Xue Ke Takes the Blame (Continued)
The subtext of his words was clear: you, a princess with no real power and negligible strength, are hardly a special person at this critical juncture.
Xue Ke paused for a moment, seemingly speechless at this blunt rejection.
Although he knew his position in the team was low, he didn't expect it to be this low—how dare a mere guard stop him?
Seeing that Xue Ke remained silent for a long time, the guard felt somewhat relieved, thinking that this princess was quite sensible.
However, the next second, Xue Ke reached out from under her cloak, and in her palm appeared a token engraved with Swan patterns, which gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster in the dim light. It was the Second Prince's identity token.
"My second brother has entrusted me with an urgent matter to handle." Her voice was deliberately low and carried an undeniable air of authority. "It's a matter of great importance. If you cause any delays, you will bear the consequences."
Her gaze, penetrating the shadow of the hood, landed coldly on the guard's face. The deliberate feigned weakness she had maintained earlier vanished, replaced by a sense of oppressive authority born of someone accustomed to a superior position.
The guard's expression changed drastically the moment he saw the token. He recognized it as genuine, signifying the Second Prince's presence.
On one hand, there was the strict curfew; on the other, the prince's token and the potential heavy responsibility for delays...
Seeing that the guard was still hesitating, Xue Ke took half a step forward. Although she did not say anything more, the silent pressure made the guard's back go cold and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
"... Yes, Your Highness, please!" After weighing the pros and cons, the guard ultimately dared not gamble with his future or even his life. He abruptly stepped aside to make way, bowed his head, and dared not meet her eyes again.
Xue Ke felt a huge weight lifted from her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.
She immediately stepped out, her figure quickly disappearing into the thick darkness outside the base.
Only when she was completely out of sight of the patrolling soldiers and disappeared into the shadows did Xue Ke's tense nerves relax slightly.
She quietly retrieved the small, loaded Soul Tool Gun that she had been clutching under her cloak into her storage space.
If the guard had insisted on not letting her pass or even attempted to search her, she had prepared for the worst.
Fortunately, the Second Prince's token and his own imposing presence played a crucial role.
She glanced back one last time at the silhouette of the base in the darkness, then left without looking back.
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Xue Ke's figure disappeared into the darkness, but she didn't know that after she turned to leave, a figure quietly emerged from the shadows in the corner.
Xiao Qiao stood there quietly, her usually clear and firm eyes now filled with complex emotions as she looked in the direction Xue Ke had left, her lips slightly pursed.
She knew in her heart that Princess Xue Ke would probably have to take the blame for her being a traitor this time.
Previously, the restoration organization had suffered numerous leaks of intelligence, meticulously planned operations repeatedly failed, and its secret bases were repeatedly targeted by precision attacks...
These accumulated failures and losses always need an explanation, an outlet for venting anger.
In the absence of a true traitor, could there be a more perfect scapegoat than Princess Xue Ke, who betrayed them and sided with the Spirit Hall Empire?
As for whether Xue Ke will explain?
Would you believe any sophistry from a traitor?
Of course not!
Her act of betrayal itself is the most compelling evidence against all the accusations.
Of course, Xiao Qiao also understood that Xue Ke was not suffering this injustice and stigma for nothing.
This betrayal was a deal made with the coldest of cruelties.
Xue Ke used the remaining core members and last remaining value of the restoration organization to gain the capital and future to establish herself within the Spirit Hall Empire's camp.
For Xue Ke, who had lost everything and was merely a symbolic puppet in the restoration organization, this deal was a huge win.
She went from being a powerless social princess in her homeland, only useful for political marriages, to becoming the city lord of Heaven Dou City, under the command of the Spirit Hall Empire and in charge of the core area of the former Heaven Dou Empire!
This is a position of real power that she could never achieve under the old order, thanks to her own status and hard work.
She escaped a precarious and financially devastated life of exile and gained a relatively stable position and power.
As for infamy?
What do they matter when it comes to survival and tangible benefits?
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That night, the waning moon was obscured by thick smoke, and the desolate wilderness was torn apart by the sudden burst of fighting.
The secret base of the Restoration Organization once again faced a deadly attack from the Spirit Hall Empire.
The towering flames illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime, while the dense sounds of Soul Tool fire and Soul Skill explosions shattered the silence of the night.
The members of the restoration organization, who had barely survived numerous attacks, were already like frightened birds, and their reaction was remarkably swift.
The moment the alarm sounded, everyone grabbed their weapons and fought desperately from their makeshift fortifications.
Roars, screams, and the sounds of clashing Soul Power mingled together, creating a scene of carnage and chaos.
However, when faced with an absolute disparity in strength, courage and experience seem utterly inadequate.
The Spirit Hall Empire has mobilized far more troops than ever before, not only overwhelming the enemy in numbers, but also with vastly different average levels and equipment.
The weak resistance from the restoration organization was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; their defenses began to crumble the moment they made contact.
What's even more disheartening is that this attack was completely different from the usual cat-and-mouse harassment.
From the very beginning, the army of the Spirit Hall Empire formed an iron wall of encirclement, and its offensive was fierce and precise, clearly aiming to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop and completely end the game.
High in the sky, Xiao Qiao's figure moved as nimbly as the wind, her huge fan creating sharp wind blades and dazzling starlight.
However, her opponent was Dongfang Yao, whose movements were as unpredictable as starlight.
Like Baili Shouyue, Dongfang Yao came from a commoner background and was not arranged by Qian Xunji to be bound to any family power. His relationship with the Star Luo Empire was also superficial.
After the Advanced Soul Master Tournament that year, they naturally returned to the Spirit Hall system and became its core members.
At this moment, Dongfang Yao's Star Swordsmanship was cunning and ruthless. Although he was still muttering nonsensical move names, his offensive did not slow down at all, keeping Xiao Qiao tightly entangled and preventing her from escaping to support those below.
The battle below ended quickly. The deacons of the Spirit Hall Empire efficiently cleared the battlefield and lightly counted the prisoners.
Soon, only Xiao Qiao remained standing and resisting high in the sky.
A deacon picked up a Amplifying Soul Tool, and a cold, formulaic voice echoed across the battlefield, "Soul Master above, abandon your futile resistance! All your companions are here. Continue to resist, and you will only face death!"
As he spoke, a group of former Heaven Dou Empire nobles, bound by Soul Tool chains and with swords pressed against their necks, immediately let out shrill cries and pleas. "Your Highness Xiao Qiao! Surrender! We beg you!"
"We don't want to die!"
"For everyone's sake, let's give up!"
In the face of life and death, dignity and integrity are completely abandoned.
Even the Second and Third Princes, their faces pale and trembling, joined the pleas for surrender. "Xiao Qiao... enough, the situation is hopeless, why... why make further pointless sacrifices..."
High in the sky, Xiao Qiao listened to the pitiful wails and treacherous pleas for surrender from her former companions below, and her hands froze for a moment.
She looked down at the terrified and desperate faces illuminated by the firelight, then at Dongfang Yao, whose offensive had slowed and who seemed to be waiting for her decision. A complex struggle flashed in her eyes.
Finally, as if all her strength had been drained, the light of her Soul Power dimmed. She closed her eyes and gave up the attack.
"... I surrender."
The sound was very soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Dongfang Yao, who is usually talkative and unconventional, was unusually silent at this moment.
He didn't give his usual victory speech; he simply put away the Star Sword silently.
He had no choice; he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would burst out laughing and ruin this carefully planned "persuasion to surrender" drama.
In fact, Xiao Qiao was controlling her facial expressions. These guys were kneeling down way too quickly, weren't they? And surrendering to them was really not her style.
With Xiao Qiao's surrender, the last embers of resistance from the restoration organization on the Heaven Dou Empire's side were completely extinguished.
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When everything settled down and the remaining members of the restoration organization were detained and tried, the nobles of the former Heaven Dou Empire saw Xue Ke standing beside the officials of the Spirit Hall Empire, dressed in fine clothes, with a calm expression and even a hint of indifference.
In an instant, countless gazes were filled with bloodlust!
Shock and disbelief ultimately transformed into a raging fury of utter betrayal and deception!
They connected their previous series of failures and arrests with Xue Ke's appearance at this moment—it turned out that they had been betrayed by this woman long ago!
The Second Prince, in particular, turned deathly pale the moment he saw Xue Ke, his face turning completely bloodless.
He was keenly aware of how he had used Xue Ke as a tool for political marriage and aristocratic social interaction, and how he had ignored her suffering.
Now that Xue Ke has joined the Spirit Hall Empire and clearly gained a position, the fate of his former "mastermind" and elder brother is predictable.
The Second Prince was a ruthless man. Knowing that he would suffer humiliation and torture if he fell into Xue Ke's hands, he took his own life in prison on the eve of the trial, thus escaping Xue Ke's revenge.
When the news reached Xue Ke's ears, she frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. Then, her cold gaze fell on the other nobles who had once bullied and belittled her.
The reckoning has only just begun.
However, Xue Ke's feelings towards Xiao Qiao were complicated, mixed with an indescribable envy, jealousy, and even a trace of hatred.
She envied, even envied, Xiao Qiao for possessing a powerful Martial Soul, exceptional talent, and the resulting Titled Douluo strength.
This power allows Xiao Qiao to avoid being forced to navigate among various characters and endure disgusting covetousness and deals, unlike her, and enables her to choose her own path relatively autonomously.
She hated it even more! She hated that, as a fellow royal princess, when she was trapped in the mire and helpless, Xiao Qiao, who possessed power, had not lent her a helping hand and had coldly watched her fall into ruin.
Unfortunately, Xue Ke's jealousy, mixed with personal grudges, cannot be vented on Xiao Qiao for the time being.
As the former supreme leader of the restoration organization and Titled Douluo with the qualification of divine examination, even if Xiao Qiao is captured, her value and threat level are far beyond those of ordinary nobles.
She was under the direct supervision and "preferential treatment" of the Spirit Hall's higher-ups. Given Xue Ke's current status as the city lord of Heaven Dou City, they were far from being able to intervene, let alone resort to private torture.
When Xiao Qiao later learned the reason why Xue Ke harbored hatred towards her, she was speechless.
In her opinion, this was simply absurd. When she was initially not very strong, she could only barely protect herself and act as a mascot, and Xue Ke never paid any attention to her.
Later, when Xiao Qiao became Titled Douluo and gained influence, Xue Ke clearly sided with the Second Prince, tirelessly working to connect him with nobles and consolidate his power—making Xue Ke her political rival. How could Xiao Qiao possibly help a core member of a political enemy? Wouldn't that be utterly despicable?
In chaotic times, everyone has their own stance and their own choices.
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Within a few days, those nobles who had bullied Xue Ke or treated her with disrespect during the restoration of the kingdom were tortured to death in prison in various "reasonable" or "accidental" ways.
Xue Ke used the most direct and cruel method to settle scores with her past humiliations, her blood staining the prison bricks.
Having dealt with these personal grievances, Xue Ke returned to the palace she once lived in, which had now been renovated. She once again donned the magnificent gown that symbolized status and power, and stood on the high terrace, looking down at the Heaven Dou City that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
My gaze swept over the rows of buildings and finally settled on a very eye-catching high-rise building in the city, whose former luxury and grandeur could not be concealed even in the night.