Chapter 902: Chen Ling's Trade

Chen Ling's Trade

Li Fu froze in place.

Chen Ling didn't delve deeper into the topic, but calmly said,

"Do you want to personally change everything?"

"What?"

"Change the story's ending." Chen Ling glanced at the throne behind him and spoke indifferently,

"Right now, you're just a piece of trash Deserted by All, unable to shoulder your destiny... I know what you're thinking. Entrust your sister to someone else, then find a random spot to wait for death yourself. But do you really think things will be that simple?

Although Wu Qiong also has potential, there can only be one person who becomes the Emperor in the end. Compared to that Zhu Zhong, the possibility of her winning is not great.

So, even if you want to entrust your sister to her, after all the twists and turns, she might still end up in Zhu Zhong's hands."

Chen Ling was telling the truth. Zhu Zhong currently had the most subordinates under him, and his Combat Power was also the strongest. If it came down to fighting for the position of the sole Emperor, Wu Qiong would likely not be his match... Li Fu had also realized this. No matter who he begged or knelt before, he ultimately might not be able to bypass Zhu Zhong.

If A-Qian fell into Zhu Zhong's hands, what would happen?

The best outcome would be Zhu Zhong using A-Qian to force him out for revenge, then beating him to death alive. The worst outcome would be that after he was beaten to death, A-Qian could very well become Zhu Zhong's plaything.

"You cannot shoulder the destiny, and you lack the strength to even tie up a chicken. Even if you know how everything will play out, you can't change anything..." Chen Ling said leisurely. "Just as I said earlier, this story is destined to be a tragedy."

Li Fu's fists clenched tightly, his chest heaving violently. He abruptly turned his head to look into Chen Ling's eyes.

"You said... I have a chance to change everything?"

"Of course you do."

The corners of Chen Ling's mouth turned up slightly. Like a demon bewitching the hearts of men, he whispered softly, "Wanting to change the ending is very simple. All you have to do is kill Zhu Zhong."

"I can't shoulder the destiny, and I have no power. How am I supposed to kill him??"

"You need power, and I can lend it to you."

"...You?"

Li Fu frowned as he looked into Chen Ling's eyes, unable to guess what he was thinking.

"You don't need that so-called destiny. I also have a thousand ways to let you personally kill him in front of everyone... At the same time, I can personally escort your sister and ensure she safely leaves this Ancient Vault."

After he finished speaking, the grand hall fell into a dead silence.

Li Fu sat on the steps, staring blankly at the man wearing the crimson Theatrical Robe before him. In his eyes, this place already felt like hell... and Chen Ling was the red-clothed demon tempting him to sell his soul.

Li Fu's gaze shifted from initial doubt to struggle, and finally to numbness...

He remained silent for a long time before speaking without a hint of fluctuation:

"What do I need to pay?"

"Your life."

As expected...

It seemed Li Fu had long anticipated Chen Ling's answer.

"However, I don't need you to die immediately. You can personally kill Zhu Zhong, watch your sister leave this Ancient Vault with your own eyes, and even enjoy a few more months or even years of life..." Chen Ling said with a smile.

"But one day in the future, when the time comes, I want you to end your own life with your own hands."

Li Fu couldn't comprehend Chen Ling's demand. He furrowed his brow, finding it utterly bizarre.

"When the time comes? When is that?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

"Aren't you afraid that I won't honor the deal when the time comes? Or are you going to make me sign some sort of soul-selling contract?"

"I want you to swear upon your character, your soul... and your sister's life."

Li Fu's pupils shrank slightly.

Chen Ling definitely also wanted to sign that kind of soul-selling contract with him. But after all, he didn't know those methods. Therefore, the safest way was to have him swear upon his character, his soul, and his sister's life.

If Li Fu ultimately became the Emperor, then his character and soul would be the pillars of his Imperial Fate. If he went against even these two, the skill effects of the Emperor would be greatly discounted.

Moreover, Chen Ling had calculated perfectly. Even if Li Fu didn't care about himself, he would care about A-Qian. He had already placed everything most important to Li Fu as chips on the scale tipped in his favor!

Li Fu hesitated.

He knew the Thespian Emperor had wanted to kill him from the very beginning. But when this killing intent morphed into a bizarre trade, it made Li Fu feel even more suffocated... What was more terrifying than death was delayed death, along with the fear of the unknown.

Chen Ling's gaze seemed to see right through Li Fu's heart.

He pulled out the Bone-Stripping Knife from his sleeve. His eyes, brimming with "pity" and "helplessness", were reflected on the blade's surface, as icy as frost and snow.

"You can of course choose to refuse. After all, if I want to, I can actually just kill you right now."

"I want to help you this time simply because we are the same kind of people..."

"Even if everything must end in a tragedy, I still hope that the plot in between can be full of surging ups and downs, that it can tug at people's heartstrings... Blindly wallowing in misery will only turn the story into a pile of trash stuffed with negative energy."

Chen Ling seemed to be losing his patience. He slowly stood up from the step, holding the Bone-Stripping Knife in his hand as he cast an indifferent gaze toward Li Fu's neck...

Finally, after some struggle, Li Fu spoke,

"Can you... really give me the power to change everything?"

The fish took the bait.

The corners of Chen Ling's mouth turned up slightly before quickly returning to calmness.

He casually took off a Ring from his finger and tossed it onto the grand hall's steps like trash, emitting a crisp clinking sound.

"This is a Ritual Artifact. It doesn't have a name, but even an Ordinary Person can use it... As long as you let it devour flesh and blood, then point it at the person you want to kill, twist it, and utter the word 'Knead', everything will be over."

The Ring Chen Ling threw down was precisely the Ritual Artifact he had looted from Yan Xicai back in the Ancient Vault of the Military Path.

At that time, Yan Xicai had relied on this Ring to kill continuously. Moreover, because its activation didn't require any Spiritual Power, it was extremely concealed and perfectly suited for sneak attacks and assassinations...

As Chen Ling's Rank increased, his enemies also grew stronger, and the effectiveness of 'Knead' became smaller and smaller. Coupled with the fact that Chen Ling couldn't be bothered to let it suck flesh and blood, he had never used it since.

However, using it to kill an arrogant and conceited Zhu Zhong, who lacked any actual combat experience, was more than enough.

The Ring rolled smoothly over to Li Fu, hit the tip of his shoe, and then wobbled as it lay on the ground... Li Fu's pupils reflected the Ring, as if he were peeking at his own ultimate, miserable ending.

Chen Ling's voice chimed in at the right moment.

"Whether to give up on yourself and wait for death, or personally change everything... You choose."

It was as if Li Fu already had an answer in his heart. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled... At the end of the day, he was actually going to die either way. Rather than dying in this Ancient Vault and dragging A-Qian down with him, it was better to bet everything and leave behind a magnificent and surging past for himself.

He bent down, picked up the Ring, and calmly slipped it onto his middle finger, like a warrior Facing Death With Courage drawing his final blade from a pool of blood.

"I agree to your terms."

Li Fu stood in the golden light of the setting sun, staring into Chen Ling's eyes.

"...When that day comes, I will return my life to you."