Defying the Emperor's Decree? What Does That Have to Do with Me?

"Which one of you... is Count Merrick?"

A hoarse voice echoed in the inn; it wasn't loud, and no one dared to answer.

With his Killing Intent Wave, Lister clearly understood the general situation outside.

Most of the inn's guests conveyed to him feelings of fear.

As for the man who harbored murderous intent towards him, his senses regarding the fluctuations in his emotions were now exceptionally clear.

Even without seeing him in person, one can be very alert and perceive his every move.

As expected of a perception-type skill, at only level 14, it has already transformed his perception. He immediately raised the priority of the Killing Intent Wave.

With this passive perception, Lister could not only scout out enemy positions, but also more intuitively judge the enemy's hostility and emotions.

"May I ask, are you the Duke Wei? Or Grand General Wei?"

The shopkeeper rushed out of the shop and approached the Duke Wei with a look of fear on his face.

Duke Wei?

Lister was inside the room, instantly recalled the events.

He didn't know many people in the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty, but he did go to the Imperial City and got to know some of the top fighters in the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty.

The Great Chu Imperial Dynasty currently boasts eight Grand Generals as its most formidable military force.

Among them, only one resided in the Imperial City: the Prince of Qin, who was Yongping Emperor's younger brother and the most powerful of the eight generals.

Lister hadn't seen this person in the Imperial City before and didn't know much about his true combat strength.

The remaining seven lived in various prefectures in the Southern Territory states.

After all, the Southern Territory is where the most rampant and highest-level monsters in the Great Chu are found.

Among the seven generals was this Grand General Wei, who was granted the title of Duke Wei.

I've only heard that the Duke Wei is just average among the eight generals; he's not the weakest, but he's not particularly strong either.

"This... General, Count Merrick is also a distinguished guest of our establishment..."

Upon hearing this, the Duke Wei turned to look at the shopkeeper, his powerful aura radiating outwards. Coupled with his enigmatic gaze, the shopkeeper immediately knelt down and begged for mercy.

"General! Waaah! Please don't make things difficult for me! Waaah... I'm just a shopkeeper, you..."

"Bang!"

As they were talking, the shopkeeper was kicked away by the Duke Wei.

They held back, not using any heavy force.

Lister was quite impressed with the innkeeper; despite the pressure from the Duke, he hadn't managed to reveal his room number.

"Count Merrick, would you mind coming down for a chat?"

His hoarse voice rose several decibels, and his eyes were already fixed on the room where Lister was located.

They clearly came prepared; their previous actions were likely a test.

"Squeak!"

The door was pushed open, and Lister, clad in silver armor, calmly stepped out of the room.

The Sixth Guard, also fully dressed, followed behind him in several nearby rooms.

Downstairs, the Duke Wei was dressed in Crimson standard chainmail, with a robust build and a square face.

He held a long sword in his left hand. The scabbard was also colored and had intricate patterns, making it clear at a glance that this sword was extraordinary.

Ignoring the aura emanating from the Duke Wei, Lister gave him a brief look before continuing to slowly descend the stairs and walk up to him.

"Speak, what is it?"

As he spoke, he used the system to scan the Duke Wei.

[Level: Lv40]

[Class: Soul Swordsman (Martial Arts)]

[Health Points: 4471/4471]

[Stamina:1473/1473]

[Attributes: Strength 40, Stamina 40, Intelligence 27, Agility 34]

[Skill: Sword Falls Across the Sky (Rank A) LV30: Sword technique generates a sword aura, causing area-of-effect damage of 4171~4491 (can be boosted by Strength attribute) (Note: This skill deals 10% damage that ignores defense).

Sword Dance (Rank B) LV28: Unleashes multiple sword strikes in one go, dealing 2909~3201 area damage to enemies in front (can be boosted by Strength attribute), with a slight knockback effect.

Robust Physique (Grade B) LV25: Continuously restores health during battle; increases maximum health by 2000 points for a certain period.

Brute Bull Visualization Method (Passive, No Rank) LV20: Grants an additional 20 points to Strength attribute...

[Overall Rating: B]

As expected of one of the great generals, his overall rating has reached B level.

At the same time, Lister also discovered that it seemed that all the generals of the Great Chu army had learned the Wild Bull Breathing Technique without exception.

"Count Merrick, you don't need to play dumb with me."

"The General Yu you killed was my adjutant!"

His voice unconsciously became stronger.

Lister hadn't expected this. He assumed the other party was sent by Yongping Emperor and didn't think the Yongping Emperor would deal with him.

Unexpectedly, today the younger brother was beaten, and now the older brother has come out; it seems a battle is inevitable.

"I never imagined that such a rude person would be your adjutant, Duke Wei!"

Since he had already offended him, Lister didn't hold back.

However, the Duke Wei before him remained calm and composed, his eyes fixed on him, but his expression remained unmoved.

"I have come today to convey His Majesty's decree."

"I order you to depart for the Kingdom of Lucian immediately. If you do so, General Yu's matter will be temporarily forgiven."

"Otherwise!"

The voice suddenly roared, Lister frowned slightly, sensing that a large group of people was approaching him from afar.

"Thump~ thump~ thump~!"

They moved very quickly, their steps perfectly synchronized.

It was a force of about a hundred warriors, clad in black chainmail, identical in style to the chainmail worn by the Duke Wei, differing only in color.

Just as he had predicted, Yongping Emperor would not kill him before he actually found the Kingdom of Lucian.

This is probably why the Duke Wei, though filled with murderous intent, remained calm on the surface; he was simply holding back for the time being.

"The Kingdom of Lucian, I will set off."

"However!"

"As an envoy, I am the one who decides when to return!"

Faced with this situation, Lister remained completely calm.

Now that he has just maxed out his Yellow Court Saber Art with nine million experience points, his overall combat strength has reached the Lord Tier, and he is becoming increasingly less cautious about his actions.

There are still so many players seeking him out to learn skills; at this point in time, before the harvest is even finished, Lister certainly can't leave.

"Heh heh~! Count Merrick, are you going to defy the imperial decree?"

Duke Wei couldn't help but laugh at this moment; his usually stern, square face looked so awkward when he smiled.

Lister's attitude suited him perfectly; originally, he needed to find the Kingdom of Lucian before he could take action.

It seems that's unnecessary now. I can probably teach this kid a lesson today, as long as I leave him alive in the end.

"Haha! What a joke."

"Disobeying the imperial decree?"

Upon hearing this, Lister also laughed.

"As you said yourself, I am Count Merrick, an earl of the Kingdom of Lucian, not an earl of your Great Chu!"

What kind of order are you defying?

He had only been polite to Yongping Emperor because of his official mission and his lack of understanding of the military strength of the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty.

Now his strength has greatly increased, and the military strength of the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty is only so-so for the time being, and it is not enough to suppress him.

If that's the case, then what is there to be afraid of?

"Good! Very good!"

"Listen to my command!"

"Wait a minute!"

Lister raised his hand to interrupt the Duke Wei's order.

"What? Count Merrick, you've already changed your mind? Haha!"

"Let me tell you, I don't sell any medicine for regrets here!"

Duke Wei's smile widened, and he looked at Lister with ill intent, as if he had him cornered today.

"This is the inner city. Even if we're going to fight, shouldn't we at least go to the outer city?"

Since a confrontation was inevitable, Lister was looking to maximize his own interests.

I always felt that the promotion of Merrick Saber Technique by "Chen Xinhe the Outlaw" needed to be further strengthened, but today unexpectedly provided an opportunity.

"I didn't expect Merrick to be so considerate of the people in the city!"

"Alright! Then it's your decision, let's go to the outer city."

In the eyes of the Duke Wei, the people in the inner city could barely be considered ordinary people.

But once they reached the outer city, they had no qualms and didn't care at all about the possibility of accidentally injuring ordinary civilians in the fight.

Of course, it could also be due to absolute confidence in one's own abilities, not believing that Lister could cause any trouble.