Free Web NovelChapter 1305: Chapter 2 Facing the Blade
The piercing wind cuts through the face.
At such high speed, without the protection of Path Origin, it is almost akin to being tortured.
Amidst the harsh wind, Lin Zhengren feels immense physical pain.
His neck is gripped from behind, held as if he were a dog, so disgracefully restrained. His limbs stiff and drooping, he hangs suspended in the air...
He has no time to consider his own dignified appearance.
Because all his thoughts are focused on one crucial issue—
How to survive?
At the Yellow River Gathering, a chosen warrior representing his nation, affected by the Blood Ghoul Backlash, he retreated before the fight. He secured a spot in the formal competition, yet he didn’t even ascend the stage.
Zhuang Country became almost the laughingstock of the world.
To reach Guanhe Platform, Zhuang Country had invested efforts spanning generations.
To wash away this disgrace might take even more time.
As a person from Zhuang Country, although Lin Zhengren did not personally feel this disgrace, he forced himself to feel it, knowing the extent of national disgrace only then could he profoundly understand Du Ruhui’s anger. Only by fully understanding Du Ruhui’s anger could he find his own chance to survive.
Thus, he faces the wind with closed eyes, tears streaming down. A proud hero of a nation, who in normal days looked down upon his peers. At this moment, he was unbearably disheveled and utterly disgraced.
The normally gracious Du Ruhui showed him no respect, obviously because he had completely dismissed him.
Right now, letting himself empathize with those feelings, he can’t stop his tears.
He himself couldn’t distinguish whether the immense sense of disgrace filling his heart stemmed from being held by the back of his neck like a little dog or from the added national disgrace!
His neck could clearly feel the wrinkles of that hand, and especially the resolute will transmitted from that hand.
Du Ruhui already harbored a killing intent.
He didn’t regret choosing to forfeit by spitting blood initially, because the sweeping Jiang Wang is the premier Inner Mansion. If he had decided to strike fatally at that untested moment, even a True Monarch like Yu Xi might have been careless.
In the eight matches of the formal competition, his and Jiang Wang’s match definitely wouldn’t have been the center of attention. True Monarch Yu Xi might not pay much attention. And with Jiang Wang’s formidable power that defeated Xiang Bei’s Spiritual Soul combat power, in an instant, he could have been killed several times at the Spiritual Soul Level.
Too risky.
Even if the host of the Yellow River Gathering is a Yan Dao Expert like Yu Xi... it’s still too risky.
Did not Dongguo Bao also die?
Although Chu Min didn’t die, how much better off is he? Puppets need to be remade, Foreign Beasts need to be found and nurtured anew... How much cultivation time would that consume? It’s almost like being ruined!
Ascending the stage is like gambling with one’s life, and he was unwilling to gamble.
In fact, he thought it through very clearly.
After Zhu Weiwo left, among all in Zhuang Country, he is the most talented.
He Badao and Duan Li were destroyed before Suolong Gate, and the rest of the Outer Tower Cultivators were mediocre; Zhuang Country temporarily has no second person likely to reach the God Arrives state.
After Du Ruhui, there will be no successor.
He, Lin Zhengren, is undoubtedly the most hopeful.
Being able to enter the formal competition of the Yellow River Gathering, he certainly has the potential to achieve the state of God Arrives.
To Zhuang Country, he holds a certain significance. This can be seen from Du Ruhui’s good attitude towards him.
This is what he relies on. And he believes sacrificing the Blood Ghost to withdraw from the competition was a huge sacrifice to help maintain the nation’s dignity, Du should see this intention.
But from the current situation, it seems he overestimated his own importance but underestimated the significance of the Yellow River Gathering...
From the first point.
Do Lord Zhuang Gao and Minister Du Ruhui have any other choices?
Who then?
Fu Baosong, whom he publicly humiliated?
Li Jianqiu, whom he easily defeated?
Or that rash fool from the army, Du Yehu?
From the second point, Jing Emperor later speaking out was a scene he never anticipated.
The problem has become many times more serious!
Jing Emperor’s statement meant that the stake of Zhuang Country in this Yellow River Gathering had been erased. And the disgrace he caused to Zhuang Country was to be reevaluated.
These days waiting for results on the Guanhe Platform, every moment is excruciating.
Because he understood that after the Yellow River Gathering ended, it would be time for Zhuang Ting to settle accounts with him.
Zhuang Gaoxian was not a ruler who begrudged rewards; on the contrary, he was very generous towards meritorious officials, sparing no expense in his magnanimity. However, there was one catch – Lord Zhuang’s rewards, or rather his "investments", certainly needed to yield returns. free𝑤ebnovel.com
The state had sent him to Guanhe Platform, with the State Minister personally escorting and advising him, even risking discord with Sheng Country, the foremost vassal state, just to support him in defeating Jiang Limeng...
All for the honor on Guanhe Platform and the interests associated with the Yellow River Gathering.
Yet in the end, all he harvested was disgrace and losses.
Leaving a bad impression with Jing Emperor and True Monarch Yu Xi who presided over the gathering and hailed from Jade Capital Mountain, inevitably harbored hostility towards him...
This trip to the table left him paying dearly without any returns!
Thinking it over, he, the betting chip, also had little hope of staying alive.
Of course, he had thought of escaping, but he clearly realized there was no chance of that.
These last few days, he had fully adopted a resigned demeanor.
He wept bitterly, confessed his fear of death, admitted that he could not help his fear after learning his opponent was Jiang Wang. He was in agony, reproaching himself, and expressed his willingness to accept any punishment, hoping he could redeem himself with his services...
Yet Du Ruhui never made a statement throughout.
This unspeaking attitude terrified him.
Now that the Yellow River Gathering had just ended, Du Ruhui was swiftly flying him back to Zhuang Country, carrying him like a dog destined for the slaughterhouse, not even willing to make a superficial show of politeness in front of others – or perhaps, showing Zhuang Country’s disgust towards a coward like him was Du Ruhui’s idea of making a show.
What to do?
The interests of the Yellow River Gathering, he no longer had the power to influence. Removed from such grand events as the Yellow River Gathering, compared to the situation of the world, the power of young prodigies was still too weak.
And his own value...
Although he considered himself of extremely high value, far surpassing people like Fu Baosong and Li Jianqiu.
But perhaps in the eyes of Zhuang Gaoxian and Du Ruhui, a Lin Zhengren who died on Guanhe Platform could demonstrate more value than one who lived. freewebnovёl.ƈom
The truth about Fenglin City was something he had deduced and hinted at to Zhu Weiwo; how could he not know how these two rulers would weigh the matters!
These two men would only compare him dead in battle and him living in disgrace, therefore, he was treated like a young dog being hung by the scruff just like today!
What to do!
Lin Zhengren strained to muster all his strength, speaking with difficulty amidst the harsh winds, "Zhengren knows he cannot atone for his sins even with a thousand deaths, fortunately, everyone abandoned the match in the unrestricted field, and we of Zhuang Country did not stand out..."
The howling of the wind continued.
To his "reminder", Du Ruhui clearly remained unmoved.
The nature of his abandoning the match was completely different from those people. He was well aware of it himself.
But he still mentioned it, struggling for himself.
A road is established bit by bit. Even if there was a slight possibility, he would not let it slip.
Withstanding the bone-chilling wind blades for a while longer, Lin Zhengren spoke again, "I truly hate my own incompetence, unable to resist. Letting Jiang Wang, that traitorous scum, snatch the leading position. His hatred for the country runs so deep, with such talent and honor, situated in powerful Qi, he has become a major threat to our Zhuang Country!"
The clouds swiftly retreated, and the wind blades persisted.
Lin Zhengren asked with difficulty, "Have you ever considered... how to deal with him?"
Amidst the chilling winds, Du Ruhui’s voice finally rose, "That’s no longer something you need to worry about."
Lin Zhengren felt a relief in his heart, but his expression grew more pained, "Yes... I’m a man deserving of death. Whether I worry or not makes no difference. Just that... cough cough cough!"
He choked on a few gusts of wind, coughing violently for a while, then continued, "If you decide to deal with him, I am a very useful tool. My entire clan died at his hands, we have a deep-seated hatred. My very existence is the evidence of his wrongdoing."
Suddenly, Du Ruhui stopped, still holding Lin Zhengren by the scruff of his neck, half lifting him up, looking down at him.
The normally gentle Du Ruhui, in such a state, showed a hint of the majesty of a State Minister.
He looked deeply at Lin Zhengren, "I’m actually starting to doubt now... if your Lin’s Clan was really killed by Jiang Wang?"
The distrust and disdain in his words were so apparent, yet a boulder seemed to fall from Lin Zhengren’s heart.
Only if he truly intended to use this matter would Du Ruhui need to assess its authenticity.
So he... found his own value to the man!
Lin Zhengren struggled to control his painful expression, making himself look more humble, more submissive, "Wangjiang City is Zhuang Country’s Wangjiang City, this matter can be as true as it needs to be. I am willing to cooperate in any way."
No response.
The fierce wind whistled past, a thin patch of cloud spun lonesomely in the sky.
