Chapter 723: Chapter 725: Serving which deity?
Sitting beneath the screen in the room, Zhu Minglang spoke softly and in detail to Li Xinghua about all the nuances of destiny. There was no longer a need to rush about in search of clues to fate, only to eliminate any potentially unstable factors that might exist.
For some reason, merely describing all this made Zhu Minglang feel a slight sense of nervousness.
This mission was the real destiny, leaving no chance for a do-over, and he could not afford to make a single misstep, or it would mean doom!
“Alright, let’s set out,” Zhu Minglang took a deep breath, committing all the clues of fate to memory.
“Yes, Young Master,” Li Xinghua reminded him, “even if some unforeseen events still occur, and someone departs, please remain calm, Young Master. We have already done our utmost.”
...
Zhu Minglang smiled and said, “What is meant to be will eventually come to pass, and what is not cannot be forced. I will naturally do my very best for the people of the Imperial City, the warriors of Zhu Gate, and the Dragon Country of the clouds, but as for…”
Zhu Minglang didn’t finish his sentence.
After all, there were some people in Zhu Minglang’s heart who were irreplaceable, and he would not let fate play with him, even if he was down to his last breath!!
…
In the dimly-lit cell, Shang Zhuang handed the Blood Poison Bottle to Zhu Minglang and then leaned back, sitting in the corner of the cell with a look of abject confusion.
“I hope it proves useless,” Shang Zhuang murmured to himself.
Zhu Minglang was about to turn and leave, but he paused for a moment. Without turning back, he said to Shang Zhuang, “Deep down, you already know the answer; you’re just afraid to verify it. But have you ever considered the people of the Sparrow Wolf Divine City? By not exposing his vile nature, you’re allowing more people to pay the same price as your clansmen. He’s not that Evil Immortal; he still retains a sliver of humanity.”
Shang Zhuang looked up, his face blank with surprise at Zhu Minglang’s indignant words, finding himself at a loss for words.
Eventually, he realized his own foolishness and recognized that his wandering and hesitation were essentially abetting tyranny…
“I beg you, take him down for me,” Shang Zhuang pleaded, his head buried in his knees. “The descendants of the Sparrow Wolf Star God must recognize that the deity they worship is a demon dressed in godly robes!”
“I will,” said Zhu Minglang. After speaking, something came to his mind, and he turned back to Shang Zhuang and added, “Oh, and let me borrow your Beast Robe.”
“???” Shang Zhuang was utterly baffled.
…
Before leaving the city, Zhu Minglang changed some of the previous trajectories of fate.
He brought along an additional person, the Yin Spirit Necromancer girl Zhi Rou.
They went to North Utmost Ridge and took along Hong Geng of the Holy Que. With him present, Zhu Minglang could join forces with the Zhu Heavenly Officer to confront Shang Hanxu of the Sparrow Wolf God, increasing their chances of success.
Entering the Dark Vortex, they arrived at the crossroads of the Underworld. The Yin Spirit Necromancer girl huddled close to Li Xinghua; she seemed to see more than the others…
Upon entering the stream of time, everything was almost identical. The Nuwa Dragon was tutored by the slender hand of the Night Empress, while Zhu Minglang tried to absorb some special Underworld Spirit Substance, turning it into a rather dense Spiritual Energy and channeling it into the body of the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon.
In the Spirit Realm, the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon looked up, puzzled at Zhu Minglang.
Why was his dragon keeper being so generous to him today, providing an extra meal?
In the past, the Spiritual Energy was distributed evenly to each dragon.
…
They still headed for the Empress’s Pavilion.
This time they arrived a bit earlier, and Zhu Minglang already knew the security arrangements of the Empress’s Pavilion, easily infiltrating into the sleeping quarters of the Imperial Concubine.
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Zhu Minglang still harbored some doubts in his heart.
Who had slit Empress Zhu’s wrists, letting her endure the agony of her blood slowly draining away until death? Was it a man sent by Zhu Heavenly Officer?
Just like before, Empress Zhu sat alone in the empty hall, her face serene yet tinged with the indifference of one who has come to terms with life and death.
She had betrayed Zhu Gate, yet still could not earn the trust of Emperor Zhao Yuan.
She was at her wit’s end.
She seemed like a person quietly waiting for death.
However, Zhu Minglang still had not seen who had come here before himself and Zhao Yuan.
Suddenly, Zhu Yuzhi groaned, enduring something as her eyes fixed on her own wrist…
Her wrist slowly began to split open as if torn by her own hand. There was nothing around, no weapon in sight, yet a terrifying wound appeared!
Zhu Minglang’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him!
It was some kind of eerie force!
But Zhu Minglang was not unfamiliar with such a scene.
When he had interrogated Shang Hanxu, Shang Hanxu suddenly bled from all orifices, and his blood even seeped from his skin, flowing outwards—a mysterious and terrifying death, clearly a curse!!!
The Curse of the God Servants!!!
Zhu Yuzhi hadn’t died by her own hand, nor by another’s; she died from the Curse of the God Servants!!
No wonder the healing effects of the Celestial Rabbit Dragon Drool worsened the wound; a curse cannot be cured!!
This Curse of the God Servants, although not as brutal as the one Shang Hanxu suffered, was still a fatal curse, irreversible, beyond even gods to mend!
Empress Zhu still forbore from crying out.
She pulled a garment from beside her to cover herself, but blood flowed down her wrist onto the chair, and onto the ground…
She murmured to herself, displaying regret and pain, but she did not beg, only wallowed in remorse.
It was clear she remained loyal to the god she served, but she knew she had committed an unforgivable sin.
“Aunt.”
Zhu Minglang approached Zhu Yuzhi, still unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
“It’s you…” A trace of guilt appeared on the face of Empress Zhu, especially upon seeing Zhu Minglang.
“You are under the Curse of the God Servants. Which god do you serve?” Zhu Minglang asked, somewhat in disbelief. Empress Zhu was actually a god’s servant!
Zhu Yuzhi revealed a bleak smile but did not answer Zhu Minglang’s question.
“Please tell the Heavenly Officer I’m sorry,” Zhu Yuzhi changed the subject, her voice detached. “I would like to say my farewells to Zhao Yuan with the little time I have left, may I?”
Saying so, Zhu Yuzhi gestured with her other hand toward the incense burner to indicate the location of the Ancient Lantern Jade to Zhu Minglang.
“My father does not blame you; he knows that some things are out of our control,” Zhu Minglang consoled.
Hearing these words, a rare change came over Zhu Yuzhi’s expression; she smiled, a smile that finally contained warmth. The pain brought on by the Curse of the God Servants seemed to lessen considerably, and her fear of death was no longer as intense.
Empress Zhu wanted to say something more, but as she gazed at Zhu Minglang, she eventually just softly shook her head, as if feeling she should no longer interfere with anything further.
…