Shangguan Zhongtang gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.
Perhaps he couldn't accept this outcome, or perhaps he truly regretted his past actions.
If only he had shown mercy back then, would the situation be entirely different now?
But there was no regret medicine in this world for Shangguan Zhongtang to take.
Shangguan Yi was already dead.
Shangguan Zhongtang was unaware of what awaited him back in the capital, nor did he know of Shangguan Qianji's constant betrayal, nor that Shi Wuzun was still alive.
Su Yang seemed to have suffered no losses, all of them falling upon Shangguan Zhongtang.
As the head of the Nine Departments, Shangguan Zhongtang, who once possessed everything, was now left with nothing, and he didn't even know it.
He was even more unaware that his own son would personally kill him in the near future.
All of this made Su Yang look at Shangguan Zhongtang as if he were a fool.
"No matter what, you poisoned my son, and you are the murderer of my son."
Upon hearing Shangguan Zhongtang's words, Su Yang smiled faintly, leaned back on the sofa, and said, "Fine, if that's how you want to think, there's nothing I can do. So, what now? Should we forget about this? Should we continue to let bygones be bygones?"
Seeing Su Yang's defiant attitude, Shangguan Zhongtang was tempted to use Su Yang's family as leverage to continue their conflict.
However, there was one thing Shangguan Zhongtang knew: Su Yang was no ordinary person. From what he had seen before, Su Yang was indeed loyal to his loved ones, but in the face of death, what was loyalty worth? How many people wouldn't betray their loyalty?
Shangguan Zhongtang worried that if he continued to threaten Su Yang's family, Su Yang might become desperate and fight him to the death, regardless of his family's safety.
Shangguan Zhongtang was aware of Su Yang's strength. He was absolutely no match for Su Yang. Just Su Yang's few large metal contraptions were enough to overwhelm Shangguan Zhongtang. Not to mention Su Yang's many elites present. Shangguan Zhongtang absolutely would not take this risk.
Moreover, as the saying goes, "Where there is life, there is hope." Shangguan Zhongtang's plan was to put aside his hatred for now, return to the capital, recover his strength for a few years, and then seek revenge on Su Yang.
"I never said my previous words were invalid. The reason I am not releasing your family now is that I need to personally return to the capital and assess the situation. After confirming, I will release your family."
"What?" Su Yang raised an eyebrow. "Don't you trust the person you just called?"
"It's not a matter of trust, but of delayed information. What if something happened in the time between hanging up the phone and now?"
What Shangguan Zhongtang said was indeed true. On the other side of the ocean, just after the "umbrella" protecting Shangguan Zhongtang hung up the phone, a group of forces stormed into the "umbrella's" home and took him away.
Not only would Shangguan Zhongtang not be able to contact this "umbrella" again, but he wouldn't even dare to try. During their call, the "umbrella" had already warned him not to contact them frequently unless absolutely necessary, as it could expose them.
Therefore, Shangguan Zhongtang would not call the "umbrella" again, and he would never know that his "umbrella's" phone would forever be unreachable. At this moment, Shangguan Zhongtang was completely unaware of what awaited him in the capital, nor what was heading his way.
After Shangguan Zhongtang finished speaking, Su Yang nodded and said, "Alright, then I hope you keep your promise and do not harm my family."
"Of course, while I'm not exactly a man of my word, I know your strength. I absolutely won't act recklessly."
Hearing Shangguan Zhongtang's words, Su Yang scoffed inwardly. He truly saw Shangguan Zhongtang as a clown. He had come to Sangguo with great fanfare, intending to deal with him there, and had even gathered so many forces. Yet, he was caught off guard by Su Yang, and the battle didn't even last half an hour before he was seeking peace. Su Yang found it laughable.
Shangguan Zhongtang then asked Su Yang, "Next, we will both return to Longguo together. Once we arrive, you will accompany me back to the capital first. Give me some time to check the situation. If everything is indeed as it should be, I will release your family."
Hearing Shangguan Zhongtang's proposal, Su Yang pursed his lips and said, "Let's not rush. I still have some matters to attend to here. Give me about two more hours, and then we can depart for Longguo."
Shangguan Zhongtang looked at Su Yang with confusion and asked, "What else do you need to do here?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yang smiled and looked at Shangguan Zhongtang, saying, "Don't worry. I'm not like you. I've always hated the people of Sangguo and would never cooperate with them."
Shangguan Zhongtang's face immediately fell upon hearing Su Yang's words.
"We're in the same boat now, aren't we? You should at least tell me what you plan to do in Sangguo."
Looking at Shangguan Zhongtang, Su Yang pursed his lips and said, "You remember Sakata Chon, don't you?"
"Of course, I remember." The mention of Sakata Chon made Shangguan Zhongtang's teeth itch. "You sent Sakata Chon to assassinate me several times before. I haven't forgotten that grudge."
Hearing Su Yang's words, Shangguan Zhongtang was stunned and looked at Su Yang. "You're going to kill Sakata Chon?"
Su Yang chuckled softly. "Wouldn't you be happy if I killed Sakata Chon?"
Of course, he would be happy! Shangguan Zhongtang had been betrayed by Sakata Chon, and he still regretted not being able to kill him personally. However, letting Su Yang kill Sakata Chon now brought him great satisfaction. From their previous conversations, Sakata Chon had placed a lot of trust in Su Yang. Now, being betrayed and killed by Su Yang... Sakata Chon would finally taste this feeling.
Despite his inner joy, Shangguan Zhongtang showed no outward emotion. His expression remained neutral as he looked at Su Yang and said, "Kill him then. I'll give you two hours. After two hours, we will depart for Longguo on time."
As the head of the Nine Departments of Longguo, Shangguan Zhongtang's presence in Sangguo was not a good sign in itself. Without Shangguan Zhongtang in the capital, it was impossible to truly know the situation there. Therefore, it was better to return sooner. Although he came to Sangguo due to his conflict with Su Yang, Shangguan Zhongtang felt guilty and it would not be good to linger in Sangguo for too long.