Could it be that I am the cruel villain?-Chapter 803 - 460: I’m Afraid They Won’t Fight

Qingluan was very skilled at reading people's expressions. Even though the country had fallen and was no longer as glorious as it once was, she was still the Crown Prince Consort in title. Seeing Jiang Feng's tacit approval and noticing the glance he cast at Cen Yueyue beside him, she immediately understood his meaning.

So well-behaved it was frightening.

"The disciples of Divine Thunder Valley have been persistently seeking traces here because Young Master Jiang inadvertently obtained their sect's cultivation technique. This entanglement is neither too serious nor too trivial, but it certainly hasn't reached a point where we need to fight to the death."

"There is no mortal enmity between the two sides. If the people from Divine Thunder Valley were to perish here, even if it has nothing to do with you, they would probably blame it on you since they came to retrieve their sect's cultivation technique." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"If something unfortunate were to happen to you, the blame would similarly fall on Divine Thunder Valley. Given that Sword Immortal's temperament... the entire Divine Thunder Valley might not have peace, so this group might just be trying to invite you to visit Divine Thunder Valley."

"Even if there were a real fight, they would probably hold back."

As an observer, Qingluan saw more clearly. She understood the conflicts between major forces all too well. It was at this moment that Cen Yueyue finally reacted.

"You want to make that Water Monkey fight them, and then after they've both exhausted themselves, you plan to step in, save them, and curry favor?"

"Tsk, calling it 'curry favor' sounds too unpleasant."

Someone just clicked their tongue.

"This is called extending a helping hand proactively. It's not like I intentionally sent the Water Monkey to catch them. This treacherous place has only one obvious path; both sides are bound to run into each other. I just found an opportune moment to rescue them. After all, they say people from the Central Plains share one heart."

"What if after you save them, they don't appreciate it and turn against you?"

"Turn against me?"

As if hearing a joke, Mr. Jiang grinned.

"After fighting the Dragon Fish and then battling this Water Monkey, if they still have the strength to turn against me, I'll concede. At worst, I'll get captured and go to Divine Thunder Valley, then have my senior sister come to get me. Let's go, keep exploring ahead, and we'll return once there's some commotion here."

Leaving a word, Jiang Feng patted off the dust on his clothes and walked into the hidden cave so inconspicuous that even the naked eye would find it hard to detect, following the path that was so contrary to intuition...

————

"There seems to be some noise inside."

Suddenly someone spoke up.

The disciples of Divine Thunder Valley wore grave expressions, moving slowly. There were stone steps on both sides of the channel they could walk on. Perhaps because they were more or less injured, their pace was slow and cautious.

Soon enough, a strange mist came rushing towards them. The five of them split up and made way, ready for anything. The howling waves continued, accompanied by a eerily cold breeze as pitch-black tide waters surged from the depths of the channel, refilling the entire underground passageway.

Amidst the surroundings came thin, chaotic noises.

"The Capital City truly lives up to its reputation..."

"Whoa, this waterway runs all the way to the underground of the Capital City, stretching north and south. It's truly a wonder of the world."

"A thousand Spirit Stones, dozens of Western Regions beauties, all capable of singing and dancing and possessing fine cultivation talents; such a generous gift—does it satisfy the Receiving Envoy, my lord?"

"Dad, look, there are so many stone monkeys around, and that big monkey in the middle looks so majestic!"

"You silly boy, don't talk nonsense. That's the stone effigy of Lord Ape Heart Tribulation. All these around are sculptures of the Yuan Family, very impressive. Look, standing at the highest point is said to be the legendary..."

Following the man's voice, he looked up.

But where the man pointed was empty, filled with nothing but scorched ruins, and the shadow pointed at high above was slowly disappearing.

"What is that? A residual soul? Something dirty? Or some Divine Skill?"

Jin An, a disciple of Divine Thunder Valley, was visibly frightened. Already shaken previously, his state of mind was unstable until Lei Chuyu shouted sternly.

"Steady your Dao heart! These are remnants of the past, mere residual souls!"

Pa——

With a backhand strike, a Thunder Finger shattered the statue hidden in the darkness of the corner.

The shadows immediately disappeared, and the echoes by their ears lessened significantly. Though still noisy, it helped the other four present to regain a bit of clarity. They bit their tongues hard to dispel the illusions, but the icy black water was not fake, still emitting a bizarre chill.

They hurriedly continued to move deeper into the channel, and gradually the sounds by their ears faded away.

"What exactly were those just now..."

Though they knew they'd fallen into some kind of trick, no one could explain the principle. The atmosphere grew a bit silent, and for the bizarre occurrences in the cave, they were utterly helpless, able only to press forward, showcasing Qingluan's significance here.

This was a special product from Dongyue, known as Spirit Communication Stone.

Its material appears similar to common stone, but with effects of spiritual communication and soul awakening, easily allowing a Divine Soul to attach to it. Dongyue's people often carve with this stone, often leaving a faint residual soul.

Whether placed in an ancestral shrine to preserve a sliver of ancestors' lingering thoughts, or carving the most precious Spirit Communication Stone into human shapes placed at key points, once war breaks out, they serve as trump cards, permitting experts' Divine Souls to attach and fend off invaders.

Some Spirit Communication Stones with slightly lesser effects would, like the Stone Monkeys along this channel, record and reproduce the actions of the deceased, as if recreating what was once the prosperous and splendid Capital City of Dongyue.