Chapter 246: The Imperial Jade Seal

This unfamiliar Xie Ju’an—who could possibly associate him with the once-saintly Young Master Xie of the past?

Even though his appearance hadn’t changed in the slightest…

Not to mention the court officials—even Lu Xian, who knew him well enough, couldn’t help but twitch his eyelids, a chill running down his spine in fright!

Yet Xie Ju’an remained calm as the deep sea, without the slightest ripple. He casually nudged Shen Lang’s headless corpse aside with his foot, as if it were not the once-lofty emperor, but merely an insignificant object at his disposal.

Xie Wei fixed his gaze on Shen Zhiyi.

He simply said:
“You’re right. I am hypocritical and cunning, calculating every step. The world is in chaos, people are displaced—but to me, it means nothing. That’s just how I am. The emperor wanted me to kneel, so I cut off his head. Even if I treat human life like grass, what can the world do to me?”

Shen Zhiyi’s heart ached as she said:
“Sir, you once suffered greatly too. You witnessed the tragedy of the three hundred righteous children. People lost their homes, children lost their fathers, the world was in disaster, and the people cried out in sorrow—can none of that stir even a shred of compassion in you?”

Xie Wei calmly replied:
“No, it cannot.”

This majestic palace, under the blood-red hues of the setting sun, seemed soaked in blood, exuding a kind of intense, refined beauty—but he didn’t like it at all.

He even chuckled softly.

He said:
“I once thought—Shen Lang and I are both mere mortals of flesh and blood. Why must I kneel to him? Why should I sacrifice my life for him? All people are born equal—why is only the emperor called the Son of Heaven? Clearly, everyone is a Son of Heaven. But everyone is also like grass. All beings struggle, without mercy. If one wants to kill, they kill. If one wants to destroy, they destroy. If anyone dares ask why—perhaps they should ask the heavens. After all, since heaven gave birth to mankind, there has only ever been one true equality—”

The place fell silent. Everyone looked at him.

Xie Wei’s expression relaxed, and he continued lightly:
“That is death.”

Indeed, through the ages, the only certainty is death.

Some people fear death…

So today, he had come specifically to send these people on their way.

In this world, aside from the word “death,” there was little else worth reasoning about, and he had no desire to reason with anyone.

At this moment, Xie Ju’an was clearly calm and rational, yet for some reason, everyone who heard his words felt a bone-deep chill from the depths of their hearts.

Such a madman—

Even with intelligence surpassing all others, who would dare let him rule the world?

Shen Zhiyi stood motionless for a long time.

Yan Lin, meanwhile, seemed lost in thought.

Before the Taiji Hall, the two armies faced each other.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense to the breaking point, with battle on the verge of erupting!

Yet at that very moment, a burst of ecstatic laughter echoed from within the hall: “Haha, the emperor is dead! The little emperor is dead too! This Imperial Jade Seal is finally in my hands!”

Everyone froze for a moment.

The two sides, on the brink of clashing, nearly broke their standoff but simultaneously turned to look toward the Taiji Hall.

At some point, Wan Xiuzi had reached the Golden Throne, standing before the high imperial desk, holding the intricately carved Imperial Jade Seal in his hands!

No one had noticed how he got there.

All they could see was that blood still dripped from his wounds, with arrowheads still embedded in his body, yet he seemed utterly unconcerned, laughing with unrestrained glee as if fulfilling a long-cherished wish. He even began walking toward the supreme Dragon Throne!

Upon seeing the jade seal, Jiang Xuening was momentarily stunned.

She was all too familiar with this object…

But she didn’t notice that Yan Lin, standing beside her, was also staring at the jade seal, a trace of indescribable sorrow flashing in his eyes.

At that moment, his face darkened, and he gripped his sword, striding toward the hall.

Wan Xiuzi was about to sit on the Dragon Throne.

Yan Lin kicked him down with one swift motion, seizing the Imperial Jade Seal from his tight grasp with one hand while the other reversed his longsword and drove it straight through Wan Xiuzi’s neck from behind!

The glee on Wan Xiuzi’s face had yet to fully fade.

His hand was still reaching for the Dragon Throne.

But Yan Lin mercilessly withdrew the longsword, and the last of Wan Xiuzi’s blood sprayed out, drenching the base of the Dragon Throne in crimson.

This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.

Many were left bewildered.

Why had Yan Lin suddenly acted?

Some courtiers, seeing him touch the jade seal, couldn’t help but shout in outrage, “Traitorous rebel, put down the Imperial Jade Seal at once!”

Yet Yan Lin, holding the longsword in one hand and the jade seal in the other, his dark attire casting a heavy shadow over him, paid them no heed. He didn’t even glance back.

He looked at Xie Wei, then at Shen Zhiyi, but his gaze ultimately settled on Jiang Xuening.

She still didn’t understand.

Lu Xian, however, felt a twinge of foreboding. His brow twitched as he suddenly realized something, his face turning cold as he demanded, “What is the Heir planning to do—?”

But before he could finish, a sharp clang rang out!

Yan Lin’s longsword flew from his hand, embedding itself in the ground three feet in front of Lu Xian!

Whoosh!

The Xinzhou army surrounding them immediately raised their weapons, all aimed at Lu Xian in the center!

Before the entire hall, the situation shifted dramatically!

Though Xie Wei stood behind the Xinzhou army, he did not lead troops in battle. While he orchestrated the grand strategy, the one commanding the soldiers was Yan Lin.

In the army, his word was law.

Thus, when his sword fell, the blades of the entire army followed.

Lu Xian felt a chill down his spine.

Xie Wei showed a hint of surprise, but unlike Lu Xian, he didn’t react strongly. He merely watched, as if curious to see what Yan Lin intended to do.

The Imperial Jade Seal was a perfect square, just large enough to be held fully with both hands.

Through the ages, only emperors could possess it.

Yet at this moment, Yan Lin didn’t even glance at it, his gaze never leaving Jiang Xuening. He called to her softly, “Ningning, come here.”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

All eyes suddenly turned to her.

An indescribable fear made her tremble slightly, and almost instinctively, she looked at Xie Wei.

Xie Wei gave a sudden smile and said to her, “Go.”

Yan Lin seemed displeased with Xie Wei’s words. Without waiting for Jiang Xuening’s response, he repeated, “Ningning, come here!”

Jiang Xuening felt as if she were lost in a fog.

She slowly walked over, looking up at Yan Lin. That strange feeling—neither entirely foreign nor familiar—rose within her again.

But the young man before her gazed at her with an intensely serious, almost greedy look, as if each glance was one less he’d have. His dark, moist eyes even shimmered with a hint of tears.

He placed the Imperial Jade Seal in her hands!

Jiang Xuening was trembling, her voice quivering as she asked, “Who are you?”

Yan Lin seemed not to hear, coaxing her in a soft voice, “I was wrong. I won’t take it anymore, I won’t ever take it again. I’ll give it all back to you, alright?”

Tears welled up in Jiang Xuening’s eyes.

A sudden, piercing pain stabbed at her heart!

She would never forget that in her previous life, before Shen Jie’s death, he left a decree entrusting the Imperial Jade Seal to her, tasking her with selecting a suitable imperial heir. Perhaps that kind, timid man only wanted to give her a lifeline. But he never imagined that once it was in her hands, it became her death sentence.

That day, they came to force her from the palace.

Unable to go on living, she had set down the jade seal along with the imperial decree…

Now, Yan Lin was telling her: he was giving it back to her…

Jiang Xuening clenched her teeth, the only way to suppress her trembling. Word by word, as if her voice bled, she asked, “Who exactly are you?”

He reached out to wipe her tears but pulled his hand back.

Standing before her like a child who’d done wrong, Yan Lin was silent for a long time before saying, “I don’t know either…”

But did it matter who he was?

It didn’t.

He finally recalled his plan, pulling her to the entrance of the hall. Pointing at Xie Wei and Shen Zhiyi, who stood in silence, he said to Jiang Xuening, “Come, now it’s your choice! I stand with you! Whoever you want to give this world to, we’ll give it to them! Why should the empress be the most exalted person in the world? The true supreme ruler is the emperor! And if you don’t want to choose anyone, I’ll help you—kill them all!”

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