World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 557 - 284: Shameless Suo Lun, entangling with Liren!_3

Chapter 557: 284: Shameless Suo Lun, entangling with Liren!_3

Such despicable rumors, of course, were spread by A Shi Zhuo and other opposing factions.

By now, the news of the dramatic changes in Rouran City had been spread far and wide by countless messengers and numerous flying eagles.

Obviously, this place had already become a battlefield.

A Shi Zhuo would use all his power to overturn, even annihilate, the Ashi Liren.

Right now, he was still acting independently.

But soon, Zhi Li would join the battlefield, attacking from both inside and out with A Shi Zhuo to completely eradicate the Ashi Liren.

Although Liren had already become the interim City Lord, she was absolutely surrounded by crises and in grave danger.

...

Today was already the final deadline set by Ashi Liren, and she had issued an ultimatum to Suo Lun in her capacity as the Rouran City Lord.

Before the sun rose tomorrow, Suo Lun and his people must all leave Rouran City; otherwise, Ashi Liren would completely turn against them, even resorting to killing.

Liren, a woman with clearly defined love and hatred who couldn’t stand a grain of sand in her eyes, would truly do as she said.

Tonight, she had already dispatched thousands of soldiers to surround the Sky Sea Pavilion.

If Suo Lun did not leave by daybreak tomorrow, she would use military force to evict them.

Tonight, Ashi Yuanba was the happiest, yet also the saddest.

He was saddened because his mother and teacher had fallen out and were even driving the teacher and Qin Qin away.

They had to leave before the sun rose tomorrow!

But he was happy because he could finally sleep with his mother tonight.

Ashi Yuanba behaved to an exceedingly obedient degree, lying in Liren’s bedding, alternately unable to suppress his giggles and his sadness.

As for Anan, she had fallen asleep long ago. Still young, she did not understand what was happening, only frequently asking why Qin Qin hadn’t come and begging her mother to bring Qin Qin back. Of course, she would also mention the teacher.

However, her feelings towards Suo Lun were not as profound as Ashi Yuanba’s.

"Yuanba, shall mother tell you about Ashi Luo?" Liren spoke softly.

Ashi Yuanba nodded, knowing that he was his biological father.

Liren thought for a moment and said, "Ashi Luo is the worst person in the world, but also the best."

Suddenly, Ashi Yuanba said, "Mother, why not wait until I grow up to tell me? The teacher said that at a young age, one lacks the ability to discern right from wrong, yet can be prematurely biased."

Ashi Liren was taken aback; Suo Lun had only spent a little over a month with his son, but had already made an indelible impression on his heart.

"He is not your teacher," Ashi Liren said coldly.

Ashi Yuanba stuck out his tongue, deciding to go along with whatever his mother said, since he understood everything in his heart.

Furthermore, he had a little secret he hadn’t disclosed.

Liren had asked him to return the hand cannon to Suo Lun, which he did in front of her. But as he turned around, Suo Lun had Qin Qin secretly give the hand cannon back to Ashi Yuanba.

So now, Ashi Yuanba had secretly stashed away the hand cannon, being careful to play with it without letting his mother find out.

Ashi Liren let out a gentle sigh, tenderly stroking Ashi Yuanba’s little face. The boy was truly smart, understanding everything. It was difficult for ordinary people to influence him, but once someone won him over, it was hard to shake their position in his heart.

Ashi Liren knew that in his heart, this little rascal still regarded Suo Lun as the closest person to him. And this, even she, as his mother, could not change.

"Sleep now, you little rascal..." Liren affectionately called out, and then a bit forcefully patted his little face as a gentle punishment for any disobedience.

Ashi Yuanba immediately closed his eyes with an almost exaggerated effort to fall asleep.

After a while, his breathing became calm and tranquil, and he truly fell asleep.

Ashi Liren looked at her son’s face with affection. With her brother Ashi Luo gone, this child was not only her sole flesh and blood but also the only relative of hers, Ashi Liren, truly her lifeline.

Her Dragon Yin Absolute Vein wouldn’t allow her many more years of life, so in the precious limited time that followed, she would live only for her son.

"Little Ba, for you, mother is willing to do anything, absolutely anything," Liren whispered softly while stroking the sleeping face of Ashi Yuanba, murmuring to herself.

But then, Ashi Yuanba’s sleep talk made Liren feel somewhat embarrassed and incredibly heartbroken.

In his slumber, Ashi Yuanba kept talking in his sleep, pleading sadly.

"Teacher, daddy, don’t go..."

"Daddy, teacher, don’t go..."

"Teacher, daddy, don’t go..."

Without a doubt, the "dad" and the "teacher" Ashi Yuanba mentioned were one and the same person: Suo Lun.

Ashi Yuanba had never felt what it was like to have a dad; that position had always been vacant.

In just under two months of being together, his admiration and worship for Suo Lun, coupled with Suo Lun’s meticulous education and care, led Ashi Yuanba to place Suo Lun in the vacant position of "dad" in his heart.

Hearing Ashi Yuanba’s tearful sleep-talking plea, Ashi Liren’s heart was filled with an indescribable bitterness and sorrow.

If, before this moment, she could reminisce the silhouette of someone, she could have said that Yuanba had a dad, that would have been Yan Ping.

But now, Yan Ping had become an ugly name.

The heart of Ashi Liren was utterly empty.

Now, Suo Lun had become the reliance of the other half of Ashi Yuanba’s heart.

And that role was one that she, Ashi Liren, could not play well no matter how hard she tried.

Should she truly send away Suo Lun? Should she be so heartless and make the child miserable?

Suddenly, Ashi Liren could no longer hold back the pain in her heart; she left the warmth of her bed and went to the window, looking up at the moon outside.

Unexpectedly, Ashi Yuanba, who should have been fast asleep, opened his eyes, rolled them playfully, and cheekily stuck out his tongue.

This child was truly incredible, an absolute little devil.

At such a young age, he knew how to use his sleep-talking to change his mother’s mind and keep Suo Lun around.

It was not even about keeping him around anymore; it was about matchmaking his mother and Suo Lun.

This child could no longer be described as "small but cunning".

...

The next morning, dawn was just breaking, and the sun had not yet risen.

Ashi Liren’s ultimatum was that before the sun rose, Suo Lun and his people had to leave.

At this moment, the female samurai waited respectfully outside.

Ashi Liren got up and asked in a low voice, "Have Suo Lun and his people left?"

The female samurai replied, "Not yet; he has sent someone to plead with you to reconsider your command."

Ashi Liren fell silent.

The female samurai continued, "My lord, there is less than two hours until sunrise. Our troops have them surrounded. Are you, are you certain you want to drive away Count Suo Lun?"

At this point, Ashi Yuanba and Ashinan got up, looking pitifully at Ashi Liren.

"Mom, please don’t let the teacher go, he has been so kind to you and to me," Ashi Yuanba begged pitifully.

Ashinan, on the other hand, clung to Liren’s neck and wailed, "Mom, I won’t let Qin Qin go, I won’t let Qin Qin go."

Ashi Liren’s eyes began to well up; she held back her tears and said to the outside, "Tell Suo Lun that he must leave by daybreak, or else he will bear the consequences. Order the troops surrounding Sky Sea Pavilion to immediately expel Suo Lun if he hasn’t left by the appointed time."

As soon as these words were spoken, the two children burst into tears.

The female samurai was taken aback, and then she acknowledged, "Yes."

She then left the residence to deliver the order to Sky Sea Pavilion.

Even with Ashi Yuanba’s sleep-talking pleas and Ashinan’s crying spells, Ashi Liren’s heart remained resolute and unchanged; she insisted on expelling Suo Lun.

And once Suo Lun left, it would mean that his mission had failed.

Ashi Liren successfully became the master of Rou Ran City, even if only as an interim City Lord.

However, she had never publicly declared her support for Zhen Yan Princess, so she could not act as a weathervane, unable to change the absolutely passive situation between Zhi Yan and Suo Lun.

If this first domino did not fall, the entire game would not collapse.

Now, the last efforts of the two children had also failed, still unable to change Ashi Liren’s coldness and decisiveness.

Half an hour later.

The female samurai reported back, "My lord, Count Suo Lun has begun to pack up and prepare to leave. But... he has requested to say a final farewell to you, to young master Yuanba, and to Miss Anan."

"A final farewell?" Ashi Liren said, "Very well, let’s go and bid him our final farewell."

...

Note: The second update of over 6000 words is presented. Today’s two updates reach a total of 11,000. I humbly ask for your support, and your monthly votes.