The gazes of the many feudal lords all converged on the saber-wielding guard beneath the steps. The guard, named Wang Chao, had twitching cheeks, yet he held his head high and kept his composure.
King Chenghai looked at Wang Chao and asked, "Is this man a newly risen expert of the Peacock Dynasty?"
"No."
"Then is he the successor of some Starry Sky Expert?"
"Neither."
"Then why did the Peacock King choose him to fight?"
"Because everyone else is busy." The Peacock King wore an helpless expression. "The Imperial Advisor controls the state religion and can hardly leave his post. The generals have to guard the border cities and cannot be moved lightly. As for the other Starry Sky Experts, they are all like divine dragons that reveal their heads but not their tails—we can't find them at a moment's notice. Slaying the dragon is a major matter, an urgent matter, and we must not be careless or neglect it. So I sent my most trusted guard, Wang Chao. I believe Wang Chao will surely contribute everything within his power to the Dragon Slaying War. My Peacock Dynasty swears to advance and retreat together with the other nations, and to live beneath the same sky as the dragon clan never again."
King Chenghai was furious. He shouted, "Ying Boyan, are you making fools of us?"
"King Chenghai, what do you mean by that? You said you wanted to slay the dragon, and I agreed that you were right—the dragon must be slain. You said you needed reinforcements, so I sent out my most loyal confidant. And now you're saying I'm making fools of you? Who, exactly, is making fools of whom?"
"I understand now. The Peacock King never intended to accompany us to slay the dragon, did he?" Song Qing