Chapter 2187: Victim Conference

“Old friends?” Zu An was startled.

“Of course, not friends in our sense, but someone in this world with whom you have a profound karmic connection. You’ll know soon enough.” The Great Emperor of Fengdu smiled, offering no detailed explanation. Instead, he devoted himself to savoring the wine in his cup, a look of intoxication on his face. “What a nostalgic taste…”

As he spoke, his form gradually faded away. For some reason, despite having known him for only a short time, Zu An felt an immense sadness rising in his heart, as if a dear friend were departing.

With the Great Emperor of Fengdu completely gone, the surrounding space suddenly twisted. Zu An found himself on a vast arena, though it looked more like a huge parade ground. In the distance, he could vaguely make out the majestic Yin Mountain and the surging currents of the River of Oblivion.

“It must be a valley near Yin Mountain,” Zu An realized, a flicker of understanding in his mind, as if countless eyes from across the Underworld were watching this scene.

On the arena, there were three other departed souls. Seeing them, Zu An's expression became strange; he finally understood why the Great Emperor of Fengdu had called them his "old friends."

One was the Skin-Peeling Ghost King, another was the Old Demon Emperor, and the last one was none other than the Dragon King!

Upon seeing Zu An, the Skin-Peeling Ghost King was also filled with doubt and surprise. Wasn't the Underworld a place only for the deceased? Could it be that Zu An had committed suicide to become a spirit and pursue him here?

That would be an extreme measure.

“I didn’t expect anyone else to pass the recent trial and arrive here,” the Old Demon Emperor was saying when he suddenly caught sight of Zu An. His teeth clenched instantly. “It’s you!”

Rage from the Old Demon Emperor +999999999…

Zu An was also quite shocked, never expecting to see them here.

He hadn't imagined that even after death, they would appear in the Underworld, become kings of certain territories, and even pass through layers of trials to reach this place.

Truly, they lived as heroes among men, and died as valiant spirits.

Wait, if they were all here, where was the other person?

Zu An looked around but didn't see that person, nor did he see the Old Libationer or others. He wondered if they weren't in the Underworld, but had ascended to heaven instead.

The Old Libationer might be one thing, but how could Zhao Hao, with all his sins, be worthy of such a fate?

The Dragon King, who had been glaring intently at the Skin-Peeling Ghost King, turned his gaze towards Zu An upon hearing the commotion. He was startled when he saw him. “Regent, you’re dead too?”

“Uh, in a sense, yes,” Zu An said, an awkward expression on his face. He had never imagined encountering the Dragon King’s departed soul here. He knew that for these past days, he had been living in the Dragon Palace in the Dragon King's stead, spending every day with Shang Hongyu. Although he was helping the Dragon Palace fight demons, he couldn't help but feel he had wronged the Dragon King in some way.

At this, the Dragon King sighed. “Even you are dead. It seems there’s no one left in our world to stop those demons now.”

The Skin-Peeling Ghost King then laughed. “You’re still worried about his safety? This fellow has been enjoying your wife every day in the Dragon Palace, having a grand time.”

Zu An: “…”

Dragon King: “???”

He looked at Zu An suspiciously. Of course, Zu An wouldn't go along with the Skin-Peeling Ghost King's provocations in this situation. “Dragon King, don’t listen to his provocations. Everything I did was to deal with those outer-world demons and these hellish fiends.”

The Old Demon Emperor, standing by, looked thoughtful. He had originally intended to settle accounts with Zu An, but upon hearing such gossip, he naturally chose to enjoy the drama first.

Although the Dragon King was nominally subordinate to the Demon Race and his subject, both knew that was merely a formality. The Dragon King, whether in personal cultivation or the strength of the Sea Tribe, was no less than the Human Emperor or the Demon Emperor.

He had also seen the Sea Tribe Queen once back then. That mermaid was indeed a rare beauty, captivating even him.

Of course, wary of the Dragon King’s power, he hadn’t dared to harbor any illicit thoughts. But to think this young Zu An had managed to enjoy such a fine specimen?

At this point, the Skin-Peeling Ghost King stoked the flames again. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, that sounds noble. So, feeding the Mermaid Queen 'Carefree Powder' every day in the Crystal Palace and frolicking with her day and night—is that also resisting demons?”

Although the Dragon King knew the other party was provoking him, the fellow’s description was so vivid. His gaze towards Zu An instantly flared with anger. “Regent, is what he said true?”

Dragons were inherently lustful; it was always he who cuckolded his subordinates or others. Who would have thought that one day it would be his turn to be cuckolded?

Rage from Dragon King Ao Zhan +110110110…

He still maintained some semblance of reason. That Skin-Peeling Ghost King was a malicious scoundrel; what he said might not necessarily be true.

Hmm, it must all be false!

Zu An hadn’t yet answered when the Skin-Peeling Ghost King said mockingly, “If it’s true or not, just make him swear before Yin Mountain and the River of Oblivion in the Underworld. No one dares to lie in front of these sacred mountains and waters. Oh, and I remember one time he even humiliated the Mermaid Queen right in front of me, in your study. At that time, the Mermaid Queen was kneeling under the table helping him… Heh heh, I probably don’t need to elaborate on what she was doing, do I?”

Dragon King: “!!!”

After hearing all this and seeing Zu An’s hesitant expression, with no immediate rebuttal, the Dragon King truly exploded.

To think that for all these years, he had treated Shang Hongyu with mutual respect, out of deference for the Mermaid Tribe’s influence, and because the Queen was dignified and proper, he himself couldn't bear to touch her carelessly. Yet, she had been "ridden" by another man?

This was outrageous.

Rage from Dragon King Ao Zhan +999999999…

“This is utterly preposterous!” the Dragon King roared, lunging directly at Zu An, his attacks all aimed at Zu An’s vital points.

Helpless, Zu An dodged while responding, “Dragon King, you absolutely must not fall for his provocations. I…”

Before he could explain, the Dragon King interrupted him directly. “Of course, I know he’s provoking me, but you just need to tell me if what he said is true or not! Do you dare to swear by Yin Mountain and the River of Oblivion?”

Zu An: “…”

This place was special; he really couldn’t lie here.

He could only explain, “Those actions were for good reasons. At that time, you were replaced by the Lord of Myriad Transformations among the demons. To combat the demons and fiends, I had no choice but to stealthily attack and kill the Lord of Myriad Transformations and impersonate the Dragon King. Shang Hongyu was aware of this entire matter from beginning to end. She willingly cooperated with me to deceive the demons, both to avenge you and to save the entire world.”

Zu An’s movements were exceptionally agile, and his speaking speed was rapid, allowing him to quickly give a rough account of the entire affair.

However, after explaining, he didn’t feel much confidence, because the story sounded a bit… awkward.

As expected, the Dragon King’s composure completely shattered at this point. So, it was all true!

He then completely transformed his body into a colossal dragon hundreds of meters long, lunging furiously at Zu An.

Even with Zu An’s current cultivation, facing the Dragon King’s full-power assault put some pressure on him. The crucial point was that there were two other individuals watching him with predatory eyes.

He hastily said, “Don’t you have many women? You should understand that everything I did was to protect this world, and in a sense, I also avenged you. It’s fine if you don’t thank me, but why repay kindness with enmity?”

The Dragon King gnashed his teeth. “If you had 'played' with my other concubines in the palace, I wouldn’t have said a word; I would indeed have thanked you for avenging me. But Hongyu is different!”

“How is she different?” Zu An retorted irritably, wondering if this guy couldn’t distinguish priorities, no wonder he was easily harmed and replaced by demons.

The Dragon King was momentarily speechless. He couldn’t quite articulate the source of his anger, so he could only stubbornly say, “Anyway, Hongyu is different from other women, and you actually subjected her to such humiliation!”

He recalled the heart-fluttering sensation when he first saw her years ago. At that time, the previous queen was still alive, and the woman in question was his sister-in-law.

Perhaps that unique forbidden relationship had left a deep impression on him, but later, he was truly captivated by Shang Hongyu’s inherent charm. While he normally indulged in flings, he held Shang Hongyu in extreme reverence, neither daring nor wishing to use any messy tactics on her.

And now, his "white moonlight" had been so wantonly abused by this fellow? Not at all cherished like he would have!

Thinking of this, he grew even angrier.

Rage from Dragon King Ao Zhan +666666666…