Chapter 578: Unfathomable Might
Translator: Pika
Zu An followed the source of the sound. He saw a tall and robust dragon-robed man standing by a writing desk. This man was currently facing him expressionlessly.
This was clearly the Great Zhou Dynasty’s Emperor. His clothes could be copied, but this aura was definitely not something that could be replicated.
He already asked Chu Chuyan and found out that the emperor’s name was Zhao Han.
Zu An wanted to see just how exaggerated this number one expert was for himself. But when they looked at each other, he only remembered his sharp and penetrating eyes.
He didn’t know how to describe those eyes. He had met emperors before, but the first emperor was already just a remnant soul. Furthermore, he already passed the trial, so the other party treated Zu An as one of his own. He didn’t exert his pressure on Zu An.
Later on, this was also true for Wu Geng. He always had the burden of the Shang Dynasty’s destruction weighing down on his shoulders. He even pretended to be an ordinary crown prince during the trial, so his aura was deliberately masked. That was why Zu An didn’t feel too much pressure.
But the person in front of him was different. Those eyes seemed to stab straight through his soul. They instantly penetrated all of your defenses, as if no secrets remained uncovered.
Zu An knew that this was a type of illusion, but he still subconsciously averted his eyes.
Then, he saw the dragon robes. There was a pen in his hands that was writing something a moment ago. Why do these major figures all love to flaunt this calligraphy stuff?
The emperor’s voice carried a mysterious feeling of dignity and confidence. “You are different from other people. Others will immediately become scared witless when they see this emperor, but you still have the leisurely mood to even let your imagination run wild.”
Zu An was stunned. He even saw through my random thoughts? Does this guy know mind reading?
But he still replied, “What can I say? When you crawl up from the bottom, where your life is utterly worthless, you tend to develop a bit of an unyielding nature.”
“You are even acting like this before me! No wonder you behaved the way you did in front of the crown prince.” The emperor lowered his pen. If anyone was standing next to him, they would see that he wrote the word ‘immortality’ with a few dots behind it. His heart was clearly full of hesitation and indecisiveness while writing these words.
Of course, as an emperor, he wouldn’t show this to anyone else.
Zu An was surprised when he heard this. “So your majesty already knew about that.”
Just how long had it been since I separated from the crown prince? He even knew about this?
As if seeing through his thoughts, the emperor slowly said, “Of course I know. It isn’t so easy to hide anything in this palace from me.”
Zu An remained silent. He didn’t know what the meaning behind the emperor telling him these things was. He was wondering how he was going to get him to wear the Hat of Forgiveness.
One plan was to use his instantaneous movement skill to dash over and make him wear it. Everything would be easy to deal with once he made the emperor wear it.
But he immediately gave up on this thought as soon as he met the real deal.
The other party was standing there casually, and it seemed like there was only a zhang between them. However, Zu An felt as if there was an endless abyss between them. He couldn’t even pinpoint his exact position.
It was obvious that with his cultivation, he wouldn’t have any chances of approaching the emperor unless he let him.
The emperor gave him a long look. “If this was in the past, I might admire your temperament and resolve. I might even try to take you under my wing. But now… someone like you would never yield. In the future, the crown prince wouldn’t be able to make you bow down either, so this emperor obviously cannot leave a disaster like you alive. Have him executed and inform the entire world that this is the consequence of offending the crown prince.”
Zu An: “???”
Bro, you’re not playing your cards like how you’re supposed to! You’re going to execute me already? How am I even supposed to respond?
Guards quickly swarmed in. Zu An was about to evade, but his entire body was restricted after the emperor just gave him an indifferent look. He couldn’t move at all.
He was instantly detained by the guards and escorted out.
Zu An shouted, “I refuse to accept this type of baseless accusation!”
The emperor said coldly, “Does this emperor need your acceptance if I wish for something to be done?”
Zu An: “……”
Bro, you won’t make any friends talking like that.
He quickly shouted while he was being dragged out, “Then does the emperor not want the method of immortality?”
“Immortality?” The emperor lowered his head and gave his calligraphy a look. A hint of mockery flashed past his lips. With a wave of his hand, that sheet of paper instantly turned to powder, yet the table remained unharmed. One could imagine just how great his control over his own power was.
“Immortality is but an illusory ideal. Monarchs have fallen one generation after the next, which one of them has obtained true immortality? This emperor does not trust in such an illusory immortality. On the contrary, I have led the humans in defeating the Fiend clans and unified the wilderness. Everyone will remember my glorious achievements! This is true immortality.” The emperor’s originally emotionless face finally changed a bit. His entire being seemed to have been possessed by a type of zealotry.
Zu An immediately began to curse this emperor. Why the hell are you sending people to find the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra if you don’t even care about immortality? Why did you even bring me here then?
Since this was already a matter of life and death, his mind moved at lightspeed. He quickly said, “But after ten thousand years, people might not remember your achievements anymore! They might even forget about you after just a few centuries!”
“Impossible!” The emperor erupted into rage. This was the immortality he sought, what he cared about the most. How could he tolerate the doubt of others?
You have successfully trolled Zhao Han for +999 Rage!
An incomparably powerful aura swept out. The two guards who detained Zu An immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.
Even though Zu An also felt awful from the pressure, he still sighed in relief.
He finally received some Rage points from this person. He was still human after all, and not a god.
There was no way he was going to waste any time. He seized this fleeting chance. “What I wish to say cannot enter the ears of anyone else.”
The emperor gave him a cold look. With a wave of his hand, the two guards withdrew. With his cultivation, there was naturally no need to fear any eavesdroppers.
When the guards left, the emperor said, “You may speak. However, if you dare play tricks on me, heh…” The threatening tone in his voice was clear.
Zu An already sorted out his thoughts earlier. He replied, “Your emperor’s idea is fine. There will still be records of your achievements many, many years later. This type of immortality is much more meaningful than someone who lives a life secluded in the mountains. However, your wish won’t be truly fulfilled either. After all, if you want your achievements to be passed down for an eternity, then you must have scribes record the details as they are. But if the dynasties change, defamation of previous dynasties is a common practice. Even if dynasties do not change, if someone who doesn’t agree with your majesty succeeds the throne, then they might also tamper with history. It might not be able to fool those of the current age, but they will deceive those of centuries and millennia later. At that time, your majesty’s achievements would be buried in the great river of time, and those of later generations wouldn’t know about what happened. If that happens, then your majesty will not obtain your immortality.”
The emperor narrowed his eyes. “What are you implying?”
Zu An smiled. “Your majesty understands fully well. Why must you ask a question you already know the answer to?”
Sorry, King Qi. I can only use you as my shield. Every man for themselves.
The emperor began to think to himself. If someone dared to talk to him with this type of tone normally, he would’ve had them dragged out and beaten to death already. However, Zu An’s words really did prod at some of his deepest insecurities. This was also what he had been worried about all these years.
He gave Zu An a look. He had a pondering expression on his face. “Then what kind of plan do you have?”
Zu An was about to say something when he suddenly noticed his expression. “Your majesty probably already has a plan, so I would only be making a fool of myself. But if your majesty wants to play a game of chess, then I can serve as a chess piece.”
He really was frightened earlier, but he already realized that the other party exhausted too many resources to bring him to the capital. There was no way he would immediately kill him off.
The reason why the emperor did what he did earlier was probably just as an initial show of strength.
The emperor was surprised. “You are indeed a bit special. No wonder she interceded for your sake.”