The old King of the Fufeng Kingdom looked up at Sun Fei, a complex expression appearing in his eyes.
He knew that his son had always regarded King of Chambord as his greatest rival during his lifetime. After the Imperial Martial Combat Competition a year ago, he practiced swordsmanship even more frantically, almost as if he were possessed, hoping to make a breakthrough in martial arts and rise again to defeat King of Chambord.
Who would have thought that the person who cleared his son's name would be his former greatest martial arts rival, now that his son had died unjustly? The world is like a tide, and people are like water; life is unpredictable!
"Thank you, sir, for clearing our master's name." The burly men who had been tortured knelt on the ground in gratitude for Sun Fei's kindness.
Sun Fei didn't say anything more. He pointed a finger and severed the iron hooks on the shoulder blades of the men, turning them into powder without harming their wounds. He switched to [ Paladin Mode ], and a wisp of golden Holy Power radiated out, healing their injuries. Although they weren't completely healed, they weren't serious. With proper care for another two or three months, they would recover.
These men were all loyal and righteous, and Sun Fei had a good impression of them.
"Quick, come here, Little Luffy, come here quickly Martial Saint! Quickly Martial Saint for saving your life!" The pretty young woman didn't think as much as the old King. She was full of gratitude and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. Seeing that her son could finally live and that the bloodline of [ One Sword ] could be preserved, the young woman almost regarded Sun Fei as a god.
Sun Fei made a gesture of support in mid-air, and an invisible force helped the Prince Consort of [ One Sword ] to her feet.
"You must be Uncle Alexander? Thank you for saving Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and Uncle Dika. You're such a good person!" Little Luffy was a bit thin, his skin was tanned to a healthy wheat color by the Sun, and his big, dark eyes were endearing. He spoke in a childish voice, but he pretended to be a little adult, which was quite amusing.
He seemed completely unfazed, tugging at Sun Fei's sleeve and saying pitifully, "When my father was alive, he once told me, just the two of us, that King of Chambord Alexander was a true hero, the person he most wanted to defeat, yet also the person he most admired... Uncle Alexander, I don't know where my father went. Why don't you teach me martial arts? Luffy wants to become a great hero like my father and you!"
"Oh?"
Sun Fei never expected that [ One Sword ] would have privately praised him in this way before his death. To receive such praise from an opponent—wasn't that a kind of achievement?
Looking at Luffy's large eyes, which were brimming with sincerity and expectation, His Majesty the King finally smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, if you're willing to become my disciple, from today onwards, you will be my second apprentice!"
Sun Fei didn't just agree on a whim.
Now that [ One Sword ] has died in battle, the elite warriors of the Fufeng Kingdom had already been almost entirely wiped out when they followed the First Prince Arshavin on his southern expedition against the Spartak Empire. They had also suffered severe punishment from the empire, so their reputation and strength must have plummeted. It is feared that not only will they be unable to maintain their status as a first-class vassal state, but they will even have difficulty becoming a fourth or fifth-class vassal state.
Because [ One Sword ] was aloof and unsociable in his lifetime, he had offended many noble groups and powerful forces within the empire. Although he had saved the Fufeng Kingdom today, it was inevitable that some people would find various excuses to cause trouble for the Fufeng Kingdom and make things difficult for the only bloodline of [ One Sword ] left in the world. In this cold and cruel world, such a situation where everyone falls from grace is not uncommon.
Sun Fei can't always be by Little Luffy's side to protect him.
However, if Little Luffy as his disciple, the little guy would instantly become a disciple of the Empire-Protecting Martial Saint of the Empire, his status and position soaring to new heights. With Sun Fei's strength, reputation, and his well-known protective nature, from then on, no one in the Zenit Empire would dare to make things difficult for Little Luffy, and it's unlikely anyone would even consider targeting the Fufeng Kingdom, which has a Martial Saint disciple.
Sun Fei's words caused the old King of the Fufeng Kingdom to light up with excitement, his old eyes filled with barely concealed emotion. He was thinking of the Fufeng Kingdom's future peace of mind.
The charming young woman was overjoyed. As a mother, her first thought was about her son's future. Becoming a disciple of the Imperial Mythical Martial Saint, Great Sun-Rank Venerable, was something that countless young talents of the Empire would dream of. Even for the imperial family's children and the geniuses of powerful noble families, it was an unattainable dream!
"Quickly, child, Little Luffy, quickly perform the apprenticeship ceremony, quick, quick, kneel down and call him master!" The pretty young woman was so excited that she didn't know what to say, and tears streamed down her face again. Afraid that the Martial Saint would change his mind, she hurriedly pulled her son over and almost pressed his little head down to make him perform the apprenticeship ceremony.
"Master, I, Luffy, am willing to become your disciple and serve you wholeheartedly. I will listen to your teachings, diligently cultivate martial arts, and strive to become a super strong person like you as soon as possible. I will never let Old Man down!" The little guy was obviously very excited. He knelt down and kowtowed properly in his childish voice, looking like a little adult, which was very endearing.
Sun Fei was amused by his appearance; it seemed this land was quite endearing after all.
This scene must have been the envy of countless people around them.
Everyone was marveling at how incredibly lucky this youngest son of [ One Sword ] had become a disciple of the Empire's supreme God of War so easily. It was truly a blessing in disguise; from now on, his future would be limitless, and no one would dare to provoke him within the Zenit Empire.
Many young people even considered becoming his disciples at that moment, but when they saw the young yet imposing figure on the execution platform, they couldn't muster the courage and started to back down, knowing that their aptitude was too poor and that the Martial Saint would not accept such a disciple.
"Alright, from now on, you are my second disciple. You also have a senior brother named Philip Inzaghi, whom you will meet later. Okay, that's all for today. Now, you, your grandparents, and your mother go back and pack your things, say goodbye to your friends and relatives, and come find me at Martial Saint Mountain tomorrow at noon!"
Sun Fei took the Martial Saint Token back from the executioner and handed it to Little Luffy. After speaking, he flashed away, a golden streak of light streaking across the sky, and he disappeared instantly.
A cheer erupted from the crowd, and it took them a long time to stand up from the ground.
Everyone's face was filled with excitement, and they couldn't wait to go back and tell their friends and family about their amazing adventures. Haha, I really didn't expect that just by coming to watch an execution, I would run into the legendary Martial Saint of the empire. This is just too good to be true.
First update.