Chapter 5: Why Did You Force Me?

“Shameless!”

Inside the Spirit Chain Cage Array, Zhong Ling gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at Xiao Tian’s back.

“His Majesty must be blind to have chosen a spineless man like you!

She saved all the good things for you, tried every possible way to protect you, and this is how you repay her?”

Liang Shou snapped back to reality because of Zhong Ling’s words, a terrifying smile spreading across his face scarred with a ghastly blade mark.

He patted Xiao Tian’s shoulder warmly: “Idiot, the Prince is simply being a wise man who knows when to adapt to circumstances. It’s what smart people do.

Do you think everyone is like you, and those fools like your mother? Can’t you see the situation of the Great Yan Dynasty clearly?”

Zhong Ling clenched her hands, not uttering a sound, her heart already sinking to the bottom.

Liang Shou was actually right. The Great Yan Dynasty was plagued by internal strife and external threats, teetering on the brink.

Now, even the Blood Cloud Tower had begun to interfere…

“I’ve taken the poison, and I’ve explained everything. Can I leave now?”

Xiao Tian’s calm voice interrupted Zhong Ling’s thoughts.

“Of course, Prince, please make yourself at home.” Liang Shou extended his hand, gesturing to the side.

But Xiao Tian didn’t move. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed at Zhong Ling next to him: “Let her leave with me, otherwise it will arouse suspicion. You can make her take poison too.”

This foolish girl got herself trapped trying to save him; Xiao Tian couldn’t just ignore her.

“Don’t be so hypocritical, I don’t need your help!” Xiao Tian’s words made Zhong Ling feel humiliated, and she cried out in anger.

Xiao Tian ignored the willful girl’s shouts and silently watched Liang Shou.

Liang Shou also looked at Xiao Tian, a half-smile on his face: “That won’t do. I have a bit of a grudge with this little bitch, and I’d like to settle it while I’m at it.”

“…” Xiao Tian was silent for a moment, then spoke again, “If you don’t agree, I’m not doing this.”

These words stunned everyone.

They clearly couldn’t understand why Xiao Tian, who had been so cooperative earlier, had suddenly become so stubborn.

“Are you threatening me?” Liang Shou’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone unfriendly.

Xiao Tian shook his head: “It’s not a threat, just a suggestion. If I return unharmed, but Zhong Ling, who was secretly protecting me, disappears, it will easily arouse suspicion and be detrimental to the plan’s execution.

I’m also doing this for the perfect execution of the plan, and to get the antidote to save my life.

Let’s be realistic and reasonable. If you don’t agree, the risk for me is too great, and my life will be in danger.

Either way, I’m going to die, so I might as well die here.”

Zhong Ling frowned, looking at Xiao Tian. She suddenly couldn’t understand this person anymore.

You’d say he was afraid of death, yet from beginning to end, he maintained a calm expression.

An ordinary person, in this situation, was actually arguing reasonably with Liang Shou?

“Is that so? Then you can just wait here for the poison to take effect and die.” Facing Xiao Tian’s words, Liang Shou showed a half-smile.

Xiao Tian’s expression stiffened slightly, and he prepared to speak again: “Let’s all calm down. Don’t be childish, think carefully about what I…”

“If you can’t talk properly, shut up! The boss gave you face, and you’re here pushing your luck?” Beside them, the assassin who had previously abducted Xiao Tian cursed.

He stepped forward, reaching out to grab Xiao Tian’s hair.

At the same time, he threw a punch towards Xiao Tian’s abdomen.

***

Zhong Ling, in the Spirit Chain Cage Array nearby, also couldn’t understand Xiao Tian: “You’re trying to reason with an enemy? Who would listen to you? Now you’re suffering for it, aren’t you?”

However, Xiao Tian’s foolishly naive approach did somewhat raise Zhong Ling’s opinion of him.

She guessed that there might be another reason for Xiao Tian’s honest cooperation.

Perhaps he intended to escape first, then return to the Imperial City to discuss countermeasures and antidotes with His Majesty?

The more Zhong Ling thought, the brighter her eyes became. She looked up at Xiao Tian with worry.

The Prince was just an ordinary person, without cultivation. She wondered if he could withstand the beating.

But when Zhong Ling looked up, she froze.

Xiao Tian, the ordinary Prince in her impression, was punched squarely in the abdomen by the Blood Cloud Tower assassin, yet he stood there motionless, as if nothing had happened.

Why?

The assassin was also stunned, watching Xiao Tian tilt his head to dodge his hand.

Just then, a cold voice, filled with terrifying killing intent, echoed in everyone’s ears.

“I tried to talk to you nicely, but you wouldn’t listen, insisting on getting physical?” Xiao Tian’s originally calm face was now as cold as frost, his pupils glinting with a crimson light.

“And… I hate it the most when people touch my hair!!!”

Xiao Tian’s furious punch suddenly blasted outwards. The Blood Cloud Tower assassin, Old Fourth, who was close by, was instantly annihilated by the terrifying fist force.

A fifth-tier Void-Breaking Realm expert just evaporated like that.

BOOM!!!

Xiao Tian’s enraged punch not only vaporized the assassin, but the violent fist force was like a hurricane, tearing open the ground of the valley.

The distorted fist force carved out ravines on the ground like riverbeds, and its lingering power slammed into the nearby mountain wall without diminishing.

The slightly dim valley suddenly brightened.

Because a massive hole had been forcefully blasted open in the mountain on that side by the fist force.

Sunlight poured into the valley from the giant hole, where dirt and rubble continuously fell, shining like holy light upon Xiao Tian and his group.

“Why?” Xiao Tian shook his head, then fiercely slapped his hand to the side.

A violent gust of wind instantly turned the other two assassins into blood mist.

The palm wind, like an invisible wave, uprooted a series of forests nearby.

The majestic mountain on the other side tilted and leaned due to the palm wind from Xiao Tian’s strike.

“I just wanted to be a leisurely Prince, enjoying a carefree life.

From the start, I’ve been talking to you nicely, and I’ve been very cooperative.

I reasoned with you, offered a very reasonable suggestion, why wouldn’t you listen?

I had already decided not to act, to be benevolent. Why did you force me to act?”

Xiao Tian lowered his head, looking down at Liang Shou, who was already sprawled on the ground.

At this moment, in Liang Shou’s vision, the figure before him was no human at all.

Instead, it was a… demon, enveloped in a blood-colored, tangible killing intent!

Before him, it was as if a crimson sea of blood surged forward, tightly gripping his throat, making him unable to breathe.

“I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please spare me.”

At this moment, Liang Shou’s ghastly face was filled with panic, tears and snot streaming down it.

Below, yellow liquid seeped out.

He had peed himself!

Xiao Tian didn’t answer him, merely gazed silently at him, releasing his aura towards him.

Liang Shou, kneeling on the ground, horrifyingly discovered his body was disintegrating. He reached out, trying to grab Xiao Tian.

But before he could even touch Xiao Tian, his entire being had already turned into flying ash.

Leaving no trace in this world.

Xiao Tian retracted his aura, his face gloomy as he turned around.

Zhong Ling, standing in the Spirit Chain Cage Array, was already trembling with fear…

Σ(oﾟдﾟoﾉ)

Especially when she saw Xiao Tian walk over and reach out towards her, she shuddered, hugged her head, and squatted down.

“Prince, spare my life! Zhong Ling knows she was wrong, please don’t kill me…”

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound rang out. Zhong Ling cautiously lifted her head.

The Spirit Chain Cage Array that had trapped her was as fragile as paper in Prince Xiao Tian’s hand.

And he was looking at her with an expression of disdain.

“Are you an idiot?”

* * *

Proofreader & Editor: Fat Goose 🪶