They did not have as deep feelings for Jiang Zhige as the three girls of Nangong Rou. The crime of almost killing Jiang Zhige in the Zhengyang Temple was enough to implicate all ten clans and subject them to death by slow slicing.
Especially Zhou Qi, who was spared from death thanks to Jiang Zhige's mercy.
Now that he had come to Bailulin to ask Jiang Zhige to come out of seclusion, his behavior was no longer simply shameless.
However, the Heaven Realm was about to perish, and everyone was really desperate, so they dared to risk being killed in anger and came to Bailulin to ask to see Jiang Zhige.
Jiang Zhige had an expressionless face and it was unclear what he was thinking. He looked at the many familiar faces in the Zhengyang Temple one by one, tapping the stone table with his fingers without saying a word.
At this moment, Bailulin was extremely silent.
Zhou Qi and his group were sweating profusely and could even hear each other's heartbeats.
The tapping of fingers on the stone table symbolized that Jiang Zhige was thinking, and every tap was like beating a drum in everyone's heart.
The bet is that Jiang Zhige still cares about the people, and the heaven still has a chance to breathe.
If the bet went wrong, I'm afraid none of the dozen or so people present would survive.
After a long while, Jiang Zhige suddenly said, "Do you think that I, Jiang Zhige, am a weak puppet who can be bullied and will only sacrifice myself for others?"
There was no real pressure, just a chilling sentence that instantly made everyone present feel as if they were falling into the abyss and their souls were gone.
Sure enough, Jiang Zhige was still not happy to see them.
Jiang Zhige had a gloomy look on his face. Previously, he was not thinking about whether he should come out to save the world, but was thinking about whether to kill these people.
They all look righteous, but how many of them really care about the common people? They are afraid of death, they are afraid that their people will be killed by monsters, instead of worrying about the billions of lives in the heavens.
A group of people came to Bailulin together, not to risk their lives to ask Jiang Zhige for help, but to hold up the banner of "righteousness" and try to force Jiang Zhige to come out and save the world.
"Emperor, please calm down. We have no other thoughts but for the common people."
When they arrived here, everyone had already made plans to die. However, when they really faced Jiang Zhige, even though they had not yet felt the threat of death, they still couldn't help but feel their hearts breaking.
Not to mention them, even Zhou Qi, an old subordinate of Xuan Cang, was at a loss and didn't dare to say a word of advice.
Just as the atmosphere was frozen, Ning Qiushui suddenly said in a cold voice: "If you don't talk about the common people, how can you ask to see the emperor?"
Zhou Qi and his group's expressions froze when they heard this. Their attention was all on Jiang Zhige, and they only now realized that Ning Qiu Shui was also there.
It wasn't Nangong Rou, Mo Ziyan, or Su Qingqiu, but Ning Qiushui? Zhou Qi was the first to react, and hurriedly kowtowed again, saying, "Forgive my stupidity, I kowtow to the Empress!"
"Knock to the Emperor and Empress!"
"Knock to the Emperor and Empress!"
Jiang Zhige's face stiffened slightly. His relationship with Ning Qiu Shui was indeed unusual, but their identities had not yet been officially confirmed.
Just as Jiang Zhige was about to explain, he was interrupted by Ning Qiu Shui's look.
Jiang Zhige felt helpless when he saw this, but he still chose to agree.
Ning Qiu Shui coughed twice and continued with a straight face: "You should understand that after the incident at Zhengyang Temple, the people who are least qualified to persuade the Emperor to come out of seclusion are you."
"Your Majesty, we know that we deserve death, but we really, really can't bear to see the people suffer."
Zhou Qi felt emotional in his heart. No one would have thought that Ning Qiu Shui would be the one to accompany Jiang Zhige in the end.
Given Su Qingqiu's personality, she would never allow any other woman to be crowned queen, and she would not even tolerate Jiang Zhige having an affair with an ordinary woman. Ning Qiu Shui was at best the emperor's concubine.
However, neither Ning Qiushui nor Jiang Zhige objected to the title of "Empress". Was Ning Qiushui's method powerful? She not only stayed with Jiang Zhige, but also successfully squeezed out other women and truly monopolized Jiang Zhige.
In fact, Ning Qiu Shui had no ability and would not force Su Qingqiu and the other girls away. It was purely Jiang Zhige's own fault.
"You deserve to die? I think you are just afraid of death, and you are using the excuse of the common people to beg for the emperor's protection."
Ning Qiu Shui had a stern face, and although his words were cold, people did not feel the coldness.
Zhou Qi also realized that Ning Qiu Shui wanted to help them in this way.
Everyone secretly glanced at Jiang Zhige, and after confirming that Jiang Zhige did not refute, some people raised their heads one after another.
"Empress, we are sinners. We know that even death cannot atone for our sins."
"I am going to die today, and I only ask the Emperor to come out and save the world!"
Except for a few people, most of them did not hesitate at all. They gathered spiritual power in their palms and were ready to destroy their souls.
They did not ask for atonement, but only for the ability to move Jiang Zhige.
Jiang Zhige's face was cold and he had no intention of stopping it.
However, just when the soul was about to be destroyed, Jiang Zhige suddenly released a powerful force, instantly rendering everyone unable to move.
Jiang Zhige flicked his finger and extinguished the spiritual light in everyone's hands, and said calmly: "A mere death cannot atone for your sins, so what qualifications do you have to ask me to come out of seclusion?"
Although this collective death did not move him, he still saw some sincerity in it.
Many people are seeking shelter under the guise of being righteous, but some people, such as Zhou Qi, are truly concerned about the common people.
Ning Qiushui was not surprised at all, and pretended to sigh: "Azhi, their lives are not worth mentioning, but their sincerity..."
Today, her action was not only to help Zhou Qi and his group, but she also wanted to persuade Jiang Zhige.
Compared to the unrivaled and majestic Emperor Xuan Cang, Ning Qiu Shui still prefers Jiang Zhige, who has a pure heart.
Jiang Zhige shook his head and did not answer.
He had no obligation to save the common people, and this was even more so after the incident at the Zhengyang Temple. He was showing mercy by not getting angry and killing everyone. He really didn't want to sacrifice himself for the so-called common people again.
Ning Qiushui remained calm on the surface, looked at Zhou Qi and his group and said seriously: "The emperor has made up his mind. If you dare to disturb the emperor again in the future, you will bear the consequences yourself."
"Thank you, my Lord, for not killing me."
While Zhou Qi and his group were grateful to Ning Qiu Shui, they felt more sad in their hearts.
If even Ning Qiu Shui's help can't persuade Jiang Zhige, who else can make Jiang Zhige change his mind?
After everyone left, Ning Qiushui turned to look at Jiang Zhige and sighed helplessly: "Ah Zhi, now you are the only hope of the entire heaven, and even the heavens and myriad worlds. Do you really want to sit back and watch billions of lives suffer?"
If it were someone else, there would be nothing wrong with choosing to keep to oneself, but Jiang Zhige is different.
He is the master of a world, known by the world as the supreme being with unparalleled benevolence and righteousness, and he shoulders the prayers and hopes of billions of lives.
It’s not about whether he can save the people or not, but that only he can save the people.
"Qiu Shui, I can save the people, but who can save me?"
Jiang Zhige sighed with regret. He struggled to get rid of the shackles of love, so how could he be willing to be bound by the common people again?