighted her prowess.

She wasn't an obscure figure but a notorious outlaw across the Empire.

Active for over three decades, her record boasted kills like the Fan Clan head, a Great Ascension Realm powerhouse slain in his fortress.

For a legend like her to target Bai Zihan on a one-way trip meant her employer wielded immense power.

After all, she had arrived fully prepared to perish here.

The one who hired her was no common foe.

Bai Tianheng's eyes tightened.

Only a select few powers could dispatch such a killer on a fatal errand—the Imperial Family, the Heaven Sword Sect—

But his prime doubts centered on the Li and Zhao Clans.

Of all those gathered, they held the clearest grudge.

Li Jianhong and Zhao Wutian kept their faces mostly neutral.

They acted oblivious to the sender of the killer. Yet they made no show of concern for Bai Zihan either.

Bai Tianheng burned to interrogate them above all regarding this plot.

Of course, lacking evidence, his hands were tied.

He rose straight, his stare roaming the hall with intense weight.

In the distance, Bai Zihan observed in silence.

From the instant the killer's face was unveiled—

He had already pieced it together.

The Imperial Family!

Or at minimum—

They were in on it.

It made sense to eye the Li or Zhao Clans.

And that might well hold true.

Still, the site of the strike demanded thought.

This was the Imperial Palace.

A gathering under the Emperor's watch.

Every servant.

Every dancer.

Every musician—

Had undergone rigorous checks at multiple levels.

For a Great Ascension Realm killer—one of the Empire's most dreaded outlaws

—to sneak in so far?

Unthinkable!

Unless the highest echelons had cracked open the gates.

Indeed, if breaching the Imperial Palace were so simple, such breaches would have piled up endlessly.

But up to this point—

No killer had ever breached the Imperial Palace successfully.

So why this time?

Plainly, because they permitted it.

Bai Zihan's eyes shifted to the vacant dragon throne.

His face stayed serene.

But his gaze turned icy.

(So that's the scheme...)

This revelation alone revealed the Imperial Family's scheme.

On the opposite side, court officials paled, vocally pledging allegiance and denouncing the outrage, vowing thorough probes.

Bai Zihan heard them out.

And trusted not a word.

They were probably the Emperor's partners in crime—though maybe not every one.

In any case, they'd sooner bury traces leading to them than hunt the true culprit.

The hall's mood hadn't eased when rapid steps resounded from a side door.

A youth in royal attire stepped in briskly, his demeanor grave.

The First Prince, Yu Zidi.

He halted paces from Bai Zihan and cupped his hands low, bowing with true solemnity.

"Young Master Bai," he stated, tone firm yet burdened, "this incident unfolded in the Imperial Palace. No matter the reason, the Imperial Family must answer for it. I extend my deepest regrets for my father and the court."

His stance showed deference.

His speech was impeccable.

But Bai Zihan sensed no sincerity.

It was mere theater—a bid to claim command in his own right.

A signal that with the Emperor away, the First Prince spoke for him.

He aimed to appear dutiful amid these mighty figures too.

Bai Zihan regarded him steadily.

"I understand," Bai Zihan replied.

The First Prince eased visibly—until Bai Zihan added, "Kindly pass word to His Majesty." The prince stood a bit taller, ears perked.

"This choice is yours. Thanks for the present!"

Before, Bai Zihan had sensed the Emperor deliberating an alliance with the Bai Clan—

Or siding with foes to curb the Bai Clan.

Evidently, the second path won out.

The First Prince's eyes contracted faintly.

Before the First Prince could collect his reply or say more, Bai

Zihan had pivoted away.

The issue was done—in his view, anyway.

Xi Yu lingered nearby, poised and unruffled in the ongoing turmoil, palms clasped lightly in front.

Unlike the others in the chamber, she betrayed no stress—no worry, no rush to defend her position.

Bai Zihan eyed her briefly.

Then he addressed her.

"You wished to speak with me, right?"

His tone was even, nearly offhand—but the assurance rang clear. Though she hadn't sought his death, a powerhouse like her approaching him surely had purpose.

Xi Yu held his look.

She inclined her head once.

"Yes!"

Bai Zihan offered a slight, perceptive grin.

"Then follow me. We'll discuss at the Bai Clan Estate!"

He angled his body, motioning forward.

He scanned the hall—over officials, elders, sect envoys, and the myriad uneasy stares.

"I savored the feast," Bai Zihan noted flatly. "But now it's over."

He gave a subtle smile.

"Farewell."

Silence gripped the room.

No challenges rose.

Who dared?

A murder bid had struck mid-Imperial feast.

A Great Ascension Realm killer had come perilously close.

Should Bai Zihan linger—

That would spell folly.

Especially since Imperial safeguards had proven unreliable.

With those words spoken, Bai Zihan departed without delay, under all their watchful eyes.

Ere exiting, he cast a look at the Li and Zhao Clans, who appeared detached from the uproar.

They showed little regard for the attack, or at least feigned indifference.

(Soon, I'll uncover the truth!)

The Bai Clan elders and grand elders trailed after, their presences curbed yet keen, weaving a quiet shield around Bai Zihan.

Chu Ziyan clung near him, gaze alert as she surveyed the area.

In the Bai Clan's wake, the banquet chamber sank into tense quiet.

For an instant, all held still.

Then-

"Ahem! Ah... on second thought, my sect faces a pressing crisis needing my swift return. I must depart now."

"True enough! My pupil is attempting a breakthrough. Any mishap would spell catastrophe. I need to go at once."

Excuses poured out one by one.

The space, once alive with courteous chuckles and subtle barbs, now rang with hasty goodbyes and false courtesies.

Not one was naive.

A strike within the Imperial Palace—win or lose—signaled turmoil:

The Desolate Heaven Empire's currents raged fiercely.

Plus, who could say if more killers lurked, aiming at them next.

No need to stake their necks.

And sans the Bai Clan, few had cause to remain. Most clans sought ties to the Bai Clan.

With the Bai Clan's supporters exiting alongside them, none wanted to appear aligned with the opposition.

After all, post-Bai departure, just the Li-Zhao duo, the Imperial Family, and their backers lingered.