The Trial

As soon as the words fell, the scene plunged into dead silence.

Not only did the slaves and sailors cast looks of despair, but even the four guards who had stepped forward abruptly raised their heads, their eyes filled with unbelievable horror.

A younger guard's lips trembled, and gathering his last shred of courage, he wanted to speak: "Sir... they are..."

Swish--!

Gerion did not even give him a chance to finish speaking.

The longsword with pinpoint precision swept across the narrow, fatal gap between the helmet and the armor at that guard's neck.

The young guard's head, bearing a frozen expression of astonishment, flew high into the air.

"Ah!"

The remaining three guards were thoroughly intimidated by this bloody scene, letting out a short, sharp scream as the last trace of mercy in their eyes was replaced by the madness of survival.

Weeping and trembling, they raised the swords in their hands without hesitation and hacked toward the four battered slaves and sailors whose eyes held utter despair.

In an instant, the four slave-sailors fell in pools of blood.

Gerion's gaze did not linger for even a second on those newly added corpses; his icy stare turned to the three guards who had just executed the purge order and were now panting heavily.

"Kill them too."

His finger pointed at the three guards who had just killed the slaves for him.

The remaining eight guards froze completely.

This order was like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely into their hearts.

Killing the defenseless slaves-that they could bring themselves to do.

But now, they were being asked to kill their own comrades?

For the first time on the battlefield, their hands gripping their swords hesitated.

Yet when Gerion's gaze, like the abyss of a frozen ocean, swept over them, the fear of death and absolute obedience to the family command instantly crushed any sense of camaraderie.

It was unclear who let out a low growl first, but sharp swords whistled as they viciously stabbed from behind into those unprepared guards.

The rest of them gritted their teeth and followed suit.

Screams rang out instantly.

The three guards were pierced through the body by the attacks from behind. Opening their eyes in disbelief, they looked down at the blood-stained sword tips protruding from their chests, and then collapsed heavily into the filth and blood.

Only then did Gerion slowly pace forward, his gaze sweeping over the remaining eight guards.

Their faces were spattered with blood and filth, their eyes filled with terror and numbness.

Gerion's voice was frigid: "On the ruins of Valyria, under the banner of the Lannister, put away your useless mercy. Your swords should only point where I command. If you dare to disobey my order, remember their fate!"

Finally, his cruel eyes locked firmly onto Liu Qian, who was the only one still standing in the center of the encirclement.

Liu Qian took a deep breath. His steel sword remained gripped tightly, the tip slanting toward the ground.

Despite his tattered clothes and the blood covering his body, deep within those black eyes burned a strange calmness and vigilance.

This unusual composure made a trace of startled suspicion flash through the depths of Gerion Lannister's eyes, a man who was well-accustomed to fear and supplication.

"Come with me. Kill this brat-this brat stole my guard's sword and is a thorny opponent."

Gerion raised his still-dripping blade, pointing the tip straight at Liu Qian, his voice carrying a hint of wariness.

The eight guards immediately adjusted their postures, their sword tips pointing uniformly at Liu Qian as the encirclement tightened further.

Liu Qian frowned inwardly.

He had still underestimated Gerion Lannister's bottom line.

He had not wanted to waste precious magic power on these people.

Right now, however, he seemed to have no choice.

Yet he had just fought a fierce battle and needed some time to recover his stamina, so he intended to buy some time.

Liu Qian looked straight at Gerion, speaking in the Common Tongue: "My lord, why must you drive us to absolute ruin?"

Gerion Lannister's advancing steps halted abruptly.

A trace of bewilderment flashed across his cold, rigid face as he looked Liu Qian up and down.

"You speak the Common Tongue, and so fluently? Just who are you? A slave from Yidi, how could you possibly..."

Liu Qian interrupted him: "My lord, I am indeed a slave from Yidi. As for the Common Tongue, during the long voyage, I learned it bit by bit by listening with my ears and watching with my eyes."

"Hah."

Gerion let out a short, cold laugh: "Only those unseen bastards know how to learn the ways of survival in the shadows like rats.

You saw how I deal with disobedient ones and useless waste. You stole this sword from my dead guard and used it to cling to life until now. From the very moment you stole it, every breath of air you draw at this moment is a debt you owe the Lannister. Every second, the interest accumulates, and you must die!"

His words were like a cold noose, tightening bit by bit.

Liu Qian's heart sank.

He truly could not understand why this Gerion Lannister was so insane.

Liu Qian said coldly:

"Debt? I don't recall ever owing you anything. Ever since Volantis, you haven't treated us people as human beings-not to mention your guards, whom you toyed with and abused at will like pets. You enjoy the feeling of wielding this power, don't you? But, my lord, one day perhaps you will pay the price for your cruelty."

Gerion's face twisted further at the dark-haired slave's sarcasm; he had never seen a slave dare to defy his master like this.

The surging anger within him made his veins bulge, and he raged: "Sharp-tongued brat! In the Seven Kingdoms, someone like you would have died long ago in some unknown gutter, serving as dinner for the rats. Perhaps other families would let you go, but I am a Lannister, and a Lannister..."

Half-joking, with a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Liu Qian said:

"A Lannister Always Pays His Debts, right?"

He had already resolved to leave all these people here; even if it consumed the meager magic power he had left, he could not let this damned Gerion stay alive.

Liu Qian's words were like a bolt from the blue, striking fiercely down upon Gerion Lannister's head.

Gerion froze entirely!

A humble slave from thousands of miles away, an ant that had been struggling in the claws of a monster just moments ago, had actually spoken this proverb-one even more widely known than their family motto, "Hear Me Roar"?

How could

this be?!

And what did this mean?

In an instant, countless thoughts surged wildly in Gerion's mind.

He recalled memories buried deep in his heart, and as he looked at Liu Qian, his gaze changed completely.

Liu Qian caught the violent wavering in Gerion's eyes and wanted to continue speaking.

Right at that moment.

!!!!!!!!!!--Screeeech

A bizarre, terrifying shriek of the utmost horror erupted without warning from deep within the thick, heavy layer of clouds rolling with ominous red light far across the distant sky!