Chapter 750: Entrustment

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Tang Zhao heard Gaoyuan Marquis's words, a question mark slowly appearing on his forehead, and asked, "What... do you mean?"

Gaoyuan Marquis sighed, "It means exactly what you understand. The reason I know my own itinerary so clearly is because I was the one who sent it back. Zhongmeng Zhenren required me to send it back. I used these eyes of mine to tell the Zhongmeng Zhenren of two days ago about my whereabouts and news, and also to allow myself to be captured."

Sending one's own news to oneself, resulting in the current outcome?

Isn't this... a time loop?

Tang Zhao vaguely remembered hearing such stories, where a person encounters all sorts of incredible things that are actually coincidences brought about by a person from the future, and this future visitor is none other than themselves.

One's own cause leads to one's own effect, and one's own effect in turn influences one's own cause.

In Tang Zhao's memory, a certain unnamed blue fat man often did things like this.

But...

Why would Gaoyuan Marquis do this?

"Marquis, were you forced to compromise because you had no other choice?"

Tang Zhao knew it was easy to talk when it wasn't his own back that was hurting, but if it were Tang Zhao, he would never agree, not even if he died. He would want to see, if he didn't compromise, what the final result would be? Could a loop still form, would the past self be caught? And what changes would happen to the current self?

Of course, if Gaoyuan Marquis truly chose to compromise, it wasn't wrong either. Can one blame those who couldn't endure torture to protect their own innocence for confessing under duress?

It was just that Tang Zhao felt Gaoyuan Marquis shouldn't just be blindly obedient, right? With the Marquis's ability, shouldn't he be able to bury some mines to provide some help to his past self? If it cycled like this, couldn't the current self also gain extra cards?

Gaoyuan Marquis said slowly, "They certainly forced me, but I also wanted to try and see if this inversion of cause and effect could actually work. Because I didn't have this line of thought before; if it could work, then I could choose the timing for the last time I use this ability to do something meaningful."

Tang Zhao looked at Gaoyuan Marquis's dim, lusterless eyes and thought: The price for such a test must be huge, right?

The last time... has it already reached this point? That is to say, Gaoyuan Marquis's second-to-last opportunity was forced to be used up.

When it comes down to it, it is still the crime of that gang of traitors led by Zhongmeng Zhenren.

"But there is one thing; I only sent my own whereabouts, just that one thing. The news that the Empress Dowager accidentally killed the Emperor was not sent by me."

The sound of thunder and lightning still echoed in his ears, and a thunderclap also went off in Tang Zhao's heart.

"It's a pity..." Gaoyuan Marquis sighed, "I actually wanted to tamper with that piece of news to use as a control group against the correct news I sent out, so I could analyze where the limits of the time ability lie and guess the sequence of events that happened in the past. But they didn't even mention it; it seems this news didn't need me at all."

Gaoyuan Marquis didn't send this news, yet Prince Shun had received it with absolute certainty; who sent that?

Was there a second person who could prophesy?

If there really were such a person, wouldn't kidnapping Gaoyuan Marquis at such a high cost be like taking off one's pants to fart?

Could it be...

Gaoyuan Marquis said, "Did you think of it too?"

Tang Zhao smiled bitterly, "I only have one thought, a notion that just flashed by, and I haven't sorted it out yet." He was certainly not stupid, but how could he compare in an instant to Gaoyuan Marquis, who had been thinking about it for two days?

Gaoyuan Marquis continued, "Although it is absurd, if you exclude the impossible, what remains must be the truth. If you consider the events in Jingcheng as a whole, then the mastermind behind the scenes can only be one of those two people. I lean toward one of them. But when I ponder it, he is the one with the least motive. Therefore, for these two days, I have been unable to find an answer."

Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment; Gaoyuan Marquis's train of thought jumped too fast, and he was still stuck on the previous guess: the so-called two people, could it be...

At this moment, Tang Zhao suddenly remembered something and hurriedly took a small bottle from his portable jar and handed it to Gaoyuan Marquis.

"What is it?"

"What you need right now, lifespan."

Gaoyuan Marquis frowned and said, "Azhao..."

Tang Zhao hurriedly said, "This is the object of lifespan created by the Long Life Society of Wangliang Mountain before. Although it didn't come by good means, it is harmless now. I know you don't like these eerie things, but isn't this a time of life and death? There isn't much lifespan here, but there are at least a few years; with this lifespan, you can open your eyes. It is too dangerous for you to always keep your eyes closed."

Gaoyuan Marquis took it backhanded, without any affectation, and said, "Good. But there is no need to open my eyes. This lifespan is indeed something I urgently need, but it shouldn't be wasted on such a small matter as maintaining vision. I have gained one more opportunity to use my ability. This might become the key to turning defeat into victory."

Tang Zhao said anxiously, "Why do you always think about such things as draining the pond to catch the fish?"

Gaoyuan Marquis sighed and said, "It is indeed draining the pond to catch the fish, but the harvest is huge. To be honest, I knew I could do this before, but I hadn't done it, so I didn't care. Now that I have done it, the feeling is different. This ability is truly vital; every time it is used, it can change some things, and the effect is immediate. Once used, one becomes addicted to it, so I would rather save it for the most critical moment. Now there are probably three opportunities left."

She pointed to her own eyes and said, "I have one here, there is one in this bottle, and you have one there."

Tang Zhao knew what Gaoyuan Marquis was talking about. Before, when he went to Wangliang Mountain, Gaoyuan Marquis had entrusted Xing Ji to bring him a Bead, which was a Dharma Artifact containing a Sword Technique. At that time, Xing Ji had solemnly told him not to use it unless it was a last resort.

At Wangliang Mountain, thanks to the power of the two Jinwu Dianxia, Tang Zhao didn't encounter those life-or-death moments, so it had been kept until now. If he wasn't mistaken, there was also a power inside it sufficient to reverse time.

Now that Gaoyuan Marquis was still here, there were three such powers in the world. Once Gaoyuan Marquis was gone, this Bead would be the only one in the world.

Tang Zhao would rather keep it as a memento.

Gaoyuan Marquis said, "This time I might be able to go back, or I might not. If I can't go back, I still have things to entrust." As she spoke, she took out a large stack of manuscripts and stuffed them into Tang Zhao's hands. These were all written during the two days she had been locked up, and they were very detailed.

Tang Zhao hurriedly took them, feeling sad in his heart: Gaoyuan Marquis had stopped using her vision for these past few days and had written everything by touch; what a difficult task that must have been?

Damn the Heavenly Demons, Zhongmeng Zhenren, and that mastermind behind the scenes! They deserve to die, they deserve to die!

"There is one more thing that cannot be put into writing. So I must tell you in person," Gaoyuan Marquis said solemnly. "My sword is very good and very useful. If it is hidden away and started over, it would be a pity, so I want to preserve it and leave it to you."

Tang Zhao was a bit confused: There are many good swords in the world, and often there are swords that have no substitutes once lost, but swords cannot be preserved according to the will of the Sword Guest; they all gradually vanish into the long river of history. Unless they become a Sword Spirit like the Jinwu Sword.

Did Gaoyuan Marquis want Tang Zhao to raise a Sword Spirit?

It wasn't impossible; one sheep is herding, and two sheep is also herding. Since Tang Zhao was already raising the Sword Spirit of the Jinwu Sword, what did it matter if he raised another sword of Gaoyuan Marquis? Would a Sword Spirit at the level of a Sword Hero be easier to raise?

"Therefore, if I am gone, my corpse must not fall into the hands of others. You must promise me that you will retrieve it." As she spoke, her hand moved up and pressed against her right eye.

Tang Zhao's eyes widened suddenly, his mind shaken violently.

Just at this moment, he heard a tremor between heaven and earth.

Tang Zhao looked up and saw a flash of gold, piercing directly between the two sides that were fighting.

Originally, the vortex of lightning and the flower of Yin Qi were contending and pulling at each other, with no sign of a winner for some time, but at this moment, another powerful external force had inserted itself into the situation!

Someone actually dared?!

Someone actually could?!

Tang Zhao could never have imagined that there would be a third party who could take action and intervene in the battle of a Sword Immortal. Were there really so many forces at the Sword Immortal level in this Jingcheng?

Who said the Human World lacked power? Isn't this just Sword Immortals walking everywhere?

And, this gold...

The Jinwu Sword is golden, and the Sunlight it releases is dazzling and pure. Yet this streak of gold was also very pure, but it was completely different from the gold of the Jinwu Sword.

It was not as brilliant or bright, but it was extremely sacred and solemn; the moment it appeared, even though its power was clearly barely enough to enter the fray, it already displayed a posture that transcended other powers.

Tang Zhao watched it, and although he clearly felt that this color was inferior to the Jinwu and its power was also inferior to the Jinwu, he felt a sense of awe, as if he should not resist it.

This... what is this again?

On Tang Zhao's side, it was merely strange, but on the Gaoyuan Marquis's side, his expression changed.

First it was shock, then bewilderment, then realization, then sadness, and finally... it returned to calm.

Tang Zhao did not see the changing expression of the Gaoyuan Marquis, but he saw with astonishment that the State Preceptor's power had slowed down.

The intensity of the lightning power had not decreased, but the rotation was not as powerful, and the changes in the Thunder Light became stiff, as if an unruly steed had been fitted with a bridle and could no longer gallop at will.

Is the State Preceptor going to lose?

Tang Zhao turned back to grab the Gaoyuan Marquis, preparing to run, when he heard the Gaoyuan Marquis sigh: "The first opportunity has been used up just like that."

Tang Zhao was greatly alarmed and looked at the Gaoyuan Marquis: Does the Marquis intend to help the State Preceptor? At the cost of his own remaining lifespan?

He saw the Gaoyuan Marquis open his eyes and look toward the source of the lightning. His gaze flashed.

Tang Zhao did not feel any massive Sword Essence fluctuations; at most there was a trace, which stopped before even reaching the level of a Sword Art: has the Sword Law already occurred?

Just at this moment, within the Thunder Light, a streak of lightning rushed toward Tang Zhao and the Gaoyuan Marquis with lightning speed!

Tang Zhao drew his sword!

"Don't move!"

The Gaoyuan Marquis immediately stopped him, Tang Zhao paused, and the lightning had actually lunged over, less than a foot away from Tang Zhao!

At this moment, the Gaoyuan Marquis suddenly widened his eyes, his gaze as brilliant as stars!

He said solemnly: "Zhao! Follow your own heart and do as you please!"

After speaking, he opened his eyes wide, and two lines of bloody tears flowed from them.

At the same time, Tang Zhao and that bolt of lightning vanished from the world!

On the horizon, the thunder remained deafening.