Could it be that I am the cruel villain?-Chapter 799 - 458_2

"At all costs, take away the Emperor's relic. We must not let these Southern barbarians snatch it away. Do not let them take it, bring it to me!

"Only... only belongs to me. Crossing... crossing tribulation, hahahaha!"

Almost bit his own tongue off.

A fine sound came from both sides of the channel, all were the sounds of rocks falling. It was only then he noticed that at some point, those smaller statues around were also possessed by a strand of Divine Soul, beginning to twist uneasily, making "squeaking" noises.

"What the hell is this, the passageway's widened. Move upward, there's a Monkey Cave above!"

The sharp-eyed Jiang Feng looked around. Although the Water Gate Pass was a pass, it was also the dwelling place of the Yuan Family, not only inhabited by the legit East Sea Clan, many demons who hadn't yet taken form also lived there. However, since the upheaval brought by the toxic disaster, those demon monkeys could no longer survive in the cave.

Pushing off hard with his legs, he leaped upwards. It was clear from Jiang Feng's expression that he was truly inclined to reveal his prowess because the stark contrast displayed in just a stick of incense was too strong, not to mention Cen Yueyue's fainting had annoyed him.

The She family master and servant exchanged glances and started climbing upwards as well. After all, the entire underground cave was incredibly wide, with a complicated route. It was not a simple flat picture but a complex three-dimensional map. Along the way, there were seven or eight roads leading in different directions, and countless paths extending along the walls in all directions, aligning well with the living habits of monkeys.

Only that they kept following the largest main road.

With exertion, after climbing onto one of the roads leading obliquely upwards, the Water Ape Clan Leader's frantic actions and Daoist skills didn't stop, but the distance had slightly widened.

Forcefully pounding on the hard stone walls, no one knew what kind of material the rocks of Broken Soul Cliff were made of. In such chaotic combat, only debris fell but no direct collapse occurred, it even felt somewhat solid.

Continuously moving upward along the road, the terrain was intricate. At this point, they had no mind to analyze where they had reached, merely following the glowing path within the cave. Although the four didn't have stellar skills, their escape and survival abilities were first-class swift.

Especially, the two water snake ladies swiftly escaped out of the Water Ape's sight along the underground water flowing out of the channel, and as for Jiang Feng... his escape speed was also remarkable.

After all, having truly gambled with life back in the day, his extraordinarily resilient body allowed him to maintain speed even while holding Cen Yueyue in his arms. He kept his head down and ran for roughly half a quarter of an hour until the sound of the Water Ape Clan Leader pounding rocks gradually faded away. Then, he swiftly turned aside into a narrow, unremarkable branch passage.

He sat down heavily on the dry ground while still holding her.

"Huff~ huff~"

"Take a breath, catch your breath first." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"We've been running for almost half a quarter of an hour. While we haven't created much linear distance, we've gone upwards, taken seven or eight turns at least. There must be a few hundred zhang of rock between us now, it's unlikely it can break through the walls to catch up."

"But the bad news... We probably can't get out of here anytime soon."

"Never mind that crazy Water Monkey, that huge bunch of little monkeys alone gives me a headache. Is there any way to dispel that trace of residual soul? Does Dongyue have any secret technique or something?"

He placed the still unconscious Cen Yueyue on the ground.

Feeling her neck with his fingers, aside from looking a little pale, there was no other unusual reaction. Being straightforward, he removed the silver headband from Cen Yueyue's head and tapped it. A blurred, illusory barrier soon emerged, appearing like a misty water veil, enveloping all four of them.

"We've no other way. The bloody face mask and the toxic mist are already crooked paths. After the Water Ape Clan Leader was bewitched by the Heart Monkey, his temperament changed drastically, and his body became fearless of anything except this face mask and the toxic mist."

"The face mask is the likeness of their Yuan family ancestor; no matter how twisted his character becomes, he still experiences some fright, and the toxic mist was his cause of death."

"When the Emperor was in power, the Ape Heart Tribunal remained loyal and was specifically responsible for guarding the Water Gate Pass. Yet, he had been stuck in the Mahayana Realm for over two hundred years with no successors to speak of. If he stepped down, the Yuan Family's status was sure to decline."

"Later, when the new Emperor ascended, he split the Water Gate Pass in two, handing one part to someone else. However, this only incited the Ape Heart Tribunal's dissatisfaction, as the new Emperor was quite young then and not in the same faction, especially given that their family now only managed half of the Water Gate, naturally, their privileges were less than before."

"The new Emperor wished to nurture his own power."

"Thus, it became an opportunity. During the toxic disaster a few hundred years later, the Clan Leader seemed to fight off foreign enemies fiercely. However, secretly, he opened the channel and reached an agreement with the Southern Border People to let them into the city."

"Not only that, during the chaos, he further shifted the blame to the family responsible for guarding the eastern waterway, accusing them of misconduct, and attempted to regain control of the Water Gate Pass."

"Young Master Jiang, you know, waterways are a lucrative aspect. Whether it's family tributes or trade relations, water routes are always prioritized, since shipping is more time and labor-saving than hauling."

"Later, an internal war broke out. There was unequal distribution of gains with the Southern Border People, and fighting ensued underground. At that time, a master within the Capital City keenly noticed... In fact, it was my father who discovered the anomaly, reported it, and took immediate action, leading a campaign to wipe them out."

"With attacks from both sides and my father personally involved, the Gu Poison polluted the entire underground river, and the toxic mist lingered beneath the Imperial City for several years. The death of the Water Ape Clan Leader was especially miserable; he was dismembered and scattered for suppression, with his Divine Soul completely extinguished."

"And the Heart Monkey we speak of is the Heart Demon of the Yuan Family, which we till today are uncertain of whether the Water Ape Clan Leader's grudge led to meticulous plotting or if external force drove his Divine Soul mad, causing the disaster."

"In any case, he is no good guy, and as for that lingering obsession, it's certainly not to guard the Water Gate."

"Perhaps it's for the dream of crossing tribulation."

Full of weariness.

The three still had the face masks on their faces, and with the long journey and frequent battles, all four were eager for a proper rest. The tale made Jiang Feng roll his eyes; he thought that Water Monkey was a minister loyal to death, yet it turned out to be an internal traitor all along.

As if seeing through Jiang Feng's thoughts, Qingluan started to console, "Young Master, the families that survived either possess remarkable abilities or stayed clear of those chaotic matters. Don't lament. By the way, how is Miss Cen? Is she injured? Let me have a look."

"No major issue, just suffocation and carbon monoxide poisoning."

He waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Eh?"

A look of utmost confusion.

Clearly, the topic was a bit over the top, as Jiang Feng held the already oxygen-deprived fainted Cen Yueyue in his arms. The girl's breathing was steady, though uncomfortable, a little rest should suffice as a remedy.

"How should I put it?"

"The underground was inherently narrow. Earlier, the place where we battled was gourd-shaped. The Li Fire may be powerful, but fire consumes oxygen, and she was too close to that Water Monkey, the high heat, and steam together made suffocation easy."

"Moreover, the area was extremely narrow, with dry, carbonized dead wood on the ground and around."

Although his expression relaxed slightly, upon realizing the Water Ape was still tracking them, his heart tensed again.

He finally understood his senior sister's words that the most terrifying enemies in places related to Grotto Heavens or Secret Realms were not those so-called competitors.

But the environment.