Chapter 590
The Only Sovereign, The Only Sun
Chapter 590 The Only Sovereign, The Only Sun
Sunlight streamed in through the tall stained-glass windows on both sides, casting brilliant dappled patterns of light on the wide steps.
Inside the golden hall, the atmosphere was serene and sacred.
Fang Cheng did not immediately make a promise.
He turned around and sat back down on the large golden throne.
My back was pressed against the cold chair back, and my arms were casually draped over the armrests.
Looking down at the kneeling red-haired man, he asked in a calm tone:
"Tell me about your background and your personal grudges. What exactly happened?"
Shanks remained kneeling on one knee.
He lowered his head, his hands clenched into fists, and his broad chest heaved several times.
When he spoke again, his voice became extremely low and suppressed:
“I was born into an ancient family in Eastern Europe with a history of over a thousand years. It was a huge castle built deep in a black pine forest, with green vines climbing the walls and large red roses planted in the garden.”
Shanks' gaze became slightly unfocused, as if his eyes were piercing through the sacred hall before him, lost in distant memories.
“Back then, the castle was always filled with laughter. Although my grandfather was strict, he would always bring me some toys whenever he came back from outside. My parents were gentle and managed the family affairs very well.”
He paused, a bitter smile curving his lips:
“I also have an older brother who is nine years older than me. He is a genius and my idol.”
"On summer afternoons, he would often practice swordsmanship in the courtyard shirtless, sweat dripping down his muscles, and I still remember the sound of the blade cutting through the air clearly."
"And my sister, Emily..."
The moment he uttered the name, Shanks' voice trembled uncontrollably.
"She was only seven years old then, and she loved wearing that white dress with lace trim, chasing butterflies in the rose garden. When she got tired, she would run into my arms, giggling nonstop..."
Shanks closed his eyes, his eye muscles twitching violently.
“I used to think those days would last forever. Until fifteen years ago, when that man knocked on the castle gates…”
The air in the hall seemed to grow colder as his tone shifted.
"The man was wearing a long gray overcoat, with most of his face hidden in the shadow of the hood. He stayed in Grandpa's study all night that night."
"No one knows what they talked about. But after the man left the next morning, Grandpa was completely changed."
"He locked the door to his study and kept himself inside all day. Through the door, I could often hear him roaring like a wild beast."
"Later, my brother went on a trip with that man, saying he planned to travel the world and broaden his horizons."
"But a month later, when he returned to the castle, he was like a completely different person, a stranger to everyone else."
Shanks suddenly opened his eyes, his blue pupils bloodshot, revealing a deep-seated hatred:
“His eyes became extremely cold. He no longer looked at us like we were family, but as if we were meat on a chopping board. He started arguing with his parents frequently, and his temper became increasingly volatile.”
"He no longer diligently practiced swordsmanship every day, but instead preferred to hang his hunting dogs on trees, cutting off their flesh piece by piece, and laughing as he listened to their screams."
"Later on, he would even drive out in the middle of the night to hunt down homeless people in nearby cities..."
“My sister was terrified. Every night she would hide in my room, clutching my clothes tightly, trembling all over.”
Shanks gripped the ground with both hands, his fingernails scraping against the marble with a harsh, screeching sound.
She cried and asked me, "Why did my brother look at me like that? Did he want to eat me?"
All I could do was hold her in my arms, stroke her hair, and lie to her over and over again: 'Don't be afraid, your second brother is here, everything will be alright...'
At this point, Shanks' voice abruptly stopped.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, as if he were swallowing a razor blade, and his face became extremely distorted.
After a long pause, his face turned sorrowful, and with a bitter smile, he continued:
"But nothing got better."
"A few months later, the man in the gray trench coat reappeared, bringing with him the fate of destroying the entire family!"
A tear spilled from the corner of Shanks' eye, running down his face and silently dripping onto the marble.
"That day, I happened to be registering at a university in a neighboring country, and I narrowly escaped disaster."
"When I received the news and rushed back to the castle like a madman... a torrential rain was washing over the courtyard, and the puddles on the ground were all a glaring dark red."
Shanks' chest heaved violently, accompanied by heavy breathing, and intermittent sobs tore from deep within his throat:
"Grandpa, Father, Mother... all the more than one hundred people in the castle are dead..."
"Their bodies were carelessly dumped in the corridors and stairwells, and the air was filled with the nauseating smell of blood and the acrid stench of burning."
"I waded through ankle-deep blood, searching room by room. Finally, on the wall of the main hall, I saw Emily..."
Shanks' head slammed against the stone slab with a dull thud.
He lay sprawled on the ground, his body curled up like a shrimp, roaring hoarsely:
"She was pinned to the wall by a sword! Her beautiful white dress was already soaked black with blood!"
"I knelt in the blood, holding her cold body, and cried until my voice was hoarse!"
"From that day on, I swore a solemn oath to God that even if I were to fall into hell, I would find the murderer and tear him to pieces!"
Fang Cheng leaned back on the throne, listening quietly as Shanks reopened this bloody wound.
His face was hidden in the shadows against the backlight, and his expression remained relatively calm.
In this chaotic and dark world of supernatural beings, power and desire are intertwined and entangled.
Who doesn't carry a few secrets and blood debts that can't be brought to light?
Aren't I the same?
Fang Cheng's gaze darkened slightly. He placed his hands on the armrests and asked indifferently:
Who is the murderer?
Shanks slowly straightened up from the ground and looked up.
His features were taut with extreme hatred, his eyes fierce like those of a wild beast driven to the brink of despair.
"It must be that man in the gray trench coat! And my beastly brother!"
"I don't know the man's real name, but I do know that he founded a mysterious organization that specializes in recruiting top-tier superhumans from all over the world."
"When I was dealing with the family's funeral arrangements, I searched the entire castle but couldn't find my brother's body."
"However, I found a diary that was half burned in his desk in his room."
Shanks' face was streaked with tears, and his voice trembled slightly:
"The name of that organization was recorded in that diary."
"What organization?"
Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and then he asked.
"Reason, Ideal, Home!"
Shanks gritted his teeth and squeezed out three words, one by one.
Upon hearing the name, Fang Cheng's fingers tightened suddenly on the armrest, leaving shallow marks on the pure gold surface.
Then he slowly raised his eyelids, a sharper look appearing in his eyes:
What else was recorded in the diary?
Seeing that Fang Cheng seemed interested in the organization, Shanks immediately frowned and carefully searched his memories:
"It was, after all, an incomplete diary, with many fragmented entries. Amidst these fragments, my brother would often repeat one sentence with fervor: they must destroy the corrupt order and create a beautiful new world." "He also wrote: 'The ants of the old era are unworthy to be among the dragons; only by cleansing the earth with blood can we usher in a true utopia…'"
Shanks tried hard to recall the details, then added:
"Besides these ravings, the diary also mentioned several place names. There was the frozen wasteland of Siberia, the Amazon rainforest of South America, and the Xia Kingdom, the Eastern Capital..."
At this point, Shanks' tone turned serious as he looked at Fang Cheng:
"The diary mentions that the Dongdu area seems to be one of their main bases, and that it hides something that they desperately desire. Members of that organization often operate secretly here."
Shanks took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, and continued:
"For the past fifteen years, I have wandered the world in search of revenge, crawling around in the underground black market, and chasing their trail like a wild dog."
"Until six months ago, I accidentally heard some news. It seems that Utopia is in secret contact with the high-ranking military officials of Xia Kingdom, and the two sides are cooperating to advance a dangerous experimental project."
"The Bloodthorn Mercenary Group has long acted as the black glove for the Xia Kingdom's military, handling all sorts of dirty work for them."
Shanks clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking.
"So, I changed my appearance and voluntarily joined the Bloodthorn Mercenary Group to work for them."
"I want to use this connection to get closer to the top military officials, and eventually uncover the truth about Utopia, find that man, and my brother who might still be alive!"
Shanks' voice suddenly stopped at this point.
He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know how to continue speaking.
The atmosphere in the empty hall suddenly became somewhat subtle.
Reality is often full of dramatic irony.
Shanks had been biding his time for a year, and was about to touch upon core secrets.
But on the night of a week ago, on the rooftop of the Silver Wing Building, they bumped into Fang Cheng, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Fang Cheng led the members of the Illuminati and wiped out the entire Bloodthorn Mercenary Group with overwhelming force, killing them all.
The connection that Shanks had painstakingly established was also brutally severed by Fang Cheng's fist.
Shanks remained silent for a moment, his face showing no sign of complaint.
She simply lowered her eyes again, gazing at the marble floor beneath her feet.
Seemingly, after venting his emotions, he had calmed down and slowly said:
"President, the more I investigate over the past fifteen years, the more I feel the terror of the ideal world."
"That organization is like a colossal creature lurking in the deep sea, with influence spanning the globe. And that man is as powerful as a legendary demon god."
Then, Shanks raised his head again, meeting Fang Cheng's calm gaze, and said firmly:
"If you feel that provoking such a terrifying enemy for the sake of a subordinate as new to the organization as I will bring about its annihilation, I will not force you to avenge me."
He straightened his back and pressed his right hand firmly against his left chest again:
"I will never retract the oath Shanks just swore. I remain loyal to you and will be your most faithful servant!"
Fang Cheng sat high on the throne, his gaze calm and serene as he looked at the red-haired man kneeling below the steps.
Just as the other person was experiencing emotional turmoil, he spoke in a deep voice, his authoritative tone echoing throughout the hall:
"I don't care who you were before or what enemies you have."
"Once you join the Illuminati, you will be one of my people. Your enemy is also my enemy."
"Whether it's a monster lurking in the darkness, a powerful figure in reality, or that organization called Utopia, no one can take your life without my permission."
"Even if the sky falls, I, as the leader, will be the one to hold it up!"
These few short and powerful words struck Shanks' heart like a heavy hammer.
That domineering and protective aura instantly brought a red glow to the eyes of this fugitive who had spent years living on the edge of a knife and wandering from place to place.
"Chairman... Shanks... I'm willing to die for you!"
He was so excited that he trembled all over, his voice choked with emotion, and he could barely speak.
After catching his breath, he raised his head high, looked directly at the figure on the steps, and resolutely made his vow again:
"From this day forward, you will be my only lord, my only sun!"
"The sword in my hand will cut through all obstacles for you. Wherever your sword points, even if there is an abyss ahead, I will fight for you until my last drop of blood is shed!"
The vows resonated between the stone pillars, lingering for a long time, as if becoming an eternal mark engraved deep within the hall.
Fang Cheng nodded slightly, accepting this weighty "contract of fate" with equanimity.
Seeing this, Shanks' tense body finally relaxed completely.
He took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions.
Suddenly, as if remembering the only pledge he could offer, he quickly added:
"Chairman, I can now tell you the password to the Masked Man's secret account at a Swiss bank..."
"You don't need to tell me."
Fang Cheng raised his hand and waved it casually, interrupting him:
"When the professor comes to examine your injuries tomorrow, just tell him that he will be in charge of handling the money."
Shanks paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically:
"Yes, I understand."
Fang Cheng watched as the edges of his illusory consciousness flickered slightly.
This is clearly a sign of someone recovering from a serious injury and being mentally unstable.
"Your physical injuries have not yet healed, and your consciousness should not be separated from your body for too long."
Fang Cheng waved his hand, his sleeve stirring a gentle breeze, lifting Shanks, who was kneeling at the bottom of the steps, to his feet.
"Go back and rest early, get your injury healed, there will be plenty of opportunities to help you later."
"As ordered."
Shanks bowed respectfully with a solemn expression.
The next second, his figure transformed into countless golden specks of light, which quickly dissipated amidst the dazzling light and shadow, exiting this inner world.
The main hall returned to its spaciousness and silence.
Fang Cheng sat upright on the golden throne.
He looked up, his gaze fixed on the deep starry sky above the dome.
The star that was originally hovering on the edge and extremely dim had now deviated from its original trajectory.
It traversed the sea of stars and came to a steady rest in the central area of the dome.
It was very close to the golden sun that represented Fang Cheng, and it was shining with an exceptionally bright light.
"It really worked..."
Fang Cheng's lips curled up, and he muttered to himself.
(End of this chapter)