Chapter 17 — The Abyssal King Returns

An insider in the ranks of the former gods, a deputy general who owed his life to Chu Bách Thành many years ago but whose weakness Cố Thanh Vũ knew about his son's huge gambling debt, silently sent news of Bách Uyên's return from the first night the group set foot through the spirit gate. That betrayal, although small compared to the overall situation, became a fatal blow that broke the entire carefully prepared plan of the loyal side.

Cố Thanh Vũ, as soon as he received the news, did not waste a moment to take action. Instead of mobilizing the entire army to cause a disturbance, which could expose the plan and create a chance for Bách Uyên to escape, he chose a much more cruel plan: dispatching the most elite commando group led by Hắc Diệu himself, to quietly attack at night, not targeting Bách Uyên or the old gods' forces, but aiming directly at the only target that could completely make the former Venerable Master - Tiểu Yên.

That night, while the whole base was sleeping after a long day of preparations, Hắc Diệu and five of his most elite subordinates quietly slipped through the guard posts, taking advantage of the secret passageways that the insider had revealed, and approached straight to the tent where Tiểu Yên was sleeping with Chung Diệu Nga.

Chung Diệu Nga, despite her age, still woke up before the suspicious noise, but before she could fully react, she was hit by a blow that knocked her unconscious on the spot. Tiểu Yên, awakened by the noise, only had time to see a hand covering her mouth before her whole body was lifted up, not having time to make a cry for help.

The next morning, when Bách Uyên went to the tent to pick up his daughter for breakfast as usual, he only saw Chung Diệu Nga lying unconscious on the ground, and Tiểu Yên had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a piece of black silk embroidered with a red eye - the symbol of Ảnh Vệ - and a letter written in sharp handwriting.

"No..." Bách Uyên knelt down, his hands trembling as he held the letter, the whole world before his eyes seemed to completely collapse. He quickly tore the envelope and read the words written by Cố Thanh Vũ himself.

"Nhiếp Bách Uyên, your daughter is now in my hands. If you want her to live, three days later, at noon, you must come alone in front of Huyền Khương Hall, publicly kneel and surrender before all the courtiers, admitting all charges of neglecting social order and betraying the destiny of heaven. If you dare to bring troops, or if you are late for even a moment, I will personally use the contract embedded in her body to finish her off, right in front of all civil and military officials, and destroy her, making her living proof that your lineage has been punished by heaven."

He read and reread every word, not because he didn't understand, but because his brain, even though it was used to analyzing hundreds of dangerous situations on battlefields in the past, still needed time to fully accept the cruelty behind it. This was not simply a hostage exchange. If he knelt down and surrendered publicly without any opposition, Cố Thanh Vũ would have enough name to declare before the world that the official royal family had voluntarily admitted the crime of neglecting social order, forever extinguishing all hope of the remaining loyal faction, turning seven years of harsh rule into an unshakable legal rule for many generations to come. And if he doesn't arrive on time, his daughter will die right before the eyes of the whole world, taking with her the last hope of a bloodline that can overcome his evil magic. This was no longer just a family matter. That was the final gamble, determining the fate of the entire Underworld, for today and for all future generations.

Chu Bách Thành, Thục Di and Diệp Uyên Thanh rushed over when they heard the news. Everyone turned pale at the content of that cruel letter. Chung Diệu Nga also gradually woke up, her face full of torment and self-blame for not being able to protect Tiểu Yên.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't quick enough to stop them..." she said, her voice choked with self-blame.

"It's not the senior's fault." Thục Di quickly supported her master, her eyes were red because she was worried about Tiểu Yên but still tried to maintain the necessary alertness. "The person who caused this is Cố Thanh Vũ and the traitor, not the master."

Bách Uyên stood up, his face was pale but his eyes shone with a terrifying fierceness that the people around him had never seen before. "He wants me to publicly kneel and surrender, to use it as a springboard to legitimize his power, and at the same time completely extinguish all hope of the loyal faction."

"Your Majesty, do you intend to comply with his request?" Chu Bách Thành asked, his voice full of worry.

"I will arrive on time," Bách Uyên replied, his voice was hard and unshakable. "But I won't simply kneel down and accept humiliation. I need time to think of a way to both save my daughter and reveal his true face before the whole court."

During the remaining three short days, the group devoted all their attention to planning a rescue. Diệp Uyên Thanh proposed to secretly distribute copies of evidence of Cố Thanh Vũ's crimes to neutral ministers right before the fateful court meeting, so that when the decisive moment came, public opinion in the court was ready to lean towards the truth.

Chu Bách Thành secretly mobilized the old gods' forces to disguise themselves as civilians, blending into the crowd around Huyền Khương Hall on the day of the event, ready to act as soon as there was a signal, but still had to be extremely cautious not to alert them ahead of time, putting Tiểu Yên's life in danger.

In that plan, he also hid another piece that he did not dare reveal even to Bách Uyên, fearing that his fragile hope would be shattered if he failed midway: many months ago, through the young palace maid who had been quietly supplying Nhiếp Bách Khương, he secretly bribed the prison warden who had some sympathy for the prince who had been unjustly imprisoned for the past seven years. If the fateful court session turned out to be chaotic as predicted, that would be the only opportunity for that prison warden, while all eyes were on the square, to silently unlock the cell, giving Bách Khương the opportunity he had been waiting for seven years.

Thục Di, in those days, constantly practiced and prepared herself mentally for the most important role she was about to take on - using her own blood to directly confront the dark contract, right at the most dangerous moment, in front of the entire Netherworld court.

"If that time comes, I'm not sure if my bloodline will be strong enough to completely dissolve the contract," she spoke to Bách Uyên the night before the fateful day, her voice revealing a worry that was rarely shown.

"I believe you." Bách Uyên held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with absolute trust. "Whatever the outcome, I know you will do everything you can, and that is enough for me."

In that dark cell, Tiểu Yên huddled in a corner, trying not to cry out loud even though tears kept flowing out of fear. A young palace maid was assigned to guard her. Her eyes flashed a bit of sympathy every time she glanced at the small child whose hands and feet were tied and curled up on the cold stone floor, but she did not dare show it for fear of getting involved.

"Auntie, will my father really come to save me?" Tiểu Yên asked softly, her voice trembling but still trying to maintain the courage her father taught her.

The palace maid was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, not daring to speak out loud. "I heard that the person Lord Regent is most afraid of is your father. If he is truly the Supreme Being from the past, he will certainly not abandon you."

That simple word of comfort made Tiểu Yên somewhat calm down. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the warmth from her father's arms, and Thục Di's gentle voice telling stories every night, to dispel the fear that was surrounding her young mind.

Meanwhile, at the base of the loyal faction, Cố Thanh Vũ also had people spread the news throughout the capital about the upcoming special court session, declaring that an impersonator impersonating the Lord had appeared, plotting to cause chaos, and that he, as Regent, would personally judge in front of all civil and military officials and representatives of the people invited to witness, in order to strengthen the legitimacy of his actions, and at the same time show off his strength to quell any lingering thoughts of resistance.

That news spread quickly throughout the capital, causing people to stir and discuss, some believed and some doubted, but most were covered by fear for the past seven years, making no one dare to openly express their opinion. However, in the hidden corners of small alleys, whispers of hope for the return of a just dynasty still spread silently, like small sparks of fire waiting to burn.

The night before the decisive day, Cố Thanh Vũ stood alone in the back hall, looking at the empty throne under the flickering candlelight. Forty years since the rainy night he knelt before the dragon pedestal, the cold words of the old emperor still echoed in his head as clearly as if it were yesterday: "Your surname is Co, not Nhiếp." He had spent his whole life proving that bloodline was not the only measure of power, and now, the very bloodline child he hates was about to become the most vivid proof of the opposite. If he was allowed to live, let him grow up, his fate will forever remind people that his plans, no matter how profound, were only tools to serve those of nobler blood. That night, he squeezed the token in his palm until it bled, telling himself that even if it cost him everything, he would not let tomorrow night become the night he had to kneel again.

Diệp Uyên Thanh, taking advantage of the remaining old relationships in the low-ranking mandarin world, secretly distributed a few dozen copies of the evidence to the ministers she trusted most, along with a discreet message that the truth was about to be revealed, advising them to maintain their conscience in the upcoming court session instead of bowing their heads following the inertia of fear for so long.

Nhiếp Bách Khương, still imprisoned in the dungeon, also heard the news about the special audience through the words of the prison guard, who had secretly sympathized with him for a long time. His heart pounded, his premonition told him that this was the moment he had been waiting for seven long years, mustering all his remaining strength to mentally prepare for anything that might happen, even though he still did not know clearly what role he would play in the upcoming event.

"If he has indeed returned, I must live to witness the day justice is served." He thought to himself, his eyes steadily looking up at the narrow sky through the gap in the ceiling of the dungeon, where a faint streak of dawn was creeping in, signaling a new day was about to begin, a day that would perhaps determine the fate of an entire world.

He struggled to stand up, leaning his back against the cold cliff, breathing deeply to suppress the little remaining strength in his weakened body. Although he did not know exactly what he would do in captivity, he was still determined to keep his mind as alert as possible, ready to seize any opportunity, no matter how small, to contribute his strength to the upcoming decisive moment.