No Choice But to Lay the Cards on the Table — His Intentions Are Despicable, Simply Infuriating
No Choice But to Lay the Cards on the Table — His Intentions Are Despicable, Simply Infuriating
## 5. The Successor of Demonic Arts Is His Maid — A Thought More Terrifying the More One Ponders (Please Subscribe)
Inside the palace, the Young War Immortal’s face flickered between green and white, an utterly ghastly sight.
He was so furious that flames seemed ready to burst from his eyes, his fists clenched tight. It took him a long while to recover, and he drew in a deep breath.
“What do we do about this? Do we really have no room to refuse?”
An Xi stared at the invitation laid out before her and asked with an ugly expression.
Naturally, she had no desire to get involved in this so-called expedition to Kun Mountain.
Who knew what they would encounter there?
Besides, the An Clan had no dealings with the Ji Family whatsoever. Even if Ji Shengchu needed rescuing, it had nothing to do with them.
Why should she go join the excitement at a time like this?
“For now, we can only take things one step at a time. If we refuse, Gu Changge will have the perfect excuse to move against us.”
“We cannot let him have his way.”
The Young War Immortal slowly swept his gaze over An Xi, Jiang Chen, Niu Tian, and the others before him, speaking in a heavy voice.
His words left Jiang Chen and Niu Tian in silence. In truth, they had already been thinking of taking their leave.
But at this critical juncture, there was a high chance Gu Changge would not let them depart safely.
“I’ve always been curious — why does Gu Changge keep targeting you at every turn?”
An Xi was silent for a moment before suddenly asking.
She had recalled the shock and strange expression the Young War Immortal had shown at the Divine Rock Conference.
Although he had casually brushed it off at the time, her intuition told her the matter was not so simple.
“This matter is of grave importance. You must promise me you won’t breathe a word of it. Otherwise, if we alert the enemy, Gu Changge will stop at nothing to find a way to kill us all.”
“When that happens, his methods will be far more terrifying and insane than sending assassins this time.”
The Young War Immortal’s expression grew unprecedentedly grave. As he spoke, he dismissed everyone else from the palace, leaving only Jiang Chen and the others.
In his view, everyone present had a grudge against Gu Changge and would learn of this matter sooner or later.
Seeing how cautious the Young War Immortal was, An Xi and the others also grew solemn, pricking up their ears for fear of missing a single word.
“Rest assured, we absolutely won’t let it leak,” An Xi nodded and promised.
The Young War Immortal took a deep breath, then began recounting how he had been ambushed by the Successor of Demonic Arts some time ago.
Back then, his Dao Protector had appeared just in time and saved his life.
Even so, he had been severely wounded, his Source nearly shattering.
And during that incident, using his innate Eye Technique, he had clearly seen the true face of the Successor of Demonic Arts.
“You’re saying the Successor of Demonic Arts is actually... someone by Gu Changge’s side?”
Hearing this, An Xi’s expression changed drastically. In an instant, many things became clear to her. Her face turned deathly pale, and she even felt a chill run down her back, terror gripping her heart.
She could feel her own voice trembling uncontrollably.
Jiang Chen and Niu Tian had never expected to hear such earth-shattering news either. They sucked in sharp breaths, eyes wide, scalps tingling.
“Yes. The Successor of Demonic Arts is Gu Changge’s person — of that I can absolutely guarantee.”
“What’s more, it’s that maid who has always followed at Gu Changge’s side.”
The Young War Immortal took a deep breath, steadying his tone.
He knew how unbelievable this was and how enormous the implications were. If word got out, it would surely set off monstrous waves across the Beyond, with consequences beyond imagination.
“I understand now. No wonder the Successor of Demonic Arts managed to escape from Gu Changge’s hands time and time again — so this was the reason.”
It took An Xi a long time to calm herself down and piece together all the rumors she had heard before.
Yet fear still inevitably welled up in her heart.
If the Young War Immortal hadn’t said it, she would never have dared imagine things in that direction.
What exactly is Gu Changge plotting? The Successor of Demonic Arts, whose name strikes terror into the entire Beyond, is actually his maid?
An Xi’s face was somewhat pale, and she suddenly deeply regretted making an enemy of Gu Changge.
A man like that — his methods and schemes were simply impossible to fathom.
“You must never leak this matter. Before we have ironclad proof, if Gu Changge finds out, none of us will escape death,” the Young War Immortal said gravely, warning them once more.
Some things were not better the more one knew.
He was even beginning to regret not keeping his composure at the Divine Rock Conference, letting his abnormality show.
An Xi nodded, understanding the gravity of the matter. If even a whisper of this leaked, it would bring catastrophic disaster upon them all.
And without complete evidence, even if they spoke of it, it would do little good — few would believe them.
“We understand.” Jiang Chen and Niu Tian exchanged a glance and both fell silent.
Jiang Chen suddenly thought of Xiao Ruoyin, his back going cold, his hands and feet turning to ice.
Gu Changge was actually the master behind the Successor of Demonic Arts — an identity he could never have imagined.
Then where did the Successor of Demonic Arts’ inheritance come from?
The thought made him shudder with dread, and he suddenly recalled the Elderly Man in Black Robes who had bestowed the Demonic Arts upon him.
This was simply too horrifying. All the calamities the Successor of Demonic Arts had wrought over the years — had they all happened right under Gu Changge’s nose, or with his tacit approval?
“Xiaojie, something terrible has happened!”
“The drop of True Blood of the Hidden Celestial that you sent people to retrieve from the Ancestral Star was intercepted midway by An Yan-xiaojie!”
At that moment, a servant of the An Clan rushed in from outside the hall, face full of panic, trembling as he reported.
“What?!”
An Xi’s expression changed drastically, her eyes going wide. For the first time, she was shocked senseless by An Yan, finding it unbelievable.
“An Yan — how dare she?! How did she even manage it?!”
An Xi practically ground her teeth. That little sister she had never once taken seriously since childhood had actually intercepted her drop of True Blood of the Hidden Celestial at a time like this.
She could hardly believe her own ears.
Such an act was tantamount to adding frost to snow, making her already dire situation even worse.
According to the An Clan’s rules, An Yan naturally also had the right to contend for the drop of True Blood of the Hidden Celestial on the Ancestral Star.
But An Xi had never imagined that An Yan would pull off something so huge while she was away — intercepting what was hers midway!
Rage surged through her like a tidal wave. She wished she could rush back to the clan immediately and deal with the matter.
But the situation before her truly left her unable to split her attention.
“Once the matter in Kunwu City is settled, I’ll make that damned wretch regret it.”
An Xi’s face was dark to the extreme, utterly unsightly.
And soon, two days passed in the blink of an eye.
All of Kunwu City was in an uproar over the Ji Family’s impending assault on Kun Mountain.
The Star-Picking Tower stood at the northernmost corner of Kunwu City, its name taken from the idea of reaching up to pluck the stars.
The entire tower was grand and ancient, built from immortal stones, its halls resplendent, treasure-light flickering, immortal mist rising everywhere — hazy and dazzling, like an ancient immortal pavilion descended into the mortal world.
As the venue where Gu Changge was hosting the various Young Prodigies, it was especially lively today.
At the entrance of the Star-Picking Tower, many cultivators and beings were already receiving guests, and even quite a few experts of the older generation had come to join the excitement.
While it couldn’t be said that every single one of the Beyond’s top young generation had gathered today, the vast majority had come.
Every young heaven’s chosen had treasure-light flowing around them, striding with the bearing of dragons and tigers, radiant light suffusing the crowns of their heads, their spiritual power immensely strong.
Behind them trailed numerous attendants and followers.
After all, to be invited by Gu Changge meant one was at least a successor of a Cult of Immortality — a status beyond measure, the undisputed future master of an immortal orthodoxy, with limitless prospects.
“The Phoenix Lady has arrived!”
Suddenly, cries of astonishment rang out outside the Star-Picking Tower. A divine rainbow descended from the sky not far away, like a divine phoenix spreading its wings, dazzling and stunning.
A tall young woman walked over, her crimson hair like fire, exuding a cold, noble air.
It was none other than the ancient freak, the Phoenix Lady. Upon arriving, she was quickly led into the tower by the attendants outside.
Following the Phoenix Lady, the other Young Prodigies — the King of Six Crowns Jun Yao, Jin Chan the Chosen Monk, the Sky Demon Sovereign, and others — also crossed the void and arrived one after another, each followed by quite a few followers, appearing extremely formal and solemn.
Truth be told, not many of them had been willing to attend today’s banquet.
But not coming would mean slapping Gu Changge’s face, and would also mean disregarding the safety of the entire Beyond.
With such an enormous hat pressed down on them, refusing would greatly damage their reputations.
“It seems everyone’s mood is much the same as mine.”
The King of Six Crowns wore a smile as he glanced at Jin Chan the Chosen Monk, the Sky Demon Sovereign, and the others beside him.
“Daoxiong Jun Yao, what do you mean by that?”
The Sky Demon Sovereign shook his head. Seeing that nearly all the Young Prodigies in Kunwu City had come, he actually felt somewhat relieved.
Looking at it this way, his heart felt considerably more balanced.
“Heh, Gu Changge wants to force us all into Kun Mountain together. The dangers within are boundless — one could lose one’s life at any moment. His strength is immense, rivaling a True Daoist, but wouldn’t the rest of us just be marching to our deaths?”
“His intentions are truly despicable.”
From another side, the exceptionally burly Young Holy King walked over, sneering, his words full of displeasure.
“Everyone, save those words for Gu Changge himself later.”
Jin Chan the Chosen Monk pressed his palms together and gently shook his head.
In terms of righteousness, rescuing the Ji Family’s Prime Ancestor Ji Shengchu was a responsibility the various Daoist traditions of the Beyond could hardly shirk.
As their successors, they were even more bound to the duty — not to mention that in this endeavor, Gu Changge himself was leading from the front.
By doing so, he made it impossible for anyone to shrink back, leaving them no excuse to retreat.
Soon, led by the attendants before the tower, the group slowly made their way into the Star-Picking Tower.
Inside, a banquet had long been laid out, and numerous beautiful, charming maids were serving dishes and pouring wine at the tables, as if they had been respectfully awaiting the guests for some time.
Here, the Sky Demon Sovereign and the others also spotted quite a few familiar faces — all outstanding figures of the current young generation, each capable of dominating a region, rarely finding a match.
The Ji Family siblings, Ji Yaoxing and Ji Chuyue, were notably among them.
As for the seat of honor, Gu Changge had yet to arrive, which darkened their expressions a few degrees further.
“Young heroes, please don’t be anxious. My Young Master is on his way.”
An old man dressed like a steward, his face covered in wrinkles, spoke with a chuckle, seemingly having noticed the displeasure of the Sky Demon Sovereign and the others, and offered this explanation.
The instant they saw this old man, the eyes of everyone in the Star-Picking Tower shrank slightly. Their hearts trembled, and they no longer dared act as casually as before.
A True Daoist!
This steward-dressed old man’s cultivation was unfathomably deep, with the aura of the Emperor Realm flowing around him — clearly, he too was a True Daoist.
They were deeply shaken, unable to guess the old man’s identity. Was he a steward, or an Ancestor of the Gu Family?
Just then, commotion came from outside the Star-Picking Tower once more.
The Young War Immortal, An Xi, Jiang Chen, and the others, led by attendants, also arrived. However, compared to before, the Young War Immortal’s face now looked rather pale, as if his grievous wounds had yet to heal.
“Greetings, fellow daoxiong.”
The Young War Immortal forced a few traces of a smile onto his face and cupped his hands in greeting to the Sky Demon Sovereign and the others.
“Daoxiong War Immortal’s injuries seem not yet healed. It appears that day’s assassin was indeed no ordinary foe.”
Seeing the Young War Immortal in this state, everyone felt a measure of sympathy.
After all, not long after being ambushed by the Successor of Demonic Arts, he had then encountered an assassin’s attack, and his injuries were said to be severe.
Many were also curious — just whom had the Young War Immortal offended, to be assassinated the very day after the Divine Rock Conference, nearly losing his life?
None of the other Young Prodigies had heard of anyone else suffering such a thing.
Hearing this, the Young War Immortal gave a bitter smile. “Thank you for your concern, fellow daoxiong. These injuries are nothing serious — some time recuperating and I’ll be fine.”
As he spoke, however, his heart was somewhat gloomy. He glanced toward the front but did not see Gu Changge’s figure.
“Oh, everyone’s here already?”
Just as the various Young Prodigies were conversing in hushed tones, a warm, mellow voice suddenly sounded from the seat of honor.
Everyone turned to look, and there stood Gu Changge in black robes, tall and straight, his ink-dark hair lustrous, his features refined and handsome, a smile on his face — none knew when he had appeared up there.
Hearing this voice, An Xi could not suppress the fear and unease rising in her heart, though she forced herself to remain calm.
Behind Gu Changge stood Yin Mei, Su Qingge, and the others, hands folded and eyes lowered, quietly attending, beautiful as if carved from jade.
Jiang Chen and Niu Tian discreetly sized up Su Qingge, their hearts heavy with caution.
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they could never have believed that the ruthless, calamity-wreaking Successor of Demonic Arts was actually such a devastatingly beautiful, nation-toppling woman.
“Greetings, Young Master Changge.”
The Sky Demon Sovereign, the King of Six Crowns, Jin Chan the Chosen Monk, and the others all felt their hearts tighten — none of them had sensed when Gu Changge had arrived.
“I heard that daoxiong War Immortal encountered an assassin the day before yesterday and was gravely wounded. I specially sent people to deliver quite a few healing Heavenly Herbs, but it seems they weren’t of much use.”
Gu Changge smiled faintly, gesturing for everyone to forgo formalities, then looked at the Young War Immortal with great interest and asked.
He wore an expression of deep concern for the man’s injuries.
The Young War Immortal had not expected Gu Changge to say such a thing to him in front of everyone. His heart grew darker, his fists clenching.
But on his face, he still put on a bitter smile and explained, “Thank you for your concern, Young Master Changge. The healing Heavenly Herbs you sent didn’t help my injuries much, but these wounds are nothing serious — some time recuperating and I’ll be fine.”
This was the excuse he had prepared long in advance, precisely to set the stage for refusing to enter Kun Mountain later.
He was no fool. He knew that the moment he left Kunwu City and entered Kun Mountain, death would be certain.
In a place like that, for Gu Changge to kill him would be simpler than crushing an ant.