Chapter 161: Did the King of Champoo Leave Seclusion?

Shampoo City.

It was a Sixth-Class Vassal State among the 250 vassal states of the first-level Zenit Empire. It was weak and had a small territory. Originally, it was a small country that everyone could bully, and no one took it seriously.

But four months ago, after the little king Alexander of Shampoo City, who was called the shame among kings and an idiot, suddenly returned to normal, things began to develop in a direction no one expected.

The battle of the Black Armored Army was not known to other vassal states due to its unexpected nature. However, what happened at the Eastern Peak Summit during the king’s coronation celebration, along with the news of the total defeat of the Nine-Nation Alliance’s joint surprise attack on the Chambord Kingdom, quickly spread among the major vassal states under the Zenit Empire.

The reputation of the new King of Champoo, Alexander, and his fierce warriors spread continuously to the ears of various kings, like the layers of golden grass waves on the plains before Shampoo City. Although the Azeroth Continent did not have modern media like the world where Sun Fei came from, the speed of such news spread was not slow.

At first, some people scoffed at it.

How strong could the military of a tiny Sixth-Class Vassal State be? Don’t joke around. Forget the Nine-Nation Alliance, even Redwater City alone could easily capture Shampoo City and take the royal family of Shampoo prisoner in the time it takes to eat a meal? The rumored feat of defeating the Nine-Nation Alliance was simply impossible.

But the subsequent facts slapped all the doubters in the face.

Because in the past month, several of the rumored defeated countries actually sent envoys. They timidly and humbly offered reparations and were forced to retrieve their kings in extremely humiliating ways. Almost all attentive people witnessed this, finally confirming the earlier news of Shampoo City’s great victory.

At this point, the major vassal states were finally awakened. They had to start re-examining this suddenly rising small country.

Things started to get interesting!

With less than twenty days left, the Martial Arts Tournament of the 250 vassal states under the Zenit Empire was about to begin. This was a grand showdown that determined the fate of all vassal states, and it was also an excellent arena for many ambitious individuals to compete. No one wanted an unknown, mysterious opponent to suddenly emerge at this critical moment, disrupting the delicate balance and ruining the chessboard they had almost fully set up.

So during this time, Shampoo City saw envoys, spies, merchants, bards, mercenaries, adventurers, and others from various countries. Large crowds with various purposes flooded into Shampoo City. This small border country had never been so crowded and bustling before.

Of course, the influx of outsiders also tested the security of Shampoo City.

In a world where the strong were respected, on a continent ruled by the Law of the Jungle, it was all too common for warriors and mercenaries to break the law with force and draw their swords at the slightest disagreement. Plus, some people deliberately provoked incidents to test Shampoo City’s strength. For a while, violent incidents kept happening in Shampoo City. At first, the Ministry of Justice responsible for city security was a bit overwhelmed, and Right Minister Best was really troubled. But later, Legion Commander Gordon Brook sent the king’s two Golden Knights, Didier Drogba of Taurus and Paul Pierce of Capricorn, along with dozens of Saints. After they took action, the situation was quickly resolved.

The streets became peaceful again.

“Look, those are the two beasts of Shampoo City!”

“Those two big men? They look silly? They were the ones who beat up and captured all eleven experts of the Maple Leaf Mercenary Group the day before yesterday, throwing them into that terrifying prison in Shampoo City, the Black Room?”

“That’s right, it’s them. See that black-haired guy? He just bent over and headbutted, easily knocking out the arrogant Two-Star Level peak strength leader of the Maple Leaf Mercenary Group without any chance to resist… It was really scary. You didn’t see it happen. I suspect that if he headbutted, he could even collapse a city wall!”

“And that white-haired guy, his hands are like divine weapons, able to smash any weapon or armor. It’s said that so far, no one has been able to withstand a single palm strike from him…”

“Oh my, where did Shampoo City find these two barbarians?”

“I don’t know… But don’t underestimate those big men behind the two beasts called the Golden Knights under the King of Champoo. They are not to be trifled with either. Someone once saw in a training session that looked like a life-and-death fight, those twenty big men actually knocked their leader to the ground…”

As Drogba and Pierce’s patrol team approached, the young mercenaries sitting in the tavern quickly shut their mouths. No one dared to be as unrestrained as they were more than ten days ago. The enforcement over the past ten days, as fierce as wolves and tigers, had already given Shampoo City’s ‘Saints’ and ‘Urban Management’ a fierce reputation. It completely intimidated these unruly outsiders. The screams that came from the ‘Black Room’ at fixed times every day turned these originally unruly guys into obedient sheep. By now, whenever they saw those two beast-like Golden Knights of the King of Champoo coming with the Saints, everyone felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them. They didn’t even dare to speak loudly. If the two knights looked at them, everyone felt as if they were being stared at by a hellish monster.

Only after the two Golden Knights of the King of Champoo and the Saints disappeared around the street corner in the distance did the outsiders in the tavern let out a big breath and relax.

“Huff, huff, they’re finally gone… Damn it, after they looked at me, I don’t even feel like drinking anymore!”

“Drink what? It’s almost time, the goddess should appear. Let’s go see the goddess together!”

“Goddess?”

“Hey, don’t tell me you really don’t know. Every day at this time in the afternoon, a stunningly beautiful girl, like a goddess, appears on the grassland across the river outside the city, riding a huge black dog. Many say she is the incarnation of a goddess. It’s said that even the black geese flying south in the sky can’t help but stop and linger when they see her beautiful face…”

The young mercenary spoke, his eyes already shining. After a glass of malt beer, everyone’s testosterone surged. Hearing about a beauty, the whole group got up and headed out of the city. Even other troublemakers in the tavern, hearing the word ‘goddess’, also got up and followed.

Outside the city.

The autumn grassland was golden. The autumn wind blew, creating magnificent waves like a surging golden sea.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the sunlight shone down with a hint of warmth. On the endless golden grassland, a group of fine horses raced and played like dragons roaming the sea. On a slightly raised mound in the distance, the Big Black Dog lay in the grass with its eyes narrowed. Sixty Four-Level Blaze Beasts stood guard around the grassy mound like loyal guards.

This was a serene and beautiful autumn picture, something that would absolutely enchant countless people.

But all the brilliance was stolen by the girl standing beside the Big Black Dog.

The girl’s skin was fairer than snow, and her eyes were like clear pools of water. When she glanced around, she carried an elegant and noble aura that made people feel awed and inferior, not daring to disrespect her. Yet within her cold and proud liveliness, there was a mesmerizing charm that made people unable to stop thinking about her. Under the blue sky and white clouds, her complexion was as clear as jade, like the glow of a new moon, like snow piled on flowering trees. She had a slender figure. Her long black hair, dark as ink, cascaded down her back, tied gently with a pink silk ribbon. She wore a white dress that seemed to shine even brighter against the golden grassland. One felt as if her body was surrounded by mist and glowing light. She seemed detached from the mortal world, truly not someone from the bustling red dust. When she turned around occasionally, one could see that the girl was in the prime of her youth, only about nineteen years old, incredibly beautiful and stunning, too dazzling to look at directly.

It seemed as if all the beauty and brilliance in the world were concentrated on this girl. Nothing could take away even a bit of her radiance.

The young mercenaries came out of the city, crossed the Stone Bridge and the steel drawbridge, and walked up a gentle hill where they happened to see this scene.

At this sight, everyone stood still on the spot, as if struck by lightning, losing their ability to think.

Could there really be such a beautiful girl in the world?

Everyone could feel their hearts flying out of their bodies, flying toward the goddess-like girl. They wished only to stay by her side for the rest of their lives, then they would have no regrets.

Among the group, one young man had already lost his ability to think. As if controlled by a spirit, he walked dazedly toward the girl in the distance, his eyes blank. An older companion nearby realized what was happening and quickly grabbed him in alarm, shouting, “David, are you crazy? Do you want to die?”

“I… I just wanted to talk to her!” the young man struggled.

“Talk to her? Young man, do you know who she is? She is the fiancée of King Alexander of Champoo, the beloved daughter of Right Minister Best of Shampoo City, the undisputed future First Lady of Shampoo City. Even those two beasts and their Saints act like gentle little cats when they see her… And look at that Big Black Dog beside her. It can tear apart a Two-Star Warrior in an instant. It’s said that King Alexander of Champoo captured it from the depths of Hell…” The older companion spoke more and more mysteriously: “Also, look at those Four-Level Blaze Beasts around her. Each one is extremely fierce. It’s said that in just over half a month, they have trampled more than ten lecherous men to death… Strangely, these fierce beasts are like gentle servants to this fiancée of the King of Champoo.”

Others around were already stunned by what they heard.

So this stunningly beautiful girl had such a big background, and her own abilities didn’t seem simple either. At least in commanding magical beasts, she had a talent beyond others.

“What a pity, such an outstanding girl is going to marry a fool like the King of Champoo!” the young mercenary who was finally held back by his companion said angrily.

“The King of Champoo is no fool now. You just have to look at the Twelve Bronze Warrior Code…”

The older companion was about to say something when suddenly—

Dang dang dang dang——!!!!

The huge iron bell on Shampoo City’s wall, after being silent for who knows how long, was suddenly struck.

The distant, grand sound of the bell broke the peace between heaven and earth, instantly echoing throughout the city, startling a group of mountain birds. As the bell reverberated, a suddenly tense and excited atmosphere began to spread throughout Shampoo City.

On the distant golden grassy mound, the Big Black Dog, which had been resting with its eyes closed, pricked up its ears, its eyes bursting with sharp light. Beside it, the stunningly beautiful girl, who had been calm for a month, also showed a look of pleasant surprise in her lovely eyes. She turned, mounted the Big Black Dog, and whistled. The horses galloping and playing on the grassland and the more than sixty Blaze Beasts lined up neatly. Behind the Big Black Dog, they galloped together, shaking the earth, like a bursting flood rushing into Shampoo City.

“Could it be… that King Alexander of Champoo, who had been claiming to be in seclusion for training, was finally coming out?”

Many outsiders with ulterior motives in the city saw this scene and simultaneously showed shocked expressions, all looking toward the Royal Palace of Shampoo City from different directions.