Could it be that I am the cruel villain?-Chapter 790 - 452: Broken Soul Cliff

"..."

Originally wanted to say something, but upon noticing Cen Yueyue's unfriendly gaze, immediately shut up decisively and began discussing the subsequent action plan with everyone.

Qingluan always pays great attention to her appearance and demeanor, regardless of time or place. Even in this dim and perilous situation, the first thing she did upon waking from her healing state was neither to inquire about the situation nor to check her physical condition.

It was to put on make-up.

She had a full array of eyebrow pencils, eyeliners, fragrant powders, and waters. Even the various hairpins and accessories were meticulously chosen. Her Qiankun Bag could practically be mistaken for a walk-in closet. For her, appearance was everything. Even though she didn't need heavy makeup, just light makeup could make men utterly captivated.

"Your complexion looks much better than last night. It shouldn't be that you purposely used powder to comfort us, right?"

"Of course not. I recovered about sixty percent last night. Thank you, Young Master, for your concern."

With a smile like a blooming flower, seeing Qingluan's good mental state relieved much of the hanging worry. Qingluan then naturally and familiarly asked, "Young Master Jiang, since you have sensed through practicing the Thunder Technique that there are a total of five people chasing us, why not eliminate them one by one? The strongest aura should be left for last."

"Four are at the Core Formation stage. One's aura is concealed but should be a Nascent Soul stage expert. In a direct confrontation, we might fall behind, but if we pull out these four one by one and then confront the Nascent Soul stage expert, it's not without hope."

"If the external rumors are true, that Young Master has repeatedly faced off against Nascent Soul stage cultivators without falling behind, I'm very curious about Young Master's methods too."

Her eyes revealed some interest. Qingluan was not just a pretty vase. Although she appeared delicate and seemed to be all about cosmetics, engaging in skin care or body maintenance to make herself more alluring, in reality...

She was the best fighter of her generation in the She Family. Even if not ranked first, she was at least second. Among the young elites of the Twelve Families in Dongyue, she consistently ranked in the top ten among those of her age group.

Don't forget, this is someone who could make Jiang Feng and Cen Yueyue suffer at first meeting.

"Ahem, well, this matter is somewhat embarrassing."

Someone's mouth twitched. Seeing the curious gaze on her, he continued, "It's not that I used some underhanded tricks — it was a senior sister in the sect who slaughtered a disciple from the Divine Thunder Valley and then tossed their cultivation technique to me to practice."

This left the four others in silence.

Now they understood why Jiang Feng preferred to pay his way and avoid direct confrontation — because it's somewhat embarrassing.

"Though I seldom go out, I've heard that Purple Cloud Palace disciples are mostly upright and intolerant of injustice. Seeing this now, it doesn't seem to fit the rumors much."

"Not necessarily. Sect disciples come from diverse backgrounds. Some hail from large families while others from humble origins, and their morals and conduct vary greatly... Don't look at me like that. It really wasn't me. That year, I hadn't even entered the Purple Cloud Palace yet. The senior sister tossed me the cultivation technique and left it at that. At the time, I naively went to train with it. How was I to know it was someone else's stolen goods from murder and robbery?"

Almost on the brink of tears, among those present, only Miss Cen suppressed her laughter. She guessed immediately who the culprit was.

"It was Yu Ying, right?"

"Yes." Weakly.

"I knew there was something fishy about your Thunder Technique. You dare to learn anything from her? Her reputation precedes her in our Southern Border — can't count how many disciples from other sects she's harmed. She's tricky, domineering, and eccentric. Honestly, you should just deal with it by diverting the trouble back to her."

A look of schadenfreude all over her face.

After all, Cen Yueyue and Yu Ying didn't get along well in the past. Many Southern Border disciples also suffered under her hand. But Jiang Feng merely shook his head. Truth be told, he found Yu Ying annoying too. Everything about her was fine, except her character was too bizarre and she liked to stir up trouble, which was quite a headache.

But regardless, this wasn't a reason to betray a colleague to save himself. Since he chose to learn the technique, he had to bear the risks. Glancing down at the cliff, he did his best to extend his Sea of Consciousness, squeezing the flickering Thunder Light in his fingertips. He found that the further they descended the cliff, moving closer to the east, the more suppressed the spiritual energy in his body became.

This point could also be an advantage against the opponent. Since Lei Chuyu's activation of the Thunder Technique had caused that follower to trace their way here, if they continued downward...

"Cliff, crevice, this place faces west to east — if we continue down this path, could it lead to the old capital of Dongyue? We should be less than three hundred miles from the old capital now. There's likely to be many ruins and battle traces along the way. Qingluan, do you have any clues?"

Shaking her head decisively, she casually put her cosmetics away.

"Aren't you a local? Why aren't you familiar with the way?"

"Young Master, it's not that Qingluan isn't familiar. Although I haven't lived in the old capital, I've heard elderlies pass some accounts down since childhood, but now everything's changed. Today's old capital is entirely different from their accounts, and even Qingluan remains confused. Frankly, no one knows where this Earth Rank boundary is now."

With an innocent expression, Jiang Feng just sighed at this and then took out a simple parchment map from his chest, pointing upward to the sky and then to the ground.

"While being chased by Kui Ying, I noted our position. Every step was about a foot and a half. Judging by the border crossing, we should be near here."

Pointing to the spot marked by crevices on the map. Seeing this map, Qingluan's expression turned a bit peculiar.

"This is a map of the thousand-mile Eastern Capital from over two hundred years ago. Such maps were never generally circulated outside; only those from the original nineteen clans residing here would have the right to create it. How did Young Master acquire it?"

"It was a gift from Elder Ge. How come you, a local, don't even have a map?"

"Ahem~ Young Master, even Qingluan had no choice. But if Young Master goes to Dongxing City or towns where I reside, he can enjoy a tour of all the spots."

"Sounds great, so... what exactly is written on this map?"

He handed it over casually.

All of them widened their eyes.

The map was detailed, marking mountains, rivers, and lakes, also indicating each family's habitat and approximately where arrays were set. Moreover, the back side had annotations. But the script on the map was evidently different from the characters they were familiar with, resembling a more traditional and specialized script.

"Let me take a look."

Qingluan casually took the map. Don't know if it was out of habit, but she pinned her skirt between her thighs, squatting very ladylike, spread the map onto her lap for convenience to view, and unintentionally, from above, you could see that trademark whiteness.

Makes one's head spin.

But soon everyone became captivated by Qingluan's uniquely charming voice.

"If I'm not mistaken, we are within the Monkey Realm."

"A hundred feet wide, a thousand feet deep, ten thousand feet long, the Broken Soul Cliff divides the capital from west to east, stretching to the foot of the Eastern Capital, facilitating goods transit and trade for merchants."

"Hundreds of years ago, this place was the Monkey Realm, governed by a clan now annihilated. They managed the entrance and exit. Due to greed during wartime, the Xin Monkeys caused their clan's demise, leaving only collateral branches outward, the Family Head's body nowhere to be found."

"After the war, the Broken Soul Cliff was intentionally severed and blocked for a long time. Later, the Yuan Family greedily found ways to reconnect, infiltrating the city to surprise attack other families."

"The Broken Soul Cliff descends three hundred and thirty yards, filled with trees and lush vegetation. The architecture and family ruins are built within the ravine, related to their family's roots, since monkeys naturally love such an environment..."

"Young Master, if we aren't in a hurry to reach the old capital, why don't we explore this cliff further?"