World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 729 - 359: Suo Lun, reunited with Zhi Ning!

Chapter 729: 359: Suo Lun, reunited with Zhi Ning!

At the entrance of the Marquis mansion, Zhi Li ran out barefoot.

"My sister has returned, my Zhi Ning has come back," he shouted excitedly as he ran.

Opening the carriage, Zhi Ning stepped down, holding the baby who was very robust. Despite traveling thousands of miles, the baby had gained a bit more weight and strength.

Zhi Ning had not yet had a chance to see her brother Zhi Li clearly before she was tightly embraced in his arms.

"My sister has returned, and my great-nephew has come back," Zhi Li held Zhi Ning close, greedily inhaling her scent, his expression emotional.

Zhi Ning’s eyes welled up with warmth, and she fought back tears.

She had thought she would never return to the Rage Wave Kingdom, but in the end, she had come back; she was unsure whether it was right or wrong, but at least seeing her brother at that moment was thrilling.

After holding Zhi Ning tightly for a long time, Zhi Li finally let go and looked greedily at her face.

"You’ve gained weight, your skin has improved, there’s color in your cheeks, you’ve become much prettier," Zhi Li said in surprise.

He had thought that Zhi Ning, living alone in Yanjing, would not have had an easy life, especially since she had been frail and deep in thought, so he had expected to see a thin and haggard Zhi Ning. But, to his surprise, she looked healthy and beautiful.

Zhi Ning looked at Zhi Li and felt there must be something wrong with his health; his complexion was flushed, his eyes full of blood, dark circles under his eyes, the whole person in an abnormal state of excitement.

"This must be my great-nephew, right? Come, let your uncle hold you," Zhi Li said.

Then, with eager eyes, he took the baby into his arms and affectionately rubbed his beard against the baby’s tender face.

The little baby wasn’t shy and didn’t cry, just turned his head in annoyance.

Zhi Li’s way of addressing the baby was incorrect; he should have called him his grandnephew, but he was calling him his nephew.

"Where’s your sister-in-law?" Zhi Ning asked.

Zhi Li replied, "She’s unwell, fallen ill."

Zhi Ning’s heart trembled. Fang Qingzhuo, though gentle and refined, was not weak in martial arts and had always been in good health. How could she be ill?

In reality, Fang Qingzhuo was not ill but had been ravaged by Zhi Li until she passed out.

"Let’s go, let’s go inside, go home!" Zhi Li walked into the Marquis mansion holding the baby in one hand and Zhi Ning’s hand in the other.

...

After finally putting the little baby to sleep, Zhi Li and Zhi Ning began their secret conversation.

Zhi Li recounted everything that had happened after she left, sparing no detail, no matter how unpleasant or embarrassing.

Talking for over an hour, Zhi Li’s mouth was parched with thirst, and after finishing his tale, he drank a pot of tea voraciously.

After hearing everything, Zhi Ning could not hide the shock in her heart.

In just about a year, Zhi Li’s situation had deteriorated so terribly!

A year before, Suo Lun had been on the brink of danger, with Zhi Li in absolute advantage.

But now, he had been utterly disgraced by Suo Lun, losing both Zhi Wei and Fang Qingshu.

"The man you chose is formidable, even more so than we had imagined," Zhi Li shook his head, "With every step, he has hit me where it hurts the most. If this continues, Zhi Yan will truly take the throne as queen, and I’ll be left without a resting place in death."

Zhi Ning said, "The situation has deteriorated to this extent largely because you brought it upon yourself. If you had not gone mad and violated Gui Qinshao, none of this would have happened. You would still have been an overwhelmingly powerful figure, and Suo Lun would have had no opportunity to take advantage."

Zhi Li replied, "Isn’t that the truth? But at that time, everyone thought Suo Lun was already dead, and Yuanyuan, that bewitching woman, even sent Suo Lun’s skull to me. With the greatest enemy gone, I inevitably indulged myself. After all, how could a beauty like Gui Qinshao belong to Ling Ao?"

Zhi Ning sneered, "It seems you could not handle her either; otherwise, you would not have fallen into this plight."

Zhi Li’s face twitched, and he sighed, "Isn’t that the truth?"

After all, he was her own brother, and Zhi Ning softened her voice, "Is there really no hope of recovery for your... condition?"

Zhi Li nodded, "At that time, my manhood was almost severed completely, and though it was reattached, it’s completely useless now. At least five great medical cultivators have confirmed it’s hopeless for life!"

Instantly, Zhi Ning’s face turned pale, "Then what should we do? Who else knows about this?"

"Gui Qinshao, Gui Xingfu, Suo Lun," Zhi Li said. "But Suo Lun has never revealed this matter and has only said I was injured by Gui Qinshao; it’s clear he’s waiting for a critical moment to deliver a fatal blow to me."

Zhi Ning was silent for a long time before speaking, "Brother, a Marquis without offspring will have a hard time ascending to the throne."

Zhi Li said, "Who says I don’t have descendants?"

Zhi Ning replied, "You only have two daughters. If women could inherit the throne, it wouldn’t be their turn; Zhi Yan would ascend directly."

"I do have a male heir," Zhi Li asserted.

Zhi Ning was taken aback.

Zhi Li continued, "We are siblings by blood, and your son carries the Zhi family line; so how can he not be my heir!"

Instantly, Zhi Ning’s expression changed dramatically, and she looked at Zhi Li in disbelief.

Zhi Li said, "As for him being Suo Lun’s biological son, all the better. He could serve as a bridge toward reconciliation between me and Suo Lun."

Zhi Ning spoke with a trembling voice, "You mean to reconcile with Suo Lun?"

"Not to reconcile, but to seek peace," Zhi Li clarified. "I want to marry you to Suo Lun. Once I take the throne, I will appoint Suo Lun as a prince consort immediately, giving him control over the domestic and military powers of the kingdom. I’ve been castrated and have no hope for future offspring, so it’s perfect to establish him and your son as the Crown Prince. In this case, he can obtain everything from Zhi Yan at my side as well. There will then be no more conflict between us, only mutual benefit. And everything he does will pave the way for the future throne of his own flesh and blood."