The Book Soul Chronicles: Godslayer

But the emperor still didn't want to let her go. He never expected that his moment of mercy back then would almost cost his beloved her her life.

"The late emperor knew about what your Jiang family had done, but he was still merciful and willing to let you off the hook. As long as you behaved yourselves, we would have turned a blind eye. But we never expected that you would not only fail to thank the late emperor, but also plot to rebel. Fortunately, I have been monitoring your Jiang family's every move, which is why I was able to discover it in time."

“I originally intended to exterminate the entire Jiang family, but the Empress persuaded me to spare you unsuspecting women and subordinates. I never expected that you, like your ancestors, would be so ungrateful.”

"Guards! These two traitors attempted to assassinate the Empress. They are to be imprisoned today and executed at a later date. Investigate the matter thoroughly and arrest all their accomplices."

"Yes!"

"Zitong, you've been frightened today!"

"Your Majesty, we are so grateful to Lord Chen for saving us today. Although Lord Chen doesn't usually like me, he was injured while saving me and Your Majesty. Let's go and see him!"

"Alright! Let's all disperse for today!"

With the empress assassinated, the emperor lost all interest in staying.

After everyone respectfully saw off the Emperor and Empress, they looked at each other in dismay. No one expected that such a thing would happen at such a nice banquet, and that old cases would be brought up again.

However, everyone present was shrewd, and none of them would go out and spread rumors, thus incurring the emperor's wrath.

"Imperial Physician Liu, how is Minister Chen?" the emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, I fear Lord Chen will not last more than an hour. The dagger that stabbed him was coated with a deadly poison. I am powerless to do anything but suppress it and buy him some time; I cannot cure the poison," the imperial physician replied.

"Is there really no way at all?" Qingwu asked.

Physician Liu shook his head and replied, "This assassin was determined to kill. The poison he applied to the dagger was incurable and would cause immense suffering. The victim would feel pain, heat, and itching, and would scratch their own flesh until they eventually succumb to the poison and die."

"What a vicious heart!" The emperor's face darkened further, his words shrouded in murderous intent.

Doctor Liu was terrified.

Seeing this, the Empress changed the subject, "Your Majesty, would you like to ask Lord Chen if he has anything to say?"

The emperor also sensed something was wrong, his expression returned to normal, and he walked to Chen Suili's bedside, speaking in a softer voice.

"Minister Chen, Minister Chen, can you still hear me?"

At this moment, Chen Suili had regained his memories, and scene after scene appeared in his mind. It turned out that he was not an ordinary person, but a cultivator. He had just been tricked by a demon beast and was trapped in an illusion.

He had no beautiful wife, no clever and lovely son, and no official position in the human world. It was all an illusion, a beautiful life he imagined in his own mind.

In the illusion, the past is like a mirror, shattering scene by scene.

He heard the emperor's voice and slowly opened his eyes.

He slowly uttered a few words: "Your Majesty, after I die, I hope that you will treat my family well in consideration of my merit in saving your life today. I will not see them again, so as not to cause them any more grief. Tell my wife that I am sorry, I broke my promise, I was not a good husband. Tell my son that he has always been my pride, and that I was happy every day because of his presence in my short life."

"Alright, I agree."

"Also, Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress, it's so good to see you happy! If you like someone, go for it boldly. Love requires action. I hope you can be happy forever. To appear in each other's lives in this short life is fate. I hope you can cherish it and not end up like us."

"Yes, I understand. I will definitely cherish Zitong." Although he didn't know why he said "we," Hao Anqi thought that people speak kindly on their deathbeds, so perhaps it was a friend he knew!

Upon hearing the emperor's reply, he smiled with satisfaction and muttered to himself.

"In fact, immortality is not necessarily a good thing. In order to seek immortality, people abandon their lovers, forsake their friends, leave their relatives and friends, leave their hometowns, and go through many dangerous situations, just to find that one chance to increase their lifespan."

"However, time always flies by in the blink of an eye. No matter how hard I try, it's like a mayfly trying to shake a tree, and it all ends in a hasty conclusion."

"However, in this short life, to be able to find a unique experience makes life worthwhile. Everyone has their own ambitions and paths. Different paths lead to different scenery. Life will always have its disappointments, but it all depends on what you are willing to give up."

Chen Suili, you said the softer your voice, the sooner it stopped and you breathed your last.

Chen Suili emerged from the illusion, and as his consciousness slowly returned, he was still pondering whether he regretted it.

From an ordinary person, by chance, he chose to cultivate immortality. If he were still an ordinary person, he might have been able to live a happy life in his short life, just like in the fantasy world.

But life doesn't offer "what ifs." Having chosen this path, one must continue. On the path of cultivation, there is no turning back; there is no other choice.

Do I regret it? Perhaps I'm just feeling a bit sentimental and nostalgic. The longer you live, the more afraid you become of death—that's the truth! In these hundreds, even thousands of years, I've experienced far too many life-and-death situations and seen far too many beautiful landscapes. I'm already reluctant to die.

As a cultivator, one must take a gamble. What does it matter if one loses? It's just the same fate as mortals!

Chen Suili woke up, circulated his spiritual power, broke out of the cocoon, and fought with the demon beast. The demon beast did not expect that someone could actually come out of it, and was a little flustered, after all, it had never encountered such a situation before, and hurriedly fought back.

In the illusion, Hao Anqi travels around, hoping to remember something. As a result, he encounters Qingming, someone he could never have met before.

"Brother, the sect must be very busy, right? How come you have time to travel?" Hao Anqi broke the awkward silence first.

"Stop talking nonsense. Do you think I wanted to run into you? It's a sect mission. Many disciples in this area have gone missing. The central sect suspects there's a demonic beast, so they sent me to investigate. I just happened to find this place, and you just happened to be standing here!" Qingming's tone was still a bit aggressive, probably because he was still angry.

“That just so happens that I have nothing to do. My brother and I will go and try our luck, so we can look out for each other.”

"Okay! Let's go!"

Qingming immediately agreed, since having an assistant would ensure his safety to some extent.

The two went in, and it turned out that their choice to team up was correct. There wasn't just one monster inside, but three. If one of them had gone in alone, they would probably have died long ago. They realized they had acted wrongly and immediately retreated, but it was too late.

In the end, both of them were seriously injured and almost died there. Fortunately, at the last moment, Qingming directly activated the only ancient teleportation array in his possession. The good news is that they both escaped. The bad news is that Qingming had to burn his own soul blood to replenish his spiritual power and activate the teleportation. His injuries are now more serious, and he can be said to be on the verge of death.

Qingming was covered in blood, his white Taoist robe was soaked, and the bright red blood stung Hao Anqi's eyes, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

"Hao Anqi, we're good brothers, right?" Qingming knew he probably wasn't going to make it, so he slowly opened his mouth and asked.

Hao Anqi nodded, his whole being exuding sadness and helplessness.

Qingming lay beside the stone and chuckled softly.

Then he said seriously, "Promise me you will take good care of A-Wu! Make sure she has a happy life every day."

Just then, Hao Anqi stared intently at the other person, the figure before him overlapping with the person in his memory.

Hao Anqi's eyes widened. He remembered that he was the sect leader of the Myriad Manifestations Sect, not a reclusive cultivator living in seclusion with Qingwu. He was not Qingwu's husband, and they were not in love. Qingwu and Qingming were not siblings, but lovers who were only one step away from becoming Daoist partners.