Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 449 Dispute Flaring
Previously on Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan!...
The Desolate Heaven Empire swiftly fractured into two opposing halves.
One faction aligned itself firmly with the Bai Clan, whereas the other threw its weight behind the Li-Zhao Alliance.
Individuals who hadn't officially pledged to any group still harbored intense views on which side deserved to command the Desolate Heaven Empire.
Former allies who now found themselves on rival fronts slowly transformed from companions into bitter foes.
Their past bonds no longer counted-what truly mattered was the path ahead shaped by their chosen allegiance.
In the end, supporters of the Bai Clan branded the Li-Zhao Alliance as thieves without honor, but the alliance rejected every charge.
Certain voices even spread lies, insisting that the alliance's cultivation technique had been pilfered by the Bai Clan and passed off as their invention.
This rumor only stoked the fury within the Bai Clan's coalition against the Li-Zhao Alliance.
As the rift widened further, mere talk failed to suffice.
Clashes started popping up throughout the Desolate Heaven Empire between the rival groups.
Initially, these were minor skirmishes.
Verbal spats. Smashed furniture. Flared tempers.
Soon the tensions boiled over-clans began blocking entry to anyone from the Li-Zhao Alliance in their domains.
Several sects that had pledged loyalty to the Bai Clan's coalition went so far as to banish disciples hailing from Li-Zhao-aligned families.
Conditions deteriorated steadily.
Following the war's conclusion against the Demonic Forces, everyone anticipated tranquility, but civil turmoil engulfed them instead.
Imperial guards mobilized repeatedly, only to discover their resources overwhelmed.
Whenever one brawl got quelled, a pair of new ones ignited in other spots. These altercations were turning into everyday events.
These kinds of episodes kept unfolding.
Across various cities.
Within diverse sects.
Featuring unfamiliar participants.
Brawls grew so commonplace that no one could chalk them up to mere chance anymore.
And amid the escalating strife-
The Imperial Family mostly stayed quiet.
They called for moderation.
Preached unity.
Sent envoys to implore both parties to cool down.
However, they sidestepped the core cause of the split.
They refrained from denouncing either the Li-Zhao Alliance or the Bai Clan.
In this way, they preserved an aura of impartiality-the lone force bridging the divide.
Still, they couldn't fully conceal their leanings.
In cases where boundaries blurred-
Their decisions tilted subtly toward one camp.
Never overt enough for outright blame.
Never clear enough for solid proof.
Yet always predictable.
Whenever disputes pitted Bai Clan backers against Li-Zhao adherents-
The balance shifted.
If only slightly.
Should guards or judges favor Li-Zhao Alliance members, whispers of bias inevitably spread.
That said, instances occurred where they backed the Bai Alliance too, complicating any firm conclusion that the Imperial Family backed the Li-Zhao Alliance.
Regardless, these flare-ups mostly involved lesser clans and obscure players clashing in the open.
The major powers at the summit-the Li, Zhao, and Bai Clans-remained inactive for now.
They avoided displaying outright enmity, an odd stance for rivals locked in decades-long opposition.
But the masses understood-
This peace didn't signal mended ties.
It merely hinted at the brewing tempest.
***
In a lively city close to the capital, a pair of young men confronted one another right in the heart of a thronged avenue.
Each was a cultivator.
Both around their early twenties.
Both radiating the bold cockiness typical of the young.
One sported a robe with a subtle Bai Clan emblem dangling from his belt.
The other flaunted the emblem of a Li-Zhao-linked sect sewn boldly on his sleeve.
Their quarrel kicked off with heated words.
It invariably started that way.
A derisive snort.
A sharp jab.
"A thief who's proud. As expected from someone from the Li-Zhao Alliance!"
The counterpart fired back with icy disdain.
"Hmph! You all have no evidence-only baseless accusations."
Shouts intensified.
Qi churned restlessly.
Bystanders clustered to spectate the drama. Despite witnessing such spectacles repeatedly, boredom never set in.
On the contrary, they were gradually warming to these events, viewing them as prime amusement.
Truth be told, ordinary folk rarely cared to grasp the distinctions between the alliances. To them, both represented mighty powerhouses.
Who ultimately dominated made no difference-their daily existence stayed the same.
All the same, they seized the chance to witness the inevitable showdown.
The youth loyal to the Bai Clan advanced a pace, his gaze alight with scorn.
The Li-Zhao devotee mirrored the move.
"Look! It's Pei Chiyan and Zhuan Kaiyu!"
"Are they going to fight?"
The crowd's thrill held good cause.
These weren't obscure cultivators.
Pei Chiyan, the Bai Clan supporter, enjoyed fame in this locale-a promising talent who had hit Golden Core Realm before age twenty.
His cultivation had skyrocketed time and again since aligning with the Bai Clan's coalition, reportedly hitting new heights.
Rumors swirled that he could crack the Top-20 in the upcoming Dragon and Phoenix Competition.
Zhuan Kaiyu, the Li-Zhao backer, matched him in renown.
A celebrated disciple in his sect, his name echoed from countless triumphs and open challenges.
Upon linking with the Li-Zhao Alliance, his progress had exploded too, fueled by scarce elixirs and the High Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique.
Thus, with these prominent figures trading barbs and on the verge of combat, crowds swelled, mortals included.
"It's them..."
"I heard Pei Chiyan broke through twice in three years."
"They say he was once evenly matched with an inner disciple, despite being an outer one."
"No wonder they're so arrogant."
For the spectators, this transcended a mere roadside tussle.
It was pure theater.
A showdown of prodigies.
Pei Chiyan pressed onward, his spiritual Qi surging forth like a tidal swell.
Zhuan Kaiyu countered swiftly, his own Qi exploding outward, making the space between them quiver.
BOOM!
The opening strike demolished the standoff.
Fists met with a thunderous clash, spiritual Qi bursting wildly.
Pavement splintered underfoot.
Blast waves swept the roadway, shoving frail mortals backward.
"Heh? Is this all you've got?"
Pei Chiyan sneered, yielding just half a step before regaining his footing with ease.
"That was only ten percent of my strength! You're lucky I didn't go all out and kill you in one move!"
Zhuan Kaiyu retorted, his stare fierce with defiance.
They collided once more.
And yet again.
Neither restrained their power in the slightest, each dead set on slaying the foe.
Fissures webbed across the pavement.
Vendors' booths toppled.
Structures buckled. The audience bellowed in delight.
This spectacle drew them in.
Before long, recognizable allies shoved through the thickening throng.
Their sect mates trailed a leading senior brother.
"Stop, Zhuan Kaiyu!"
"What are you doing, Pei Chiyan?"
The senior brothers halted the pair of fiery youths from continuing the brawl.
At the outset, observers assumed they aimed to end the fray.
But as the two murmured secrets to their senior brothers' ears, the interveners scowled and shot glares at the opposition.
"You dare strike our people?!"
"You think we are some losers?! Apologize!"
"You apologize!"
Rage ignited in a flash, with no side willing to yield.
Rather than easing tensions, the arrivals lined up behind their champions, their spiritual Qi layering thickly.
A disciple from the Bai side strode ahead, tone frosty.
"Apologize!"
His stare fixed on the Li-Zhao partisan.
"Apologize for insulting our alliance and injuring our senior brother."
The Li-Zhao group bristled in outrage.
One of them advanced likewise, gaze piercing.
"Apologize?" he mocked. "For defending ourselves? You should be the ones kneeling!"
How could any faction swallow such disgrace?
Particularly under the current strain.
Not with countless witnesses peering on.
Not while bearing their alliance's banner.
The momentary pause crumbled utterly.
A simple contest erupted into mayhem.
Qi arts blazed. Swords gleamed.
Incantations burst overhead.
Yells rang out as the groups charged ahead.
Spectators once keeping a cautious buffer now fled farther as the melee spun wild.
What might have wrapped up with a couple of battered talents morphed into an all-out brawl.
A trivial spat ballooned into a major skirmish, pulling in comrades and even bystanders sworn to one alliance or the other.
"Stop!"
When the imperial guards finally showed, multiple fighters lay wounded.
The guards efficiently pried the fighters apart.
But the aftermath... spoke volumes.
The Bai Clan youths faced scoldings. Cautions. Demands to pay for the wreckage.
The Li-Zhao backers got led away ahead.
Their wounds received care.
Their accounts drew more attentive ears.
No rules got blatantly flouted.
No ruling screamed injustice to spark instant fury.
Still, keen observers spotted the trend. The Imperial Guard once more tilted toward the Li-Zhao Alliance.