Chapter 741 Alliance.
Zhu Lingxue was stunned when she heard Shi Lang saying that what he was going to say could change her fate. It was not like she wanted to be used as a pretty bargaining chip that could be exchanged for social upgrade at the whim of her father.
The entire family had an indifferent attitude towards her. Although they did not love her, they did not make things difficult for her either. However, she did not want to be treated like this. She wanted to experience their hate if not their love. No matter what she did, and no matter how hard she worked, none ever acknowledged her.
Shi Lang was the only person who gave her a smile in ages, and even gave her the respect of a comrade. He allowed her to work along with him and he also understood her agony. She gazed at him and asked solemnly, "Is what you said true? Can you really change my fate?"
Shi Lang nodded and said, "I can, you see once a human has emptied their hearts to fill a broken cup they grow empty and void. You still have some compassion left in you. If you can prove that you do not have any entanglement with the unorthodox demonic path, I will ensure that you outgrow the role of a bargaining chip."
Zhu Lingxue took out a dagger from her space ring and made a slash on her fair palm. Her blood dripped on the floor, as she said, "With the heavens as my witness, I swear that I have no entanglement or plans to ever engage in the occult practices of the unorthodox path of demonic cultivation."
The blood from her hand stopped dripping and condensed in a blob, levitating in the void. After a few minutes, the blood evaporated but Zhu Lingxue was unharmed. Shi Lang nodded and replied, "Congratulations on passing the heavenly blood oath."
This oath was the only way to prove that you are not entangled with the demonic path in the immortal realm. If you failed, then all the people from your direct bloodline will suffer the fate of eradication.
Zhu Lingxue asked solemnly, "What can you offer me now, Young Master Ace?"
Shi Lang smiled and replied, "I have two propositions for you. You can decide which one you want."
Zhu Lingxue nodded and said, "Please go on."
Shi Lang continued, "The first proposition is for you to break away from the Zhu Family and join my organization. I can assure you that your capability of digging out truth from the most heinous of people will be put to a good use. We do not harm any innocent person. We only gather information and hunt down those who are indulged in Unorthodox demonic cultivation practices."
Zhu Lingxue leaned back on her seat and she asked, "What about the second option?"
Shi Lang did not reply to her instantly, he scanned the place with his spiritual sense before saying, "You can take the helms of the Zhu Family."
Zhu Lingxue opened her eyes wide in disbelief. She slapped the table and broke it into shards of wood. She rebuked Shi Lang, "Do you think this is a joke? Do you think I do not know that the path to ascend to the helm of the family needs slaughter and sacrifice? Yes, I accept that they do not love me, but they do not show me their hatred either. I have lived a convenient life with them, why should I go against them?"
Shi Lang was unbothered by her outburst. He took a deep breath and said, "Do you think that I am asking you to go to war with your family? Please do not tell me that you have no idea what that bunch of old coots have been up to. City Lord Pie will be bringing down his hammer soon. The Meng family is not further away in clearing their accounts with your elders. Also, do you think the Sovereigns or the Martial Council will sit still when they find that your old man conspired with the titan sect and their ambition to gain power all over the central plain?"
His tone was calm, but the words were as sharp as a dagger in the heart. Shi Lang watched her fall silent and waved his hand to assemble the wood shards back as a table. He said, "You can take your time to think, or even go and tattle to your father. You will see that not only is their mind clouded by arrogance and ambition, they will not appreciate your concern. If you wish for them to label you as a coward, then please go ahead."
Then he leaned back in his chair without caring about the stunned girl. Zhu Lingxue was not disturbed and Shi Lang gave her free rein to ponder over the subject. After a few minutes, Zhu Lingxue gazed at Shi Lang and said, "I will take care of my family."
Shi Lang nodded and said, "Good, if you can find anyone who accepts you as their leader later, I will support you. However, your priority is to make sure that you do not end up as a collateral damage in the struggle and similarly try to save as many innocents as possible."
Zhu Lingxue glared at Shi Lang and said, "What do you mean if someone is left to protect after the struggle?"
Shi Lang replied, "What I mean is that if you act now, your elders will kill you for meddling and harboring ill-intentions. After all, you still have two brothers that will be heading back for the Tournament."
Zhu Lingxue was surprised, and Shi Lang continued, "I am not saying this because I fancy your abilities and want to recruit you. I am saying this because it would be a waste for a resourceful person like you to die at the hands of a few old men who could not see the big picture."
Zhu Lingxue clenched her fists and asked, "If that is the truth then why did you even mention the second path for me?"
Shi Lang shrugged and replied, "I am not a messiah. I am only giving you the truth of the situation. If you want my help then I will be there but it will be very limited. I am helping you out of kindness Fairy Zhu. I do not stand to gain anything from this."
Zhu Lingxue scoffed and said, "So, you are a saint are you? Helping me out of kindness, my foot. I am not a fool, Young Master Ace. You better tell me what you are looking for."
Shi Lang smiled and said, "It is always easy to talk to smart people. If I said that I would like you to find out what the elders of your family are up to. Would you be kind to provide me with such detail?"
Zhu Lingxue was stunned and she stood up from her chair. She asked, "How audacious of you? You cannot help me and even want me to help you? Shameless."
Shi Lang narrowed his eyes and said, "Your father is a killer, he did not think twice and slayed your mother because she was from an Orthodox Demonic Path. Aren't you a bit to naive to think that he will allow you to get ahead in ranks? Over his dead body. That wastrel Zhu Lin was able to gain all the control of the young forces in the family, why? Because he was cruel, and did not spare even his brothers. Do you think that your father or the elders of the family do not know all this?
Zhu Lin became so strong because the elders supported him. They do not need a righteous leader, but a cruel sword that would slay everything in its path to ensure survival and prosperity. If I told you that the so called Titan Sect is manipulated by the Wang Family of the central plain, would you understand that your family has remotely made connection with the demonic path? The same path that ruined the lives of people like your mother and made them a culprit in the vision of the rest of the world?
Shame on you, Zhu Lingxue for sticking to the people who took so much for you in return of a comfortable life and good food."
That said, he stood up and walked out of the guest hall. He stopped at the door and said, "Fairy Zhu, life gives us all a chance at redemption and finding the purpose of our life. No matter whatever decision you make, as a man of my word, I will help you. However, I hope that you make a decision that you do not end up regretting. I am sure your mother must have regretted her decision of trusting your father."
Shi Lang left after setting the heart of the young girl on fire. He did not touch upon her wound, but he stabbed the wound and let it bleed. At this moment, Zhu Lingxue was obviously thinking about her deceased mother. The fact that her father was the person who killed her Mother, she had been trying to please the man. This made her uneasy. She thought that she had betrayed her mother and defied the purpose of her sacrifice.
She closed her eyes as a few tears ran down her cheeks. She sighed and said, "Young Master Ace, I know you can hear me. What you said may have woken me up but it has also caused me a great deal of pain too. I am willing to help you, and after that I will join your organization, but do not think that I owe you anything."
Shi Lang's voice sounded from outside the guest hall, "I never did."
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