The two stood in the middle of the party. He wrapped his arm around Clark's shoulder, and their other hands were intertwined.
Yi Lian said:
"This is really embarrassing."
He replied, laughing:
"What's the big deal about people? Just imagine that we're alone in the hall, and you'll become braver in the crowd."
Yi Lian closed her eyes and then opened them, imagining that no one was there except her and Clark.
She replied to him:
"You're right, my heart isn't pounding like before."
Clark replied, teasing her:
"So if it's not pounding, does that mean I don't excite you? Is this ordinary Clark really not exciting?"
Yi Lian blushed with embarrassment and replied:
"I don't think you're bad. Perhaps you're better than all of them."
He replied to her:
"Oh, a bold confession."
"Shut up, you fool! You're making it more embarrassing."
The eyes of everyone were drawn to Clark and Yi Lian, who stole the spotlight.
But something was strange: the Minister had left the hall.
Jin signaled to Clark to notice the matter.
Clark nodded to him to go out.
Jin left the hall, tugging at his collar.
He said in his mind:
"How bold you are, Minister! You did it so quickly without anyone telling you."
Jin opened many doors in the palace until he reached the royal court!!!
He found the Minister covered in blood, and in front of him was the Emperor's corpse.
His face was trembling with horror, frightened, seeing that he had committed an unforgivable, vile deed.
He was almost screaming when Jin quickly approached, putting his hand around the Minister's shoulder, saying:
"What's wrong, Francis? Didn't you achieve your wish?"
"Now you can steer your country as you wish on the path of righteousness and greatness."
"Everything is ready for you. This Emperor abandoned you before, so why now? Why the sadness?"
Francis replied:
"But this is high treason against the country."
Jin quickly slapped him, saying:
"How do you call this treason? That bastard, son of a whore, destroyed your country, and you say you betrayed him? What treason? Tell me, what is your concept of treason?"
Francis replied:
"Isn't treason the breaking of covenants?"
Jin replied:
"They convince fools like you of that. The superior human doesn't care about fools; he is unique in his decisions and path."
"Covenants were created to be broken, what's the difference? While the first to break the covenant and betray everything was the Emperor himself! He sacrificed half the country, no, all of it, just to bring in outsiders to clean up your filth, then crown himself a hero and savior."
Jin felt a thrill in his mind; he felt he had reached his peak.
He shook the Minister's shoulders with both hands, continuing his speech:
"You have suffered bitterly: betrayal, breaking covenants, the bitterness of losing children, everything. So what's the difference if you commit one sin?"
The Minister fell silent, and Jin subsequently fell silent.
That was an ancient dilemma from the start, but Jin was merely manipulating words. And that dilemma was the feeling of guilt.
We commit sins and wrong actions, and then we feel guilt. We muster the courage to do wrong, be it murder or drinking alcohol. Then you ask yourself: why did I do that?
What does it matter? Will asking "why" turn back time for you to retreat?
But in truth, you will repeat the mistake endlessly.
That was the explanation of those who follow the demonic path.
You can reach the peak and the Great Dao if you get rid of the conscience that restrains you. It restrains your self and your heart.
And Jin used verbal manipulation to give Francis a different perspective on the course of events.
The course Jin gave him was a feeling of liberation.
Humans have always been slaves to their psychological shackles that hinder their evolution.
Francis spoke after a long silence:
"I was a fool for following this lowlife. He caused the destruction of my power and everything, and now I am liberated. I am no longer a slave to anyone; I have become free—free for myself, my desires, my whims, for my country."
Jin replied:
"Yes, well done. You have achieved what you sought. Now you are free. Now the next Emperor will be crowned soon."
Those words carried both hidden and clear meanings at the same time.
Jin started running through the corridor, returning to the party.
He forcefully opened the door, shouting: "The Emperor has been killed!"
Panic appeared on everyone's faces; they all became scared and terrified.
Yi Lian asked Clark:
"Did Jin kill him?"
He replied to her:
"No, he didn't kill him. He actually didn't do anything. Politics, Yi Lian, are like a chessboard, and you are free within it. Do you want to be eliminated in it? Or do you want to be a manipulator who reaps all the benefits!!!"
Everyone started leaving the hall in terror, returning to the throne to see what had happened to the Emperor.
And here, everyone was shocked. They stared, with looks of awe on their faces.
Quickly, all the ministers turned to Ling Ochi and Clark, saying:
"You are the ones who killed him! You are the reason. All of you have a motive for it."
Clark replied, laughing:
"Are you a fool or what? The venerable Master Ling cannot kill kings or anyone, so how can you judge that? On the contrary, if Master Ling or anyone killed him, that would cause his own death in his country. No one has been bold enough to kill kings since the Great Venerable One thousands of years ago. What you're saying is nonsense!!!"
That minister fell silent with a twitching face.
The Emperor's daughter rushed to hug her father's corpse.
Alyssa moved beside her to console her.
She cried like a small child,grieving for her departed father.
Ling Ochi approached Clark, whispering in his ear:
"Do you know who killed him?"
Clark replied:
"Isn't it obvious? The game you manipulated, whose mental faculties were completely shattered, is, of course, Francis."
"What? Then that will cause a great civil war in this corrupt country!"
Clark replied:
"That won't happen. You will ask me why, and my answer to you is: you see the Empress before you; she will be a pawn in my hands that I move as I wish. Now Francis has already written a fake will to make his death look like a suicide, and he wants to install his daughter as his successor. Thus, nothing will happen. And the one who will rule is me, in secret. Keke."
Ling Ochi looked at him in shock, stunned by Clark's cunning. But such has been life since ancient times: they wanted to exploit him, but they didn't know they were letting a wolf into their home!!!
Clark left, heading to the Emperor's room. He walked calmly and comfortably, quiet like a tiger, knowing he had gained control of the mountain.
He arrived and opened the door, finding the Minister writing the will, nervous, at the Emperor's desk.
Clark touched his shoulder.
The Minister was terrified and fell to the ground, thinking Clark was one of the guards.
Clark gestured for him to continue.
Ten minutes passed for the Minister, and then the windows shattered, and a terrifying bloody blade rushed in.
Quickly, Clark tried to restrain it, to block it, but that strike was fast.
Clark screamed, "Time, stop!"
Everything froze, stopping in its place; the terrifying strike dissipated.
The Minister was even frozen; the clock on the wall had also stopped moving.
Clark laughed, saying:
"Keke, the most terrifying thing is to possess time itself, and in my case, I am the emperor and dragon who possesses time itself."
Clark exited through the destroyed balcony to see who caused such chaos.
He saw Jin fighting a woman with silver hair and green eyes like emeralds. She wore a formal suit, and on her chest was a brooch resembling a crimson flower, terrifyingly beautiful. But what was frightening was her terrifying intent to kill. Clark sensed her despite time being stopped! How could her hat not fall with those mana fluctuations!!!
Also, her fighting style was suspicious to Clark. She held a katana in her left hand, its blade slender, and a very strangely short dagger in her right hand!!!
Time returned. It seemed it was only four seconds for Clark, no more.
Clark descended, landing in the middle of them all. He asked the two:
"Will you allow me to join?"
The woman scrutinized him.
Suddenly, Jin rushed to attack her, unleashing his oppressive domain.
Her dodging of his blades was very precise, but he ultimately tried to avoid his blade clashing with hers.
It seemed she possessed higher strength than Jin, allowing her to restrain him.
But the question that truly occurred to Clark was: Did they not feel that time had stopped?!
...To be continued.