Chapter 689

"But what about Su Xin?"

Just thinking of her, his heart clenched sharply, as if suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, agonizing beyond endurance.

How could years of affection vanish in an instant?

Even if it was only unrequited love, he felt he had loved her too deeply to escape.

"Su Xin… Su Xin…"

Zhu Wushi murmured to himself, his face growing increasingly pale.

Thinking of Su Xin, he couldn't help but think of his father, the Emperor.

"Why? I was the most outstanding one, yet you turned a blind eye?! In the end, you passed the throne to someone else!"

As the supreme martial artist in the world, Zhu Wushi was immensely proud.

In literature, in martial arts—he surpassed all others, yet he never won his father's favor.

"Why are you so biased?!"

"What exactly do I lack compared to anyone else?!"

Thinking of this, Zhu Wushi's face twisted, and he recalled the night he brought Su Xin back to the capital.

"No, absolutely not!"

"I will never allow her to enter the Zhu family!"

His father's voice was icy, brimming with unquestionable authority.

Zhu Wushi knew that if he dared defy the order, his father would strip him of his 640th princely title without hesitation—and possibly take his life.

In truth, even before bringing Su Xin back to the capital, he had prepared himself mentally.

A woman already married could never be accepted by the imperial clan.

During the Song Dynasty, a woman who remarried could still enter the imperial household and become a concubine.

After the Song, with the rise of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, such a thing was utterly impossible.

If it happened, the Zhu family's reputation would be ruined.

To protect the Zhu family's name, Zhu Wushi himself could naturally be sacrificed.

He knew this, yet he did it anyway—the reason was simple: he wanted to see where he stood in his father's heart.

"Too bad, my father didn't utter a single word of warmth—only fury and sternness." Zhu Wushi looked up at the sky, hot tears rolling down.

From that moment on, his heart grew cold.

His resolve toward Su Xin hardened to its utmost point then.

Whether this was love or rebellion against his father, even Zhu Wushi could not tell.

He only knew—each time he thought of giving up, a demonic voice echoed in his heart: Are you really going to give up? Are you going to accept your fate?

Do you dare not do what he forbids?

"No, I dare!"

Zhu Wushi possessed a tenacity far beyond ordinary men!

That rebellious spirit within him rose again.

Moreover, what he wanted was not merely to defy his father's decree and marry Su Xin—he intended to defy his father's decree and seize the throne that rightfully belonged to him.

He would prove to his father, buried beneath the earth—that Zhu Wushi was the most outstanding Imperial Prince; what you refused to give, I will take by my own strength!

Past memories rose in his heart, gradually becoming clear.

Zhu Wushi finally understood himself.

He liked Su Xin very much—but not enough to abandon himself.

The reason he acted so desperately was simple: Su Xin was an indispensable tool in his rebellion against his father.

"Do I need to prove anything to him?" Zhu Wushi suddenly laughed. "Father, I've joined a chat group—I now have the chance to become immortal, to become a sage. I am the most outstanding. You don't recognize me? Others will!"

"Even the Ancestor recognizes me!"

At this moment, Zhu Wushi felt his hollow heart slowly filling up.

And Su Xin, at this moment, became unimportant.

"So, I've already obtained what I wanted most!" Zhu Wushi laughed heartily, his expression utterly liberated. "Some things must be cut loose."

Recalling all that had passed, Zhu Wushi felt like laughing.

"No wonder Zhu Youjian looked down on me—I truly lacked royal bearing, I was too petty!"

"He may have been a failed Emperor, but he dared to hang himself from the southeast branch—somewhat stronger than me. But I won't be worse than you; if you could do it, I, Zhu Wushi, can do it too—and better!"

Zhu Wushi, his emotions surging, strode forward with head held high.

He arrived at the deepest level of the Celestial Prison.

Beneath the dark prison, snakes and rats darted occasionally, only to be sucked away by a force, ending in a sharp, urgent scream.

"Who is it?"

As if sensing footsteps, a startled, uncertain voice echoed from within the prison.

"Another one sent by Zhu Tiezhan?"

"No," Zhu Wushi said calmly. "I came myself."

A cold laugh came from the Unconquerable Child Gu San Tong: "So? You're that afraid of me!"

"No," Zhu Wushi pressed his palm against the prison wall—the copper-and-iron barrier instantly melted into water, dripping to the ground.

Gu San Tong's expression turned sharply wary.

He too could melt copper and iron with true qi.

But he could never do it so effortlessly, nor without leaking even a trace of heat.

After all, melting copper and iron required extremely high temperatures.

Just now, when the copper and iron melted, he had not sensed the slightest bit of heat.

"Zhu Tiedan, your strength has grown again!" Gu Santong exclaimed. "I'm no match for you!"

This was the first time he had admitted that his Wu Gong was inferior to Zhu Ignore's.

Zhu Ignore said calmly, "I merely obtained a bit of opportunity. Let's go, we'll step out to talk."

Gu Santong heard this and was completely dumbfounded.

"Step out? What scheme are you plotting again?" Gu Santong frowned.

Zhu Ignore turned and walked outward. "If you're afraid, then stay inside."

"Afraid?" Gu Santong laughed. "From the day I set foot in the jianghu, I, Gu Santong, have cast life and death aside."

Having said this, he followed closely behind Zhu Ignore and walked outward.

The sky prison was gloomy, and the occasional anguished screams of prisoners drifted through, making the entire sky prison seem like a hellscape, terrifying to behold.

Zhu Ignore and Gu Santong said nothing, falling into a momentary silence, until they walked outside and arrived at a stretch of mountain forest.

"Gu Santong, you are free now!" Zhu Ignore said. "In the past, it was I who wronged you. Later, I will return Suxin to you as well."

Gu Santong was shocked. "What—what trick are you playing here?"

"It's nothing more than a sudden awakening." Zhu Ignore sighed. "Right, you also have a son, called Cheng Shifei, who's now a little gambling fiend. If we don't go rescue him soon, I'm afraid he'll be sold into the imperial palace to become a Eunuch very quickly."

"I have a son?" Gu Santong was shocked.

Zhu Ignore nodded. "That's right, Suxin gave birth to him for you. You wouldn't dare to do it but not acknowledge it, would you?"

"Th-this..." Gu Santong could not deny what he himself had done. "It's just a bit hard to believe, that's all."

"Believe it or not, anyway once Suxin comes back, you'll know once you verify it." Zhu Ignore waved his hand. "I have proper business to attend to as well."

"Proper business?" Gu Santong's curiosity was immediately piqued. "What proper business?"

"You'll know in the future!"