Chapter 164: Testing the Sword’s Edge

The Blaze Beast raised its hooves and neighed into the wind. The autumn wind blew through the knight’s golden hair and dark red cloak. Under the setting sun, the Longbow and sharp arrows reflected a golden light that frightened everyone.

At that moment, everyone in Rais Country was shocked and frightened. No one dared to step forward and protest the death of the noble who had been killed by the knight’s arrow. Even though this young noble had been quite powerful in Rais Country when he was alive, and everyone had tried to befriend him. Even the King of Rais Country wiped his cold sweat and prayed, hoping that the knight in the distance, who was like a god of death, would calm his anger and leave quickly, and not pursue the matter further.

Recently, the sudden rise of Shampoo City had thrown Rais Country into a panic. Before the Nine-Nation Alliance set out to attack Shampoo City, they had passed through Rais Country. The people of Rais Country naturally knew how strong that alliance was. If that force had been used against Rais Country, it could have turned Rais Country into scorched earth instantly. But such a powerful force was completely wiped out by Shampoo City. In comparison, if Shampoo City wanted to attack Rais Country, it would have no difficulty at all. Under the iron hooves of Shampoo, Rais Country would not survive. The disaster of destruction was right before their eyes. So, from the king and nobles down to the ordinary people, everyone lived in fear. When they heard that the King of Champoo was passing through on his way to the Imperial Capital Saint Petersburg to participate in the Martial Arts Combat Tournament, the King of Rais had a clever idea. He hurriedly lowered his status and led his ministers to wait here early, hoping to resolve the grievances between them. For him, as long as he could calm the King of Champoo’s anger and keep his position as King of Rais Country safely, he was willing to kneel down and act like a grandson.

Clearly, the disrespectful words spoken by that unlucky young noble had been heard by the Shampoo City scout knight downwind, who then shot him dead with an arrow. But at this time, no one in Rais Country had the courage to blame a mere knight for daring to kill one of their nobles. They only hoped this knight would quickly calm his anger and not report those words back to the furious King of Champoo… Otherwise, Rais Country might be finished.

At this moment, the plump and pale King of Rais even felt like running over and kicking the dead young noble a few times. At this critical moment, why did you have to speak up? It’s fine that you died, but don’t drag the whole of Rais Country down with you.

Neigh—!

The Blaze Beast neighed in the wind. The Shampoo City knight finally withdrew his cold, fierce gaze, turned around, and galloped away.

Only then did everyone in Rais Country breathe a sigh of relief.

The King of Rais, still unsettled, ordered, “By my command, from now on, everyone must show respect to anyone from Shampoo City. Tell those petty nobles who like to sneak into Shampoo territory to hunt and plunder to behave themselves. If they anger the King of Champoo, no one can save them!”

…

Sun Fei, of course, knew everything that had happened behind him.

After shooting the disrespectful young noble dead with an arrow, the personal guard officer Fernando Torres rode back. The first thing he did was report everything that had happened exactly as it occurred to Your Majesty the King. Sun Fei simply smiled faintly but did not fly into a royal rage. In his heart, although dealing with a bad neighbor like Rais Country was inevitable sooner or later, for Shampoo City right now, the most important thing was to strive for benefits and power in the Martial Arts Combat Tournament. There was no need to rush to deal with these small fries. So, Sun Fei did not turn back to attack again.

As a Fifth-Class Vassal State, Rais Country’s territory was a bit larger than Shampoo City’s, but by nightfall, the expeditionary force had completely crossed Rais Country and entered the territory of another vassal state—Blackrock City.

If Rais Country was just a bad neighbor, then Blackrock City was Shampoo City’s true mortal enemy.

Three years ago, during the Martial Arts Combat Tournament, it was Blackrock City that colluded with some major forces behind the scenes and used despicable means to step on Shampoo City’s corpse and rise to a Fourth-Class Vassal State. Most of the friction and conflicts between Rais Country and Shampoo City were secretly instigated and provoked by Blackrock City’s dark hand. Besides Rais Country, Shampoo City had four other neighbors with similar strength, all of whom were either befriended, instigated, or coerced by Blackrock City into being enemies with Shampoo City. Through these conflicts, Blackrock City profited greatly, mainly by seizing population to strengthen itself.

The hostility between the two sides had lasted for many years, and it was hard to tell who was right or wrong anymore. Not long ago, the King of Blackrock City had declared that in this year’s Martial Arts Combat Tournament, he would completely reduce Shampoo City to smoke and ashes. Moreover, during Sun Fei’s recent coronation ceremony, Blackrock City had sent envoys Neto and Prince Thrace, among others, to Shampoo City to provoke and even join the conspiracy to assassinate the Princess Royal. However, due to bad luck, they died in the chaos at the Eastern Peak Summit, and their bodies were never found.

That night, the Shampoo Expeditionary Force set up camp by a lake in a forest within Blackrock City’s territory.

Even though they had just entered Blackrock City’s borders, Blackrock City’s cavalry scouts quickly appeared within sight of the expeditionary force. Although the King of Blackrock City was over fifty years old, he was very ambitious, and the phrase “warlike” suited him perfectly. Especially after being promoted to a Fourth-Class Vassal State three years ago, he received many secret rewards from the Empire, and both his military and population limits were expanded. Over the past three years, his strength had indeed grown significantly. So Sun Fei was not at all surprised to see Blackrock City’s cavalry at the border.

“Do not pay them any attention. Raise the banner of Shampoo City and shoot the warning arrows. Within five hundred meters of our camp, if they dare to enter, kill them without mercy!” Sun Fei looked at the Blackrock City cavalry deliberately riding back and forth in his line of sight and coldly gave the order.

Soon, the banner with the double-headed dog, Great Axe, and sharp sword was raised in the center of the camp, fluttering and flapping in the wind.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four sharp whistles cut through the air.

In the next moment, four large arrows with hollowed-out White-Feathered Great Arrow tips, their tails stained with bright red blood, shot through the air and embedded themselves firmly five hundred meters from the camp’s perimeter. This action, in the tradition of the Azera continent, meant only one thing—cross the blood-stained arrows, and you will be killed without mercy!

After doing this, the Shampoo Expeditionary Force began preparing their evening meal.

Time quickly passed into the night. The Magic Moon in the sky was bright, and the moonlight was clear. The earth seemed to be covered with a silvery mist like quicksilver. The lake surface near the camp shimmered with ripples. Laughter rang out from within the camp, and in the distance, by the blazing bonfire, half-naked muscular men could be seen wrestling and grappling…

“Marshal, what should we do?”

About a kilometer away from the Shampoo Expeditionary Force, a group of over twenty fully armed cavalrymen with standard long spears and kite shields appeared on a hill in the vast night. Their leader was a man in his fifties, holding a Milan-style helmet adorned with a rare, smooth ruby in his left hand. His thick golden hair and full beard stood up like steel needles. His eyes were sharp and fierce, like those of an eagle or hawk. His heavy armor could not hide the fierce and murderous aura around this sturdy old man, who seemed like a savage beast ready to devour anyone at any moment.

Hearing his deputy’s question, the old man put on his helmet, leaving only a pair of cold, glinting eyes visible. He looked at the White-Feathered Great Arrow stained with blood not far away, and some of his ideas instantly vanished. After hesitating for a moment, he turned his horse around and said, “Proceed according to the plan. Notify all units to prepare, then send out scouts to monitor their movements at all times. Also, send someone to report the arrival of the Shampoo Expeditionary Force to those few.”

“Yes!”

“Hyah!!”

The fierce old man took the lead, urging his horse to disappear into the vast night, followed closely by over twenty knights.

But what the knights didn’t expect was that just a few seconds after they left, a tall figure appeared on the hill. His dark hair flew in the night wind under the bright moon. He wore black light armor and a dark red cloak that fluttered in the wind, making him look like a Demon God. His eyes seemed capable of outshining all the stars in the sky. Watching the cavalry figures finally disappear into the night, this person smiled. “Hahaha, I overestimated you. It’s only been a little over half a day, and all the demons and monsters can’t resist making their move. Come on, come on, come out, all of you! Let’s see if my twin swords are sharp enough!”

Whoosh—!

A flash of green and purple light passed, and the shadow vanished from the hill. At the same time, two huge trees on the hill, each three or four meters in diameter, were cut in half. The cuts were smooth as mirrors, one smoldering with a charred aura, the other covered in a layer of thin ice.

By the distant lake, the bonfire still blazed, and the atmosphere was lively. The frontier men of Shampoo City, bare-chested in the chilly autumn wind, ate meat heartily, and the intoxicating scent of malt ale drifted far and wide.

At midnight, clusters of dark clouds suddenly appeared, covering the bright Magic Moon and the sparkling stars in the sky.

The night became unprecedentedly dark, like a thick, inky blackness that couldn’t be diluted.

By this time, except for the sentries on patrol duty, most of the expeditionary force had fallen into a sweet slumber.

Inside King Sun Fei of Champoo’s tent, on the warm, soft Magical Beast fur bed, Angela and Gemma slept in their clothes under thick cotton quilts, their pretty faces wearing sweet smiles. For two girls who had never left Shampoo City since they were old enough to remember, the sights they saw today were wonderfully fresh. It had been a beautiful day.

Sun Fei sat in a chair in the center of the large tent, holding a piece of pure white animal hide. He carefully and slowly wiped the Purple and Green Twin Swords. The sharp blades gleamed with a frightening cold light under the fire basin’s glow. Sun Fei wore a faint smile on his face, but hidden within that smile was a trace of ferocity…

Just then—

“Kill them…”

“Charge! Destroy them all…”

The sound of countless hooves pounding the earth and soaring battle cries came from the distance.