Three knights stood in front of the King. From their tall and straight backs, it could be seen that they were not like those aristocratic dandies who only wore fine armor and then brag about themselves in front of women. They were real soldiers.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

The Duke of Buckingham ordered them to kneel, but the King stopped him.

“If I remember correctly.” The King stroked the spine of the book with fingers paler than that of ordinary people. “You were also among the morning crowd, carrying your swords.”

When his words were spoken, not only the knights, but even the Duke of Buckingham seemed a little surprised.

There were more than two hundred people there to witness the execution. The three knights had been among the crowd, and as they were about to draw their swords they were stopped by the Duke. When the King arrived, they were already hidden in the crowd, and none of them had thought that the King would remember them clearly.

“Yes.”

The leading knight replied briefly and coldly.

The Duke was angered by his apparent deliberate confrontation with the King, but the King placed his hand on the old Duke’s hand in a calming manner.

“Act more appropriately to the situation, Mr.”

“……Yes, Your Majesty.”

The knight reluctantly added the honorific title.

“Go ahead, tell me what you plan to do.”

It was impossible to distinguish the King’s emotions at the moment, whether from his expression or from his tone of voice. Just as he could praise Earl Walter’s courage in one moment and then swing a ruthless whip at him in the next, he had always been capricious and volatile. He would seem gentle and calm in one moment, but then in the next moment he would erupt into a terrifying rage.

“We intended to assassinate you in four days.”

After they started, it became easier to explain the rest of the matter.

The leading knight came from an aristocratic family from the north, Viscount Moore. He was once exiled because his elder brother angered the Holy Church. It was the old Duke of Buckingham who discovered his military talents and helped him restore his title and reputation. Since then, he had remained loyal to the Duke.

The King was not surprised that they wanted to avenge the Duke and assassinate him.

After the Duke of Buckingham was thrown into prison by the King, they wanted to break him out of the prison. But they have followed the Duke for many years, and knew of the Duke’s loyalty to the King——he would rather die in prison than let his nephew face the ridicule “look, even his uncle conspired against him.”

They were determined to make the King pay the price for his cruelty after the Duke was executed.

The time was set for September 21, the day when Bressi and Legrand would be holding negotiations over the battle not long ago. The King would leave the palace and personally arrive in the city of Truu near the border.

They were also in the negotiating team as the knights who had taken part in the battle with Bressi. At that time, they had the opportunity to get close to the King and complete the assassination.

For this reason, they have even prepared weapons.

“What weapon?”

The King was indifferent to the reasons behind the assassination attempt. He tilted his head and looked at the knights in front of him, as if he was more interested in how they planned to kill him.

Moore, who was able to fearlessly confess his treason in front of the King, suddenly paused. With a guilty conscience, he looked at the Duke of Buckingham who was sitting on the side.

“Speak.”

The lines on the Duke’s face became hard, as if he was wearing an iron mask. This was the prelude to his impending rage. On the battlefield, this was exactly what he looked like as he charged into the enemy’s formation and cut them all down.

Moore gritted his teeth, his face showing shame, and remained silent.

The King patted his uncle’s hand: “I want to ask them a few questions privately.”

After a pause, he turned his head a little uncomfortably and added: “……my dear uncle.”

Since he was officially crowned, he had rarely called his uncle so affectionately. Hearing this, the Duke of Buckingham’s anger dissipated. Although he still looked harsh and stern, his blue eyes clearly shone with moisture: “If this is your will.”

He stood up, gave the three knights a warning look, and then left.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

Only Zhu Chi and the three knights remained in the room.

“Go ahead.”

The figure of the Duke disappeared at the door, and the King withdrew his eyes.

“Are you not worried about us taking the opportunity to commit murder?”

“If you dare.” The King replied indifferently as he leaned on the back of the burgundy velvet chair, the diamond pin on his shoulder shining brilliantly, “I am sitting right here.”

Moore was silent for a while, then took the lead and slowly knelt down on one knee. He took something concealed in his clothes and offered it with both hands. Seeing such a thing, the King knew why he was unwilling to take it out in front of the Duke.

It was an exquisitely crafted crossbow.

Moreover, the tip of the arrow that accompanied the crossbow had been dipped in poison.

It was not difficult to imagine that as a knight who had pledged to the King with his soul and life, the Duke of Buckingham would be furious when he sees his subordinates actually use this “cursed object” against the King. This meant that his subordinates not only violated the knight’s chivalry he believed in, but also viciously hoped that the soul of the King would go to hell after his death.

This was one of the reasons the Holy Church gave for why they prohibited the use of crossbows.

They claimed that this cursed object was the weapon of the devil, and the souls of those killed by it would be taken away by the devil to be tortured by hellfire from then on.

In this era, such an end would undoubtedly be daunting.

“The soul will be taken away by the devil? Dragged to hell?”

Moore lowered his head and heard the King laugh lowly. He was completely bewildered by this mercurial monarch, not knowing what the other meant.

“What kind of poison?”

The King raised the crossbow and held it up against the fire from the fireplace. This crossbow used for assassination was much more compact than the one he had found urgently before, and it was indeed very suitable for assassination from a very short distance.

“Nightshade.”

“Vengeance? Not bad, it’s very romantic,” said the King.

Zhu Chi lowered his eyes and looked at the crossbow in his hand.

His words seemed to be praises, but his face looked cold under the fire of the fireplace. The toxin of the nightshade could take the life of a war horse in a very short time. Since the Duke of Buckingham’s subordinates prepared such a method to deal with him, and if they succeed, he would definitely end in death, and not just blinded.

In other words, they were not the assassins who really made the King lose his eyes.

The trail ended here.

Zhu Chi raised his hand and pulled the trigger.

Moore heard the slight sound of the crossbow trigger. He closed his eyes subconsciously, ready to welcome his death——when he stepped into this room, he no longer had any hope of whether he could get out alive.

The sound of a sharp arrow whistling through the air could be heard.

Moore could feel the cold wind almost against his scalp.

After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes.

The King was playing with the crossbow, and the arrow on it was no longer there. Moore turned his head and with his excellent vision he could see that the arrow had deeply penetrated the fresco behind him. It was a picture of a banquet, and the poisoned arrow had plunged directly into the throat of a knight in the painting.

Moore’s throat moved slightly, and he raised his head to meet the King’s eyes.

When facing those icy blue eyes, Moore realized that the King was indeed the nephew of the Duke, their gazes were exactly the same.

“You are the last person in the world who should kill the Lord Duke.” Moore could not help but say, “He spent a lifetime of effort for you and for the Legrand Empire.”

“These are not your own words.”

Suddenly, the King grasped onto something in his statement, and his eyes became piercing like daggers.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

“Who told you this?”

Zhu Chi was flipping through the collection of books that recorded the history of the Legrand Empire.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

In fact, the Mohn Castle he was now in was also his “burial place” to some extent.

The gift that the devil gave him was knowledge of the fate line of Pureland I. If according to the original trajectory, on the seventh day after the execution of the Duke of Buckingham, the King would encounter an assassination. In this assassination, the King would lose his eyes.

The blind was not qualified to govern a kingdom.

Three months later, a coup d’etat occurred in the royal city. The citizens who were dissatisfied with the rule of the tyrant used this as a reason to drive the King from the throne. Four months later, in accordance with the will of the Holy See, the great nobles tried Pureland in a public trial, and he was hanged in front of Mohn Tower——in the same place his uncle was executed.

This line of fate seemed very useful.

According to normal logic, if you knew what would happen in the future, you could naturally avoid it.

But Zhu Chi had not forgotten that this was a gift from the devil.

Just as it was not stated in the line of fate that Pureland’s order to cancel the death penalty was intercepted, many things were deliberately obscured such as: what was the identity of the assassin? Who instigated it?……All key information had been hidden or even deliberately misrepresented.

——This was a typical “devil’s gift”.

If Zhu Chi really depended on this line of fate, then he was the number one fool.

The crisis had not yet passed. After saving the Duke of Buckingham, he must immediately figure out——who his enemy was and where did the assassination a few days later will come from?

“Your Majesty, the Lord Duke……”

The Master of the Households spoke up hesitantly.

When they had rushed to Mohn from the palace, the Master of the Households thought it was just another arbitrary act by the King. But when they arrived at the castle and saw the high guillotine platform, the soul of the Master of Households was nearly frightened away. Had it not been for the King coming all this way, they would now be holding a funeral for the Duke of Buckingham.

——It turned out that His Majesty had expected that someone would dare to intercept the King’s orders.

The Master of the Households couldn’t help but give rise to a little hope, feeling that His Majesty was not completely messimg around. But right now, the King’s utterly decisive “No” made him realize that the King was as unreasonable as ever.

Zhu Chi did not want to see the Duke of Buckingham.

Firstly, though it was true that he stopped the execution, but it was true that Pureland ordered the execution of his uncle. The relationship between uncle and nephew was actually very awkward. Secondly, Zhu Chi had not yet figured out how to face his uncle who was the closest to him, especially when the other was indeed very loyal to “him”.

It was not that Zhu Chi had never had relatives, but most of those “relatives” only looked forward to his early death.

That he would make a deal with the devil, they also have a share of the credit——the more they wanted him to die, the more he must stay alive.

The Master of the Households had on a bitter face as he stood to the side.

“Mr. Master of the Households, are you deaf?”

Zhu Chi raised his head, his unsmiling ice-blue eyes looked at Mr. Master of the Households standing at the door.

“Do I need to say it again?”

“No……no need……” The Master of the Households looked even more bitter, looking like he was stuck in a dilemma.

“Don’t make things difficult for your poor Master of Households anymore.”

A deep voice edged with a bit of the unyielding pertinacity that had been battle-tested suddenly sounded in the room. The Duke of Buckingham had at one point appeared behind the Master of Households. He was still wearing the dark robe from the morning execution, and his snow pale hair hung down to his shoulders. As an old man, his blue eyes appeared too clear and sharp.

It was not difficult to understand why Pureland rejected his only uncle so much. He simply looked too harsh and strict.

Zhu Chi closed the book and looked at the older man standing at the door.

The Master of the Households, who found himself in the crossfire between the two, had a pale face and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

“Your Majesty.”

The Duke of Buckingham did not look away.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

Zhu Chi waved his hand to let the Master of the Households retreat, which was basically a sign that he had finally acquiesced to the Duke of Buckingham having an audience with him.

The Duke walked into the room that was warm from the fireplace. He sat down a little further away to avoid bringing the cold air that had yet to disperse from his clothes to the King.

Zhu Chi noticed that the Duke of Buckingham’s complexion was not very good.

After all, he was already advanced in years, and on top of that he was detained in the infamous Mohn Tower for an entire month. And in that time, Pureland had never once visited him. Whether as a King or as a nephew, this was too heartless.

“Walter has left Mohn?”

Zhu Chi lowered his head and opened a book, not looking at the old Duke.

“Earl Walter is the nephew of Archbishop Chestermin, and the cardinal had already tried to persuade the Pope to excommunicate you from the Holy Church last month.” The Duke of Buckingham replied, “It is not a wise thing to anger the Pope.”

“Excellent.” Zhu Chi said, “It just happens to give me the perfect excuse to be able to confiscate the clergy’s property and land to collect a ransom of 20,000 pounds.”

The Duke became silent.

Zhu Chi finally looked up at him. The fire from the fireplace shone on his face, and with the mention of his captive son, the old man appeared even older.

“Your Majesty, I can guarantee that Johan is absolutely loyal to you.”

The old Duke replied.

Zhu Chi closed the heavy book with a bang.

The old Duke watched him silently with the eyes of not only a courtier watching his King, but of an old man watching the younger generation.

He suddenly became irritable.

“What about you?”

In an icy tone, he asked in a sharp voice.

“Are you loyal to me?”

“Yes.”

The old Duke stood up, knelt down on one knee in front of the young King, and performed a knightly oath of allegiance.

“I will always be loyal to you.”

The fire in the fireplace crackled, and the cold air of mid-winter mixed with the heated warmth of the fire. Zhu Chi’s hand pressing on the page of a book pressed down harder.

The old Duke stood up and leaned over to embrace his nephew who was sitting stiff in the chair. He gave the young King a blessed kiss that should have been given by his father.

“I apologize.”

Zhu Chi said softly, apologizing for Pureland who received much care and love but didn’t know how to cherish it.

“The King will bless you.”

The old Duke whispered. The King he spoke of was Pureland’s father, William III, who had died young.

Zhu Chi opened his arms hesitantly and embraced the old man.

………………

Neither Zhu Chi nor the Duke of Buckingham were accustomed to expressing their feelings. The embrace that symbolized reconciliation soon ended, and the two deliberately did not recall the tender scene from just now.

The old Duke did not forget his purpose of coming to meet the King.

“I am here to plead with you.”

“For Johan?”

“No, for my arrogant subordinates.” The old Duke sighed, “They planned a treacherous assassination attempt, which was supposed to be carried out in a few days. I ask you to punish them severely.”

Zhu Chi looked at the Duke of Buckingham.

“Would you be willing to see them?”

Zhu Chi rubbed the back of the book, he seemed to have found the general sequence of events behind the assassination that had resulted in Pureland losing his eyes. He nodded slightly.

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The old Duke clapped his hands and sternly commanded: “Get in here.”

September 17, 1432, seven o’clock in the morning.

The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, the fog drifting slightly from the cold wind. Half hidden by the fog, the gray Mohn Tower stood silently like a giant. Legrand’s winter came very early, the land already covered with frost and snow in September.

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The old Duke of Buckingham walked out of Mohn Tower, and the breeze lifted the pale hair at his temples.

This venerable man who had guarded the Legrand Empire for decades was tall and thin, dressed in dark clothes. Two pitiful young soldiers were responsible for escorting him. Although the old man was not wearing the luxurious clothes of his status, his prescence still awed. They did not dare to manhandle him and treat him like any other prisoner.

The Duke of Buckingham stood with a straight back in front of the tower, wintry blue eyes looking at the dark sky.

There were not many people who were here to witness the execution. Except for the armored guards, only about two hundred people were present. Count Walter, the lord of the Castle of Mohn, stood at the forefront of the crowd. On his left were the ambassador of the Kingdom of Plön to Legrand, the ambassador of the Holy Empire and the ambassador of the Empire of Bressi to Legrand. The rest were nobles with varying status.

Earl Walter took pleasure in the imminent disaster to befall this important man. Except for a small group of people like the earl, the rest of the viewers turned their heads to the side, unable to watch this tragedy.

The Duke of Buckingham calmly walked to the high execution platform and stood in front of the black tree stump. After he stood still, he swept his gaze over everyone present, stretched out his shackled hand, and pressed down like he did when he made speeches before marching on the next campaign, signaling the audience to be quiet.

According to custom, he began to deliver his dying speech.

After briefly entrusting his soul to the Creator, his voice became low and deep.

“……I ask everyone present to pray for our supreme King, and may the Lord bless him with health and a long life……”

His gaze fixed on the crowd.

Someone in the crowd pressed his waist knife into the sheath little by little under his sharp gaze.

Everyone bowed their heads and murmured a prayer for King Pureland I of Legrand.

Count Walter sneered in his heart.

Had dementia finally beset this old thing, he was actually still praying for his good-for-nothing nephew even at death.

Regardless of sincerity or falsehood, as the solemn prayers sounded lowly, an inexplicable emotion spread in the cold air.

The steward felt increasingly more anxious, and reminded the earl in his position behind him in a low voice that the execution should begin quickly.

“What can go wrong?”

The earl answered nonchalantly.

After the sad prayers ended, the execution officially began.

The executioner poured strong wine over the giant sword, its surface cold and reflective like a mirror. The Duke of Buckingham waved back the guard who was about to step forward. He voluntarily knelt down in front of the hardwood and leaned over without expression, his pale head resting on the stump.

Count Walter cleared his throat.

“I declare——”

He felt that he was quite awe-inspiring at this moment.

“Stop——”

The sharp voice cut through the cold air.

The voice came from afar, followed by the uproar of the crowd. A galloping horse arrived with a tall knight in armor and holding a sword in his hand. The soldiers who had already received orders erected their shields and drew out their swords to try to stop him. The knight rode his horse and relentlessly kicked the soldiers to the ground, cutting down several people.

“Who dares to be so audacious!”

Count Walter’s face changed, and he drew out his long sword with a “clang”.

At the same time, he was horrified, who could have the guards of the castle let them in without his consent?!

The knight who cut a hole in the wall of the guarding soldiers did not answer. He threw the long sword out, and the executioner on the high platform instantly fell. Only then did the knight dismounted his horse, holding the reins and stepping aside.

Count Walter angrily strode towards the knight.

The sound of hooves sounded once again. The new arrival was not just one person but two.

The horse that arrived slightly behind charged forward, kicking up a flurry of snow. And this newly arrived war horse was even more audacious, charging all the way without any regard or sign of stopping. The surrounding guards didn’t even have time to react when the horse charged in front of the earl, where it neighed shrilly and lifted its front legs, kicking out heavily.

The iron hooves kicked the earl in the chest, sending him to the ground.

The crowd flew into an uproar.

“Me.”

A cold voice sounded.

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The sun jumped out of the clouds, and the light of the sky suddenly casted down on all the flawless snow. In the dazzling morning light reflected by the ice and snow, the figure on the back of the horse looked down condescendingly on the fallen Earl Walter.

The earl’s voice was severed in his throat, and he remained paralyzed on the ground.

The person on horseback had ice blue eyes that were exactly the same as those of the Duke of Buckingham. Those eyes were the symbol of the House of Rose, the ruling family of the Legrand Empire. Silver-white hair flowed down the scarlet cloak, and the youth’s gaze was shrouded with an overbearing majesty and also, a frightening rage. The earl recognized him and understood why the guards had let him in without notice.

This was the King of Legrand.

Pureland I.

……………

“Roger de Walter.”

The young King in the scarlet cloak slowly recited the name of the owner of Mohn Castle, and anyone who knew the King knew that this was a prelude to his rage. He circled slowly around the earl who was crouched on the ground in submission, twisting his whip in hands covered with moleskin gloves.

“I issued an order prohibiting the execution. I am very happy that you are so brave, so fearless.”

The young King, who was cultivated and trained to the best efforts with all the resources of a kingdom during a time of prosperity, had a bearing that was both elegant and noble. Every tone and syllable could be regarded as a model of upper class society.

But the earl trembled at this elegant tone. He ignored the pain of being kicked over by the horse’s hooves, and crawled toward the foot of the King’s horse on the snow.

The young King kicked him away from his perch on the horse, his eyes sinisterly dark. Suddenly his tone changed, becoming extremely terrifying: “Brave and fearless enough to violate my orders!”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

The earl straightened up suddenly, deathly panicked.

“The Holy Lord above! I would never dare to violate your orders! I have never received a second order from you……”

He seemed to suddenly see a life-saving rope and grabbed it with all his strength.

“Your Majesty! The messenger from the Imperial Conference did not arrive in Mohn County! Your Majesty!”

The whip snaked out like a viper, and snapped heavily on the earl. He grunted and the words were drawn back into his stomach.

“The messenger didn’t arrive?” The young King retracted his whip and his horse paced unhurriedly, his thin lips pulled into a sneer of contempt, “What does that matter? I only know that my order has been violated. Starting today, I will take back all the territories I once granted you——”

“Your Majesty!”

Two voices overlapped.

One was the pale-faced Earl Walter, and the other was another person in the crowd.

Zhu Chi raised his eyes.

An archbishop stepped out of the crowd holding a cross, and lowered his head in front of him: “Your Majesty the King, the Holy Lord teaches us to be tolerant. The good Earl had not received your second letter. May you have mercy and forgive him his sins.”

“Are you pleading for him? My good Bishop.”

Zhu Chi Wei narrowed his eyes slightly, an unkind tone lacing through his voice.

Everyone in Legrand knew that the conflict that lasted between the young King and the church was not a day or two. At this time, it seemed that a battle would break out once again between both sides.

The Master of the Households squeezed his hand nervously on the side. His Majesty did something improper last month, and his conflict with the Holy See had escalated to the point where he was about to be excommunicated from the church. At this time, it was undoubtedly very irrational to start a conflict with a bishop.

“My beloved Majesty, I believe your uncle will definitely support you in maintaining a loving heart.”

The bishop replied.

Everyone, including Zhu Chi, looked towards the platform.

The Duke of Buckingham had been released from the shackles. He stood on a high platform and looked down at his nephew who arrived unexpectedly. The Duke had his back to the light so it was difficult for people to see what his expression was, only seeing his black robe being blown by the wind. He slowly nodded to Zhu Chi.

No one dared to speak.

The two, nephew and uncle, looked at each other in a strange exchange.

Finally, Zhu Chi looked away without any expression.

“Since the messenger has disappeared in your territory,” Zhu Chi looked at the bishop coldly, but said to the earl, “I give you three days to find the intercepted messenger, or else——get out of Mohn County.”

The bishop opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but gave up in the end.

Logically speaking, the nobles obtained the land granted by the King, so they needed to be responsible for various affairs in the territory. However, the messenger set off from the palace and passed through at least three counties along the way. Everyone knew that the messenger was probably intercepted shortly after leaving the palace.

But at this moment, the King directly ignored these facts and declared the site of the messenger’s disappearance to be located in Mohn County, which was obviously a prelude to punishment in disguise.

But for a tyrant like the King, that he did not strip the earl of his title on the spot and throw him into prison was already considered a kind of concession.

The limp earl was dragged away.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Seeing that the Duke of Buckingham was invited off the guillotine, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bressi let out a faint sigh.

“What a cruel monarch.”

The ambassador of the Kingdom of Plön to Legrand also sighed, this was the first time he saw the King of Legrand who was rumored to be absolute and inviolable. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Plön looked at the Ambassador of Bressi.

“I really pity Legrand’s people.”

Ambassador of Bressi absent-mindedly replied with a few meaningless remarks.

He returned to the embassy and immediately spread out letter paper.

“My dear lord, our plan has fallen to the ground. We may need to carefully consider some more whether we want to help the Grand Duke seize the throne……I think we may have made some inaccurate estimations. The Holy Lord above, I hope this is just my misconception.”

This secret letter was sent out of Mohn County on the same day.

…………

In the study room in the castle.

Although Earl Walter was not stripped of his title at the time, since Zhu Chi was here, the one with highest authority of the castle naturally changed. He stayed in the study, flipping through the library.

The Master of the Households carefully knocked on the door and got permission to come in.

“Your Majesty, the Lord Duke wants to see you.”

He reported.

“No.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

The Master of the Households froze and looked at him in astonishment.

AN: The Tree Tyrant Classics: No, it’s meaningless, that’s all.

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The cavalry leader saw a silver light flashing from the carriage. He realized the gravity of the situation, but it was too late.

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Zhu Chi was simply a lunatic. He alone endured the pressure of the cavalry approaching, waiting until the distance between the two sides was reduced to within shooting range before he lifted the crossbow.

“Look out——”

The leader shouted.

Zhu Chi pulled the lever with hands covered in moleskin gloves. The axle in front slipped off the catch in the nut. The nut rolled and the bowstring was released (TN: not sure if I got the terms right). A flash of cold light shot out from the carriage like a meteor, and in a blink of an eye it came to the defenseless knights. The sharp arrow flew through the air, piercing the chain mail at the next moment.

Blood sprayed up, the leader’s grip on the rein loosened and he fell from the horse. The warhorses coming from behind trappled over his body.

“Crossbow!”

The other knights were shocked and angry.

As we all know, the crossbow was called a “cursed object”.

With simple training, ordinary farmers could even use it to shoot down knights. Even the finest chain mail could not hold up against it. Therefore, as early as more than three hundred years ago, it was absolutely forbidden to be used in warfare.

The anger of the knights had no effect on Zhu Chi in the carriage.

His pale blue eyes seemed to freeze into ice.

The sharp metal arrows pierced through the air continuously.

The rest of the cavalry fell one after another. They mistakenly believed their master’s words and regarded the lone King as a prey to be captured and killed. But at this time, the lonely carriage was no longer an easily obtainable reward, but a terrifying devil.

The cavalry became frightened and began to want to retreat.

Suddenly, the carriage body shook violently. Zhu Chi was not so lucky this time, and his shoulder slammed into the wall of the carriage firmly and his lip was cut by a tooth. He stuck out his tongue and licked it, tasting a familiar rusty flavor.

Under the moonlight, the last cavalryman could see the face of the person holding the bow in the carriage.

The King, regarded as “cruel but worthless”, had a delicate and pale face, a trace of scarlet on his thin lips, and a cursed weapon in his hand, appearing as if he had come from hell.

The cavalryman shivered and lost the courage to fight alone, turning his horse around and rushing into the night.

At this time, the crazed steeds had already rushed towards the wooden fence at the entrance of the canyon, pulling the carriage with them.

The soldiers guarding behind the wooden fence were frightened by the out of control carriage, throwing themselves out of the way on either sides. The steeds with white steam blowing out from their mouths and noses looked like the devil’s mounts, driving through the fence with the carriage in tow.

Thanks to the King’s carriage being made of hard oak and metal, it escaped the fate of falling apart, but only just.

The canyon was neither long nor short, and they had quickly arrived to the end of the stretch.

“Your Majesty! The bridge has been cut off!”

As soon as they had rushed out of the canyon, the Master of the Households was shocked by the scene in front of him, his face going pale. He frantically pulled the reins backwards, trying to stop the horses, his voice even changing a little because of panic.

Out of the gorge was the winding Doma River. At this time, it was midwinter, and the river bank and the river surface were frozen over. The moonlight gleamed on the blue and white glacial river, and it was clear that the bridge that was originally erected on the river surface was cut in half, leaving only a few holes in place where a thin layer of ice had just formed.

“Go around it!”

There was no time for Zhu Chi to see the situation of the river with his own eyes, still he sternly made the order.

As soon as the last word fell, suddenly the sky seemed to spin.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

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At the last moment, the Master of the Households barely just managed to change the direction of the galloping horses. The carriage slid around the ice hole and across most of the river, leaving a long white mark on the smooth ice. But when approaching the river bank on the other side, the connection between the carriage and the front axle completely broke apart.

The carriage was thrown out and overturned on the ice.

The Master of the Households had followed William III on the battlefield, and his reaction was fairly rapid, jumping out onto the ice at the last minute without any damage.

But there was no time to rejoice for his luck, the Master of the Households rushed to the overturned carriage in horror.

“Your Majesty!”

His voice was sharp and anxious.

“Shut up.”

Zhu Chi climbed out of the carriage, pressing the ice with one hand and covering his head with the other. He was panting, and puffs of white mist came out from his mouth. His head had yet to recover from the vertigo.

Seeing that he was safe and sound, the Master of the Households knelt down on the ice with a “thud” and stretched out his hand to make a sign of the cross on his chest: “The Holy Lord bless, the Holy Lord bless.”

He cried with tears of joy.

“Get over here.”

Zhu Chi nearly laughed with anger at the other.

The Holy Lord could bless anyone except for someone like him who sold his soul to the devil.

“Oh!”

The Master of the Households came back to himself and hurriedly went to help Zhu Chi up.

Fortunately, this place was already close to the river bank, and the ice layer was frozen hard. With the support of the Master of the Households, Zhu Chi stepped on the river bank.

The carriage had been damaged. One of the four horses pulling the carriage had broken its neck and one had broken its leg. The remaining two had some minor injuries and were currently stomping their hooves nervously on the river bank.

Zhu Chi ordered the Master of the Households to burn the carriage while he held his wrist and looked across the shore.

He saw fire had begun to appear in the canyon on the other side. Those people had finally reacted. They stopped by the river, not daring to cross the ice like Zhu Chi did. The water level in the Doma River was very deep, and the river was often turbulent under the ice layer. No one knew whether a step would break through an ice hole.

When the carriage was burned, the Master of the Households caught sight of the crossbow thrown on the ice.

His face changed but he dared not say anything.

There was a fire here, and torches also lit over there.

Zhu Chi watched for a while before sneering. He said to the Master of the Households: “We leave.”

………………

Mohn Castle.

This was where the Doma River and the Naxi River meet, and Mohn Castle was the well fortified riverside fortress here.

Under normal circumstances, even if nobles were imprisoned, their life in prison would not be too bad, and it may even be rather decently luxurious. However, in the past month, the old Duke of Buckingham, as the King’s only uncle, was imprisoned in the notorious prison of Mohn Central Tower.

The Mohn Tower was full of torture, blackmail, biting cold temperatures, and an even more dirty environment.

The old Duke of Buckingham was the half-brother of William III and had followed William III on the battlefield for 30 years. He used to be a very radical military strategist, but during the years when he assisted his nephew in state affairs, the old duke gradually settled down and became extra cautious.

A month ago, his son was defeated in an expeditionary invasion against the Kingdom of Bressi. Not only did he lose three important towns, but he was also captured.

The ransom to be paid to the Kingdom of Bressi was 20,000 pounds, which was a jaw-dropping amount.

This defeat made the people very angry, and a rumor spread:

——The old Duke of Buckingham accepted a bribe from the enemy country and deliberately had his son lose the battle because he knew that the King would not give up his cousin.

Hearing this the King in the palace was extremely offended.

So the Duke of Buckingham was tightly imprisoned in Mohn Tower.

However, these were only superficial reasons.

“Have you shown him the execution order given by the King?”

The owner of Mohn Castle, Earl Walter, was responsible for guarding the old Duke of Buckingham.

“He has seen it.”

The earl’s butler replied.

“Did he agree to choose us?”

“No.”

The old Duke of Buckingham only glanced at the command and threw it on the ground, closing his eyes without saying a word.

Earl Walter snorted coldly and cursed: “Then let him go to hell……”

“I don’t know why, my lord.”

The butler hesitated and spoke cautiously.

“I feel a little uneasy, as if something bad is about to happen.”

“The guillotine and executioner are all ready.”

Earl Walter said contemptuously.

The earl even had the leisure to make a cold joke.

“He can’t escape this catastrophe——unless the King arrives in person.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

AN: The Legrand’s economic system is based on England around the 13th century: pound, shilling and penny are the units. 1 shilling = 12 pence, 1 pound sterling = 20 shillings. The only coins in circulation are silver pennies. 240 silver pennies equal the same pound. The average income of an aristocrat was about 200 pounds a year, and even a person with an annual income of 20 pounds was relatively rich. Therefore, the 20,000-pound ransom offered by the Kingdom of Bressi would be considered a sky-high price, which is jaw-dropping.

The carriage rushed through the shadow of the dark forest in which dead trees stood in the night wind like the devil.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

The horses pulling the carriage were already sweating and frothing at the mouths, but the whip waving in the air did not allow them to stop and rest.

“My beloved Majesty, it is impossible for us to arrive at Mohn Tower tomorrow morning.”

The person driving the carriage was even more tired than the horses. The coachman was actually a knight in armor and was currently sweating and panting in exhaustion. As he maneuvered the carriage and drove it into a flat area, he pleaded with the person inside the carriage.

“The horses need to rest.”

“Splendid.”

The King replied from inside the carriage.

“Then you may also sleep forever.”

The knight’s complexion became paler. He dared not speak any more, and continued to drive the horses on despite the exhaustion of driving for a day and night.

Because, sitting in the carriage was none other than the monarch of the Legrand Empire.

Pureland the First.

At this moment, the dark night shrouded the wilds, and the mountains appeared ominous like demons. Unexpectedly, this grandiose King did not bring along a large group of men and horses. He only rushed through the wilderness in a black flannel-covered carriage to a place called “Mohn”.

After intimidating the Master of the Households who was forced to act as a coachman, the King himself leaned on the wall of the carriage and lifted the curtain.

The moonlight that passed through the gap in the woods flashed across his face.

The red cloak worn by the King emphasized the cold and whiteness of his face. He was very young, with facial features still possessing a youthful look that was also a bit too refined. But the surliness that shrouded his features made him look particularly aggressive. In the moonlight, his pale blue eyes revealed a sharpness that could not be ignored.

The King looked at the trees that were constantly passing by outside the carriage, judging how far they were from Mohn at this time.

Of course he knew that both the horses and the coachman were already exhausted.

But he must rush to the small town of Mohn before the sun rises today.

Otherwise, his uncle, Duke of Buckingham, would be dead.

………………

Two days ago.

Zhu Chi was only a young man who was seriously ill. He lay in a place of pale whiteness and watched as his muscles gradually atrophied, calculating in his heart when he would die.

No one wanted to die, including Zhu Chi.

Modern science and technology couldn’t save him, and the gods and Buddhas up in the heavens ignore him. So Zhu Chi did something preposterous. He opened the ancient scroll he had previously obtained by accident which was said to be able to summon the Devil.

As the blood dripped onto the complicated twisting patterns a black mist filled the room.

In response to his last hope made in despair, the Devil came.

The Devil was a businessman who dealt in souls, notorious for his insidiousness.

Zhu Chi sold his soul in exchange for a chance to be reborn in another world.

He asked for a young and healthy body. The Devil agreed and gave him a certain degree of favor when signing the contract, and even included a gift as a bonus.

The strange generosity of the Devil put Zhu Chi on alert.

But there was no alternative, he was already too desperate.

The contract was completed.

In the intensive care unit, the pale and weak youth closed his eyes, and the lines on the heart rate display screen gradually became balanced. At the same time, in a gorgeous palace of the empire located in another world, a pair of pale blue eyes flickered opened.

After processing the memories and receiving the original fate line gifted with the contract, Zhu Chi finally understood why the Devil was so generous.

He was reborn as the King-Emperor of the Legrand Empire in another world——

Pureland I.

[Less than a month after Pureland was born, his prominent father, King William, died of a serious illness.

Thanks to the loyal guardianship of his uncle, Duke of Buckingham, Pureland was able to grow up fairly well and was crowned King. Contrary to the expectations of the people, their young King was naturally ill-tempered, cold and arbitrary, and was an out-and-out tyrant.

At the end of his reign, he personally ordered the killing of his uncle, Duke of Buckingham, a man who was unfailingly loyal to him. This was the cruelest and most stupid thing ever done in Pureland’s short life.

Because it directly led to the subsequent coup in which the tyrant paid the price with his life.

——Pureland I, the last King]

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

At this time, it was only four months before the tyrant was overthrown.

Selling your soul for four months of a healthy new life?

Zhu Chi understood that he had been cheated by the Devil.

The wind in the middle of the night was strong, and brushed at his face with the cold sharpness of a knife.

Zhu Chi did not put down the carriage curtain. He needed the cold wind to suppress the anger in his heart, so as to maintain rational thinking.

After watching Pureland’s line of destiny, Zhu Chi realized where the important node of the tyrant’s fate was located——

Western Mainland, September 17, 1432.

——Which was tomorrow.

At dawn tomorrow morning, the Duke of Buckingham, his most loyal uncle, would be hanged.

Zhu Chi’s rebirth was two days late, and the wretched tyrant had already issued an order to execute the Duke of Buckingham. However, Zhu Chi thought about it carefully and confirmed that soon after the King had issued the order, he regretted it, and sent a fast horse to recover the order.

Zhu Chi’s fingers tapped the car railing lightly, his expression a bit cold.

The imperial messenger left the palace within half a day, and the fast horse sent by the King would have been able to intercept the messenger. However, the Duke of Buckingham was still executed.

Obviously, the King’s fast horse sent to recover the order was stopped by another party.

Someone wanted the King to lose his most important minister and relative.

…………………………

The reins were suddenly tugged, and the Master of the Households stopped the rushing carriage. He put his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, his expression ugly.

The stallions that stopped abruptly were frightened, and raised their front feet, neighing high and shrill.

“Your Majesty, there is a situation.”

The Master of the Households lowered his voice, his tone a little uneasy.

When the carriage came to a sudden stop, Zhu Chi gripped down hard on the railing and leaned forward to avoid hitting the wall with his head. He looked calm, not surprised at all.

He had left the palace secretly.

Two days ago, after Zhu Chi had a tantrum at his court ministers in the Imperial Conference, he shut himself in the palace and kept himself behind closed doors. This was not the first time that Pureland had done this kind of thing.

None of the ministers could do anything about the irritable young King.

With this cover-up, Zhu Chi took his Master of Households and left the palace. In the original line of fate, this somewhat timid Master of Households sacrificed himself for his King. He was the most suitable and trustworthy person Zhu Chi thought of at the time.

The King’s fast horse could even be blocked off by others so the enemy must have a fine network of spies in the palace.

Zhu Chi knew very well that by the next afternoon, the people would find that the King was no longer in the castle.

He never thought he could hide it for too long. It was a surprise that the soldiers sent to intercept him had not caught up until now.

Currently they were out in the wilderness.

Behind them was a small piece of a black forest that they had just passed by. At this time, some shadows were walking through the forest, approaching them. In front of them was the entrance to the canyon passage, with faint light coming from torches. A small wooden fence that acted as a barricade could be seen under the moonlight.

They were flanked.

“Your Majesty, please stay in the carriage and don’t……”

The Master of the Households pulled the rein with one hand and the sword with the other.

“Charge forward.”

Zhu Chi interrupted him.

The Master of the Households was taken aback for a moment. From the voice of the young King, he heard a long forgotten familiarity——it was the toughness and inviolability passed down in the line of His Majesty King William.

Faintly, the Master of the Households seemed to hear the clicking sound of a machine.

“Charge!”

Zhu Chi gave the order.

The Master of the Households loosened the tightly held rein, and the sword struck the head horse.

The head horse neighed in pain, and rushed out in a flash, causing the other horses to charge forward as well. The carriage seemed to be flying past the ground, making a disturbingly loud noise. The carriage moved at such a speed it seemed like it could fall apart at any time.

The cavalry behind them rushed out of the dark forest. The other party had traveled light and their speed was extremely fast, coming after them like a thick shadow.

Zhu Chi tore off the black flannel used to cover the back half of the carriage.

Under the pale moonlight, Zhu Chi could clearly see the cavalry that was catching up.

There were a total of seventeen cavalrymen, all riding black horses and wearing silver chain mail with no markings. The iron helmet covered their faces tightly, revealing only a gap, which was both a defense and identity cover.

They did not appear to be mercenaries.

Zhu Chi judged the situation calmly.

The sound of horses’ hoofs was rapid, and the black cavalry swept closer like a whirlwind. In an instant they had approached the carriage and even the white exhalations of the opponent’s horses could be vaguely seen. The distance was close enough, Zhu Chi no longer hesitated.

He lifted what he was holding in his hand.

——It was a crossbow, a construction prohibited by the Church.

Although Pureland was a tyrant, the military training he received since childhood had made him very physically superior. Thanks to this, Zhu Chi could hold the crossbow steadily on the galloping bumpy carriage.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

Zhu Chi positioned the crossbow and aimed at the cavalry through the crossbow sight.