Chapter 653

Chapter 653: If You Do Not Invite, I Will Not Come

“Had I known, I wouldn’t have taken the exam for Black and White Impermanence.”

“Reincarnating early would have been much easier.” Bai Impermanence lamented, his face long and miserable. He had struggled immensely to secure his permanent position in the Netherworld, yet now the workload had him crying out in exhaustion.

“Little Ancestor, what do you summon us for?” Hei Impermanence asked respectfully.

Lu Chao Chao nodded.

“Extract their souls.” She pointed coldly at the corpses of several men lying on the ground.

Hei and Bai Impermanence did not question her. The Great Emperor Feng Du had given clear instructions—they were to act as commanded.

In no time, the spirits of the dead men emerged, their forms flickering. They looked down at themselves, disoriented, before noticing Hei and Bai Impermanence standing before them. Terror seized them, and they dropped to their knees, groveling.

“For cannibalizing your own kind, let the Judge scrutinize your crimes. Send them to the Eighteenth Level of Hell for proper hospitality.” Lu Chao Chao waved her hand, sentencing them without hesitation.

Hei and Bai Impermanence exchanged a glance, their faces twisted with disgust as they gazed at the criminals.

“As you command, Little Ancestor. Rest assured, the Netherworld is already drafting new laws regarding such acts,” Bai Impermanence assured her before dragging the wailing souls away.

The atmosphere turned heavy. No one spoke, but a weight pressed on everyone’s hearts. The truth was far grimmer than they had imagined.

“Let’s move out.”

Riding day and night without rest, they finally arrived in Eastern Ling three days later.

From the moment they crossed into Eastern Ling, the situation grew dire.

Despite the intimidating presence of their heavily guarded convoy, desperate refugees continued to hurl themselves forward, only to be struck down, yet the wave of people never ceased.

Upon reaching the imperial capital, Lu Chao Chao saw that the city was under extreme lockdown.

“Who goes there? Where are you from? What is your business here?” The gate guards scrutinized them warily, their expressions filled with vigilance.

“Our mistress is Princess of Northern Zhao, here to request an audience with the King of Eastern Ling.”

Windchaser stepped forward, presenting their token.

The guards’ expressions softened slightly, though they remained distant. “His Majesty will not see you.”

“The emperor has not attended court for half a month. He refuses to meet anyone.”

“The city is unstable. If the princess does not mind, she may take residence outside the walls for now?” The guard suggested nervously.

“We appreciate your offer, but the princess has urgent matters to attend to. She must enter.”

“Please, open the gates.”

Windchaser and Zhu Mo took position at the front.

It was evident that the palace gates had been reinforced, and the guards had drawn their blades, seemingly on edge.

But their tension stemmed from within the city, not from those outside.

“Forgive the offense, Your Highness, but please enter quickly!” The city guard finally relented, his face grave as he shouted, “Open the gates!”

The soldiers tensed, gripping their weapons as though facing a great threat.

With a heavy creak, the massive gates opened a mere slit.

Sweat beaded on the guards’ foreheads. The moment the doors were half-open, they hurried the convoy inside.

The city was eerily quiet.

Unnaturally so.

In the most prosperous capital of Eastern Ling, not a single soul could be seen. The silence was suffocating. Only at the base of walls did faint smears of fresh blood linger.

The carriages rolled forward, their wheels creaking.

Before long, they arrived at the Eastern Ling palace. The palace was locked down under heavy military guard, nearly surrounded by the Imperial Army.

Windchaser stepped forward to negotiate, presenting the token.

The commander at the gates was none other than General Mo—the same general who had led Eastern Ling’s forces in raids along Northern Zhao’s borders, causing untold strife. He had clashed with Rong Che in battle countless times.

“The renowned Princess Sunshine… I have long heard of your name. What an honor…” General Mo smirked, but his tone was anything but warm.

How could it be?

The man who had constantly crushed him in battle was Rong Che.

Now, with Rong Che gone, another formidable adversary had emerged—Lu Zheng Yue, an even greater tactician and warrior.

And Lu Zheng Yue was Lu Chao Chao’s elder brother.

“You may turn back now. His Majesty sees no one,” General Mo said indifferently, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking smile.

Lu Chao Chao lifted the carriage curtain and leapt down.

“That is not for you to decide.”

“Announce my arrival.”

General Mo’s expression darkened instantly.

“Even if you wish to meet him, you would first have to gain the approval of Eastern Ling’s court!”

“This is not Northern Zhao! This is not the Southern Kingdom! His Majesty is too busy with state affairs to spare you even a moment!” A sneer flickered in his eyes—did she truly believe the Eastern Ling King would come to receive her?

Lu Chao Chao pulled out a jade pendant.

It was a gift from Xuan Ji Chuan when she had ascended the throne in the Southern Kingdom. He had told her then, “Please, Chao Chao, come to Eastern Ling. I will host you properly.”

At the time, she had too many jade ornaments to care, so she had stored it away in her spatial ring.

The moment General Mo saw the pendant, his face changed drastically. “How do you have this?!”

This was a token passed down by Eastern Ling’s royal lineage, a symbol of the king’s authority, carrying the weight of an imperial decree.

He studied Lu Chao Chao carefully before lowering his voice. “Please, Your Highness, enter the palace.”

Lu Chao Chao stood motionless at the gate.

“You refused me entrance earlier. Now… I no longer wish to enter.”

“Unless the emperor comes to receive me himself.”

General Mo nearly burst into laughter. “Hahaha… Princess Sunshine, even though you are set to take the throne of the Southern Kingdom after your coming-of-age, this is Eastern Ling!”

“Eastern Ling!”

“Our king will not come to greet you!” He roared with laughter, as though he had just heard the world’s most ridiculous joke.

Since ascending the throne, the Eastern Ling King had ruled with an iron fist, exterminating all opposition overnight and bringing the nation to heel.

In Eastern Ling, his name alone could silence wailing infants.

Now, however, he had succumbed to madness. His presence instilled nothing but terror.

When the court gathered before him, it was as though they faced a god of slaughter.

“If you anger our king, neither the Southern Kingdom nor Northern Zhao will be able to save you.” Xuan Ji Chuan was a madman—a true madman.

General Mo shot her a cold look.

Good. Very good.

If he could not defeat Rong Che and Lu Zheng Yue on the battlefield, then wounding them through their beloved sister would be just as satisfying.

It was said that Rong Che and Lu Zheng Yue cherished their younger sister above all else.

General Mo chuckled as he turned to enter the palace.

The Eastern Ling King was even more brutal than before.

Arriving outside the Infinite Palace, General Mo’s smile faded into a grim expression. He lowered his head, all traces of arrogance gone.

The court officials knelt trembling outside the great hall.

Their gazes were filled with silent misery, yet none dared to reveal their despair.

All eyes were locked on the hall’s interior.

“Has His Majesty regained his senses today?” General Mo whispered.

After the drought came locust swarms, but those were still manageable.

But then…

One night, the citizens of the capital lost their minds. Some had eaten the locusts, others had done nothing at all, yet when morning came…

They had turned into monsters.

Their eyes gleamed red, their bodies stiffened, their voices lost. They existed only to attack others.

And those they attacked… also transformed. Fear spread through the city like wildfire.

But worst of all—

The Eastern Ling King himself had fallen to the same affliction.

Only, through sheer force of will, he had not lost his mind completely.

Yet he had grown wrathful, paranoid, and bloodthirsty.

Serving in Eastern Ling’s court had become a perilous duty indeed.