[{"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-147":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},60605,84,"Chapter 147: Inside The Wall","turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-147",147,"\u003Cp>Minister Duan said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips were pressed into a thin line, his face the color of old bricks—anger and shame wrestling for dominance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes glared daggers at Bai Zihan, but he didn’t dare open his mouth again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan didn’t even spare him a glance. As far as he was concerned, Duan was already irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Feilian stepped forward, her expression composed but thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at Bai Zihan, then at the crowd of survivors, then back at the wall of Inner City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s something all of you need to understand,\" she said, her voice clear and steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even the Inner City isn’t as safe as it once was.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murmurs rose immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The survivors had been clinging to hope that the Inner City was a fortress—a paradise untouched by the nightmare that had consumed the outer and middle districts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For many of them, reaching the Inner City had felt like reaching salvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feilian continued before the whispers could grow louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The barrier is holding, for now,\" she said, \"but the attacks are becoming more frequent. Stronger. There has even been a sighting of a Grade-3 Demonic Beast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked to the horizon beyond the ruined buildings, where smoke still curled into the air like the fingers of a dying god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we don’t act soon, the Inner City may suffer the same fate as the Middle City.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said this with a solemn look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why she had come—to check the weapon the scout had reported. It was the only hope she could see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about the sects or clans? Didn’t you ask for their help?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, we sent out emergency requests for aid, but there’s been no response. Perhaps... we’ve been abandoned.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feilian said with a trace of disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbeknownst to her, those requests had never reached the Vermilion Flame Sect. That was why there had been no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan thought for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(So no reinforcements?)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he didn’t know the exact reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But based on what he understood, if a crisis like this arose, any sect or clan that claimed this territory as their own should have sent people to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To such powerful entities, a Grade-3 Demonic Beast should be nothing more than an ant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, that was how it worked in his era. He wasn’t sure about this era though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a possibility the sects and clans here were too weak—or too selfish—to act without incurring losses of their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There could be many reasons. But one thing was certain: no help was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant he might need to save Ironmist himself. And if this was truly a trial, then saving the city had to be the objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this younger Princess Feilian was likely the same person who would one day become the Immortal Emperor Feilian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was a Trial to see whether the participants could help her and potentially be able to save the City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, he had to proceed with that assumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was easier said than done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gun might be effective against Grade-2 Demonic Beasts or weaker, but not against a Grade-3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not unless he could detonate a large quantity of black powder—something that would take time, resources, and careful planning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there were many other burdens than that. He glanced at Minister Duan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People like him weren’t just useless—they were obstacles. Rather than help, they’d drag others down to protect their own interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan suspected Duan was one of the main reasons why no rescue had come for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Feilian didn’t seem like someone who would abandon her people. Duan, on the other hand, clearly would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his words alone, Bai Zihan could tell: Duan had no intention of giving up a single treasure, even if it could save countless lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly a lowlife!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan didn’t care about people like that—unless they interfered with his work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if they did, there would be no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If saving the city was the goal, he couldn’t do it alone. Not with this weak body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, for now, he had three priorities:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firstly, help Princess Feilian produce firearms. That alone could drastically improve the Inner City’s defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, gather intelligence. He needed to understand the enemy—their numbers, their strength, their movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirdly, teach Princess Feilian how to rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister Duan’s behavior made one thing clear: Feilian didn’t wield true authority within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she was called \"Princess,\" there was no real respect behind the title. No deference. Nothing that suggested she stood above minister Duan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There might even be a conspiracy to replace her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a common tactic—strike when a city is in crisis. Remove the symbolic figurehead when everyone is too overwhelmed to object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t really have interfered if the person they were trying to replace wasn’t Feilian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gates of the Inner City’s palace loomed ahead—tall, elegant, yet bearing the faintest cracks of wear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its once pristine white walls were streaked with soot and dust. Even royalty wasn’t untouched by the creeping rot of chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Feilian led the group forward, flanked by her silent, grim-eyed guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan followed with measured steps, gaze sweeping across every shadow and crack as though the stones themselves might whisper secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the palace retained a degree of splendor—tall arches, delicate murals depicting ancient battles and victories, and polished stone floors that echoed every footstep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet there was no hiding the tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every servant they passed moved quickly, eyes averted, faces tight with fear or fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent of scented oils could not fully mask the iron tang of blood or the bitter smoke that clung to their clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This way!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feilian said, her voice polite but distant, leading Bai Zihan through a side corridor lit with flickering crystal lamps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This wing is still secure. We’ve converted it into a command center and living quarters for what remains of the leadership.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gestured toward a balcony overlooking the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From here, one could see soldiers drilling, engineers repairing crossbows and ballistae, and wounded being treated in hastily erected tents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems like unlike what Bai Zihan initially believed, the people of Inner City weren’t hiding like turtles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, some of the soldiers were fighting with the Demonic Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The morale is holding, barely,\" she murmured. \"But if Grade-3 Demonic Beasts appear...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t finish the thought. She didn’t need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They passed through several more halls—some filled with maps and reports, others with crates of supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, she stopped before a heavy wooden door carved with the crest of her house: a silver crane soaring above storm-tossed waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll speak here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards opened the door, then closed it behind them with a quiet ’thud’, leaving the two alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the chamber was modest for royalty. A long table with scrolls and inkstones dominated the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feilian turned to face him, her eyes sharper now, no longer veiled by the mask of formality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I appreciate you coming,\" she said after a pause. \"More than you realize. Things are... unraveling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan didn’t speak immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studied her carefully—the slight tension in her shoulders, the weariness behind her gaze, the strength hidden beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t seem like she was as naive as he had thought. She must know about her enemies both outside and inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t hold real power here,\" he said bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feilian blinked, surprised by the directness but nodded in honesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. I don’t!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re a symbol. A hope the people can cling to. But symbols don’t give orders. And right now, this city doesn’t need a symbol. It needs a ruler!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow passed over her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You saw Minister Duan. He’s not the only one. Half the council thinks I’m too young. Too idealistic. That I should step aside and let them manage things. I know they all are waiting for an opportunity to replace me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And they’ll do it the moment things get worse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan said flatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hands clenched at her sides, and for a moment, she looked very much like the ruler she could become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They won’t. Not if I became a True Ruler!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan looked at the young girl, her shoulders far too small for the weight she carried—yet she bore it anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes in life, fate doesn’t care if you’re ready. You simply have to carry on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyways, it was great that Feilian already made up her mind and is thinking about the same thing as Bai ZIhan had planned to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think you can?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zihan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s why I need your help,\" Princess Feilian said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With someone like you by my side, I believe I can do it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Smart girl,\" Bai Zihan said with a smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then start by listening,\" Bai Zihan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you want to become a ruler with absolute power, you need weapons, information, and control. I can help with the first two. But the third is up to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feilian nodded slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you need?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1517,"2026-05-28T18:17:14.491Z","2026-06-01T04:28:34.960Z",1,"novelbin.me","f416746a62efde9ee71af0adf4292cc1d33be89aafa5016fab3527e72f16775f","turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-148","turns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-chapter-146",580,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fturns-out-i-m-in-a-villain-clan-cover.jpg"]