The Battle Begins (Continued)

His wife's intuition remained as sharp as ever. Su Yingbo sighed inwardly, but made no excuses, because he never lied to his wife.

"Work has really taken its toll on me lately, but I promise you, this won't last long." Su Yingbo met his wife's gaze and said solemnly, "No one can separate us, no one!"

"... Yes, as long as I can be with you, I have no other desires." Ai Qing nodded and snuggled closer to him.

Just then, an insensitive knock sounded at the door.

Su Yingbo frowned, suppressing her displeasure, and opened the door. Sure enough, it was the person she hated most.

Seeing Su Yingbo's expression, the Nether Master chuckled twice and said, "It seems I've come at the wrong time. Should I come back later?"

"No need. You've never come at the right time, so it makes no difference."

"Won't you invite my benefactor in for a cup of tea?"

"Killing someone to save them? What kind of benefactor is a mere kidnapper? Besides, I've already done everything you mentioned. Get out of here! This place belongs only to Ai Qing and me; no one is allowed to disturb us!"

"Hehe, when in Rome, do as the host says." The Nether Master turned and left.

Su Yingbo first gave Ai Qing, who looked worried, a reassuring gesture, then closed the door, and with a stern face followed the Nether Master to another room, immediately beginning his interrogation.

"What's wrong with her memory? You said some memories might be lost, and I didn't care, but memory and recollection are two different things. Even if her memory is terrible, she couldn't possibly forget such an important wedding day!"

"Don't be angry. The resurrection of the dead is a divine intervention, so some aftereffects are normal. It's probably just that her soul is somewhat incomplete, since she's already died once. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, she'll be fine."

This is clearly a means of controlling oneself. Su Yingbo said in a deep voice, "You said you wouldn't do anything to her."

The Nether Master said frankly, "I truly did not tamper with your body in any way. No marks, Curse, hidden energy... nothing was left behind. Commander Su is also Spirit Transformation with keen inner vision. If I had done something, how could I have hidden it from you? It was a technical flaw, not something I did intentionally. I swear on this point without reservation. For example, Commander Su also saw the Eight-Branch Evil Spider. He was also resurrected, but his condition was much more serious than yours."

"You're just playing games. If there were technical flaws, why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"Hehe, because I don't think it's necessary. Even if I had told Commander Su beforehand, would you have refused to revive your beloved wife?"

"..."

Su Yingbo had nothing to say, because what the other party said was true. Even if there was only a one percent chance, he would not give up. But the other party clearly intended to use this as leverage to coerce him into obeying orders.

"You asked me to imprison the new emperor, and I did. You asked me to forge an imperial edict to transfer the guards from the imperial mausoleum, and I did. You asked me to kill nobles and incite unrest, and I did that too. I have fulfilled all my promises. What else do you want me to do now?"

"Hehehe, please rest assured, I am a man of my word, so I will not force you to do anything outside of the deal. However, from the perspective of a partner, I want to remind Commander Su of your current situation. Once your actions are exposed, the nobles will see you as an enemy, the common people will see you as a traitor, and even your good brother Yan Jinghong will not let you go. You know Yan Jinghong's character very well. When it comes to upholding justice and even sacrificing family, he will not hesitate. I can even guarantee that he will come to your door by tomorrow at the latest. At that time, your beloved wife will probably also..." The Nether Master said meaningfully.

"Isn't my predicament all your fault? And now you're pretending to be all sympathetic?" Su Yingbo clenched his fists. "Besides Ai Qing, I have nothing left. I admit I'm weak, but even an honest person can get angry. If you push your luck any further, I'll show you what it means to rather break than bend."

"You've misunderstood. I merely wish to offer you advice on how to escape your current predicament. The choice is yours," the Nether Master said with a manipulative smile. "Join the Heaven-Defying Society, and we can protect you and your wife. In the entire Sea Continent, only our organization possesses such capabilities. Moreover, after joining the Heaven-Defying Society, you will no longer need to worry about your wife's subsequent treatment."

"It's the same old trick again, saying it's my choice, but do I even have a choice? Eliminating all other options and leaving only one, what kind of advice is that? From the moment I slaughtered the nobles, there was no turning back. Even if I were to abandon the darkness and embrace the light now, the families and friends of those nobles would not let me go. The world may be vast, but there is nowhere for me to hide."

"If Commander Su can view this issue rationally, then everything will be much easier to discuss."

"Didn't you say that the Heaven-Defying Society only needs the strong?"

The Nether Master coughed twice and chuckled dryly, "While it's true that only strong individuals are needed for leadership positions, the organization also needs ordinary members. After all, Spirit Transformation Grandmaster are rare finds everywhere."

"Get lost! Today is my wedding anniversary with Ai Qing, I don't want to discuss this with you."

"Hehe, very well then, Commander Su, please enjoy the last remaining moments of happiness."

The Nether Master didn't try to persuade her any further, because reality would make Su Yingbo see everything clearly, and there was no need for her to continue playing the villain. Although in Su Yingbo's eyes he had long since become a devil tempting people to fall, he smiled and turned to leave.

"Don't assume everything will go your way. Spirit Transformation Grandmaster isn't a puppet you can manipulate..."

In the darkness, Su Yingbo's face appeared cold and desolate. He paused for a moment, then suddenly clenched his hands as if he had made a decision, before turning and walking towards the side hall where Ai Qing was temporarily staying.

On the way, Xia Guanxue suddenly emerged from the shadow of a large pillar. "I have delivered the message you asked me to, but I cannot guarantee whether they will believe it. After all, I have old grudges against them, so I am naturally not trusted and am not a suitable messenger."

"Besides you, I have no one else I can trust. At this point, I'll leave everything to fate."

"Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, you believe in fate?" Xia Guanxue's tone was tinged with sarcasm. "Even if you fail, it should be a failure without regrets after trying your best, not giving up without even trying."

If he believed in fate, he wouldn't have had the idea of avenging his family; he would have accepted his fate from the start.

"That's truly the mindset of a strong person. To challenge something you know is impossible—such perseverance and courage are not something ordinary people possess... I almost forgot, you're also a disciple of the Mohist School, and you believe in 'non-fatalism'."

Su Yingbo smiled, a thoughtful and nostalgic expression on his face. "At first, I believed in fate because everyone around me was an ordinary person. They all believed in fate, thinking everything was predetermined. Later, I gradually stopped believing, especially during the period when my cultivation progressed rapidly. I truly felt omnipotent, as if fate was in my hands. Now, I'm gradually starting to believe again. Although I don't believe 'everything' is predetermined, I have to admit that man proposes, God disposes..."

"You don't believe in fate, you've lost faith in yourself. You can't control your own destiny, so you can only deceive yourself into believing there's an uncontrollable third party involved. This gives you a reason to shirk responsibility and accept your incompetence with a clear conscience," Xia Guanxue said mercilessly.

That's a really harsh comment that leaves someone speechless; you must have no friends.

"How naive! Avengers don't need friends!"

"People who say things like that are the ones who need friends the most. Perhaps you could try putting aside your hatred and making friends as an ordinary person, for example, by pretending to be a high school student and continuing your unfinished studies."

Xia Guanxue frowned and said, "You investigated me?"

"How could I possibly save someone who almost killed Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens without thoroughly investigating the matter?"

"Hmph, whatever, but before worrying about others, you should worry about your own situation first."

After listening to you, I feel that I can still try harder. Like you said, even if I fail, it should be a failure without regrets after trying, rather than giving up without even trying.

Su Yingbo bowed to Xia Guanxue and said, "I entrust my wife's safety to you."

Xia Guanxue stepped aside to let her pass, saying, "There's no need for that. You saved my life, so I should repay you with my own. It's only right and proper."

Su Yingbo smiled, took out a scroll of calligraphy from his pocket, and tossed it to Xia Guanxue, saying, "You said it yourself that it's a life for a life, so I'll repay you for delivering the message separately. The secrets of the 'Eight Forms of the Divine Edge' that I've comprehended are all in this scroll; use it as payment for now."

"Unnecessary!" Xia Guanxue snorted, but didn't refuse. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."