"By my reckoning, they should be here any moment."
Hearing the voice, Chen Cuo glanced at Ruan Ji, whose expression had changed again. "The rest can wait."
"Your Excellency, the Sacred Hall's power far exceeds anything you imagine!" Ruan Ji said gravely. "What it has shown All Under Heaven may be only the tip of the iceberg! So—"
"So the best choice is to submit at once, isn't it?" Hongyuan laughed. "You really are loyal to the Sacred Hall—and devoted to your duty. Even now, you're still trying to complete your mission."
"I am absolutely not here to speak for the Sacred Hall..." At that, he remembered that both people before him seemed capable of seeing through his thoughts. "Of course, I have some selfish motives, but—"
Han Zhuo's face took on a mocking look, and he was about to speak.
But Chen Cuo cut him off. "You took the wrong path from the very beginning."
"Hm?" Ruan Ji looked puzzled, but he did not dare argue.
"Compromise cannot bring peace and security. Struggle can." Chen Cuo offered no further explanation. "Stay here. I'll be back shortly." He formed a Hand Seal, and chains spread out, binding the two men even more tightly.
Ruan Ji and Han Zhuo both stared at him with aggrieved faces. Bound like this, what could they do even if they didn't want to wait?
"Did you hear something in Ruan Ji's words, Senior Brother?"
After they left the Divine Temple, Hongyuan asked him as they walked down the corridor.
Chen Cuo nodded. "I learned a few things, and I have a few ideas. As I just said, the Sacred Hall looks powerful, but even if you removed every part of the original history concerning it, that history would not collapse. And..."
He paused, his tone