[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan":3,"chapter-turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-144":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},60602,84,"Chapter 144: The Vermilion Princess Arrives","turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-144",144,"\u003Cp>Guns were introduced in the land of Cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that—everything changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next time the Demonic Beasts came, thinking they were returning to an easy hunting ground, they didn’t find fear or screaming civilians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They found bullets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It started with a single patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan led the way, the crude gun slung over his shoulder like a divine instrument of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Tao and Lao Shen followed behind, each carrying a fresh prototype.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were supposed to just test range and accuracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, they got ambushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pack of Four-Eyed Hellhounds, gnashing their teeth and howling with bloodlust, surged from the shadows of a ruined building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, this would’ve been a problem. Hellhounds were fast, their hides tough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, it took a team of elite soldiers to bring one down—if they were lucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three shots. Three corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hounds didn’t even reach them. Their speed was nothing before the speed of a bullet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan lowered his gun, his face calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Shen blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Tao stared at the smoking ruins of the beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They didn’t even get close...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew the gun was a powerful weapon, but even then, they seemed to have underestimated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four-Eyed Hellhounds who once terrorized with insane speed—dodging attacks and launching ambushes—were killed without being able to do anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Shen and Hong Tao were also excited about their first Demonic Beast kills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, for people like them—weak, ordinary—killing a Demonic Beast was nothing more than a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with a gun, they had achieved it. And easily, at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They went around testing—or more like, it turned into fun after a bit—and before they returned to the shelter, they had already killed almost twenty Demonic Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An insane number for a team of three, made up of two who had never killed a Demonic Beast before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Bai ZIhan didn’t even participate in most of their kills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they returned, Hong Tao couldn’t help but brag about his achievement to the other people of the shelter, though all he did was pull the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other people listened in amazement and couldn’t stop praising Bai Zihan for developing such a weapon in a time of need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five more people were selected to test and try the gun. They were all amazed and excited after their first try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these weapons, they had high hopes that they could reclaim what was once theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ironmist’s reclaiming began!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was brutal! Efficient! One-sided!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beasts that once inspired terror became nothing more than training targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Armed patrols—led by Bai Zihan, supported by black powder and a growing arsenal of guns—swept through the ruins like a cleansing flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, clearing a single block might take half a day. Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang. Reload. Bang. Move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruthless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some tried to dodge. Others charged blindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as that click came, they were dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hides might resist swords. Claws might shatter shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of them could stop a bullet traveling faster than sound and fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Demonic Beasts—those with stronger defense—were no match for the sheer destructive force of a bullet to the skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if you had thicker skin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You might survive one bullet—but can you survive ten?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who were only good at defense had no method of counterattack and just stalled for time until their defense broke and a bullet pierced through their brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were like sitting ducks—it just took an extra bullet to kill them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Bai Zihan understood that while the gun was efficient against low-grade Demonic Beasts, it wouldn’t be as effective against high-grade ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took quite a lot of bullets and skilled tankers to kill a Grade-2 Demonic Beast. Previously, even that was impossible with soldiers and civilians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that also made him realize that it wouldn’t be of much use if they were to face Grade-3 Demonic Beasts and above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, he already anticipated that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his real body wouldn’t be scratched by a bullet. Guns were only effective because they were dealing with low-grade Demonic Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, for their situation, a gun was the best weapon they could have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shelter expanded outward, one cleared street at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Collapsed buildings were repurposed into watchtowers and outposts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Survivors trapped in pockets of the city were rescued in droves—dozens, hundreds at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, they were greeted not by frightened soldiers, but grim-faced warriors holding smoking barrels and cold steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the rescued, Bai Zihan became something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A reaper in human skin, wearing soot and blood like a crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t rest. Didn’t smile much. Barely even talked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he stood in front of charging beasts, he killed them all without giving them a chance to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although guns were developed and distributed, Bai Zihan hardly used them. He still preferred his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the shelter, things changed too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children played with wooden rifles, mimicking gun sounds and pretending to be Bai Zihan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soldiers trained day and night, their hands blistered from reloading drills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guns were still rare, but production was ramping up, with Lao Shen prioritizing getting out as many guns as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew this was their hope of getting out of this hellhole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every new one was greeted like a newborn child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each bullet was counted. Tracked. Honored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because each bullet was worth a life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or a death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Shen’s smithy never slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black powder was being stored in reinforced chambers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Bai Zihan was deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know just how long it was going to take to complete this trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already been a week since this Trial started, and there seemed to be no end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many Demonic Beasts he killed, how many people he saved, and how much territory he reclaimed, he still had no idea what the Trial was about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Just what is this Trial about?)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, he thought he might get an idea—but all he saw was endless destruction in this massive city and nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Just what does Immortal Emperor Feilian want from this Trial?)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the Inner City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Is the objective inside the Inner City? Should I go there?)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan considered entering the Inner City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Inner City seemed to be protected by a barrier, Bai Zihan could tell it was nothing but a low-level formation that even the weakest of the sect wouldn’t use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for mortals, perhaps they considered it an impenetrable barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could easily sneak into it without so much as sweating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But of course, who knows what’s inside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to underestimate this place just because it had been too easy for him until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a team returned from their hunt of Demonic Beasts, smiles on their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Bai Zihan sensed someone trailing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see a few figures at quite a distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They seemed skilled in keeping their distance and erasing their presence—though that didn’t work on Bai Zihan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t do anything but feigned ignorance for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time, Bai Zihan came to the conclusion that they weren’t assassins or enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought they either came from another shelter of survivors or—more likely—from the Inner City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time, they disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t appear for a few days before finally coming to him personally, where he learned that they were indeed from the Inner City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They explained their mission and talked about how great guns were and how they could potentially save the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they asked Bai Zihan to come with them, saying it was an order from their princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan refused on the spot. There was no telling whether who he was going to meet was an ally or an enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with how the Inner City had abandoned the Middle and Outer City, he was more inclined to think it was the latter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Captain Bai, the Princess of the Vermilion Throne wishes to speak to you personally. Can’t you spare a bit of your time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout leader tried to persuade Bai Zihan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought the reason for his refusal might be because of his care for the survivors and his need to look after them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if it was the Princess herself—if she wants something from me—then it’s only right that she should come to me, not the other way around.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout leader, thinking Bai Zihan disliked the princess, asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ministers also want to speak with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout leader lied, trying to make Bai Zihan come along with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(If I don’t even want to answer your princess’s call, why would I come just because of the ministers?)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Bai Zihan figured it out quickly. There was politics everywhere, and this city was no different—power was divided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a similar response, telling them that no matter who it was, if they wanted something from him, they should be the ones coming to him—not the other way around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout leader also asked to take one of the guns with him, but Bai Zihan refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered the possibility that their real objective was to get the weapon. If they got their hands on it, he might never meet the Princess or the Ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he had to meet them eventually to perhaps understand the objective of the Trial—but he would do it in a place where he had the advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan figured the princess might not come herself—it was too dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who could’ve guessed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few hours after his conversation with the scout leader...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The princess actually came to their shelter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, I am Princess Feilian! Can I speak with you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1644,"2026-05-28T18:17:14.491Z","2026-06-01T04:28:34.960Z",1,"novelbin.me","d97c4850b1bcd479ed6420d47241330dd09ed9b75f602dac0a48c8779c20e5ff","turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-145","turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-143",580,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fturns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-cover.jpg"]