Book 5, Chapter 173: Uncompromising
Chapter 173: Uncompromising
News that Zhu Xianyao was to be killed very quickly spread throughout Sky City.
When Su Chen heard this news, his expression was neither shocked nor angry.
Even though it wasn’t like he had known a long time ago, Su Chen realized that he had accepted this possibility a long time ago. This sensation was totally illogical, and it also ignored Su Chen’s emotions.
Su Chen didn’t tell Patelocke. He didn’t want the others to be anxious.
He sat in the courtyard, all alone, turning over something in his mind.
Time flew by, and the sky gradually began to grow light…...
The execution was slated to take place at noon.
As noon drew closer and closer, the fairgrounds of the Perpetual Daylight Palace also began to fill up with Harpies wanting to watch the spectacle unfold.
Because Harpies could fly, they were perfect spectators.
The small fairgrounds was quickly filled with tens of thousands of Harpies.
Standing below the stage were Zhu Xianyao and her subordinates, a total of 125 people.
Zhu Xianyao’s expression was stoic.
It wasn’t because she was afraid of death, but that she believed in Su Chen.
In comparison, the Zhu Clan’s subordinates were in much worse shape. They were all pale with fright, and some of them couldn’t control the tears and snot flowing down their face.
The executioner was standing in place, holding a Soul-Severing Blade in his hand. The surface of the blade was covered in a unique medicine that could completely destroy any consciousness power it came in contact with, so that any target slain by it, even an Ultimate Emperor Realm cultivator, would not be able to be resurrected.
Further away, a large group of Harpy officials stood off to the side, watching closely.
However, they didn’t seem to have any heart to supervise the situation. They all appeared to be whispering into each others’ ears.
From time to time, an official would run into the palace before exiting with a gloomy expression on their face.
The Harpies watching had no idea what those officials were doing, but they cried out, “Your Majesty, please, spare her! You cannot kill Zhu Xianyao, otherwise a battle will break out and our race will be exterminated!”
An old Harpy flew into the palace, heading straight for the main hall.
Everyone realized that the officials were also doing their best to try and stop the situation from unfolding. The old individual who had just charged into the palace was a high-ranking Harpy official with outstanding character. No one had expected even him to step in and try and stop Eternal Night.
Unfortunately, his pleas were also ineffective.
Very quickly, the old Harpy was unceremoniously thrown out of the hall by a soldier as he cried out with incredibly piercing words such as “don’t let your emotions affect your decisions and drag the Harpy civilians into another bloodbath.”
These cries didn’t move Eternal Night, but they did move the Harpy civilians standing nearby.
There were even some who were trying to convince those around them to storm the fairgrounds and stop the execution.
Unfortunately, the crowd was not spurred into action. A large group of elite soldiers charged over, aiming their weapons at the civilians. One of the civilians trying to stir up trouble suddenly found that an arrow had penetrated his wing, causing him to plummet from the sky.
Some soldiers immediately flew out and arrested him.
Next, a voice filled the surroundings. “His Majesty has issued an order. Unless by his express permission, anyone who attempts to stop the execution will be treated as a traitor and will be immediately executed!”
The speaker was Lonely Skyleap.
This Harpy commander’s reputation had surged after leading the Harpies in a successful defense against the Desolate Beast, causing many of the civilians to respect him immensely. For Eternal Night to use him to proclaim this matter was like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken, but that was also a clear demonstration of Eternal Night’s decisiveness.
The Harpies were originally scattered and unorganized anyways, so when faced with the imposing declaration of a God of War, the unrest began to settle.
The flames that Su Chen had only just lit were immediately extinguished, and the crowd no longer had any temper with which to fight back.
Even Su Chen, who was mingled amongst that crowd of Harpies, could only smile helplessly and bitterly.
Eternal Night, Eternal Night, you really have some skills!
But will you really kill her?
Su Chen knew that Eternal Night’s goal was to force him out.
But he didn’t know whether Eternal Night was really planning on killing Zhu Xianyao if he didn’t show himself.
Only when the execution took place would Su Chen know.
Worth noting was that Su Chen was remaining hidden not because he was cowardly but because he didn’t want people to link him with Zhu Xianyao. That would make it impossible for him to save her.
For this reason, he could only wait.
The best outcome here was that Eternal Night was only trying to scare him. If Su Chen hadn’t revealed himself at noon, perhaps Eternal Night would stop the execution.
This was a battle of willpower and faith.
Who would be able to hold on until the last moment?
If this was before, Su Chen would have complete confidence that he could have won.
Now, however, he was no longer so confident.
Eternal Night was the most fearsome opponent he had ever encountered before, not because he was strong or because he held immense power, but because he was incredibly wise and slippery.
And now, Su Chen could only wait.
Wait until all the cards were on the table.
Time inched by second by second.
The time of the execution came closer and closer.
The Harpies watching on completely ignored the harsh glare of the sun.
They continued to watch on anxiously, hoping that His Majesty would change his mind.
However, their hopes were disappointed.
No one could oppose Eternal Night.
His determination and his will were all unaffected by those around him. Even the Mother Goddess Sect, which was on par with him in terms of authority, was completely powerless.
For tens of thousands of years, the Mother Goddess Sect had been responsible for keeping the emperor in line to protect the civilians. If necessary, they even had the power to overthrow the emperor himself. Even so, Eternal Night continued to forge onwards!
His decisiveness and determination were truly praiseworthy.
When the sun was directly above in the sky, the critical moment arrived.
Bang!
With this tolling bell, the executioner yelled loudly, “The time is now. Prepare the execution!”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The hundred and twenty-five subordinates were pushed down as the executioners raised their Soul-Severing Blades.
The Harpies felt their hearts catch in their throats.
Would there be any unexpected occurrences?
Would the execution be put on hold?
Would someone interfere?
The Harpy civilians all watched with earnest expectation.
However, the answers they received was a great disappointment.
Not at all!
When the executioner issued the command, everyone felt their breath catch.
As the executioners raised their Soul-Severing Baldes,
Eternal Night had no intentions of compromising!
If you don’t come out, I’m going to kill them all!
The day before.
Within the Perpetual Daylight Palace.
Serene Dream Lotus Crown was stunned when she heard Eternal Night’s justification.
“So that’s your decision? Is that why you are doing all of this? Do you know what might happen once those people die?” Serene Dream Lotus Crown said with apprehension.
Eternal Night smiled slightly. “It will be a humiliating mark in the books of history, a shame for use Harpies.”
“But you’re still insisting on doing this?”
“That is the responsibility I should bear,” Eternal Night replied. “As the emperor of the Harpies, it is my duty to bear the responsibility for any decision that I make. As long as the Harpies survive, what is a small blemish to my reputation?”
Even Serene Dream Lotus Crown was taken aback by Eternal Night’s words.
She gazed at Eternal Night as if she were gazing at a lover. Even though the other person was an old, grizzled man, he was extremely handsome and youthful in Serene Dream Lotus Crown’s eyes.
She couldn’t help but reach out her hand and stroke Eternal Night’s face.
She said, “Eternal Night, do you remember what you said that time when we were reading together?”
Eternal Night nodded. “Of course. I said that, as a man, my ambitions and aspirations much stretch as far as the heavens. I will do what my predecessors could not do and bear what they could not bear.”
“You have done that,” Serene Dream Lotus Crown as she leaned into him, unable to control herself.
She wanted to hold Eternal Night, but he refused her advances.
He shook her head at her.
Serene Dream Lotus Crown suddenly remembered her status.
The Harpies had a rule that the leader of the Mother Goddess Sect and the emperor could never be together.
This was to ensure the independence of the two branches of political authority.
Serene Dream Lotus Crown and Eternal Night had once lived like that. At that time, she was a genius talent rising through the ranks of the Mother Goddess Sect, while Eternal Night was only a common Harpy official. Their relationship was extremely good.
Even so, once Eternal Night seized control of the Harpies for himself, his relationship with Serene Dream Lotus Crown was doomed.
These past few years, Serene Dream Lotus Crown had felt incredibly bitter that Eternal Night had forsaken her for the sake of greater power, but all of that bitterness faded at this moment.
Because she understood Eternal Night’s heart and the burden he bore. It was not easy on him.
She said gently, “Then let them come. When the battle draws near, I will bear the burden with you.”
Let them come.
This was Serene Dream Lotus Crown’s decision.
Since Eternal Night had decided to fight, Serene Dream Lotus Crown was willing to fight by his side.
No matter what, they would need to endure!
The blades glowed with a chilly light that emanated in all directions, carrying with them an aura of death and relentless determination. It was apparent that death was imminent!
At that moment, a gust of wind blew by.
As if time had frozen, the hundred twenty-five Soul-Severing Blades hung motionlessly in the air.
One of the blades was merely three centimeters from Zhu Xianyao’s neck.
This had happened because the space around the blades had suddenly frozen, as if the air had suddenly congealed into fat.
Not only so, but a formless pressure suddenly began to emanate, forcing the blades upwards.
Because the executioners had used too much force, the collision of the two opposing forces caused the blades to tremble violently.
The simultaneous trembling of a hundred twenty-five blades at the same time resulted in a strange hum filling the air.
All of the Harpies were stunned when they saw this.
They watched as a Harpy stepped out from the throng of spectators.
Even though he had wings, they were furled. He stood in the air, not relying on his wings to remain suspended in the air.
Not only so, but his aura grew stronger and stronger, as if he had taken off a costume of weakness.
That Harpy had transformed into a human.
The crowd burst out into an uproar.
“Su Chen!” When Zhu Xianyao saw him appear on the scene, she couldn’t stop herself from crying out.
Even though she believed that Su Chen wouldn’t ignore her, her heart still ached when she saw Su Chen actually appear.
How could you be this silly?
Wasn’t he the one who said that no one could save her if the relationship between her and Su Chen were to come to light?
Since I am going to die, what is the point in you coming to the grave with me?
In that moment, Zhu Xianyao began to weep, both with happiness and despair.
Lonely Skyleap, however, smiled. “You showed up after all…… And with your main body, too. How bold.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Su Chen replied. “If he has issued the order to kill Zhu Xianyao, then that means he doesn’t want to kill me yet. Am I right?”
What did that mean? All of the onlookers couldn’t understand.
Lonely Skyleap was stunned before he said, “His Majesty was correct. You are in fact the most difficult opponent he has ever encountered before, Master Su.”
Su Chen smiled slightly. “What a coincidence. I was just thinking that myself…… The Harpies have quite a competent ruler at the helm.”