196: Chapter 196 only omitted himself.

Su Chen's possession of this information naturally came from the modern high-martial arts world.

He had read a script from that high-martial world that was identical to the world of the Great Yin.

The Yin Shang Dynasty was destroyed by the Western Zhou, and after the fall of the Western Zhou came the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods...

With these historical scripts in hand, at the very least, it would prevent the Jiang Clan, to which Jiang Luoli belonged, and the surviving remnants of the Yin Dynasty from losing their way in the march of history.

In the future, if the Ji Clan were to weaken, through diligent governance, it would not be impossible to replace them.

Su Chen had even managed to reconstruct the manufacturing methods for some advanced iron farming tools based on his memory.

There was no other way.

This was the benefit of having been the top student in high school history in the whole city.

With these implements, the future that awaited the Jiang Clan and the remnants of the Yin Dynasty...

...would be a revolution in productivity.

Queen Jiang was stunned as she listened to Su Chen's series of ideas.

She looked at the man before her, who seemed as if he might dissipate into the wind at any moment.

In the final moments of his life, he was not contemplating his own funeral honors or his legacy of infamy.

Instead, he was thinking about how to leave behind a final spark of civilization for this kingdom that was on the verge of collapse.

And how to secure a possible path of survival for those who followed him.

"Then... what about the ordinary soldiers and civilians inside Zhaoge City?"

"And what of Sister Su? Her cultivation is unstable, she lacks the ability to protect herself, and she bears the stigma of 'killing her master.'"

"The Hehuan Sect will not tolerate her, the immortals and gods view her as a traitor, and the Zhou Dynasty will certainly not let go of this 'demon consort.'"

Su Chen smiled slightly.

"They... I have my own arrangements."

"This broken body of mine, this shell of a 'tyrant,' still has some use after all."

"On the day the city falls, I will set a trap."

"I will tell Demon Concubine Su Daji to gather the soldiers and civilians in the city who are still capable of fighting and to break out of the siege separately from me."

"I will 'flee' back to the Star-Plucking Tower—the palace she is most familiar with."

"I will tell her that I will personally use my remaining strength to lure the generals of the Xiqi, Ji Clan and King Wu of Zhou inside."

"At the same time, I will try to ensure the Xiqi, forces see me hide inside, so that their pursuing troops are convinced I am within."

Su Chen paused before revealing the final part of the plan.

"Then, you will guide her to order the remaining soldiers and civilians in Zhaoge City to set the palace ablaze with kerosene and firewood."

"Of course, before completing this series of plans, I will let those soldiers and civilians who deeply trust me know of this scheme."

"Everything, absolutely everything, will be done with only Su Daji left in the dark."

"The fire must burn as brightly as possible, for everyone to see, and you must ensure that I, this 'deserving of death' tyrant, have absolutely no chance of survival."

"The Xiqi, forces and the immortals and gods must see it."

"It was Su Daji, the former noble consort, who personally led the Zhaoge soldiers and civilians to burn down the hiding place of the tyrant King Zhou."

"Removing a scourge for the world, and aiding the Zhou Dynasty in their crusade against King Zhou."

Queen Jiang gasped, instantly understanding his intention.

"You... you actually want her to kill you with her own hands?"

"Not only that, but you want the whole world to believe that she was the one who killed you?"

"My King, do you realize what this will mean for her..."

Just by putting herself in her shoes for a moment, Queen Jiang felt a chill run through her heart.

To witness the person she loves most being killed by her own hand, while being helpless to stop it, and then being praised by the entire world for killing her beloved.

This was simply the most painful form of slow torture for Su Daji.

Su Chen sneered, cutting her off.

"This is the only path for her to survive and live a life that is somewhat decent."

"Only by killing the tyrant with her own hands can Su Daji clear her name of being a 'demon consort' and sever ties with the Yin Shang Dynasty."

"Only then can those soldiers and civilians in Zhaoge who participated in the 'slaying of the dragon' perhaps receive a sliver of leniency from the Zhou Dynasty under the pretense of 'abandoning darkness for light,' and not be slaughtered entirely."

"This way, when everything has calmed down, you can take these remnants of the Yin Shang Dynasty to the Jiang State to seek refuge and preserve their strength."

"After all, I know that although you and the Jiang State have far-reaching influence, at most you can only smuggle out some important ministers and documents during the siege of Zhaoge; you are not powerful enough to evacuate all the common people of Zhaoge City."

"More importantly..."

A look appeared on Su Chen's face that had not been seen for a long time.

A gentle smile.

He looked toward the inner chamber.

There, Su Daji was sleeping peacefully.

Her brows were slightly curved, and the corners of her mouth were quietly upturned.

As if she had seen something that she had already rehearsed a thousand times in her heart.

Something she had dreamed of.

"The cultivation technique she practices is called the 'Supreme Forgetting Joy and Union Canon.'"

"For the practitioner to truly reach perfection, master their power, and escape the backlash..."

"They must sacrifice the soul and blood of their beloved."

"And they must... die by their hand."

"If I do not die, her cultivation will remain forever incomplete, she will be constrained for life, and she could die at any moment due to the backlash of the technique or be hunted down by enemies."

"With this broken body of mine, I will help her technique reach great completion."

"From then on, the sea will be wide and the sky vast, and no one will be able to easily bully her again."

"This deal is very worth it for me."

Worth it?

Jiang Li wanted to laugh.

But.

As she laughed, tears rolled down her cheeks even faster than the movement of her lips.

Trading one's own life to exchange for a potentially better future for the woman one loves.

And having to meticulously design it so that she can do it "reasonably and justifiably," to avoid her being crushed by guilt for the rest of her life.

He certainly calculated it clearly.

But from beginning to end, did he ever ask?

Did she, who was responsible for overseeing all of this, ever agree?

"My King..."

Her voice choked with sobs, she suddenly stepped forward, braced her hands on the edge of the table, and leaned in close to Su Chen.

Although the aura of a high-ranking official, long accustomed to power, was completely ineffective against Su Chen.

He had to admit.

This aura made the already stunningly beautiful Queen Jiang appear even more magnificent and noble.

Under the candlelight.

Tears streamed down her beautiful face.

Her phoenix eyes turned slightly.

Revealing a rare, morbid glint.

"Husband... oh, no, now I should call you 'My King.'"

"You have arranged everything so seamlessly..."

"For her, for those common people, you have calculated everything."

"Even your own death must be utilized to the extreme."

"But have you ever thought..."

She suddenly chuckled, her jade-like hands tightly gripping Su Chen's thin shoulders.

"You are in such a state now, lacking the strength to truss a chicken, unable to even stand steadily."

"What if I were to knock you unconscious right now, use the secret incense of my Jiang State to hide you in a carriage, and send you to the East Sea, traveling day and night?"

"Although my family is not of the immortal sects, as royalty of the Jiang State, we are definitely wealthy enough to rival a nation, with countless rare treasures."

"Keeping you alive, letting you live for another three to five years, is something I can certainly manage."

"By then, with the heaven high and the emperor far away, who would even recognize whether or not you are the King of the Yin Shang Dynasty?"

"We could find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters to settle down, change our names..."

"Perhaps, by the time the people of Xiqi, find Zhaoge and discover only a pile of ashes in the palace..."

"You and I might even be holding a chubby baby boy."