The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 841 An unprecedented crisis is about to descend

His eyes were bloodshot and red, as if he had experienced some kind of extreme fear, but he exuded an unusual aura, cold and with a hint of unfathomable evil charm, as if he was being corrupted by some unknown force.

Zhu Di watched this scene coldly, a mixture of smugness and wariness in his heart. He despised Zhu Xiong Ying's纨绔-like behavior, but this listless and twisted state made him seem particularly dangerous. He slowly stepped forward, his tone chilling: "Xiong Ying, what kind of tricks are you playing?"

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze slowly shifted to Zhu Di, his lips curving into a strange, stiff smile as he uttered a chilling statement: "She's back..."

"Who?" Zhu Di frowned.

"Catherine!" Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly burst into wild laughter, the sound high-pitched and shrill, making the air in the entire palace even more oppressive.

Zhu Di's face turned cold. He hated people acting so erratically. His voice was as deep and cold as a blade: "Stop talking nonsense. I have already ordered her head to be disposed of. What Catherine? She was nothing but a plaything for you to amuse yourself. So what if she's dead?"

"Hahaha—no, she's back! I saw her!" Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly stood up, his trembling finger pointing to the bedside, his voice filled with a morbid fanaticism, "She's right there, she's still smiling, she's looking at me!"

Zhu Di frowned and looked in the direction Zhu Xiong Ying was pointing. There was nothing by the bed, only the flickering candlelight reflected on the pillow, as if a hideous shadow had been torn open.

"Enough, Zhu Xiong Ying, stop playing tricks!" Zhu Di roared, utterly disgusted by such pretentious displays of mystery. He strode up to Zhu Xiong Ying, grabbed his collar, and his eyes flashed with chilling authority. "Whatever you saw, I'm telling you this: from tonight onward, you'd better stay put, or don't blame me for throwing your empty shell into the mass grave!"

Zhu Di's anger only elicited a low, enigmatic laugh from Zhu Xiong Ying. His eyes changed, becoming as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. His laughter grew clearer and more forceful, tinged with mocking sarcasm, "Zhu Di, Zhu Di, what do you even know..."

Zhu Di was taken aback. This tone, this expression—this was clearly not the Zhu Xiong Ying he knew!

"You say she's nothing more than a plaything? Heh, no, you're wrong. She's a demon, an echo of deep-seated hatred. Now, your empire is about to fall into chaos!" Zhu Xiong Ying pointed at Zhu Di, his voice reverberating in the palace, as if two different voices were uttering simultaneously, both alluring and sharp.

The sudden, bizarre scene caused Zhu Di to involuntarily take a step back. He stared coldly at Zhu Xiong Ying, his eyes unwavering, like a wild beast ready to pounce on its prey. He was fearless in the face of swords and decisive in killing, but this situation, which was beyond his comprehension, still stirred a trace of suspicion and unease within him.

Just as the atmosphere was tense, suddenly, the candlelight in the palace went out without any wind, plunging the entire space into complete darkness.

"Xiong Ying! What exactly did you..." Zhu Di was about to question him when his words were abruptly cut off, because heavy footsteps approached, as if coming from a corner of the world that did not belong to the human realm. The footsteps were extremely slow, each step seemingly carrying the call of death.

Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes suddenly emitted an eerie red light. He took a step forward, stretched out his hands, and forcefully grabbed Zhu Di's collar, bringing his face close to almost touch it. His breath was icy cold, and his eyes burned with an inextinguishable resentment. "Zhu Di! You will understand sooner or later that what you have brought is not a temporary victory, but an abyss of destruction."

Zhu Di was furious, but unable to break free from the sudden, strange force. Just as he was about to retaliate, the air in the palace distorted, and a figure vaguely appeared behind Zhu Xiong Ying. The face was too blurry to make out, yet it exuded a strange sense of familiarity.

Zhu Di's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively sensed that something ominous was about to happen, and that this body of "Zhu Xiong Ying" seemed to be being watched by something. Suddenly, the voice of the blurry figure rang out lightly, carrying a low, sinister laugh: "The game has only just begun."

Before Zhu Di could make a move, a streak of blood-red light flashed through the darkness, like a sharp blade slicing through the sky...

A flash of blood appeared and disappeared in an instant. Zhu Di only felt a blur before his eyes, and a powerful force shoved him away. He crashed heavily to the ground, his back hitting the cold tiles with a dull thud. He struggled to get up, but found his whole body weak and powerless, as if all his strength had been drained away.

In the darkness, Zhu Xiong Ying's eerie red light intensified. He slowly turned around, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. That smile appeared particularly terrifying in the darkness, like a demon crawling out of hell.

"Zhu Di, do you think you've won? Do you really think you've got everything under control?" Zhu Xiong Ying's voice was hoarse and low, as if it came from the depths of hell, filled with endless resentment and mockery.

Zhu Di gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his body, and glared at Zhu Xiong Ying, "What exactly are you?!"

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed loudly, her laughter shrill and piercing, shaking the walls of the palace. "Who am I? I am the nightmare you forgot, the soul you trampled upon, I am the Asura who has returned for revenge!"

Zhu Di felt a chill run down his spine. He recalled Zhu Xiong Ying's delirious ramblings earlier. Could it be that the "she" he spoke of had really returned? Could it be that this body had truly been possessed by something?

Suddenly, the shadowy figure behind Zhu Xiong Ying reappeared, this time more clearly. It was a woman dressed in red, with stunning beauty, yet exuding a suffocatingly cold aura. She slowly reached out and gently stroked Zhu Xiong Ying's cheek, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

“Xiongying, my child, you have suffered.”

Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes softened instantly. He nestled in the woman's arms like a child, sobbing softly, "Mother, I'm back, I'm finally back..."

Zhu Di stared in shock at the scene. He had never seen such a bizarre sight before. He felt as if he were in a nightmare, and everything seemed so unreal.

"Who are you?" Zhu Di suppressed his fear and asked sharply.

The woman in red slowly turned her head, her cold gaze falling on Zhu Di. Her eyes seemed to pierce through his heart, sending chills down Zhu Di's spine.

"Who am I? I am an enemy you can never defeat, I am the nightmare you are destined to destroy!" The woman in red's voice was as piercing as an ice pick, filled with endless hatred and murderous intent.

Zhu Di's heart sank; he knew that an unprecedented crisis was about to descend.

(End of this chapter)