National Guardian's Gone and We're Done-Chapter 57: Exposed: Members of the Time Girl Group Made a Deal with the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave
Chu He could smell the stench of Evil Spirits hanging heavy in the air,
The Xuanyuan Sword in his hand emitted a low, urgent hum, as if it couldn’t wait to obliterate the approaching Dark Power.
He raised the sword high, its tip aimed directly at the Evil Spirit Ship drawing near on the distant horizon.
As the Black Pearl drew closer to the coast, the Evil Spirits aboard grew restless.
They swayed on the deck, in the cabins, and even on the tattered sails, straining to break free and surge toward the shore.
The chilling aura emanating from the Black Pearl grew ever thicker, like a frigid current from the abyss, corroding everything around it.
However, when this chilling aura reached Chu He,
it was blocked by an invisible barrier and couldn’t get close.
Chu He understood the danger of the Evil Spirit Ship. If it reached the coast, the Evil Spirits aboard would swarm out, and the entire situation would become uncontrollable.
After a moment of contemplation, he brandished the Xuanyuan Sword.
With no flashy moves, he unleashed a single horizontal slash.
A ray of golden light shot from the sword’s tip, like a fine golden thread rippling through the air.
The golden thread extended rapidly, flying forward.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, Chu He struck again with the Xuanyuan Sword. This time, he created a vertical ray of golden light that intersected with the first, forming a golden Cross in the air.
The Cross was exceptionally dazzling in the night sky, but it wasn’t the ferocious attack one might expect. Instead, it possessed a certain elegant beauty.
As the golden Cross flew toward the approaching Black Pearl, it passed silently through the ship’s hull, making no sound and causing no signs of the vessel shaking or breaking apart.
Seeing this, viewers in the livestream chat erupted with questions:
"That... that’s it?"
"What kind of attack was that? I’ve never seen Chu He do anything like it."
"Just wait. Chu He must have a plan."
"You all have that much faith in him? Don’t forget, he was driven out of the Great Jing Empire."
"To the person above me, you must not have seen the recent news. You’re behind the times!"
...
On the livestream, layers of scrolling comments cascaded down the screen like snowflakes.
The IP addresses and accounts from all over the world were a sight to behold.
...
「Inside the Royal Palace of the Great Jing Empire.」
Queen Ji Shengyue sat ramrod straight in her lavishly decorated office, her eyes glued to a screen broadcasting the tense standoff between Chu He and the Black Pearl.
Ji Shengyue’s heart pounded with anxiety as she wondered whether Chu He could stop the Evil Spirit Ship, a vessel that had brought nothing but terror and destruction.
Whether as the supreme ruler of the Great Jing Empire or out of personal resentment for how Chu He’s defection had dragged her through the mud,
Ji Shengyue had only one thought.
She desperately wanted to see Chu He fail.
She wanted to see him become a failure, scorned and cursed by the entire world.
She wanted to see the Great Xia Empire fall into chaos because of him—to see it wiped from the face of the earth!
Of course, Ji Shengyue was well aware of the public opinion within the Great Jing Empire.
The sharp criticisms and comparisons stung her like needles.
People had started comparing her to Lu Yinxing, the highly praised leader of the Great Xia Empire.
They said that ever since Ji Shengyue took power, the Great Jing Empire had been on a downward spiral, that the prosperity built during years of peace was slipping through her fingers.
Some even dared to state outright that if Ji Shengyue didn’t step down, the Great Jing Empire would inevitably be destroyed.
These comments only intensified Ji Shengyue’s jealousy and hatred toward Lu Yinxing.
She yearned to prove herself, to surpass the leader who was basking in limitless glory in the Great Xia Empire.
In some ways, without even realizing it, Ji Shengyue was becoming astonishingly similar to Xiao Cangqing.
On the livestream, the golden Cross that Chu He had created passed effortlessly through the massive Black Pearl but failed to cause any real damage.
Ji Shengyue couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the sight.
She felt a strange sense of satisfaction and glee. Her judgment had been validated.
’I was right about him all along. Chu He is nothing but a clout-chaser.’
’That so-called number one expert on Blue Star is just an empty title.’
’Still,’ Ji Shengyue thought, ’Chu He must have already planned his escape route.’
’But that doesn’t matter. Whether Chu He runs away today or not, the Great Xia Empire is doomed.’
The thought filled Ji Shengyue with a strange excitement and satisfaction.
"Your Majesty, I have two urgent matters to report."
Just then, a secretary burst in from outside the office, not even taking the time to knock.
Ji Shengyue was so lost in her fantasy of seeing Chu He utterly disgraced and the Great Xia Empire thrown into chaos that she paid the secretary’s impolite entrance no mind.
Ji Shengyue eagerly awaited the moment...
...the moment when the people of the Great Jing Empire would be forced to change their tune and praise her.
...praise her for being far more capable than that pretty vase from the Great Xia Empire!
"Is it good news or bad news?"
Ji Shengyue tilted her head, her tone light.
"Your Majesty, it’s one piece of good news and one of bad." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
The secretary answered cautiously after a brief hesitation.
"Hmph. Then start with the good news."
Ji Shengyue gave a dismissive wave, her eyes still locked on the livestream.
On it, the standoff between Chu He and the Black Pearl was in full swing.
"The good news is that we’ve apprehended the culprit who spread that audio recording online."
The secretary elaborated, "Our investigation confirmed that the person is an employee from Dalang City.
By coincidence, his company was a place the ’Rotten Man’ frequented, which is how he was able to make several important recordings.
A thorough review has confirmed the recordings were not tampered with or faked in any way."
"How is confirming the recording is real good news?"
Ji Shengyue just frowned. The "good news" brought her little comfort.
She waved a hand, signaling the secretary to continue.
"As for the bad news..."
The secretary’s tone turned grave. "A reporter who was once assigned to the Demon Cave has come forward. He doesn’t just have an audio recording; he has video footage as well.
He is revealing to the entire Great Jing Empire that members of the Time Girl Group made some kind of deal with the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave.
The news has already caused a massive uproar on all major platforms. It’s the number two trending topic, second only to the live broadcast of the Evil Spirit Ship incident."
"What..."
Ji Shengyue shot upright, the look of easy amusement vanishing from her face in an instant.
For her, this news was a bolt from the blue.
"Making a deal with Evil Spirits? That’s absurd!"
Ji Shengyue slammed her fist on the desk, her voice full of disbelief and fury. "How is that possible?
The twelve members of the Time Girl Group—both the deceased and those still active—were all elites I handpicked myself.
Their strength may not compare to Xiao Cangqing’s, but their loyalty and conviction were beyond question.
Such an accusation is utterly preposterous!"
The secretary nodded helplessly. "Your Majesty, I’m afraid it’s true.
The evidence the reporter has has caused a nationwide sensation. The story is now the number two trending topic on all major platforms, second only to the live broadcast of the Evil Spirit Ship incident."
Ji Shengyue took a deep breath, about to speak.
Just then, the scene on the livestream changed dramatically.
The previously calm image of the standoff between the Black Pearl and Chu He...
...was suddenly flooded with a tidal wave of question marks and exclamation points from the viewers.
Ji Shengyue stared at the screen, her eyes wide with disbelief. "That... that’s absolutely impossible!"
