The Tiger Ford Deacon, Mu He, wanted Salan to live!
The bargaining chip he offered was the location of the Imperial Mausoleum.
The truly terrifying part of this catastrophe was not the rain allowing all the undead to roam freely even during the day, but the awakening of the progenitor of the undead, the Ancient King, from his slumber.
This was hope.
If they could find the Imperial Mausoleum and prevent the Ancient King from awakening, then the endless tide of undead might also recede!
"Release them!" Han Ji coldly gave the order.
A squad of Palace Guard Mages escorted Council Member Zhu Meng out from where he had been confined. Zhu Meng appeared relatively calm, though after learning that the Magic Association had intended to eliminate Salan through the Decapitation Plan, with himself included as collateral, he could not help but feel somewhat disappointed.
The Palace Guard Mages removed the restraints placed on Zhu Meng. Straightening his slightly disheveled beard, Zhu Meng glanced helplessly at Fang Yu, who was standing nearby.
"I never imagined that it would be you who ended up saving my life."
"If we fought until both sides were destroyed, nobody would benefit," Fang Yu replied.
"Sigh, I truly never expected our Magic Association would be driven into such a corner." Zhu Meng sighed, looking much older than before.
"Saving people is far more difficult than killing them," Fang Yu said.
Zhu Meng was momentarily stunned before revealing a bitter smile.
As Zhu Meng was released, the other high-ranking officials were also freed one after another.
"You may speak now."
After everyone had been released, Han Ji looked at the Tiger Ford Deacon and spoke with undisguised killing intent.
"Hahaha!"
"The Ancient King's Imperial Mausoleum lies within the Evil Abyss! Go on, hurry and find it! Jump into the Evil Abyss! Beg the Ancient King to show mercy, beg him to spare you descendants who were born more than two thousand years after his time!" the Tiger Ford Deacon roared, his expression already completely deranged.
"The Evil Abyss!" Han Ji's deeply sunken eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
A chill ran through everyone's hearts. Everyone present was utterly shocked. If the Imperial Mausoleum was there, then wasn't that no different from having no hope at all?
"No one, not even the most powerful Mage, can step into the Ancient King's Imperial Mausoleum. However, there is one group of people whom the Evil Abyss will never reject. They are the people of Hua Village."
"The reason the people of Hua Village are never attacked by the undead is because they are descendants of the Ancient King. The Evil Abyss destroys everything and prevents any creature from trespassing upon the Imperial Mausoleum, but its gates will always open for the people of Hua Village."
Fang Yu suddenly spoke.
"You're saying that although the Evil Abyss destroys everything, descendants of the Ancient King can enter it freely?" The mysterious man in the gray-white robe froze for a moment before asking, "H-how do you know this?"
"Ancient records..." Fang Yu replied ambiguously.
"Whether it's true or not, we have no other choice. We have to take the gamble. No matter how slim the hope is, it's still hope!"
A faint spark finally returned to Han Ji's lifeless eyes.
Mu He, however, looked somewhat surprised before sneering once again.
"You may know a great deal, but do you really have a way to stop this catastrophe?"
"Will the Ancient King truly show mercy and spare descendants born more than two thousand years after him?"
The Evil Abyss was drawing closer to the Inner City!
The first time it appeared was at the end of the Sandy Waste River, west of the Ancient Capital, nearly seven hundred kilometers away.
The second time it appeared at Xianchi, which was the location of Hua Village!
The third time, it appeared only thirty kilometers from the northern outer city, merely thirty kilometers away from the city itself!
The next time it would appear directly inside the city!
There was almost no time left, they had to meet the Ancient King as quickly as possible.
As someone from Hua Village, Fang Gu saw this as a chance to atone for his sins. Meanwhile, Su Xiaoluo, the healer who had saved Zhang Xiaohou, declared that she was willing to give it a try.
"I can try as well. Bo City also possessed the Earth Holy Spring, and my family's traditions are very similar to those of Hua Village. Perhaps I'm also a descendant of the Ancient King!" Zhang Xiaohou said.
"What if you're not?" Su Xiaoluo asked.
"Then so be it. Jumping down now is still better than waiting until the Evil Abyss shifts into the Inner City before jumping. Besides, when it appeared at Xianchi, I stood right beside the Evil Abyss, yet I wasn't dragged into its spatial vortex. Maybe that also proves I'm a genuine son of Bo City." Zhang Xiaohou smiled, though his smile was somewhat forced.
"Monkey, are you really going to jump in?" Mo Fan asked solemnly as he looked at Zhang Xiaohou.
"I am!" Zhang Xiaohou answered firmly.
"I drank the Earth Holy Spring. Does that mean I can go down as well?" Mo Fan suddenly asked.
He was willing to take the gamble too.
"Brother Mo, you're going too?"
"Either way, it's death. I'd rather die standing than waiting for it. But now that we have people who can enter the Evil Abyss, I'm worried about another major problem. How are we supposed to reach it? Don't forget, there are still several kilometers between the Ancient Capital's North Gate and the Evil Abyss. Those few kilometers are so packed with undead they could form human pyramids," Mo Fan replied.
His words left everyone present speechless.
He was right. The Evil Abyss lay outside the city, where the land was completely overrun by undead. Reaching it was a challenge in itself!
"Hmph! Do you take the rest of us for decorations?" Zhu Meng snorted, stroking his beard as he spoke with righteous determination.
"We'll carve a path for you through the undead!!" Du Xiao stepped forward as well, speaking with absolute resolve.
"I've already made a bet with Li Yujian. Whoever kills fewer undead before dying will have to serve the other in the Underworld. Good, now I've got something to look forward to. Let's kill as many as we can!!" Chief Judge Shi Zheng said boldly.
"As long as we stay alive, the bet still counts," Li Yujian replied.
"Chief Guard Lu Huan will deal with the Nether Bone Dragon. I've brought Hangzhou's Totem Black Snake with me. It can hold off the Mountain Corpse!" Fang Yu said.
"The Totem Black Snake is a creature from the same era as the Mountain Corpse. I never expected you'd actually bring it here. I think it'll work!" Zhu Meng exclaimed. Fortunately, their plan to eliminate the Totem as a potential threat had failed back then.
Fang Yu's words gradually restored a glimmer of hope to Han Ji's eyes.
Another powerful force had joined them.
Compared to the lifeless despair from before, this news was enough to inspire everyone.
He wondered how Salan felt about the situation now.
"To prevent Salan from silencing them, I will personally protect these few until they reach the Evil Abyss!" Han Ji declared.
"President, you're going out as well?" the mysterious man in the gray-white robe asked in surprise.
"Salan is among us. With how vicious they are, they'll undoubtedly seize the chaos as an opportunity to eliminate them. I'll protect them personally. I refuse to believe they have the courage to come and face me!" Han Ji said coldly, his commanding presence completely different from the dejected man he had been earlier.
"Good! If even the President is willing to fight alongside us, then what more is there to say? All of the senior officials who were previously confined will join the battle. Leave enough people behind to defend the city and prevent the Eight Undead Monarchs from launching a full assault on the barrier," Commander Yao Ting ordered.
"Zhang Xiaohou, well done! Our Military District is proud of you!" Chief Instructor Fei Jiao said, heavily patting Zhang Xiaohou on the shoulder.
"The Evil Abyss will undergo another spatial shift before long. Assemble everyone responsible for carving a path through the undead immediately. We must escort them safely to the entrance of the Evil Abyss!"
"Everyone, we're counting on you. If you succeed, you'll be heroes. If you fail, then so be it. We'll meet in the Underworld and share a drink together."
"That's the spirit! The more miserable we look, the happier the Black Vatican will be. Even if we're going to die, we'll make sure they don't enjoy it. Black Vatican, if you've got the guts, come fight your grandpa right now atop the Drum Tower! I'll beat you until you're begging for mercy!"
"President, what should we do with this Tiger Ford Deacon? He's still kneeling over there," the mysterious gray-white robed man asked.
"Since he dared to come here, he was probably prepared to die for Salan. Chain him to the Bell Tower and let everyone in the city see his true face..." Han Ji said.
Mu He had indeed long been prepared to sacrifice himself for Salan. He remained kneeling there, looking as though he were worshipping a god, completely consumed by madness.
For someone like him, simply killing him would mean nothing. The best punishment was to hang him in public.
If they truly managed to overcome this catastrophe, they would make sure he died with everlasting regret.
His mind was sealed, and iron shackles were driven into place before Mu He was suspended high above.
Yet Mu He had already accepted his own death. He continued laughing maniacally, endlessly muttering about the grand ceremony, ascension to godhood, Salan, and the God of Death. At times his words were incoherent, and at other times he raved like a complete lunatic.
No one paid him any further attention.
They now shared a common goal, and every one of them was prepared to give everything they had to achieve it.
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