The Source of Joy

Kang De kicked the restrained night stalker, sending him tumbling over.

An ordinary face, I don't recognize it, all foreigners look the same.

He crouched down, sizing up the poor assassin who had sneaked into the Maple Leaf Palace at night but bumped into the Phoenix King, and smiled very gently, "Brother, what's your name?"

The man had done something shameful and was aware of his fate. He merely stared coldly at Kang De, a cold mockery flashing in his eyes. "The guardian of the Goth People, the hero who saved Danfeng Lucerne, is actually the lover of the Phoenix King Dairila. This is truly the most absurd joke in the world. I wonder what the elves and Goth People died in this war would think."

Kang De glared at him and said, "How dare you slander someone's innocence out of thin air..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Iron Son on his shoulder said, "Father, you even saw through this kind of person."

"--Shut up!"

"Yes."

Just by looking into his eyes, one could tell that this man's will was as strong as steel and could not be swayed by words or threats. Kang De clenched his fists a few times, lost in thought.

The Power of the Fire Thief Extraction the human body, allowing them to seize the most prized skills and techniques of a person's life, and to read fragments of memories from their soul, but the latter process is uncontrollable.

Its mechanism of action is not to devour all of the other person's life experiences at once and then slowly review them, nor can it be like Xunlei Kankan where you can download and watch at will. Instead, it is full of uncertainty.

Let's take Xunlei Kankan as an example again. It's like you only have one chance, one opportunity to click the progress bar to locate the position. After clicking, you can only watch for a short time. You might see a visually impactful and exciting martial arts fight, or you might only see a meaningless landscape image.

The most hilarious situation is seeing the female lead from a certain angle display an uncontrollable facial expression that's so exaggerated it's almost comical, enough to leave viewers who've already taken their pants off speechless and questioning their existence.

Therefore, Kang De did not intend to use the Power of the Fire Thief to absorb this guy right now.

First, it is very painful and agonizing. Second, it doesn't necessarily yield useful information. Extraction is a one-time, violent method of interrogation, and the subject will undoubtedly die. Therefore, it is a last resort.

He sighed, "Looks like the Goth People will have to keep you company for now."

The other party gave a disdainful sneer.

"Don't laugh like that, don't laugh like that..."

Kang De waved his hand, still squatting on the ground, looking down at the other person's face. "To be honest, I know Goth looks terrible right now. As a teammate, it's a bit embarrassing. You guys completely outmaneuvered him tonight, and even I suffered a bit. I have some doubts about their interrogation methods, but it's okay."

He tilted his head. "You've offended more than just Goth. The Goth People can't get anything out of you. There's also the dragons; they almost got framed. You can't get anything out of the dragons, and there are the elves. Didn't you see the Elf King come over in the middle of the night to avoid being blamed? The Goth People can't do that. These two countries must have a thousand ways to get useful information from you..."

Dragons and elves, two generations of overlords, a chosen race—even the most arrogant creature would feel awe towards such a great and ancient kingdom, and that person's gaze wavered for a moment.

Kang De and the Iron Son both detected this subtle stirring; Kang De saw the flickering of the soul's fire through his Phoenix Vision, while Horus scanned the slightest physiological signal change.

Then, his momentary weakness hardened again, but the assassin's head was held down, and he saw Kang De's eyes, which were flashing with an unusual light.

Even dragons and elves can't do anything to you...

The sound reached my ears.

"Isn't there still me?"

Deep, cold, and stern, with a chilling, sinister aura.

Then, an indescribable pain and terror rose from the depths of his soul, building a bridge in the void. He felt that Kang De's eyes were like whirlpools, and the terrible suction was like a tsunami, churning his lonely soul. He felt that his soul was torn apart by a great force, leaving him with no secrets, just like when he was born, kneeling before the gods in his original posture, allowing them to look at him with either mercy or scrutiny.

The next moment, the light faded, and the cold air of the night sky rushed into my lungs again. Everything before seemed like an illusion, but my back was already soaked with cold sweat, and a helpless fear lingered in my soul.

He looked at Kang De. Even if one's will is tempered into steel, mortals still retain awe. The soul is the realm of the gods, but just moments before, it had been entered and intervened upon by humankind.

The assassin's voice trembled slightly, his face drained of color. "You... who are you? What did you do to me? Who exactly are you? Kang De, the Cathayan! You..."

"It is the end of your annihilation, your terrifying fate, the river to which your blood flows, the symphony of your eternal suffering, or perhaps, it has nothing to do with you at all."

Kang De stood up. Teldrassil had arrived. He looked down at the person lying at his feet.

"The path is mine, and it's yours; the choice is yours."

He walked away slowly, his steps unhurried.

Horus said, "To be honest, Father, if only you shared even a little of your pretentious skills with..."

"--shut up!"

"Yes."

The Grand Duke and his entourage rushed over, but the commotion had already been detected by the Maple Leaf Palace. However, Kang De had A Xing stop the powerful guards who remained in the palace. After all, it would be a bit inappropriate for Goth's ministers to witness the prospective prince consort meeting with the Phoenix King in the Maple Leaf Palace. Such a thorough and provocative encounter was obviously too much.

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow glanced at the assassin lying on the ground. "Are you alright?"

Kang De said, "It's alright, he's still alive. Let's see what we can get out of him."

Hilmeria looked at the A Xing: "Thanks—where did you find him? What are his fighting characteristics?"

A Xing glanced at Kang De.

She returned to the Maple Leaf Palace and saw the Phoenix King. She was both happy and unhappy. She was happy because he had a familiar scent that made her feel close to him. She was unhappy because... she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she was just unhappy. The way he talked to Kang De made her feel uneasy.

But when Pointy Ears said he forbade Kang De from marrying the Big Goldie, A Xing realized at that moment that she was determined to befriend Pointy Ears.

--Moreover, with her animal instincts, she vaguely realized that the pointy-eared dog was pointy-eared and lived far away. No matter how much she said, it would have to obediently carry its Sprite and leave. The Big Goldie, on the other hand, was Big Goldie and lived right next to Kang De, rubbing against him every day. Therefore, the latter was obviously a greater threat.

So when the Sword Saint Cascading Snow asked, her first reaction was that she couldn't betray her friends on the surface.

Kang De was unaware that in that brief moment, the seeds of palace intrigue had been sown in A Xing's heart. He said, "It's a long story, let's talk about it in private. First, let's deal with this prisoner."

Dairila's position was truly awkward. The blood feud between Goth and the elves was not easily resolved, which was also why the Phoenix King did not want to stay long... Under such circumstances, both she and Goth People felt uncomfortable meeting.

With so many outsiders around, explaining things is even more complicated.

Are we to tell everyone that it was His Majesty the Phoenix King who beat and captured the assassin?

Why is she here?

--I don't know, maybe they saw things were going wrong in Danfeng Lucerne and came to see if they could gain some advantage. Sigh, these elves, they're still determined to destroy Goth, they're really wicked.

But if that's the case, why hand over the assassin?

--I... I don't know either, maybe it's because we made a deal.

What transaction?

--Let me... let me postpone marrying your Princess Tina.

What else?

--They even gave me a ring.

Kang De felt that if this round of answers went smoothly, Tina's axe would likely be returned to its rightful owner in some unusual way.

Let's just talk to Tina and the others privately; there's no need to publicize it.

Thinking of this, I remembered the ring Dairila had slipped to me before she left, saying it was a return gift for the boxes of snacks, but it seems she had it all planned out long ago...

Kang De took the ring out of his pocket. Its material was unknown, like a stone or a metal. It shimmered with a mysterious glow in the moonlight, and the fine lines on its surface resembled tiny characters. He could sense that the ring was emanating a familiar power, seemingly from the same source as Teldrassil's Crimson Scroll.

Hilmeria had been about to check on the prisoner, but a single glance changed her expression. She darted backward to Kang De's side, grabbed his wrist, stared at the ring, and exclaimed, "Where did this come from?"

Kang De asked, "You know them? I also think this is relevant to you..."

"This is the Proof of Stellar Authority! The mark of the sun god!" The Sword Saint Cascading Snow shouted, turning around, "Reknos! Come quickly! Come and see!"

Hilmeria flew over from the rooftop, while the Grand Duke and his entourage had to take the usual route, arriving a little later. A moment later, they came to the courtyard from a corner corridor. Guards stood watch at the four corners. The Grand Duke, accompanied by his two daughters, walked quickly over. Tina stared at Kang De, while the Grand Duke and Stella noticed the ring on his hand.

The Grand Duke was equally surprised. "Where did you get this?"

--Are you more concerned about this than the intruding assassin?

Kang De glanced at the people around him. "... Should we deal with this guy first?"

Name unknown, origin unknown, the assassin who was brutally beaten by Dairila was personally imprisoned by the Grand Duke in the dungeon beneath Maple Leaf Palace... Well, how should I put it, building a prison beneath the palace, the last time I saw this concept was when I was playing Diablo 2 on a flat-screen monitor and a Win98 system.

You must have a huge heart, bro.

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow personally placed a physical restriction on the prisoner, which involved using iron nails, thorn chains, and restraining saw teeth to pierce and bind the person's vital parts. Then, she and the Grand Duke brought the mortal into the prison, while Kang De and the others were left outside to wait.

He looked at Tina, Tina shook her head. There were many secrets in the palace that were not suitable for a beautiful princess like a flower to know. Her second sister knew nothing about it either. After all, just a few months ago, she was still a carefree flower in a greenhouse. Her father had always kept her out of the storms of life. How could he let her know such secrets?

The answer to the question will only be found when the Grand Duke returns.

Reknos wiped the blood off his hands. "The location where this intruder was found is the entrance to the underground area... which means he came almost exclusively for what's hidden down there."

"What's inside?" Kang De asked, "Dangerous convicts?"

"No."

"Is that your half-brother who lost the fight for the Grand Duke?"

"... You've been watching too many third-rate dramas."

"A spatial portal? Leading to a different dimension in space where Rookie Assassin Number One is hidden, and an ancient tomb world that traps Rookie Assassin Number Two, and Tyrael black guy who is always getting beaten up."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Grand Duke shook his head. "There are no prisoners inside. Calling it a prison is just a partial description; it's a treasure vault, and also a last bastion... I'm almost certain that person came for the treasures inside..."

"What treasure?"

"The one for you."

"The Crimson Scroll?" Kang De frowned. "He came for the Crimson Scroll?"

The Grand Duke shook his head and said, "It's just a guess... but it's the only possibility. We'll ask him about the specific purpose ourselves, which will take some time."

Kang De said, "Is it safe? What if he gets silenced by someone again?"

"It is precisely because of this possibility that he is locked up here." The Grand Duke glanced at Kang De; in the room were only him, his sister, his two daughters, and the wild boar from Cathay.

He thought for a moment, then revealed the truth. "The area beneath the palace is the greatest secret of the Teldrassil race. The blessings of the gods and the blood of heroes have created a forbidden and mysterious realm. In this area, supernatural powers are completely ineffective, and everyone must fight with their own flesh and blood. Therefore, it is the safest place... therefore, the last fortress."

Kang De was taken aback. He exchanged a glance with Tina and saw the surprise in the girl's eyes as well.

The Grand Duke, observing this, snorted, "The Crimson Scroll is inside. I was planning to have you come in with me to get it, to find out your feelings right there. If you hesitated and showed no interest in Tina, I wouldn't care about anything else; I'd just give you a beating to vent my anger..."

Kang De blinked his big eyes and said righteously, "If you want to teach me a lesson, I can go in with you now. If you need anything in the future, just say the word, and I'll be there for you."

--Father-in-law, eat shit!

Before he could finish speaking, Tina gave him a reproachful glare.

"... Hmph, let's talk about the ring later."

The Duke skipped over the topic and asked about the origin of the ring. Now that there were no outsiders present, Kang De spoke frankly. However, when discussing matters, one must be careful to be detailed and concise. He mainly talked about the ring, and as for the prohibition on marriage and such, these were minor details and did not need to be emphasized.

"Since it was a gift from the Phoenix King, we can't be too careless; it might contain some insidious curse or spell."

The Grand Duke said, "To be honest, this ring is called the Proof of Stellar Authority, one of the divine artifacts bestowed upon the Church by the Sun God. It was lost many years ago and unexpectedly fell into the hands of the elves... According to records, it possesses powerful protective, healing, and combat abilities, and can grant the user magical powers. However, only those recognized by Sura can use it. To be on the safe side, we need to have the Church and the Legal Department examine it first."

Kang De said, "I think there's no problem. The elves don't have the ability to cast a spell on the ring of the sun god, do they?"

Phoenix Vision only saw a blazing light like the sun, and the Power of the Fire Thief only sensed the pure Vulcan light of the sun. This ring was pure and intense, as if it were a solidified star, without any impurities, only the purest and most surging light and heat.

It's simply impossible to leave any foreign mark on this ring.

"That makes sense, but..."

"It's okay—how do I use this? Can I just put it on?"

"Only followers approved by Sura can use this, you..."

Kang De put the ring on.

Nothing happened.

Since there's no instruction manual, I'm used to this kind of thing.

Grand Duke Reknos laughed. His son-in-law's humiliation was a source of amusement for his father-in-law. Sometimes, a man's happiness is just that simple, tedious, and boring.

He said sarcastically, "The Sula, the Sun God prefers believers who are elegant, kind, gentle, and amiable, yet brave and resilient. I don't know which one you lack, but getting a god's favor isn't so easy..."

Kang De took the ring off his index finger and put it on his middle finger.

"You can't change any finger, do you think this is...?"

Kang De took off the ring and put it on his ring finger.

In an instant, a great light shone forth, its radiance piercing through the roof and soaring into the heavens, illuminating the Stellaris.

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PS1: Grass...