Li Shuwen and Gilgamesh, the Martial Artist and the Ancient King

Everyone's gaze turned toward the old man. Artoria moved calmly to stand before Irisviel, shielding her, for her Instinct told her that a massive battle was about to erupt.

Those hiding in the shadows reacted differently upon seeing the old man. The Light Screen shifted its focus to Emiya Kiritiugu, whose eyes narrowed as he said in a low voice, "It's that Servant from before."

In the real world, people remembered that when Emiya Kiritsugu had prepared to snipe the Master of Lancer, he had been startled to discover the old man standing on the overpass.

Moreover, compared to those within the Light Screen, many viewers in the real world couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority, as if watching from a god's-eye view.

Because before this installment of the Light Screen began, the identity of Li Shuwen had already been verified, whereas the people inside the Light Screen still had no idea who this old man Li was—hence the sense of superiority.

Furthermore, most people felt a rush of satisfaction, thinking Li Shuwen had retorted perfectly.

Although they didn't know who the Golden Servant was, his arrogant, dismissive attitude and the words he spoke were deeply offensive.

This world possessed numerous civilizations and cultures, and the histories of various nations were entirely distinct; every region had its own unique past.

At the same time, humanity's reverence for its ancestors was etched into its genes. This was true for both East and West. In a timeline where a certain nation without history did not exist, every country had its own long history, objects of ancestral worship, and outstanding emperors from their own national chronicles.

Basically, every great emperor had their worshippers and believers; even those who didn't worship them felt genuine pride that such excellent monarchs had once existed in their country's history.

As a result, the Golden Servant had come out swinging with a blanket insult, effectively trampling the history and legends of other nations underfoot while shamelessly glorifying himself.

In any corner of the world, pitting one against another to belittle them was a recipe for conflict, and the Golden Servant had gone far beyond simple disparagement.

Under these circumstances, and without knowing the specific details of the Golden Servant, widespread dissatisfaction naturally arose.

Therefore, when Li Shuwen appeared and mercilessly retorted, many felt a profound sense of catharsis, even feeling that the old man had been too subtle and should have hit harder.

Of course, with so many people in the world, there were always those with unconventional perspectives. At the same time, some felt the Golden Servant was a master of posturing, his words so arrogant that they were, in fact, incredibly cool.

Well, the main point was that the Golden Servant was truly handsome. That arrogant attitude combined with maxed-out looks made him the standard template for a "domineering CEO" in this face-conscious world. Even with his foul mouth, it made many star-struck girls so excited they nearly climaxed, thinking he was just too cool and handsome.

Consequently, when he was retorted by Li Shuwen, these people found the old man to be an eyesore for daring to talk back to their new idol, and they vowed to flood the internet to tear the old geezer apart.

Naturally, the idol-worshipping behavior organized by these people was quickly met with unprecedented iron-fisted suppression, and some of the most vocal ones were even invited to "have tea" by the authorities.

After all, in this world, Mr. Li Shuwen was not only a Heroic Spirit but also one of the martial artists who had pioneered a new era—a highly respected senior whose disciples were spread across the length and breadth of the land.

If that senior were to learn that such trash had emerged among the descendants of the nation he had given everything to protect, how heartbroken would he be? It was better to just bury them all.

Coincidentally, as the world had reached a consensus on countering the Mystery, it was only reasonable to take this opportunity to launch a rectification movement.

In the Light Screen, the camera returned to the Servants. The Conqueror King's eyes lit up, his gaze toward Li Shuwen filled with fervor, as if he were once again considering recruiting him.

As for the Golden Servant who had been retorted, he looked at Li Shuwen with intense displeasure, his voice laced with fury: "To dare offend a King so... you mere mongrel, do you wish to die?"

As he spoke, a terrifying pressure bore down on Li Shuwen, representing the wrath of this King.

Li Shuwen, however, stared at the Golden Servant without a hint of fear: "While you are indeed a King and possess qualities worthy of respect, your arrogant words are the greatest offense to those of us who have protected our nation. My land of China has been a land of etiquette since ancient times; treat us with courtesy, and we are friends! But to speak insolently is to be a vile enemy! Therefore, Golden King, retract your words, and I shall return an apology! If not, I, as a mere martial artist, shall return the favor with the etiquette of the blade!"

Upright, spirited, neither humble nor pushy, yet filled with chilling intent.

Essentially, this was the standard template for the founding martial artists of every dynasty in the Chinese land.

Regardless, among the external audience, the people of the Flame Kingdom were boiling with excitement, many cheering and declaring that Old Man Li was legendary—truly worthy of his name.

Although the Golden Servant looked like someone not to be trifled with, this was the spirit required of the founding martial artists of the Flame Kingdom.

As for the foreigners, while they lacked the same empathy as the people of the Flame Kingdom, they still felt satisfied. After all, the Golden Servant was so provocative that seeing him get shut down was inherently gratifying, and they were naturally happy to see Li Shuwen continue to put him in his place.

However, just as everyone thought the Golden Servant would fly into a complete rage, he suddenly ceased his anger. Instead, he withdrew his fury and stared at Li Shuwen with keen interest, saying: "Interesting. I had thought you, as an Assassin, were a boring mongrel. Now it seems you are a warrior of great courage. Very well, this King acknowledges you. State your name and feel honored! Servant of Kotomine Kirei, you have the qualifications for this King to remember your name!"

Once these words were spoken, both inside and outside the Light Screen, expressions of astonishment appeared. No one had expected the previously arrogant Golden Servant to suddenly control his temper, revealing a side that, while still arrogant, was not quite as detestable.

At the same time, the information revealed in his words sent many minds racing, sparking endless associations.

He had directly stated Li Shuwen's class, clearly indicating he knew the man.

Kotomine Kirei?

Weren't Kotomine Kirei and Tohsaka Tokiomi on the same side?

What was going on here?

Right, the Golden Servant.

This Golden Servant should be the mysterious Servant summoned by Tohsaka Tokiomi.

When he was first summoned, they had only seen the tip of the iceberg, not the full picture. Now, comparing the two, it was indeed the same one.

Hiss~

Did that mean these two were on the same side?

But if they were on the same side, why were they clashing directly? And why did they act as if they were unfamiliar with each other?

Could it be that Tohsaka Tokiomi and Kotomine Kirei had a falling out?

Numerous conjectures began to spread, and the think tanks of various countries began discussing all sorts of possibilities.

However, people were not particularly surprised that Li Shuwen was an Assassin. According to previously integrated intelligence, the class a Servant manifested was related to their life story; when summoned as a Servant, they would take on the class that best fit their deeds.

Li Shuwen was famous for his Baji Quan and Baji Spear, so it was reasonable for him to be summoned as a Lancer. But since there was already a Lancer, it was possible for him to be summoned as an Assassin.

Because during the years of war, as a martial artist on the side of the Flame Kingdom, Li Shuwen had frequently participated in assassination missions against key enemy figures, and the number of important enemy personnel he had killed was at least in the hundreds.

It is only reasonable that a master of such decapitation tactics would be summoned as an Assassin.

This has merely confirmed the previous hypothesis.

At Su Yun's home, Artoria could not help but speak up: "Although that golden fellow is quite annoying, he does possess the bearing of a king. However, he must be from a very ancient era. I am not well-versed in the East, but in the West, the more ancient a king is, the weaker their grasp on etiquette and culture tends to be."

"Therefore, if that annoying golden fellow isn't simply lacking in upbringing by nature, then the era he hails from must be so distant that the various etiquettes and refinements we are familiar with in the ancient period did not yet exist, nor were they needed."

"After all, aside from the four great ancient civilizations, barbarism and cruelty were the main themes of the Dark Ages—even in Ancient Rome, beneath the veneer of civilization, there existed things like the Roman Colosseum, which represented the pinnacle of barbarism."

Su Yun looked at Artoria in surprise: "I am surprised that you hold such a view regarding your own side."

Artoria shook her head and said with great earnestness: "Because these are all facts. Since they are facts, no matter how bright the words or cloaks used to package them, they cannot change the truth. The key is whether one can strive to change while acknowledging these shortcomings. If one knows a habit is evil yet takes pride in it and refuses to change, that is the greatest tragedy."

Su Yun smiled upon hearing this: "From this perspective, you truly have the awareness of a king. Moreover, to have guessed so much just from the performance of that golden Servant is truly impressive. Liya, should I say that this is what one expects from the reincarnation of King Arthur?"

Artoria became shy at this, her pretty face turning slightly red: "Awareness of a king or whatever, you think too highly of me..."

Although she said this, the joy and sparkle in her eyes were clearly visible; after all, she was being praised by the person she liked.

At this moment, in the Light Screen, Li Shuwen also responded to the golden fellow.

"This old man is Li Shuwen, merely an unremarkable old man."

He stated his true identity with great calm and humility.

Then, everyone at the scene showed expressions of sudden realization, including those Servants who had absorbed modern knowledge.

Conqueror King rubbed his chin: "Li Shuwen? A modern Heroic Spirit from the East? To think that someone from less than a century ago could be summoned; the Holy Grail War is truly full of miracles! Hahaha~~"

However, unlike Conqueror King, Waver felt his hair stand on end: "It, it is actually Li Shuwen, and in the Assassin class, with the bonus of local legends—this is very, very dangerous! Rider, i, if he specializes in targeting Masters, it will be very dangerous!"

Conqueror King raised an eyebrow at this: "That is indeed true, but rest assured! I will protect your safety, kid. Besides, looking at that old man's posture, he does not seem like someone who would engage in random assassinations, so you can set your heart at ease!"

Waver was on the verge of a breakdown: "Idiot, idiot, idiot! That is because you do not know what he has done in the past. During wartime, he was a terrifying fellow who specialized in assassinating key enemy figures! Ugh..."

At the end of his sentence, Waver let out a terrified wail and hurriedly hid behind Conqueror King, for Li Shuwen seemed to have heard his words and glanced back at him, scaring him into instant submission.

However, after just one glance, Li Shuwen smiled slightly and turned back to face the golden fellow, his expression returning to indifference: "I have already answered. I wonder if you are satisfied, Hero King of Ancient Uruk, Gilgamesh."

Without the slightest hesitation, the old gentleman directly exposed the true identity of the golden fellow as well.

His attitude was as if he were saying—Golden fellow, there is no need to hide or hold back anymore. Everyone here has had their true identity exposed, so you should join in too; otherwise, it would seem too antisocial, and that is not good.

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