Chapter 328
Najenda had been right.
The veteran executioner responsible for lingchi truly was a master of his craft.
He kept Honest alive for three full days and nights, taking exactly one thousand cuts before finally allowing him to die.
Thus, surrounded by endless fear and agony, Honest brought his thoroughly rotten life to an end.
The execution was not only witnessed by ordinary citizens.
Many nobles and bureaucrats who had also been arrested were forced to sit in the viewing area and watch the entire process.
Honest’s fate terrified those pampered officials out of their wits.
One after another, they spilled everything they knew, confessing so quickly it was as though they were emptying sacks of beans onto the floor, begging only for a quick death in return.
Thanks to their cooperation, remnants of the old regime throughout the Imperial Capital and the provinces were systematically exposed and uprooted.
Officials, criminal intermediaries, private enforcers, and every other kind of parasite that had preyed upon the population were dragged into the light.
Centuries of accumulated darkness were swept away in one enormous purge.
Countless civilians celebrated, and the foundations of the new government became considerably more stable.
Of course, a newly rebuilt country had far too many problems demanding attention.
There was no way justice could reach every corner at once.
And where its sunlight had not yet arrived—darkness continued to thrive.
...
Koken Temple.
"Master, please take a look. This is top-quality fox fur. I spent three full days and nights waiting in the mountains before I finally caught the beast."
A young hunter stood before a monk with a carefully preserved pelt in both hands, bowing and scraping as he spoke.
"Look at the color. That red is glossy enough to resemble fire itself. And there isn’t a single tear anywhere on the hide. This is the finest of the finest."
"If I sold it in the city, it would easily be worth more than a hundred gold coins."
"Mm."
The bald monk in front of him was fat enough that his face had nearly disappeared beneath folds of flesh.
He carefully inspected the pelt and repeatedly nodded.
"Not bad."
"Excellent quality."
Then he casually reached out and took it.
"All right. I’ll accept this little tribute. At least you showed some proper respect."
With that, he turned to leave.
The hunter froze.
Seeing that the monk really intended to walk away, he hurried around and blocked his path.
"Master, please wait!"
"You must have forgotten. You told me before that if I brought you one gold coin’s worth of tribute, I could redeem my wife."
"Did I say that?"
The bald monk looked genuinely puzzled.
"Of course you did!"
The hunter’s expression became frantic.
"Master, you can’t go back on your word!"
He had barely raised his voice when the monk’s fist smashed into his chest.
BOOM!
The young man flew backward.
His chest caved inward, shattered bone piercing through his internal organs.
There was no saving him.
"Master... you..."
"A filthy peasant dares raise his voice at me?"
The monk snorted.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to see your wife?"
"Once you’re dead, you can go meet her."
Then he grinned.
"Speaking of her, your wife really wasn’t much fun."
"She didn’t even last a full day."
"What rotten luck."
"You...!"
The hunter’s eyes bulged with hatred.
He desperately wanted to stand and tear the demon apart with his bare hands, but all he could do was cough out mouthful after mouthful of blood.
Within moments, his body went still.
"Hmph. Another one who couldn’t take a joke."
The monk turned away and began humming a vulgar song as he walked toward the rear courtyard.
"Oh? Senpai, you’re here?"
Another monk approached him with a grin.
"We got quite a few beautiful women pawned off to us today. Have you decided how you want to play with them?"
"Hehe. Me? I was thinking—"
Whoosh—!
A streak of light fell from the sky.
It pierced directly through the monk’s heart and pinned him to the ground.
The monk beside him stared in horror before screaming at the top of his lungs.
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
The entire temple immediately erupted into activity.
Large numbers of monks rushed out from the surrounding buildings.
Some were half-dressed and reeked of perfume, looking more like brothel customers.
Some wore gold and jewels like nouveau riche merchants.
Others carried meat and wine as though they were tavern guests.
But not a single one looked like an actual monk.
"Well."
A light chuckle came from above.
"Looks like we definitely came to the right place."
Several figures descended from the sky.
It was Kiriya and the others.
"It’s them!"
The monks immediately recognized the group.
Their expressions changed dramatically.
Kiriya had not even said anything yet when many of them turned and fled in every direction.
"Barrier: Four Red Yang Formation."
Four Shadow Clones appeared around the temple grounds and raised an enormous crimson barrier.
Several monks had no idea what it was and ran straight into it.
They were instantly burned to ash.
"You really intend to kill every last one of us?"
The leading monk roared.
"Aren’t you afraid we’ll drag you down with us?"
"The fish are definitely dying."
Kiriya drew his sword.
"As for whether the net breaks... that’s another question."
Behind him, the girls drew their weapons as well, murderous intent filling the air.
"Kill them!"
Realizing there was no escape, the monks’ eyes turned red as they roared and charged.
What greeted them was a dazzling storm of sword light.
It took less than the time required to burn a stick of incense.
The once-crowded Koken Temple had become a river of blood.
"Ryuu, Jeanne."
Kiriya looked toward the rear courtyard.
"Go release the people they imprisoned."
"Let them take whatever they can carry from the warehouses."
The two girls nodded and immediately went to do as he instructed.
Kiriya, meanwhile, turned toward the temple abbot still lying below.
A demonic smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Be good."
He crouched down.
"Tell me where you keep all your medicinal ingredients."
The abbot trembled violently.
"If I tell you... will you spare my life?"
Kiriya smiled.
"Do you really think you’re in a position to negotiate?"
...
Northern Border of the Empire.
Countless cavalrymen surged across the frontier like a tidal wave.
Cities and settlements fell one after another beneath their hooves.
Wherever the invaders passed, suffering followed.
"Kill them!"
"Hahaha! Those women are mine!"
"Kill as many as you want!"
"Gold! Hand over all your gold!"
War spread like wildfire.
Homes that had once been peaceful enough were reduced to ash.
"Mom! I’m scared!"
"Please don’t kill my child!"
"You beasts! Give me back my father!"
Countless civilians screamed, cried, and fought desperately, struggling only to survive in a world collapsing around them.
But war was cruel.
Scattered individuals were incomparably fragile before organized violence.
One Imperial force was still holding a defensive position, but under such relentless assault, it was obvious they would not last much longer.
"Hmph! Crush those Imperial dogs!"
The commander of the invading army was a prince of the northern tribes.
He was famous for his bravery in battle and enjoyed considerable prestige among his people.
The prince raised his riding crop and pointed toward the distant town.
"Take that city!"
"Once it falls, you have three days to do whatever you want!"
"All wealth and women are yours. Nothing needs to be turned over!"
"OOOOOOH—!"
The already-high morale of the tribal cavalry instantly surged even further.
Seeing that reaction, the prince was filled with satisfaction.
The achievements from this campaign alone would raise his prestige among the tribes to an entirely new level.
He might even gain enough support to replace his own father.
Once he became king and unified the tribe’s strength, he could march south again, conquer this vast and fertile land in one campaign, and sit upon the supreme throne himself.
"Hahaha!"
The thought alone made him abandon all restraint.
"Hahahahaha!"
Then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!
Countless green lights suddenly poured from the sky like a violent rainstorm.
Explosions ripped through the tribal formation.
Within moments, several thousand cavalrymen were dead or incapacitated.
The prince’s eyes immediately turned bloodshot.
These soldiers were his personal foundation.
They were the capital he intended to use to dominate the world.
Who the hell dared attack him?
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
His generals screamed themselves hoarse.
Several rushed over and tried to pull the prince backward.
But the prince himself possessed astonishing physical strength.
Even with multiple men straining together, they could barely move him.
At that moment—
a blue figure descended from the sky.
Esdeath landed before the furious prince.
Her lips curved upward.
"I hear you’re pretty good at fighting."
"A woman?"
𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
The prince’s rage immediately intensified.
Since when had random women been allowed to climb over his head and act arrogantly?
Fight.
He had to beat her down personally.
With that thought, the prince tore himself free from his subordinates, spurred his horse forward, and charged Esdeath with his saber raised high.
"Hehe."
Esdeath smiled.
"I hope you can last a little longer than the others."
The next instant—freezing air exploded from her body.
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