Chapter 86 : Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Has This Escort Master Led Her Highness Astray?

“No need!”

Before Chen Guan could speak, Luo Li coldly rejected the offer herself.

If it had been before entering Ten Thousand Deaths, No Retreat, then seeing these three display such respectful attitudes, she might truly have nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

But now, after witnessing with her own eyes that bloody uncanny trap—one that had been set at the cost of countless innocent lives for the sole purpose of “testing” her—

she already understood in her heart that if she truly continued on with these people, then more trials like this would only come one after another.

Chen Guan turned his head and glanced at her, then secretly nodded to himself.

It seemed that all the coaxing and misleading he had done along the way had indeed been quite successful.

When Zhang Wen and the other two heard that crisp, decisive refusal, all of their faces darkened.

Only now did they realize that this Young Mistress was nothing like the naive little girl, blank as white paper, that they had imagined.

This... seemed to be slipping out of their control.

Yet Zhang Wen did not immediately show his displeasure. The smile on his face remained unchanged as he tactfully tried another angle.

“In that case, then let Escort Master Chen travel together with us. That way, there will also be someone to look after one another.”

“My apologies.” Chen Guan shook his head and refused without the slightest courtesy. “I’m used to coming and going alone. I don’t like having useless lackeys trailing around at my side.”

“If you want to rebel and restore the dynasty, that’s your business. Once I safely deliver her to Shangjing City and complete my mission, then you can take her wherever you like to go start your rebellion.”

“You!”

The pupils of Zhang Wen and the other two abruptly contracted!

They truly had not expected that this man not only knew the earthshaking secret that they intended to rebel, but would even dare to say it aloud so brazenly!

At once, all three pairs of eyes turned in unison toward Luo Li.

Zhang Wen’s voice even carried a tone of accusation. “Your Highness, how could you reveal such a confidential matter to an outsider?!”

Meeting their gazes head-on, Luo Li answered firmly, “Escort Master Chen is someone I can trust.”

“As for the road escorting me to Shangjing City, I need not trouble the three of you with it. Once I meet my uncle, Su Wenyuan, I will decide what comes next.”

“No!” Zhang Wen rejected it outright without even thinking.

They had planned for a hundred years, and the most important part had never been the rebellion or the restoration itself, but Luo Li alone!

If she were truly allowed to reach Shangjing City and fall into the hands of Great Zhou’s dog emperor, then their century of planning would amount to nothing.

When Luo Li saw how fiercely they reacted, she silently rejoiced that her refusal had indeed been the correct choice.

Clearly, these people had never regarded her as any kind of Young Mistress at all.

Nor had they regarded her as the future ruler they meant to assist.

Zhang Wen also instantly realized that he had lost his composure. He hurriedly suppressed the agitation in his heart, clasped his hands, and bowed again.

“Your Highness, please calm your anger. Your subordinate was too anxious and misspoke.”

“I know Your Highness bears resentment because we arranged the matter of Ten Thousand Deaths, No Retreat as a test for you. But you must understand—what matters first in a ruler’s bearing is decisiveness!”

“In this world, there has never been an emperor whose throne did not rest atop mountains of corpses and seas of blood!”

“What we did was both a test and a tempering!”

“This journey to Great Zhou will inevitably leave blood flowing like rivers and corpses piled like mountains. If Your Highness cannot even endure the bloodshed of mere rules made manifest, then how can we possibly assist you in accomplishing the great cause of restoring the dynasty?”

Luo Li’s heart shook when she heard that.

These words... truly did contain a measure of truth.

Rebellion was war, and war meant bloodshed, and bloodshed meant death.

When that time came, would the ones who fell number only ten thousand?

If she could not even accept the illusion of ten thousand deaths, then what right did she have to speak of restoring the dynasty?

Chen Guan’s mouth twitched hard at the corners.

Damn it, this really was the work of a scholar. Their tongues were poisonous.

Yet he did not interrupt. He merely watched in silence and let Luo Li think it through for herself.

If this foolish girl could not even see the true road of a ruler clearly, then she was destined to become nothing more than a disaster pushed onto the stage by ambitious schemers.

And the disaster soon to come would also be one Great Zhou was fated not to escape.

Luo Li looked at Zhang Wen, whose words sounded so sincere, then turned and glanced at Chen Guan, whose face remained indifferent.

She recalled the way of rulership Chen Guan had spoken of to her within Ten Thousand Deaths, No Retreat.

It was a road entirely different from what she had learned from books and entirely different from what Zhang Wen was saying now.

The road of a ruler would inevitably see bloodshed, and sacrifice would inevitably exist. That was beyond dispute.

But...

A flash of insight suddenly sparked in her mind, and she instantly realized the truth!

The road of a ruler was indeed a bloody road. That much was correct.

But the real question was this—who exactly was supposed to choose that road?

The ruler herself, or the so-called “loyal ministers” at her side, dragging her along it?

Luo Li’s expression remained calm as she said evenly, “Thank you, Hall Master Zhang, for your advice and your guidance, and also my thanks to all of you for personally forging this road of tempering for me.”

“This road is a good one. I do not blame you for it.”

When Zhang Wen and the other two heard that, joy rose in their hearts. They thought she had finally come to her senses.

But immediately afterward, Luo Li’s tone shifted, and her voice carried a firmness that admitted no doubt.

“However, the road by which my Luo clan restores the dynasty shall naturally be walked by me, this Princess.” She paused, and a chill entered her voice.

“And this road will certainly succeed!”

Hm???

Chen Guan froze, then abruptly turned his head to look at Luo Li, surprise flickering across his face.

This girl... why was she so certain?

Luo Li paid no attention to his gaze and continued, “You may all leave first. Too many people will only make it harder to conceal our movements. Once I meet my uncle, everything can be discussed at length afterward.”

Hearing this tone—one that brooked no argument, yet still sounded perfectly reasonable in dismissing them—Zhang Wen and the other two all stood stunned in place.

No matter how they thought about it, they could not understand how this little girl had truly slipped free of their control!

No. No!

Exactly which link in the chain had gone wrong?

Su Jingyan?

Impossible!

There was an agreement between them. That old thing Su Jingyan would never dare tamper with this matter, nor did he have the courage.

Otherwise, he would never have kept Luo Li trapped in Sanhe County, teaching her only empty, paper-bound arts of kingship while never allowing her to truly step into the jianghu.

Suddenly, Zhang Wen thought of something. He whipped his head around, his cold gaze locking tightly onto Chen Guan!

Could it have been him?!

If Su Jingyan was not the problem, then the only possible problem had to lie with this Escort Master!

The fact that Luo Li would even tell him a matter as earthshaking as rebellion proved just how deeply she trusted him!

She must have listened to some slanderous words from this Escort Master!

And this fellow absolutely was not simple either!

Quite apart from the fact that he could break something as unheard-of as Ten Thousand Deaths, No Retreat, the fact alone that he remained this calm and composed, even though he clearly knew he had been drawn into a treason case large enough to affect countless millions of lives, was already enough to prove that he was by no means an ordinary person!

At that thought, Zhang Wen’s grip on the folding fan abruptly tightened, and a chilling killing intent instantly erupted from his body.

Behind him, Xiao Qin and the other also immediately sensed that something was wrong, and both slowly reached toward the sword hilts at their waists.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Chen Guan arched a brow and stared at the three of them with widened eyes.

“What exactly are you trying to do? Let me make this clear—if you dare draw your blades, then I’ll treat all of you as robbers trying to hijack my escort.”

“Your Highness!”

Zhang Wen ignored Chen Guan and urgently said to Luo Li, “You absolutely must not listen to the slander of such a petty man! This subordinate strongly suspects that this person... has a problem!”

“Hm?” Chen Guan’s face darkened, and the Horse-Cleaving Saber resting on his shoulder shifted slightly.

(Thanks to all you honored readers for the support. Four chapters delivered. Please leave a five-star review, a free gift, and tap the urge-for-update button.)