Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 129 Duel
Longxiao City, Xichi Avenue.

"I...I'm here!" A young man arrived at a butcher shop while running, leaning against the wall and panting, "Prince Star is coming to the city today, so I went..."

"Went to see your future wife again?" The butcher bluntly exposed his lie, scoffing, "So that's why you're late today?"

“Hey! Don’t talk nonsense… I was just delivering some gifts,” the young man’s face flushed red, “and Cecilia isn’t mine yet… mine…”

"You're such an idiot, Kevin," the butcher said with an air of wisdom, looking down at the red-faced Kevin with disdain. "Just sending small gifts every now and then isn't enough. You have to be bold and confess your feelings, understand?"

Hearing this, young Kevin scratched his head in distress: "You have no idea, she has a ruthless father with a strange nickname, something like 'Belt'... I heard he even served at the Glacier Outpost. I don't think he'll ever allow his daughter to marry a... a..."

"A poor kid running errands for the poor people's gang?" The butcher chopped open a pig's shank.

“Yes,” Kevin clapped his hands and nodded sadly, “that’s it!”

"Then act like a man, go face to face with him, talk to your sweetheart's father!" The butcher's expression was fierce as he slammed his knife into the chopping board.

Kevin was startled. He opened his mouth and hesitated for a long time.

In the end, I dejectedly swallowed the words "I dare not" back into my heart.

"Hmph, coward," the butcher said with disdain, "Fine, if you're too scared... By the way, where's your job?"

"Here you go." Kevin said sullenly, casually stuffing a crumpled piece of paper into the hand: "It's supposedly a reply from Boss Greaver."

The butcher took the crumpled paper and watched Kevin leave with a dejected look on his face.

“What a leisurely life,” a light voice rang out from behind the butcher shop: “Slaughtering, selling meat, and maybe even giving some silly poor lads some love advice.”

The butcher's expression changed slightly.

He turned around and slammed the door of the butcher shop shut.

“Visiting me at this hour,” Gu, the butcher from the Far East, slowly turned around and spoke softly into the dark corner behind him in a Northern accent, “aren’t you afraid of being discovered by Black Sword, who might return?”

"After all, it was your idea to use fake news to keep him here."

The young man in white—Raphael Lindbergh—emerged from a shadowy corner and smiled gently.

Gu lowered his eyelids, his heart on high alert like a wolf on the plains.

His confident appearance suggests he truly possesses methods to avoid being detected by Black Sword.

Even the Black Sword's terrifying, inhuman senses—knowing everything within hundreds of meters and having no place to hide from flies, insects, rats, or birds—could be deceived.
Gu squinted.

Raphael didn't answer Gu, but instead said sarcastically, "What, before you betrayed the Black-Clad Guard, were you also a professional love consultant? You're quite experienced in this area?"

Gu heard those three words.

Even with years of training and habit, and with his control over his body's reactions already so refined and perfect, he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat and his blood and qi fluctuate slightly.

Gu raised his eyes and met Raphael's gaze silently.

Both men's gazes were calm as still water.

But only they themselves knew the dangerous undercurrents hidden beneath their words.

[Never in a hurry to reveal their killing moves, but instead seek out the enemy's weaknesses through endless probing, striking from the sidelines, taking advantage of the situation, and pushing the tide to their advantage—this is the usual style of the Kingdom's Secret Service, inherited from the Secret Army.]

Since the alliance between Su Ye and Xing Chen, we have secretly clashed with the Secret Science countless times, and are well aware of their unique style and methods:

But the question is, how do we defend ourselves?

His master's words echoed in his ears, making Gu even more vigilant.

“It’s quite interesting to watch these people’s ordinary lives and experiences,” Gu turned his head, his expression relaxed as he swept over the empty shop—most people had gone to watch the Star Prince’s arrival in the city—and casually tidied the table, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, saying:
"You know, after being in despair and darkness for a long time, you always want to breathe in some hope and find some sunshine."

“I thought with your experience, you’d be used to things that are ‘interesting’ by now,” Raphael said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Used to it?"

“That boy, Kevin, is a true pauper,” Gu chuckled lightly, his expression playful. “Wealth, family background, power, status—he has nothing.”

"But he has his own sweetheart, and in his heart, he imagines her as the most beautiful person in the world."

"Think of her with a smile, think of her with joy, think of her with hope."

“Most importantly, no matter how difficult it is, he has the right to pursue this happiness and get closer to an infinitely beautiful goal,” Gu Qingqing turned around and looked directly at the astonished Raphael: “He is the one who is truly alive.”

Sunlight streamed into the shop and fell on Gu.

“Compared to scum like you and me, who eke out a living in darkness and secrets,” Gu said calmly, his eyes gleaming, his tone indifferent, “he is a complete person.”

"Isn't it interesting?"

Raphael's body was half-hidden in the shadows of the corner as he listened quietly to Gu finish speaking.

“Having seen so many beautiful people, you also become accustomed to weakness.” Raphael’s expression remained unchanged: “Just like those things that once made you weak, think about it, King Yao…”

“I don’t need to be tough,” Gu suddenly interrupted Raphael, his tone flat but undeniable. “I just need you to fulfill the deal.”

Compared to your senior brother's concealed sword and your senior sister's skillful maneuvering, you are like a dagger in the darkness, never seen in the light of day, unknown to anyone, its power only revealed when it is unleashed. Therefore, you must avoid any unnecessary battles and confrontations, focusing instead on nurturing your final, most crucial, and most lethal strike.

His master's words echoed in his ears again, making his face darken.

A dagger in the darkness.

Never see the light of day.

Waiting for the moment to be delivered.

such a pity.

Gu Shen took a deep breath, his face expressionless.

Raphael stared at him intently, his gaze never wavering, but finally gave a soft smile.

“Don’t worry, our intelligence is infallible,” Raphael said with interest. “The method of assassinating Prince Thales under the fortress is their usual style… You will definitely find what you are looking for.”

Gu Wusheng nodded.

Raphael smiled perfectly and lowered his head.

"The prince and his entourage have already entered Dragon Sky City and are currently inside the Palace of Heroes," the young man in white said, no longer dwelling on the previous topic. "And what about your news?"

Gu stared at it, then slowly unfolded the crumpled paper Kevin had given her and glanced at it briefly.

“According to information from the local gangs, we’ve basically confirmed the monster’s location,” Gu put down the crumpled paper and pondered, “Although I don’t know what you’re planning to do…”

Raphael chuckled and nodded.

“Don’t worry,” he said in a strange tone, speaking with righteous indignation, “we are on the side of justice, aren’t we?”

"As a scourge remover, we contribute to human safety."

Gu snorted and turned to leave.

"Shit."

Raphael shook his head and chuckled indifferently.

He turned his head, his gaze shooting out the window to Valhalla on the mountain.

He was momentarily lost in thought.

Raphael couldn't help but recall Gu's comments about the young man.

He has someone he loves.

In his heart, he would imagine her as the most beautiful person in the world.

I think of her with a smile, with joy, and with hope.

The eyes of young people are growing increasingly dim.

Until he gently closed his eyes.

----

Thales stared at the cross-shaped sword on the ground, his body drenched in cold sweat.

What's happening here?
Slit your own throat?
The faces of Nicolai and Slade flashed before his eyes, but in Thales' eyes, their expressions were incredibly ironic.

[For the common good of Your Highness and His Majesty Nunn, he invites you to join his revenge. The hunter has sharpened his sword; the traps and snares are in place, and the prey is doomed.]

The second prince raised his head and looked incredulously at the old man who should have been his "ally".

King Nuen's cold and piercing gaze was fixed on him.

Who is the prey and who is the hunter?
The scene of confidently explaining the "alliance of the two kings" to Gilbert in the Mindis Hall seems still vivid in my mind.

It seems so ridiculous now.

“Continue,” King Nunn VII’s aged and hollow voice urged him, “Show your courage and boldness as a descendant of the Star Family…”

"Blood for blood!"

Thales's gaze was fixed on the sword, his breathing quickened involuntarily, and his mind raced.

He looked up at King Nuen again, but the coldness and hatred in the other's eyes remained unchanged.

How to do?
There was no time for him to be surprised or to reason.

Faced with this predicament, Thales's brow twitched incessantly.

How to do?
King Nuen truly intended to kill him.

Thales closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.

How to do?
"What?" A strange voice came from the five Great Knights: "As a Radiant Star, as a descendant of the Oath Keepers, do you not even have the courage to atone with your death?"

"So what exactly are you here for? To sightsee?"

The speaker leaned forward, finally allowing Thales to see the face of the first grand duke clearly.

The other man, sitting to Nunn VII's left, was a robust middle-aged man with a full beard, in his forties, with a rugged appearance and simple attire. He wore a triangular brooch with a circular shape on his chest and was staring at Thales with disdain and disgust, revealing his undisguised hostility.

"If you don't dare."

"Then kneel down and beg for mercy."

"Starry Night's little brat," the bearded man said viciously.

Thales gritted his teeth.

hateful.

Damn northerners.

Another grand duke also turned his head to the side, the firelight illuminating his bowl cut, which was level with his ears.

This was a tall northerner, around forty years old, with a sharp face and a prominent chin. He looked younger than the bearded man, and his clothes were embroidered with a luminous sword blade pattern.

“Perhaps these noble imperial people think,” the bowl-cut man said coldly, echoing the bearded man’s words, “that sending a seven-year-old brat to our northern countryside, condescending to do such a thing, is the greatest charity and favor to us barbaric and backward northerners.”

“Perhaps that Kessel is thinking: So what if I killed one of your princes?” The bowl-cut man sneered, carefully crafting his words: “Look, my son is here to give you candy, you foolish Northmen!”

The atmosphere in the room became even more tense.

Thales' breathing quickened, and he raised his head, his gaze towards the grand dukes becoming sharp and terrifying.

"Oh, are you angry?" The third duke emerged from the firelight. He was a rather old lord, about fifty or sixty years old, with a bitter expression. His head was bald except for a ring around his ears, and a bronze headband held his forehead up. His robes were painted with a chain.

"I said, do you dare touch that sword or not?" the bald lord said calmly, yet with a sharp edge. "Whether you use it to commit suicide or charge at us..."

"Isn't that much more effective than just looking at each other?"

Thales took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping over the bearded man, the bowl-cut man, and the bald lord.

King Nunn VII remained unmoved.

At that moment, the six men sitting in the stone hall stared indifferently at the boy in front of them.

And the sword in front of him.

Enduring their stares, Thales felt a surge of anger.

Is this what they want?

The shock of being betrayed and schemed against slowly turned into anger and resentment.

How to do.

Think of a solution quickly.

Blood debt.

revenge.

King.

Grand Duke.

A vague idea flashed through Thales' mind.

He looked up sharply.

“Very well,” Thales’ breathing grew heavier, his words filled with resentment, dissatisfaction, and indignation: “An eye for an eye…that’s quite fair…”

Under the gazes of everyone—some intrigued, some disdainful, some indifferent—Tails slowly bent down.

He grabbed the sword from the ground.

It's that scene again.

It's that same choice again.

I've really had enough.

These rotten people.

His gaze gradually hardened.

But I won't die here.

will not.

Thales exerted force with his hand and lifted the hilt of his sword.

Wait… this sword! He was startled.

Why is it so heavy?
Caught off guard, Thales lost control of his sword and the hilt slipped from his hand.

"Clang!"

The cross-shaped sword fell to the ground again, the sound lingering.

Seeing this scene, the five geeks burst into laughter.

It was like watching a monkey show on the street. "Relax, child," the bald lord said meaningfully, "and see for yourself what the weight of the North is like."

Thales closed his eyes and took a couple of breaths.

It's really heavy.

This sword of the North Lord is even heavier than the heavy wooden sword he used to spar with Ginny in the Hall of Mindis.

The next second, ignoring the mocking looks from the dukes, Thales took a breath and gripped the hilt of his sword again with a determined expression.

This time he used both hands, and thankfully he didn't lose his grip again.

Thales struggled to drag the hilt of his sword.

"His..."

The blade of the cross-shaped sword scraped against the floor tiles, making an unpleasant sound.

"Come on, give it one more try..." the bowl-cut man mocked Thales, "You'll be up to your neck soon!"

The dukes' laughter grew even louder.

King Nuen's expression remained cold and indifferent.

It seems they are still waiting for Thales.

The second prince gritted his teeth and pulled hard on the hilt of the sword with both hands, barely managing to drag it to his side.

He gripped his heavy sword, panting, and looked up at the five lords.

“Remember this well, kid: never use the situation behind you to threaten a Northerner.” The bearded man spat fiercely. “We are fearless; this is the way of the North.”

“We are not afraid of your cowardly father or the weak country behind you.”

Thales gripped the sword, his brow furrowing, and gradually tightened his grip.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness, before you slit your own throat,” the bowl-cut man who had been mocking him said dramatically, “we will definitely stop you. How dare we, from the humble village of Exter, allow the great descendant of the Empire, the future ruler of the entire star system, to be wounded and bleed here? Hahahaha…we are…”

"It's so annoying!"

Thales interrupted him coldly: "Bowl cut!"

A duke standing nearby couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The man with the bowl cut stopped speaking, shut his mouth, and stared at Thales.

"Isn't it just that you want my life to pay for Prince Moral's life?" the Prince of Stars said calmly. "That's too simple."

"Then what are you waiting for?" the bald lord said in a deep voice, "Are you waiting for us to dissuade you?"

“To die like this?” Thales endured the strange looks from everyone present and spat out, “That’s too pathetic, too cowardly, and utterly devoid of dignity.”

“I have heard that knights in ancient times swore an oath to their lord, to abide by the code, uphold honor, and defend dignity,” Thales raised his head and looked at the two dukes, the bald one and the one with the bowl cut, who were looking on in surprise: “Even death will be filled with glory.”

"And I have heard that Exter has inherited the glorious traditions of the ancient knights, and must value honor and dignity more than life and safety."

"After all that talk, isn't it just that you're afraid of dying?" The bearded man scoffed disdainfully. "What, you want us to spare your life to protect your so-called 'honor'?"

“No.” Thales sighed. “Since I came into this world, I never intended to leave alive.”

Before the dukes could ponder the logic in his words, Thales gritted his teeth and straightened up.

“Compared to ending one’s own life like a coward, there is no glory or pride.” A strange look appeared in Thales’ eyes as he stared straight at the end of the long table, meeting King Nunn’s gaze without flinching.

Looking at Thales, King Nunn VII's gaze shifted, and a different light shone in his blue eyes.

“Please follow the glorious traditions of Exter and grant me the most dignified way to die,” the Star Prince said slowly, enunciating each word clearly.

"His Majesty King Nunn Walton VII, co-ruler of Exter..."

The next moment, the second prince of the stars, Thales Star, struggled to support his heavy sword with one hand, while his right hand resolutely extended forward, pointing at the old king in the distance, and said decisively:

"Please...come and take my life with your own hands."

what?
The five dukes were all stunned.

Thales shouted at the top of his lungs, "I would rather die at the hands of another like a warrior! I would rather stand face to face and watch your sword pierce my heart."

His voice echoed in the stone hall.

The room immediately fell silent.

In the eerie silence, Thales stood facing off against the six men before him.

The bald man squinted at Thales, as if he wanted to carve a hole in him.

The bearded man had a gloomy expression, his gaze shifting back and forth between King Nunn and Thales.

The man with the bowl cut rubbed his hands together, his thoughts unfocused.

"If the act of personally slaughtering a child makes you uncomfortable, let me put it another way,"

Observing the expressions of the grand dukes, Thales chuckled, panting, "I've heard that there's an ancient ritual in the North that extends to everything from the succession of titles to the election of kings by grand dukes."

Two seconds later, Thales' echo in the stone hall gradually faded away.

Ancient rituals?

Inheritance of the title?

Grand Duke Elects King?

The five dukes frowned in succession.

But the way they looked at Thales had changed.

The faces of the lords were filled with surprise and uncertainty.

King Nunn VII, however, remained unchanged, his expression still cold and numb, as if he had never recovered from the pain of losing his son.

Thales withdrew his right hand and placed it on the hilt of his sword, his gaze still fixed on King Nunn.

"Your Majesty Nunn, if you truly desire revenge..."

He said calmly:

"Let's settle this with a duel."

"Me and you."

The silence lasted for several seconds.

A few seconds later, the pot-headed lord was the first to burst out laughing.

The other dukes also joined in the laughter.

Only King Nuen remained calm and composed.

"Did you hear that?" The bowl-cut man pointed at Thales, his wrinkles crinkling into a wide grin. "A seven-year-old brat, hahaha... challenging you to a duel..."

But their laughter didn't last long.

Nunn Walton, co-ruler of Exter, slowly raised a hand, silencing the dukes' laughter.

The man with the bowl cut paused.

The old king spoke slowly and deliberately in his aged, deep voice:

"Oh? You want to duel me?"

His gaze met Thales's in mid-air, sending a chill down the latter's spine.

"Why?"

Prince Star took a deep breath.

come on.

Thales, dragging his heavy sword, stepped forward and answered loudly:
"Based on hatred and justice!"

His childish voice echoed in the stone hall.

The two dukes, who were still hiding in the shadows, began to whisper to each other.

The other three looked back at Thales with hostile expressions.

"Didn't we, the Star People, kill your only son?" Thales gritted his teeth, forcing back the trembling in his legs.

"Wouldn't it be most just and reasonable for a father like you to take revenge personally?"

The bearded duke snorted in dissatisfaction.

"You, a mere seven-year-old brat?" His face turned ashen. "You dare challenge the supreme ruler of Exter? Don't you think the gap between us is too wide?"

King Nunn gently lowered his elbows, clasped his hands together, and quietly looked at Thales.

For some reason, at that moment, Thales felt that Thales's hostility had dissipated considerably.

Is it an illusion?

But what still needs to be done must be done...

"No!"

Thales Star raised his head, imagining Maurice's posture as he patrolled the streets in the Brotherhood, trying to project an air of arrogance:

“I am the future king of the stars, and he is the current king of Exter. We are equals.”

“I have the blood of Tormund and Midil, while he inherited the blood of Nekaru and Sara. We are of similar lineage.”

King Nuen suddenly began to give a faint, cold laugh.

“Moreover…” Thales returned each of the five dukes’ different gazes without showing any weakness.

“I am seven years old, young and frail, with small hands and short legs,” Thales said angrily, gritting each word out, “And you, Your Majesty Nunn…”

"You are almost seventy years old, old and frail, and your eyesight is failing."

Thales took a deep breath and gave a disdainful smile: "We're evenly matched, and our chances are similar!"

"I think this will be a thrilling duel, no less exciting than the election of the king."

"what do you say?"

"The born king of Exter?"

Upon hearing this, some of the five dukes frowned, while others clicked their tongues in disapproval, their expressions varying.

King Nuen's gaze grew increasingly strange, and his smile gradually faded.

Just then, a laugh broke the eerie silence.

"Hahahaha," the fourth grand duke laughed, turning to expose himself to the light: "You really dare to say that, lad? Old and frail? Evenly matched? Haha, my Majesty... this is truly amusing!"

Thales paused, looking at the Grand Duke.

This was a long-haired duke, around forty years old, whose emblem was a book. His resolute face and hearty laughter always reminded Thales of the Starry North Duke, who was also a Northman.

He laughed heartily, ignoring the expressions on the faces of the others, and even pounded the table: "You've got guts, kid!"

“Alright, I think,” came the last grand duke’s voice—a calm and pleasant voice—from the other side, “perhaps we can talk things over again…there’s no need to be so tense…”

The firelight illuminated the owner of the voice.

“Your Majesty,” the last of the grand dukes to speak was the youngest, probably only around thirty years old. He was a neatly groomed, brown-haired youth with a bloodstained horseshoe embroidered on his shoulder. He continued in his gentle voice, “I advise you to reconsider…”

“Conkley Pefit,” but King Nunn’s expression remained unchanged; he simply turned his head slowly and shot his gaze at the young grand duke: “Do I look like I’m joking?”

The brown-haired youth, Grand Duke Conkley Peffert, paused in speech.

The remaining four dukes exchanged glances and adjusted their postures.

They were somewhat surprised by the current situation and awaited the king's decision.

Only King Nunn VII, seated in the main seat, turned his gaze back and stared intently at Thales for a full five or six seconds.

Thales' feet finally stopped trembling.

At that moment, the old man Kaslan's final assessment of King Nunn VII came to mind:

Nunn is also human; he will grow old, and one day he will be deceived by sweet words and flattery, and swayed by desires and impulses.

Thales chuckled to himself.

“Of course, Your Majesty Nunn,” Thales said softly, drawing the attention of the six again, “I respect that you are of a similar age to my grandfather.”

"It does seem rather impolite to ask you to duel with me."

The dukes all looked puzzled.

"So, it was all just a bluff?" the bearded man said dismissively. "So you still don't dare..."

“No!” Thales interrupted him.

"The duel must continue!"

“But if this is truly how things are going to end today,” Thales turned his gaze, sweeping it over the five grand dukes one by one—the bearded man, the bowl-cut man, the bald man, the long-haired man, and the brown-haired youth—before stating unequivocally:

"I believe that the five dukes present are all loyal men, and one of them will surely be able to fight in Your Majesty's place!"

Upon hearing this, the long-haired man clenched his fist first!
The other dukes suddenly felt a tightness in their chests.

"Well then? Do you dare to fight for your king, dukes?"

“I wonder which one of you,” Thales gritted his teeth and raised his voice to its maximum, “wants to duel me and claim that glory!”

"The glory of personally plunging the blade of revenge into my heart!"

"As a Grand Duke, I will personally kill the Star Prince to avenge Exter!"

After saying this, Thales was panting heavily.

A second later, the second prince raised his head.

He was pleased to see that the five dukes had all changed color.

Today is the birthday of a certain "steamed bun girl" in the book club!
Happy birthday to her!

And I absolutely will not be adding any more chapters!
Additionally: Wujian uses a Qidian author account to write his book, so he has no authority to manage the book review section on Qidian... He can't delete posts or add them to the featured sections...

But it doesn't matter, Wujian can still use his avatar to reply to his readers!

The one in the book review section named "The Overlord is Always Strong" is Wu Jian's shadow clone!

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(End of this chapter)