Venerated Venomous Consort

Yun Yanli then turned to the armed men and asked for their opinion, “What do you think? Are you under anyone’s control?”

“No!” The Dark Imperial Guards reassured.

“Are you conscious?” Yun Yanli continued to question them.

“Absolutely!”

“We know what we are doing!”

“We are not under anyone’s control! What we have for the governor is our loyalty!”

The armed men no longer answered with brief replies. They all chimed in and claimed that they knew exactly what they were asked to do.

Yun Yanli seemed relieved by the men’s reassurances. Bitterly, he looked at Gu Xijiu with a sense of hatred as he added, “Gu Xijiu, everything I have done was for you, and yet, you disregard it all. Today, you even chose to stand by the Devil King and even made a false accusation against me.”

He was, indeed, feeling a little wronged. Apparently, he had not brainwashed the Dark Imperial Guards. He only gave them a type of pill that he had made using a method taught to him by the mysterious voice in his dreams, claiming that the pills could help to strengthen the soldiers.

Their power would be greatly increased, but the advancement did come at a price. Some of these people would gradually lose their emotions and slowly become cold-blooded. Generally, it was something beneficial for Yun Yanli.

He did not harm these men, nor did he intend to control them. Therefore, he was able to explain himself confidently.

“So, are you saying that you did not control them?” Gu Xijiu asked sarcastically.

All of a sudden, she took out her lute and started playing it. The crowd was generally unaffected, but the black troops all responded in terror. Gu Xijiu did not say anything but continued playing her instrument.

She had played a melodious piece which the audience found to be pleasant. In stark contrast, the black troops all behaved as if some lethal voodoo had cursed them. Soon, all of them started trembling and spitting out blood. In the pool of dark purple blood, numerous bugs could be seen crawling about. It was a disgusting sight.

The crowd was shocked. They soon noticed that the men were no longer shrieking, and the colors slowly returned to their pale complexions. All of them stood gazing at one another in utter amazement.

They knew that Yun Yanli was wrong, but still, they acted according to Yun Yanli’s command regardless. Perhaps, they would even kill their own parents and think they were doing the right thing with a false sense of righteousness.

Now that they regained their consciousness, they felt foolish for their earlier responses. They looked at the crawling bugs in the pool of blood and started wondering what the creatures actually were.

Gu Xijiu explained, “These are from the Dark Obedience Venom. If you keep taking it over a long period, you will lose your sense of emotion and be at your master’s disposal.” The Dark Imperial Guards were stunned. At this point, they were conscious and finally able to think straight. Without hesitation, they chose to join the rebellion as well.

In the past, they were Yun Yanli’s most trusted men, so they were the ones who carried out the dirtiest, most secretive missions. For example, Yun Yanli had asked them to do some of the most ruthless things, such as arresting those who challenged Yun Yanli’s authority. They were also summoned to kill the common people in the most violent ways possible. Their spirits would then be tied to a spiritual stone and used as an element to support the Star Formation by channeling a continuous flow of resentment and dark energy.

As soon as the truth was revealed, everyone gasped in horror. People were indignant at Yun Yanli’s cruelty. Many were outraged and eagerly wanted to get revenge for their loved ones.

Finally, Yun Yanli conceded that it was the end of his reign in the Shura World. Nothing could ever save him from the plunge he was experiencing.