Chapter 556: Chapter 326, I Really Wasn’t Meant to Die!_2
He is a Living Saint!
Even if one were to think in this direction, they dare not speak of it aloud.
But now, combining the events that had taken place around Galaraldo, Gu Hang increasingly felt that it was not an issue with the Sun Lord’s distant expedition, nor was there a significant change in the imperial political scene; it was the Sun Lord himself who had encountered trouble.
Suo He Kaim might already be dead.
Undoubtedly, this would trigger a massive political storm throughout the universe.
The Sun Expedition, loathed by many, was very likely to come to an end; the entire empire’s political landscape was set to undergo a major reshuffle…
As for Gu Hang, whilst those political storms would undoubtedly affect him, they belonged to a grand trend that he was not capable of intervening in with his current abilities. All he could consider was finding his own opportunities amidst the turmoil, trying not to become the one who suffered but instead aiming to be one of those who benefitted.
Hey, that’s not right.
If truth be told, Gu Hang was not entirely incapable of causing trouble in the imperial political arena.
Galaraldo was an opening.
And so, Gu Hang fished him out.
He did not directly place him back into reality but kept him within his Storm God Kingdom.
Of course, before that, Galaraldo had already fallen unconscious, having lost awareness.
Gu Hang would not want him to see anything he shouldn’t.
After much deliberation, he had decided to release the other party.
But before doing that, there were some manipulations to be performed.
What did Galaraldo now feel towards Gu Hang?
It was likely that to a very capable Planetary Governor, after being subjected to some of Gu Hang’s usual tricks, he finally saw the light and chose to give in, beginning to raise money; then, during the attack on Mingyan City, he fought alongside Gu Hang, being the only ‘useful’ one among so many people at that time.
In such a situation, if Gu Hang also self-directed and staged a play to rescue him from the Abyss, that ought to reliably earn him the gratitude of this War Apostle.
But Gu Hang did not plan to stop there.
Trust this person’s character?
Only if Gu Hang were foolish.
Spiritual Energy was surging, and the ability to tamper with thoughts began to take effect in the unconscious Galaraldo’s brain.
In the past, Gu Hang would not have dared.
The Divine Power bestowed upon Galaraldo, although it was only granted by the Sun Lord and not directly from The Emperor, was still very strong. Trying to bypass the protection of Divine Power and alter Galaraldo’s thoughts and memories was nearly impossible.
But now, with the Divine Power gone, Galaraldo was no different from an ordinary person, and Gu Hang could do as he wished in the other’s mind.
Of course, as a precaution, Gu Hang still did not make any significant moves.
He did not tamper with the other’s memories, nor did he carry out a major psychological surgery as he did with Nes Luman. He simply implanted a very light thought mark with simple content:
Gu Hang is a good friend who must not be betrayed.
Nothing more.
The reason for such caution was that once Galaraldo was returned to the real world, someone scrutinized by the Tribunal upon returning from a spin in the Abyss, would be subject to strict investigation.
Gu Hang dared to perform major surgery on Nes Luman rather than crude mental reprogramming because he feared scrutiny; since Galaraldo would likely face even stricter examination, Gu Hang was even hesitant to operate extensively.
Although the probability of detection was low, if anything went wrong, it would be a huge issue.
Playing it safe was better.
However, Gu Hang didn’t hold much hope in this matter.
Whether Galaraldo could pass the inspection depended not only on hard facts but also on the strong political background.
With the Sun Expedition undergoing a great change, and even the Sun Lord himself encountering trouble, whether Galaraldo was truly infected by the Abyss, whether there were any signs of corruption on him, whether he was still himself… these factors were only ‘prerequisites,’ ‘basic conditions.’
Whether someone wanted him to die in the Tribunal was a matter of higher importance.
But Gu Hang could not assist him with these issues.
Whether or not he could pass the inspection smoothly, reclaim his identity and status, regain power…
That’s up to you to fight for.
Gu Hang would treat it as an indifferent move in his game.
If it worked, great; if not, so be it.
However, to make this move, Heijian Star would not do.
Luckily, he had to make another trip to Korolya III soon.
The conflict between the Fatches Family and Pei Desi seemed to be drawing to a clearer conclusion.
The Fatches Family had gotten their wish of securing the Korolya III Governorship, with a core family member named Ivan Fatches set to take up the position.
That they were able to get the position of Korolya Governor was not particularly surprising. After all, given the Plague Demon invasion wreaking havoc on Korolya III, only the Fatches Family, with deep ties to the Dragonhawk Third Legion, seemed capable of resolving it.
Without their cooperation and the force of twenty million Star Realm Army troops, no one could change the situation on Korolya III.
And the new leader of the Tianma Star Sector came from the Dragonhawk Star Domain Government-appointed candidate, who also happened to be named Ivan.
Ivan Martinelli, formerly a high-ranking official belonging to the same political faction as Pei Desi within the Star Domain Government.
The circumstances of Pei Desi’s death, though he was scapegoated, still aroused sympathy within the Star Domain Government. He himself originated from a political faction of the Star Domain Government and had been deeply rooted in the Tianma Star Sector as a core member for many years. Pei Desi’s death left people feeling helpless, but it didn’t prevent them from promoting another individual from their own faction to take the position.
Looking at it this way, the two families ended up in a tie.
The chaotic situation was largely brought to an end, but Gu Hang didn’t feel that true peace would settle in.
The confrontation between the two families would only shift from the original melee to a clearly demarcated positional battle.
And he had already received an invitation to first head to Korolya III to attend Ivan Fatches’s inauguration ceremony, followed by a rush to Flying Wing Star to participate in Ivan Martinelli’s inauguration ceremony.
“Two Ivans, quite interesting.”
…
Bochoya Galaraldo slowly opened his eyes.
In the darkness, he could vaguely make out a faint yellow light seeping through some cracks.
After an initial state of confusion, his senses gradually returned.
“Am I not dead?”
His heart filled with a surge of elation.
When the Divine Power began to wane, he had realized that the Sun Lord was dead.
Unlike others, as a confidant of Suo He Kaim and a recipient of the Divine Power’s blessing, he understood the specifics better than anyone.
Such a precipitous decline in Divine Power could only mean one thing—Suo He Kaim’s death.
This had him in a state of extreme panic for some time.
But obviously, trapped in the Abyss, he was helpless against the repercussions and the turmoil brought about by the death of the Sun Lord.
Moreover, with the Sun Lord’s death and the end of the Divine Power’s blessing, he would soon die.
Thus, with his last ounce of determination, he made one final attempt to burn himself out.
He didn’t harbor any hope for it himself.
But to his astonishment, it worked!
Though he had no clue how it happened, having passed out with absolutely no awareness, it didn’t prevent him from being happy.
Not being dead was good!
As long as he wasn’t dead, all hope was still alive.
He took a deep breath, and the scent of decay made him cough twice involuntarily.
His body, unprotected by Divine Power, had become very weak, and the environment was clearly not good.
He was not unfamiliar with this; regions of reality corroded by Plague Sorcery were just like this.
He guessed that after tearing open the rift back to the real world, he must have ended up in an area of Korolya that had been invaded and occupied by the Plague Demon.
His heart sank even more.
Now, if he encountered any Plague Demons, he had virtually no ability to resist!
He tried moving, and although his body was weak, he could still function.
He made a great effort to stand up.
At this moment, he seemed to be in some kind of collapsed enclosed space.
Looking towards the only source of light he could see, which was shining through, he found a metal plate in front of him. It took a lot of effort to push it aside, and the plate made a loud noise as it hit the ground.
The sound attracted something he did not wish to see.
His first instinct was to run, but quickly, dozens of Plague Walkers surrounded him from all directions.
With a weakened body, no Divine Power, and unarmed… Galaraldo was in dire straits.
He couldn’t help but think, having escaped from the hell of the Abyss, was he really going to die at the hands of some low-level Plague Walkers?
Just then, dense gunfire erupted from behind the Plague Walkers.
A beam from a flashlight shone in front of him.
He could vaguely hear someone shouting:
“Governor! It looks like he’s here!”
His heart, which had just sunk to the depths, suddenly rose again!
I’m truly fated not to die!
————
4.3k
Compensating for yesterday’s emission
Another chapter tonight, likely in the later part of the night…