The Female CEO's Personal Bodyguard

Chapter 3729 The Choice Between Loyalty and Freedom
Exquisite Tower.

The door opened, and Xi Dongcheng, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes, looked at Lin Chen at the door, and his expression changed slightly.

Why is he here?

After joining forces with several other Celestials to fight Lin Chen in the Holy Realm, Xi Dongcheng exhausted all the magical treasures given to him by the Saints, and knelt down to beg for mercy, sparing his life.

Of the five people, three died, leaving only him and Zhao Muran alive.

He was imprisoned in the Linglong Tower, isolated from the world.

Zhao Muran hid inside the strange space, completely afraid to come out.

Xi Dongcheng quickly got out of bed and bowed respectfully: "Master, what brings you here?"

Lin Chen walked into the house and looked around: "How have you been?"

Xi Dongcheng lowered his head and respectfully replied, "There are a lot of books on weapon crafting here. I have been studying and improving my weapon crafting skills over the years, but I have not practiced enough, so my improvement is limited."

Lin Chen pulled out a chair in the room and sat down calmly.

"Wu Haizhi, you know him, right?"

Xi Dongcheng's expression changed slightly. He quickly glanced at Lin Chen before cautiously replying, "He is the peak master of the weapon refining peak. According to the seniority of our sects, I should address him as my senior uncle."

Lin Chen asked, "Did you know that he crafted a magic weapon, the Supreme Heavenly Mystery Umbrella?"

Xi Dongcheng nodded: "I know, this is the peak master's masterpiece, and it is considered a representative of his weapon-refining skills. Many people know this."

Lin Chen stared at Xi Dongcheng: "I need to obtain this magic weapon. Do you have any suggestions?"

Xi Dongcheng's expression was grave: "This matter is probably not easy to handle. He himself doesn't use this magic weapon much; it's a precious collectible, and it's unlikely he'd lend it to anyone..."

Lin Chen asked, "You should be considered a core disciple within the sect, right?"

Xi Dongcheng nodded, looking troubled.

He naturally knew the subtext of Lin Chen's question.

“I am indeed a core disciple, but I participated in the Holy Domain exploration before and was eventually captured. In their view, this was an accident. Now that I have suddenly appeared, there are many suspicious points. If I ask to borrow the top-grade Heavenly Mystery Umbrella, I am afraid I will be targeted immediately.”

"Moreover, even if I were to borrow the top-grade Heavenly Mystery Umbrella, the peak master would never give me the magic weapon directly. At most, he would let me observe and learn from it at a fixed location. He would never let me leave with the top-grade Heavenly Mystery Umbrella."

Lin Chen's eyes lit up slightly: "So, you have a chance to come into contact with the supreme-grade Heavenly Mystery Umbrella?"

Xi Dongcheng answered frankly, "There is a chance, but I can't guarantee it. And even if I get in touch with him, I can't possibly take him away with me."

Lin Chen stared at Xi Dongcheng: "Would you like to go back to the West King's Palace for a visit?"

Xi Dongcheng's face lit up with excitement, but he quickly composed himself: "Does Master want me to help you obtain the supreme Heavenly Secret Umbrella?"

Lin Chen answered frankly, "I have this idea. Are you willing?"

Xi Dongcheng said with a wry smile, "From the sect's perspective, I'm just missing right now. But if I were to do this, it would be treason..."

"Yes."

Lin Chen calmly replied, "You can choose for yourself; I won't force you."

"If you choose to refuse, then you will stay here, perhaps for a thousand years, perhaps for ten thousand years, perhaps for a lifetime."

"If you choose to help me, I can let you leave here and live in the outside world after it's done. Of course, your life will still be in other people's hands, but as long as you don't do anything reckless, this constraint will be as good as nonexistent."

"Freedom with constraints is still freedom." "There is no such thing as absolute freedom in this world!"

Xi Dongcheng's eyes widened: "If I help you get the top-grade Heavenly Secret Umbrella, will you let me leave the world of magical treasures and live outside?"

Lin Chen nodded: "After this is done, I can send you to the Sixth District. It's chaotic and disorderly there, and you'll live a good life there. Don't worry, someone will protect you."

Xi Dongcheng's eyes revealed a struggle.

The victor is king, the loser is villain. There's nothing wrong with kneeling to survive, but helping outsiders against one's own sect is treason.

The sect treated him well; isn't this repaying kindness with enmity?
Lin Chen stood up and said with a smile, "Think about it, just give me an answer."

“I will not force you, but if you want freedom and cooperation, you must give it your all. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to take your life.”

Lin Chen walked to the door and spoke again just as it was about to close.

"I don't want to kill anyone, I just want the top-grade Heavenly Secret Umbrella."

"It's just a magic weapon. No matter how advanced it is, it's still just an inanimate object, a collectible."

The iron gate closed, and Xi Dongcheng sat down on the edge of the bed, his expression shifting, his eyes filled with struggle.

Lin Chen didn't have to wait long; a day later, he received Xi Dongcheng's reply.

"I can help you, but there are some things I need to take care of first."

Lin Chen nodded calmly: "Go ahead."

Xi Dongcheng said in a deep voice, "I need to settle my family in a safe place first, and also settle the people who may be implicated by my betrayal of the sect."

"No problem, that's what it should be."

Lin Chen readily agreed: "As long as you don't expose me or the purpose of this trip, there's no problem."

Xi Dongcheng breathed a sigh of relief. After considering it for a long time, he finally decided to agree.

Although it was indeed a betrayal of the sect, Lin Chen also said that he did not want to kill anyone, he only wanted the top-grade Heavenly Secret Umbrella.

It's just a magical artifact, a collectible that showcases my weapon-refining skills. Even if it's considered betraying the sect, it hasn't really harmed the sect's interests.

If I don't agree, I will remain imprisoned in this cell. If I help obtain the supreme Heavenly Secret Umbrella, I can regain my freedom.

Who would want to be imprisoned for life?

He might refuse to rebel against the Western Palace and murder his fellow disciples, but stealing a treasured item is something he could do for his future.

Seeing that Xi Dongcheng had agreed, Lin Chen began to prepare. Putting aside everything else, Xi Dongcheng had to fabricate his experiences over the years to avoid any flaws.

"How do you plan to explain to Zongli the reason for your disappearance over the years?"

Xi Dongcheng had already considered this question and answered without hesitation: "Those people in the Holy Domain have all been released, so I only need to tell the truth for the beginning. No one will know what happened afterward, so I can make up whatever I want."

"I told them I was tricked by those guys, severely injured, and forced to escape into a spatial realm. I haven't been able to leave since. A while ago, something suddenly happened in the Holy Realm, and I was thrown out. As for what happened, I don't know..."

Lin Chen asked, "They won't suspect you're lying and use some kind of soul-searching technique on you, will they?"

Xi Dongcheng shook his head and said, "I am, after all, a core disciple of the sect. I only failed to compete for the Holy Domain, and I did nothing seriously wrong. Naturally, the sect would not use any underhanded methods against me..."

Lin Chen laughed and said, "Alright, since you're sure, then pack up and get ready to go home."

(End of this chapter)