National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: By the Way, Let’s Test Your True Feelings

The enigmatic Black Pearl had appeared only three times, and each appearance brought with it devastating power, an invincible force of nature.

Now, it had descended upon the Great Xia Empire once more.

And Chu He had publicly announced that he would personally confront this Ship of Evil Spirits, promising to livestream the entire spectacle.

In Xiao Cangqing’s eyes, this was nothing but Chu He’s arrogance, a suicidal act.

He knew the terror of the Black Pearl all too well. During its previous two appearances, even the combined might of the entire nation had failed to defeat it.

It made all of humanity, strong and weak alike, seem utterly fragile.

He recalled the past. Every appearance of the Black Pearl had been a catastrophe for humankind.

And this time, perhaps, it would be the end of Chu He.

There was no direct conflict or hatred between Xiao Cangqing and Chu He; in fact, they had never even met.

But Xiao Cangqing had always lived in Chu He’s shadow, like the proverbial ”neighbor’s kid” who was always better.

Furthermore, during his university days, Xiao Cangqing had fallen in love with Gu Shuling.

But Gu Shuling had married Chu He instead, simply because Chu He was the celebrated National Guardian War God of the Great Jing Empire, the acknowledged strongest expert on Blue Star, and the most gifted Martial Artist in history!

Xiao Cangqing was an arrogant man with lofty ambitions,

so he had held a grudge ever since. The jealousy and bitterness in his heart grew like wild weeds.

Chu He’s glory, status, and talent all became insurmountable obstacles in his mind.

His unrequited love for Gu Shuling during their university days, culminating in her choosing Chu He, was a particularly sore point.

At that moment, the resentment in Xiao Cangqing’s heart reached its zenith.

He had always seen Chu He as his rival, comparing himself to him in everything he did.

Fate, it seemed, was not on Xiao Cangqing’s side. Not only had he failed to surpass his rival, but he had fallen into an even deeper mire, becoming a puppet for an Evil Spirit.

Now, his reputation was in ruins, and he was besieged on all sides.

Friends, family, fellow Martial Artists, and even Her Majesty the Queen herself were constantly calling his private line, demanding to know what was happening.

The pressure and agony of it all drove Xiao Cangqing’s hatred for Chu He to an unprecedented level.

He yearned to escape Chu He’s shadow, yearned for Chu He to be wiped from the face of the earth.

The arrival of the Black Pearl seemed to offer him just such an opportunity.

Xiao Cangqing decided to seize the opportunity, to use the power of the Black Pearl to eliminate Chu He.

Gu Shuling stared at the man before her, her heart filled with terror.

She could feel the chilling ruthlessness radiating from him, and his malicious gaze made her heart pound.

She had a premonition that Xiao Cangqing was about to do something terrible—not just to her, but to Chu He as well.

”What... what are you going to do?” Gu Shuling’s voice was a barely audible tremble.

Xiao Cangqing let out a cold laugh as his body began to undergo a bizarre transformation.

The putrid marks on his skin began to heal rapidly, as if some miraculous power was mending his flesh.

The maggots squirming beneath his skin silently burrowed back into his body. The sight made Gu Shuling want to retch.

But what terrified her even more were his next words.

”Don’t be afraid.”

Xiao Cangqing suddenly became calm and detached. ”I’m going to send you to see Chu He. And while I’m at it, I’ll test whether there are any genuine feelings between you two.”

...

The atmosphere inside Her Majesty’s office in the Royal City was exceptionally tense.

Ji Shengyue slammed her hand on the desk, the loud bang echoing through the spacious office. ”Where in the hell did Xiao Cangqing go? Something this serious happens, and he doesn’t even offer a single word of explanation?

Does he plan to just disappear and abandon the Great Jing Empire?”

Across the desk, a group of secretaries and Ji Shengyue’s trusted think tank stood in a neat line, their faces etched with solemnity.

A staff member in charge of intelligence gathering stepped forward. ”Your Majesty, we are doing everything in our power to contact Xiao Cangqing.

Surveillance shows his villa is empty.

And according to our tracking, Xiao Cangqing left the villa half an hour ago with a woman.

They departed by private jet. Based on their flight path, they appear to be heading for the Great Xia Empire.”

Hearing this, Ji Shengyue’s brow furrowed.

She turned to her think tank, hoping for some insight.

One of the think tank members speculated, ”Your Majesty, what could be Xiao Cangqing’s purpose in heading to the Great Xia Empire?

Could it be that with the Great Jing Empire in chaos, he’s trying to evade responsibility and seek refuge in the Great Xia Empire?

Or perhaps he already has some connection to the Great Xia Empire and intends to use this opportunity to act against Great Jing?”

Another member of the think tank offered a different opinion. ”Your Majesty, I believe that’s unlikely.

Based on our behavioral analysis, Xiao Cangqing harbors a deep-seated, genuine animosity toward Chu He. It isn’t faked.

Furthermore, he’s never had a romantic relationship before, yet he suddenly started living with Gu Shuling. This is very likely an act of revenge against Chu He.

Therefore, I don’t believe Xiao Cangqing would betray the Great Jing Empire for the Great Xia Empire.

He must have another motive for going to the Great Xia Empire this time.”

He paused before continuing, ”Perhaps he wants to use the Black Pearl’s arrival in the Great Xia Empire as an opportunity to do something to Chu He.

After all, Chu He is now the National Guardian War God of the Great Xia Empire. His safety is directly linked to the stability of Great Xia.

If Xiao Cangqing succeeds in dealing with Chu He, it would undoubtedly be a massive blow to the Great Xia Empire.”

Just then, an expert stepped forward.

He cut off the speculation, bringing the discussion back on track. ”Everyone, let’s set aside Xiao Cangqing’s actions and motives for the time being.

The situation right now is that public opinion has reached a boiling point. Dissatisfaction with Her Majesty the Queen is growing by the day.

The widespread chaos and massacres carried out by the Evil Spirits have thrown the populace into a state of extreme panic and unrest.

Our most urgent task, therefore, is to pacify the public while dispatching elite troops to halt the further spread of the Evil Spirits.

Only by resolving these fundamental issues can we restore stability to the Great Jing Empire.”

Ji Shengyue took a deep breath. She knew the expert was right. In a somber voice, she said, ”Then proceed with your plan. It must be done as quickly as possible, or the Great Jing Empire will sink into an even deeper crisis.”

...

「Deep within a bustling city in the Great Jing Empire」

A young man sat alone in a dim corner of a cramped rental room, a computer screen flickering faintly before him.

Dressed in simple shorts and a tank top, his hands flew across the mouse and keyboard as he concentrated on uploading an audio recording.

This young man, a former office worker from a company in Dalang City, had been caught in the terrifying Evil Spirit attack.

He had luckily survived the calamity by hiding in a restroom in his office building.

Once the crisis was over, he had fled without a moment’s hesitation.

That day, the young man had accidentally overheard a conversation between Chu He, a rotting man, and Xiao Cangqing himself.

The information revealed in their dialogue still left him reeling.

So, he had mustered his courage, taken out his phone, and recorded the entire thing.

This recording would be the key to exposing the truth.

’These bastards!

They deliberately manipulated public opinion online to slander the former National Guardian War God, Chu He.

That’s why the Great Jing Empire has once again become a living hell.

The Empire’s higher-ups don’t give a damn whether ordinary people like us live or die.

Since that’s the case, I’ll expose all of your ugly secrets!’

He sat at his computer, intently editing a transcript of the recording, striving to present every detail with perfect clarity.

’I may be just one person,’ he thought, ’but I have to do everything I can.’

When everything was prepared, he took a deep breath and clicked the upload button.

The audio and its transcript instantly began to circulate online, spreading like ripples to every corner of the web.

But he wasn’t satisfied with just that.

To ensure more people heard the truth, he needed more help.

He contacted numerous content creators and journalists on various online platforms,

sharing the recording with them.

They all voiced their support, promising to help spread the recording to an even wider audience.

Pushed by multiple parties, the recording’s popularity skyrocketed, quickly shooting to the top of the forum’s trending list!

For the people of the Great Jing Empire, it felt like the last few days had been an endless series of bombshell revelations, one after another.