Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 443 Alliance in the Dark

Buried far below stacks of rock and protective formations, a shadowy isolation room remained cut off from the outside.

An assembly had assembled.

Positioned at the front of the rock slab were Li Jianhong and Zhao Wutian, their faces steady, gazes keen and scheming.

The other chairs held various individuals—family patriarchs, sect seniors, and mysterious agents who seldom appeared under the sun.

Suddenly—

Bang!

The rock slab split open.

A fearsome force burst forth as the Shen Clan Leader brought his hand crashing down, his features twisted in fury.

"Failed?!"

He bellowed.

"You're saying the hit on him didn't work?!" A few attendees creased their brows yet stayed quiet.

His stare sliced over the group like a sword.

"I made it clear, Zhao Wutian!" he snarled. "To get me into your group, you had to take out Bai Zihan."

The air grew thick and oppressive.

"Brother Shen," Zhao Wutian replied evenly, lifting a hand just a bit. "No reason to get worked up."

Shen Tianhao's fierce look locked onto him.

"Worked up?" he scoffed. "My son—"

"—will get his payback," Zhao Wutian cut in seamlessly.

His tone wasn't forceful.

Yet it held command.

Aware he'd gone too far, Shen Tianhao compelled himself to settle.

In the end, the man across from him led the Zhao Clan, whose might dwarfed the Shen Clan's by far.

While he wasn't pleading for aid, right now the Zhao Clan required every partner they could muster to strike at the Bai Clan.

"What are you getting at?"

Shen Tianhao inquired, keeping his voice in check.

"We've all verified it," Zhao Wutian went on, his eyes tightening a touch.

"Bai Zihan's meridians are broken. His cultivation—wiped out."

Li Jianhong gave a gradual nod next to him.

"He's ruined," Li Jianhong stated. "That's beyond question now."

Zhao Wutian reclined, his fingers drumming steadily on the rock slab.

"Think about it, Brother Shen," he remarked, a subtle grin appearing, "wouldn't it feel even better if Shen Liang handled him himself?"

Shen Tianhao hesitated.

Zhao Wutian pressed on.

"Not a quick end in shadows," he explained. "But endless despair and shame. The gradual dawn that all he held dear has vanished."

He stopped.

"To torment the prodigy who severed your son's arm," Zhao Wutian murmured gently, "using his very own strength."

Shen Tianhao's breaths grew measured.

The anger in his stare lingered—yet transformed.

He shut his eyes.

One inhale.

Then the next.

"...You're correct," he admitted finally.

His mouth twisted into an icy grin.

"A broken Bai Zihan," he whispered. "What danger does he pose? I'll allow my boy to drag out the shame and agony on that scum!"

Once the Bai Clan crumbled—

Bai Zihan would amount to a powerless ordinary man. Even missing his arm, Shen Liang outmatched Bai Zihan by hundreds, not just thousands of times.

Shen Tianhao sat up straight.

"Agreed," he declared. "I'll hold off!"

However—

His face toughened once more.

"One issue remains," he stated, his eyes cutting like daggers.

"The Bai Clan!"

Li Jianhong and Zhao Wutian both turned to regard him.

He gripped his hand tightly.

"Even with the Li, Zhao—and everyone here united," he uttered deliberately, "I doubt we've got full certainty of smashing them."

Silence enveloped the space.

This rang true. Prior to their latest power surge, the united Li and Zhao

Clans failed to completely dominate the Bai Clan.

Some might claim that with their pact now, they could manage it.

Yet it was vital to note that as their coalition expanded, the Bai Clan

advanced similarly—possibly at a quicker pace.

Zhao Wutian held off on replying right away.

Instead—

He grinned with the assured poise of one who grasped the story's close

in advance.

Li Jianhong likewise let a slight smile touch his mouth.

"No need to fret over that,"

Zhao Wutian announced.

The statement came off as bold—particularly against the Bai Clan

as foe.

Shen Tianhao's brow furrowed.

"What's the deal?"

He pressed.

"Do you mean there's still a method?"

Zhao Wutian stood up gradually from his chair.

"You're spot on, Brother Shen," he responded mildly. "Relying solely on us, the outcome could stay uncertain."

His gaze roamed the room.

A number of attendees nodded solemnly.

Next, Zhao Wutian faced the distant corner of the room—aiming at a stretch

of rock barrier that looked identical to the surroundings.

"Thankfully," he proceeded, tone firm, "our coalition goes beyond just us."

A deep vibration resounded in the area.

Next—

The rock barrier parted.

It parted wide.

A slim corridor appeared, plunging into gloom.

Measured, purposeful steps rang out from the depths.

Step! Step! Step!

As the shape stepped into view, multiple family heads jumped up on reflex.

Their eyes widened in shock.

Their breaths halted.

The individual donned regal black-gold attire, adorned with timeless dragon motifs.

No family badge.

No sect mark.

Just one emblem at his belt—

The Imperial Crest!

His features stayed serene, blank, with eyes profound and inscrutable.

Still, the presence he emitted—

Proved chilling.

Earth Immortal Realm!

Shen Tianhao's pulse pounded fiercely.

"...You—!"

His words stuck in his gullet.

The rest fared no differently.

A few stumbled away.

"Th-The Emperor's... closest aide..."

"Ji Zhenhuang!"

Murmurs of awe and doubt spread through the gathering.

All recognized him—one of the Desolate Heaven Empire's fiercest and most devoted servants, tasked only with safeguarding the Emperor.

No soul had foreseen his arrival absent the Emperor's explicit command.

His attendance signified just one possibility.

The Imperial Family—

Backed their cause.

True, no formal announcement had come.

But this revelation alone tipped the scales of influence.

The figure halted near Zhao Wutian and Li Jianhong.

Owing to his rank, he matched them in stature.

Zhao Wutian folded his hands a fraction, his grin widening.

"Let me present our ultimate support," he uttered steadily.

"The Emperor's own protector—Royal Commander, Ji Zhenhuang!"

A weighty quiet descended.

It weighed on the room more intensely than any force.

Various family heads traded glances, astonishment clear on their visages. The mere mention of Ji Zhenhuang's title quelled all doubts.

At length, one could no longer contain himself.

"Royal Commander Ji..." a senior ventured warily, half-standing from his place. "Why has the Emperor's chief defender come here?"

"Does this signal... the Imperial Family picking sides?"

"Should the Emperor align with us—then the Bai Clan—"

Before the guesses could build—

"Enough!"

Zhao Wutian's command sliced the air sharply.

It hushed the group at once.

He pivoted deliberately, eyes piercing and steady, scanning the assembly.

"This isn't some bazaar," he stated icily. "You'll learn what's necessary—when the moment arrives."

A few attendees tensed, faces clouding, yet no one challenged further. No one—

Save Shen Tianhao.

He pushed to his feet, staring at Zhao Wutian, hands balled.

"Brother Zhao," he said, injecting calm into his words, "don't leave us in suspense."

His look darted momentarily to Ji Zhenhuang, then returned.

"Why has the Royal Commander joined us?"

The query lingered.

Zhao Wutian regarded him briefly.

Then—

He grinned.

"First, let me pose a question, Brother Shen," Zhao Wutian said casually.

"How could a Great Ascension Realm killer—one of the Empire's most notorious—slip into the Imperial Palace?" The chamber stilled.

Shen Tianhao's eyes contracted.

Others drew in abrupt gasps.

Zhao Wutian went on smoothly.

"That feast drew the Emperor's advisors. Supreme elders. Sect leaders. Each attendant, performer, and player underwent rigorous checks."

His digits struck the slab once.

"Still, Abyssal Sparrow entered freely."

The hint hung heavy like choking mist.

Shen Tianhao's mouth parched.

"You're implying..." he started haltingly.

Zhao Wutian inclined his head.

"Exactly!"

Li Jianhong finally interjected, his voice level yet grave.

"The Imperial Family provided the entry."

Stunned waves coursed through the space.

Certain expressions blanched.

Others sparked with muted thrill.

Zhao Wutian drew himself up, his words brimming with unwavering assurance.

"The Emperor has decided already," he affirmed. "He won't proclaim it publicly—not for now."

His glance shifted fleetingly to Ji Zhenhuang, who remained still, face impassive.

"Yet his intent shines through. Had the Imperial Palace genuinely meant to shield Bai

Zihan," Zhao Wutian added, "that killer wouldn't have breached the front entrance."

The area buzzed with subdued, amazed chatter.

Shen Tianhao let out a slow breath.

"So the Emperor..." he rasped, "stands opposed to the Bai Clan."

"Not publicly," Zhao Wutian clarified. "Not yet."

"But come the hour—"

Li Jianhong's gaze sparkled.

"—the Bai Clan faces isolation."

Every stare fixed on Ji Zhenhuang.

Ji Zhenhuang's look passed over the group, icy and detached.

"His Majesty," he declared tonelessly, "holds no issue with the Bai Clan's downfall. They've been deemed a peril to the Desolate Heaven Empire."

That declaration sealed their convictions.

The Emperor favored their faction.

Though all present understood the reality—that the Bai Clan's rising power menaced the Imperial Family's rule—they kept silent.

After all, the Imperial Family always framed every action as benefiting the Empire, masking their self-interest.

Li Jianhong offered a subtle smile.

"Backed by the Imperial Family," he noted, "Brother Shen—do you still question our success?"

Shen Tianhao gulped deeply.

Gradually—

A harsh grin etched over his features.

"No!"