Translated by: La0o9
Edited by: La0o9
Proofreader:? Arya & Kiwi
In a certain room on the third floor, a figure suddenly appeared holding a strange metal device.
Gu Qing Shan put away the âhandheldâ warp device away, using his inner sight to scan the entire room.
All sorts of valuable and memorial items were here, being exhibited in sections.
The entire exhibition room was silent, giving off an air of solitude.
âFound itâ Gu Qing Shan spoke in a low voice.
There was only one painting being hung in the room.
The painting was of Annaâs 10th birthday.
The king was rubbing Annaâs head with one hand, the other holding a tiara and was about to put it on her.
The little girl Anna was looking at the king with an expression of bliss.
Gu Qing Shan walked up and admired the painting carefully.
âA beauty in the makingâ
He commented, looked at it a few more times before taking it off the wall.
Taking the painting off the frame, he quickly felt something behind the canvas.
Checking it, Gu Qing Shan saw that it was a thin, long box.
The box wasnât booby trapped or locked, it opened quite easily.
Inside the box were two items, a blueprint, and an opaque crystal ball.
Gu Qing Shan rolled the blueprint out to look, seeing that is was a detailed description of ingredients and concoction ratios.
Yep, this is it.
Glancing over it, Gu Qing Shan tapped his Holo-Brain and put the blueprint away.
He was about to check the crystal ball as well, but it suddenly exploded with a âbangâ and fell to pieces.
The crystal ball was no more.
Gu Qing Shan was stunned, released his inner sight to search around, but found nothing.
The Holy Empireâs king would not put a useless item at such a well-hidden place.
But the crystal ball broke and disappeared as soon as he held it in hand.
There are simply too many items in this world that have the same capabilities, so he canât guess what it was from just that.
After Gu Qing Shan waited for a few more seconds, nothing happened at all.
Could it have lost its power after being hidden away for so long?
He didnât wait any longer and very carefully put the painting back into the frame, then replaced it back onto the wall as before.
Everything has been put back exactly the same, no one would ever suspect that anyone ever came here.
How unexpectedly easy.
I got the 99% purity Godâs Chosen Awakening Serum recipe!
This doesnât only mean heâs one step closer to evolving âSmitingâ.
As he gives the recipe to Impartial Goddess, sheâll easily be able to work out how to create diluted versions of this serum.
Which means the System heâs making will be able to include an option to class-change to Godâs Chosen.
After being able to pick Godâs Chosen and Martial Artist, the only one left to worry about is Elementalist awakening.
Which means the work for the class system is already 2/3rd of the way done!
Gu Qing Shan took out the âhandheldâ warp device again and was about to leave.
Liao Xingâs voice came from the warp device.
[Coordinates locked, Impartial Goddess is prepared, youâll be warped away in 30 seconds]
[The Pope is still inside the Holy Sanctuary, everything else is also normal ââ-ah shit, Holy Apostle Ivan just left the party, heâs patrolling] his voice suddenly raised.
âNo worries, Iâm about to leave anywayâ Gu Qing Shan said.
[Ah, right] Liao Xing seems to also be surprised at his sudden burst of emotion and was embarrassed.
âPay attention to the warp device data, work hardâ saying so, Gu Qing Shanâs mood was exceedingly fine.
After having a fulfilling dinner, he very easily took the Holy Empireâs national Serum, Gu Qing Shan felt this evening was quite perfect.
While waiting to leave, he suddenly sensed something was off.
As he looked up, Gu Qing Shan saw a person standing in the air, silently watching him.
He was an old man, a thin, fatigued old man.
The old manâs body was incorporeal, his eyes locked onto Gu Qing Shan.
âWho are you?â the old man asked.
Gu Qing Shan was stunned.
âWhereâs Anna? Whereâs my little Anna?â the old man muttered in disappointment.
âHow unfortunate, after the soul vessel gets triggered, I can only exist for 10 minutes, yet I canât meet Annaâ
He lowered his head, showing an expression of ultimate regret.
âYour Majesty!â Gu Qing Shan almost shouted.
Gu Qing Shan suddenly realized, this was the Holy Empireâs kingâs soul!
âWhy!? Why are you hiding here!?â
He couldnât help but ask: âHiding in such a secluded spot, how would Anna find you?â
The old man was still thinking out loud, muttering: âShe would definitely come, the Godâs Chosen Awakening Serum is the cornerstone of the empire, as long as sheâs alive, she would definitely come hereâ
Gu Qing Shan was still not convinced and used his inner sight to scan it.
ââ-this really is the kingâs soul!
But after death, itâs impossible for a human soul to remain in the world for a long period of time.
Did he say that unassuming opaque crystal ball was a soul vessel?
It this isnât a dream, then that means the Holy Empireâs king has already prepared for this since a long time ago, knowing that he might one day die at the hand of the Pope.
The king wanted to see Anna again for a final time.
Gu Qing Shan couldnât help but thought.
ââin the past life, after the king died, did Anna ever get to meet the kingâs soul?
This painting was a gift from the king to Madame Punta.
After the kingâs death, Anna was immediately caught and used as the midgetâs source of nutrient, getting her power sucked out of her day by day.
During that time, she was imprisoned, so she didnât have the freedom or the mind to go and find this Serumâs recipe.
When Anna was able to reclaim her country under the help of Fuxi Empire, the Holy Empire was already in ruin, Madame Punta also lost her life in the chaotic power struggle, and this painting was simply unfound.
âââno matter if the kingâs soul managed to stay sealed or was found, either way the clues regarding the Holy Empireâs Godâs Chosen Awakening Serum was lost from then on.
Which means, in the past life, Anna definitely missed her chance to meet the king.
Gu Qing Shan helplessly sighed, then said: âPlease wait for a bit, Iâll get Anna to come here right awayâ
The old man lifted his head again, his eyes regained a bit of liveliness.
âCan you really?â he spoke, almost with a trembling voice.
âOf courseâ
Saying so, Gu Qing Shan changed a few settings on the simplified warp device.
[Hm? What happened? We lost the data connection from your side] Liao Xingâs voice was heard.
âIs Anna there?â
[She is]
âThen send her over hereâ
[Ah? But the warp device can only be used a total of 3 times, and youâve already used it once]
If Anna is warped here, after everythingâs done, only one person will be able to get away with the warp device.
The other person will have no choice but to leave with a different method.
Gu Qing Shan very seriously said: âJust send her over immediately, itâs an emergency here!â
[Fine, fine, she said sheâs done preparing, warping in 30 seconds, wait a bit]
Liao Xingâs voice disappeared.
30 seconds is quite short, but also quite long for those counting.
Since Anna isnât here yet, Gu Qing Shan asked first: âYour Majesty, youâre clearly already dead, but your soul is still able to exist in the living world, how is this possible?â
The Holy Empireâs king looked at him and answered: âI guess itâs fine that I tell you, I broke the iron rules of life and death, contained myself inside a soul vessel with ample energy, enough to remain in this worldâ
âThen how did you break the iron rules of life and death? As far as I know, humans canât do thatâ Gu Qing Shan pursued further.
âBecause the price I paid was high enoughâ
âAdd what price would that be?â
âAfter this 10 minutes, my soul will dissipate completelyâ
Gu Qing Shan was stunned.
After a few seconds, he managed to pull himself together and said: âBut that is too big of a price to pay, why would you do such a thing?â
âBecause I wanted to meet Annaâ the king answered.
Gu Qing Shan couldnât understand it: âBut this way, youâll disappear permanently, you wonât be able to exist in any world, unable to get any sort of reincarnationâ
The king was sorrowful and spoke with a low voice: âIf I forgot about Anna, then Iâm already another person, no longer the real meâ
Gu Qing Shan was stunned again.
The king sighed: âAnna, my child, after I dissipate, sheâll be left alone with no one else on this cold world, this is my faultâ
âNo, father, this isnât your faultâ Anna suddenly appeared in the exhibition room.
She bit her lip, tears flowing down her cheeks as her hands reached out to touch the kingâs face.
But the slender finger went through the ethereal soul, unable to touch anything at all.
âFather, what are you doing?â she cried loudly, âyou shouldâve passed on to the next world, that way I can at least live on in peace. But now, even your soul canât be saved anymoreâ
âNo, you wonât live on in peace. I know you very well. You will definitely place our clanâs shackles of fate entirely on your shouldersâ
âMy daughter, you need not do such a thingâ
The king looked at his daughter, seeming to want to carve her appearance into his very being.
âAnna, Iâve always been so strict with you, all of it for the sake of training you, making sure that one day youâll be able to inherit our Holy Empireâ
âBut now, I have to tell you, if Iâm able to do it all again, I would rather that you didnât have to learn so many things. As long as youâre alive, as long as youâre not hurt, even if my soul is no more, Iâll be able to be happy for youâ
Gu Qing Shanâs Holo-Brain suddenly lit up.
[Sir, itâs an emergency, someone is moving upstairs] Impartial Goddess said.
âWho is it?â
[One of the Seven Holy Apostles, Ivan, leave now!] Liao Xing hurriedly said.
[Gu Qing Shan, thereâs no time, move quickly] Zhang Ying Haoâs worried voice was also heard.
All of their expressions changed.
âYouâre not his opponent, forget it, leave quicklyâ the king said.
âThen what about you?â
âIâve already met Anna, Iâm satisfied, Iâll naturally dissipate as time passed anywaysâ
âBoth of you, leave, no need to throw your life away because of me, this isnât what I wantedâ the king also urged him.
Anna couldnât control her tears flowing down her face, dripping to the ground.
She was already trying her best not to sob or break down crying.
She looked up, showing a deep sense of pain and unwillingness in her eyes.
âLeave, now!â the king urged them again.
âIâââ Anna tried her best to speak, but only managed to say one word before she was unable to go on.
She was already struggling to stand, couldnât help but hang on to Gu Qing Shanâs shoulder to manage to prop herself up.
[Sir, Holy Apostle Ivan has already made it to the third floor, Iâll start the warp device for you] Impartial Goddess said.
Gu Qing Shan closed his eyes, then opened them again and suddenly said: âNo needâ
[Sir?] Impartial Goddess was confused.
Gu Qing Shan smiled, then looked at Anna and said: âAnna, listen to meâ
âThereâs only a few minutes left, I hope youâll be able to spend it with your fatherâ
âIf we leave now, youâll keep this pain with you for the rest of your lifeâ
âDonât wait until the world permanently separates you and hold those regrets forever in your heartâ
Saying so, Gu Qing Shan put the âhandheldâ warp device on the ground next to Anna.
âWhat are you doing?!â Anna couldnât help but ask.
âYou donât have to pay attention to what Iâm doing, because I would do the same even if itâs not for youâ Gu Qing Shan said.
He kept speaking while walking towards the door.
âNo one gets to interfere with a father during his last moments of reunion with his daughterâ
âNot even a Holy Apostleâ
He walked out and closed the door behind him.