Chapter 639: The Mysterious Hall
Chapter 639: The Mysterious Hall
September 25, 2017
Lu HaiKong found himself in a mysterious hall, but it was so vast that he couldn't even see the ceiling.
All he could see were the tall pillars surrounding him, intricately carved with various array talismans.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that many of these pillars had people bound to them.
It wasn't unusual to see people tied to pillars, but what surprised Lu HaiKong was the identity of these captives—none other than Lu Bu and his companions, who had entered the hall a few hours before him.
Lu HaiKong hadn't noticed this yet, as his attention was entirely focused on Zhang Jiao.
Lu HaiKong stared intently at Zhang Jiao, attempting to use the Celestial Eye Technique to discern something about him, but to his disappointment, he couldn't make out anything.
However, Zhang Jiao appeared weaker and older than before, as if he might collapse at any moment. Despite his frail appearance, Lu HaiKong didn't dare underestimate him.
"Why go through all this trouble to bring me here?" Lu HaiKong asked.
As he spoke, Dian Wei, standing beside Lu HaiKong, gently touched him. Following Dian Wei's gaze, Lu HaiKong saw Lu Bu and the others hanging from the pillars. He was so shocked that he couldn't finish his sentence.
It seemed they had arrived too late!
Upon seeing Lu Bu and the others bound to the pillars, Lu HaiKong's eyebrows furrowed, and he quietly signaled Dian Wei to prepare for retreat.
With Lu Bu and his companions subdued within a few hours, showing little resistance and few injuries, Lu HaiKong knew he had no chance against such formidable opponents.
But having already ventured this far, retreating was not an option.
Zhang Jiao, noticing Lu HaiKong's gaze, smiled faintly. "These fellows were causing a ruckus, so I had to calm them down first."
As he spoke, Zhang Jiao coughed, appearing like an aged man on the brink of death. Lu HaiKong felt that a gentle nudge might cause him to collapse, but he dared not touch him.
"Enough. You don't need to be on guard or plan an escape. You may be ruthless, but you're not foolish. You should know that you're not my target; otherwise, you wouldn't have survived until today!"
Zhang Jiao's words held truth. If killing Lu HaiKong was the goal, he would have died in the Peaceful Sanctuary.
Lu HaiKong was well aware of this, which was why he had entered so readily. Yet, despite his awareness, he remained vigilant.
"Fine, your vigilance is too high. It's better if we chat like this!"
Zhang Jiao seemed to sense Lu HaiKong's state of mind, and a hint of helplessness flashed across his aged face. With a wave of his hand,
"Be careful!" Lu HaiKong exclaimed, ready to warn Dian Wei. But to his surprise, he found himself devoid of strength. Several massive chains emerged, effortlessly trapping both Lu HaiKong and Dian Wei. In the next moment, they shared the fate of Lu Bu and the others, bound to a stone pillar.
"Cough, cough..."
After securing them, Zhang Jiao coughed again, this time more painfully. His face flushed crimson, as if covered in blood, and he coughed for a long time before regaining control.
Once the coughing subsided, Zhang Jiao took a step forward and approached the bound Lu HaiKong.
"There's something I'd like to ask of you, and you have no right to refuse."
"What are you trying to do?" Lu HaiKong, tied to the pillar, glared coldly at Zhang Jiao, his face devoid of fear.
"What am I trying to do? You should have guessed by now, or you wouldn't have come here!" Lu HaiKong's eyes flickered. "I don't understand what you're saying. And why seek help from me, your brother's murderer? If you need Outsiders, don't you have many under your command? As my enemy, shouldn't you just kill me? Why go to such lengths to bring me here?"
"I chose you for a reason, and as for hatred, I don't think my grudge against you compares to that against 'him'. As long as 'he' exists, there will always be a Lu HaiKong to kill Zhang Liang, Zhang Bao, or even me."
As Zhang Jiao spoke the word 'him', his face contorted with bitterness and hatred, and Lu HaiKong thought he detected a hint of fear.
Lu HaiKong knew who Zhang Jiao was referring to.
"It seems you also know who I'm talking about," Zhang Jiao continued. "Daosheng has been hinting at 'his' existence, urging me to pay attention. Initially, I didn't think it necessary, given my abilities, but I never imagined I'd end up like this."
Zhang Jiao's lips curled into a bitter smile.
"He is like a shackle, binding me and pushing me forward step by step, allowing me to obtain the [Tranquil Heaven Scripture] and learn these extraordinary abilities. For a time, I thought I was chosen by him to save the citizens of the dawn, but in the end, I realized I was merely a pawn, and a disposable one at that."
"Upon reflection, I discovered that my entire life was like a puppet on someone else's strings. I thought my efforts had earned me my power and my belief in saving the citizens of the dawn, but it turns out they were all given to me, including my strength and my convictions."
Zhang Jiao continued to ramble in front of Lu HaiKong, his expression shifting from initial calm to eventual resentment and unwillingness.
Indeed, anyone in Zhang Jiao's position would feel the same way. Who would willingly accept that their life was merely a pawn in someone else's game, a puppet on a string? What's more, someone had already predetermined his fate, right here in Julu, within this dungeon. This was the ending written for Zhang Jiao.
He, the leader of the Yellow Turban Sect, the one who proclaimed, "Heaven is Dead, Yellow Heaven Takes Charge," the man who vowed to cleanse the world of its impurities and bring a better life to the citizens of the dawn, was about to be killed by a group of people who couldn't even harm him.
Who would willingly accept such an ending? Zhang Jiao certainly wouldn't. He wanted to resist, to break free from the fate written for him by others.
Lu HaiKong, standing before Zhang Jiao, was even more acutely aware of the reality—as an NPC, a boss, Zhang Jiao was about to rebel against the system, against the fate set for him by the system.
Although Lu HaiKong had suspected this upon meeting Zhang Jiao, when Zhang Jiao hinted at his intentions, Lu HaiKong still found it utterly insane.
"Do you know what you're about to do?"
"I'm going to kill him. I want to take back my destiny from his hands. I don't want my fate, my daughter's fate, or the fate of the world to be controlled by him."
Zhang Jiao spoke these words with surprising calmness, and surprisingly, there was no hint of malice on his face, only unwavering serenity.
Lu HaiKong opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, he realized that any words he could say seemed meaningless. Although he suspected the situation might not be as simple as Zhang Jiao made it seem, Lu HaiKong still felt compelled to ask, "What do you want me to do for you?"
"You? I just want you to remember this, but only if you don't know about it."
Zhang Jiao's words were somewhat unclear to Lu HaiKong. Then, Zhang Jiao turned and walked into the hall, stopping in the center of all the pillars.
As Zhang Jiao took his position, Lu HaiKong felt that Zhang Jiao's struggle against fate had begun, so he widened his eyes as much as possible to watch.
Despite the madness and incredulity of the situation, Lu HaiKong still wanted to witness how a boss would defy the system that controlled his fate. He wanted to know what card Zhang Jiao was holding.
Just as Lu HaiKong widened his eyes to their limit, a strong light suddenly flashed, causing Lu HaiKong's eyes to sting and tears to flow involuntarily, forcing him to close his eyes instinctively.
But as soon as Lu HaiKong closed his eyes, he opened them again, remembering before he did so that he wanted to witness Zhang Jiao's defiance of fate. However, when he opened his eyes, Lu HaiKong had already forgotten what he was supposed to do, feeling completely lost.
"Be careful, everyone. This sorcerer is powerful; don't let him hurt you."
"Lu HaiKong has been affected by the sorcerer's spell. General Dian Wei, protect Lu HaiKong!"
"Second Brother, let's attack together and slay this sorcerer!"
At that moment, a series of familiar yet unfamiliar voices rang out, causing Lu HaiKong to startle. As his eyes cleared, he saw the intense battle between Lu Bu and others against Zhang Jiao.
Dian Wei was guarding in front of him, while Lu Bu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Hua Xiong, Sun Jian, and Xu Chu were fiercely besieging Zhang Jiao.
Witnessing this scene, Lu HaiKong was completely dumbfounded.
"What's going on? I just woke up. I was under Zhang Jiao's spell and have been standing here for a while."
Dian Wei expressed concern and explained what had happened. Lu HaiKong was startled, confused about when he had been affected by the spell. He was now completely disoriented, unable to understand what was happening.
(End of Chapter)
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