Free Web NovelChapter 120: Lift the Curse
Just as they approached, bursts of intense coughing broke the silence of the night, sounding extremely abrupt.
Long Chen frowned, quickening his pace even more.
Opening the tent, he saw a pale face devoid of any color of blood.
Seeing Long Chen arrive, Xi Zhicai suppressed his coughing and, after setting aside a scroll, greeted him with a hand gesture, "My lord, what’s the matter?"
"Why are you looking for me in the middle of the night? Is there an emergency?"
Seeing Xi Zhicai’s current condition, for some reason, Long Chen’s eyes gradually became moist...
"Zhicai, have you caught a cold?"
Xi Zhicai waved his hand, "It’s nothing, just a minor illness, nothing serious."
Now, deep into autumn, the weather was getting cooler.
Already cursed with innate vulnerabilities, Xi Zhicai’s chances of getting sick increased by 50%, so it was no wonder he had caught a cold.
Long Chen took out a jade box containing the Evil-Rejection Pill from his bosom and placed it before Xi Zhicai, his expression serious.
"Eat this!"
"What is this?"
"This is the Evil-Rejection Pill, it has the effect of warding off evil, it will help alleviate your condition, please take it!"
Evil-Rejection Pill!?
Xi Zhicai’s expression stiffened. With his extensive knowledge, he had come across various books mentioning the Evil-Rejection Pill before. He couldn’t recall the specifics, but there was one word that left a deep impression on him.
What word was it?
"Immortal"!
This pill might be a treasure left behind by ancient immortals. In terms of value, it was likely priceless, even invaluable.
How did the lord obtain such a pill?
Most importantly, he was willing to bestow such a divine pill upon me...
Xi Zhicai felt as if his heart had been gently tugged twice, a tight, sour feeling enveloping it...
Seeing the hesitation in the strategist, Long Chen gently nudged the jade box and said, "Quickly take this pill, don’t make me worry."
Without any overflowing words of gratitude, Xi Zhicai simply nodded. Although he didn’t express his thanks, he deeply remembered the lord’s kindness in his heart.
Opening the jade box, he held the golden pill and swallowed it.
As the Evil-Rejection Pill melted in his mouth, its golden liquid flowed freely through his limbs and body.
Emitting a sacred golden light, it dispelled the darkness and curse within him...
A surge of vitality erupted instantaneously, and as the person directly involved, Xi Zhicai experienced the richest sensations.
If he had originally been in the bitterly cold Arctic, he now found himself in a lush forest with perpetual spring.
His pale face gradually regained its rosy hue.
Long Chen’s eyes brightened, witnessing the miraculous transformation of the strategist’s complexion.
Indeed, the Evil-Rejection Pill was no ordinary item.
He checked Xi Zhicai’s attribute panel. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Long Chen observed that in the talent section, the original golden ring surrounding the talent "Envied by Heaven, Elite among Men" had completely dissipated, dispelling the faint black mist that had surrounded it.
It seems that the Evil-Rejection Pill has successfully countered this talent curse.
"Ding! Due to the Evil-Rejection Pill you gifted, the favorability of Strategist Xi Zhicai towards you has increased to 95 (Until death do us part)."
His own actions had caused Xi Zhicai’s favorability towards him to reach its peak, even willing to sacrifice his life for him.
Long Chen felt deeply gratified and patted Xi Zhicai’s shoulder, saying, "Zhicai, seeing your recovery puts my mind at ease. You must take care of yourself in the future and not take risks lightly!"
Xi Zhicai’s eyes glistened with tears as he bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you immensely, my lord!"
In Luoyang City.
After learning of Lu Bu’s defeat, Dong Zhuo was enraged, and he angrily overturned the delicious delicacies placed on the table.
His face flushed with anger, he pounded the table fiercely, causing it to shatter into pieces.
The dozens of graceful palace maids beside Dong Zhuo were frightened, huddling together in fear, trembling uncontrollably as they watched Dong Zhuo’s mad outburst.
Chief Strategist Li Ru stood nearby, looking at Dong Zhuo with concern, thinking to himself:
"The lord wasn’t like this before! How did he become like this after arriving in the capital?"
Speaking of which...
Dong Zhuo used to be an outstanding young man, generous and kind-hearted in Liangzhou, making many friends. With his family’s wealth and his own courage and strategy, he quickly gathered a formidable force.
Later, he participated in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the Liangzhou Rebellion, earning great merits.
But after this mighty lord entered Luoyang City, he was influenced by power and indulgence, becoming the obese, brutal tyrant he was now.
Li Ru sighed deeply in his heart.
As they say, a good bird chooses its tree to roost, but Li Ru had no choice. He was already Dong Zhuo’s son-in-law, and the two were in the same boat.
Therefore, Li Ru couldn’t defect to other forces.
What needed to be done still had to be done!
Approaching Dong Zhuo, Li Ru bowed deeply and said:
"My lord, please calm down. We should consider what to do next!"
Hearing the advice of his chief strategist, Dong Zhuo’s boiling anger gradually subsided.
He calmed down and said, "What does Advisor have in mind? Speak quickly!"
Li Ru pondered for a moment, then bowed and said:
"Now that the Marquis of Duellist has been defeated recently, the morale of the soldiers from the Xiliang has plummeted, and they have no desire to fight anymore.
My lord, why not let General Lu lead the Xiliang army back to Luoyang, and move the capital to Chang’an, in accordance with the nursery rhyme?
Lately, the nursery rhyme sings: ’One Han in the west, one Han in the east. When the deer walks into Chang’an, there will be no more difficulties.’
I think this phrase ’One Han in the west’ refers to the prosperity of the Han Dynasty in the western capital Chang’an, and later the twelve emperors; and ’One Han in the east’ should refer to the prosperity of the Han Dynasty in the eastern capital Luoyang, which has also witnessed twelve emperors."
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo nodded thoughtfully.
Li Ru continued, "It’s said that fortune will reverse.
Now, as long as my lord moves the capital back to Chang’an, we will be safe."
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo was overjoyed, casually throwing aside the palace maid in his arms, who had been squeezed until her face turned red, ignoring her pitiful screams.
He laughed and said, "Ru, if not for your words, I wouldn’t have realized this!"
Li Ru smiled calmly, knowing that what he had said earlier was just to calm down the enraged Dong Zhuo.
As for the theory he had just mentioned, it was merely superstitious talk and not to be taken seriously.
As for the real reason for moving the capital...
Firstly, and most directly, it was to avoid the attacks of the Coalition Against Dong Zhuo. After all, with continuous defeats, the morale of the soldiers from the Xi liang had plummeted!
Secondly, most of Dong Zhuo’s forces were in Liangzhou, and the majority of his soldiers were Liangzhou Iron Cavaliers. Chang’an was close to his main base in Longxi and Liangzhou.
