The king's furious shouts were like a volley of sharp arrows, each one piercing someone's heart.
Many veterans lowered their heads, hiding their eyes from others, but their bodies shook so violently with emotion that they betrayed how they felt. Some younger soldiers could no longer hold back their sobs, though it was unclear whether they were crying from hurt or happiness.
The white-haired powerhouse Pierce, Squadron Leader Brook, and even Frank Lampard, the strongest fighter in Chambord City, who stood quietly in the distance, could not help feeling their blood boil at Sun Fei's words. They felt something surging and burning wildly in their chests.
Military Judge Conca, meanwhile, looked scared out of his wits.
He knelt there in a daze, even forgetting to slap himself. It was unclear whether he was ashamed or trying to figure out how to deal with the king's fury.
"In Chambord City, you are military law? Then what the hell am I, the king?"
Sun Fei bellowed again and kicked the kneeling Conca over. Then he turned to Brook and asked, "Captain Goethe Brook, tell me: a military judge fled on the eve of battle, offended the king's majesty before the battle, and trampled on Chambord City's military law whenever he pleased. How should this string of crimes be punished under the king's law?"
"He should be executed for treason!" Brook answered honestly.
Sun Fei looked at Conca, who was struggling to get up, and asked coldly, "Did you hear that? Do you have anything else to say?"
Only then did Military Judge Conca begin to panic.
He was truly panicking.
Though his strength at the peak of a One-Star Warrior meant he had no fear of Brook or these soldiers, the distant figure of Frank Lampard, the strongest fighter in Chambord City, bore down on him like a towering mountain range, exerting tremendous pressure he could hardly withstand. Clearly, if Alexander was determined to kill him, Lampard could unquestionably take his head in an instant.
"Your Majesty, forgive my crimes! Your Majesty, spare me! I won't dare do it again!"
Conca crawled over and clung to Sun Fei's leg, weeping and pleading. All his former swagger had vanished.
"You want me to spare you? Ask them. Do you think they'll agree?" Sun Fei asked, pointing at the soldiers on the wall.
No one answered.
But the soldiers' angry gazes as they looked at Military Judge Conca said it all.
Conca had never dreamed that a day would come when he would have to beg the lowly soldiers he despised most to spare him in order to save his life. When he thought of what he had done over the past two years, he knew these serfs, now that they had gained the upper hand, would never spare him.
Conca understood that King Alexander had deliberately chosen to make an example of him today.
He pinned his last hope on Herald Bazel.
Ever since he had gained Bazel's favor, Conca had done many things that earned him people's scorn in order to curry favor with the true power holder of Chambord City. He hoped Bazel would turn the situation around and save him, as he had so many times before.
But to Conca's disappointment, the old ghost in red robes stood there without any reaction. He did not even glance at Conca, his serene expression making it seem as though he did not know him at all.
When Conca looked up again, he saw Alexander watching him with a cold smile.
The gazes of the surrounding soldiers were like knives, as though they wanted nothing more than to skin him and eat his flesh.
Everyone had turned against him!
"Your Majesty, then how do you intend to deal with me?" Conca began to calm down.
Without even looking at him, Sun Fei raised his head and addressed everyone on the wall in a ringing voice. "Military Judge Conca fled in the face of battle, offended the king's majesty, and wantonly trampled on military law. Under the laws of the kingdom, he is found guilty of treason and sentenced to death!"
Having finally seized an opportunity, how could Sun Fei let it pass? Military Judge Conca was clearly a trusted subordinate of Herald Bazel and had thrown the entire army into disarray. Judging by the soldiers' expressions, he was obviously unpopular. A man like that had to be eliminated without mercy, root and branch. Not only would that remove an opponent, it would also establish military authority before the battle. Thus, Sun Fei had made up his mind from the very beginning and would give him no chance at all.
As soon as the order was given, the soldiers on the wall burst into uncontrollable cheers.
But just then-
"You want me dead? Then don't expect to live either, you idiot!"
With a roar like a cornered beast making one last struggle, Conca, who had been clinging to Sun Fei's leg, sprang up and attacked. An earthy-yellow aura flickered around him, a sign that he was about to advance to a Two-Star Warrior. Conca had already been at the peak of a One-Star Warrior when he arrived in Chambord City two years ago, but two years of luxurious living had kept his strength from improving. Unexpectedly, faced with a desperate situation today, he had shown signs of a breakthrough.
Faster than anyone could react, Conca jumped up and clamped his right hand around Sun Fei's neck.
The once-arrogant military judge was now like a beaten dog. Amid the crowd's cries of alarm, he shouted like a madman, "All of you, get back! Damn it... stay away from me! Anyone comes closer, and I'll slaughter this idiot king!"
Brook, Pierce, and the soldiers were horrified.
The crowd surged around him, pointing sabers, spears, swords, hammers, forks, and even all manner of broken farm tools at Conca, who was fighting like a cornered beast.
"Let His Majesty go, you gutless bastard!" Pierce roared, brandishing his twin hammers.
Brook looked tense as well. Although Alexander had previously shown the strength to kill a One-Star Warrior in an instant, the Dou Qi aura flickering around Conca showed that he had advanced to two-star, and he had attacked without warning. Terrified that something might happen to the king, Brook hurriedly said, "Conca, release His Majesty Alexander. I swear on my honor as a warrior before His Highness the God of War that you will be allowed to leave Chambord City alive and continue working as a mercenary!"
"A mercenary? Hahaha, you want me to go back to living from day to day as a mercenary?" Conca had gone completely mad. He laughed wildly like a lunatic. "Do you think I'd still be a qualified mercenary after two years of debauchery in Chambord City? I never want to risk my life for a single gold coin again... I need gold coins and two fast horses. Go get them ready!"
While Conca's attention was diverted, Frank Lampard, the strongest fighter in Chambord City, slowly moved forward. The massive black sword on his back trembled slightly as he gauged the distance, considering how to save the king and deliver a fatal blow...
But-
Conca noticed.
He immediately screamed like a startled rat, "Don't come any closer! Lord Lampard, don't come closer. Please stand farther away... farther! I know I'm no match for you, but at this distance, do you believe I can snap this idiot king's neck before you make a move?"
With no other choice, Lampard could only retreat a little for the time being.
No one had expected things to come to this.
Brook and Pierce were frantic and did not know what to do. If they could, they would have taken Sun Fei's place without hesitation, but...
Among the crowd, only Herald Bazel remained impassive.
A glint of cold light flickered in the old red-robed ghost's narrowed eyes, while a trace of surprise and delight stirred deep within them. He prayed silently, You fool, stop wasting your breath! Kill him, kill him! Hehe, that would save me a lot of trouble...
"Hurry up and get the gold coins and horses ready! Hurry!"
Surrounded by the crowd, with blades and spears pointed at him, their edges gleaming coldly in the morning light, Military Judge Conca was intensely nervous and shouted at them to hurry like a man possessed.
But-
"There's no need to get them ready!" Sun Fei, who had been silent since Conca seized his neck, suddenly spoke.
"What did you say?" Conca was taken aback.
"I said there's no need to get those things ready, because no matter how many gold coins you get, you won't have a chance to enjoy them." Sun Fei stared calmly at Conca and patiently explained, word by word.
His calm expression made it seem as though Conca were the one being held by the neck, not him.
Already tense and agitated, Conca flew into a rage. "Haha, no chance to enjoy them? Little idiot, why don't you tell me why?"
"Because you-are-about-to-die."
"What?"
Before Conca could react, his whole body suddenly stiffened. An intense pain shot through his abdomen, as if someone had smashed his internal organs in an instant. He did not even have time to tighten his grip on Sun Fei's neck before all the strength drained from his body. Then the world began to spin, and he flew upward.
The sudden turn of events drew cries of shock from all along the wall.
What had happened?
Many people were stunned.
As they saw it, the young King Alexander, who had been held hostage, had suddenly acted. He had simply raised his hand and lightly punched Conca in the abdomen, as though playing around without a care...
The next second.
The flickering Dou Qi aura that represented a Two-Star Warrior's formidable strength shattered and rapidly vanished. Conca's feet left the ground, and his whole body flew upward.
The crowd was still in shock.
Without a word, Sun Fei took a spear from a soldier beside him and hurled it into the air.
Swoosh!
A sharp whistle sounded as a cold light flashed.
The spear flew like a massive siege crossbow bolt, howling as though it would devour a soul.
Still in midair, Conca had no time even to scream before the spear pierced him precisely through the heart. Its immense momentum carried his body hurtling backward until it pinned him firmly to the stone wall of the gatehouse. His hands and feet twitched a few times, his head lolled to one side, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He was clearly as dead as could be.
The crisis was over.
Another instant kill?!
He had killed a second-tier warrior in an instant.
Though they had already witnessed far too many miracles involving this young king, everyone, including Frank Lampard, the strongest fighter in Chambord City, was stunned once again.
The difference in strength between a One-Star Warrior and a Two-Star Warrior was more than just a number.
On the Azeroth Continent, warriors' strength was classified according to the heavenly bodies, into three ranks: sun, moon, and star.
This was today's first update.
Thanks for your support, brothers.
There would be two more updates.
They would probably come in the evening and late at night, respectively. There were no chapters in reserve, and Daozi was writing like mad.
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