In the middle of the night, in an inconspicuous small residence in Tianshui City.
Zhili waited quietly inside. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door. Li Chenglian went to open it, and two people walked in, their entire bodies covered in black cloaks.
“Were you discovered by anyone?” Li Chenglian asked.
“No, he normally does not stay in the military camp at all. Neither the city guard army nor the Silver Wolf Legion can control him.” One of the mysterious shadows said.
Li Chenglian said to the other shadow, “Hurry and pay your respects to His Highness Zhili.”
The other shadow still stood motionless.
Li Chenglian stepped forward and lifted his black cloak, revealing his wild and proud face.
He was actually Fen Mo, the one born with divine archery talent.
That is to say, the absolute genius who had joined the Silver Wolf Legion in order to win Yan Naier’s favour.
On the day the Silver Wolf Legion attacked Tianlang Pass, he had rendered outstanding merit and was greatly appreciated by Yan Yan.
It could be said that if Yan Naier had not loved Sauron with all her heart, Yan Yan would rather have taken Fen Mo as his son-in-law.
“Lord Fen Mo, I find you are rather too happy here to think of returning.” Zhili smiled.
Fen Mo did not speak.
“According to the family rules of the Black Ice Residence, how should a situation like Fen Mo’s be handled?” Zhili asked.
The shadow hidden in the black cloak said, “Sever the four limbs, cut out the tongue, gouge out the eyes, then throw him amongst the beggars.”
Fen Mo still stood motionless, nor did he beg for mercy in any way.
Zhili said, “I know you did not join the Black Ice Residence voluntarily, and having you infiltrate the Silver Wolf Legion was also not voluntary. So you do not wish to serve us, correct? Tu Ling Mo!”
Upon these words, Fen Mo’s face changed violently and he said tremulously, “You, how do you know?”
Zhili said, “Many thanks to Miss Tu Ling Duo. She buried you so deeply beside Sauron, and only a few days ago did she hand you over to me.”
A flash of pain passed through Fen Mo’s gaze, but he quickly recovered his calm.
Zhili said, “I know that as an illegitimate child, you have no feelings whatsoever for your father Tu Ling Tuo, but are instead filled with hatred. But now the situation is different. Tu Ling Duo and Tu Ling Chen have both fallen into Sauron’s hands. The Duke of Tu Ling’s other sons are not very promising. So you, this illegitimate child, have become invaluable. Do you not wish to inherit everything of the Duke of Tu Ling’s residence?”
Fen Mo sneered and said, “An illegitimate child has no right to inherit any property. In terms of inheritance rights, I am inferior even to a woman of the Duke of Tu Ling’s residence.”
Zhili said, “But with my support, it is different. Who am I? The future king. Moreover, the two most outstanding children of Duke Tu Ling Tuo have now fallen. He has no other choice. With my support, your obtaining everything will follow as a matter of course.”
Fen Mo remained silent.
Zhili said, “Furthermore, do you not consider your mother? Do you not wish to let her live a life of wealth and honour? Do you not wish to let her hold her head high? You should know how miserable her present circumstances are. The Duchess of Tu Ling could find her at any time and take her life.”
At this time, Fen Mo finally showed emotion. The muscles of his face twitched violently, then he said, “You overestimate my value. I do not have much weight in City Lord Sauron’s mind at all. This person is extremely suspicious. For any important matter, he will have his trusted confidants complete it.”
Zhili said, “In that battle at Devil’s Bay, I know Yan Naier took you out to battle. I wish to know, exactly whom did Yan Naier capture?”
Fen Mo was silent for a moment, then said, “Tu Ling Chen and Count Tuli Wen.”
Zhili said, “Where are these two being held?”
Fen Mo said, “You overestimate me too much. The number of people who know where Tu Ling Chen and Count Tuli Wen are being held does not exceed five. Even Yan Yan may not know.”
Zhili said, “Tu Ling Mo, you will gradually come to understand what kind of person I am. My thirst for talented people is beyond your imagination. You continue to stay here and strive to increase your weight in Sauron’s mind. When the time comes, give me a pleasant surprise, and I shall give you the inheritance rights of the Duke of Tu Ling’s residence.”
Fen Mo made no sound, nor did he object.
…
Afterwards, on the several thousand li journey to the royal capital Zhidu, Princess Zhiyan and Sauron did not speak again.
The next day, the griffin beast landed in a corner of the northwest of the royal palace.
At this time, everything in the royal palace was normal as usual. Even the guards were not more strict than at other times. Clearly, Gao Yin did not wish anyone to detect anything abnormal.
But as soon as the griffin beast landed, two middle-aged eunuchs stepped forward and immediately handed over two cloaks.
“Gao Ningqi pays respects to Your Highness the Princess, pays respects to Count Sauron.”
This middle-aged eunuch was of the same generation as Gao Ningshi. It was unknown whether he was the adopted son of Grand Eunuch Gao Yin or the adopted son of Gao Yu.
“How is Father?” Princess Zhiyan asked.
“After His Majesty’s second stroke until now, he remains unconscious. My adoptive father dared not move him, so let him lie as he was. But his breathing grows weaker and weaker. He relies entirely on my adoptive father using dragon power to sustain his life.” Gao Ningqi said.
Then, he led Sauron and Princess Zhiyan into the royal palace through a small door.
At this time, everything within the royal palace was also normal as usual.
The three ascended Purple Jade Mountain and entered Purple Rain Palace.
Only then did they sense the terrible atmosphere of killing solemnity.
The entire Purple Rain Palace had several dozen eunuchs, all top experts of the inner palace.
Within the palace were only Gao Yin and King Bian.
Bian lay motionless on the bed, whilst the chief grand eunuch of the royal palace, Gao Yin, pressed his palm against the king’s chest, using dragon power to sustain the king’s heart meridian. At this time, his face was pale and sweat poured down like rain.
It had already been a full day and two nights since the king fell into a coma. To sustain the king’s life, Gao Yin had continuously transmitted dragon power, nearly exhausted.
The king’s second stroke and cerebral haemorrhage, in this medical environment, was almost certainly fatal. He was entirely sustained by Gao Yin.
Seeing the appearance of Sauron and Zhiyan, he could not even utter a single word. His body trembled, his gaze relaxed, then he looked towards Princess Zhiyan.
Zhiyan instantly understood the meaning of his gaze. She stepped forward and pressed her jade hand against King Bian’s heart, continuing to use dragon power to drive the king’s heart meridian to operate, seamlessly taking over from Gao Yin.
The moment her dragon power connected, Grand Eunuch Gao Yin directly collapsed in a faint, unconscious. His adopted sons beside him immediately stepped forward and poured ginseng soup into Gao Yin’s mouth.
Sauron and Zhiyan exchanged a glance.
Without Sauron needing to instruct her, she took out a dagger, disinfected it with strong spirits, then fiercely stabbed towards the back of the king’s head, directly piercing through the skull without touching the brain.
Immediately, long-stagnant black blood dripped down drop by drop.
“Leave.” Princess Zhiyan said.
Immediately, all the eunuchs carried Gao Yin and left the palace.
The entire palace now contained only Sauron, the king, and Zhiyan.
Sauron hesitated slightly, because when he saved the king, he might reveal traces of the Demon Star.
But now Princess Zhiyan could not leave. The moment her hand left the king’s heart, the king would stop breathing.
Princess Zhiyan still understood instantly. Even without Sauron’s gaze, she directly closed her eyes.
Sauron used the dagger to cut his finger, letting his blood mingle with the blood from the wound on the back of the king’s head.
Immediately, the Demon Star’s energy tentacles drilled into the king’s cerebral blood vessels through the blood, completely more precise than even the most advanced surgical knives on modern Earth. Bit by bit, they squeezed out the congested blood within the king’s brain, letting it drip out through the wound hole.
A quarter of an hour, two quarters of an hour, an hour, two hours…
The Demon Star energy tentacles bit by bit, thread by thread, expelled all the stagnant blood without harming the king’s incomparably fragile brain.
After the stagnant blood was completely expelled, the king’s breathing gradually steadied, and his heartbeat gradually grew stronger.
Finally, the king’s life was temporarily preserved.
Sauron removed his hand from the wound on the back of the king’s head and let out a long breath of relief.
“He can take some nourishing liquid food now.” Sauron said.
Princess Zhiyan also let out a long breath and said in a low voice, “Is Father’s life preserved?”
Sauron said, “Thanks to Uncle Gao, His Majesty was sustained until now.”
Zhiyan’s tightly tensed delicate body relaxed. Then her eyes reddened slightly. She stood up and performed a fu salute towards Sauron, then walked out.
A moment later, she brought in a bowl of medicinal soup and fed it bit by bit into King Bian’s mouth.
Then, the two of them just guarded the side of the king’s bed in silent stillness.
“You sleep for a while first.” Zhiyan suddenly said, “Since the great battle began, you have hardly slept at all.”
“Alright.” Sauron said, then sat cross-legged on the ground and directly closed his eyes for a brief sleep.
…
Not knowing how long he had slept, suddenly the king’s weak cry startled Sauron awake.
“Yan’er, Nannan…”
“Sauron, Sauron…”
After Sauron opened his eyes, he found that the king was still in a coma, uttering a stream of delirious speech.
And at this time, Zhiyan was already tightly grasping one of the king’s hands, pressing it against her incomparably beautiful face. Her eyes were red, and although there were no tears on her face, there were tear stains.
In this lifetime, Zhiyan had never cried.
Even when the king suffered his first stroke, she had not cried.
And this time, she had actually cried.
As if discovering Sauron and Suo Ningbing’s adultery had, in some way, activated some emotion within her.
Sauron quickly stepped forward and grasped the king’s other hand.
This hand of the king was ice-cold without any temperature, and bony, with only a layer of skin covering the bones. Moreover, it had completely lost all response.
“Yan’er, Nannan, Nannan… Sauron…”
The king seemed to be trapped in a nightmare, his body unable to move, his eyes constantly trembling, his face also beginning to twitch and turn.
Princess Zhiyan immediately stepped forward, gently cupping the king’s face, and said tremulously, “Father, I am here, I am here. Sauron is also here…”
As if having gone through countless hardships, using the force of ten thousand jun, King Bian finally opened his eyes.
His gaze was first scattered, without any focus, and only gradually did it gather.
He struggled to look towards Zhiyan, then struggled to look towards Sauron.
Then, as if he had found support, he let out a long breath of relief, and his gaze settled down.
At this time, Sauron deeply felt the king’s weakness, not merely physical weakness, but spiritual weakness.
King Bian’s will had always been powerful. Even after his first stroke, his will was still bold and strong.
And now, his spirit and will appeared so weak.
“Hearing news of your victory, I was especially happy. Then I don’t know why, I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to move at all. I thought I was about to go…” The king’s voice was already extremely difficult, and Sauron and Zhiyan needed to read his lips.
Sauron’s gaze grew hot. He gripped the king’s hand tightly and said, “Your Majesty, rest assured and recuperate. Speak again after you have recovered your body.”
The king said, “Child, rest assured. From now on, I shall revere my life, revere my illness. I… I shall try to live as long as possible. Before you have defeated Zhili, I… I cannot die. If I die, you will all be unable to protect yourselves… For the sake of you two children, I shall also struggle desperately to live.”
Sauron could no longer hold back, and tears slid down.
“From today onwards, do not tell me whether you win or lose. Do not let me know anything. Do not let my emotions fluctuate in any way. I shall use all my strength to live.”
“Even if I die, I… I shall also deliver a fatal strike for you. Even if I cannot kill Zhili, I… I shall leave you enough time to flee overseas…”
Sauron nodded desperately and said, “You, you must not speak anymore.”
King Bian weakly used lip language to say, “I shall finish speaking in one go, then speak no more. Child, did you receive my decree?”
Sauron nodded and said, “I received it, I received it.”
The king said, “A decree is too cold a thing. It is issued by the king. And now… I wish to speak to you as a father.”
“Yes!” Sauron knelt down on both knees and said.
“Actually, earlier on, I spoke with your father about betrothing Yan’er to you. Your father was a stubborn old fool. Because you had a betrothal, he did not agree… Now, I formally betroth Yan’er to you. Sauron, good child… Can you help me take care of Yan’er for her entire life?” The king trembled silently, using all his strength to contain his pleading and emotion in his gaze as he looked at Sauron.
Sauron’s face trembled, and for a moment he was speechless. One must know, his incestuous relationship with his elder sister Suo Ningbing had been discovered by Princess Zhiyan. In Zhiyan’s eyes, he should be almost like a beast, should he not?
“I know you cannot bear to let down another good girl. Then… then just marry both of them. What is a man with two wives…” The king trembled.
Sauron said, “I, I am an unworthy person. I do not know if the Princess is willing.”
“I am willing…” Princess Zhiyan said directly.
“And you, my child Sauron… Are you willing to marry my Yan’er, to take care of her for life?” The king asked, his gaze still filled with pleading.
“I am willing.” Sauron gripped the king’s hand tightly and said, “I am willing to take Princess Zhiyan as my wife and take care of her for her entire life.”
King Bian’s gaze relaxed, showing relief and joy. He looked towards Zhiyan and said, “My Nannan, if you lose in the struggle against Zhili, flee far overseas. You shall be Sauron’s good wife, bear him children and expand the family line. If by good fortune you win, although you will be the queen, still take Sauron as the master. You… you must listen to him in all matters, not merely state affairs, but also family affairs. You must take your husband as heaven, do you understand?”
“Yes, this daughter understands.” Princess Zhiyan’s tears slid down as she said tearfully.
“Good, good. Then you two go. From now on, I shall be without joy or sorrow. I shall strive to live for you. Every extra day I can hold on is a day. Go, go…” King Bian said, then slowly closed his eyes.
Afterwards, he would not waste a single bit of energy. His mission was only one, to live!
To live like a walking corpse, without any joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, with only breathing remaining.
In this lifetime, he had defeated anyone. He was a true hero.
According to his own will, rather than living so wretchedly, he might as well simply die.
But he was not living for himself, but for Sauron and Zhiyan.
In order to buy more time for the two of them, he would use all his willpower to hold on until the final moment.
…
Despite their extreme reluctance, Sauron and Princess Zhiyan still left the room.
Outside Purple Jade Palace, Princess Zhiyan looked down over the entire royal palace.
From last night until now, not half a word had been exchanged between her and Sauron. At this time, there was still silent stillness, leaving Sauron only her beautiful and moving back view.
Sauron stepped forward and said, “I am sorry, to make you resign yourself to marrying a scoundrel like me against your will.”
Princess Zhiyan still did not speak.
Sauron continued, “But rest assured, I shall do everything in my power to struggle against Zhili. If by good fortune we succeed, I shall give you your freedom and will not force you to marry this beast in human clothing.”
Princess Zhiyan suddenly turned around and looked at Sauron, saying, “I want to marry. I not only want to marry, I also want to bear you a pile of children. I want to prove to you that I, Zhiyan, am merely an ordinary woman.”