Chapter 119 Not Opposing Each Other

Bao'er stopped feigning compliance with him: "Afraid? What do you think I should be afraid of right now, Grand Preceptor? Is it this Crimson Lotus Gu?" She raised her wrist, the red lotus looking eerily beautiful in the sunlight, "Or are you afraid of you and that system that has finally reconnected?"

Fang Xu's pupils contracted sharply. How could she have known so quickly? Could Li Bao'er's system be more powerful than hers?

Before he could speak, Li Bao'er pressed on, her tone certain: "This Crimson Lotus Gu, you planted it for him with the help of the system's return, didn't you?"

Fang Xu remained silent, neither admitting nor denying, but his eyes said it all.

Looking at him like this, Li Bao'er continued, "Moreover, I already know what your mission in this world is."

Fang Xu's body swayed almost imperceptibly, his breath seemingly catching in his throat for a moment. The system mission was his biggest trump card! How could Li Bao'er possibly know?!

"Your mission is to assist the true chosen one to ascend the throne. And the system's initial target for you was the Third Prince, Mu Yuan, wasn't it?"

"So while you appeared detached from worldly affairs in the capital, you were actually observing things from the shadows and may even have been influencing the situation in some way. Your selection of Li Yan as the woman of destiny was also to boost Mu Yuan's fortune."

"It's a pity," Li Bao'er said with a hint of mockery, "Li Yan is useless and can't help you hold off the Crown Prince, so that's why you appeared in the Western Regions! You're not here to help Ling Jin, you're here to remove obstacles! Kill two birds with one stone, use Mu Cenlin to get rid of the Western Regions and the Crown Prince, right?!"

Fang Xu froze on the spot. He looked at Li Bao'er and, for the first time, felt an almost terrifying insight and sense of oppression emanating from this seemingly delicate woman.

“You are very smart, but you still can’t change anything,” Fang Xu said slowly after a long pause.

He looked at the endless yellow sand and said with a hint of mockery, "We were all given this second chance at rebirth because of our strong obsessions that were intolerable to the world, weren't we?" He paused, then suddenly threw out a seemingly unrelated question, his voice ethereal: "Li Bao'er, do you still want to go back? Back to the world that belongs to us."

He didn't wait for Li Bao'er's reply, but walked to the stone pavilion in the center of the garden and sat down. He no longer concealed his feelings, and when his gaze fell on Li Bao'er again, it was filled with weary honesty.

"Ten years..." he murmured, as if speaking to Li Bao'er, or perhaps to himself, "I struggled to survive in this world, scheming and plotting, and finally managed to climb to the position of Imperial Preceptor, gaining the ability to stir up trouble... I thought I could control everything."

His fingertips unconsciously traced the fine lines on the stone table: "When the system lost contact, I was like a headless fly. It finally came back, but only gave me three months. If I can't help Mu Yuan ascend the throne within three months, I will be eliminated, and in the real world, the person who is waiting for me to return will also die."

He raised his head, his eyes filled with naked despair: "I have no choice! Li Bao'er! I have to go back! She can't die!"

"To go back, to survive, I am no longer the Fang Xu I used to be. Over the years, countless innocent people have died, directly or indirectly, because of my schemes. I am already deeply sinful, rotten to the core. I can be erased, but Yu'er must live."

His gaze met Li Bao'er's. "Actually, if it weren't for these damned tasks and positions, we should have become confidants. In this strange world, only you and I understand where we come from and understand that sense of alienation from our surroundings. We should have been the only kindred spirits."

Fang Xu gently closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only a cold resolve remained in them: "Unfortunately, fate is cruel. We stand at opposite ends of the spectrum."

As souls from another world, Li Bao'er felt a touch of indescribable melancholy for his unwavering devotion to protecting his beloved.

Understanding doesn't mean compromise, much less that she would allow anyone to hurt Mu Cenlin!

"Fang Xu, I understand your predicament. But your path to survival cannot be paved over my husband's corpse."

"You say destiny lies with Mu Yuan?" She raised her chin slightly, with an undeniable confidence. "But what I see is Mu Cenlin's absolute authority in the army, the heartfelt love and respect of the border people for him, and him shouldering the responsibility for the country in times of crisis!"

"Little Zero!" Li Bao'er cried out in her mind, "Did you hear that? What on earth is going on? Why are there two conquerors in one world, and why are their mission objectives opposing each other? Who is the chosen one to ascend the throne?! Don't you have any reliable information at all?!"

[Bao'er, don't answer yet, this is too unusual! Now that Fang Xu's system is back, I'll go contact it.]

001 returned shortly after.

[According to the initial instructions received, the key to preventing the world's collapse lies in preventing the target from turning evil. And in this world, the one with the strongest current fortune, the highest risk of turning evil, and the deepest entanglement with the dynasty's fate is undoubtedly Mu Cenlin!]

However, Fang Xu's system claims its mission is to assist the chosen one in ascending the throne, and it has locked onto Mu Yuan as its target... Wait, the succession to the throne is not clearly indicated, although Mu Cenlin's chances are far greater than Mu Yuan's! But destiny is elusive and not fixed.

001 pondered for a moment and said, "What if your two missions don't conflict at all, and the Great Demon King doesn't want to be emperor at all?"

These words startled Li Bao'er, who looked up. Yes! Because Mu Cenlin was deeply loved by the people and held great power in his right hand, everyone thought he wanted to take over the Mandate of Heaven, but she had never heard Mu Cenlin say that he wanted to ascend the throne.

"Fang Xu! We may have both fallen into a cognitive trap!"

Fang Xu frowned, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Li Bao'er quickly said, "Your mission is to assist the 'Chosen One' in ascending the throne, and my mission is to prevent Mu Cenlin from turning evil in order to save the world. But what if—what if Mu Cenlin doesn't want to be emperor at all?!"

"What?" Fang Xu was stunned, and subconsciously retorted, "That's impossible! He commands a large army, enjoys the support of the soldiers and civilians on the border, and is currently enjoying the emperor's favor. He has all the conditions to ascend the throne! How could he possibly give it up? This is just an excuse you made up to get rid of me and make me give up on dealing with him!"

In his eyes, and in the eyes of most people, that position held supreme power and was the ultimate goal that countless people dreamed of. How could Mu Cenlin be an exception?

"Think about it. If he truly coveted the throne, he would have had countless opportunities to expand his power, build alliances, and even take action when the emperor was seriously ill back in the capital! But he didn't! His foundation and focus were more on the military and the land he protected! That cold throne might not be what he truly desired!"

Fang Xu was deeply shaken by her words, his face showing struggle and confusion. Rationally, he thought Li Bao'er's words were utterly absurd, but deep down, he felt that it wasn't entirely impossible.

What if... what if Mu Cenlin's ambitions truly lie elsewhere?

Those two are not enemies!