Deception and Blood Money

"Boom, boom, boom..."

A continuous series of explosions echoed from outside the city.

The Krieg Pirates had ignited the Terminal Station, and the time limit for his main mission was now down to just a few hours.

After three days of continuous setup, the time for harvest had finally arrived.

Su Xiao moved through the descending night, beginning his approach toward the city gate.

Outside the city, at the Terminal Station.

At this moment, the explosions had merged into a single roar, flames shot into the sky, and massive piles of burning trash were blasted high into the air.

The refugees who had been resting in the Terminal Station were jolted awake by the sudden explosions, and the fire began to spread across the mountains of garbage.

By the time those refugees realized what was happening and tried to flee their shelters, the fire had already spread completely.

The shrill screams echoed in tandem with the explosions, painting a scene of hell.

If hell truly existed, then the current Terminal Station was it.

The members of the Krieg Pirates watched the fire engulfing the Terminal Station and began to move rapidly toward the city gate.

They had previously discussed with Su Xiao that once the Terminal Station was ignited, they would immediately head to the city gate, and Su Xiao would have his men open it.

Krieg certainly wouldn't have agreed to such an act of placing his life in someone else's hands.

Therefore, after their meeting, Su Xiao had sent his confidant, Hank, to accompany the Krieg Pirates.

At this time, Hank was disguised as a pirate, following closely behind Krieg.

"Faster! The fire is about to spread, and we'll be in danger if we stay here."

Krieg roared, and his subordinates quickened their pace.

Three minutes later, the Krieg Pirates arrived outside the city gate.

Upon reaching the gate, smiles appeared on the pirates' faces; they had completed their task, and now, all they had to do was enter the city and embrace a wonderful life.

Krieg, in particular, was already fantasizing about his life as a noble.

Luxurious housing, exquisite food, and the bodies of a large group of tender women.

At this moment, Krieg even considered abandoning his identity as a pirate entirely.

"Bang, bang, bang~." Krieg pounded on the city gate.

"Open the gate! We are the Krieg Pirates, and we have ignited the Terminal Station."

After Krieg pounded on the gate, there was a deathly silence; aside from the sound of the night wind fanning the flames, there was not a peep from inside the city.

"Hey! Open the gate quickly, the fire is about to spread over here!"

Still, there was no sound, and Krieg began to panic.

Behind them was a fire consuming everything, and in front of them was a sturdy gate; they were trapped.

It wouldn't be long before they were burned to death.

"What is going on? Why hasn't the gate opened?"

Bloodshot eyes appeared in Krieg's gaze, and like an enraged beast, he turned to glare at Hank.

Hank's lips were pale; he had been sent outside the city by Su Xiao. As a mere member of the Guard Corps, he knew nothing about the King's intention to break the promise.

"No, that's impossible. Wait, wait for me, let me try."

Hank couldn't even speak clearly; he had vaguely guessed what was happening.

"Bang, bang, bang~, open the gate! I am Hank of the Guard Corps! Byakuya, get out here! Come out!"

Hank began to scream, omitting the honorifics he usually attached to the name.

"Byakuya, I'm going to kill you!"

Krieg realized he had been deceived by Su Xiao; they were nothing but pawns, sacrificial lambs.

His bloodshot eyes turned toward Hank.

"Burn him to death!"

After Krieg spat out those words, one by one, his subordinates immediately tied Hank up, and several of them worked together to toss him into the sea of fire not far away.

"Ah~, it has nothing to do with me! Byakuya, you will die a horrible death!"

The flames began to 'kiss' Hank's skin, and his shrill screams lasted for a dozen seconds before vanishing.

Just as the Krieg Pirates were nearing despair, a low male voice drifted down from the city wall.

"Hey, you people down there, do you want to live?"

Everyone in front of the city gate shuddered.

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

Krieg had somewhat lost his sanity; he looked up at the top of the wall, guided by the light of the flames, and saw a thin, middle-aged man.

Just as Krieg was about to speak, one gunpowder barrel after another was thrown down from the city wall.

Seeing the barrels landing, Krieg felt a chill run down his spine; behind him was a sea of fire, and this was clearly an attempt to blow them to pieces.

"Blow open the city gate, and you might still have a sliver of hope."

After saying this, the middle-aged man on the wall pulled his body back and vanished into the darkness.

After hesitating for less than two seconds, Gin was the first to rush toward the gunpowder barrels, arranging them at the city gate.

Anxious voices could be heard from inside the gate; it seemed they had discovered what was happening outside.

Krieg tore off his black robe, revealing a suit of yellow armor, and raised his arm, firing a bullet toward the gunpowder barrels.

"BOOM!"

The shockwave from the explosion sent the members of the Krieg Pirates stumbling backward, and some unlucky pirates were pierced by debris kicked up by the blast, falling to the ground dead.

The pirate crew of several hundred had lost at least a dozen men due to this explosion.

But it was well worth it, as the city gate had been blown open.

Behind the shattered gate lay several broken corpses; these were the guards of the Gate Guard Corps.

The Krieg Pirates stepped over the broken gate and entered the Royal Capital.

This was a group of furious pirates, and they intended to burn, kill, and loot their way through the Royal Capital.

"Hey, you, stop right there."

Krieg looked toward a dark corner, his arm held level, the muzzle on his shoulder aimed forward.

"Don't shoot, I'm the one who saved you."

The middle-aged man from the city wall earlier stepped out of the darkness, his eyes filled with fear.

"Why save me? I don't think I know you."

Krieg did not lower his weapon.

"I have a grudge against Byakuya. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

A cruel smile appeared on the corner of Krieg's mouth.

"Where is Byakuya?"

"At the Royal Palace. He is currently receiving a reward from the King; it is said he has been granted noble status."

Words like "reward" and "noble status" stung Krieg, as those were things that should have been his.

"Bang." A gunshot rang out, and the middle-aged man's chest was pierced, leaving a fist-sized blood hole. Krieg had actually shot and killed his own savior.

"You bastard, how dare you throw explosives at me? Were you trying to get me killed?"

With that, Krieg led his men charging toward the Royal Palace; he intended to kill Byakuya, kill the King, and ransack the palace to make up for today's losses.

The middle-aged man lay on the ground, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth, his body twitching incessantly.

Watching the Krieg Pirates march away, the middle-aged man's eyes began to dim.

Just then, a young man with a cigarette in his mouth stepped out from a dark corner.

"Gi~, give the money to my wife and daughter. I have done as you asked."

Su Xiao crouched down in front of the middle-aged man and exhaled a puff of blue smoke.

"Well done. The money has already been given to them."

"That's great, thank you, thank you~."

Having said that, the middle-aged man's eyes went completely dim, and he died from the gunshot wound inflicted by Krieg.

This middle-aged man was a death-row prisoner Su Xiao had rescued from prison; the previous events were merely a transaction.

Su Xiao paid the money, and the middle-aged man paid with his life—a transaction that was both fair and unfair.

Watching the Krieg Pirates head off into the distance, Su Xiao dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his boot.

"Krieg Pirates, don't let me down."

Su Xiao vanished into the night, rushing rapidly toward the Royal Palace.

Good grief, what does this have to do with martial arts~~~~.