Chapter 2849: Ally
Chapter 2849: Ally
Zu An was speechless. It kind of feels as if our roles are reversed.
“Aren’t you afraid that I might silence you?” Zu An surveyed the surroundings and confirmed that there was no one in the vicinity, but he still suppressed the urge to make a move.
This woman isn’t a fool. She must have prepared a hand before confronting me here.
“Forget it. We used to be friends, after all. State your conditions.”
Zhao Xiaodie’s eyes shook. Her smile widened as she said, “My entire clan died at your hands. Did you honestly think we were friends?”
“King Qi and I were merely in opposite camps; I have no grudge against you,” Zu An said with a sigh. “I thought that we were friends, but I now see that it was wishful thinking on my part.”
“Pui! Your mouth spews lies without missing a beat!” Zhao Xiaodie gritted her teeth in anger, but she eventually heaved a sigh and said, “There are so many reasons why I should hate you, and I often remind myself of the blood debt between us. But for some reason, I struggle to do so.”
Zu An was stunned. He hadn’t expected her to see him in such a light.
“After entering the Annihilation Divine Palace, I gained knowledge from all over the Myriad Worlds. It seems as if I'm suffering from something known as Stockholm syndrome,” Zhao Xiaodie said in self-derision.
“From the moment you chose your Divine Palace, you should have understood that even though there are countless paths in this world, only by following your heart will your mind truly open up. You don’t need to overthink things,” Zu An said.
“You always know the right words to say. It’s a good thing you didn’t make a move earlier, or else that could have hardened my determination.”
Zu An gently replied, “I'm not a vicious person. In the end, you're a victim yourself.”
“Hmph. You claim not to be vicious, but you struck my butt so hard back then...” Zhao Xiaodie’s face reddened, and she was too embarrassed to continue the topic. “Cough cough. My father is the one looking for you.”
“Your father?” Zu An was taken aback. Did King Qi return to life?
Zhao Xiaodie hurriedly explained, “In this world, I’m Dorgon’s daughter. He’s the Annihilation faction’s Conqueror King, wielding strength that nearly rivals the Annihilation envoys.”
Zu An recalled the brief overview that the Little Fiend Empress had provided him regarding the Annihilation faction. He asked contemplatively, “Why is he looking for me?”
“He’s probably thinking about recruiting you to his side. You’re a surrendered official. It would be wise not to offend him,” Zhao Xiaodie advised.
Zu An hadn’t expected her to worry about him. “Thank you.”
“Hmph. I’m not doing this for you. I have no allies in the Annihilation faction, and you can be somewhat considered an acquaintance. Let’s help each other from now on.” Zhao Xiaodie wasn't very sure what she was doing either.
“Of course. Our old grudges in the Cultivation World mean nothing in the Myriad Worlds.”
Zhao Xiaodie led Zu An to the Conqueror King’s residence. Dorgon welcomed him warmly.
When it was about time, Dorgon casually asked, “Don’t you find it a pity that someone of your capabilities isn’t able to put their skills to good use?”
Zu An’s heart skipped a beat. This is it. The Conqueror King is subtly trying to drive a wedge between me and Huang Taiji. “I am a surrendered official. The Annihilation faction is filled with talents. There’s no place for me to shine.”
“That’s not the main issue. Ultimately, your tie with the empress is a thorn in our Khan’s heart.”
Zu An thought that the Conqueror King was doing a terrible job of sowing discord. Dissonant Melody, being an Annihilation envoy, was unlikely to be fazed by romance. But he played along and replied, “I didn’t know she was the Khan’s empress. I wouldn’t have had the guts to touch her otherwise.”
“I wouldn’t put that beyond your guts. I've already heard about your affairs from Xiaodie,” the Conqueror King replied.
Zu An was taken aback. He glanced at Zhao Xiaodie while wondering what she had told the Conqueror King.
“You don’t need to be afraid. I only chose to reach out to you after hearing about your accomplishments. I won’t beat around the bush. I want you to aid me in overtaking Dissonant Melody’s authority!” the Conqueror King said.
Zu An was stunned. This fellow sure is straightforward.
“Dissonant Melody is an Annihilation envoy. I don’t think I have the power to interfere in your fight.”
The Conqueror King harrumphed. “You don’t need to be so humble. You’re a Memory envoy yourself. While the aura you emanate is weak, a person’s strength is built on an amalgamation of factors. Xiaodie has told me about your exploits, and I've seen your performance in the Ming Court. You are a capable person.”
“I’m flattered by your compliment, Conqueror King.”
“Stop beating around the bush and give me a straight answer. Will you join me or not?”
Zhao Xiaodie frantically blinked at Zu An, urging him to accept the offer. The Conqueror King had already revealed his intentions honestly. If Zu An turned him down, the chances were that he wouldn’t be able to walk out of this room alive.
But Zu An didn’t give a straight answer to the question. Instead, he said, “There must be a basis behind your confidence for you to scheme something like this. I want to know what cards you're holding. Otherwise, I’d just be walking to my doom by joining you blindly. I’d rather not go through so much trouble just to die.”
Zhao Xiaodie panicked. The Conqueror King is the one assessing you here, so why are you questioning him instead? Fearing that the latter would lose his temper, she tried to speak up to dissipate the tension.
Unexpectedly, the Conqueror King burst into laughter. “Good, good! You are indeed a talent. To be frank, I’d have doubted your intentions if you had joined us without asking any questions. You could have turned around and sold me out to Dissonant Melody right after.
“Dissonant Melody might be an Annihilation envoy, but I’m not any weaker than him. The only difference between us is that he wields the authority of an Annihilation envoy. Through years of observation, I discovered that he has a fatal flaw.”
“A fatal flaw?”
“I can’t delve into the details. All you need to know is that I have the power to deal with him. You’re a snubbed, surrendered official under him, but under me, you’ll be able to unleash your talent. I’ll let you aid me in conquering this world. A merit of this scale will surely earn you the universal deity’s acknowledgment. That will become an invaluable stepping stone for you to join the Annihilation faction.”
“Very well. I shall join you.”
Zu An could only marvel at the wondrous machinations of fate.
In history, Dorgon’s and Huang Taiji’s factions were also fraught with conflict. Who could have thought that they would be fighting like that within Annihilation’s faction as well?
He had been thinking hard, looking for a solution to this quandary, but he'd been lacking an impetus. That impetus had finally come.
The Conqueror King was overjoyed. “Hahaha! Now that we've joined hands, success is within reach. I heard from Xiaodie that you are an intelligent man with many ideas. How do you think we should deal with Dissonant Melody?”