I Am the Fated Villain

Chapter 1762. Where is Daochang now, I wonder what he intends to fish for

The Eternal Primordial God showed not the slightest bit of sympathy towards the fate of the clan behind Luo Xiangjun.

After listening to Luo Xiangjun’s account, he instead fell into deep thought.

Even the Luo Lord had once followed the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf?

What exactly was the origin of this Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf? What was his identity? Was he, like them, a being from the Primordial Era?

Yet whether it was him or the other primordial beings, none of them had ever heard of such a figure.

And yet, in the later ages born from the vast expanse, he was even able to initiate the Dark Calamity Era and establish the organization Acting on Heaven, which came to dominate the boundless expanse.

The emergence of the Dark Calamity Era, in a certain sense, even altered the trajectory of the entire spacetime of the vast expanse, making the future unpredictable and impossible to discern.

“His true identity has always been a mystery? Could it be that he is truly an anomaly born outside the Heavenly Dao?” The Eternal Primordial God fell silent.

Even primordial beings like them possessed methods to evade the gaze of the True Realm, to avoid great enemies, to feign death and escape.

For an existence like the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf, would he really be sealed so easily?

He had heard that during the period when the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf ruled the vast expanse, even the cycles of calamity had come to a halt.

What all beings witnessed of the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf was actually only a very small surface aspect of him—what he displayed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

His true body had never appeared, and it was very likely that in some unknown dimensional spacetime, he was entangled in battle with unknown existences.

“The Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf is indeed the undisputed strongest since the birth of the vast expanse—no one can compare to him.”

“It is very likely that even in the Primordial Era, no opponent could be found to rival him.”

“Could such a figure truly be sealed by the power within the vast expanse?”

The Eternal Primordial God shook his head. For someone like him, who had lived for countless ages, even his eyelashes seemed empty—his mind was extremely meticulous.

Even what he personally witnessed, he would not necessarily believe.

Let alone these unverified rumors.

Once one becomes powerful to a certain extent, one can easily alter the cognition and memories of all beings, rewrite entire ancient histories and spacetime, twist reality and illusion, and extinguish the future.

With such power, how could the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf not know that in a future timeline he would be sealed?

He absolutely had the ability to erase that timeline and strangle all unknown and uncontrollable factors in the cradle.

So why was he still sealed?

Was it due to the intervention of the power of the True Realm? Or was there some other reason?

As far as he knew, before the Dark Calamity Era, there had once been another period called the Dream-Ember Era.

The Dream-Ember Era had also left a significant mark in the history of the vast expanse.

A being known as the Dream Lord, who cultivated the Dao through dreams and possessed heaven-defying methods, had once invaded the Heavenly Dao and even occupied it for a period of time. His true identity was likewise a mystery.

During the Dream-Ember Era, the Dream Lord created the Dream Domain, attempting to replace the vast expanse itself. Taking Dream Marsh as the domain, he divided it into the Upper Cloud Dream Marsh and the Lower White Dream Marsh, corresponding respectively to the True Realm and the vast expanse.

All beings lived between reality and dreams—the entire world and spacetime were but a dreamlike illusion.

Relatives, family members, and even enemies could very well be illusions; everything one experienced—from birth to death, from cradle to grave—might merely be a void dream of one’s own.

Although the Dream-Ember Era had long ended and, like annihilation, had been completely erased and buried within the vast expanse, unknown to all worlds, the Eternal Primordial God could not help but suspect whether there existed some immensely powerful and bizarre force, so subtle that all worlds failed to detect it—even his own cognition might have been altered.

Perhaps the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf had never been sealed? Perhaps he had merely changed the cognition of all beings and that segment of spacetime?

However, if that segment of spacetime truly existed, then it was very likely that the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf had already foreseen the future, understood what would happen, and thus chose the timeline in which he would be sealed.

“Another point is—what exactly is the relationship between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and Acting on Heaven? And what connection exists between the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf and the leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance?”

Suddenly, the Eternal Primordial God seemed to realize something. His whole body trembled, and cold sweat covered his back.

The reappearance of the dark beings in the world was so rapid, so coordinated, and so overt—how could they possibly lack support?

And the timing of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance’s birth was indeed far too coincidental with the reemergence of the dark beings.

“Regardless of the reason, I need you to take me to the Luo clan’s ancestral land.” The Eternal Primordial God’s expression grew grave and solemn as he looked at Luo Xiangjun and spoke in a deep voice.

Ever since Luo Xiangjun learned that her distant ancestor might still be alive, her whole demeanor had become somewhat gloomy, her mood very low.

She had exhausted everything she had just to successfully escape from that place.

In this lifetime, she never wanted to set foot there again. But faced with the Eternal Primordial God’s current request, she had no confidence to refuse.

“Mandated by Heaven, may my Dao flourish forever?”

“Is that what it means?”

“Then where is Daochang? Why is the Dream Ghost Clan suddenly searching for a place called Daochang?”

Deep within Purple Firmament Mountain, violet clouds surged, and rosy mists drifted.

Golden radiance flowed within, like blazing suns rising, and under that shining brilliance, the pavilions and palaces appeared even more majestic and sacred.

Zi Wanhe sat upright within the great hall, brows furrowed in thought, his expression as still as water.

He had not personally participated in the great battle between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Zhengyi Alliance.

However, he had still followed the decree, ordering many elders of Purple Firmament Mountain to lead numerous experts to the frontlines.

Although this great battle was raging fiercely and had drawn the attention of the entire vast expanse, he currently had no mind to pay attention to it at all.

Ever since the Dream Ghost Clan had appeared last time and asked him to investigate where “Daochang” was located, the mark they left on him had grown increasingly clear—like a soul-hooking chain demanding his life, constantly reminding him to quickly fulfill and complete this transaction.

Zi Wanhe understood very well what would happen if he violated his deal with the Dream Ghost Clan, so he did not dare show the slightest negligence.

For this reason, he had even secretly ordered his confidants to search everywhere for any information related to “Daochang”—even the slightest clue would suffice.

But it was clear that Zi Wanhe had underestimated the difficulty of this matter.

At the beginning, he had assumed that places or forces named “Daochang” should be plentiful in this world. After all, the vast expanse was boundless, and spacetime immeasurable.

Even places sharing the same name should exist in great numbers. However, reality was completely the opposite—throughout all worlds, it seemed the term “Daochang” had never existed, as if it had never appeared from ancient times until now.

Zi Wanhe had also instructed a descendant he once greatly valued, Zi Susu, to secretly consult various ancient texts, and even visit other clans and factions to search their records.

But the answers he received were the same—those texts contained no records whatsoever related to “Daochang.”

Zi Wanhe speculated that the two characters “Daochang” might carry corresponding karmic consequences, because in a certain sense, they were already connected to “Heaven.”

Many Dao lineages and factions, when naming themselves, did not dare adopt anything related to it, fearing they could not bear the consequences.

But even so, it still should not be the case that no trace or record of “Daochang” could be found in all worlds.

No wonder even the supposedly omnipotent Dream Ghost Clan had eventually come to him.

Of course, Zi Wanhe suspected another possibility—that “Daochang” had actually existed in history.

But for some reason, it had been completely erased from all worlds, wiped out entirely, such that all records, texts, and even karmic memories related to it had been destroyed.

This terrifying possibility made his heart tremble with fear—he did not know what kind of forces were involved behind it.

“If time grows urgent, in the end I can only seek help from the Alliance Leader. The Alliance Leader is unfathomable and possesses heaven-defying methods—he should know something.” Zi Wanhe’s expression was extremely grave.

At that moment, on his forehead near the cheekbone, a deep purple mark resembling a flowing drop of liquid emitted a faint glow.

If one looked closely, one would notice that this drop-like mark spread as if ink were diffusing across paper.

At its base, threads of black lines extended downward like the roots of an ancient tree, burrowing toward the depths of his consciousness.

This was the time limit given to him by the Dream Ghost Clan.

When that deep purple mark completely infiltrated his sea of consciousness, Zi Wanhe did not know what would happen to him—but it would certainly be nothing good.

The Dream Ghost Clan had reappeared in the world and was suddenly searching for “Daochang.”

Was it because “Daochang” contained something the Dream Ghost Clan was seeking?

Where exactly was “Daochang”?

…

“When will this war ever end? Is it really worth it?”

“Even though the dark beings haven’t intervened yet, there’s no guarantee they won’t take advantage when both we and the Zhengyi Alliance are severely weakened. If this battle ends in mutual destruction, it will only let the dark beings reap the benefits.”

The small courtyard was tranquil—water flowed gently, bamboo grew like a forest, and a soft breeze rippled through.

Ling Yuling looked at Gu Changge, who still seemed leisurely and at ease, and couldn’t help but gently shake her head.

Aside from issuing a few decrees at the beginning, Gu Changge had practically paid no attention to the war between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Zhengyi Alliance, leaving it almost entirely for her to handle.

He seemed to care only about the final outcome of the war, not the process. As for casualties or spoils of war, he never inquired.

Ling Yuling couldn’t even guess what his purpose was in starting this war.

From beginning to end, he seemed never to have left this small courtyard before him—every day simply drinking tea and wine, admiring flowers, and fishing, filled with leisurely elegance.

“Reap the fisherman’s benefit?”

Gu Changge smiled casually, full of indifference. “Who the fisherman is isn’t certain yet…”

Ling Yuling felt slightly helpless. She knew she could never figure out Gu Changge’s thoughts. Rather than making baseless guesses, it was better to focus her mind on other matters.

“This time, the Zhengyi Alliance has likely gained some kind of backing to dare confront us head-on. However, during this period, they’ve been at a disadvantage—suffering heavy defeats across various battlefields…”

“What I can’t understand is this: it’s clear the dark beings have reached some kind of agreement with the Zhengyi Alliance, yet in this war, not a single dark being has appeared to assist them. Doesn’t that seem strange?”

She took light steps forward and very naturally poured tea for Gu Changge, then poured a cup for herself as well.

Holding the teacup, she sat down, gently blowing on the steam before taking small sips.

“The dark beings are occupied with something major—they don’t have the time or energy to care about the Zhengyi Alliance’s fate.”

Gu Changge lifted his teacup, took a sip, and a faint, unreadable smile appeared on his lips. “You were once a great figure who resisted the Dark Calamity—have you forgotten the purpose of the dark beings?”

Ling Yuling shot him a slightly reproachful glance. “You always tease me about that. So what if I was a figure of the past? Aren’t I now still working under you, running around at your command?”

“It seems you’ve spent too much time with Mu Yan—you’ve learned her sharp tongue,” Gu Changge said with a faint smile.

A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Ling Yuling’s lips. She lifted her fair hand and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, then said softly,

“If even you say so, then the rumors must be true. The dark beings indeed intend to revive the Lord Acting on Heaven’s Behalf through a grand sacrifice. But judging from how this news has spread, there’s likely a fourth force involved behind the scenes, aside from the Zhengyi Alliance and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance…”

Gu Changge looked at her with interest, seemingly surprised that she had suddenly brought up this topic.

“Then tell me—who do you think this fourth force might be?” He asked.

“I suspect it may be related to the Saintess of Xiyuan who escaped back then. After all, her master is Xi Nu—the former Western Saint, a figure once on par with Zhongjun, Nanzun, Beidi, and Donghuang.”

“The Mirror of Reincarnation is still in the Saintess of Xiyuan’s hands, and she is currently missing. I suspect she may already be with Xi Nu. And those who understand the Acting on Heaven organization so well are likely figures like Xi Nu from the past.”

Ling Yuling pondered seriously for a moment before giving her analysis.

Gu Changge wore a thoughtful expression and nodded. “Your analysis is quite reasonable. However, this fourth force is neither friend nor foe. At least for now, it likely won’t come into major conflict with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.”

Ling Yuling also nodded. “Still, given the reputation of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, it’s inevitable that we’ll come into contact with this hidden fourth force in the future. I think it’s better to make more preparations in advance.”

Gu Changge looked at her approvingly and smiled. “It seems you’re even more concerned about the future of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance than I, the alliance leader.”

“After all, it’s your life’s work. I also want to do my best to help you—it can be considered making up for my past misunderstanding of you,” Ling Yuling replied.

Hearing this, Gu Changge gently closed his teacup, a faint smile lingering on his lips. “Hearing you say that finally makes me feel that the effort I put in for you before was worth it.”

Perhaps even Ling Yuling herself felt that her transformation during this period was natural and reasonable.

But Gu Changge still found it somewhat unfamiliar. He actually preferred the version of her who, atop Mount Zhongmiao, in front of all clans and Dao lineages, dared to face death with resolve to prove her innocence.

However, in order to completely conceal the location of the Six Paths Heavenly Abyss, she had decisively cut away part of her memories—this method was indeed resolute. It was just that Ling Yuling had initially overestimated the importance of the Six Paths Heavenly Abyss to Gu Changge.

Swish!

The fishing rod lightly swept across the surface of the pond. The slender, crystalline fishing line dropped straight into the water, creating gentle ripples.

Gu Changge leaned lazily against a rattan chair, casually placing the fishing rod by his side, waiting for the willing fish to bite.

Ling Yuling couldn’t help but feel both helpless and amused.

Who in the world would have imagined that at a time when the vast expanse was in turmoil and chaos, the very instigator—the leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance—was leisurely fishing in a courtyard?

However, she could tell that although the pond before Gu Changge looked clear and shallow, within it layers of spacetime overlapped and intertwined, with the aura of countless worlds permeating it. That fishing hook had likely fallen into some unknown world.

And who could possibly know what Gu Changge was trying to catch?

The courtyard returned to its tranquil stillness.

The fragrance of tea filled the air. On a small red clay stove, the tea bubbled gently, steam rising in soft clouds. Ling Yuling patiently brewed tea for Gu Changge, adding one precious Dao tea leaf after another—radiant lights merging, dazzling brilliance emerging, forming all kinds of wondrous phenomena.

At that moment, a voice of announcement suddenly came from outside the courtyard. “Alliance Leader, I’ve brought the person…”