Free Web NovelChapter 1161: Chapter 1161: A Father’s Last Words
"I can surrender! But can I really trust that after I surrender, you will definitely release my subordinates and my child?" Zhuo Geng glanced at his son whose mouth was covered so he couldn’t make a sound, sighed, then turned to Bai Ze and asked.
"I know that in your eyes, people like us have no credibility at all. But I can stake my cultivation future and my master’s reputation to promise you: as long as you’re willing to surrender, I’ll release them immediately!" Bai Ze was secretly delighted upon hearing this but didn’t show it on his face. He pointed at the captives and said, "Rest assured, we will never lay any hands on them, and we will absolutely not go back on our word and ambush them on the road! I guarantee that before they safely flee into the Dragon Realm, we won’t touch them in the slightest!"
"I don’t believe you, but I don’t think a Master of Origin would stoop to going back on his word. Since you swear on your master’s reputation, I’ll believe you this once!" After saying this, Dragon King Zhuo Geng helplessly lowered the greatsword in his hand. In an instant, the armor, shield, and greatsword on his body all sank into the shadows and vanished without a trace.
Seeing Zhuo Geng like this, Bai Ze nodded at Nero at the side. The latter understood at once and rushed forward with Shitang Longsi to stand before Zhuo Geng. After cautiously approaching and confirming he wouldn’t suddenly lash out, they took out the specially prepared restraints crafted in advance for capturing a Dragon King, and stepped up to lock them respectively around Zhuo Geng’s neck, both arms, and both ankles.
Click! With the shackle at his ankle snapping shut, everyone present couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief. Zhuo Geng, whose stature had shrunk back to that of an ordinary human, in no way looked like a prisoner at this moment. He raised his head, looked at Bai Ze, and demanded, "Can you fulfill your promise now?!"
"Of course! We keep our word!" Bai Ze raised his hand as he spoke, but halfway up, he stopped. Zhuo Geng glared at him angrily and demanded, "What is it? Are you going back on your word?"
"No. I can release them, but you must order them not to make any move of resistance or attack. Otherwise, all consequences arising from that will be your responsibility, not us violating any agreement." Bai Ze made things clear while holding his half-raised hand.
"You hear that?!" Zhuo Geng nodded at Bai Ze, then turned to the crowd, raising his shackled hands high and shouting, "Today I’m destined not to leave this place alive, so I must take responsibility for my mistakes! My death is of no importance, but you must live on. Listen: once you regain your freedom, do not resist, do not look back. Flee! Just keep fleeing all the way! Don’t stop until you safely return to the Dragon Realm! This is my final order as Dragon King."
"Very good!" Seeing Zhuo Geng issue the order, Bai Ze nodded in satisfaction, then raised his hand again and commanded, "Lift the restraints and release them all!"
With that order, amid a series of crisp cracking sounds, the restrictions binding the captives were undone one by one. Those who regained their freedom shoved aside the enemies guarding them and were about to rush to the Dragon King, but were halted by Zhuo Geng’s furious roar.
"What, even my final order you won’t obey?! Don’t make this wretched state of mine utterly meaningless!"
At that roar, all the Dragon Realm retainers in the sky froze in mid-flight. Amid wailing sobs, several of the Dragon King’s close attendants, tears in their eyes, dragged the injured Hydra, and together with the unwilling-to-leave Sara, retreated toward the outside of the gorge.
"Wait!"
"Oh? Does Lord Dragon King still have something to do?" Seeing Zhuo Geng suddenly speak up at this moment, Bai Ze asked with interest.
"Can you let me say a final word to my son?"
"I imagine this should be the last time you father and son will ever meet. It’s only human nature; how could I refuse such a request?" This seemingly unexpected yet reasonable request made Bai Ze think for a moment before he nodded his assent, then waved his hand to signal his men to open a path.
Seeing the Dragon King speak, the Dragon Realm confidants loosened their grip on Sara’s hand as well. Sara then bounded forward in a few leaps into the field and, with a thud, knelt before his father.
Lowering his head, Zhuo Geng gently stroked the head of his son, who was clinging to his legs and sobbing his heart out, and for once spoke softly, "Do you remember what we talked about the night before we set out? Our clan will be entrusted to you from now on. Because of what happened today, you’ll face many doubts and accusations, but don’t be afraid. I believe in you—you will live up to my expectations, sit firmly in that position, and lead our clan back to the summit."
"Father!" Sara sobbed until he lost his voice, clutching at Zhuo Geng’s trouser leg as he choked out the words.
"Your younger brother Saraf has a violent temper. You must constantly restrain him and care for him! Don’t be like me, only regretting after losing him why you didn’t do more back then. And your little sister and the other younger brothers will all be depending on you to look after them. Remember, don’t be in a rush to avenge me—you’re still not their match."
Listening from above, Fafnir felt as if knives were twisting in his heart. Although the two brothers had long since turned against each other, as the saying goes, a dying man’s words are kind; in his elder brother’s final words, there was a hint of remorse for not having disciplined and cared for him enough back then. That also made Fafnir feel a trace of shame and self-disgust for what he had done. But at this point, nothing could be undone. He could only keep walking down the path he had chosen.
"Go! Return to the Dragon Realm! Because of this incident, our clan will lose the position of Dragon King. The next Dragon King will be the Dragon Race Leader of the Daoist Realm’s Dragon Race. That man, Long Taichu—whether in bearing or judgment, I am convinced by him. After you return to the Dragon Realm, you must follow all his arrangements!" After saying this, Zhuo Geng slapped Sara hard on the head in a final exhortation.
"Father!" Sara’s whole body trembled. He lifted his head to look at his father, who seemed to have aged more than ten years in an instant, and cried out in grief.
"Go!"
Thump! Thump! Thump! Sara dropped to his knees and pounded his own chest hard three times with his fists, then said no more. He turned, flew into the sky, regrouped with the remnants of the Dragon Realm forces, and together they flew into the Space Passage that Blood Shasha had torn open for them leading to the outside world.
Only when he saw his son’s figure completely disappear from his sight and could no longer sense his source energy did Dragon King Zhuo Geng finally let out a free and easy laugh. He sat down cross-legged on the ground, spread his chain-bound arms, looked at Bai Ze, and gave a wry smile. "So, what do you plan to do with me now—swarm me and tear me apart to feast on my flesh?"
"Ah, such deeply moving father-son affection. That little act of Sara just now is about the same as what we in the East call kneeling and kowtowing to bid farewell to one’s parents, right? I truly didn’t expect the mighty and renowned Lord Dragon King to also be such a loving father, even passing a portion of the dragon essence in his body and his Divine Artifact to his son before leaving." Bai Ze wiped the tiny bit of moisture at the corner of his eye with his fingertip, pretending to be sentimental.
"What did you say?" Nero stepped forward at those words, placing a hand on Zhuo Geng’s shoulder. After carefully probing for a while, he discovered that it was just as Bai Ze had said—he could no longer sense the presence of those two immensely powerful Divine Artifacts within him. At that, he flew into a rage. "You realized it—why didn’t you stop him from leaving?"
