After guarding the gates for a hundred years, I drove the Heavenly Saint to madness.

Chaoge City, Longde Hall.

Beneath the magnificent golden dome, the atmosphere was unusually heavy and oppressive.

Below the white jade steps, Huang Feihu and Deng Jiugong, though freed from their heavy iron shackles, still looked pathetic as prisoners, their plain white prison uniforms and bloodstains barely concealing their disheveled state.

However, even though these two veterans had been fighting on the battlefield for many years and their magic powers were sealed, their spines remained as straight as javelins, exuding an unyielding pride.

Emperor Xin sat on his throne, the supreme ruler, his gaze complex as he looked down at his two former right-hand men.

The main hall was silent, except for the occasional soft crackling of the burning sandalwood incense in the Nine Dragons Bronze Incense Burner.

After a long silence, Di Xin sighed softly and broke the silence first.

"King Wu Cheng, General Deng."

Di Xin's voice was no longer as violent as before, but instead revealed a rare sincerity and weariness.

"I know that I have been misled over the past few years and have indeed gone too far in some things."

Looking at Huang Feihu's icy face, the tragic fate of Jia Shi and Huang Fei uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

Di Xin closed his eyes slightly and continued, "But now the situation has changed. The once high and mighty Chan Sect is showing signs of decline."

"Grand Tutor Xiao was awe-inspiring at Jiepai Pass, even the Twelve Golden Immortals were hung on the city wall like dried meat. Xiqi's so-called compliance with the Mandate of Heaven was nothing but a joke."

Di Xin leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense: "Both of you are the most outstanding generals of our Great Shang Dynasty. Why must you perish with that sunken ship of Xiqi?"

"If you are willing to abandon your evil ways and return to the Great Shang, I will not only forgive your past transgressions, but also reinstate you to your original positions and even promote you to higher ranks!"

Faced with the Emperor's personal persuasion and surrender, Deng Jiugong snorted coldly and turned his head away.

He was a straightforward and stubborn man. Now that he had rebelled against the Shang Dynasty and joined the Western Zhou, he would never allow himself to crawl back and beg for mercy like a dog.

Huang Feihu slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Di Xin on the high platform.

"Your Majesty, some things are best left in the past."

Huang Feihu's voice was hoarse, as if it were being rubbed on sandpaper, and every word was filled with unyielding blood and tears.

"My wife was forced to jump from a building, and you killed my own sister by throwing her to her death! This blood feud of murdering my wife and sister cannot be erased with a simple 'I went too far'!"

"I've had enough of being an official of the Shang Dynasty. Now that I'm a prisoner, you may kill me or torture me as you please! To expect me to kneel and surrender is wishful thinking!"

"You audacious old scoundrel!"

Before Di Xin could even get angry, Daji, who had been nestled beside the throne, let out a sharp shout. A chilling killing intent flashed in her alluring, seductive eyes.

"Your Majesty is so magnanimous, how dare you be so ungrateful!" Daji pointed at the two people below the stage with her slender fingers, then turned to Emperor Xin and said coquettishly.

"Your Majesty, since these two traitorous generals are determined to die, why not just take them out and execute them, then hang their heads on the gates of Chaoge as a sacrifice to the flag, to serve as a warning to others!"

Upon hearing Daji's advice, Huang Feihu and Deng Jiugong both closed their eyes and offered their necks for execution.

Di Xin frowned, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes, his hand already on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

But just as he was about to give the order, he couldn't help but think of Xiao Wuji's request, and Di Xin slowly loosened his hand on the sword hilt.

"That's enough."

Di Xin snorted coldly, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart, and interrupted Daji's words with a wave of his sleeve.

"Grand Tutor Xiao ordered that your lives be spared. I have obeyed his wishes and will let you witness firsthand how Xiqi is destroyed!"

"Guards! Throw these traitors all into the lowest level of the imperial prison! No one is allowed to visit them without my decree; keep them under strict guard!"

The fierce Imperial Guards surged into the hall in an instant, dragging away Huang Feihu and Deng Jiugong, who both looked resolute.

……

Meanwhile, at Jiepai Pass.

In stark contrast to the somber atmosphere of Chaoge City, the backyard of the General's Mansion was filled with the rich aroma of wine.

Inside the pavilion, Xiao Wuji and Lü Yue sat facing each other.

Several exquisite dishes of snacks were laid out on the stone table, and the mud seals on two jars of century-old celestial wine sent from the Chaoge Royal Palace wine cellar had been broken.

"That felt great! It really felt great!"

Lu Yue's indigo face was flushed with pride as he picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, his three eyes brimming with smugness.

"Nephew, you weren't there. When my Hidden Dragon Plague flared up, the million-strong army of Xiqi fell down like wheat in a single stalk."

"Even those self-righteous third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect had to wallow in the mud and vomit! I could brag about this scene for an entire Yuanhui!"

Xiao Wuji smiled and filled Lü Yue's cup with wine, then followed up with a compliment: "Uncle-Master's Plague Removal Technique is naturally unparalleled in the primordial world."

"If it weren't for your stealthy methods, the 50,000 iron cavalry at Jiepai Pass wouldn't have been able to sweep them away as easily as cutting melons and vegetables."

The two clinked glasses, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

Xiao Wuji put down his wine cup and smoothly changed the subject, bringing up the main business:

"However, Uncle-Master, in the past few days, while cleaning up the battlefield and escorting prisoners inside the pass, many brothers from Jiepai Pass have inadvertently inhaled some of the remaining plague toxins and have developed symptoms of dizziness and fever."

"And those prisoners, in order to prevent them from dying from the poison and becoming useless, I also have to keep them alive."

Xiao Wuji stretched out a hand in front of Lü Yue, his tone casual:

"How about you give me a few bottles of the antidote for the Hidden Dragon Plague? I can use it to treat the soldiers."

Lu Yue, who was in the middle of enjoying his meal and had just picked up a piece of braised beef to put in his mouth, suddenly froze.

The piece of beef hovered in mid-air, and Lü Yue's three originally bright eyes blinked twice as if they were stuck.

The air in the pavilion suddenly became awkwardly quiet.

"Cough cough..."

Lu Yue coughed twice, slowly put down his chopsticks, and a rare hint of embarrassment appeared on his fierce, indigo-blue face.

"Um... my junior apprentice."

Seeing Lü Yue's expression, Xiao Wuji's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly surged into his heart.

"Uncle-Master, what's wrong? Is this antidote difficult to refine? If you're missing any spiritual materials, my General's Mansion warehouse has them all," Xiao Wuji asked tentatively.

"It's not a problem with the materials..."

Lu Yue rubbed his dry hands together, his gaze shifting, not daring to look Xiao Wuji in the eye.

He picked up his glass, took a small sip to hide his embarrassment, and finally forced out a sentence:

"For so many years on Kowloon Island, all I've thought about is how to increase the potency of the poison and how to seek revenge..."

"As for the antidote, I've been so busy developing poisons that I haven't even had time to figure out the antidote formula yet."

The pavilion was deathly silent, with only the rustling of the wind through the five-element pine needles and fruit trees.

Xiao Wuji's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

He stared at Lü Yue in front of him, his smile gradually freezing, until finally his whole body went numb.

There is no antidote?

You painstakingly developed a peerless poison that took an entire eon to create, a poison that could even kill a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and now you're telling me you never even considered how to cure it?

Xiao Wuji took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to smash that bowl of wine onto Lü Yue's face, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

"So, Uncle-Master... you're really amazing."