Chapter 1339 - 967: Surrender

If Zhang Chen didn’t have other calculations, the path that Dugu Qiu pointed out was indeed a clear one, with the potential to oppose the Great Victory royal family and preserve himself. However, Zhang Chen had long planned out the future path, ensuring everyone was doomed in his strategic game.

The only concern Zhang Chen might have now is whether the Great Victory royal family can withstand the fight. If overturned by the Six Great Clans, resulting in a mutually damaging battle, and if no one deals with that corpse, he would be left dumbfounded.

"Thank you, godfather, for planning on my behalf. Unfortunately, this is not the path for me, Zhang Chen. I, Zhang Chen, have always preferred to take from the straight rather than seek in the curve, regardless of the knives and fires ahead or countless calamities; I will tread forward without hesitation. Even when I was a penniless child, Prince Pingbian couldn’t make me surrender. Now, having acquired countless skills and Divine Techniques, the court cannot make me surrender either. As for the court’s scheming, their planning may indeed be seamless, but who will have the last laugh is another matter entirely." Zhang Chen solemnly bowed to Dugu Qiu:

"Lead the way, godfather, let’s go to the palace to meet the Great Victory Human King."

Dugu Qiu sighed softly upon hearing this: "Before I came, I thought persuading you wouldn’t work. If you were someone who would assess the situation, such a huge mess wouldn’t have happened in the Northern Land. However, the Great Victory royal family is not comparable to the Northern Land; the difference in power between the two is as vast as heaven and earth and cannot be compared. You must be cautious to avoid getting yourself trapped by a slight mistake."

As he spoke, Dugu Qiu led the way, guiding Zhang Chen all the way to the Inner Palace, entering the hall where the Great Victory Human King resided.

The Great Victory Human King was sitting at a table reviewing memorials; the old eunuch Dugu Qiu approached respectfully and said, "Great King, Zhang Chen has arrived."

The Great Victory Human King said without lifting his head, "Let him in."

Zhang Chen walked in from outside the hall, arrived at the center of the palace, and saluted the Great Victory Human King with clasped fists: "Greetings, Great King."

The Great Victory Human King looked up at Zhang Chen for a moment, then waved his hand: "Rise."

"Thank you, Great King." Zhang Chen stood upright.

The Great Victory Human King put down the memorial in hand, took out a piece of white paper beside him, and said to Zhang Chen: "Do you know what this is?"

"I don’t know." Zhang Chen shook his head, secretly thinking the Great Victory Human King was an idiot; he hadn’t seen the memorial, how could he know what was recorded on it?

"This is your pardon edict." The Great Victory Human King said slowly.

Zhang Chen remained silent upon hearing this, just standing there quietly.

"As long as I add my seal to it, this document will take effect, and you will be a free man in Kyoto thereafter. But if I don’t seal it, you are guilty; as soon as I wish, everything you own now will instantly turn into water, including the position of Zhang Family Patriarch you painstakingly seized, will be stripped away in an instant," said the Great Victory Human King to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen remained silent after hearing this, just quietly watching the Great Victory Human King, whose expressionless face made the Great Victory Human King feel as though performing a solo, with a hint of indescribable awkwardness in his heart.

Seeing Zhang Chen not responding, the Great Victory Human King continued: "Your performance in the Academy was quite good, but at the crucial moment, the world anchor disappeared, and you are also responsible. I can either pardon you or not; right now, you are in a state between being worthy of pardon and not, all depending on my whim."

"All according to the Great King’s instructions, I have no complaints." Zhang Chen replied with clasped fists.

Hearing Zhang Chen’s words, the Great Victory Human King was choked with anger, his words caught in his throat, revealing a helpless glint in his eyes. According to the usual script, shouldn’t Zhang Chen now kneel to plead for mercy, and then I would give him a chance to redeem his mission by atoning for it?

What does ’All according to the Great King’s instructions’ mean? It’s simply outrageous!

All his words had been wasted! Blocked effortlessly by the other party’s words.

Zhang Chen’s eyes swept over the Great Victory Human King, entirely amused in his heart; how could he not know the Great Victory Human King’s intentions? But he deliberately refrained from cooperating with the Great Victory Human King’s act.

Nevertheless, the Great Victory Human King, ultimately being who he was, didn’t fear the awkwardness, and continued his soliloquy: "Logically, I shouldn’t pardon you since you haven’t perfectly completed your task, but considering the effort you’ve put into seizing the Zhang Family Patriarch’s position, it would be a pity if I didn’t pardon you. So, I’ve decided to give you another chance. If you lead the Zhang Family to join the Great Victory royal family, helping me eradicate the Six Great Clans, I will stamp this seal on the document, allowing you not only to retain the Zhang Family Patriarch position but also smoothly annex the other six families, taking over their wealth. Thereafter, the six families will be consumed by your Zhang Family and the Gong Family, propelling the Zhang Family under your leadership to immeasurable heights, even surpassing the ancestors of the Zhang Family is not an impossible task."

Zhang Chen heard the words of the Human King of Great Victory and almost laughed out loud secretly. The other party was treating him like a child, but he held back his inner sarcasm and respectfully saluted the Human King of Great Victory: "Your Majesty, I have no way out, and I am willing to be loyal to the Great Victory Royal Family, unafraid of any calamity."

"Are you truly unafraid of any calamity?" Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s choice, the Human King of Great Victory smiled broadly, his tense and dignified expression dissipating to reveal a gentle smile.

"Indeed." Zhang Chen replied respectfully.

The Human King of Great Victory maintained a gentle smile: "Words alone mean nothing; we need to see your actions."

Saying this, the Human King of Great Victory took out a black banner from within his robe: "This banner has the effect of controlling one’s Divine Soul. As long as a person’s blood is dripped upon it, they will be controlled by the master of the banner. Whenever the master wills it, hellfire will ignite, burning the person’s soul and eventually turning it to ashes."

After the Human King of Great Victory finished speaking, he casually tossed the banner, and it floated in front of Zhang Chen: "Let the lone king see your sincerity; whether your loyalty is true or false."

Hearing the words of the Human King of Great Victory, Zhang Chen looked at the banner with a subtle expression in his eyes. This banner turned out to be an Innate Spiritual Treasure, with turbid energy swirling around it, emitting terrifying Divine Power, causing even Zhang Chen’s heart to race.

Zhang Chen examined the banner, wondering about the turbid energy on it. Normally, Innate Spiritual Treasures are surrounded by pure energy; how could there be an Innate Spiritual Treasure born with turbid energy?

He couldn’t discern the origins of this Innate Spiritual Treasure. As he scanned the treasure before him, his eyes showed rare caution, for he sensed a dangerous aura from the banner.

While Zhang Chen was considering whether to overturn the situation and escape immediately, the voice of The Queen Mother of the West timely reached Zhang Chen’s ear: "This item was forged by the Witch Race; it is the Lifebound Magical Treasure of the Ancestor Witch who controls souls. Its power ranks among the foremost of many Innate Spiritual Treasures, with countless ancient experts having fallen beneath this banner. But fear not; this banner has been severely damaged, so although its power remains considerable, there are flaws you can exploit with your Nine Revolutions Profound Skill to escape its constraints."

The Queen Mother of the West passed the technique to evade this treasure quickly into Zhang Chen’s mind, and with his current cultivation level, he instantly understood all its key aspects.

Just as Zhang Chen hesitated and delayed, the Human King of Great Victory spoke, with the gentle smile on his face gradually disappearing, eyeing Zhang Chen with a tiger-like gaze: "Why hesitate to drip your blood, afraid your proclamations are just empty talk?"

The Human King of Great Victory’s face turned unsightly, with his eyes fixed viciously on Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen snapped back to reality, hurriedly offering an apology: "How dare I deceive Your Majesty? It’s just that upon first encountering this treasure, seeing its vicious aura, even my soul trembled and got distracted. Your Majesty, please calm your anger; I will bleed immediately."

With a thought, Zhang Chen summoned forth a drop of blood from a wild boar that had just transformed within his miniature world, allowing it to fall onto the banner before him.

Although The Queen Mother of the West taught him how to circumvent the banner, Zhang Chen remained cautious and continued to guard against her.

Upon seeing Zhang Chen drip his blood onto the banner, the Human King of Great Victory’s face appeared satisfied as he retrieved the banner and sensed it carefully, noting the blood’s alignment with Zhang Chen’s (miniature world), which reassured him: "Your loyalty to the Great Victory is attested by Heaven and Earth; the lone king is pleased. Fear not; the lone king is not unreasonable, for the Zhang Family to act without reward is not acceptable. As long as your Zhang Family makes an effort, you can choose two of the six clans to annex. Thus, the Gong Family will annex two, the Great Victory Royal Family will annex two, perfectly dividing the six clans."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. The Zhang Family will undoubtedly devote themselves to Your Majesty, fighting to the death." Zhang Chen respectfully saluted.

"Follow the lone king; we will discuss how to eliminate the six clans." With these words, the Human King of Great Victory led Zhang Chen out of the hall, arriving at a side hall where the Gong Family Patriarch, Gong Xufeng, and the seven ancestors of the Great Victory Royal Family were seated.

After the parties exchanged greetings, the Human King of Great Victory asked: "Regarding the destruction of the six clans, what are your thoughts?"

"The use of decisive Thunder-like methods is required, eliminating the main branches of the six clans within Kyoto. Without the main branch’s command, the remaining branches will undoubtedly fight separately, potentially splitting and establishing new households. At that time, eliminating the six clans will not be difficult." Zhang Chen suggested: "We can ask three Twelfth Tier divinities to intervene, and it will be easily accomplished."

He intended to let the deities of the Inner Palace intervene directly, inciting them.

Upon hearing this, the Human King of Great Victory shook his head: "Your words are unrealistic. You have lived in the Border Region for many years and do not know that the Innate Spiritual Treasures of the Eight Great Clans can be used within Kyoto."