Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 396 The Dark Side

The "My Home" tavern fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The mercenaries, or rather, the swords of calamity, stared in disbelief at the fair-skinned man who had uttered such astonishing words.

"The heir to the Star Kingdom..."

Amidst a chorus of gasps, Sonny, the mercenary behind Marina, snorted:
"I thought it was crazy enough that we were going to break into prison."

Thales saw that after the chisel revealed the astonishing target, Ricky, who was "Krassus," frowned to an extreme degree, Clay, the Northman beside him, stopped wiping his sword sheath, and the cold glint in the masked man's eyes became even more piercing.

The Sword of Calamity—Thales had also heard of this organization.

But he heard another name more often: the Tower of the End.

A legendary holy land that has tirelessly trained various warriors and passed down skills for mankind for thousands of years since the final war, in preparation for war.

Of all the people Thales knew, Cohen, Miranda, and Wyatt, they had all spent considerable time at the Tower of the End, where they honed their skills. Over the years, this place had become so famous that people had come to call swordsmen who possessed the power of the End and wielded the iconic longsword (favored by nobles) "End Swordsmen." Whether in mercenary camps on the frontier or in local city defense forces, mentioning "having spent time at the Tower of the End" would quickly make you a sought-after commodity for various employers.

The Blade of Calamity—that's what they call them, a name that deeply unsettles Thales—according to Wyah's hearsay, they are the mortal enemies of the Tower of the End.

and so……

Thales sighed inwardly: They could plan a prison break in the Blade Fang camp without hesitation, and even make contact with the forbidden Shadow Shield.

"It's all over, Second Prince..." Tampa looked utterly dejected. "No matter what, could you please not just blurt out something so serious like this... I still want to come back safely to sell wine..."

Thales and Quick Rope exchanged a glance, sensing each other's completely different feelings.

As everyone's focus, Qianzi calmly accepted their attention, seemingly unconcerned.

“Your discipline and organization are truly beyond my expectations,” he rubbed his hands together, and despite the many strange looks he was receiving, he smiled modestly, “Even in front of so many people, and with such a big secret at stake, you are not worried at all…”

Tampa's sorrowful complaints and the chisel's murmurs were interrupted.

"You want him dead."

The masked man, who didn't say much, suddenly stood up.

He slowly approached the chisel, a sharp glint flashing in his wrinkled eyes: "Prince of the Stars?"

Thales swallowed.

"If possible, try to capture them alive." Qianzi smiled, as gentle and humble as ever.

"Catch alive?"

The masked man walked up to the man with the chisel and looked down into his eyes: "You mean, we're going to break through the encirclement of a prince in the Star Kingdom's military base, then brave their countless troops to pursue and blockade us, and safely evacuate with that precious hostage?"

Thales noticed a hint of indignation and anger in his words.

Marina, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but say, "That's impossible."

Qianzi frowned as he looked at the masked man, and slowly retreated under his aggressive gaze, trying to guess his identity.

“I didn’t say it was simple,” the man with the Shadow Shield shrugged, dodging the masked man’s figure, and glanced at the mercenaries in the tavern with a smile. “But it’s at least no harder than storming the Bone Prison.”

In that instant, the masked man suddenly reached out!

Snapped.

He pressed down on the chisel's shoulder.

The man's face turned deathly pale, and the part of his body that was being pressed down trembled slightly.

He jerked violently, gripping the masked man's arm tightly with his left hand, trying to push him away.

But the other person's arm remained motionless, as if it were cast in metal.

“Because you can’t do it on your own,” the masked man slowly increased the pressure on his hand, causing the trembling chisel to hiss involuntarily, “so you want us to be used as bait and a buffer to help you achieve your goal.”

Chisel stared in disbelief at the masked man before him, but the mercenaries watching merely frowned and no one spoke up to stop him.

The atmosphere in the tavern became increasingly suffocating, and Thales, watching from the sidelines, grew more and more anxious.

What should we do in this situation?
"Not bait, but reliable external support."

Chisel gritted his teeth, enduring the masked man's control and coercion, but still insisted on speaking: "At the same time, we will also provide you with our resources... in a perfect plan... to take down the Prison of Bones and Prince Star at the same time... to cover each other, kill two birds with one stone... to help each other."

His words came out in fits and starts.

The masked man scoffed, "Is that all?"

"Nothing else?"

Despite the unbearable pain, the man with the chisel managed a forced smile:

"Perhaps this will set a good precedent for our future cooperation?"

The mercenaries in the tavern watched this scene silently, as if it were commonplace.

Snapped.

A hand landed on the masked man's shoulder.

The masked man frowned slightly:
Ricky stood beside him, shook his head, and remained calm.

The man glanced at the painfully contorted chisel, scoffed, then released his grip and stepped back.

Chisel breathed a sigh of relief, leaned to one side, and rubbed his shoulder with an extremely unnatural expression.

Damn.

He knew that he was at a disadvantage in this unauthorized negotiation.

but……

"why?"

Ricky replaced the masked man and stood in front of the chisel.

“Eighteen years ago, you destroyed the Starry Sky Royal Family without regard for the cost or any leeway, and even the collateral branches were affected.”

These words startled Thales.

The leader of the Sword of Calamity said calmly, "Everyone in the circle is speculating about who your backers are, who those guys who want to wipe out the Starry Sky Royal Family."

"And now you're telling me to capture the last Prince of Shining Star alive?"

“Why?” Ricky stopped in front of the chisel, staring at his stiff right arm. “What are Teng and the people behind him thinking? What are they planning to do?”

"Could it be... that the so-called imperial bloodline that has been passed down to this day is truly as brilliant as gold and can cure all diseases?"

Clay behind him gave a sarcastic laugh.

The chisel revealed an ugly smile.

"Your Excellency Crassus, why do you care about this matter?"

Even in such a disadvantageous position, even after experiencing such a blunt threat, Chip's courage still surprised Thales: "Your target is just the Prison of Bones. If I may be so bold, this is almost destined to anger the Star Kingdom and be intolerable to King Kessel."

"In this situation, wouldn't it be a wise move, in the best interest of the people, to turn around and help their enemies, and destabilize their political situation, while being able to achieve their goals more effectively?"

The masked man behind Ricky let out a cold laugh.

"Then, they completely pushed us to the opposite side of the Star Kingdom, forcing us to board your pirate ship."

The masked man clenched his fist: "Just like the assassin flower eighteen years ago, the Saridon family."

Surreyton.

This name, which he hadn't heard in a long time, made Thales fall into deep thought.

Chisel's smile remained unchanged.

"Sometimes, when you want something, you have to choose sides: it's either this side or that side."

He still had that amiable look, as if to say, "I'm sorry, but that's just how it is."

Like a dedicated and hardworking, yet helpless, tutor.

"Besides, you've already made your choice: just as you've taken over this tavern and are planning to break into the prison."

He loosened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and stood up straight, like a magnanimous man about to be led to the execution ground, with a calm smile that drew attention: "Isn't that so?"

The mercenaries began to stir.

The masked man and Clay exchanged a glance.

Ricky remained motionless, staring silently at the drill bit.

Thales and Quick Rope exchanged glances at each other around the table.

The leader's silence affected the Blades of Calamity, and the tavern gradually quieted down.

Everyone looked at Ricky.

The chisel waited silently, its eyes occasionally glancing at the people around it as it moved.

After a long pause, Ricky's gaze, which had been fixed on the drill bit, shifted slightly.

The leader of the Sword of Calamity smiled, gently swaying his chin: "Just like him."

"Same."

The chisel, which had been bracing itself for the questioning, was suddenly taken aback.

"what?"

Ricky gave a soft snort and turned around.

"How ridiculous."

Ricky sat down again, seemingly indifferent to the person in front of him:
"At that moment, the way you spoke and what you said were exactly the same as Teng's."

The chisel's pupils trembled instantly.

Teng.

Thales heard that short, syllable name again.

Ricky leaned back in his chair, raised his chin, and stared at the ceiling with a dreamy look in his eyes: "I've seen that man—if Teng can even be considered a man—sometimes cunning and treacherous, sometimes passionate and ambitious. His existence is the whole world's merciless mockery of human nature."

The chisel slowly lowered its head. "Are you and the Shadow Master old acquaintances?"

Ricky pouted: "Yes, Teng, I've witnessed his methods and actions, and I must say, they're 'unforgettable'."

Chisel smiled and was about to answer, but in the next second, a chilling glint flashed in Ricky's eyes.

"Therefore I absolutely do not believe it."

Ricky abruptly lowered his head and stared directly at the drill bit.

His tone was more urgent and resolute than ever before: "I absolutely do not believe that my contact and encounter with him was any kind of 'coincidence' or 'luck,' and I do not believe that any cooperation with him would be a 'win-win' outcome—even if there are short-term gains, that cannot cover up the greater losses we will suffer in the longer term."

The chisel was surprised.

“Get out of here immediately, Chisel,” Ricky said, his face grim and his tone increasingly firm, brooking no refusal. “Out of respect for your courage, I won’t make things difficult for your companions hiding outside the eaves.”

Hearing this, Thales breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Fortunately, as long as he isn't directly implicated, there's still a chance to get away with it...

Chisel stared blankly at Ricky, at his cold eyes.

"please forgive."

"I don't quite understand you..."

Ricky snorted coldly, his words short and sharp.

"I don't trust you."

"I especially distrust Tencent."

He straightened up, his whole body instantly turning into solid ice, and he spat out the words through gritted teeth: "So, go worry about that damn prince yourself, we have nothing to do with each other."

Is that clear enough?

The chisel stared intently at the other person, as if it were unbelievable that they would refuse.

"but……"

His tone revealed surprise and hesitation: "You are isolated and helpless. The process of breaking into the Prison of Bones will be very difficult. Even if you are lucky enough to succeed, the Star Kingdom will not have a place for the Sword of Calamity afterward..."

“If we were worried about the things you’re talking about,” Clay scoffed, “we wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

"Also, don't call us the Sword of Calamity. Nobody likes that name."

Facing the solemn face of the chiselman, the middle-aged swordsman from the north lowered his longsword, Dark Light, and clasped his arms tightly:
"We are the inheritors outside the tower."

"Instead of a bunch of filthy worms who worship a certain eunuch who lives and breathes his name day and night, and who only have the empty name of their ancestors."

As he spoke, the swords of calamity hummed in agreement.

His tone and expression revealed an unruly arrogance and self-confidence.

The chisel kept its head down, its cheeks trembling slightly.

Ricky scoffed, seemingly finding the situation both funny and absurd, and waved to the chisel: "You can go now."

Several mercenaries stepped forward and surrounded the chisel on three sides.

But the next second, the drill bit suddenly lifted its head!

"Wait a minute!"

As if he had figured something out, the chisel's expression now held a hint of inexplicable hesitation and struggle: "I roughly understand your feelings towards the Shadow Master, but this..."

Ricky shook his head, not even glancing at him:
"I told you, you can leave now."

The masked man scoffed dismissively, while Clay continued to focus on his dim light.

Mercenary Sonny stepped forward.

“You heard him, you bug,” Sonny said coldly, looking at the chisel.

"Do you want to help yourself, or do you want us to help you?"

Despite his words, he showed no intention of asking the other party to "help themselves": two burly mercenaries reached out and grabbed the man's shoulders, intending to drag him away.

In that instant, a strange determination appeared on the chisel's face.

He abruptly raised his head, looking over the mercenaries' shoulders at the unmoved Ricky.

"What if this has nothing to do with Tencent?"

These words made Ricky's heart skip a beat.

"What if this isn't some bullshit collaboration, but just a deal between you and me, just a chisel and Crassus?"

These words made Ricky turn his head.

"what?"

As he asked the question, the mercenaries loosened their grip on the chisel.

Ricky squinted, as if he were seeing a chisel for the first time: "What does this mean?"

He broke free from the mercenary's grip, and despite his disheveled appearance, struggled forward.

“As I said, today’s events, whether it’s the kidnapping of the prince or the cooperation between the two sides, have nothing to do with Teng,” Qianzi said through gritted teeth, his face resolute. “Shadow Master, no, Teng has no idea what happened here.”

Upon hearing this, Clay's eyes widened in surprise, and the masked man even let out a soft "Eh."

Only Ricky remained unmoved.

But his tone changed.

“I must say, you’ve captured my interest,” the leader of the Blade of Calamity slowly began.
"What happened to Teng?"

In the suffocating silence, the chisel revealed a desolate smile, shaking its head helplessly and regretfully.

"It's all done."

A glint of light flashed in Ricky's eyes!
His body leaned forward involuntarily: "Say it again?"

Clay and the masked man exchanged surprised glances.

Thales had been preoccupied with finding a way out and had little interest in these supernatural and mysterious organizations and their feuds.

Until the next sentence from the chisel.

"Six years ago, on that day."

Chisel suddenly turned around, staring at Clay with a hint of excitement: "You know, Clay, you and I were both in Dragon City back then, on that day when dragons and disasters descended together, and we witnessed the upheaval that shook the Western Continent."

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

Even the rope stopped moving.

"On the same day, when everyone's eyes were focused on the death of King Nuen and the ownership of the Dragonscale Crown," Qianzi said indignantly, "many things unknown to the world happened in the dark side of Dragoncity."

"You think it was merely a struggle between dragons and calamity? No, it was actually a battle between the Black Sand Duke, now King Chaman, and the Star Kingdom, and even more so, between us and the Star Secret Society..."

"duel."

Thales was jolted!
The lights flickered, and the tavern grew quieter and quieter.

Ricky nodded his chin, his gaze focusing:

"continue."

Chisel snorted coldly, glanced at the mercenaries around him, observing their various expressions, before coldly saying:
"On that day, whether it was intelligence interception or direct confrontation, Teng was utterly defeated by the Black Prophet."

"The Shadow Shield's channels within Dragon Sky City have all been destroyed, leaving us practically blind. Even the assassination attempt on Nu... in short, many major events have gone awry."

"Risban and...Dragon City reacted too quickly; their remaining forces, with the secret assistance of the Secret Service, escaped the encirclement of Black Sand Territory and regrouped."

"The Secret Service is relentlessly pursuing us, causing a severe shortage of resources in Dragon Sky City. We can't even spare manpower to chase down a few important targets."

"Rumba was even driven to the brink of desperation and had no choice but to risk his life, and none of the backup plans we had prepared to help him stabilize the situation could be used."

Hearing about a secret they had never heard before, the mercenaries began to whisper among themselves.

“Our plans in the North, which relied on Rumba, have almost completely failed.”

Thales frowned, ignoring the shocked expression on the quick rope's face, while the Swords of Calamity all frowned.

what?
According to the meaning of the chisel...

that night.

That early morning.

Dragon blood.

What happened that day...

Ricky didn't react; he stared coldly at the chisel, waiting for his next words.

"Not only that."

A chilling frost flashed in Qianzi's eyes: "That day, Teng was ambushed in Longxiao City."

“The assassins from the Secret Service caught him red-handed,” Qianzi said coldly, his voice tinged with unspoken emotion.
"It dealt Teng a fatal blow."

In that instant, the three wielders of the Sword of Calamity trembled in unison!
"The man was critically wounded and dying. His forces, including his Far Eastern confidants who had followed him since the beginning of his life, suffered heavy losses."

Ricky turned his head and looked at Clay.

Clay shook his head, indicating that he knew nothing about it.

Ricky frowned, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Faced with his scrutiny, Qianzi laughed without revealing his true feelings.

“Sometimes I even suspect that for the Black Prophet, the power struggle with Exter might just be a matter of going with the flow.”

He gave a bitter laugh and said wearily, "That night, the Shadow Shield, especially Teng himself, was the Kingdom's secret police's primary target."

"For the secrets that Teng possesses."

(End of this chapter)