Chapter 304: Before the Final Battle (Part 3)
When Xie Xingzhi heard the idea of Gan Nan being instigated to kill his own older brother, he was stunned for a moment, but Chen Xuanling immediately snapped out of it.
After all, young people are still young. Seeing the dazed expression on the young man's face, Chen Xuanling sighed quietly and shifted his gaze toward Ma Huaizhen and Venerable One Miaofa.
In the end, compared to the blood and fire that they have experienced, they are still quite innocent.
Gan Nan is his student. No one knows better than Chen Xuanling about this young and indecisive boy. So he has no part in the power struggle of the Ao family, nor can he take action against his own brothers.
But now, everything is different. Ao Yi killed their father with his own hands. These two brothers are not so close as they have different mothers. With Gan Nan's indecisive nature, just a slight instigation might make him seek revenge for his father and kill his own older brother.
This is the best solution right now - replace Gan Nan with a man named Gan Nan, and keep the rest of the deployment unchanged. Only make some changes at the higher levels.
After closing the Souvenir Jade Ball, Xie Xingzhi pressed his lips together and looked at Chen Xuanling. He respectfully asked, "May I ask how the elder sees this?"
Encouraging a younger brother to kill his older brother was really beyond Xie Xingzhi's understanding. The young man furrowed his brows and understood the importance of this matter.
If there really is no other solution, he might have to go against his conscience and do it. But before doing so, he had to...try and ask first.
In what if, what if there is still a solution?
This is the difference between the younger generation and the older generation.
Chen Xuanling fell silent for a moment. "Go ahead," he said.
Xie Xingzhi moved his lips and let out a faint sound, "Hmm."
He couldn't help but think of his sister, the sister he would never see again.
In my memory, there was a dirty little girl who loved to joke around. Her face was blurry, and he couldn't even remember her name. After being brought to Chaotian Mountain by the Red-Bellied Daoist, his master disliked his original name, "Qiao Zaoer," because it sounded too plain. The master gave him a new name, "Xie Xingzhi" for a man. It had a fancy sound to it, like "Admiring the High Mountains, Strolling Across the Scenery."
Perhaps she had already died in the years of war.
When the black boots walked through the smoke, Xie Xingzhi would often think this way.
Beneath the young man's cold and frosty face, there was a tender heart.
Every time he thought about that blurry image.
The little girl lay on his back, kicking her legs. Xie Xingzhi felt a poke in his heart and his throat became dry.
But now he is no longer the foolish and stubborn Lone Sword who means well but always causes trouble and refuses to listen to advice. These gentle feelings can only be buried deep in the heart of a young man who has grown into a "man", buried at the bottom, beneath the scars forged in the midst of war.
Gathering his thoughts, he is still the leader among the younger generation, still the "Lone Sword" on the southern battlefield.
It's not easy to persuade Gan Nan to kill his own older brother, it's a sneaky and cunning matter that Xie Xingzhi is not good at.
Knowing that Xie Xingzhi is honest, stubborn, stubborn, and stubborn, Ma Huaizhen directly sent a message to Chen Xuanling.
"Spread the message in the army first, saying that Aoyi killed his own father."
Actually, there's no need to spread it, there have always been similar rumors in the southern army, but Xie Xingzhi had been avoiding it, silently and considerately preventing Gan Nan from hearing it. But now, he cruelly presented the truth in front of him.
Then, they waited for Gan Nan to come in and ask.
Gan Nan indeed came in, his face pale, walking quickly and almost tripping. His eyes, like glass, were filled with tears as he asked, "Did my older brother really kill my father and Elder Zhu?"
Xie Xingzhi silently stared at the young man in front of him for a while, then nodded.
With a loud crash, Gan Nan sat down on the ground, his forehead, with a thumb-sized horn, hit the table and started bleeding. He hugged his knees, and tears fell down with a splashing sound.
Seeing him cry like that, Xie Xingzhi was slightly startled. After hesitating, he creased his brows and quickly walked to the young man's side, supporting his shoulder.
Gan Nan looked up with red eyes and said, "Xie, actually I knew that you and my father had a bad relationship. He entrusted my second brother, but I never expected you to do such a thing."
Xie Xingzhi asked, "So, what do you plan to do now?"
What do you plan to do?
As soon as Gan Nan heard the question, he became confused and shook his head in a panicked manner. "I... I don't know." A pink figure inevitably appeared in his mind.
If Qiao Wan were here, what would she do?
"Xie big brother, tell me, what should I do?"
"If I were you, I would kill the big brother and avenge our father."
Gan Nan was stunned.
"You want revenge," Xie Xingzhi lowered his eyes, "Your bond with Ao Yi is not as strong as your bond with the old Dragon King."
"Do you want to kill him?" Xie Xingzhi paused, gently coaxing.
If it were someone like Ma Huaizhen, they would immediately sense something was wrong. But the person in front of them was a weak and helpless little waste.
The youth lifted their eyes in confusion, tears glistening on their white eyelashes. They immediately became flustered. "I..."
Xie Xingzhi noticed Gan Nan's reaction and his mind stirred slightly.
The little white dragon was even more...mean than they could have imagined.
After all, being born into royalty, even if he was innocent and sweet, he still had his own little thoughts in his heart. Without these thoughts, he wouldn't be able to survive in their family.
In the past, this useless but kind-hearted little white dragon didn't want to actively conflict with his older and second brothers, so he considerately stayed away and hid in Qingyang Academy.
But to say that he didn't want to fight for the throne because of brotherly love, that reason was not strong enough.
The young man covered his face in agony and softly said, "I don't know."
Tears streamed down through his fingers, and Gan Nan sobbed softly without any malice, "Xie elder brother, I truly don't know."
Even though he was already 500 years old, he relied on his elder martial sister at Qingyang Academy and on Qiao Wan in Kunshan. And when he went to the battlefield, he relied on Xie Xingzhi.
He sincerely saw Xie Xingzhi as his elder brother.
In fact, Gan Nan had considered the possibility of a power struggle for the throne, where brothers fight against each other and blood fills the streets. If he hadn't thought about it, he wouldn't be naive. In Qiao Wan's words, he would be a pure idiot.
But Gan Nan had a good temper, unlike his brother Bai Long. He was more like a young white rabbit, always consciously or unconsciously avoiding this issue. Even when news came of the death of the Dragon King, he reluctantly believed Ao Yi's explanation.
However, now under Ma Huaizhen's command, Xie Xingzhi vividly tore apart the truth for him to see.
Xie Xingzhi was not good at comforting people. He was a young man with a graceful figure, but his face tightened up and he put aside his heavy iron sword, sitting down and keeping Gan Nan company.
The young man cried until his eyes were as red as a rabbit. After a while, he stood up, wiped away his tears, and choked out that he needed to go out for a while.
He didn't return until evening when news came from Chen Xuanling and Xie Xingzhi.
Gan Nan went to confront Ao Yi.
Chen Xuanling, feeling anxious, spun around and sighed, "Why is he so foolish?"
"He went about this so openly, making it clear, can his elder brother still tolerate him?"
Originally, the plan was to help Gan Nan secretly get rid of Ao Yi and seize power. When the news reached Ma Huaizhen, he fell silent for a moment.
He shouldn't have had high hopes for Qiao Wan, this useless foster brother!!
"Anyway, let's go directly with the troops to meet the person."
If they're late, it could be like being trapped in mud and facing death.
Inside the tent, the young man gazed at Ao Yi without blinking, his eyes slightly red, clearly having cried.
Ao Yi immediately smiled kindly, pouring a glass of wine and handing it to him, asking, "Why did you come?"
"Missed elder brother, huh? Come, have a drink with me, elder brother?"
Though a bit useless, Gan Nan has always been doted on in the Ao family.
Having made preparations to confront each other, but Gan Nan was momentarily at a loss by Aoyi's friendly demeanor. The young man straightened his back silently and did not touch the glass in front of him.
He asked softly, "Big brother, did you really kill our father?"
Aoyi's smile froze on his face.
The glass fell onto the carpet with a loud "clang".
Aoyi put away his hand and asked calmly, "Why are you asking me this?"
This reaction made the truth almost self-evident. Gan Nan frowned in pain and choked, "Father... Father was so good to you, to you and our second brother."
Aoyi looked at him for a while, then looked away. "Can't you see it? Gan Nan , sometimes I really don't know if you're truly foolish or pretending to be."
"Do you really not see that among us three sons, he actually only cared about you as his legitimate youngest child?"
"I am not the legitimate son, just like your second brother. In the end, he only wants his own legitimate son to succeed him," Ao Yi sneered. "Look at you, over five hundred years old and still just at the Foundation stage. Useless like this, if that old man wants you to succeed him, he might ruin the whole Ao family."
Even on the battlefield, the young man still had a warm and gentle aura that couldn't be washed away. He had no sharp edges. Even if he was bluntly called a "useless person," Gan Nan didn't get angry. Or rather, he had long been accustomed to it. His handsome and gentle face twitched slightly, and his eyes became red.
Everyone said he was naive and innocent, but that's not true. He didn't want to compete with his elder and second brother. He just wanted his family to live in harmony. Although his elder and second brother had ulterior motives, they treated him well and respected their father, the king. Although his stepmothers always smiled with their mouths covered and glared at each other, they would always give him a bunch of delicious and fun things when they saw him.
Their family structure is a bit special, and their way of getting along may seem a bit turbulent, but it can still be considered a harmonious home.
And, in war, if a country doesn't value its people, it causes suffering. He doesn't want it to be like that.
The silly and innocent little white dragon, because of his pure heart, doesn't want to fight or snatch. He doesn't have any ambitions, and he is content with this kind of life.
Contrary to what others may think, he is not confused, he sees things clearly. But now, Ma Huaizhen is cunningly revealing the truth, throwing it in front of him. Even if he wants to pretend to be confused, he can't anymore.
Aoyi stares intently at the handsome and gentle young man in front of him, his eyes fixed on the electric light flickering in Gan Nan's hands. "Are you going to kill me to avenge him?"
Gan Nan has already gathered a cluster of lightning in his hands. This is the "Throw Your Thunder" technique he taught Qiao Wan.
Aoyi looks at him and asks, "Gan Nan, are you really going to kill your big brother?"
"Doesn't our past brotherly bond mean anything?"
Gan Nan stared at Ao Yi, his heart pounding. He gritted his teeth and his cheek muscles twitched.
A gust of wind blew through his hair, carrying traces of green seaweed at the ends.
He gathered courage, his eyes turning bloodshot, as if he could throw away this Thunder with one second, but in the end, he didn't succeed.
The lightning ball extinguished in his hands, and the young man silently turned away.
He couldn't do it.
Gan Nan felt frustrated and distressed, desperately thinking that he couldn't do it.
The young man straightened his body, glanced sideways, and said in a hoarse voice, "Big brother, I'm leaving, take care of yourself."
Just because he couldn't do it didn't mean Ao Yi couldn't do it.
As soon as he turned around, a long spear came from behind, piercing through Gan Nan's chest.
This strike, Ao Yi intended to kill him!!
Gan Nan widened his glass-like eyes and spit out a mouthful of blood.
Ao Yichi lowered his eyes, expressionless, and extended his hand to push the end of the long spear. Before he could say anything, he was immediately flung out of the tent and nailed to the ground by a tremendous force!
Xie Xingzhi and Chen Xuanling happened to arrive with reinforcements and were almost scared out of their wits when they saw this scene.
"Gan Nan!!!" Gan Nan raised his eyes in confusion and only saw flickering flames. Xie Xingzhi and Elder Chen stood before him.
Behind them, torches were held high, their flames trembling in the cold wind. The tens of thousands of elite soldiers outside the tent seemed to have gathered into a sea of fire.
A step too slow.
Staring at his chest pierced by the long spear, blood overflowing from his mouth, and his fading gaze, Chen Xuanling stood frozen in place.
Ao Yichi also stepped out of the tent and immediately understood everything upon witnessing this scene. He sneered and said, "Elder Chen, what does Taoist Friend Xie mean by this?"
"Do you not trust me? Or do you want to seize control of the Ao family from my apprentice?"
"I am easily influenced by bad people, but I'm not stupid," said the man, raising his hand and giving a little smile. "Since my father passed this legacy on to me before he died, I will protect it with my life and not let anyone steal it!"
The words sounded grand and noble, causing Chen Xuanling. to furrow his brow slightly.
Xie Xingzhi. looked away from Gan Nan and showed a subtle change in expression as he drew out the heavy Xuantie sword from behind him.
The flickering firelight reflected in his deep eyes.
"We've come this far, and taoist friend is still clinging to these empty titles and false righteousness?" Xie Xingzhi tightened his brow and calmly said, "Those who come from a poor background, with an undeserved position and lacking in virtue, are insecure and tend to emphasize this so-called 'righteousness.' Isn't that right, taoist friend?"
The Xuantie sword spun three times in the air, releasing a powerful force, ready to strike down Gan Nan.
Suddenly, a dragon's roar echoed through the air!
Suddenly, from out of the shadows, a massive dragon claw extended and grabbed Xie Xingzhi's powerful Xuan Iron sword!
The crowd gasped in shock, "Ah!"
Xie Xingzhi and Chen Xuanling, both stunned, looked up with astonishment.
Chen Xuanling exclaimed in disbelief, "He's not dead?!!"
Awo was also shocked. His gaze followed the dragon claw upwards, and he came face to face with a majestic white dragon looming in the air!
The white dragon's body was enormous, resembling a series of snow-covered mountains. Its fiery glow illuminated the dark waves in the distance. The sky seemed to be collapsing, with stars hanging suspended, casting their light upon the white dragon's scales.
A dazzling light flowed.
The white dragon emerged from the sea of fire, still holding the long spear in its body.
With a roar, its sapphire eyes, reflective of a golden vertical pupil, gazed back at Awo.
Awo felt a chill as if cold water had been poured over him. In such a perilous moment, he couldn't even move.
This was a dragon offspring born from the union of two dragons.
And he, who was born into a lowly family, is completely different from someone like him. Even if he refuses to admit it, the difference between him and his useless younger brother is as vast as the sky and the earth.
The dragon roared loudly, soaring freely in the sea of fire. With a swipe of its claw, it cut Ao Yi in half before he could even transform.
The sea breeze stirred the torches, making a rustling sound.
In the next moment, the white dragon landed gracefully and transformed into the shape of a young man. As he walked, his dragon tail trailed behind him, shimmering with dazzling silver light.
The young man's eyes were cold, reflecting the icy fire within. Blood dripped from his fingers.
...
Gan Nan really killed his older brother!!
When the news reached Ma Huaizhen, he was caught off guard and stunned.
He never expected that in just one day, Gan Nan could act so quickly and efficiently, leaving Ma Huaizhen feeling bewildered.
After defeating his older brother, the Emperor Crab, the younger brother, the Lobster, realized something was wrong. He paled in fear and angrily shouted at the people around him, "I knew it! I knew this worthless person was pretending!"
Quickly, he took refuge in his own Dragon Palace and refused to come out even if it meant sacrificing his life.
Ma Huaizhen was shocked but quickly reacted. Calmly, he gave an order, asking Xie Xingzhi to assist him. Since they had defeated Ao Yi, they should seize the opportunity and kill the Lobster as well. After all, the death of the Dragon King was connected to his two older brothers.
After personally dissecting his older brother, the young man seemed to grow rapidly. He swallowed his brother's demonic pill and his cultivation reached a new level, faintly resembling the shadow of the Dragon King.
With Xie Xingzhi leading the way in the cultivation alliance, Gan Nan's attack was as swift as lightning. Before they could reach the Dragon Palace, the Lobster died in fear.
This unexpected change lasted for two days.
And on the third day, which was the day set by the cultivation alliance to enter the demon realm, Ma Huaizhen couldn't help but admire Gan Nan when he heard that Gan Nan had just killed a crayfish. He immediately contacted Gan Nan, with the help of Venerable One Miaofa.
After Miaofa came out, he helped Ma Huaizhen with these official duties for a few days, which saved Ma Huaizhen a lot of worries.
Although Gan Nan's actions were unexpected, Ma Huaizhen greatly admired his decisive style.
The figure of the young man was reflected in the Souvenir Jade Ball.
Sitting in a chair, his white clothes stained with blood, his seaweed-like slightly green hair matted with blood clots, he looked exhausted.
Ma Huaizhen didn't beat around the bush, but expressed his intentions directly.
Perhaps because of Qiao Wan, in Ma Huaizhen's mind, Gan Nan was considered one of his own people.
This was different from the other sects participating in the battle. Each person had their own social circle, and Gongsun Bingzi and the others belonged to the outside, while Gan Nan belonged to the inside circle.
The young man tightened his fist on his knee, pursed his lips, and hesitated to make eye contact with Ma Huaizhen. Ma Huaizhen felt a thud in his heart, a sudden loss of admiration in his eyes, and his face tensed up.
"I... I'm sorry... Master, I cannot send troops," the young man said.
As soon as he finished speaking, there was silence in the tent. No questioning, no scolding.
Venerable One Miaofa asked calmly, "Why?"
"Give me a reason."
Gan Nan's face was crystal clear, so white that it was dazzling. His eyelashes, as white as snow, drooped slightly as he composed himself. "My father, the king, did not want to send troops again in his lifetime."
"This journey will result in many casualties for our family descendants."
According to Ma Huaizhen's plan, after breaking the seal, the Dragon of the Ao family would carry the suicide squad back to the space rift.
"I can't, Master," Gan Nan whispered with a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Killing his older brother was driven by anger, and killing his second brother was an irreversible decision.
And when he suddenly realized, he looked around and found that there was no one around, only himself covered in blood, standing in front of the throne in the Dragon Palace.
He never thought about becoming a Dragon King, but the responsibility had already fallen on his shoulders, and he had no choice but to accept it.
When Gan Nan snapped out of it, he finally realized why Ao Yi wanted to cooperate with the demon realm.
The cultivation alliance was no longer effective, and working with Ma Huaizhen wouldn't guarantee victory. Ma Huaizhen and the others were knowingly walking into danger. Once the demon realm succeeded, when Mei Kangping sought revenge, the Ao family would be completely wiped out.
He was forced to bear the responsibility he didn't want to carry. After becoming the Dragon King, everything couldn't go according to his will anymore.
He had to consider the bigger picture and take care of his own people.
"Master, what you're doing is like a moth flying into the flame," Gan Nan whispered, his tousled white hair blocking his crystal-like eyes, unable to reveal his emotions. "Striking a rock with an egg."
The man was immediately amused by the ungrateful and unreliable scoundrel in front of him.
"So what?"
"Are you just going to lie there and wait to die?"
The young man shook his head, awkwardly opened his mouth, and then lowered his head.
"Mei Kangping promised my big brother, and now he has promised me."
"I don't need to send troops. As long as I stay still, he won't attack the Ao family."
"What if I make a move?"
Gan Nan said in a hoarse voice, "Then the million demon soldiers stationed on the southern front will immediately destroy the Dragon Palace."
"What about Qiao Wan?" Venerable One Miaofa frowned and asked.
The young man's eyes flickered, "Sister Wan'er... she's great, it's just that I, I've let her down."
Qiao Wan is great, but she can't compare to his own people.
That's what Gan Nan thinks, and that's what Jia Yin thinks too.
Ma Huaizhen has never been an emotional person. He is cold-blooded, ruthless, and in certain aspects, he is very authoritarian.
Standing in an objective position, he could understand Gan Nan and Jia Yin's choices, but from the perspective of the cultivation alliance, he wished he could strangle that little bunny on the other side of the Souvenir Jade Ball.
Not worth it.
Ma Huaizhen felt that it wasn't worth it for Qiao Wan.
There was only one day left, tomorrow, they would enter the demon realm.
They knew in their hearts that Qiao Wan would die, and they all watched coldly as she marched to her death.
Including him.
He too.
After hanging up the Souvenir Jade Ball.
Gan Nan sat exhaustedly and in disarray on the ground, his eyes turning red in a pathetic manner.
He didn't know.
He really didn't know what to do.
