World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 573: Episode 290: Suo Lun’s Decisive Battle with Liren! (Important, Must-See)_3

Chapter 573: Episode 290: Suo Lun’s Decisive Battle with Liren! (Important, Must-See)_3

Suo Lun looked into her enchanting eyes and said, "Ali, you’re afraid of me."

The City Lord scoffed coldly, her jade hand trembling slightly inside her sleeve.

Suo Lun continued, "The last time you sent me away, you were angry at me, but on a deeper level, it was because every time you saw me, it evoked guilt about Ashi Luo, which you couldn’t face. You truly wanted to send me away; you found it painful for me to stay even a second longer."

The City Lord remained silent.

Suo Lun went on, "But as for Ashi Luo’s death, you’re now able to confront it. You also clearly understand that death was the best release for him, and you don’t need to feel any guilt. What is just is to inherit his will and be an enemy to the Dragon Temple for life, to seek justice for him."

The City Lord continued to be silent.

"So, me being before you no longer triggers your guilt and pain towards him," Suo Lun said. "And now, if you’re still sending me away, it’s because you’re afraid of me."

The City Lord raised her hand high, ready to bring it down if Suo Lun were to utter any reprehensible words.

Suo Lun said, "You don’t care about benefits; no benefits can bind you. You appear cold and emotionless, yet you’re extremely sensitive. Once someone touches your heart, you would give everything."

"Shameless..." City Lord Li Ren said coldly.

Suo Lun said, "I won’t leave. Even if you throw me out today, I will sneak back in tonight."

"Shameless." Li Ren said.

Suo Lun said, "After giving you the first slap, I lost all face; what do I need it for anymore?"

City Lord Li Ren coldly ordered, "Someone, prepare a storage room for Suo Lun, no maids allowed to accompany him. His daily necessities, food, and clothing shall be equal to those of the servants."

"Yes," one of the female samurai outside responded.

...

In the following days, as expected, Suo Lun stayed put within the City Lord’s Mansion, continuing to teach Yuanba and Ashinan.

However, he and the City Lord had fallen into an absolute cold war.

City Lord Li Ren played out the scenario of ’the hare being cooked once the hound has caught it,’ without any pretense.

After solving the crisis and securely holding the City Lord’s position, she bluntly threw Suo Lun aside, not even giving him a chance to meet her.

Whether it was the council hall or her room, he was always stopped by two female samurai.

Furthermore, she never appeared during the classroom sessions for Yuanba and Ashinan.

Moreover, his treatment within the City Lord’s Mansion deteriorated rapidly, becoming no better than the lowest servant.

Days passed by, one after another.

Suo Lun gained nothing as long as Rou Ran City didn’t openly support Zhi Yan; his mission remained unaccomplished.

But City Lord Li Ren was determined not to speak.

Suo Lun had said, Li Ren was afraid of him.

Indeed, City Lord Li Ren was afraid of him, afraid that another person would enter her heart and leave her in unbearable pain again.

So, she bluntly denied Suo Lun any opportunity to meet her.

That way, no matter how great Suo Lun’s methods were, he couldn’t employ them.

Time was incredibly precious for Suo Lun.

For the King could die at any moment.

Once the King died, Zhi Li would inherit the throne without any obstruction, and by then, both Tianshui City and the Suo would be utterly destroyed.

With each day that passed, Suo Lun was a day closer to destruction and a day closer to the King’s death.

But he couldn’t leave; he had to stay until Rou Ran City officially pledged allegiance to Zhi Yan.

Half a month passed.

A month went by.

Suo Lun had gained nothing, still not having seen City Lord Li Ren’s face.

However, Rou Ran City had re-entered a state of calm.

Previously, while Ashimo was hidden away in Relic Castle to practice the art of immortality, Rou Ran City ran smoothly in matters of both civil and military governance.

Now with Lord Ashi Liren in charge, things could hardly become worse.

Li Ren only listened to reports, rarely made decisions, and seldom directly intervened.

She did, however, fully heed Suo Lun’s advice to kill without speaking.

After killing A Shi Zhuo, she successively executed three more people: a high-ranking samurai lord, a general, and a civil officer.

All three committed heinous crimes.

After these executions, the entire Rou Ran City was trembling with fear, and the atmosphere became clear.

City Lord Li Ren’s governance seemed to progress smoothly, while Suo Lun lived in extreme anxiety, as if each day lasted a year.

...

An month and a half had passed since City Lord Li Ren took over the mansion.

That day, Suo Lun was eating in his own house.

To make him leave, Lord Ashi Liren offered him even poorer treatment than at Ashi Liren Mansion, giving him only a small room to stay in, no maids at all, and he had to cook for himself.

Taosu had secretly brought him meals many times, but every time she was scolded by Liren.

He was eating egg fried rice because it was the simplest thing to make.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a cold, ghostly fragrance wafted into the room.

Ashi Liren walked in, and for the first time in over a month, Suo Lun saw her.

Of course, it was also the first time for Liren to see Suo Lun, and the moment she saw him, she shuddered involuntarily.

An entire month and a half had passed, and Suo Lun seemed to have aged several years.

His once incomparably handsome face was now covered with unkempt stubble, his eyes filled with weariness, and his clothes appeared dull and grey.

At that moment, he was holding a bowl of egg fried rice and eating.

"Why do you put yourself through this?" Liren said.

The former fiancé of a princess, a ruler of the kingdom, was now living a servant’s life in a storeroom of the Ashi Liren Mansion.

Suo Lun just shrugged his shoulders.

Liren said, "Urgent news from the border: the Night Orchid Duchy’s army of 300,000 is invading. Their Crown Prince is personally leading the charge, bringing the full might of his country against us. Rouran City is in imminent danger."

Suo Lun asked, "Is it a fight we can win?"

Liren shook her head, "If it were ten years ago, we could win. Now, we cannot."

Suo Lun asked, "What are the consequences of not winning?"

Liren replied, "The destruction of Rouran City, at the very least the ceding of three-quarters of our territory, and the reversal of decades of expansion."

"It’s a disaster." Suo Lun said.

"Yes, a total disaster," Liren affirmed.

Suo Lun said, "Now is when Rouran City is at its weakest, Night Orchid Duchy would certainly strike while the iron is hot if they’re not fools."

In fact, Night Orchid Duchy’s reaction was too slow. They should have attacked when the struggle for power between Ashi Liren and A Shi Zhuo was at its peak and the position of City Lord was unsettled.

But even now, it wasn’t too late, for the mighty Lord Ashimo was no more.

The female City Lord Ashi Liren was not well established, and due to the lack of a real war over the past decade and the long-term political neglect by Ashimo, the combat capabilities of Rouran City’s army had also severely diminished.

Truly, Rouran City was now at its weakest.

Suo Lun said, "Zhi Li, won’t he help? Right now, he is the only one capable of sending troops to our rescue, commanding an army of a million."

Ashi Liren said, "He has agreed to send troops for rescue, but he demands that I step down from the position of City Lord and marry him as a concubine."

Suo Lun exclaimed in astonishment, "The monarchs of the Rage Wave Kingdom have practiced monogamy for a very long time."

Ashi Liren said, "But, there’s no explicit stipulation in the kingdom’s law that the King cannot take concubines, right? The rulers of Beiting and the King of Xiliang have several concubines."

Suo Lun asked, "Will you agree to his terms?"

"I will not," replied Ashi Liren.

Suo Lun inquired, "What do you plan to do?"

Ashi Liren asked, "Do you have a way to save Rouran City?"

Suo Lun closed his eyes and said, "Yes, but there is one condition."

Ashi Liren’s beautiful eyes trembled, and she lowered her head.

The last thing she wanted to happen was unfolding before her; she was being forced to compromise and bow her head.

She, who was so proud, ultimately still had to lower herself, being pressed by Suo Lun to pledge loyalty to Zhi Yan.

What she hated and least wanted was to be forced by someone.

So, she would rather risk the destruction of Rouran than agree to Zhi Li’s proposal.

Suo Lun knew that the final showdown between him and Ashi Liren had arrived! This time, regardless of winning or losing, there would be a conclusion.

Either he would completely subjugate Ashi Liren or he would leave Rouran City in disgrace, utterly defeated.

"What is the condition? Speak!" Ashi Liren said.

"You slapped me several times before. I’ve been wanting revenge, but I was frustrated because I couldn’t beat you," Suo Lun said. "If I save Rouran City, you have to let me slap you back."

Ashi Liren’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, unable to trust her own ears. This... this was Suo Lun’s condition?

He had endured so much, suffered so many indignities, and all for the purpose of making her pledge loyalty to Zhi Yan, yet he didn’t impose that condition; instead, he wanted to slap her back.

...

Note: The first update of 5500 words is here; seeking support, thank you, everyone.

A book recommendation: "I Am Female Monk Tang." The writing and the story are quite interesting.

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