Chapter 635: Chapter 173: Great Revenge Achieved, Life and Death are Impermanent (6K Words for Monthly Votes)_2
Continuous collision sounds arose; the laughter gradually ceased, and the world fell silent.
Looking at the last three remaining artifacts in the Tai Chu Scroll, Xu Shu expressionlessly locked the great door.
Just now, he had been trying to escape through the great door, but now, the roles of attacker and defender had reversed.
"Bishop, we can begin now," Xu Shu returned to Yu Mingluan’s side.
Yu Mingluan looked at Xu Shu appreciatively, finally closing the Bible.
Snap!
A streak of blood-red entered his body, winding upwards, causing his originally shriveled flesh to rejuvenate significantly in an instant, but it also seemed to be constantly burning, being consumed.
Almost at the same time, a gust of cold wind howled, as a dark shadow arrived in front of the two men.
Freed from the pursuit of "Heartfire Burning Spirit," Zhuge Weiwo arrived as expected.
His eyes were filled with indifference, and with his right hand shaped like a claw, he was about to twist off Yu Mingluan’s head in one strike.
As a Great Grandmaster, he was confident; in a battle against an equal, it was this slim chance that mattered.
However, just then, Zhuge Weiwo suddenly felt his mind go blank for a moment.
The world seemed to stop, everything before his eyes slowed down, except for an hourglass silently ticking away.
One grain, two grains, three grains...
Zhuge Weiwo silently counted the sand.
Sitting face to face with him was Xu Shu, also counting the sand.
Zhuge Weiwo felt that something was amiss and wanted to ask a question.
But Xu Shu had already spoken first, "Mr. Zhuge, we meet again."
"You really recognize me, who are you?" Zhuge Weiwo laughed.
He had never mentioned his true name to anyone.
Xu Shu smiled and said, "Passing clouds and mists are but common fog, between heaven and earth, only you and I know each other well. To speak directly is too dull, I have a question, if you can answer it, I will tell you."
Zhuge Weiwo did not want to be led by the nose, but he was touched by the magnanimity of the poem verse Xu Shu had recited and said, "Ask away."
Xu Shu said, "There is a person who, out of loyalty, abandons his wife and children upon his superior’s order, sheds blood and throws his life away for his homeland, even at the cost of ceasing his line without a word of complaint. Can such a person be considered a hero?"
Zhuge Weiwo replied, "Loyalty is commendable, he should be hailed as a good general! Yet there are three forms of filial impiety, and having no descendants is the greatest, so he is no hero."
Xu Shu smiled and asked another question, "Then there is another person who, for the sake of strong soldiers, kills the country’s defending heroes, even having men defile his wives and children. What about him?"
Zhuge Weiwo naturally replied, "He overlooks minor details for the bigger picture, sacrifices his small home for the greater good, he should be considered a hero."
Xu Shu laughed, "Old thief, you really can’t change your nature, you’ve wronged my entire family, and you don’t feel a bit of remorse."
Zhuge Weiwo looked intently at Xu Shu, sighing deeply, "So it’s you!"
Xu Shu sneered, "You still remember."
"Of course, I remember, you are Nolan Ningyou! Your Demon Technique could actually transform an unborn child into an Evil Spirit. Although extreme, it had the potential to greatly enhance my Yue Country’s strength! Sadly, regretfully! I only hate that in that battle, I failed to accomplish everything!"
"..."
Xu Shu’s mouth twitched as he looked into Zhuge Weiwo’s eyes and said, word by word, "You’re sick, do you know that?"（注2）
Zhuge Weiwo looked back at him, wanting to speak up and continue expounding on his grand principles.
However, he felt there was an implication in Xu Shu’s words.
After a bit of thought, he reluctantly lowered his head, and saw a fire burning at his feet, trailing up all the way to his neck.
"...This is impossible." Zhuge Weiwo furrowed his brows and finally managed to say a word.
Why only a word?
Because he couldn’t speak the rest.
Dawn broke.
He was dead.
Xu Shu lay back on the ground, feeling utterly lethargic, as if his body lacked the strength to move.
This was the aftermath of the "Tai Chu Hourglass"; even though the duration of the hourglass had ended, he still wanted to just lie there, doing nothing.
Fortunately, Xu Shu was a man of ambition. He quickly rolled over and saw the Archbishop smiling at him, and on the ground, a pool of black blood which turned into thick smoke drifting upwards.
In addition to that, there were three transparent gems, vibrant with amethyst energy, arranged in a "△" shape, connected end to end in a circle.
Each gem contained eighteen thread-like substances, rich in color, spiraling upwards.
"Zhuge Weiwo’s Erosion Crystals..."
Xu Shu swallowed hard.
Only now did he dare to confirm, the other party was truly dead.
"Bishop, how much time has passed?" Xu Shu inquired.
Yu Mingluan calculated the time and said, "It should have been more than ten hours."
Xu Shu was startled, "That long? Didn’t you say it would only take three hours?"
Yu Mingluan’s face revealed a trace of embarrassment, "Yes, indeed, it took just a little more time than expected. But let’s not talk about that now, take these two things with you."
As he spoke, he placed the Bible on the ground and also slid the three high-quality Erosion Crystals towards Xu Shu.
This time he did not hoard the spoils of war but was rather generous.
Xu Shu frowned, feeling that the bishop’s actions were peculiar, but he still quickly pocketed the three Erosion Crystals, while continuously saying, "Bishop, what are you doing? Never mind that for now, the ruins’ door should be opened, let’s get out of here."
"Mm, looking at the time, it’s about right."
Yu Mingluan nodded, waving his sleeves, a red robe billowing, he grabbed Xu Shu, along with the sarcophagus.
Then, his expression subtly froze.
"Strange, it’s gone," Yu Mingluan muttered to himself.
Xu Shu asked, "What’s gone?"
"The Yang God’s Remains are gone..."
Yu Mingluan murmured to himself in a low voice, looking at Xu Shu with a peculiar expression.