Chapter 2257 - 2258: Exchange
Jue Tian was one of the people who survived twenty years ago, and he was also the King’s sworn brother. He knew very well what happened back then, so of course he knew Lin Yuhai, and he knew exactly how terrifying Lin Yuhai really was.
And from the very beginning Jue Tian had been calculating, calculating the King. Without anyone noticing, he planted a gu in the King, all so that it would be easier to deal with Lin Yuhai in the future.
After all, the King’s strength was not to be underestimated. If he used the xun flute to control the gu worm inside the King and made the King suddenly drop dead, or used the gu to threaten the King, he could secretly make a move against Lin Yuhai.
If the King cherished his life, he might very well do exactly that. But right now Jue Tian had no choice but to put his cards on the table, because he had to help Ye Xunhuan, and the only way to help Ye Xunhuan now was to keep Qiu Ruoxi alive.
The reason Jue Tian brought up Lin Yuhai at this moment was purely to tell the King: don’t think they know nothing.
Being looked down on by Jue Tian like this filled the King’s heart with deep, burning hatred; he wanted nothing more than to tear Jue Tian to pieces on the spot.
But right now the King also understood that wanting to tear him to pieces was very difficult, at least for the moment it was very difficult!
After all, he had already been dosed with gu by Jue Tian. As long as Jue Tian used the xun flute, he could make the King’s five viscera ache like hell. So killing Jue Tian now was simply unrealistic.
"Jue Tian, you really think you can kill me just by using gu worms?" the King said through gritted teeth, his face dark as iron.
Jue Tian didn’t respond immediately. He just swept his eyes up and down the King twice, then said slowly, "King, I don’t know if I can kill you, but I do know one thing—you’re already scared."
"Because you don’t want to die."
Right now the King held real power in his hands, and Lin Yuhai was completely indifferent to mundane affairs. You could say the King was the king of this place; once his word went out, countless people would obey.
So Jue Tian could almost be certain that the King did not want to die, not in the slightest.
Forget the King—switch him out for anyone else in his position and they probably wouldn’t want to die either. Power, status, he had everything right now; how could anyone be willing to die at a time like this?
Jue Tian wasn’t wrong: the King really didn’t want to die!
After all, once you’re dead, everything is gone; staying alive means you still own it all.
"Jue Tian, what is it you want?" the King asked, his tone thick with gloom.
"Let Qiu Ruoxi go," Jue Tian said mildly. "Let her go, and I’ll hand over the xun flute to you right now. That way you won’t have to worry about me blowing the flute to deal with you."
"Otherwise, you can slowly savor what it feels like to have gu worms gnawing on your organs from the inside."
As he spoke, Jue Tian slowly lifted the xun flute to his lips, looking like he was about to blow it again.
Seeing this, the King’s expression changed drastically. He quickly said, "Jue Tian, wait—give me some time to think this through!"
Hearing that, Jue Tian slowly lowered the flute from his mouth, then said, "Fine. But my patience is very limited."
Right after that, everyone fell into a deadlock.
Qiu Ruoxi was in the King’s hands, while Jue Tian had planted gu in the King. And that gu looked quite frightening, frightening enough that even the King had started to dread it.
The King, who had turned the situation around by capturing Qiu Ruoxi, once again found himself forced into a passive position.
Jue Tian didn’t rush the King. He simply waited, unhurried, unruffled, completely calm.
After that, no one knew how much time passed before the King finally let out a muffled breath and said slowly, "Fine, I agree."
Jue Tian seemed to have already expected the King’s compromise; he wasn’t the slightest bit surprised. He just calmly said, "Release her."
"If you don’t give me the xun flute, you really think I’ll let her go?"
The King wasn’t stupid. Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the position of Leader of the Protectors of the Nation, and held that seat for so long.
"King, I know what you’re worried about, but you need to understand—I’m not as despicable as you are," Jue Tian said lightly. "As long as you let her go, I’ll give you the xun flute."
"Otherwise, no deal."
"Then I’ll kill her and leave," the King said heavily. "Jue Tian, don’t think there’s no one in this world who can deal with your gu worms!"
"I know you’re talking about Lin Yuhai, and I admit Lin Yuhai’s methods are almost godlike; he probably does have a way. But you need to realize, along the way you’ll be in agony, and do you really think we’ll let you walk out of here?"
With that, Jue Tian let out a cold snort. "We won’t let you leave. We’ll make sure you die right here."
With the xun in his hand, Jue Tian could make the King suffer miserably, and that would create openings for Ye Xunhuan and the others. Once that happened, the King would be the unlucky one.
Because when an opportunity like that comes up, no one here is going to let the King off the hook. They’ll kill him.
After hearing Jue Tian’s words, the King’s expression turned ugly at once. His eyes flashed with a cold, vicious killing intent, his gaze as venomous as a ghost out of hell.
As much as he hated to admit it, he had no choice but to admit that Jue Tian was telling the truth.
If he killed Qiu Ruoxi, Jue Tian would use the xun flute to rile up the gu worms in his body. Then that tide-like wave of pain would instantly sweep through every inch of him.
At that point, if Ye Xunhuan and the others made their move, it would be twice the result for half the effort.
"Of all the calculations I made, I didn’t expect to still come up short in the end," the King said heavily.
For a man like the King, who hunted hawks all his life, it was more than fitting to say that today the hawk pecked out his eye.
"King, what about now?"
"I’ll let her go," the King said, choosing compromise once again. "But I want to do it a different way."
"Let’s hear it."
"You give the xun flute to Ye Xunhuan. I’ll go to Ye Xunhuan to get the xun, and you come here to take Qiu Ruoxi away."
The King was very clever—otherwise he wouldn’t have strung together so many open schemes in a row.
This plan he came up with now was about as flawless as it could get.
After all, Qiu Ruoxi was Ye Xunhuan’s wife, and Ye Xunhuan was currently very worried about her safety. With the xun in his hands, if the King went to him for it, Ye Xunhuan would definitely hand it over. At the same time Jue Tian would be over here picking Qiu Ruoxi up, so he wouldn’t have the spare attention to watch the King too closely!
"Fine."
Jue Tian understood perfectly well the little scheme in the King’s heart, but he didn’t hesitate. He agreed on the spot.
Seeing Jue Tian agree, the King said nothing more. He directly lifted his feet and walked toward Ye Xunhuan.
Jue Tian tossed the xun flute straight to Ye Xunhuan, then walked toward Qiu Ruoxi.
In an instant, the two brushed past each other without a word, completely passing shoulder to shoulder.
Just as they passed each other, sharp light flashed in both their eyes, like arrows leaving the bow—one streaked straight toward Qiu Ruoxi, the other streaked straight toward Ye Xunhuan.