"Your junior, Jianxiong, pays his respects to the two High Venerables."
Sword Sovereign descended into Jiang Yan's cave abode.
When he reached the center, he stopped at once, head bowed and posture humble.
Now, the pillar of the sect in the hearts of the Crimson Flame Sword Sect's disciples had been subdued by Jiang Yan, his life hanging in another's hands.
"Lord Sword Sovereign, there's no need to be so reserved."
"You're a Great Being of the Longevity Realm; you deserve some dignity."
Jiang Yan and the Vermilion Bird Supreme sat on stone stools. He swept his gaze over Sword Sovereign and spoke calmly:
"Since you've agreed to cooperate with me, all you need to do for the time being is manage the Crimson Flame Sword Sect on our behalf, keep the sect in order, and handle its internal and external affairs."
He paused, offering the other man a sweetener:
"If you do your work well, once this matter is settled, I can lift the restriction on your soul and give you a chance to be reborn through reincarnation. I'll ensure your soul remains intact and that you don't fall into the underworld."
"How does that sound?"
After thinking it over, Jiang Yan decided he should give Sword Sovereign a chance and make him more willing to take initiative.
Otherwise, even if Sword Sovereign obeyed his orders, he could still disrupt the finer details of Jiang Yan's plans in certain matters.
As for letting Sword Sovereign go free, that was naturally impossible. Jiang Yan had killed his son, and the two sides were now enemies. Sword Sovereign was surely headed down a dead-end path.
But for beings like them, death wasn't necessarily the end. It might even be a new beginning.
So Jiang Yan had offered Sword Sovereign a chance