World-Ending Demon Emperor

Chapter 2123 - 1009: Kill Zhi Yan? The Wrath of the Emperor! (Part 2)

The second possibility is Zhi Yan refusing to admit her mistake even unto death, fighting for her dignity like Meng Tuoluo did, even resorting to scathing insults against Lanling. In the end, she would be torn apart alive by him, which would be a satisfying and liberating outcome.

The third possibility is that Zhi Yan indeed erred in the past, but lurking in her mind was the Hell Knight’s fourth.

These three outcomes are all quite decent.

However, the reality is... there is no resolution at all.

Zhi Yan remains exactly the same as she was ten years ago; everyone else has changed, including Lanling, but not she, not Zhi Yan.

Why did she want to kill Suo Lun?

Is it ungratefulness? Yes!

But his answer is, her coming to kill is the best choice.

Indeed, if it was known back then that Suo Lun had to die once, and that he would surely be resurrected, then having Zhi Yan personally kill him was the best choice, as it would provide Lanling the greatest motivation for revenge, allowing him to completely transform into a demon.

Even if Zhi Yan did not kill him, someone else would. Moreover, in such a case, Zhi Yan might not survive either, not to mention gaining the favor of the Dragon Temple and rising high, although she seems not to have been after such rise.

Yet this answer left Lanling very dissatisfied, even extremely angry. If Zhi Yan was as greedy, selfish, and shameless as Fu Lingxi, killing Suo Lun for the sake of climbing up, then Lanling might feel slightly better.

Because Zhi Yan choosing to personally kill Suo Lun proved one thesis: she has always thought with cold rationality rather than emotion, proving that Suo Lun might be as light as a feather in her heart, and even if not that light, held little value.

This is what infuriated Lanling the most, offending his imperial dignity.

Am I, Suo Lun, completely worthless in your eyes?

Therefore, today’s reunion with Zhi Yan left him extremely disappointed and very angry.

"It is said that men who hit women are impotent men." Lanling slowly remarked.

Lanling stepped forward and gripped Zhi Yan’s neck.

Zhi Yan was unable to breathe, her face turning bright red in an instant.

"Pa..." Lanling slapped her violently, directly sending Zhi Yan’s delicate body flying.

He did not use energy or divine power, purely using his physical strength to hit her.

And Zhi Yan did not use energy to defend, directly taking it with her flesh.

Thus, after falling to the ground, half of her face swelled, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Today you had many ways to respond to me, but you chose the worst one." Lanling angrily said, "It is said that men who hit women are beasts, impotent, shameless... but I couldn’t hold back."

Then, Demon Emperor Lanling transformed into an ordinary human man, dragged Zhi Yan by her hair outside, and in front of countless people, punched and kicked her.

In no time, Zhi Yan was beaten till her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were tattered.

Yet, while being beaten, she silently endured, not fighting back, nor glaring at him provocatively, not even a hint of provocation, and even shed tears.

"Tearing up?" Lanling pinched her neck and coldly shouted, "What do you mean? What do those tears mean?"

Zhi Yan wiped her tears and said, "I know you have some things you want to say, but you find it hard to ask due to your dignity. For example, back then I shouldn’t have chosen rationality, but emotion; I shouldn’t have wanted to kill you, but followed you to fight against the Dragon Temple, even if it meant flying into the flames like moths. I should have sacrificed for you instead of coldly and rationally making advantageous choices."

Zhi Yan suddenly spoke the words Lanling most wanted to say.

"Yes, so why didn’t you do that?" Lanling slowly asked.

"Because I couldn’t!" Zhi Yan said.

"Why couldn’t you?" Lanling slowly said, "Speak, and maybe you won’t die!"

"I can’t say..." Zhi Yan replied.

"You’re courting death..." Lanling coldly said.

Zhi Yan sat there motionless, waiting for Lanling to act. She wasn’t raising her head to meet Lanling’s gaze, but still lowered it. Lowering her head wasn’t an admission of guilt, but not a provocation either.

"You’re courting death..." Lanling enunciated word by word.

Zhi Yan lifted her head to look at Lanling and, rarely, gave a radiant smile; although her face was swollen from the beating by Lanling, this smile was still as warm as spring flowers.

"You’re courting death..." Lanling said for the last time.

"I know there’s a secret behind you. I know you might have other reasons for killing me, but I don’t care. Only by killing you can I move past this." Lanling said, "Get ready to depart..."

Then, Lanling seized her slender, graceful jade neck.

He used the simplest of methods to kill Zhi Yan, directly strangling her.

Zhi Yan had a King-level Bloodline, but under Lanling’s large hand, she could only gradually suffocate, gradually approach death.

Before she even died, she closed her beautiful eyes, quietly welcoming death.

Though she did not wish to die now, for she still had some things unfinished. But it didn’t matter; if dying was demanded, then so be it.

And just at that moment, a beautiful figure suddenly rushed in, kneeling behind Lanling.

"Husband, I beg you to spare her..."

It was Di Nie, who had come a long way to plead for Zhi Yan.

"No..." Lanling decisively said.

Di Nie said, "Husband, the matter of Zhi Yan isn’t that simple. Why did she want to kill you back then? It wasn’t to protect the Rage Wave Kingdom, because her Zhi Royal Dynasty was already effectively dead in name. It wasn’t for rising high, otherwise, she wouldn’t have stayed today but would have fled back to the Sky Holy Palace. And certainly not because she cherished her life because she isn’t afraid of dying at all, at least now she shows no fear of death, so I think there are reasons behind her actions."