TGCFNM -Chapter 565 Unconscious

Chu Ling shifted her gaze from Chu Yue’s face to Fu Qingyu’s, and finally landed on Bai Zhuoxing’s.

“Bai Zhuoxing, do you remember the time you once spared my life?” Chu Ling asked.

“I remember,” Bai Zhuoxing said with a faint smile. “Because your miniature arrows… seem to be my sister’s exclusive weapon.”

“Aunt Su’s greatest obsession in this life was to kill you. But she never saw you die before disappearing. So I will fulfill her final wish,” Chu Ling said, leaning on her crutch as she stepped closer.

“Wait! I should go first!” Chu Yue stepped in to block her.

Chu Ling looked at her. “You said you wanted to settle accounts with me. Then tell me, when have I ever hurt you? It’s always been you hurting everyone else.”

Chu Yue sneered. “Why play dumb? How could I forget all the suffering caused by your status? You provoked me first. I only killed you to give you release, yet you became the source of my nightmares. You destroyed everything I had.”

“It wasn’t me—it was a man,” Chu Ling found Chu Yue utterly ridiculous now. “Even Chu Rou could see it clearly. If Xiao Shizi hadn’t agreed himself, how would you have lost the position of empress? He’s the emperor—would he really be swayed by others?”

Chu Yue lifted her head. “So I killed him.”

“You killed a Xiao Shizi and then chose a Mr. Fu instead. Truly a joke,” Chu Ling mocked coldly.

Chu Yue gripped her greatsword tightly, her face full of killing intent.

Chu Ling spoke calmly, “I once found it strange: if General Chu had rebelled, you might have had a chance. You could have claimed the world and ascended as empress! Yet you killed the general, and instead chose a man, step by step sending him to the throne, becoming empress? Tell me—doesn’t that strike you as ridiculous?”

“What do you know? Rebellion leads nowhere. Only by securing the Chu family and planning carefully step by step is there a way,” Chu Yue said coldly.

“No, it’s not that there’s no way. It’s that after living a second life, you believed things would unfold the same as before. The Empress Dowager said you were proud and confident, because having experienced everything, you felt victory was assured. But now you are a variable yourself, every action, every person you meet becomes a new variable. This life has already changed,” Chu Ling said, word by word, pressing forward.

“So, in this life, you will still fail. And I am no longer your variable. Your variable is your own choice!”

Chu Yue no longer listened to Chu Ling’s words and raised her greatsword high. “When you disabled my martial arts that night, did you ever think I would benefit from it, that my power would grow? Tonight… is your death!”

“Disabled your martial arts?” Su He looked puzzled. “We didn’t do that.”

Wan Sanjin bared his teeth and sneered, “Whoever disables martial arts, isn’t it by breaking limbs and injuring the dantian…? Just a tiny pill—how could it ‘disable’ her?”

Chu Yue hesitated, then turned to look at Fu Qingyu.

Fu Qingyu’s expression remained unchanged, calmly observing the standoff.

“Don’t look. You’re just another stepping stone Fu Qingyu chose. You killed the emperor, and he killed you—he’s the meritorious one,” Chu Ling said coldly, glancing at Su He.

Su He took out a pill and looked at Chu Yue. “The pill we gave you back then was meant to target the Gu insect. The stronger the insect, the more powerful the pill.”

Wan Sanjin added, “If you don’t believe us, ask your Mr. Fu. He saw it with his own eyes—Miss Gu’s death was miserable… But she had no choice, and we took care of her body. You? Nobody will care about you.”

Chu Yue sneered. “You drone on like that to buy time, huh? You really think… my face, my face hurts so badly… so badly!”

Chu Ling stared at the turtle-like cracks suddenly appearing on Chu Yue’s face, then looked at Bai Zhuoxing. “Her Gu insect… you put it in her, didn’t you?”

“She brought it on herself,” Bai Zhuoxing said, satisfied with his work. “The insect was perfect—she could have been the most formidable puppet. But she took the antidote too early…”

“The antidote saves those who can be saved. She couldn’t be saved. Better to die completely than become a puppet,” Chu Ling said to Chu Yue. “Your mistake was taking the old path.”

“Ah—” Chu Yue screamed, the greatsword falling as she collapsed to her knees. “Save me! Save me!”

“No saving her now,” Bai Zhuoxing shrugged helplessly.

Fu Qingyu picked up the fallen sword, looked at the pleading Chu Yue, and struck… The scream was abruptly cut off. Chu Yue collapsed, powerless.

“Next, we settle our accounts, right?” Bai Zhuoxing laughed wildly. “With you?”

“Of course not just us!” Yuan Luo descended from above, raising his sword to strike.

At the same time, Xiao Yunsheng arrived with soldiers, encircling the two.

Fu Qingyu retreated repeatedly, producing a whistle while raising his sword to block Xiao Yunsheng. His strength now seemed threefold beyond what he first displayed.

“The Empress Dowager is dead. Her puppets cannot be used for you. Stop now!” Chu Ling shouted.

Fu Qingyu’s face turned slightly cold, an aura of madness emanating from him. “No! I finally broke free from my chains, finally reached this step… I am only one step away from that position.”

“You’re not even part of the royal family!” Wan Sanjin couldn’t bring himself to argue. “That throne has nothing to do with you!”

“Does royal blood make one more noble? Who can surpass my knowledge, who can surpass my efforts, who can surpass my dedication to the people!” Fu Qingyu’s eyes were bloodshot. Tossing aside the whistle, she pressed the attack against Xiao Yunsheng.

Wan Sanjin gritted his teeth, raised his sword, and charged to help, with Su He following suit.

Zhang Dong and Xiao Hua covered Chu Ling and retreated, avoiding the battlefield.

“Royal blood isn’t inherently noble. The capable will rise, and if you were capable, what harm would there be in you taking the throne!” Xiao Yunsheng’s fury exploded. He pressed his long sword against Fu Qingyu, advancing step by step. “But you’re not. You collaborated with the Empress Dowager, killed countless innocents, and committed so many crimes just to get close to that position. One misstep leads to another—you can’t turn back now!”

“I… have no need to turn back!” Fu Qingyu gathered her strength and suddenly blasted Xiao Yunsheng aside, swinging his sword at him.

Wan Sanjin and Su He tried to block him together, but he alone held them firmly at bay.

“Xiao Hua, Zhang Dong, go help!” Chu Ling shouted.

If Fu Qingyu truly ascended the throne and employed Bai Zhuoxing, the Gu worms would undoubtedly run rampant across the land of Dazhou.

Xiao Hua and Zhang Dong nodded and rushed to assist Wan Sanjin and Su He.

Chu Ling’s eyes landed on Yuan Luo, who was locked in a deadly struggle with Bai Zhuoxing. Waiting for the right moment, Chu Ling crept closer step by step. At the critical instant when the two were about to separate, Chu Ling triggered the mechanism, firing countless silver needles at Bai Zhuoxing.

Yuan Luo also seized the moment, plunging his sword into Bai Zhuoxing and pinning him against the wall.

“Yuan Luo, I am Wushuang! Are you really going to kill me?!” Bai Zhuoxing’s eyes widened in fury, hands clutching the blade, his eyes filled with pleading.

Yuan Luo drove the sword in a little deeper, his gaze unwavering. “Wushuang died long ago in the Ice Cave. And you… you should not exist in this world!”

With a few more inches of the sword, Bai Zhuoxing finally lost all breath.

Yuan Luo drew his sword back and returned to Chu Ling’s side, his eyes red-rimmed. “I knew he was Gui Wushuang. Otherwise, with Bai Zhuoxing’s power, I definitely wouldn’t have won. But he only carries Bai Zhuoxing’s memories. If he were allowed to live, all the people in the world would suffer.”

Chu Ling reached out and patted his shoulder. “Gui Wushuang has long been dead. He wanted to die himself.”

At that moment, Xiao Yunsheng, Wan Sanjin, and the others were all blasted away by Fu Qingyu, hitting the ground hard and coughing up blood.

Chu Ling was shocked: even their combined attack was no match for Fu Qingyu? How strong is he?!

Yuan Luo’s gaze narrowed as he cautiously advanced with his long sword.

Xiao Yunsheng spat out a mouthful of blood. His body, already not fully healed, suffered severe injuries. Chu Ling could only laboriously help him up and retreat to the side.

Wan Sanjin looked at Su He and the others. “Don’t hold back. We must kill him!”

The others nodded resolutely and launched a joint attack again.

Chu Ling took the chance to trigger the mechanism once more, but Fu Qingyu’s internal power deflected everything. The mechanisms of the Fengtou Staff were exhausted and useless.

Chu Ling stumbled and fell to the ground, barely pulled aside by Xiao Yunsheng.

Fu Qingyu’s face was cold and ruthless. He glanced faintly at Chu Ling, then struck even more ferociously. Wan Sanjin and the others were thrown back again, pale and defenseless.

At this moment, Wan Sanjin, Su He, Zhang Dong, and Xiao Hua simultaneously fired their last miniature arrows, pouring all their remaining strength into killing Fu Qingyu!

With a loud thud, Wan Sanjin and the others collapsed. Even the seemingly invincible Fu Qingyu slowly fell to her knees, staring at Wan Sanjin in disbelief.

Wan Sanjin wiped the blood from his mouth and struggled to stand, supporting himself as he said, “When we were in the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber, you were watching us expend our miniature arrows. But actually, I made sure everyone held onto one. This last arrow… was saved for a time of need.”

“Qingyu, turn back now!”

Fu Qingyu let out a cold, tragic laugh. “Turn back? The winner takes all, the loser suffers. What is there to say?”

Wan Sanjin cried out in pain, “Why… why must you pursue that position? Why… why must it come to this?”

“You, who were protected since childhood, have no idea what I’ve gone through!” Fu Qingyu gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot. “You have no idea the life I’ve lived. And I will never live under others’ control again. I want everyone to bow to me, obey my orders! I am the emperor of Dazhou! I am heaven itself!”

Wan Sanjin wiped away tears and blood, and slowly, step by step, approached Fu Qingyu, kneeling before him. “Once a person can no longer control their greed, they become a demon… Qingyu, may you never suffer what you endured in this life in your next.”

Wan Sanjin closed his eyes, sending Fu Qingyu off for the last time.

“Sir, may I cover Qingyu’s body?” Wan Sanjin asked softly, closing Fu Qingyu’s eyes.

“Do it,” Chu Ling replied quietly, slowly standing up and moving toward Su He and the others. But suddenly, the world spun violently, and Chu Ling stumbled and collapsed, unconscious.