# 1729
Chapter 1729: Mediocrity
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zuo Qing's voice was hoarse.
The moment the words left his lips, he himself froze—for in this void of space, he could actually hear his own voice clearly.
"I want to say... I understand you, and I understand your kind." Chaos spoke leisurely, "The sixth Supreme Commander of Night Watch, Zuo Qing. You've been in office for four years now... Oh wait, it should be just a few more days before your fourth anniversary, right? Compared to the tenure lengths of previous Supreme Commanders, you're still relatively young...
However, you'll never be an outstanding Supreme Commander."
Hearing that last sentence, Zuo Qing's brow furrowed.
"Why?"
"Such an obvious question, and you need me to spell it out?" Chaos's eyes filled with mockery.
"The First Supreme Commander, Nie Jinshan, during the darkest era, personally founded Night Watch, traveling to the Jade Pool to petition the gods for divine weapons for humanity;
"The Second Supreme Commander, Li Kengqiang, risked his life experimenting to create the 'Demon God's Guide,' a symbol of Night Watch's glory and dignity, ultimately dying on the battlefield;
"The Third Supreme Commander, Tang Yusheng, became the strongest in all of Great Xia at just eighteen years old. With a Divine Beast body, he challenged the overseas gods single-handedly, earning Night Watch of Great Xia a magnificent reputation that intimidated all directions;
"The Fourth Supreme Commander, Wang Qing, wove the Night Watch Cloak, which could significantly enhance ordinary people's defensive capabilities and adapt to combat in various extreme environments. Though not as world-shaking as Star Blade or the Demon God's Guide, after her, the death rate of frontline Night Watch personnel dropped by fifty percent, directly elevating grassroots combat power;
"The Fifth Supreme Commander, Ye Fan, although his talent was ordinary, his vision was far-reaching and astute. He planted seeds of hope throughout the human realm, personally promoted the Mask Squad and Nightfall Squad, and sacrificed himself as an offering to bring humanity the strongest sword immortal in history—Zhou Ping..."
Chaos's words gradually trailed off. He gazed at Zuo Qing before him and unhurriedly continued,
"So what about you, Zuo Qing?"
"In terms of courage, you're inferior to Nie Jinshan; in terms of talent, you're inferior to Tang Yusheng; in terms of wisdom, you're inferior to Ye Fan... Your Forbidden Ruins, 'Qingluan,' if I recall correctly, only ranks at 174 in the sequence, right? Among all Supreme Commanders in history, you're at the very bottom.
"Can someone like you really be worthy of being the Supreme Commander of Great Xia Night Watch?
"With your abilities, becoming the director of the Special Operations Department was already your limit. If it weren't for Ye Fan sacrificing himself to save Zhou Ping, leaving Night Watch temporarily without leadership, do you really think someone like you, Zuo Qing, could sit in the Supreme Commander's seat? What makes you qualified?
"All these years, haven't you ever asked yourself this?"
Chaos's voice seemed to contain an inexplicable power, like a demon's whisper, gradually eroding a person's spirit and will.
Zuo Qing lowered his head, falling into silence. The hand gripping the blade hilt trembled slightly.
"You managed to step into the realm of Human Apex with a sequence 174 Forbidden Ruins—this does show your remarkable perseverance... But among humanity, those more deserving of sitting in this position are everywhere." Chaos's voice grew increasingly low, his eyes emanating a strange light,
"Looking at Night Watch's hundred-plus years of history! Which Supreme Commander hasn't achieved illustrious military feats and commanded reverence? And you, Zuo Qing,混在其中... Tsk tsk tsk, you're practically tarnishing the name 'Supreme Commander.'"
Zuo Qing's grip on the blade hilt grew increasingly fierce, blue veins bulging from the back of his hand!
His chest heaved剧烈起伏起来.
"Are you trying to provoke me?!" Zuo Qing growled, his eyes crimson red.
"No no no... Quite the opposite, I want you to face reality." Chaos spread his hands wide, wearing an innocuous expression, "As Supreme Commander, your performance has been too mediocre... But in my eyes, this is precisely what makes you fascinating.
"To make the mediocre rise to become kings! To topple those worshipped as gods from their pedestals! To cause the most evil existence to be revered by the world! To reduce the most sacred faith to stinking filth spat upon by thousands! The former Supreme Commander who protected millions upon millions, reduced to a lackey of evil gods destroying this world! What could be more exhilarating than this?!"
Chaos's pitch-black lips parted, revealing a set of pristine white teeth. He spread his arms wide, speaking excitedly:
"The world won't acknowledge your abilities, but I will. If you become my Believers, I'll grant you power beyond that of gods... Don't you want to vent the resentment and resentment in your heart? To personally overthrow the glorious legacies of those so-called previous Commanders, to trample their bones beneath your feet?!"
Chaos's voice was intensely seductive, as if it could stir the deepest desires of the heart, manipulating thoughts with emotions.
Zuo Qing's breathing gradually steadied. The hand gripping the blade hilt slowly relaxed...
Clang—
The most ordinary Night Watch standard-issue Straight Blade that had accompanied him for over a decade gently fell into the earth at his feet.
Zuo Qing turned his head, glancing at the gray, hazy planet suspended in the depths of space, then收回目光, walking barefoot toward Chaos. His eyes were full of complexity.
Chaos stood right there, watching him approach quietly, the smile at the corner of his lips growing increasingly brilliant.
"A tempting proposal." Zuo Qing said calmly, "But there's one thing I don't quite understand."
"Speak."
"You are the strongest of the Three Pillars, capable of slaying an Angel King, while I'm merely a Human Apex... Now that you're standing on the Moon's seal, why don't you directly动手解放 the Cthulhu Faction gods? Why waste your breath here recruiting me?"
Chaos's brow arched, "Because this is my hobby."
"Then why did you try to kill me from the start?"
Hearing this question, Chaos's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Contradictory, isn't it?" Zuo Qing said lightly, "You're the strongest of the Three Pillars; killing a Human Apex like me is naturally not difficult... What you fear is that in my death throes, I might go into a desperate counterattack and expose your presence here, isn't it?
"So you initially tried to kill me with a single decisive strike before I could discover you, but I managed to dodge it... With no other choice, you had to use this method to make me submit to you. Because the moment you resort to force, even if there's only a one-in-a-thousand chance of alerting the Heavenly Court gods, it would make things troublesome."
Chaos gazed at Zuo Qing for a moment, then suddenly laughed lightly,
"Seems I underestimated you after all..."
Before the words even finished, a palm instantly pierced through Zuo Qing's heart.
At such close range, Zuo Qing had not the slightest possibility of dodging. That blood-soaked hand clutched a beating heart, exposed to the void of space, as darkness rapidly flooded into Zuo Qing's body, completely sealing all his spiritual power!
Zuo Qing groaned, crimson blood trickling from the corner of his lips. His Forbidden Ruins had stopped functioning; not a trace could be activated.
"However, my evaluation of you remains unchanged." Chaos's lips curved upward slightly, "You knew my intentions yet still dared to walk toward me... Did you really think that guessing my concerns would give you leverage over me?
"I didn't kill you earlier because the distance was too great, alerting you. At this proximity, if I still let you escape, I might as well kill myself."
Zuo Qing's body swayed, but he didn't retreat. He raised his head, staring at Chaos with those blood-filled eyes, his voice extremely hoarse:
"If you kill me... Heavenly Court will discover your presence. If you kill me... the seal will be exposed. If you kill me..."
"Stop." Chaos cut him off, his expression unchanged, "You're right. Killing you would indeed cause trouble. But—"
Chaos tilted his head, that blood-soaked hand still clutching Zuo Qing's heart:
"—what makes you think I need you alive?"
Zuo Qing's pupils constricted.
He watched as Chaos's other hand slowly lifted, pressing gently against his forehead. A terrifying mental force began to surge into his mind.
"Ah—" Zuo Qing's face contorted in agony.
"Your abilities are indeed mediocre. Your Forbidden Ruins is worthless. Your accomplishments are pitiful. You've accomplished nothing in four years as Supreme Commander..."
Chaos's voice echoed in Zuo Qing's mind like a demon's curse:
"But I like you. I like your perseverance. I like your unwavering loyalty to Night Watch. I like watching you struggle while holding onto hope. So I'll give you a choice..."
In the void of space, Zuo Qing's body hung limply in Chaos's grasp. His eyes had gone blank, as if his consciousness was being forcibly erased.
"Submit, and live. Or resist, and become my puppet forever."
The two options hung in the air.
After a long silence, Zuo Qing's lips parted:
"..."
But what he said next, even Chaos couldn't hear. Because at that moment, the blood-red moon behind them flickered, and a blinding sword light suddenly tore through the darkness!