Chapter 323 - 133: Gu Xiangzhu: My Little Friend Is Actually the Demon Monarch?

Chapter 323: Chapter 133: Gu Xiangzhu: My Little Friend Is Actually the Demon Monarch?

"That’s right!"

Shuimo was blunt. "You’ve never been one for obedience, and right now is when the Saint Monarch is at his most vulnerable. I couldn’t trust you, so you were the only one I didn’t tell."

Gu Xiangzhu sneered. "So, after all this, you all still think I’m inferior to him?"

"Please don’t take offense, Saintess!"

A square-faced old man coughed lightly.

Gu Xiangzhu asked, "Guardian Qi, what are your thoughts?"

Guardian Qi sighed. "Saintess, you grew up by the old Sect Leader’s side, so what you’ve learned is naturally our Holy Sect’s orthodoxy. But we have followed this orthodox path for centuries without success. If you were to take charge, what kind of breakthrough could you achieve?

The Saint Monarch may be radical, but he is unquestionably the strongest our Holy Sect has produced in centuries.

If we don’t take a more extreme path, I fear our Holy Sect may never fulfill its long-held ambition, not even in a thousand or ten thousand years.

You can’t deny that, can you, Saintess?"

Gu Xiangzhu did not argue.

Although she couldn’t stand the Demon Monarch’s smug arrogance and scoffed at his philosophy, she had to acknowledge his strength.

It went without saying.

If Xiang Tiange hadn’t burst onto the scene, the Demon Monarch might very well be the number one powerhouse in the Great Yu today.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so conflicted back then.

She truly needed a top-tier combatant to support her actions.

’If the Demon Monarch had languished for twenty years and abandoned his old, foolish ideas, I wouldn’t have minded fighting alongside him.’

’But the chances of that were slim.’

It wasn’t until she saw Zhao Ci’s potential that she finally resolved to abandon the Demon Monarch and forge her own path.

But now, it seemed Zhao Ci was no longer completely under her control either.

Gu Xiangzhu felt lost. For a moment, she didn’t know what path to take.

’Should I continue to double down on Zhao Ci, or should I just possess his body?’

’Or... should I join these people in welcoming back the Demon Monarch?’

She frowned. "So, you’re saying the Demon Monarch’s reincarnation is in Lingge? And he’s likely involved in the prefecture competition?"

"That’s right!"

"The candidates?"

"Here’s the list!"

Gu Xiangzhu took the list, her eyes immediately finding Zhao Ci’s name.

Her heart sank. "So you used the Paradise Gu on Zhao Ci to determine whether or not he was the Demon Monarch?"

"That’s right!"

A hostile glint flashed in Huangfu Song’s eyes. "But it’s probably not him! I caught glimpses of Zhao Ci’s dreams through the Paradise Gu. They weren’t very clear, but I’m sure there was a woman in them..."

"What woman!"

Gu Xiangzhu’s tone suddenly turned dangerous. If Huangfu Song had seen her and Zhao Ci wrapped up in each other, she would have a genuine urge to kill.

Huangfu Song’s eye twitched. "Does it matter what woman? The point is, the Saint Monarch was reincarnated with his original soul. His most intense desire would surely be his conviction to become stronger. How could he possibly dream about a woman right away?"

Gu Xiangzhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good, as long as he couldn’t clearly see it was me.’

’He did have a point.’

’The Demon Monarch was a complete lunatic obsessed with power. How could he possibly dream of a woman?’

’Not like that little scoundrel Zhao Ci, who dreams of nothing but me.’

’How could someone like that be the Demon Monarch?’

’What about him is anything like the Demon Monarch?’

’Wait, hang on!’

Gu Xiangzhu suddenly sensed something was wrong.

’The Demon Monarch had a legacy from the previous dynasty, which was how he mastered the Celestial Demon Disintegration Technique.’

’And Zhao Ci... he’s literally a person from the previous dynasty!’

’And Zhao Ci also happens to be one of the candidates for the Demon Monarch’s reincarnation.’

’How could there be such a coincidence in the world?’

’This...’

’Let’s assume!’

’I’m just saying, hypothetically!’

’Let’s assume that when the Demon Monarch used Celestial Demon Dissolution, his plan was to start over with a new identity, washing away all the memories from his life as the Demon Monarch.’

’Then he was reincarnated as Zhao Ci, his consciousness dormant at first, only awakening his "Innate Wisdom" at the age of seventeen.’

’Wouldn’t that explain everything?’

’It’s plausible!’

’It’s too plausible!’

Gu Xiangzhu looked at Shuimo. "Shuimo! Are you certain that the only thing the Demon Monarch would crave after reincarnating is power?"

"I... I’m not certain!"

Shuimo gritted her teeth. "I can only say it’s more likely for the Saint Monarch to crave power, but I’m not entirely sure what his original soul is like. I... when I first met the Saint Monarch, he hadn’t yet joined the Holy Sect. He wasn’t the person you all know back then."

Gu Xiangzhu: "!!!"

She didn’t pursue that line of questioning.

Instead, she changed the subject. "If you find the Demon Monarch’s reincarnation, what’s your next move?"

A fierce light flashed in Shuimo’s eyes. "We will welcome him back, of course! The Saint Monarch said that when the time is right, he will fuse with the soul fragment left inside the Divine Cocoon and return to being the Saint Monarch of old!

It contains our Holy Sect’s most powerful Spirit Platform Divine Pattern. That is the key for our Holy Sect to achieve its long-held ambition!

Gu Xiangzhu!

I know you have your grievances with the Saint Monarch, but I urge you to be cautious in this matter.

I have summoned the four Dharma Protectors here today to warn you: the Saint Monarch’s return is inevitable, and it is the only hope for our Holy Sect.

If you still try to stand in the way...

...we won’t hesitate to fight you to the bitter end!"

The four Dharma Protectors nodded in unison.

They clearly agreed with her.

Gu Xiangzhu: "???"

She understood this was no joke.

The four Dharma Protectors couldn’t stand the sight of one another, yet the Demon Sect had not completely fractured.

That was because they were all waiting for the Demon Monarch’s return.

’A moment ago, I dared to threaten Shuimo and Huangfu Song with mutual destruction because I didn’t think the other Dharma Protectors had any reason to side with them.’

’But now... they did!’

’If I stood in their way, it would mean throwing all pretenses to the wind.’

’Most importantly!’

’Before, Zhao Ci was the source of my confidence.’

’But now... Zhao Ci was very likely the Demon Monarch!’

’If Zhao Ci fuses with the Demon Monarch’s memories, will he still be Zhao Ci, or will he become the Demon Monarch?’

’From the look of things, the two of them becoming one person was everyone’s only hope.’

’I couldn’t stop it, and I had no reason to stop it.’

’In other words...’

’...when the fusion happens...’

’...that young boy who loves to cook me mushrooms, who dreams of making me his wife...’

’...he’s going to disappear?’

’And be replaced by that Demon Monarch, who is good for nothing but his power?’

’I...’

Gu Xiangzhu suddenly felt like she was suffocating. It was as if a hand had seized her heart and was trying to rip it from her chest.

"Gu Xiangzhu!"

Shuimo’s voice was sharp and shrill.

Gu Xiangzhu snapped out of her daze. "You were saying..."

Shuimo said through gritted teeth, "The Saint Monarch must return. You must cooperate with us!"

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."