“Chaoge City citizens, we have returned!”
As Gu Hai looked at the rubble filling the city and the corpses lined up on the ground, all the things he had to say culminated in this sentence.
As Gu Hai turned his head to look south, his eyes became bloodshot, filling with boundless hatred.
“His Majesty returned! It’s His Majesty!” A loud cry suddenly rang out in the distant forest.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You finally returned!”
The miserable cries grew louder over time. Some of the citizens who managed to flee had hidden near Chaoge City, managing to escape this calamity. Even when Long Wanyu returned, they did not dare to show themselves, as they did not trust her.
When they saw Gu Hai return, these citizens could no longer hold themselves back. All the fear, horror, and despair in their hearts came bursting out as they cried and ran towards Gu Hai.
Gu Hai landed near the ten million corpses outside the city.
“Brother-in-Law, you finally returned!” Long Wanyu immediately rushed over.
Purple Subtlety and Longevity were crestfallen. Li Shenji and Ye Shenzhen stood in the distance, not coming over.
Ao Tianhuang and the others stood nearby, not saying a word.
Gu Hai went to the open space, looking at the many corpses in incredibly sorry states.
Long Wanyu approached and stood reservedly behind Gu Hai. “Brother-in-Law, these are the corpses that we tidied up. There is a total of ten million sixty-three.”
“Your Majesty!”
The surrounding citizens quickly converged around Gu Hai.
“Your Majesty, my father gave his spot on the flying ship to me, which resulted in his death. Your Majesty… Sob! Sob! Sob! Please avenge my father!”
“Your Majesty, my elder sister’s family died miserable deaths!”
“Your Majesty, that demon! That demon! What should we do now?”
The many citizens cried as they knelt before Gu Hai.
Just then, a Han Nation official who managed to flee arrived behind Gu Hai and softly described everything that happened in Chaoge City.
After Gu Hai heard the report, his expression changed.
After some silence, Gu Hai suddenly bowed three times to the ten million corpses.
When Gu Hai bowed, the crying citizens immediately stopped and looked at their emperor.
“We know that while you have already died, your mortal souls are still around, looking at us, waiting for us. We will get justice for you. We will get justice for you very soon!” Gu Hai declared with a solemn expression.
Then, Gu Hai turned his head and looked at the previously crying citizens.
“Everyone, we are back. We came back too late!” Gu Hai bowed deeply to the crying citizens, feeling very guilty.
“Your Majesty!” The citizens bowed back to Gu Hai.
“Men!” Gu Hai called out.
Some of the officials who had accompanied these citizens stepped forward immediately.
“Set up camp outside Chaoge City. Make arrangements for the surviving citizens!” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!”
“Use the best coffin wood for the dead citizens and bury them here. We will show them how we will avenge them!” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Yes!”
“No one is to touch any stone or wood in the city! The Han Nation will remember today’s humiliation forever. Only this once! Only this once!” Gu Hai snarled.
“Yes!” the officials and soldiers shouted in response.
They immediately left to make arrangements for all the nearby surviving citizens.
“That’s impossible! How could my father die?! How could my father die?! Father! Father! Father! Father!” Chang Ming roared in despair, unable to accept this fact.
“He was fine when I left! Father was still fine! Father…” Chang Ming suddenly started crying in sorrow.
Gu Hai took a deep breath, preparing to console Chang Ming.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a clump of light flew out from under the nearby corpses.
“Huh?” Gu Hai’s expression turned grave.
The distant Li Shenji appeared slightly shocked. “That is a nascent soul? It hid beneath the corpses?”
“Chang Sheng? Didn’t he self-detonate?” The distant Ao Sheng suddenly goggled.
“Chang Sheng?” Ao Tianhuang narrowed his eyes slightly.
Whoosh!
The clump of light quickly flew to Gu Hai and Chang Ming.
“Father! Father! Is that you?! Is that you?!” Chang Ming yelled with wide eyes.
The fist-sized clump of light had Chang Sheng’s appearance. This figure glowed yellow but seemed to be fading slowly.
“Chang Sheng’s nascent soul greets the Han Royal Emperor.” The small nascent soul bowed respectfully to Gu Hai.
Chang Sheng?
Gu Hai looked at the small nascent soul and bowed back gravely. “Mister Chang Sheng, many thanks for rescuing ninety percent of my Chaoge City’s citizens! Gu Hai sincerely thanks you!”
“Ninety percent? Unfortunately, I still failed to save ten million,” the small nascent soul said bitterly.
“Father! Father! What should I do? How can I save you? What should I do?” Chang Ming asked, feeling incredibly anxious.
The small nascent soul turned its head and looked at Chang Ming. Then, it smiled bitterly and said, “There’s no need to save me. My three spiritual souls are no longer around. This is just a physical soul. When I self-detonated, I intentionally left a physical soul behind to carry my final thoughts.”
“No, no, no! There has to be a way! There must be!” Chang Ming cried out in despair.
Chang Sheng smiled bitterly and said, “Be realistic.”
Chang Sheng turned his head and looked at Gu Hai. “Han Royal Emperor, this humble one schemed to make this contribution. I hope the Han Royal Emperor does not mind.”
“How could we mind? You had discovered us at the Thousand Islands Sea but kept quiet about it. This time, you even saved ninety million of our citizens. We welcome such schemes and are boundlessly grateful!” Gu Hai bowed again.
“That’s good. Our Chang Clan is destroyed, leaving only Chang Ming. Today, I would like to shamelessly use our contribution to ask the Han Royal Emperor to guide my son, Chang Ming, after I’m gone. He is too stubborn and undisciplined, but he is not stupid. Han Royal Emperor, please take him in and teach him properly.” The small nascent soul suddenly knelt in the air.
“Mister Chang Sheng, there’s no need for that. I will take care of Chang Ming. Rest assured,” Gu Hai said gravely.
At Gu Hai’s promise, Chang Sheng’s eyes lit up. He bowed gratefully. “Many thanks!”
Gu Hai sighed softly. “It is unfortunate for Mister Chang Sheng. If only Mister Chang Sheng were still alive! That would be great.”
Chang Sheng smiled faintly. That was no longer possible.
Turning his head, Chang Sheng looked at Chang Ming.
“Father! Father! You cannot die! What is this child to do if you die?! What should I do?!” Tears flowed down Chang Ming’s cheeks as he slumped to the ground with despair writ across his face as though the sky had collapsed.
“Ming`er, I knew that I would be leaving one day. The Chang Clan’s destruction was just a matter of time. Your brothers will die for sure. Do you know why I dote on you the most?” Chang Sheng said bitterly.
“Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Father…”
“You are different from others. Heaven’s favored. Perhaps that is heaven’s way of giving our clan some hope. You are more important than everyone else, more important than anyone in the Chang Clan. That’s why I have the highest expectations of you. Now, I can no longer watch over you. Fortunately, I managed to ask the Han Royal Emperor to take you in. That is your good fortune. You have to treasure it,” Chang Sheng sighed.
“I don’t want him to take me in. I don’t want to be in the Han Nation. I just want Father to return! Sob! Sob! Sob!” Chang Ming cried sorrowfully.
“Absolutely disgraceful!” Chang Sheng immediately glared.
Chang Ming stopped crying.
“I have done so much for you. Are you going to waste your father’s final efforts? Ming`er, if you let me down, Father will not rest in peace after my death!” Chang Sheng said sorrowfully.
This startled Chang Ming. Then, he felt incredibly upset.
“Father…Father, I’ll listen to you. I’ll listen. Sob! Sob! Sob!” Chang Ming cried.
“Go. Salute the Han Royal Emperor. Quickly!” Chang Sheng exhorted.
Chang Ming wiped his tears away and walked over to Gu Hai. Then, he knelt.
Gu Hai did not stop Chang Ming. Instead, he seriously accepted three kowtows from Chang Ming.
“Many thanks, Han Royal Emperor.” Chang Sheng looked at Gu Hai gratefully.
By accepting Chang Ming’s salutations, Gu Hai had made a promise.
“Regarding Chang Ming, I tested him on the way here. He has potential, but…” Gu Hai frowned slightly.
“I understand. Han Royal Emperor, teach him however you want. Be ruthless. Torment him however you please as long as he does not die. Back then, I was too soft; hence, he is like this,” Chang Sheng immediately said.
Gu Hai nodded.
Chang Sheng looked at Chang Ming. “Ming`er, I know that you still feel some resistance in your heart. That is because you still have not figured out many things. To prevent you from doing something silly, Father now has a request of you.”
“Father!”
“In the future, listen to the Han Royal Emperor in everything. As long as he does not want your death, listen to the Han Royal Emperor, no matter what. You are the hope of my entire Chang Clan. If you feel any reluctance in the future, just think of Father, think of the Chang Clan. This is Father’s final request.” Chang Sheng looked at Chang Ming with eyes brimming with anticipation.
Chang Ming trembled as he cried. After a while, he nodded seriously. “Yes!”
“My son…” Chang Sheng caressed Chang Ming’s head. With a faint smile, his figure scattered.
Whoosh!
Chang Sheng’s nascent soul dissipated like smoke. That meant that Chang Sheng’s final wishes had been fulfilled, and he could pass on in peace.
The past started flashing through Chang Ming’s mind.
“Hahaha! My son is very clever. No one in the other clans can compare to my Ming`er. Right now, Ming`er is just three years old. He will definitely be incredible in the future!”
“Ming`er, when sucking blood, suck only the enemy’s blood. You must never suck the blood of innocents!”
“Ming`er, you have to read these books. Don’t keep relying on luck!”
“Ming`er…Ming`er…”
Various scenes of the past flashed through Chang Ming’s mind. These were mostly of Chang Sheng’s sermons. Nevertheless, he now suddenly missed them. However, they would never happen again. They were all gone.
“Father! Father!” Chang Ming let out a heart-wrenching cry.
Gu Hai looked south, towards the Yuan Imperial Dynasty in the south.
