Chapter 568: Emperor

Chapter 568: The Emperor

"Dad, are you here?" Li Sui pushed open a dusty storeroom, her face filled with disappointment.

Just as she was about to continue searching the next room, Gao Zhijian blocked her path. "Don't... don't... don't... don't do it like this... look for it!"

Li Sui wrinkled her nose and said with some dissatisfaction, "You speak so slowly. Can I crawl into your body and hear what you're saying?"

Gao Zhijian shook his head vigorously and pulled Li Sui into the now-unsealed Shangjing City.

Although Li Xiongsheng's daughter looked human now, she wasn't actually human. It was too dangerous for such a creature to stay in Shangjing, so he decided to send her back to Niu Xin Village first.

As for Li Xiongsheng, they could only deal with that after sending her back.

To be honest, Gao Zhijian was somewhat disheartened at this moment. He had thought his status was great and would be useful to help Li Xiongsheng, but he turned out to be nothing at all.

He led out his carriage and brought Li Sui on board, heading toward the city gate. Just as he was still thinking about these matters, a familiar figure appeared blocking his way.

"Dad!" Li Sui jumped off the carriage with excitement, arms wide, throwing herself into Li Huowang's embrace, repeatedly pressing her head against his chest.

Li Huowang gently stroked Li Sui's hair and comforted softly, "I'm sorry, there have been too many things happening recently, and I couldn't come find you in time."

Li Sui lifted her head from Li Huowang's embrace and gave him a big smile.

"Dad, how did you find me?"

"I followed the divination signs all the way here. Next time when something like this happens, don't wander around looking for help. Remember to go home first, okay?"

"Dad, where is home?"

"Home is in Niu Xin Village. Niu Xin Village is our home."

After comforting Li Sui for a while, he looked at Gao Zhijian standing before him. He didn't need to search for him, yet this big man had come looking for him — truly a coincidence.

With one hand holding the horse, Gao Zhijian walked over to Li Huowang's side, slapped his chest hard, his face beaming with joy, then began stammeringly asking where Bai Lingmiao had gone.

"The dice is dead, she should be fine for now. Once we solve your matter, I'll go find Bai Lingmiao immediately."

Saying that, Li Huowang took Gao Zhijian into an inn and booked a top-class room.

Facing his fellow disciples, Li Huowang didn't intend to hide anything, telling him everything clearly, even including the strange method of cultivating insects used by the imperial family.

Faced with this sudden change in identity, Gao Zhijian was shocked. There was another world? He wasn't the emperor of this world, but rather the emperor of that one?

And now he was about to become emperor again, saving two worlds single-handedly.

His hands trembled slightly as he lifted his shirt, revealing the sword wound inflicted by Li Huowang earlier on his chest.

Though the story told by his senior brother seemed incredibly absurd, he hadn't gone mad; everything he said was true. He had memories of Li Huowang killing him in his mind.

"Tap." A round jade pendant was slapped onto the table by Li Huowang and pushed towards him. It was the one he had exchanged for a horse earlier, now returned to him.

"I don't know whether this is good or bad for you, but this is your identity," Li Huowang said with a trace of melancholy in his voice.

Being able to rule the entire world as emperor — if anyone else were in his place, they'd probably agree without hesitation. But after being in Shangjing for so long, he had seen enough of the royal family's nonsense.

Put bluntly, he was pushing his brother into the fire. But there was no choice — this was the only way to save Great Liang, and also to save Great Qi that Zhuge Yuan wanted to save.

Gao Zhijian stared at the jade pendant for half an hour, then reached out with his large hand and firmly grasped it in his palm. "Senior Brother Li... Li... Li! Being able to help you... makes me... very happy!"

After speaking, Gao Zhijian stood up, resolutely pushing open the door and walking out. He felt that since he was going to be emperor, he might as well be one.

Being emperor was good. After becoming emperor, no one would dare bully Xiao Man and others anymore.

"Now that I am emperor, will Xiao Man marry me?"

Li Huowang held Li Sui's hand and followed after him, preparing to escort his brother to his coronation.

Gao Zhijian walked along the straight road, as he approached the imperial city, he seemed to awaken some memory. As he walked, his posture straightened, and the simple expression on his face began to change.

"It's you again! Don't want to live anymore, do you? Prepare the Eight Ox Crossbow!"

When Gao Zhijian raised the jade pendant high above the massive palace gates, the closed doors creaked open slowly.

A group of eunuchs and palace maids came out from within, surrounding Gao Zhijian tightly, helping him comb his hair, braid it, and drape the dragon robe over him.

"You found him?" The solemn Grand Master of Great Liang stood beside Li Huowang, questioning him.

Clearly, he had confirmed Gao Zhijian's identity through some means.

Li Huowang didn't answer. Looking at his brother, who had transformed from a foolish giant into a noble emperor.

"There were originally nine people in the Great Liang imperial family, but because of you, so many died. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had to seek someone from Great Qi to continue the bloodline! Speak! What exactly is your intention among all this!" Huangfu Tiangang flipped his hand, and the star sword flashing with purple lightning appeared in his hand.

Just as the Grand Master was about to proceed with further plans, Gao Zhijian noticed and quickly turned around, pointing at him with one hand, furious. "You... you... you... what are you planning to do!"

The Grand Master, who was preparing to strike, looked at Gao Zhijian now dressed in the dragon robe. Reluctantly lowering his hand, he bowed deeply to Gao Zhijian. "This old minister, Huangfu Tiangang, pays homage to His Majesty!"

Gao Zhijian snorted coldly, waved his sleeve heavily, and walked into the palace with a group of eunuchs and palace maids.

Li Huowang glanced at the Grand Master, then took Li Sui and followed him inside.

As Gao Zhijian continued walking deeper, the retinue grew larger and larger. By the main hall, he was surrounded by hundreds of people, himself carried on a high dragon sedan chair.

Just as Gao Zhijian, escorted by everyone, walked up the white marble steps toward the main hall, a piercing scream echoed from above.

"I am the emperor, I am!! Why can't I be emperor?! You said when only one of the nine remained alive, that person would be the emperor! You lied to me! You're all liars!!"

Li Huowang looked up and saw Ji Lin, disheveled and wild-haired, holding a sword, rushing desperately toward Gao Zhijian.

Before Li Huowang could act, a group of old eunuchs suddenly emerged from somewhere, pinning Ji Lin down to the ground.

Ji Lin struggled wildly, crying out despairingly, "Why?! I gave up everything! I really gave so much! I killed my mother, I killed my sister, I killed my whole family! I became so evil! Why won't you let me be emperor?!"

Gao Zhijian looked at her coldly, then turned and walked toward the main hall. Others followed, not even glancing at her.

Even just a short while ago, these eunuchs and palace maids had followed Ji Lin's lead.

Now, only Li Huowang noticed her. He stood beside Ji Lin, bent down to help her up, brushing off the dust from her clothes. "You told me once that you didn't want to be emperor, you didn't want to die, you just wanted to live."

"Now your goal has been achieved. You're no longer emperor, and no one wants to kill you anymore. You should be happy."

Ji Lin shoved Li Huowang away, jumping around like a child in despair, crying loudly. "For the throne, I've given up everything! If you take the throne away from me again, I'll have nothing left!"

Back during the Shangsi Festival, Li Huowang had a good impression of Ji Lin, but now she had become this ghostly figure — truly regrettable.

Li Huowang embraced her, gently patting her back to comfort her. "If you don't know where to go, you can come to me. I can help you again."

After saying that, Li Huowang took Li Sui and continued walking toward the main hall.

But when Li Huowang climbed all the steps, his keen sense of smell caught a whiff of blood.

Turning around, he discovered Ji Lin already lying in a pool of blood. Bright red blood trickled down the white marble steps, eventually forming a small lake at the bottom.

"Dad, she's dead."

"Yes, she's dead."

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(End of Chapter)