Chapter 564: Schemes Within Schemes |
Ji Lin began to feel uneasy; he noticed something strange happening to his body.
“What’s going on...” Ji Lin trailed off as he froze. His voice was no longer that of a young man but had transformed into a delicate young woman’s voice.
Multiple changes occurred one after another. Her skin softened, and his Adam's apple sank. More and more changes occurred until he finally became a bonafide woman.
Huangfu Tiangang walked towards the exit with a grim expression but was stopped by Li Huowang, who was holding his head in pain. “Imperial Preceptor, don’t panic, there’s still a solution! The root of Great Liang’s Dragon Vein has yet to be severed!”
“You don’t even know what’s happening. This matter concerns not just the Dragon Vein! Hmph! You don’t know anything at all!”
Huangfu Tiangang suppressed his anger and walked briskly towards the hall’s exit.
Li Huowang wanted to speak, but he hesitated. His thoughts were a bit sluggish as he looked at Zhuge Yuan. “What method is it, Brother Zhuge?”
Zhuge Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening his eyes once again, “The Great Qi! We can use the royal bloodline of the Great Qi to connect with the Dragon Vein of Great Liang, which will ensure that the Dragon Vein will remain linked.”
“Brother Zhuge, what nonsense are you talking about? The bloodline of the Great Qi no longer exists! Have you already forgotten how I beheaded the final emperor of the Great Qi?”
“Really?! That’s great!” Li Huowang clutched his head and was about to chase after the Imperial Preceptor when he came to a halt and muttered, “Brother Zhuge... Did you already know about Shai Zi’s scheme?”
“Brother Li, let’s talk about that later. Hurry up and tell the Great Liang's Imperial Preceptor what I said to you!”
However, Li Huowang added, “Brother Zhuge, we're in Great Liang, so is it really necessary for us to go and look for him right now? Or are you trying to change the subject? I’ve been feeling something amiss for a while now, but I thought I was just overthinking it. I mean, how can I doubt you? I was convinced that I was just overthinking it. After all, you're such a good person, Zhuge Yuan. We’re even sworn brothers!
"Unfortunately, my doubts only grew since my memories as a Hong Zhong were unlocked. Like how you told me to go to Great Qi to look for Shangji Guankou, which ended up in me stumbling upon the Emperor of the Great Qi? Then I actually brought him to the Great Liang?”
“Coincidentally, Shai Zi’s scheme is to sever the Great Liang’s roots. However, the Emperor of the Great Qi can actually destroy that scheme? What kind of a coincidence is that? it feels like I'm dancing to someone else's palm."
Zhuge Yuan sighed and admitted it. “Indeed, I saw through Shai Zi’s scheme earlier.”
“Then why didn’t you stop it? You could have mentioned it to me earlier. There had been eight other contenders for the throne! We wouldn't have found ourselves in this situation if we had spared just one or maybe two of them!”
“Because I wanted to save Great Qi!” Zhuge Yuan roared. This was the first time that Zhuge Yuan raised his voice at Li Huowang, and his lips trembled ever so slightly as he added, ”Do you know how many people are still alive in the Great Qi? Do you know how many are going to die once the Great Qi is annihilated thoroughly? Think about that little girl, the one crying noiselessly while tugging at your clothes. She's alive, and everyone there is alive!”
“You have good friends, and you have people you care about. How about me? Do you really think that I don't have any beloved ones in the Great Qi?
"Yes, I did all this! When I said I wanted to leave a message for my good friend, I was talking about that Xu Nian! She’s my good friend! She’s my confidante. I made it so that she'll bring the Emperor of Great Qi with her. She helped you with the scene, and she ultimately found a way to bring the Great Qi Emperor to the Great Liang, just as Shai Zi was setting up his scheme. That little emperor can break Shai Zi’s scheme and save Great Qi at the same time. Don’t worry; the Great Liang will remain unharmed, even if the Emperor of the Great Qi establishes a connection with it.
"The current Great Qi is done for, but... I want to give the survivors of the Great Qi a way out...” Zhuge Yuan trailed off, and his voice sounded so low at the end of his sentence that Li Huowang barely heard him.
After a while, Li Huowang smiled bitterly and asked, “Why? Why did you not tell me? Why did it have to be like this? Do you really think that I wouldn't have helped you if you had told me about it? Wrong! I would have risked my life to help you! You're the only one whom I truly trust in this crazy world, Zhuge Yuan! I truly consider you as my good friend!”
Zhuge Yuan was silent.
Li Huowang could guess the answer. He approached Zhuge Yuan step by step, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes. “Is it because you suspected that I was a Hong Zhong? Or was it because you thought that I was a lunatic? Did you not say anything to me because you couldn't trust me?”
“Yes.”
Zhuge Yuan's succinct reply made Li Huowang feel like his chest was struck by a sledgehammer. His emotional pain then transformed into extreme anger. “I’m a lunatic! I’m a Hong Zhong! But what about you? You might not even be Zhuge Yuan! You’re nothing but a mere illusion!”
Zhuge Yuan’s figure flickered at Li Huowang's remark. However, Zhuge Yuan’s gaze became even more resolute, “Does it matter whether I'm the real Zhuge Yuan or not? So what if I'm an illusion? Even if one is poor, they'll still be able to achieve something by persevering and never giving up on their ambitions!”
Li Huowang gnashed his teeth and swung his hand toward Zhuge Yuan’s face. “Stop the nonsense! I've never really understood your nonsense! I've just been pretending all this while!”
“Brother Li!” Zhuge Yuan took a step forward and looked seriously at Li Huowang’s face, “Brother Li, does it really matter who we are? So what if I am an illusion? So what if you are Hong Zhong? What matters is our true intentions!”
“True intentions... Haha... True intentions...” Li Huowang shook his head with a bitter smile. He staggered backward until he collided with a massive dragon pillar. After a moment of silence, he looked at Zhuge Yuan again. His voice was tinged with indifference as he asked, “Brother Zhuge, what if I really am a Hong Zong? I mean, there must be a reason behind your suspicions, right? if I'm a Hong Zong, do you really think that this Hong Zhong of the Sitting Oblivion Dao would help you foil Shai Zi’s plan?”
The spine sword on Li Huowang’s back started moving on its own. The spine sword tore off the purple talisman on its head and used its bone-white fingers to carve some words into the stone tiles. After a brief pause, the spine sword slapped the words carved in the stone tiles, and the words took to the sky, leaving behind an afterimage as they made a beeline for the Imperial Preceptor of the Great Liang.
