Firefly Journey

Chapter 329 Death Has Arrived (3)

Beneath the walls of Danyang, the Imperial army's attack continued, though no longer as fierce as before. It seemed they themselves knew that this was a meaningless war.

Emperor Zhuang looked at the mountain of corpses, which was almost as tall as the city wall, and his expression relaxed.

Since the empire's eastern expedition, he hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep, spending every day pondering how the Chu Kingdom could survive.

If the centuries-old legacy of the Great Chu were to end in his hands, he would truly be a sinner for all time.

Fortunately, things have turned out well.

Emperor Zhuang had considered a thousand ways to defeat the enemy, but he never imagined that he would win so easily.

Yes, it's easy.

The enemy has mobilized all its forces, abandoning even the northern and western fronts, to launch a devastating attack on the State of Chu.

The Seven Gods Alliance marched into the territory of Chu, but no one expected that the Holy See of Light and the Dark Temple would suddenly turn against them, directly weakening the alliance's superhuman combat power by nearly half.

As for the reason, Emperor Zhuang was always clear about it, but he dared not bet on it.

After all, the State of Chu belonged to the people of Chu. If it always relied on external forces, it would have been destroyed a thousand or eight hundred times over.

The fact that the Holy See could become an ally was inseparable from the Crown Prince. Back in St. Louis College, he had an excellent relationship with Lin Yuanran, and even three years after graduation, Lin Yuanran pursued him to the State of Chu to obtain an official position.

Emperor Zhuang could tell that the young man with silver hair and a small braid held a high position within the Papacy. The fact that the Chu Kingdom had received such strong support from the Papacy was not only due to the Papacy's own doctrines, but also largely due to the young man's attitude.

As for the Dark Temple...

Emperor Zhuang was not worried at all, having already included it in the ranks of Chu's allies.

The reason is simple: feelings often trump all interests.

Long ago, long before he even met Empress Jingmu, his brother-in-law had already become involved with the Temple Master of the Holy Temple who was traveling to the Chu Kingdom.

Hantina had settled in the State of Chu at that time and rented a courtyard in the elegant countryside. Because she was not good at working and was extremely wealthy, or rather, lazy, she hired several helpers.

The helpers were all local country boys.

As a teenager, Chen Qingchen was serious and hardworking, and somehow, he quietly won the heart of that proud young woman.

So much so that after the Green-Clad Sword Saint revealed his prowess, she came to find him again.

Whether there was any affection between the two, or to what extent it had developed, was unknown to Emperor Zhuang. What he did know was that the Temple Master had patted her chest and guaranteed that during her reign, the Dark Temple would be a staunch ally of the Chu Kingdom.

Aside from this relationship, it's also worth mentioning that the temple's candidate saintess is also the prince's classmate. This dual relationship forms an unbreakable alliance.

Indeed, the Papacy and the Temple played a pivotal role in the Chu Kingdom's war against invasion.

The only thing that caught Zhuang Di off guard was the sudden appearance of the undead army and the Grim Reaper himself.

However, upon closer reflection, if the Church of Light could help the Chu Kingdom because of its doctrines, it is not incomprehensible that the long-lost Church of Death would suddenly reappear to maintain peace on the continent.

The ancestral gods fought bloody battles against demons to achieve the peace we enjoy today. Since the God of Death has not fallen, it is only natural to uphold the ideals of the past.

The appearance of Death brought an end to the empire's ambition for dominance.

Emperor Zhuang looked at the defeated and fleeing imperial soldiers, and a smile finally appeared on his tired face.

At some point, Simpson Budd also arrived here.

"Your Majesty, there is something I would like to say."

Emperor Zhuang snapped out of his daze and looked at the Left Chancellor, whom he and his brother-in-law had forcibly kept behind. He had a premonition and said, "The battle isn't over yet, and the Chancellor is already in a hurry to take his leave?"

After observing him for some time, Emperor Zhuang, who was initially skeptical of him, completely acknowledged his abilities.

Whether it's strategic vision or logistical politics, Simpson is a master, and now that things have developed to this point, he's even a little reluctant to give it up.

He simply couldn't understand why the Principality of Bema, with such a talented individual, was either out of their mind or blinded by greed, would not give him a chance.

Simpson shook his head: "I'm not resigning, I want to stay."

"Stay?" Emperor Zhuang suppressed his joy and asked, "We had to use force to stop you from leaving before, why now..."

Simpson Budd looked up at the sky.

"I have a friend, a very famous friend."

"You mean the Great Teacher of Virtue?"

“Yes, he and I were classmates, and we shared the same interests. I know I’m inferior to him in every way, both before and now, and even more so in the future,” Simpson remarked.

Emperor Zhuang, unaware of the situation, thought to himself that this person was a bit dim-witted. Everyone had seen his abilities, and even if the Great Teacher of Virtue really came, he might not do as well as him.

Don't underestimate yourself.

Simpson shook his head again: "Your Majesty, I suppose you haven't met my friend."

"I've never seen it, but I've longed to see it for a long time."

Simpson forced a silent smile: "His looks are probably what all women would like, and from today onwards, he will be what everyone in the Pan-Ancient Continent would like."

"What do you mean by this?"

Simpson was still smiling, but it wasn't happiness at all; instead, there was an eerie sadness in it.

"Death once went to the stars and fought a battle with a mysteriously powerful creature. After that battle, Death was seriously injured and never recovered."

"The Grim Reaper is the master of death, and is eternally immortal. To restore it, one needs endless death energy. That enormous amount of death energy appeared once more than ten years ago, but it wasn't enough. Now it is enough."

“If it weren’t for this, Death would have made his move long ago. He wouldn’t have tolerated the evil god’s arrogance behind the scenes. I’m very fortunate that there is still an ancestral god in the world.”

"I see..." Emperor Zhuang suddenly realized, "But what does this have to do with the Great Teacher of Virtue?"

Simpson continued, "When Death comes, it needs a vessel to disregard the rules of heaven and earth. The requirements for the vessel are extremely demanding, and my friend just happens to be the perfect one."

"This..." Emperor Zhuang was dumbfounded. "Then the face of the Grim Reaper just now was not his true face, but the Great Teacher of Virtue?"

“Yes, that’s what he told me.” Simpson nodded emphatically. “If I could, I would love to take his place. Unfortunately, I’m not as perfect as him. Sometimes I really wonder if being excellent is a mistake. But it was his own choice, and I can’t stop him or change it.”

"All I can do is respect his choice and then protect our shared ideals in my own way."

"I understand." Emperor Zhuang sighed slightly, then bowed slightly and clasped his hands in greeting. "Thank you for choosing the State of Chu."

“It was the State of Chu that chose me,” Simpson said.