World's First Traitor System (381)

Chapter 381 - The Empress Descends

Fan Li fell silent.

The disparity between Qin Er Shi and Qin Shi Huang was truly as vast as the distance between dust and the stars. If, as Princess Chang Le suggested, the Pure Land was Wu Zhao's legacy, then how glorious must the Wu Zhou Dynasty have been in its prime?

After Wu Zhou's ascension, how could the earthly Brahma Sound Pure Land still possess such profound strength?

She was one of the Hegemons of the Warring States Period! Fan Li suddenly recalled Wu Zhao's formidable reputation. Though a Hegemon might not unify all under heaven, their influence was undeniable, their power just a hair's breadth from a true Emperor's. This meant Wu Zhao was second only to Qin Shi Huang himself!

“Is…is what you know recorded in the Records of Emperor Qin Shi Huang?” Fan Li looked at the princess with complicated eyes.

Princess Chang Le smiled and nodded.

Indeed, she had trained in the Pure Land. If this information were recorded there, Qing Qiu would surely know it as well. Yet, Chang Le seemed to know even more than Qing Qiu! The only plausible explanation was that her source lay outside the Pure Land, within the Records.

“You…you can protect yourself, can’t you?” Fan Li asked in a low voice.

He was merely a clone; even if he perished, it wouldn’t matter. Qing Qiu was the same. As for Yan Shifan, Fan Li wouldn’t waste a thought on his rescue. Only the princess truly concerned him.

“Hehehe… are you worried about me?” Princess Chang Le’s smile didn't reach her eyes, which held a steely resolve.

Fan Li frowned. He suspected Chang Le was about to embark on a dangerous undertaking, perhaps even one that risked her life. What should he do? Given their relationship, even sacrificing this clone to aid her wouldn't give him pause. But Chang Le remained silent, her true intentions hidden. How could he possibly guess the truth?

“Ding!”

At that crucial moment, the system notification sounded.

Fan Li gave a wry smile. Sometimes, he truly wondered if the Traitor System served him or his women. Whenever they were involved, the system always seemed to activate at the most critical junctures.

“Mission Issued: Contention for Destiny!”

“Detected Princess Chang Le’s intent to seize the destiny of the Great Zhou Celestial Empire.”

“Host, please make a selection:”

“One: Assist the princess in seizing destiny.”

“Two: Remain uninvolved.”

“Reward: None.”

“Penalty: None.”

Fan Li was stunned.

No reward?

This had never happened before!

The Traitor System wasn't stingy. The rewards for issued missions were usually generous, sometimes even granted in advance. But this strange mission, regardless of his choice, offered neither reward nor penalty?

“System!”

Fan Li mentally commanded. “Explain! What’s going on?!”

The Traitor System quickly responded, “Host, according to system operational protocols and your current access level, this system reserves the right to refuse your inquiry.”

Fan Li was dumbfounded. Refuse? What did that even mean? Did his low access level mean he didn't even deserve to know? Or did the mission to aid Princess Chang Le hold a higher priority than his own needs? Was she more important than him?

“Selection countdown initiated. Inaction will be interpreted as declining to aid Princess Chang Le. Recommendation: Make your selection promptly. Countdown: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two…”

“Enough!” Fan Li mentally roared. “I choose one! Just tell me what to do!”

The system fell silent. Just as he worried his response had been too slow, that the system had interpreted it as refusal, he felt a weight settle in his lap. He dared not retrieve the object, fearing Shangguan Wan'er’s notice. It was cold, square, hard, and heavy. Carefully, he examined it through his robes. When he finally identified it, his face paled. How could it be this?

…

The Double Ninth Festival. The yang energy in the mortal realm was at its peak, repelling all evil. The sky was clear, sunlight bathed the earth, and the altar seemed clad in gold.

“Damn it! Where are my reinforcements?”

Yan Shifan was restless. Above him, despite the clear blue sky, dragon roars echoed continuously, as if some monumental being was about to descend. The sound grated on his nerves.

“Report!”

A Great Zhou soldier rushed towards the altar.

Shangguan Wan’er, prostrate before the wordless stele, seemed oblivious to the interruption.

“An unidentified force of over one thousand attempted to infiltrate our lines. They have been eliminated.”

Yan Shifan’s face paled. Those were his reinforcements, his privately trained troops! Though only a thousand strong, each possessed early Nascent Soul cultivation. The resources required to maintain such a force were staggering. Yet, before he even saw them, they were gone.

The soldier delivered his report and retreated. Yan Shifan’s only hope now rested on Fan Li. He leaned closer and whispered urgently, “Duke Jin! My reinforcements have drawn their attention! When will your men strike?”

Fan Li pretended not to hear. The 200,000 Great Chu garrison troops remained in Peng City, and the 50,000 Ming Wolf Troops were still training in Jin City.

His men?

He hadn’t dispatched any reinforcements. Deploying an army meant open war with Great Zhou, and the time wasn't right.

“Damn it! Speak!” Yan Shifan forgot all decorum, even towards his idol.

“Silence!” Shangguan Wan’er’s voice, amplified by a dragon’s roar, echoed from the altar’s peak. She rose and glared down at them. “The time has come.”

It was noon. The sun blazed overhead, the yang energy was at its zenith. Shangguan Wan’er raised her hands, as if embracing the sky.

“The Dao of Heaven diminishes excess and replenishes insufficiency. The Dao of Man diminishes insufficiency and augments excess. With utmost yang, we replenish utmost yin, completing the cycle of yin and yang. With mortal wine, sex, wealth, and power, we replenish the deficiencies of the immortal realm. The time has come. Holy Emperor, return!”

As if responding to her plea, a dragon’s shadow descended from the heavens, hovering above the altar, coiling and uncoiling.

Fan Li recognized it – the manifestation of Great Zhou’s destiny, intertwined with Wu Zhao’s fragmented soul!

WHOOSH!

A terrifying pressure, surpassing even Emperor Jiajing’s, radiated outwards.

“I am Wu Zhao! I thank the heavens for their mercy, for granting me this opportunity to be reborn…”