590: Chapter 590 The Only Sovereign, The Only Sun

Chapter 590: The Sole Sovereign, The Sole Sun

Sunlight slanted in through the tall stained glass windows on both sides, casting brilliant patches of light on the wide steps.

Inside the golden hall, the atmosphere was quiet and sacred.

Fang Cheng did not immediately speak to give a promise.

He turned around and sat back down in the spacious golden throne.

[Writing up to here, I hope readers remember our domain name. To read Taiwan novels, go to Super Practical.]

His spine leaned against the cold back of the chair, and his arms rested casually on the armrests.

Looking down condescendingly at the red-haired man kneeling prostrate on the ground, he asked in a calm tone:

"Tell me, what on earth is going on with your background and your personal grudge?"

Shanks still maintained the posture of kneeling on one knee.

He lowered his head, his hands clenched tightly into fists, and his broad chest rose and fell several times.

When he spoke again, his voice became extremely low and repressed:

"I was born in an ancient Family in Eastern Europe with a Legacy spanning over a thousand years. It was a huge castle built deep in the Black Pine Forest, its walls crawling with green vines, and its gardens planted with large patches of red roses."

Shanks's gaze was slightly unfocused, his line of sight seemingly piercing through the sacred hall before him, sinking into distant memories.

"At that time, the castle was always filled with laughter. Although Grandfather was strict, every time he came back from the outside, he would always bring me some toys. My parents had gentle tempers and managed the Family in an orderly manner."

He paused for a moment, the corners of his mouth curving into an extremely bitter arc:

"I also have an older brother nine years older than me. He is a Genius and also my idol."

"On summer afternoons, he often practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard bare-chested, sweat trickling down his muscle lines. I remember the sound of the blade cleaving the air clearly to this day."

"And my younger sister, Emily..."

The moment he uttered this name, Shanks's voice trembled uncontrollably.

"She was only seven years old back then, and she loved wearing that white lace-trimmed dress, chasing butterflies in the rose garden. When she got tired of running, she would fling herself into my arms and giggle nonstop..."

Shanks closed his eyes, the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitching violently.

"I once thought that kind of life would last forever. Until fifteen years ago, that man knocked on the door of the castle..."

The airflow within the hall seemed to become a bit colder with the turning of his tone.

"That man wore a grey long windbreaker, and most of his face was hidden in the shadow of his hood. That night, he stayed in Grandfather's study for the entire night."

"No one knew what they talked about. But the next morning, after that man left, Grandfather changed completely."

"He locked the door of the study and shut himself inside all day. Through the door panel, I could often hear him making beast-like roars."

"Later on, my brother went out on a trip with that man, saying he planned to travel the world and broaden his horizons."

"Yet a month later, when he returned to the castle, his entire person seemed to have changed Souls, becoming extremely unfamiliar."

Shanks abruptly opened his eyes, his blue pupils covered in bloodshot veins, exuding bone-deep hatred:

"His gaze became extremely cold and ruthless. The way he looked at us was no longer like looking at Family, but more like sizing up meat on a cutting board. He began to frequently erupt into arguments with our parents, and his temper grew increasingly irritable."

"He also stopped practicing swordsmanship diligently every day, instead liking to hang hound dogs on trees, cutting off their flesh piece by piece with a knife, and laughing while listening to the dogs' miserable screams."

"Later still, he would even drive out in the middle of the night to hunt down homeless vagrants in nearby cities..."

"My younger sister was terrified; every night she would hide in my room, clutching the corner of my clothes tightly and shivering all over."

Shanks dug his hands into the ground, his fingernails scratching harsh friction sounds against the marble.

"She cried and asked me: 'Why does Second Brother look at me with that kind of gaze? Is he thinking of eating me up?' "

"I could only hold her in my arms, stroke her hair, and lie to her over and over: 'Don't be afraid, Second Brother is here, everything will get better...' "

Speaking up to this point, Shanks's voice came to an abrupt halt.

His Adam's apple slid violently, as if swallowing razor blades, and his expression became extremely twisted.

After a long while, with a sorrowful expression and a bitter, miserable smile, he continued:

"However, nothing got better."

"A few months later, that man in the grey windbreaker appeared once more, bringing along the destiny of destroying the entire Family!"

A tear overflowed from the corner of his eye, streaming down Shanks's face and silently dripping onto the marble.

"That day, I happened to go to a neighboring country's university to register, narrowly escaping a calamity."

"When I received the news and rushed back to the castle like a madman... the heavy rain was washing over the courtyard, and the puddles all over the ground were a glaring dark red."

Shanks's chest rose and fell violently, accompanied by heavy breathing, and intermittent sobs tore out from the depths of his throat:

"Grandfather, Father, Mother... over a hundred people in the castle, all dead..."

"Their corpses were casually discarded in the corridors and on the stairs, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood and the scorched odor after a big fire."

"I stepped through ankle-deep bloody water, searching room by room. Finally, on the wall of the main hall, I saw Emily..."

Shanks's head slammed heavily against the stone slab, producing a dull, loud thud.

He lay prostrate on the ground, his body curling up like a shrimp as he roared at the top of his lungs:

"She was pinned to the wall by a sword! That pretty white dress had long since been soaked black by blood!"

"I knelt in the bloody water, holding her cold corpse, and cried until my voice went hoarse!"

"From that day on, I swore a venomous oath to God that even if I fall into Hell, I will find the murderer and tear him to pieces!"

Fang Cheng leaned against the throne, quietly listening to Shanks uncover this bloody scar.

His face was hidden in the backlit shadows, and his expression did not have too many ripples.

In this chaotic and dark world of mutants, power and desire intertwined and entangled.

On whose body are there not a few hidden secrets and blood debts that cannot see the light of day?

How could he himself be any different?

Fang Cheng's gaze sank slightly, his hands resting on the armrests, and he asked indifferently:

"Who is the murderer?"

Shanks slowly straightened his waist and back from the ground, raising his face.

His facial features were tightly tensed due to extreme hatred, and his gaze was as fierce as a beast driven into a desperate situation:

"It must be that man in the grey windbreaker! And that older brother of mine who is worse than an animal!"

"I don't know that man's real name, but I know he founded a mysterious organization dedicated to gathering top-tier mutants around the world."

"Back then when I was handling the Family's funeral arrangements, I searched the entire castle and didn't find my older brother's corpse."

"However, inside the desk of his room, I found a half-burned diary."

With tear stains all over his face, Shanks's voice trembled slightly:

"In that diary, the name of that organization is recorded."

"What organization?"

Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly, and then he asked.

"U, to, pia!"

Shanks gritted his teeth, squeezing out three words one by one from between his teeth.

Hearing this name, Fang Cheng's ten fingers gripping the armrests suddenly tightened, pinching out a few shallow marks on the pure gold surface.

Then he slowly raised his eyelids, a trace of sharpness added to his gaze:

"What else was recorded in the diary?"

Seeing that Fang Cheng seemed to have developed an interest in this organization, Shanks immediately frowned tightly, carefully searching his memories:

"After all, that was an incomplete diary, and much of the content was very fragmented. Amidst the fragments, my older brother would often fanatically repeat a sentence: they wanted to destroy the decadent order and create a beautiful new world."

"He also wrote: 'The ants of the old era are not worthy of keeping company with the Dragon; only by washing the earth with blood can we usher in the true Utopia...' "

Shanks tried hard to recall the details, and then added:

"Besides these raving nonsense, the diary also mentioned several place names. There was the frozen wasteland of Siberia, the Amazon rainforest of South America, as well as the Xia Country, Dongdu..."

Speaking to this point, Shanks's tone dropped, looking at Fang Cheng:

"The diary mentioned that the Dongdu region seems to be one of their main bases, and it hides something they desire immensely. Members of that organization frequently carry out secret activities here."

Shanks took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe away the tear stains on his face, and continued:

"For the past fifteen years, in order to get revenge, I have drifted around the world, struggled through the underground black market, and tracked their traces everywhere like a stray dog."

"Until half a year ago, I accidentally learned some news. Utopia seemed to be secretly contacting the top brass of the Xia Country military, and both sides were cooperating to advance a certain dangerous experimental project."

"And the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group has acted as the black glove for the Xia Country military all year round, handling all sorts of dirty work that cannot see the light of day for them."

Shanks clenched his fists, his joints making crisp "ka ka" sounds:

"Therefore, I changed my appearance and actively joined the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group, working my life away for them."

"I just wanted to use this relationship to follow the vine and find the melon, approach the military high-ups, finally find out the truth of Utopia, find that man, and my older brother who might still be alive!"

Speaking to this point, Shanks's voice suddenly stopped.

He opened his mouth, for a moment not knowing how to continue speaking downward.

Inside the spacious hall, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Reality is often filled with dramatic mockery.

Shanks had endured and bided his time for a year, on the verge of touching upon core secrets.

Yet on that night a week ago, on the roof of the Silver Wing Building, he bumped into Fang Cheng, who had emerged out of nowhere.

Fang Cheng led the members of the Illuminati and, with a crushing momentum, uprooted the entire Blood Thorn Mercenary Group, slaughtering them completely clean.

The connection that Shanks had managed to hook up with such difficulty was also forcefully smashed apart by Fang Cheng with his fists.

Shanks was silent for a little while, his face not revealing any emotion of complaint.

He merely lowered his eyelids once again, gazing at the marble floor beneath his feet.

It seemed that after the vent just now, his emotions had already calmed down as he slowly said:

"Lord President, these past fifteen years, the deeper I investigated, the more I could feel the terror of Utopia."

"That organization is like a behemoth lurking in the deep sea, with influences spread across the globe. And that man is even stronger like a demon god from legends."

Afterward, Shanks raised his head again, meeting Fang Cheng's calm gaze, and said with a firm tone:

"If you feel that for a newcomer subordinate like me, provoking such a terrifying enemy would bring a devastating disaster to the Illuminati, I do not force you to take revenge for me."

He straightened his spine straight, pressing his right hand firmly onto his left chest again:

"The oath Shanks made just now will never be taken back. I am still willing to swear allegiance to you and be your most loyal servant!"

Fang Cheng sat high upon the throne, his gaze as calm as water, looking at the red-haired man kneeling below the steps.

Just as the other party's emotions were fluctuating, he spoke in a deep voice, his voice echoing majestically within the hall:

"I don't care who you used to be or what enemies you have."

"As long as you join the Illuminati, from now on you are my person, and your enemies are also my enemies."

"Whether it is monsters hidden in the darkness, powerful figures in reality, or that organization named Utopia, without my permission, no one can even think about taking your life."

"Even if the sky falls, I, your leader, will carry it first!"

These few short and powerful words struck Shanks's heart like a heavy hammer.

That overbearing and protective Aura caused this fugitive who had licked blood on the knife's edge and drifted everywhere for years to instantly have red rims in his eye sockets.

"Lord President... Shan... Shanks is willing to die for you!"

He trembled all over with excitement, his voice choking, almost unable to speak.

After taking a slight breath, he raised his head high, looking straight at the figure on the steps, and once again made an ironclad oath:

"From now on, you are my sole sovereign, my sole sun!"

"The long sword in my hand will clear away all obstacles for you. As long as your sword points, even if the front is an abyss of desperate perils, I will fight for you until the last drop of blood is drained!"

The oath reverberated among the stone pillars, lingering for a long time, as if becoming an eternal imprint engraved deep within the hall.

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, calmly accepting this heavy "destiny contract".

Seeing this, Shanks's tense body finally completely relaxed.

He took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions.

Suddenly, seeming to recall the only token of allegiance he could currently produce, he hurriedly added:

"Lord President, Masked Man's secret account in the Swiss Bank, I can tell you now, the password is..."

"Don't tell me."

Fang Cheng raised his hand, waving it casually to interrupt his words:

"Tomorrow when the professor goes over to check your injuries, you tell him directly that he is solely responsible for handling that sum of money."

Shanks was stunned for a moment, then nodded heavily:

"Yes, this subordinate understands."

Fang Cheng watched as the edges of his illusory consciousness body were flickering slightly.

This was clearly a sign of just recovering from serious injuries and mental instability.

"Your Physical Body injuries have not fully healed yet, and your consciousness should not leave your body for too long."

Fang Cheng waved his hand, his sleeves stirring up a breeze that lifted Shanks up from where he knelt below the steps:

"Go back and rest early, nurse your injuries well, there will be plenty of places where you need to contribute your effort later."

"As you command."

With a solemn expression, Shanks bowed respectfully.

The next second, his figure turned into countless golden specks of light, rapidly dissipating amidst the colorful light and shadows, exiting this Inner Scene World.

The hall recovered its emptiness and silence once again.

Fang Cheng sat upright on the golden throne.

He raised his head, casting his gaze toward the deep starry sky on the dome.

I saw that the star that was originally drifting at the edge and extremely dim had already broken away from its original trajectory at this moment.

It crossed the sea of stars, steadily staying in the central area of the dome.

It was very close to the golden sun representing Fang Cheng, and it bloomed with an exceptionally bright radiance.

"It really works..."

Fang Cheng's lips curved upwards as he muttered to himself.