I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 282: If We’re Going to Act, We Naturally Have to Do the Whole Routine; Jiang Chuchu, Could it Be That You’re in Love?

Atop the rugged mountain peak, with strange rocks and lush ancient trees, the moonlight was desolately cold. The mountain wind blew, accentuating the serene atmosphere.

Su Qingge stared blankly as Gu Changge arrived, moreso upon hearing his words. Her mind went blank, unsure of what to say.

She was ready to confess the moment he’d arrived.

She was the true Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts, destined to bring chaos to the world. And Gu Changge, as the most brilliant young prodigy, stood on the opposing side, destined to strike her down.

Thus, she never once thought that he would be the one to reassure her. In that moment, even the other soul in her sea of consciousness, who had always believed Gu Changge to be cold and indifferent – to be an unsuitable partner – couldn’t help but hold her silence.

As Gu Changge spoke, he took a step forward, subtly positioning himself in front of Su Qingge.

“Is there some misunderstanding… Elder Mo, have you captured the wrong person?”

He looked at Elder Mo, who appeared somewhat stunned and puzzled, his voice calm.

He seemed to be protecting Su Qingge.

“Young Master…”

Witnessing Gu Changge’s actions, Su Qingge became even more stunned. Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Gu Changge instinctively shielded her behind him, protecting her rather than questioning.

The fact that Gu Changge trusted and cared for her to such an extent, to the point where he would even stand against an Elder from the True Immortal Academy, had deeply moved her. She was flustered, unable to calm herself.

Logically speaking, with Gu Changge’s arrival and the situation of the Young Genius, he had plenty of reasons to doubt her.

After all, what could she possibly be doing wandering around the academy this late?

And with Gu Changge’s renowned intelligence, could he have really missed such an obvious conclusion?

Su Qingge had even anticipated Gu Changge’s tone and expression afterwards, but his trust in her had completely exceeded her expectations.

Perhaps in his eyes, she was just a harmless little maid he brought from the Lower Realm.

“Young Master Changge, what does this mean?”

At this moment, Elder Mo, who was slightly taken aback, quickly understood Gu Changge’s intention and asked in a slightly grave voice.

Being a shrewd old man himself, he quickly grasped why Gu Changge reacted this way.

‘This woman turned out to be related to Gu Changge. The Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts he was desperately searching for was right by his side.’

‘And Gu Changge was completely unaware of it, even actively defending this woman.’

Elder Mo couldn’t help but marvel at how wonderful this turn of events was. No, it was beyond words to describe how astonishing it was.

Just a moment ago, he was fraught with worry, but now the situation had taken such a sudden and dramatic turn.

Even someone like Gu Changge was kept in the dark like this.

It seemed that the old saying was right: Heroes are often helpless against the charms of beauty.

Currently, Elder Mo was considering how to pass off this incident.

After all, Gu Changge hadn’t even suspected anything in that direction.

With a calm expression, Gu Changge responded, his words carrying a hint of dominance.

“Elder Mo, that would be my question. Do you really think Qingge is the Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts? Is that why you brought her here?”

He stared at Elder Mo, runes flickering in his eyes, radiating a powerful aura. He didn’t care about the Elder’s status, his attitude was unwavering and unquestionable.

Upon hearing this, Elder Mo seemed slightly taken aback, as if he didn’t expect Gu Changge to say that.

Then, he shook his head, sighed, and forced a bitter smile. “Young Master Changge, you have misunderstood. Even a fool would be aware that there is only one Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts. That man is no other than Prince Ying Shuang. How could I capture someone at random?”

“I was merely concerned after seeing this young lady wandering outside late at night, so I came to admonish her and ask her to quickly return to her abode.”

“Now that this young lady is related to Young Master Changge, it couldn’t be better. Maybe she came out to look for you since you were missing in the evening.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but laugh, his expression appearing somewhat ambiguous.

Upon hearing this, Gu Changge’s expression eased slightly, and he nodded. “It seems I misunderstood Elder Mo’s good intentions.”

“It’s fine. Since this young lady is related to Young Master Changge, she naturally has no connection to the Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts.”

“On this point, I have great faith,” Elder Mo quickly waved his hand and smiled.

Then, he glanced at Su Qingge and smiled, “Young lady, you should be more careful in the future. Wandering around at night can easily lead to an encounter with the Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts. Alas, tonight, another disciple fell victim to a sinister attack…”

Su Qingge had calmed herself by now.

She nodded, “I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Elder.”

She didn’t know why Elder Mo was actively helping her, but now he was aware of her identity as the Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts. She felt that he had the upper hand for now.

And so, she would go along with his ploy and see what he was up to.

“In that case, I’ll take my leave now and see if that disciple who suffered the attack left any clues or traces…” Elder Mo said.

He then morphed into a divine rainbow and disappeared from the mountaintop, leaving the area, and heading towards the cave of the disciple that Su Qingge had targeted earlier.

It seemed like he was going to investigate.

However, on the off-chance that Su Qingge had left behind evidence by accident, he was going to solve it for her.

After witnessing Su Qingge’s abilities tonight, Elder Mo confirmed her identity.

Even someone like Gu Changge couldn’t fathom the depths of Su Qingge’s schemes and cunning. It was truly chilling.

However, this aligned with his understanding of the Inheritor of Demonic Arts.

On the other hand, Prince Ying Shuang, regardless of his personality or methods, was far from this profile. It would appear that he is nothing more than an unfortunate scapegoat.

“Tonight’s events were truly unexpected…” Elder Mo sighed slightly.

On the mountaintop, the moonlight still shone, but colourful hues flowed, and white mist filled the air, adding to the serene atmosphere.

After Elder Mo’s figure disappeared, Gu Changge’s expression calmed down, and he remained silent.

Unexplainably, Su Qingge felt Gu Changge’s gaze on her, filled with scrutiny and contemplation, but more than anything, it carried a chilling indifference that made her feel afraid.

“Young master…” Su Qingge softly called out, wanting to reach for Gu Changge’s sleeve, but he subtly evaded her.

Gu Changge stared at her, still not saying a word, but Su Qingge understood his meaning.

If she didn’t provide a reasonable and satisfactory explanation, today’s events would likely be hard to gloss over.

Su Qingge lamented this turn of events. If she made even the slightest error, it was likely that Gu Changge’s trust in her would be permanently shaken.

She felt anxious, unsettled even. If from now on, Gu Changge treated her with this kind of attitude… she would rather expose her identity as the Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts than let things turn out like this.

Gu Changge spoke in her defence, but with Elder Mo gone, he no longer needed to treat her that way.

In Su Qingge’s eyes, Gu Changge’s opinion of her was actually more important than whether her identity was exposed or not.

“I’m sorry, Young Master. I shouldn’t have kept things from you…” She deliberated over her words, feeling uneasy as she spoke.

“Oh, now you understand the need for an explanation. If I hadn’t come here earlier, do you think Elder Mo would have let you off so easily?” Gu Changge’s voice remained calm, without much fluctuation.

Su Qingge dared not look into his eyes. On her fair and delicate face, resembling white jade, there was an overwhelming sense of guilt.

“I know I was wrong, young master. Actually, when I left the cave in the middle of the night and came here, I was looking for something.”

“I previously auctioned a mysterious vase. That jar is related to the Seven Heavenly Treasures of the Upper Realm, but I didn’t tell you about it, young master…”

“The vase in itself is one of these Artifacts. As long as you’re within a specific distance, you can sense the whereabouts and existence of the other Heavenly Treasures.”

“So, when I came here tonight, it was actually to investigate the whereabouts of the Heavenly Treasures. But I accidentally got caught by Elder Mo.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, this was in fact her other purpose for tonight.

She merely omitted the part where she was the Demonic Arts’ Inheritor.

As she spoke, a radiant glow flashed in her palm, and a plain vase of jade appeared. The patterns on it were ancient, as if they could be erased at any moment.

“The Seven Heavenly Treasures?” Gu Changge asked in response, unable to help but laugh. However, in Su Qingge’s eyes, this laughter seemed tinged with mockery.

“You’ve never mentioned it to me before.”

Gu Changge naturally knew the rumours about the Seven Heavenly Treasures, but he hadn’t actively pursued collecting them.

Because he knew that as long as there were any signs, they would ultimately fall into the hands of those with great fortunes.

He just had to wait for the final harvest.

The fact that Su Qingge had the Celestial Jar in her hand was quite surprising to him.

“I’m sorry, young master. Qingge shouldn’t have hidden these things from you…” Su Qingge expressed her guilt.

But Gu Changge waved it off, his expression indifferent. “Forget it, I won’t ask you further. After all, it’s your private matter.”

“However, there are limits to a person’s patience, and I don’t know how many more times there will be. I don’t know what else you’re hiding from me, but I don’t want to inquire anymore.”

“Su Qingge, take care of yourself.”

With that, Gu Changge’s figure moved, ready to turn and leave.

However, in the instant he turned around, Su Qingge lunged at his chest, tears shimmering in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, young master. Qingge won’t hide anything from you anymore.”

She held onto Gu Changge tightly, her voice trembling, afraid that he would turn away and never care about her again.

She was truly afraid, but as the Inheritor of the Forbidden Demonic Arts, she couldn’t reveal her true feelings to Gu Changge.

When the truth comes out, they would inevitably become enemies.

So, all she could do was hope that she could hide this truth from Gu Changge for the rest of their lives.

Upon hearing her words, Gu Changge fell silent. Finally, he sighed and wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. “I hope so,” he said.

His tone felt complicated.

At this moment, Su Qingge couldn’t guess what Gu Changge was thinking, and she felt uneasy.

Soon after, the two figures departed from the mountaintop.

Along the way, Gu Changge didn’t say anything else. Everything that happened tonight was within his expectations; he had played his role perfectly, so he wasn’t surprised.

Neither Su Qingge nor Elder Mo knew Gu Changge’s true intentions; they were nothing more than pawns to him.

Just as Su Qingge had thought not long ago, in Gu Changge’s eyes, her status was at most that of a little maid by his side.

He would flirt and tease her when he was in a good mood, but otherwise, she would be left aside.

Her identity as the Inheritor of Forbidden Demonic Arts was of no significance to Gu Changge.

Of course, her beauty and intelligence were her greatest advantages; even if nothing else, she was pleasing to the eye.

Just then, various thoughts flashed through Gu Changge’s mind, and he contemplated whether or not to deal with Ying Shuang as well.

For now, Su Qingge had come into contact with the organisation of Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor, and Elder Mo would inevitably contact her in secret.

As long as Gu Changge kept an eye on Su Qingge’s whereabouts and actions, he would be able to understand and grasp the various situations regarding this organisation.

Apart from Elder Mo, there was no one who knew of Ying Shuang’s identity as a scapegoat, and he would most likely assume that this was an arrangement made by Su Qingge.

Su Qingge herself had no idea where Ying Shuang was located. In this way, even if Ying Shuang disappeared mysteriously, it wouldn’t cause much of a disturbance.

Elder Mo would probably think it was Su Qingge’s doing.

And soon, Gu Changge had a detailed plan in mind.

‘Before I proceed with my plans, I’ll have to make use of Ying Shuang.’

‘I could also arrange something for Ziiyang Tianjun while I’m at it. Lately, he has been bothering that lass, Xian’er. It’s time to teach him a lesson.’

— — —

News of another Young Genius falling victim quickly spread, causing even greater panic and unease.

No one expected that just a few days after the previous incident, another disciple would be attacked by the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritors.

Especially since it happened right under the noses of Gu Changge and Elder Mo during their investigation, spreading fear and paranoia among the disciples.

Even the Ranked disciples were on edge.

From this incident, one could see the audacity and arrogance of the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor. They didn’t care that this was the territory of the True Immortal Academy.

Even the elders were helpless against them. What could ordinary Young Geniuses do?

For a while, the True Immortal Academy was shrouded in a heavy and uneasy atmosphere.

— — —

“This Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor is truly arrogant. He has successively killed two outstanding geniuses…”

“Chuchu, this is your best chance to expose them. I remember your talent can trace his tracks, right? If you can find any clues, maybe we can uncover the hidden identity of the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor.”

Within a secluded cave nestled in the forest, smoke and mist filled the air, creating a dazzling scene.

Wang Zijin rested her chin on her hand as she stared at Jiang Chuchu. The latter meditated in front of her, looking somewhat sullen, as if she found this task uninteresting.

“Suddenly interested in the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritor? Seems like you have too much free time” Jiang Chuchu opened her eyes and calmly replied.

Normally, even though she was a descendant of the Human Ancestral Hall, Wang Zijin wouldn’t care about the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritors.

The last time she intervened was when she was targeted by an assassin on the All-Devouring Sky. It was during the time when she was with the Gu Family, leaving her with a bit of a grudge against them.

She was probably just doing this because she was bored.

“What do you mean I have too much free time? The Demonic Arts’ Inheritor is running rampant. As a descendant of the Human Ancestral Hall, is it wrong for me to find them, uphold justice, and bring peace to the world?” Wang Zijin retorted.

“Jiang Chuchu, since when did you start being so sarcastic?”

“You’ll have to go on your own; I can’t find them,” Jiang Chuchu shook her head, her expression still calm and unruffled. “Even the esteemed Elders are helpless, so what could I possibly do?”

Moreover, even if she discovered any clues, what difference would it make?

Would she expose Gu Changge?

Jiang Chuchu sighed inwardly, her thoughts in disarray. During her time in the True Immortal Academy, she had secretly kept an eye on Gu Changge.

She didn’t know if Gu Changge noticed or perhaps he simply didn’t care and ignored her existence.

The events that occurred in the depths of the All-Devouring Sky’s Battlefield frequently resurfaced in her mind, refusing to fade away.

Jiang Chuchu couldn’t calm her emotions.

If Gu Changge had no regard for her, why did he appear to save her then? Why did he go on to eliminate the disaster within the core of the All-Devouring Sky?

But then Gu Changge ignored her again, treating her like a stranger, which made her feel uneasy.

“It’s not like you.”

“Before, you were full of righteous indignation. When you heard about the Forbidden Demonic Arts’ Inheritors, your eyebrows would furrow, and you would draw your sword to kill. Why are you so calm now?” Wang Zijin asked.

Upon hearing his words, Wang Zijin looked sceptical as she approached Jiang Chuchu.

Her eyes were clear and seemed as if they could speak, staring intently at him.

Jiang Chuchu remained calm and said, “If it’s something I can’t accomplish, why should I waste my thoughts on it?”

“Then you’ve really changed. You’re no longer the Jiang Chuchu I knew… You no longer seek the reincarnation of the Human Ancestor, nor do you care about the calamity brought by the All-Devouring Sky’s descent. You also adopt an indifferent attitude toward the ForbiddenDemonic Arts’ Inheritors,” Wang Zijin remarked.

“All you do is cultivate day in and day out, and other times you just daydream.”

Wang Zijin’s voice was filled with deep suspicion. “Jiang Chuchu, could it be that you’re in love?”

Jiang Chuchu’s expression slightly stiffened, showing a hint of fluster, but quickly recovered.

She asked calmly, “What nonsense are you talking about? With our current strength, what would happen if we encountered the Demonic Arts’ Inheritors in the future without proper cultivation?”

“Now you’re just dodging the question. Something definitely happened between you and Gu Changge. If you don’t want to say anything, then that’s fine. But now that you’re trying to change the subject…”

“Let me tell you, that Gu Changge is a sly man. Don’t be fooled by his appearance; he’s a wicked man. He’ll devour you and leave nothing behind. Don’t regret it later,” Wang Zijin advised, wearing a look that spoke as if she’d seen through all of her tricks.

“You…” Jiang Chuchu’s face finally showed a trace of annoyance upon hearing his words. It was the face of someone whose thoughts had been exposed.

Buzz!!

In the next moment, radiance filled her palm, runes intertwined, and a terrifying aura began materialising into a divine sword.

She was about to teach Wang Zijin a lesson when suddenly, from outside the cave, a man’s gentle voice, as smooth as jade, resounded.

“I wonder if Lady Zijin is here?”

This familiar voice caused both Jiang Chuchu and Wang Zijin to freeze in astonishment.