Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

Chapter 117 Divinity

"Did you agree?" It was that majestic voice again.

With his ancestor before him and knowing he had made a mistake, Lü Shouyi dared not raise his head.

He could only answer truthfully: "Whether I agree or not, in the end I have to do as the dynasty says—"

"The dynasty is currently bogged down in the quagmire of Cangming Continent. It will never be willing to withdraw at this moment, but if it does not withdraw, the grasslands will be too vast, and the wolf king is a tough nut to crack. At this critical juncture, they will definitely put pressure on our main family, demanding that I fully cooperate with the East Sea to keep Zhongshan in Yunmeng Marsh."

After those words were spoken, that magnificent voice never rang out again.

After a long silence, Lü Changqing said, "Shouyi, tell me which generation and which people were involved in the misleading of ghosts, and I will guarantee the safety of your wife and eldest son."

"This is your only chance now. If you miss it, you may never see them again in your life."

"I—Ancestor, I won't tell." Lü Shouyi buried his head deeply in the ground.

"You don't have to say anything, just raise your head." It was a magnificent voice, quite different from that of the ancestor.

Lu Shouyi was puzzled, but the Old Ancestor Changqing made no move.

He had no choice but to look up—his eyes were instantly filled with gold and silver.

Under the radiant light of the sun and moon, he seemed to have been stripped bare, leaving only a heart that held secrets, which were being examined.

"I—" Lu Shouyi screamed and struggled.

Seeing the pain in his family's eyes, Lü Changqing raised his hand to try to stop them, but it fell limply to his side.

The Red Dragon didn't care about any of that.

In Yunxi Continent, apart from the frogs and other strange beasts that are attacking Hongze, it only believes in things that it has personally seen, experienced, felt, and verified.

Although the Crimson Dragon is only fifty years old, it has developed an unyielding will comparable to that of a mountain through the trials and tribulations it has endured.

All of Lü Shouyi's experiences over the past forty years, and all the thoughts that had crossed his mind, played out in Chi Long's eyes like an old movie.

A moment later, the Crimson Dragon withdrew its gaze.

Lu Shouyi collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing, spitting out foam like white porridge.

"He is still alive, his bodily functions are intact, and he can have another child."

Turning to look at Lü Changqing, with a complex expression in his eyes, Chi Long added, "You can't bear it?"

"I—" Lu Changqing was speechless.

"As things stand, this is the best outcome for him right now. If he were to be held hostage by the lives of his eldest son and wife by your Lü family and forced to commit further atrocities, then this city lord would truly have no way out."

"Make a decisive decision when necessary."

"Dragon God, can you understand human feelings of kinship, love, and responsibility?" Lu Changqing did not refute, but instead asked a completely unrelated question.

"I understand family ties and responsibilities, and I can also understand love." Chi Long raised his eyes and looked directly at Lü Changqing. "I have a mother, but I could only watch her die."

"I also have children, but my child's time is up. I can save her, but she doesn't want me to fight against nature because of her, because I am the deity of Zhongshan."

"I cannot save him, and I will not save him."

Chi Long spoke calmly yet solemnly.

Lu Changqing listened in silence for a long time.

He racked his brains but couldn't fathom how Zhongshan could have given birth to such a being. From the very beginning, this being seemed to be Zhongshan itself, as if it were destined to be the god of Zhongshan.

Lu Changqing glanced again at Lu Shouyi, who was sprawled on the ground foaming at the mouth.

As Chi Long said, the best outcome for Lü Shouyi now is to find another person and have another child.

The fact that the Lü family condoned the Mist Ghosts plundering the vital essence of the people was something that needed to be kept secret. Those who knew about it were either powerful enough to remain unscathed.

They're either consumables, or they'll be silenced if anything happens.

Lü Shouyi belongs to the latter category.

Since he is now being coerced by the Lü family into believing he is related to them, he will inevitably be coerced into running wild down the path of evil until he can no longer turn back.

At that time, perhaps being separated from one's wife and children will only be one of the retributions.

Because I will definitely cut out the festering sore of the Lü family.

In order to survive, those "pustules" will definitely use their relatives to blackmail Lü Shouyi again, forcing him to fight them to the death. Many of Lü Shouyi's clansmen will also be forced to fight them to the death by the "pustules," just hoping that Lü Shouyi will have a change of heart.

He sighed deeply, stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "May I ask the God of Zhongshan?"

"explain."

"May I ask, what kind of deity is the God of Zhongshan? What kind of mythology does he belong to?"

"In this world, there is no myth of me." The red dragon's eyes shone like the sun and moon, and its words were calm. "I am merely the god of Zhongshan."

Upon hearing this, Lü Changqing paused for a moment, as if digesting the red dragon's words.

After a brief silence, he asked again, "What did you see in Lü Shouyi's memory?"

Red Dragon didn't reply, but instead moved closer to observe his face.

Bathed in the golden and silver light, Lü Changqing felt his face alternate between feeling icy and hot.

His name is Lü Xiangrong, and his face bears a resemblance to yours.

"Perhaps it's your direct descendant—who knows?"

*

*

*

Hongze.

As a great battle was about to begin, all the mortals in the surrounding area fled, leaving behind abandoned heavy objects and shattered pottery bowls everywhere.

In the villages along the river, nine out of ten houses are empty.

The Black Dragon King guards the confluence of the Luo River and the Hongze Lake.

Its body was covered in black scales and it was enormous. The shadow it cast was like a dark cloud, covering half of the village.

As the saying goes, dark water is deep.

This place where water and marsh meet is usually black, but now, because of its stillness, the water is covered with a layer of eerie, paint-like color.

Aquatic plants withered as a result, and living things perished.

At this intersection, apart from the black snake, there was not a single living creature breathing.

"Whoa, it's a snake again—" In the western waterway, surging waves carrying the Zhongshan monster surged forth.

The Golden Ape King stood upright on the water, followed by Blood Wolf, Royal Dog, and Black Bear.

Underwater, General Clam and Blue Fish rule over the aquatic creatures of Zhongshan.

"Looks like they're into poisons." A sweet, metallic scent wafted in the wind. Bloodhound scanned Black Snake's surroundings. "Prison Wolf, that's your forte. You handle this."

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Prison Wolf stepped forward without hesitation to deal with the black snake.

Although it was much larger than itself, the enemy was a snake—it had to fight it no matter what.

"No, I'll go." A thick, muscular forearm, coiled like a giant python, blocked the prison wolf's path.

The Golden Ape King's scarlet eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

Clearly, it shared the same idea as the prison wolf.

The black snake before me resembled the Xuan Snake of yesteryear.

Since it is no longer possible to have a fair and exhilarating battle with the candle as before, we should now move on.

Meal replacements are also an option.

"Black snake, what's your name?" The Golden Ape King braced himself on his forearms, his body crackling with golden lightning.

Its arms were swollen as if they were about to burst from the muscles, or as if they were steamed, with a bright red color and bursts of scorching steam.

"The dead are not worthy to know my name." The black snake flicked its tongue, its eyes bloodshot and crazed.

"You are so alike, both snakes, both black snakes, both arrogant—" Two beams of golden lightning shot out from the tip of the Golden Ape King's nose, and angry thunder rumbled from his throat.

"Bang!"

On Hongze Lake, an unprecedentedly frenzied thunderclap resounded.