Capítulo 734: Chapter 734: Ye Qingcheng's Shaved Head
Hao Meili recounted the entire incident while Zhong Shan listened attentively.
"Zhong Shan, help me avenge this. I want to kill the Curse Master. I want to whip his soul until he begs for life and death!" Hao Meili's face was once again twisted with a crazed hatred.
Zhong Shan pondered deeply, pacing slowly, maintaining a calm demeanor.
Seeing Zhong Shan's hesitation, Hao Meili's expression darkened further.
"You're not going to help me?" Desperation and anger flashed in Hao Meili's eyes as stubborn tears streamed down her face.
"It's not that I won't help you. Rushing in now would accomplish nothing. The Eternal Realm is a revered sanctuary; its depths are unfathomable. We need to..." Zhong Shan explained with a frown.
"I don't care! Just tell me, will you help me or not?" Hao Meili's tears halted, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on Zhong Shan.
After a long, deep look at Hao Meili, Zhong Shan spoke gravely, "Do you want us to act impulsively and end up like last time, or would you rather wait for the right moment to utterly destroy the Eternal Realm and leave no one alive?"
"You... What? Destroy the Eternal Realm? Leave no one alive?" Hao Meili's anger shifted to surprise as she grasped Zhong Shan's meaning.
Zhong Shan nodded slightly.
With Zhong Shan's confirmation, Hao Meili's tear-streaked face broke into a smile. She took several deep breaths.
"I want to destroy the Eternal Realm. I want to leave no one alive. I want the Curse Master to suffer a fate worse than death!" Hao Meili declared resolutely.
"Do you want to personally kill the Curse Master, then capture his soul and ensure he cannot die?" Zhong Shan asked.
"I do!" Hao Meili's face hardened with determination.
"But I'm not his match!" she said, showing a hint of frustration.
"In the past, during the reign of the Hao Heavenly Emperor, who could rival him? Fifty thousand years ago, the Plague Sect Master was acknowledged as the world's number one. Neither of them was weaker than the Curse Master. You inherit the Plague Sect Master's legacy and the bloodline of the Hao Heavenly Emperor. How could you not be his match? You just need time, and not much of it," Zhong Shan said solemnly.
"But how long must I wait?" Hao Meili asked anxiously.
"Do you want revenge, or do you want to die? You decide," Zhong Shan replied firmly.
Hao Meili sniffed sharply, wiping her nose with her hand. She nodded resolutely. "I will cultivate diligently. I must avenge my master!"
"For now, stay in Changjing. When the time is right, I will call for you," Zhong Shan said seriously.
Seeing the solemnity in Zhong Shan's expression, Hao Meili bit her lip and said, "Zhong Shan, rest assured. If you help me avenge my master, I will tell you the secrets of the 108 Immortal Steles and give you all the ones I possess."
"Immortal Steles? Aren't there seventy-two?" Zhong Shan asked, slightly surprised.
"There are thirty-six more that have been in my possession from the beginning," Hao Meili said, her eyes reddening.
"No, those Immortal Steles belong to the Hao family..." Zhong Shan shook his head.
"Hmph, the Hao family? Not a single good person among them. Where were they when I was being bullied all these years? I have no obligation to safeguard the Immortal Steles for the Hao family. All I want is to avenge my master; nothing else matters," Hao Meili said angrily.
After sending Hao Meili away, Zhong Shan fell into deep thought.
The Eternal Realm? Zhong Shan had been planning this for a long time. Ever since the Crow Daoist led a group of Sky Extremity experts to besiege the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, Zhong Shan had vowed to repay him. The Eternal Realm in the underworld was the perfect opportunity for that payback.
Little was known about the true nature of the Eternal Realm. An Elder? A Curse Master? And an enigmatic "big brother" to whom the Curse Master listened? Ye Qingcheng? Numerous Sky Extremity experts? Infinite merit guarding the place?
Indeed, the Eternal Realm was anything but ordinary!
Five months later, Zhong Shan continued managing state affairs in Changjing. In Zhong Shan's study:
"Benefactor, Jianhong has heard many times that Xiao Wang is your enemy. Jianhong feels ashamed and wishes to serve as an envoy to persuade Xiao Wang to surrender!" Jianhong bit her lip as she spoke.
"Have you really thought this through?" Zhong Shan asked.
Jianhong bit her lip, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Jianhong cannot betray her benefactor any longer!"
Seeing Jianhong's hesitance, Zhong Shan knew she hadn't truly resolved her feelings. Wei Taizhong had sent Jianhong, hoping Zhong Shan would use her to subdue Xiao Wang, much like now, asking her to persuade him to surrender.
But Zhong Shan couldn't let that happen. The timing was not yet ripe. If Jianhong went to persuade Xiao Wang now, it was more likely she would be persuaded by him instead. Zhong Shan couldn't allow that.
"No need. Xiao Wang is also not free to act as he wishes," Zhong Shan shook his head.
"What could be forcing him?" Jianhong questioned skeptically.
"Ruyan, Xiao Wang's other concern, is still in the hands of the Yin family in the underworld," Zhong Shan explained.
Hearing this, Jianhong's eyebrows furrowed. Clearly, she had not untangled this complex web of relationships.
"Benefactor, this..."
"You don't need to worry. I appreciate your intentions. On the battlefield, we may indeed need your help soon. I hope you won't refuse then," Zhong Shan said.
"I won't!" Jianhong assured with determination.
After sending Jianhong away, Zhong Shan continued reviewing memorials.
Soon, an old eunuch approached the hall from outside.
The eunuch looked around at the entrance.
"You wretches! How dare you sleep while on duty?" the eunuch screeched angrily.
At his shout, the guards jolted awake.
"Eunuch, we... we were..." the guards stammered in panic.
"Go to the Ministry of Personnel for your punishment, hmph!" the eunuch snapped.
"Yes, yes..." The guards hurried off, and a new batch took their place.
One of the punished guards frowned and asked the leader, "Commander, how did we fall asleep?"
"Yes, Commander, I even had a dream. We were all visiting Cuiyun Pavilion, and the girls there were so charming!"
"Uh, I had that dream too!"
"Me too!"
Inside Zhong Shan's study, the eunuch entered but quickly backed out.
"Eunuch, what are you doing?" a guard asked.
"The Emperor is exhausted, tirelessly managing state affairs day and night. He finally fell asleep over the memorials. No one is to disturb him. Let the Emperor rest well!" the eunuch ordered.
"Understood!" the guards responded promptly.
The sky was overcast, and a torrential rain poured down, soaking the streets. People seeking shelter from the rain scattered away.
Zhong Shan, dressed as a scholar, stood amidst the pouring rain. The downpour soaked his clothes and muddied the hems of his pants. He looked up at the sky, his mind feeling sluggish, as if he had forgotten something important, or perhaps he couldn't recall anything at all.
Not far from Zhong Shan was a large lake, beautiful even in the misty rain. In front of him stood a towering pagoda. The seven-story structure was grand and imposing, with multiple eaves and open windows.
Standing at the back of the tower, Zhong Shan couldn't see its name. While he was lost in his thoughts, a haunting melody suddenly drifted out from within the tower:
"Who whispers by my ear, 'Love me and never change!' Just for this phrase, I'd die without regret. Rain breaks the heart, wind weeps tears, Dreams linger, love is eternal! The water of West Lake, my tears! I wish to become a flame with you! Ah, a thousand years for one chance, one chance..."
Zhong Shan listened, feeling a sense of déjà vu. The song seemed both familiar and surreal. He remained in a state of confusion, his subconscious resisting this environment.
Circling the pagoda, he walked to its front. There, he saw the large plaque with three characters: "Leifeng Pagoda"!
Leifeng Pagoda? So, this is Leifeng Pagoda? But who am I?
"Master, save me~~~!"
The extremely familiar call shot through Zhong Shan's mind. Was the singing woman in the pagoda calling for him to save her?
"Master, Master~~~!"
The familiar voice echoed in his mind. Unconsciously, Zhong Shan envisioned the woman inside the pagoda—dressed in white, stunningly beautiful, and now calling out sorrowfully.
"Wife?" Zhong Shan frowned, his subconscious still resisting.
At that moment, a golden light flashed across the sky, and a large monk, holding a staff and a begging bowl, descended from above. If Zhong Shan were fully conscious, he would immediately recognize the monk as Ye Qingcheng, the master of the Eternal Realm.
The monk landed near Zhong Shan, untouched by rain and unmuddied by the ground.
"Xu Xian, humans and demons are different paths. Why do you persist in this delusion?" the monk shouted.
The monk's shout did not further confuse Zhong Shan. Instead, it seemed to snap him back to clarity. He jolted and looked at the monk in surprise.
"Ye Qingcheng?" Zhong Shan squinted.
"Xu Xian, have you even forgotten me, Fahai?" the monk called out again.
Zhong Shan stared at Ye Qingcheng, his eyes full of disbelief. Ye Qingcheng had shaved his head bald?
Then, Zhong Shan looked up at the sky, then at the West Lake before him, and finally at the grand Leifeng Pagoda. He smiled wryly.
"Master, Fahai is here! Run, quickly, run~~~!" a terrified voice came from inside the pagoda.
Instead of reacting as Fahai and Bai Suzhen might have expected, Zhong Shan wiped his nose with a rueful smile. He understood what was happening now.
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