I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1624. Sending a coffin as a birthday gift

As the host of the birthday banquet, and the one responsible for it, Chu Gucheng naturally had to go around and offer a toast to each guest. When it came time for him to approach the side of the Yuxian Palace, he couldn’t avoid it. He didn’t want to interact with Gu Changge too much for now, but in this situation, he had no choice but to put on a natural expression and walk over with a smile.

Ling Yuxian, blushing and still glaring at Gu Changge, had no choice but to restrain herself when she saw Chu Gucheng walking towards them, and quickly calmed her expression.

Several elders from Yuxian Palace stood up as well, raising their glasses to offer a toast to Chu Gucheng.

With a smile, Chu Gucheng raised his glass and said, “Distinguished guests from Yuxian Palace, who have come from afar, please forgive me for not hosting you well enough.”

He wasn’t sure what Ling Yuxian’s status was, because she was completely different from the other young disciples and was even seated with the elders.

“Please convey my regards to your father, Brother Qiu Changdao,” he added, smiling and raising his glass toward Ling Yuxian, assuming her to be the daughter of the Yuxian Palace’s master, Ling Qiu Chang.

However, when he said this, the expressions of the elders from Yuxian Palace changed slightly.

Ling Yuxian, on the other hand, remained composed and said, “Thank you for your concern, but Ling Qiu Chang is not my father.”

Chu Gucheng didn’t expect to guess Ling Yuxian’s identity wrong and was directly corrected by her. His smile froze instantly, and a bit of awkwardness appeared on his face.

Chu Gucheng’s companions, such as Chu Xinyue, also looked slightly uncomfortable. After all, Chu Gucheng was the host of the banquet. Even if he had misjudged Ling Yuxian’s identity, she should not have directly pointed it out in front of everyone.

This seemed to be undermining the face of Xianchu Haotu in front of the guests. Other guests looked on with curiosity, interested in the unfolding scene.

“Haha, my apologies, I had a few encounters with Brother Qiu Changdao before and noticed some similarities between your brows and his, so I mistakenly assumed you were his daughter,” Chu Gucheng said with a laugh.

However, Chu Gucheng was no ordinary person and certainly wouldn’t be thrown off by such a small matter. He quickly recovered with a laugh.

Ling Yuxian didn’t mind and lightly nodded before raising her glass and drinking it all in one go. She didn’t have much of a favorable impression of Chu Gucheng at the beginning, nor did she have any strong dislike. She had come to Xianchu Haotu this time on behalf of her sister, Ling Yuling. But due to the recent events involving Gu Changge, she was slightly uncomfortable with him. Her words just now were somewhat deliberate.

“By the way, although this is my first formal meeting with Young Master Gu, I’ve heard of your name many times before,” Chu Gucheng said after toasting the elders of Yuxian Palace, finally turning his gaze to Gu Changge, who was seated next to Ling Yuxian.

He wore a smile as he spoke.

At that moment, all the guests in the hall turned their attention to him. In the void, it seemed as if there were visions of chaos and destruction, as if the universe was collapsing and regenerating.

Not far away, the Holy Maiden of Xiyuan, tall and slender, with eyes like autumn waters and eyebrows like distant mountains, with her veil hiding her face and her skin as smooth as jade, stood observing the scene. Her blue silk lightly fluttered in the air as she also looked over.

“Oh? How coincidental, before today, I’ve also heard of Chu Guo’s name many times,” Gu Changge said, sitting there with a gentle expression.He held the cup in his hand, dressed in white like snow, his hair resembling dark jade, each strand gleaming with a faint glow. He appeared like an immortal stepping out from an ancient painting, walking between mountains and rivers, untouched by the mortal world.

Chu Xinyue stared at him intensely, her hand clenched tightly under her robes, constantly holding back her emotions. The culprit responsible for her brother’s tragic death was right in front of her, and she wished she could step forward and crush him to pieces.

“Haha, compared to Young Master Gu’s fame, what am I?” Chu Gucheng laughed heartily, swinging his sleeves. “In the present Xiyuan civilization, who doesn’t know the name of the Fatiang Alliance? Even in other distant territories, their name is well-known. To dare to take the name of ‘Fatiang’ means that they must have the audacity to bear the consequences of its backlash. Just with that, it’s enough to earn the admiration of countless cultivators like us.”

With a hearty laugh, Chu Gucheng, in front of all the guests, did not hesitate to expose Gu Changge’s identity. He was tall, draped in a dark golden imperial robe, with large sleeves, a body like that of a crane, and an aura of imposing grandeur. There was an air of arrogance and dominance hidden in his brows, as if he looked down upon all beings.

His voice was like the sound of a great bell, carrying immense power. Not only did it echo in the hall, but it also resonated far and wide, causing a great stir.

All the guests, whether inside or outside the hall, were stunned.

“Fatiang Alliance?”

The silent monk from the Buddhist sect of the Like Buddha Kingdom fixed his gaze on Gu Changge, his eyes flickering with Buddha light.

“Could it be the same Fatiang Alliance that was rumored to have connections to the remnants of the Black Calamity, as mentioned not long ago?” An elder from the Daoist sect of the Ling Shen Cavern suddenly stood up, his eyes sharp with a cold gleam.

Elders from other Daoist sects, such as the Ling Shen Cavern and Guangming Temple, were all deeply shaken and looked toward him.

If anyone else had said this, they would have doubted it, but since Chu Gucheng had spoken it now, they knew he must be certain and not speak recklessly.

Guests from other civilizations and realms were equally shocked. Some far-off territories, distant from the Immortal Spirit Civilization, were not aware of what the Fatiang Alliance was or its influence.

But the Xiyuan civilization was different. At that time, Chu Gucheng had specifically issued a warning to the various forces of the Xiyuan civilization, urging them to jointly address the disaster from the Immortal Spirit civilization. However, at that time, the various forces had remained indifferent, choosing instead to watch how things unfolded. Later, Xianchu Haotu decided not to intervene, unwilling to risk it.

Who could have imagined that the mysterious master behind the Fatiang Alliance, which had caused such panic in the Xiyuan civilization, would be none other than Gu Changge, the person standing right in front of them?Everyone was completely stunned, their eyes filled with shock and fear as they looked at Gu Changge.

Even the elders of the Yuxian Palace were extremely shocked.

Ling Yuxian also stared at Gu Changge beside her, somewhat dazed. She hadn’t really learned about the Fatiang Alliance as a force, but she had heard the elders discuss it before, speculating whether this mysterious and suddenly risen force might be connected to the remnants of the Black Calamity.

“Merely a name,” Gu Changge said with a faint smile. “Chu Guo’s praise is somewhat excessive. Instead, I’ve heard that Xianchu Haotu once considered changing its name to ‘Heavenly Court.’ I wonder why this idea was abandoned. Could you tell me, Chu Guo, why you gave up on that idea?”

Gu Changge remained seated calmly as he looked around the hall at the people’s gazes, unfazed. He did not deny it, which, in a way, was an indirect acknowledgment of Chu Gucheng’s earlier statement—that he indeed was the one who had founded the Fatiang Alliance.

The guests, who had previously held some skepticism, were now even more shaken.

Chu Gucheng could tell that Gu Changge’s words carried a hint of mockery, but he merely laughed and said, “I don’t have the boldness or the capability like Young Master Gu. If I dared to take the name ‘Heavenly Court,’ I’d probably have met retribution long before the backlash of such a name even began.”

This matter involved certain taboos across all worlds, so it couldn’t be discussed in detail.

The guests all understood that even attempting to establish a ‘Heavenly Court’ would require bearing tremendous karmic consequences. Let alone building something called the Fatiang Alliance—that was simply inconceivable.

There was a force named Fatiang Sect in the Nine Heavens region, but that was because the Nine Heavens was a unique place known as the ‘Tomb of Heaven.’

“But from what I see, Chu Guo’s courage is not small,” Gu Changge said with a faint smile.

Chu Gucheng waved his hand and laughed, “Before Young Master Gu, what does this count for? If I had your boldness, I’d have long renamed Xianchu Haotu to Chu Heavenly Court.”

Actually, back when the event in the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain happened, Chu Gucheng was still uncertain whether Gu Changge was the mysterious master behind the Fatiang Alliance. At that time, he had sent his subordinates, including the Eight Heads True Gods, to investigate the Immortal Spirit Civilization, but they had found nothing. They only knew that the mysterious man who established the Fatiang Alliance had an unknown origin, and no one knew where he came from. But in a short period, he unified the entire Immortal Spirit Civilization. The ancient and long-standing forces like the Zhuo Clan, Hun Clan, Mist Clan, and Goud Clan all surrendered or were wiped out. The entire Immortal Spirit Civilization became his backyard, and no force dared to resist.

When this happened, Chu Gucheng had left a token with the Mist Clan, and through it, he maintained some contact with them. So, he had them investigate Gu Changge’s identity, to see whether he was still in the Immortal Spirit Civilization. If he wasn’t, Chu Gucheng planned to send the Eight Heads True Gods again.

But unfortunately, Gu Changge saw through his plan.

Gu Changge deliberately created a false impression that he had left the Immortal Spirit Civilization, causing the Mist Clan and other forces to grow restless. Only then did he reveal himself and take decisive action, ruthlessly annihilating all the forces and clans that dared to resist.

It was from that moment that Chu Gucheng began to feel a deep sense of danger and urgency, realizing that he could no longer carelessly investigate the Immortal Spirit Civilization.

At that point, he only knew that the mysterious master behind the Fatiang Alliance was named Gu, but he knew nothing else.

After Chu Xiao’s death, Chu Gucheng sent people to investigate the identity of the mysterious white-robed young man in Zi Gui City of the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain. But once again, they found nothing.

It wasn’t until recently that he learned from the younger generation, including Bodhi Nü, about how they referred to Gu Changge. At that moment, Chu Gucheng had an epiphany, and he almost instantly deduced that the mysterious white-robed young man who had caused Chu Xiao’s death was the same Gu Changge who had founded the Fatiang Alliance in the Immortal Spirit Civilization.

Originally, he had some doubts about whether Chu Xiao’s death was part of a larger conspiracy, but at that moment, Chu Gucheng was almost certain that it was Gu Changge who had struck. Otherwise, the coincidence was simply too much to believe.

Inside the grand hall, all the guests listened to the exchange between Gu Changge and Chu Gucheng, their minds in turmoil. Many of them became secretly alert, fearing that something unexpected might happen.

If it weren’t for the fact that they knew about the longstanding enmity between Chu Gucheng and Gu Changge, many of the guests would have been deceived by this scene, thinking the two were on good terms, engaging in friendly conversation. Before this, they had all assumed that Gu Changge only had a special status within Yuxian Palace.

But who could have guessed that this would lead to the involvement of the strange and mysterious force, the Fatiang Alliance? Could it be that even his status as the senior brother of the Xianyun Dao Hall within Yuxian Palace was questionable?

Several elders of Yuxian Palace couldn’t help but wonder, casting worried glances at Ling Yuxian.

If Gu Changge was indeed the mysterious master behind the Fatiang Alliance, how could he also be the senior brother of the Xianyun Dao Hall? There had to be something wrong here.

Considering how close Ling Yuxian had become to Gu Changge recently, even sitting beside him at the birthday banquet, they couldn’t help but wonder: had she been deceived and used by him?

“Since I came empty-handed, I don’t have any suitable gift as a token of congratulations. I hope Chu Guo won’t mind,” Gu Changge said with a faint smile, as if sensing something.

“Young Master Gu’s presence is more than enough. What need is there for a gift?” Chu Gucheng responded with a hearty laugh, clearly not bothered.

Boom!

Just as Chu Gucheng finished speaking, a terrifying sound suddenly erupted, as if the very heavens had cracked open, creating a massive hole. The entire space seemed to tremble, as though numerous stars in the distant sky were colliding and shattering, causing a cosmic explosion.

“What’s happening?”

Many of the guests in the hall were stunned, feeling a terrifying and overwhelming energy surge from outside the capital of Xianchu Haotu.

Streams of divine light shot out rapidly from the hall, soaring towards the high skies outside.

Chu Gucheng’s expression changed, as he too felt the powerful aura. He had no choice but to step outside the hall. Far in the distance, everyone saw a bloodstained black coffin appearing from the heavens. It was enormous, stretching for tens of thousands of miles—larger than many stars. It tore through space, descending from the terrifying hole, heading toward the imperial palace in the capital of Xianchu Haotu.

“A bloodstained black coffin?”

The guests were all struck dumb with disbelief. On the day of Chu Gucheng’s birthday celebration, a bloodstained black coffin was falling from the sky, headed towards the palace.

“How audacious!”

Many of the generals were enraged, soaring into the air. Their bodies glowed, and their Dao energies surged like a sea, as divine chains of order spiraled around them. They activated their magic weapons to destroy the falling black coffin.

This was an insult to Xianchu Haotu. On the country’s ruler’s birthday, to have a coffin fall from the sky in front of all the guests—what could this possibly mean? What were they trying to convey?This was an absolute affront to Xianchu Haotu.

Chu Gucheng’s face darkened, a surge of anger and murderous intent rising within him. He immediately suspected that this was Gu Changge’s doing. After all, just as he had mentioned that he came without a gift, the next moment, a bloodstained black coffin fell from the heavens.

What did this mean? Was it a deliberate insult?

On his birthday, he had already been holding back, not wanting to stir trouble. Despite having a deep hatred for the enemy who had killed his son, he had remained polite and diplomatic, hiding his animosity and killing intent. But now, Gu Changge humiliated him like this? This was simply too much!

Many of the guests looked at Gu Changge with suspicion, wondering if the sudden appearance of the black coffin had anything to do with him.

However, Gu Changge also appeared genuinely surprised. He stood up and walked outside the hall, looking quite interested as he said, “Who dares to be so audacious, sending a black coffin on the day of Chu Guo’s birthday, in front of all the guests? Isn’t this a deliberate humiliation?”

Chu Gucheng’s children, who were standing by, couldn’t help but glare at him with fury. Chu Xinyue, in particular, had a cold, murderous look in her eyes, wanting to strike out, believing that Gu Changge was trying to divert attention and falsely accuse others.

Many guests also believed that Gu Changge was openly insulting Xianchu Haotu, knowing full well that Chu Gucheng wanted nothing more than to rid himself of him, yet still deliberately making such provocative statements.

“Young Master Gu…” Chu Gucheng, despite his patience, could no longer hold back. His expression grew colder, and he was about to speak when a vast, terrifying aura suddenly emanated from the bloodstained black coffin.

All the generals who had rushed to intercept the coffin immediately coughed up blood and collapsed, exploding mid-air as if crushed by an invisible force.

A blurred figure appeared atop the coffin, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a purple-gold star crown and a robe that seemed to shimmer with the essence of stars. His eyes were deep and his aura was terrifying. His entire being seemed to stretch to the height of the heavens, his sleeves billowing as the rules of the Dao interwove around him. Fragments of time spread beneath his feet, making him seem like a monarch walking through the world.

“Chu Gucheng, I wonder if you like this birthday gift?” He laughed loudly, his tone filled with both pleasure and mockery.

“Is it him?”

“The Lord of Zixiao Mountain, Zi Wanhe?”

As soon as the figure was recognized, many elders from the forces of the Xiyuan civilization gasped in shock and disbelief.

The entire area was in turmoil.

The Lord of Zixiao Mountain had actually appeared at Chu Gucheng’s birthday celebration and had personally sent a black coffin?

What could this mean?

However, some astute individuals noticed that this was not the true body of Zi Wanhe, but rather his Dao-body, a projection of his Dao power. His true body was almost certainly still residing in Zixiao Mountain, unwilling to take such a risk.

But despite that, as one of the most powerful beings in Xiyuan civilization, the very Lord of Zixiao Mountain had chosen to do something like this at Chu Gucheng’s birthday? What kind of hatred could be behind this?

“Zi Wanhe? You’ve gone too far!”

Chu Gucheng was absolutely enraged, his face turning as cold as ice, his voice filled with murderous intent. He never imagined that this black coffin would be personally delivered by Zi Wanhe.

The two of them had a deep enmity. Back when Chu Gucheng had not yet broken through to the Ancestor Dao realm, Zi Wanhe had already schemed against him, attempting to seize his Dao fruit. If it hadn’t been for Elder Jin’s intervention, leveraging his past connections with the Saint of Laws, Chu Gucheng would have been severely injured by Zi Wanhe.

Now, as the ruler of Xianchu Haotu, Chu Gucheng had never forgotten that hatred. He had always been waiting for the right moment to take revenge on Zixiao Mountain.

Many forces in the Xiyuan civilization knew about the animosity between Xianchu Haotu and Zixiao Mountain, but the situation had escalated to a level that no one had anticipated.

Who could have guessed that the Lord of Zixiao Mountain, one of the most powerful figures in Xiyuan civilization, would show up at Chu Gucheng’s banquet and personally deliver a coffin? Was this not a declaration that the two forces were now on a path of endless hostility, with no turning back?