Free Web NovelChapter 1230: Chapter 410: What Is There to Fear
Since the beginning of the main competition, except for the time when Yu Xi asked Zhongxuan Zun about the outcome between Dou Zhao, the six supreme beings remained silent and watched without comment. They descended in their Dharma Phases to the Guanhe Platform, based on tradition and as a gesture.
They, in their supreme statuses, watched the battle of prodigies. They themselves only served as bystanders, never interfering in the process of the main competition.
However, at this moment, the Jing Emperor took the initiative to speak up.
Among the six supreme beings present, the Jing Emperor certainly had reason to be angry.
Zhuang Country is a vassal state under his rule.
Jinguo’s own Inner Mansion prodigy died after "The gate of all demons", nominally forfeiting the competition.
The Inner Mansion prodigy of Sheng Country, the first vassal state, was forced to withdraw early due to the meticulous schemes of Lin Zhengren.
That is to say, among the countries of the vassal lineage, only Zhuang Country remains in the main competition of the Inner Court. freёwebnovel.com
Now Lin Zhengren admits defeat without even climbing the stage?
Where does that leave the dignity of the entire vassal lineage?
If it were just this, the Jing Emperor might not have spoken.
As noble and grand as he is, he naturally possesses an inclusivity that embraces the whole world. A mere matter at the Inner Mansion level should have minimal impact.
But what occasion is the Yellow River Gathering?
This is a competition of prodigies from various countries, traditionally also a display of the Human Race on the Guanhe Platform, to demonstrate wisdom, courage, and the future, to deter the Water Race of Long River.
Now the Water Lord of Long River is present.
What does Zhuang Country display?
Display cowardice? freёwebnoѵel.com
Display timidity?
Display how to flee without fighting, to be defeated without contest?
"Turning aggressive just before battle" as a laughable trick, while it could deceive most people here due to real injuries, how could it possibly fool the eyes of the Water Lord of Long River?
Lin Zhengren did not just lose face for himself!
Luckily, these two knew how to cover up somewhat; otherwise, the Jing Emperor even had the intent to kill on the spot.
He spoke indifferently, but his very act of speaking was already a stance.
Now, he gave Du Ruhui a choice.
Actually, the person who fought has fainted, and the person who conceded was Du Ruhui, so this is not the final outcome.
A fainted person can wake up, the suffered injuries can be healed, Du Ruhui’s act of forfeiting on his behalf can be retracted.
Du Ruhui, of course, understands that this is the Jing Emperor giving Zhuang Country a chance to rectify.
With his wisdom, he certainly knows he should seize this opportunity. Being a vassal state and having offended the Jing Emperor, could there be any good outcome?
But the premise for rectification —
Is to control Lin Zhengren.
To let Lin Zhengren bravely stand on the Arena after being "cured", and perform a show of resilience against backlash without retreating, risking his life for Zhuang Country, for the vassal lineage, even exaggeratedly speaking, for all the Human Race prodigies on the Guanhe Platform, to regain the dignity they lost.
But can he do it?
If this were before today, Du Ruhui could still say he had some confidence.
However, today Lin Zhengren decisively harmed himself to avoid combat, making a decisive decision under his "consolation" and "urging"!
Now, it’s time for Du Ruhui to make a choice.
He remained silent for a moment.
Pretending as if he understood nothing, he picked up the fainted Lin Zhengren, lowered his head, and hurriedly left the spectator seats, walking towards the outside of the World Stage.
This was his answer.
He told the Jing Emperor that he had no face to confront.
As the State Minister of Zhuang Country, he could not control the prodigy representing Zhuang Country.
In order to not lose even more face, he could only continue the lie. And then... really go to heal!
This was an accident!
Just like many other times before, Du Ruhui was like a diligent and sincere repairman, always doing everything he could to patch up all aspects of the country.
Originally, he thought that coming to the Yellow River Gathering was just a formality, but then unexpectedly there seemed to be a chance to carry honor...
In a blink, it turned out to be an illusion, still needing to mend!
But not all gaps can be mended. Not all mistakes can be rectified. Du Ruhui in Zhuang is a rarely seen competent minister, looking around the world, what he can do is still very limited.
Today he reevaluated Lin Zhengren, who could forfeit in such a situation, sparing nothing just to survive.
He didn’t think he could offer any conditions that would make Lin Zhengren fight desperately on the stage.
If he were to wake Lin Zhengren up and then forcefully throw him into the arena, that shameful performance would look even worse...
For Zhuang Country, that would be like tearing off the last fig leaf — the fig leaf that Lin Zhengren had put up with his self-harm using the Blood Ghost before fainting.
He could only choose the lesser of two evils.
Even if the resources of the top sixteen, more Demon clan quotas, more Channel-opening Pills... were no longer mentioned.
That’s all he could do.
Lin Zhengren must genuinely be injured from backlash, must truly be fainted, not shrinking from the fight. Thus, one could incidentally commend the prodigy of Sheng Country, saying Jiang Limeng is too strong, so much so that the injuries couldn’t heal.
Otherwise...
In front of representatives from over a hundred countries at the scene, Zhuang Country’s reputation would be damaged yet again!
Under the Jing Emperor’s anger, all he could do now was keep a low profile as much as possible, strive to minimize Zhuang Country’s presence, and try to downplay this incident as much as possible.
Arguing back was futile; explanations were even more vain.
Punishments... he could only endure.
It was his fault, Du Ruhui being old and blurred in sight, choosing the wrong person at the Yellow River Gathering!
The entire World Stage, after the Jing Emperor spoke, fell into a strange silence.
Many people who were unaware of the inside story did not understand why the Jing Emperor would speak up, seemingly caring about a weak vassal state’s Inner Mansion prodigy. Was it because the vassal lineage was completely wiped out in the Inner Court competition?
