Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1153 The Biggest Gambler (13)

"Oops, I was discovered."

Holding his teacup, Gu Yunzhi shrugged. The prison uniform he wore actually gave him a scholarly air.

He said nonchalantly, "So, Grand Commander, you've killed my whole family, do you really expect me to help you?"

"Of course."

Yin Gujin picked up his tea and took a sip, then casually said, "Back then, you bet on Prince Jing and served him like a dog, all for the sake of gaining power second only to the emperor, right? You lost the bet, and your whole family was wiped out. That's the rule of the game. You accepted the loss, and everyone was just following the rules. You shouldn't hate him."

"To be honest, we didn't kill you, nor did we remove you from your post. We even put you in charge of military intelligence in the northern frontier. You're entitled to a promotion for your achievements, which is only natural. You treated other defeated opponents the same way in the past, and no one retaliated against you. You can't be hypocritical."

"Um……"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunzhi began to ponder seriously. He didn't refute, but after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Indeed, compared to you, I actually hate myself more... Gambling is harmful. If there is an afterlife, I will definitely..."

He paused for a moment, then turned to look at Yin Gujin, who had a half-smile on his face, and said with a wry smile, "Okay, I can't say 'I will never gamble.' But you see, that's what makes gambling so harmful. I always feel like I can win it all back in the next round."

"Tell us the truth," Yin Gujin said patiently. "I know you've been assisting Prince De recently."

"To be honest, Prince De's intentions are good. In fact, you could say that Xuan Guangge is the only person the Imperial Court has chosen correctly in recent years. He believes that the Ascension Path is the hope for the revival of Great Chen. He hopes that the young emperor can grow up, take charge of the government, implement reforms, and reshape the order... But you know very well that once Great Chen is truly revived, the Holy Ancestor will have to wake up..."

The last syllable of the sentence was drawn out. Yin Gujin watched Gu Yunzhi closely and nodded only after noticing that the other party was not surprised at all: "Therefore, the little emperor must be a puppet, or at least not hold real power. These Xuan family members have been ravaging Beixuan Sacrifice Continent for too long, and reform is necessary."

“Our young emperor isn’t stupid. He plans to use destiny as a weapon to create karma and break the deadlock, but can he really deal with the Holy Ancestor? I don’t think so.”

Shaking his head slightly, Yin Gujin's eyes became deep, as if he was recalling something. He said softly, "I have been chatting with the Holy Ancestor recently. He is becoming more and more active, especially during the Nirvana Battle. He almost came back to life. That was really dangerous. Fortunately, the people from the Heavenly Will Demonic Sect knew what was important and didn't interfere with me. They even helped Old Hong."

"So, I won't hide it from you. If things get to the worst point, we'll need to uproot the Tree of Immortality and replace it with a new foundation, the [Southern Dipper's Life-Giving]... the foundation of King Jing's former second dynasty. That's our only option now."

"If it really comes to fruition, then your Gu family will essentially be one of the four great families of the new dynasty—your blood will be fused with the new 'Southern Heaven Immortal Tree,' and the Yuan family, the Song family, and other great families combined will be able to rival you."

"We'll let you be the sole heir of this family, how about it?"

"Oh?"

Gu Yunzhi raised an eyebrow: "This is... different from before."

"The past is the past, and the present is the present."

Yin Gujin laughed and said, "Back then, we had just taken power and had no choice but to compromise with those four great families. Otherwise, the imperial court would have been in chaos."

"Only by keeping them calm can we proceed gradually."

“But things are different now. I just wiped out my own bunch of bastards who can’t understand human language a while ago. They can’t threaten me anymore. As long as you promise us, I will send all those old fogies from the Yuan and Song families over to keep my family company and your family company in a while.”

At this point, he even clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Little Gu, you've hit the jackpot!" Gu Yunzhi remained silent for a while, looking at the tea leaves floating in the teacup, and then shook his head.

"Why is that?"

Yin Gujin was greatly puzzled and frowned: "If we're talking about a gamble, I admit you've won. You held out until the end, and we all compromised with you. The only national-level family in the new Great Chen Dynasty, this is a founding achievement. I think you've already made a huge profit, haven't you?"

"Because I'm betting on something bigger."

Gu Yunzhi raised his head and calmly said to Yin Gujin, "I'm telling the truth, I really don't hate you. Old Yin, you are a good general and a good governor, but you are not a good gambler. Back when Prince Jing was leading me to do great things, I had already tacitly agreed that my Gu family would surely flourish."

"Although I lost in the end, I still believe that my Gu family should be carried forward and made great. So for you to tell me now that my Gu family can be carried forward and made great in the future, this really doesn't count as a win, it's not a gain at all."

"Grand Commander, I'm betting on a completely new possibility."

"Oh?" At this moment, Yin Gujin's face turned solemn, his aura becoming imposing without being angry. The air in the entire cell seemed to freeze: "What are you betting on?"

“The cycle of Heavenly Sects and Imperial Dynasties is just too boring, and the rise and fall of aristocratic families and powerful clans is also something I’m tired of.” Gu Yunzhi said casually, “What you’re trying to do is nothing new. I really have no interest in gambling on a game whose ending I already know.”

"So," Yin Gujin closed his eyes, "you chose... that destiny?"

"To be precise, it wasn't me who made the choice, but my granddaughter. I gave up because I've had terrible luck. I want to see if her luck will change."

"This is treason."

"Yes, this is treason, arrest me. Oh, I've already been arrested, then kill me."

Gu Yunzhi looked at the other person calmly, his tone even carrying a hint of a smile: "Perhaps my granddaughter will be happy."

Yin Gujin sighed, stood up, his face shrouded in shadow, only darkness remaining: "A destiny can't change anything. No matter how wonderful the path is, it will eventually fall into ruin. If you think that the path of ascension will bring something new, you are destined to be disappointed, because as long as people don't change, everything will fall into... boredom and cliché."

He turned around and walked toward the door: "Everything was already destined. History will move in this direction. We just want to steer it and make it sail longer. Why do you question and resist it? This overwhelming trend will make everything much easier if you just accept and obey it."

"Yes, but so what? I think Anjing's fate is not so simple."

Gu Yunzhi's voice drifted from behind him: "Now, Governor... just wait and see."

"He's coming."

"I'll wait." Yin Gujin walked out of the prison gate and stood in the sunlight. He shook his head slightly and turned to the messenger beside him, saying, "Transfer General Gu to the Execution Platform."

"If he doesn't want to live anymore, then let him have his way."

(End of this chapter)