National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Great Xia Country’s Island City, The Black Pearl Finally Arrives

”Is this recording real or fake? Who on earth released it?”

”How can an Evil Spirit talk? It must be fake.”

”Bullshit, it’s fake! I’m one of the ones who escaped from Dalang City. Even though I wasn’t the one who recorded or uploaded it, I can tell you all, it’s absolutely real! I was right there and heard it crystal clear. The Evil Spirits can speak now. I was shocked when I heard it.”

”I’m having a breakdown. Are the Evil Spirits evolving? Is the world really going to end?”

”It’s never the world that ends. At most, it’s humanity.”

”Why do I feel like things in the Great Jing Empire have been getting worse and worse ever since the new Queen came to power? When Chu He was around, regardless of whether he was neglecting his duties, at least no Evil Spirits escaped the Demon Cave to kill ordinary people in the Great Jing Empire.”

”...”

This news hit like a bombshell, instantly igniting a firestorm of public opinion.

The number of comments on the top-trending topic surpassed ten million in just a few short hours, and it was still climbing.

Reporters from all over, like sharks that had scented blood, swarmed out in search of any trace of Xiao Cangqing.

...

Meanwhile, in the Royal City, an official press conference was being hastily prepared.

To quell the public’s anxiety as quickly as possible, the conference was convened with unusual speed, starting almost at the same time the news began trending.

However, due to the hasty preparations, everyone involved was busy drafting their speeches,

completely unaware of the increasingly explosive situation outside.

At the press conference, the spokesperson stood at the podium, facing a dense thicket of cameras, and explained with a grim expression why the Great Jing Empire was facing such a dire situation.

”So, to summarize, the main culprit behind the current terrible and grave situation in the Great Jing Empire is none other than Chu He, who has defected to the Great Xia Empire.”

”If not for his incompetence, which led to the proliferation of Evil Spirits, and his concealment of this information from the Great Jing Empire’s leadership, today’s situation would never have occurred.”

”However, please rest assured. The problem at the Demon Cave has already been resolved by the new National Guardian War God, Xiao Cangqing.”

Just as the spokesperson was about to conclude the press conference, preparing to leave with a hint of satisfaction and relief,

a reporter suddenly brandished their microphone and asked loudly, ”Honorable Mr. Spokesperson, could you please answer a question?”

”Have you heard about the recording circulating on the internet?”

”We have invited authoritative domestic and international organizations to conduct a deep analysis of the audio and have obtained a signed verification report.”

”The report clearly states that the voice in the recording is unquestionably Xiao Cangqing’s, and Chu He’s voice has also been verified as authentic.”

”This is enough to prove that the recording is real.”

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar erupted in the conference hall.

The spokesperson’s previously composed face instantly turned grave at the mention of the recording. His heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

He glanced at the expressions on the reporters’ faces,

seeing a mixture of ridicule, anger, and a thirst for the truth.

”Recording? What recording?”

He tried to remain calm, but a trace of panic had already crept into his voice.

The spokesperson realized that something must have happened outside that he was unaware of.

The situation had spiraled beyond his control.

He looked at his assistant, who rushed onto the stage with a worried expression and handed him a news brief.

The spokesperson’s pupils contracted as he quickly scanned the brief, his face instantly turning as white as a sheet.

The recording, to his shock, involved three parties:

the defector, Chu He;

the currently all-powerful Xiao Cangqing; and a talking Evil Spirit!

The facts revealed in the recording were even more astonishing.

The one feared most by the entire Great Jing Empire, including the Evil Spirits in the unfathomable Demon Cave, was actually Chu He.

Chu He’s strength was so immense that he could suppress all the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave, making them too afraid to act recklessly.

This fact undoubtedly overturned all the previous official denigrations and accusations against Chu He.

The spokesperson’s composure shattered instantly.

All the prepared speeches, the passionate narrative he had just delivered, seemed so pale and feeble at this moment.

He felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, a bottomless abyss below and endless darkness ahead.

The reporters, naturally, wouldn’t let this opportunity slip. They swarmed forward, pressing him for every detail about the recording.

”Mr. Spokesperson, what is your opinion on this recording?”

”Did you know about this recording beforehand?”

”What impact do you think this recording will have on the situation in the Great Jing Empire?”

Facing the reporters’ barrage of questions, the spokesperson was at a loss for words.

He took out a handkerchief and repeatedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart filled with panic and helplessness.

”I... I...”

The spokesperson stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

At this moment, he was in a position where no explanation would suffice.

...

A loud CRASH echoed through the silence of the palace,

as irrepressible as the fury in the heart of the Great Jing Empire’s Queen, Ji Shengyue.

Her face was ashen, her eyes blazing with fire.

After seeing the recording and its transcript, she was consumed by rage and abruptly swept her arm,

sending everything on the desk in front of her crashing to the floor in a loud CLATTER AND SHATTER.

”This recording... where in the world did it come from?”

Ji Shengyue’s voice was low and furious, her chest heaving violently.

A secretary stood to the side, answering with trepidation, ”Your Majesty, we don’t know the specific source yet, but it has already caused a huge uproar on the internet. Numerous media outlets and ordinary citizens are frantically sharing it.”

”Investigate it immediately!”

Ji Shengyue commanded, almost roaring, ”You must delete all of these recordings from the internet and find a way to quell this public opinion storm.”

”The Great Jing Empire absolutely cannot fall into chaos right now. The slightest wavering could lead to unforeseeable consequences.”

Ji Shengyue added, ”Also, investigate whether the Great Xia Empire is behind this. It must be them! Lu Yinxing and Chu He of the Great Xia Empire are in cahoots, trying to destabilize our Great Jing Empire.”

Though the secretary was inwardly speechless, believing the recording’s authenticity was irrefutable and had no direct connection to the Great Xia Empire,

under the weight of Her Majesty the Queen’s authority,

he didn’t dare say more. He could only nod in agreement and hurry off to carry out Ji Shengyue’s orders.

”The Great Xia Empire’s Evil Spirit Ship should be close to arriving, shouldn’t it?” Ji Shengyue asked, calming herself slightly as she turned to another secretary.

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

The secretary answered respectfully, ”According to all calculations, if everything goes smoothly, the Evil Spirit Ship will fully manifest around seven or eight o’clock tonight and make landfall in the Great Xia Empire.”

Hearing this news, Ji Shengyue’s mood eased somewhat. ”That’s wonderful.”

”Once that Evil Spirit Ship makes landfall, it will surely plunge the entire Great Xia Empire into chaos.”

”When that time comes, I will consider sending troops to seize the entire territory of the Great Xia Empire for myself!”

Ambition and determination gleamed in her eyes, as she already envisioned the future map of the Empire extending under her rule!

...

「In Island City, of the Great Xia Empire,」

Night fell. A bright moon rose over the sea, its gentle light sprinkling across the shimmering surface of the water.

Coconut trees swayed gracefully in the gentle breeze, releasing a faint, sweet fragrance.

At some point, the sea breeze suddenly died down, and the unique salty, damp smell of the ocean vanished.

In its place, a thin layer of fog appeared, shrouding the entire sea in a mysterious and tranquil atmosphere.

Upon a reef by the shore, a slender, upright figure sat cross-legged. It was Chu He.

His gaze was calm and profound, fixed on the increasingly cold and eerie sea before him.

His face was devoid of expression, as if he had become one with the ocean, an eternal watchman.

Before long, a strange, large ship slowly materialized on the surface of the sea.

Its hull was as black as ink, exuding a cold and bizarre aura.

The temperature of the entire world seemed to drop a few degrees with the appearance of this great ship.

Chu He’s gaze locked onto the great ship. The Black Pearl had finally, fully arrived!

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