198: Chapter 198 The Indelible Thing

"Forget it..."

"If only... there really were an afterlife."

The candlelight quietly extinguished, and the entire room dimmed along with it.

All that remained was a silent sigh left by Su Chen before he slumped onto the table in a deep sleep.

The night deepened, the dew grew heavy, and the moonlight slanted to the west.

Su Chen slept very restlessly, his brows knitted tightly.

A slender figure had been standing in the shadows by the door, though no one knew for how long.

It was Su Daji, who had already woken up.

She wore only a thin sleeping garment, walking barefoot and silently closer, looking at the man sleeping on the desk.

She saw the glaring gray-white hair at his temples, the slightly twitching corners of his mouth, and the dried, dark red bloodstain on his lips.

She made no sound.

She simply knelt quietly by his side, stretching out a cool, trembling hand.

Her fingertips hovered over the lock of white hair at his temple, but she dared not let them fall.

It was as if she were afraid of disturbing something, or perhaps afraid that with a single touch, that lock of white hair would turn to ash and disperse.

Tears silently overflowed from her eyes.

She was a cultivator.

Although her severe injuries had not yet healed and her cultivation was greatly damaged, her basic vision and perception remained.

The aura within Su Chen's body was now like a candle flickering in the wind.

It could not be said that it was about to extinguish immediately.

But it had burned down to the wick, to the point where it was about to burst forth with the last glimmer of life.

"My King..."

For a moment, she was dazed.

It was as if less than a year ago, her King was still that devilishly handsome, physically robust, and feared tyrant.

When... when did he start to become like this?

Almost at the same time, the person on the desk suddenly began to cough violently.

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough—!"

With the sound of coughing, Su Chen also woke up abruptly from his dream.

Although he had covered his mouth immediately, blood still quietly seeped out from between his fingers.

"Damn it..."

Su Chen cursed angrily.

If the previous two investments had left him near death due to the weakness caused by energy depletion, this investment was purely because his body was simply too severely injured.

Twice, he had borrowed the power of the Yin Shang Dynasty's national destiny, directly bursting all the meridians within this mortal emperor's body.

Not to mention those two severe injuries.

Su Chen had no doubt that even in such a state, he could be saved by Queen Jiang.

If he had truly chosen to go to Jiang State with her, she would have been able to extend his life for another three or four years.

Just as he had coughed up most of the blood, Su Chen noticed out of the corner of his eye that Su Daji was standing to the side, looking lovely yet tearful.

"My King!"

She could no longer hold back, rushing forward to support his swaying body.

She used her hands to catch the blood continuously gushing from his mouth.

"My King, how are you?"

"Don't scare Demon Concubine Su Daji."

"Right, Sister Queen Jiang, I will go tell her that you are coughing up blood; she will definitely be able to find a way."

"Don't bother Lier, she must be extremely overwhelmed right now."

Su Chen managed to stop coughing with difficulty, panting, and used all his strength to press down on her hand as she tried to get up.

He raised his face, looking at the woman crying into a teary mess before him, and forced an appeasing smile.

"It's an old ailment... it's nothing."

"What do you mean by an old ailment? Clearly, half a year ago, you were so healthy!"

"How can this be nothing!"

Su Daji cried out in a breakdown.

"You are coughing up blood, your hair has turned white."

"My King, your body..."

"Is it... is it..."

The word she wanted to say was "the oil is exhausted and the lamp is dry."

But that terrifying phrase rolled on the tip of her tongue, yet she could not bring herself to say it no matter what.

Su Chen fell silent for a moment, avoiding her desperate, questioning gaze.

"Silly girl... I am the Son of Heaven."

"The Son of Heaven must share the fate of the nation."

"Now that the national destiny of the Yin Shang Dynasty is in decline, I will naturally be affected."

"Once this battle is won and the national destiny is restored, I will naturally get better."

"You are lying to me!"

Su Daji shook her head violently, unable to listen to Su Chen's explanation at all, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You are lying to Demon Concubine Su Daji; tell Demon Concubine Su Daji, what exactly must be done to save you?"

"Is some spiritual medicine needed?"

"Is cultivation needed to extend your life?"

"Tell me! Demon Concubine Su Daji will go find it for you!"

"Even if I have to scour the four seas and the eight wildernesses, even if I have to trade Demon Concubine Su Daji's life for it, Demon Concubine Su Daji will definitely find it for you!"

In the end, her voice was as small as a mosquito's hum.

"I beg you, my King, tell Demon Concubine Su Daji..."

"That is not the case."

Su Chen shook his head.

"I have said it, it is just the backlash of the national destiny."

"Your injuries have not yet healed, do not let your imagination run wild, and do not do anything foolish."

"Resting well is the greatest help to me."

"Be obedient, Demon Concubine Su Daji."

"I... still need you."

After all, Su Daji was an investment target whose results he would soon see.

He still needed her to play the role of the "executioner of the tyrant" at the final moment.

He still needed her to live on well.

This sentence was like the final straw that the near-collapsing Su Daji clutched onto tightly.

She buried her face deep into his palm, her shoulders heaving violently, but she no longer questioned him.

All this talk about "the national strength of the Yin Shang Dynasty being weak" and "winning this battle will be enough."

It was all a lie!

It was all to trick a fool like her!

Wasn't it said that only by lying on a snowy day would one not be punished by the heavens?

A strange light flashed in Su Daji's fox-like eyes.

Hmph.

Since the King had deceived her, then she would also use some little tricks.

Even if the two of them could not walk hand in hand to the end in this lifetime.

She must definitely add something on the path they had walked together.

Something indelible.

Three days later, the sky was overcast.

Su Chen forced himself to hold up his sick body, and with the support of Queen Jiang, arrived at the only remaining relatively intact military camp within Chaoge City.

During these days, with the help of Queen Jiang, the remaining troops outside Chaoge City had basically retreated back to Chaoge, awaiting the final blow from the arrival of the Xiqi's army.

These troops from outside the city mostly came from the Zheng Territory.

As for the soldiers originally remaining in Chaoge City, some belonged to the remnants of Wen Zhong's and Huang Feihu's forces.

Others were the elite Imperial Guards who swore to die rather than surrender.

Although Queen Jiang had scoured for all the strength she could gather, when these people were added together, the number of those who were fully combat-capable without missing limbs was only a few thousand in total.

They were the last backbone of Chaoge.

Su Chen looked at the tens-of-meters-high platform for reviewing troops.

He looked again at the soldiers beneath the platform, arranged in neat rows, their faces full of exhaustion, yet their spines had not bent in the slightest.

The sky was overcast, and lightning flashed from time to time.

Yet these warriors raised the weapons in their hands, pointing them toward the sky.

It was like that overconfident archer, waving the bowstring in his hand, declaring war on the nine suns in the sky.

Su Chen smiled.

He, thin, haggard, and with frost-touched hair, likewise straightened his spine, refusing the support of Queen Jiang and anyone else.

Step by step, he ascended the stairs.

(Thanks to Boss Nan Jiang Chun Qing for the donation, three chapters are still delivered today!)