World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 390 - 209: Suo Lun kin! Marriage alliance, suicide?_2

Chapter 390: 209: Suo Lun kin! Marriage alliance, suicide?_2

Moreover, shortly after she was born, her mother died.

Lord Luan Yang, Tuli Ming, was a man deeply in love; after his wife’s death, he never remarried. Despite having other legitimate children who were handsome, he still insisted on appointing Tuli Yang as his heir and did not disdain him for his grotesque appearance, but rather pitied him greatly.

He was very strict with everyone except for Tuli Yang.

Luan Yang City, being a peninsula and earning a substantial income from maritime trade, adopted an aloof and distant attitude toward the Rage Wave Kingdom.

However, due to the special circumstances of his son Tuli Yang, he was compelled to make certain strategic changes.

Turing Duo, in an attempt to escape her marriage arrangement, incited Tuli Yang to duel with Suo Lun, resulting in serious injuries, which greatly infuriated Tuli Ming.

A moment later, a spiritual healer entered and said, "My respects to both great lords."

Duke Turing Tuo immediately stood and asked, "How is Princely Heir Tuli Yang?"

The spiritual healer replied, "His spirit and brain have suffered tremendous trauma, but his life is not in danger."

Tuli Ming asked, "Does that affect his intelligence in the future?"

The spiritual healer answered, "It has no impact on his intelligence, but from now on he must not overuse his brain, and he will experience intermittent epileptic attacks. Moreover, it will be very difficult for his spiritual power to advance any further."

Upon hearing this, Tuli Ming’s facial muscles twitched for a moment before he let out a slight sigh of relief.

He didn’t care about the inability to enhance spiritual power; as a feudal lord, martial prowess didn’t matter.

But intermittent epilepsy was a very painful torment.

Duke Turing, looking at his kneeling daughter, said word by word, without a hint of emotion, "Turing Duo, you now have two choices. The first choice is to voluntarily marry Tuli Yang as his wife."

Instantly, Turing Duo’s face trembled slightly.

"The second choice is to choose the freedom you speak of, leave the Turing Clan, even if you immediately seek Suo Lun’s embrace and oppose me."

Duke Turing said coldly, "You only have these two choices, and you must answer immediately."

Turing Duo was bewildered, then her mind began to fantasize.

Fantasizing that once she left the family, she would be free.

However, she felt not the slightest joy of freedom; the thought of being cast out of the family left her feeling like a displaced wraith with nowhere to belong.

Her thoughts and being had been imprisoned by her family, by her father, for so long that she couldn’t escape.

In a nutshell, if the family was her tomb, then outside the family she would have no place to rest in death.

As for embracing Suo Lun to oppose her family, she had never even considered it.

"I... I choose the first, to marry Tuli Yang," Turing Duo said as if the words weighed a thousand pounds.

After speaking, her body went limp as if all strength had been drained from her.

Duke Turing Tuo said firmly, "Once you choose to marry Tuli Yang, you must be loyal to him and cherish him. You should know how Luan Yang City deals with unfaithful women, and how the Turing Clan deals with them, don’t you?"

The punishment in Luan Yang City was much simpler: the unfaithful woman would be put into a sack with rocks and sunk to the bottom of the sea.

But the Turing Clan, originally an ethnic minority, dealt with unfaithful women in a much bloodier manner.

Turing Duo, at the age of eight, had witnessed such a scene; her uncle’s concubine had had an affair with a handsome nobleman.

As a result, after being stripped of her clothes, she was paraded around Duke Turing’s Mansion for three days, then forced to walk over glowing coals and burned alive.

At that time, all the women in the family were compelled to witness this scene, which nearly became her second nightmare.

She remembered clearly that, at the time, her two older sisters collapsed in fright upon seeing their uncle’s concubine burned to death.

The original custom of the Turing Clan’s ethnic minority allowed women to be unrestrained before marriage, but after marriage, they were required to be loyal to their husbands.

Thus, Turing Si was involved in many scandals with noblemen before her marriage; whether the symbol of her purity was restored by a magician after marrying Gui Xingfu remained unknown.

However, after marrying Gui Xingfu, she never even touched another man.

Later, in order to integrate into the Rage Wave Kingdom, stricter family rules were established: even before marriage, women of the Turing Clan had to be modest and chaste.

Hence, the family rules in this respect were especially severe.

Duke Turing Tuo said gravely, "I don’t care what happened before, but once you marry Tuli Yang, if you dare be unfaithful, I will not let Count Tuli Ming drown you, but will personally bring you back home and implement the Turing Clan’s family law."

Instantly, the cries of her uncle’s concubine as she burned to death echoed again in Turing Duo’s mind, causing her body to shake uncontrollably.

"Yes, father," Turing Duo bowed in submission.

Duke Turing Tuo looked towards Count Tuli Ming and said, "Your Excellency, can we enter into an alliance through marriage now?"

Count Tuli Ming extended his hand, and he clasped hands with Duke Turing Tuo—the two families were officially allied through marriage.

"With that settled, let us continue the quadripartite meeting at the top floor of the castle; we shouldn’t keep His Highness waiting any longer," said Duke Turing.

Count Tuli Ming stood up and said, "Let’s go."

Then, the two of them proceeded to the top floor of Duke Turing’s castle for the Annihilate Sauron Secret Meeting.

...

Princess Zhi Yan and Suo Lun had just returned to the princess’s mansion. Xiao Gao, the chief eunuch (Gao Yu), was already waiting inside the mansion.

"Count Suo Lun, His Majesty wants to see you. Please accompany me to the palace," said Gao Yu.

Princess Zhi Yan directly asked, "Did father mention what it’s about? If it’s about that matter, I’ll speak for myself."

Gao Yu said, "It’s regarding the secret of your father’s death."

Instantly, Suo Lun’s heart skipped a beat. He had previously considered that Count Suo Long’s death might not be as simple as it seemed, and now, was it finally going to be revealed?

He turned to Gao Yu, "I’ll accompany Xiao Gao Weng to the palace to see His Majesty right now."

Then, Suo Lun got into a sedan chair and followed Gao Yu into the palace.

Princess Zhi Yan entered the princess’s mansion where Zhi Ting was still eating and drinking.

"How did it go?" asked Duke Zhi Ting.

"I liked him very much," Princess Zhi Yan responded.

Duke Zhi Ting asked, "Why?"

Zhi Yan replied, "He’s extremely ruthless yet extremely kind-hearted, and on top of being clever, he’s also handsome."

Duke Zhi Ting was astonished!

The princess standing before him, akin to a fairy, had such criteria for a suitor?

Afterward, Zhi Yan strode outward again.

Duke Zhi Ting asked, "Do you have another errand?"

Zhi Yan replied, "Just now, Suo Lun asked me to find out about Zhi Ning’s whereabouts."

Zhi Ting said, "Zhi Ning has been imprisoned by Zhi Li; she must be held accountable for the failure in Tianshui City’s great battle. However, no one knows exactly where she is imprisoned. Why would Suo Lun ask you to inquire about her? Surely Zhi Li wouldn’t kill her own sister."

Zhi Yan’s expression became odd as she said, "Suo Lun mentioned that Zhi Ning’s menstrual cycle is irregular, and he’s worried she might be pregnant."

Zhi Ting was speechless, then asked, "So, he asked you to help find out Zhi Ning’s location, and what if she really is pregnant?"

Zhi Yan said, "Then Zhi Li will definitely terminate the pregnancy. She has asked me to find a way to rescue Zhi Ning."

Zhi Ting asked, "You agreed?"

Zhi Yan nodded.

Zhi Ting asked, "Aren’t you angry?"

Zhi Yan shook her head, "Why should I be angry?"

Zhi Ting, lost for words, said, "You two really are a pair of oddities."

Just at that moment, a flying bird dived from the sky and alighted in Zhi Yan’s palm.

Princess Zhi Yan unraveled the secret letter tied to its leg, unfolded it, and read the simple message: "Zhi Ning has committed suicide in the Hidden Garden."

Duke Zhi Ting, lacking any sense of privacy, leaned in to look and saw the line of text.

Then, hesitating for half a minute, Duke Zhi Ting said gravely, "Xiao Yan, listen to me, act as if you know nothing and let Zhi Ning die."

"No," Zhi Yan said. Then her ethereal body flashed, and she vanished instantly, headed in the direction of the Hidden Garden.

Her martial arts skills were on another level; not even a shadow could be seen.

Looking at the now empty street, Zhi Ting sighed, "Truly a pair... of oddities!"

...

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