185: Chapter 185 An Inescapable Fate

"Demon Concubine Su Daji, my disciple..."

"You have disappointed me so much."

"It is true that I and the sect told a small lie, but from start to finish, I never thought of harming you..."

"Everything I ordered you to do was to satisfy the requirements of the immortals and help our Hehuan Sect become an orthodox sect."

"When that time comes, as the Saintess, you might even be able to secure a position in the Heavenly Court."

"This is an immense honor..."

"But what about you?"

"Not only did you develop feelings for that tyrant, but you even killed your Martial Uncle."

"Truly rebellious and unfilial, truly rebellious! Hahahaha!"

"Do you have any idea?"

"In the Hehuan Sect, your actions warrant the punishment of the Soul Lantern, where ten thousand insects devour your heart, and you shall never be reincarnated!"

Hearing this, Su Daji gritted her teeth.

"You conspired with Su Hu to slaughter the innocent and frame the Great King."

"The Great King... the Great King has been so good to me."

"How could you have the heart to do this?"

"Ah!~"

For some reason, at the mention of Su Chen, Su Daji noticed the strange symbols on her bones writhing violently.

Immediately following was a pain that pierced deep into her marrow.

"Everything in this world is simply a matter of winners and losers. And you, Su Daji, the Saintess of the Hehuan Sect, actually fell truly in love with a mortal emperor..."

Seeing the pained expression on Su Daji's face, Xu Xinlei wore a knowing smile.

"Fortunately, this old woman knew this day would come, so I placed a... on you in advance."

"This Gu remained dormant and silent until you gave your heart to Di Xin."

"But once your love takes deep root, it awakens, feeding on your affection and nesting in your marrow."

"Every time you think of his name, the pain will gnaw at your bones and pierce your heart."

"Under normal circumstances, there is no cure for this Gu, unless the one who planted it dies, or..."

Xu Xinlei's voice carried a hint of playfulness.

"The one afflicted by the Gu personally severs their threads of affection and slays their beloved."

"What?"

A look of agony immediately appeared on Su Daji's beautiful face.

Xu Xinlei was her master.

She knew her own methods better than Su Daji did.

Moreover, she currently couldn't use her cultivation at all and was no match for Xu Xinlei.

And the other choice?

To kill Su Chen?

She had already failed the Great King so much; if there was no cure for this Gu, she would rather die in agonizing torment.

Seeing Su Daji's pained and indecisive state.

Xu Xinlei couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"Considering our bond as master and disciple, and that your talent is indeed rare."

"I will give you one last chance."

"It is also your only chance to live and be free from the suffering of this 'Love Gu's' backlash."

"I know you cannot bear to personally strike Su Chen. In that case..."

"Seven days from now is the 'Day of Heaven's Pardon,' which occurs once every sixty years. It is also the grand ceremony for the mortal emperor to offer sacrifices to heaven and inform his ancestors."

"On that day, heaven and earth resonate, and the laws of the world loosen."

"Although it remains difficult for immortals and gods to directly act against a mortal emperor, the restrictions on us mortal cultivators will be at their lowest."

Her figure solidified slightly in the darkness, radiating a chilling intent to kill.

"Seven days later, at the Grand Ceremony. I will personally go to Chaoge and take Di Xin's life upon the Altar of Heaven."

"For the Hehuan Sect, and to add another stroke to the 'Merit of Overthrowing Zhou'."

"And you..."

"Your task is to find a way to ensure Di Xin ascends the Altar of Heaven as scheduled."

"If you succeed, after it's over, I may suppress the Love Gu for you out of our past affection."

"Furthermore..."

"You should already know that your cultivation of the 'Supreme Forgetting Joy and Union Canon' is one step away from completion. For now, you cannot achieve perfection or use your cultivation at will."

"As long as you can accomplish all this."

"I can personally tell you the method to completely master the 'Supreme Forgetting Joy and Union Canon'."

"Also, do not think of sacrificing yourself to save Di Xin's life. With the support of the immortals, the Zhou Dynasty of Western Zhou is now powerful and well-equipped."

"If my assassination attempt fails..."

"Within half a month, the Ji Clan's army will be at the gates of Chaoge City."

"My disciple, look out for yourself."

The dark shadow slowly dissipated, and the suffocating pressure and intense pain receded like the tide.

Only Su Daji's consciousness remained.

"Cough, cough..."

A fit of violent coughing pulled Su Daji out of the deep darkness of her consciousness.

She struggled to open her eyes; her vision remained blurred for a long time before finally coming into focus.

The first thing she saw was the familiar bright yellow canopy.

As expected, she was back in Chaoge.

She slightly turned her stiff neck, shifting her gaze to the side.

Beside the bed, Su Chen sat on a round stool, resting his forehead on one hand, seemingly taking a nap.

He was still wearing his black casual robes.

However, his robes were somewhat wrinkled, there were faint dark circles under his eyes, and short stubble had sprouted on his chin.

His whole being radiated a deep sense of exhaustion.

Yet even so, he held her hand and did not let go.

The burning heat from his palm was the only warmth she could perceive at this moment.

A bit further from Su Chen's side, Queen Jiang was actually standing there quietly.

She held a white jade medicine bowl in her hands, with steam curling up from the decoction inside.

She was gently stirring it with a silver spoon, carefully testing the temperature.

And this medicine was surely meant for Su Daji.

Seeing Su Daji wake up, Queen Jiang's movements paused slightly, a flash of complexity crossing her eyes.

She then lowered her eyelids and continued to stir the medicine.

She did not speak.

Su Chen, however, was startled awake the moment Su Daji coughed.

"Beloved Consort, you're awake?"

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he instinctively tightened his grip on her hand.

"How do you feel?"

"Great King..."

Su Daji spoke.

Just uttering those two words caused her eyes to redden instantly.

Large teardrops rolled down without warning.

In those tears were the boundless guilt and despair she felt toward this man after learning the truth.

Along with sadness.

What she grieved for was this:

Why, when neither of them had done anything wrong, could they never achieve a happy ending.

Seeing Su Daji start to weep, Su Chen was momentarily flustered.

"Don't cry, don't cry..."

"It's good that you're awake, it's good that you're awake."

"Queen Jiang said if you could wake up, there would be hope for your recovery."

"Don't be afraid. I am here; I will definitely cure you."

"No matter what method it takes, no matter what spirit medicine or immortal herbs are needed."

"Even if I have to poke a hole in the heavens, I will find them for you!"

Su Daji first gave Queen Jiang a grateful yet complex look, her face showing appreciation.

She knew Queen Jiang came from an extraordinary background and possessed many abilities beyond those of ordinary people.

Her current stabilized condition was certainly her doing.

She just hadn't expected her to be willing to help her nominal "love rival."

Then, Su Daji's gaze turned back to Su Chen.

The more gentle and protective he was, the more Su Daji felt a pain that made it impossible to breathe.