World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 497 - 260: Enter Rouran!

Chapter 497: 260: Enter Rouran!

Sorcerer Yaomeng spent a full five hours dressing up, finally completing two pieces.

The first creation was Suo Lun turned into a middle-aged scholar with delicate features, a beautiful beard, and an air of loftiness with a hint of effeminate grace.

The second creation involved selecting a young samurai from the Tianshui City Territory with a physique similar to Suo Lun’s and then disguising him to look like Suo Lun.

The former was almost flawless.

This impersonated middle-aged scholar of Suo Lun had no obvious faults, whether it be in demeanor or even the finer details of the body, all of which matched a man in his late thirties.

As for Yaomeng’s latter work, it could only be said to be passable.

This stand-in for Suo Lun looked passable from a distance but revealed many flaws up close.

But Yaomeng said, that was already the limit.

Disguise is not omnipotent; it’s easy to make a beautiful person ugly, but for an ordinary face to become beautiful is much harder.

And a beautiful face often cannot bear to even gain or lose a fraction of its charm, especially when it comes to altering the bone structure at its foundation.

Since Suo Lun’s face was too beautiful, even though the stand-in was quite handsome, a mere disguise could not achieve perfection.

At best, the stand-in was only eighty percent similar to Suo Lun. However, that had to be enough; from a distance, he should be able to pass undetected.

The scholar that Suo Lun was impersonating was real, ensuring one hundred percent authenticity.

His name was Yan Zi Yu, a famous Confucian scholar from the Rouran territory, skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, military strategy, and the martial arts.

However, as a person, he was lofty and aloof, preferring to live a solitary life in a mountain hut.

Ashi Liren had sent people to invite him numerous times to be a teacher for his son, but Yan Zi Yu never agreed.

A few months earlier, when Suo Lun was planning the conquest of Rou Ran City, the loyal royal intelligence organization searched extensively for the right candidate, eventually settling on Yan Zi Yu.

The real Yan Zi Yu, while returning home from a visit, was captured by the Gao Faction intelligence organization and permanently imprisoned, never to appear again.

"Does it really look very similar?" Suo Lun asked Zhi Yan.

Zhi Yan nodded, "Making oneself look uglier is easy indeed, it’s nearly flawless, especially this beard, sufficient to cover any imperfections. And since he has always been reclusive, not many people have seen him. His few close friends, we have... captured them."

Suo Lun was shocked. Elder Gao’s methods were indeed formidable.

Zhi Yan continued, "So even if the behavior and mannerisms aren’t quite right, it doesn’t matter much. Because there are very few people left who could recognize the differences."

...

In the evening, Suo Lun knelt before Elder Gao Yu’s grave.

"Great Uncle, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to help Zhi Yan ascend to the throne."

"Your blood will not have been shed in vain; I will not only seek allegiance from Rou Ran City but also avenge you and tear Ashi Luo into ten thousand pieces."

Then, Suo Lun kowtowed three times.

Approaching Zhi Yan, Suo Lun said, "Next, I leave the entirety of Tianshui City in your hands. Trade salt, sell magic mirrors, forge weapons and armor on a grand scale, and recruit troops liberally,"

"Understood," replied Zhi Yan.

Approaching Nai’er, he gently embraced her delicate body, kissed her lightly on the lips, and said, "If you’re hurt even once when I return, I’m holding you accountable, okay?"

Nai’er nodded vigorously, "I will take care of myself and protect sister as well."

Turning to Suo Ningbing, Suo Lun said, "Sister, I will fulfill the promise I made to you."

Ning Bing’s cheeks flushed red, she held back her tears and said nothing.

Approaching Yanchuo’er (Queen), Suo Lun declared, "Aunt, Chaos Stone Island, Magic Mirror Island, Black Oil Island, I leave them all to you."

"Understood," Yanchuo’er replied, moving forward to gently embrace Suo Lun.

Standing before Princess Yan Xue’er, he lightly tapped her nose with his finger and said, "Listen to your sister, okay?"

"I know..." Princess Yan Xue’er said, "You haven’t told me stories or slept with me recently, and I’m starting to dislike you."

Suddenly, Suo Lun’s face turned red.

Children speak their minds; children speak their minds. What she meant by ’sleeping with her’ was merely telling her stories beside her, coaxing her to sleep.

Finally, standing before Sorcerer Yaomeng, Suo Lun said solemnly, "I, will rescue your daughter."

"Yes, Master," Yaomeng knelt on both knees.

As for Ye Jingyu and Ye Jingfeng, they had matters to attend to and thus were unable to bid farewell to Suo Lun.

Then, under the reluctant gazes of everyone, Suo Lun rode away from Tianshui City.

Once again, he had to leave; once again, he was off on a journey.

...

Seven days later!

The famous scholar Yan Zi Yu, whom Suo Lun was impersonating, entered the territory of Rou Ran City.

The domain of Rou Ran City was four to five times the size of Tianshui City, as big as a whole province, spanning thousands of miles.

Because it was closer to the Central Plains Western Region, there were many foreigners, and the actual people from Central Earth seemed fewer in number.

The Yan Zi Yu he was impersonating lived a hermit’s life in Tianbo Valley, where human dwellings were scarce within tens of miles.

He lived a truly rustic life, quietly enjoying the southern mountains as he would pluck chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence.

Suo Lun rode his lean horse, entering the valley, and by a small lake, he saw two simple straw huts.

Now, this straw hut was his home. It was indeed humble, almost uninhabitable.

Who would have thought that Yan Zi Yu lived in such a straw hut?

Moreover, he had not even a single attendant student, the entire hut housed him alone.

Even, there was a vegetable garden in front of the hut, and he had to rely on growing his own vegetables to eat.

When Zhuge Liang had lived in seclusion, at least he had an attendant student, but this Yan Zi Yu was indeed on his own.

Upon entering the straw hut, the interior was even more stark; the only abundance was a variety of books and a Qin instrument.

After he entered, he worked hard to clean up the place.

For the next few days, he would live here, waiting for Ashi Liren’s invitation to make his presence here seem natural and real. He hoped that Ashi Liren would extend an invitation soon, so that he wouldn’t have to dwell too long in this hut; he was not one to enjoy destitution.

...

Inside Rou Ran City!

An exotic female Samurai with a striking figure knelt before Ashi Liren, saying, "My lady, Mr. Yan Zi Yu has not returned from his visit, I waited at his hut for several days, but he never came back, so I came back to report first."

Ashi Liren said, "Go again."

The female Samurai said, "But he has refused you many times, unwilling to teach the young master. We’ve offered money, books, all sorts of gifts, but they were all returned."

Ashi Liren said with a cold gaze, "Then bind him and bring him here."

The female Samurai was taken aback, "But, he is a renowned scholar, would that not be...improper?"

Ashi Liren’s eyes turned colder as she said, "I do not want to repeat myself."

The female Samurai bowed, "Yes, I will go and bind him."

Then, the female Samurai turned and left, really grabbing a rope and mounting a fast horse, she headed towards the valley where Yan Zi Yu lived in seclusion once more.

...

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