Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 397 Urgent Mission

Inside the tavern, amidst everyone's gasps, Ricky spoke slowly:

"What secret?"

Thales stared intently at the chisel, unable to look away.

His curiosity and suspicion about that night overcame his unease and fear.

Chisel did not answer immediately.

The man with the Shadow Shield looked around, and only after seeing that everyone was captivated by the topic did he bow with a satisfied smile.

"That's why I'm here today."

He slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of eyes that suddenly sharpened beneath his eyebrows: "Since crossing the sea, Teng has shown extraordinary enthusiasm for the royal family of Canxing, which I guess is due to his past identity."

"But, in this bloody year, to take on a deal with no way out, and wipe out the Starry Sky royal family from the root? That's just too much."

Beside Ricky, the masked man snorted coldly.

A bloody year.

Upon hearing the keyword, Thales' eyelids twitched inexplicably.

"There must be a reason, a cause, that makes him so fascinated by Canxing."

He straightened up and responded calmly to each of the people with their different expressions.

"Six years ago, as our leader in the North, I issued the order: if the opportunity arises, assassinate the visiting Second Prince of the Stars."

Quick Rope nudged Thales in the shadows.

Thales lowered his eyelashes, pretending not to see the reproachful look in the other person's eyes that said, "Why is it you again?"

Chisel continued, drawing everyone's attention: "But Teng ultimately stopped this order. He even went against his usual practice and risked showing himself, just to prevent us subordinates from doing anything impulsive."

"He wanted the prince to live, and for that purpose he even sent me to negotiate with the Black Sands Grand Duke."

Ricky frowned and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

“From the near-mad assassination of royal family members eighteen years ago to now doing everything in his power to ensure the prince’s survival,” Qianzi revealed a mysterious expression: “Teng’s change in attitude before and after only proves one thing.”

He raised a finger, his tone becoming serious:

"The existence of that prince must mean something."

Thales could feel his fingernails gripping his palms tightly.

The mercenaries began to stir in hushed tones.

Ignoring everything else, Qianzi stared intently at Ricky, the highest-ranking member of the group: "If I take him down, I can uncover Teng's secrets, find out why he's so interested in the Starry Sky royal family, and uncover the truth behind his crazy acceptance of that big deal during his bloody years."

"What do you mean? Do you want to uncover this secret with us?"

The commotion among the mercenaries grew louder and louder, and Thales could even hear Marina gritting her teeth behind his back.

Clay, the swordsman from the North, leaned in and whispered something in the masked man's ear, but the masked man simply shook his head.

Ricky calmly raised a hand, silencing the whispers around him.

Where is Teng?

The mercenary leader didn't dwell on the so-called secret the other party had offered, but instead quietly pressed for details:
"How is he doing now?"

When the topic came back, a gloom seemed to settle over Qianzi's face.

He and Ricky stared at each other silently, but the latter's calm expression revealed his attitude and focus.

The chisel could only sigh slightly.

"His fate is unknown."

The three leaders of the Sword of Calamity frowned simultaneously.

“But I can tell you, his situation is bad, very bad,” Qianzi clasped his hands together and quickly continued, “For six whole years since then, Teng hasn’t shown his face in the organization, and even I rarely receive orders from him anymore, even if I do…”

He said solemnly, "Including myself, more than one person in the organization has begun to doubt the current situation of the Shadow Master."

After hearing what the chisel said, Ricky took a deep breath.

“So,” Crassus, the Blade of Calamity, said with a strange expression, “the Shield of Shadows is now a headless serpent.”

The masked swordsman added irritably, "That makes them even more dangerous: you never know where the venom will splash."

Clay gave a soft snort, and Chisel could only offer an awkward smile.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Ricky shook his head: "To uncover his secrets and carry on his unfinished mission?"

The smile on the chisel slowly faded.

"It goes without saying that after Teng's disappearance, the Shadow Shield is at a critical turning point."

Qianzi coughed and said, "As I said, taking down that prince is the key to solving the mystery and a summary of what Teng has done over the past ten years."

The masked man scoffed.

"It sounds like you're very dissatisfied with your master?"

"dissatisfied?"

Chisel's expression was subtle at first, then he decisively shook his head.

"No, I am here to rescue the Shadow Shield from its desperate situation and predicament."

"We can't go on like this. The Shadow Shield needs to be revitalized, it needs to rise again, it needs new stimulation..."

The masked man interrupted him again.

"Or a new leader—I guess that's what you're thinking?"

The words in the chisel were immediately choked in his mouth.

“Teng has been in the Western Continent for twenty years now,” the masked man said in a knowing tone, his voice cold and menacing. “Twenty years as the ‘Shadow Lord’? Considering the ‘fine tradition’ of the Shadow Shield in terms of leader rotation, his tenure is indeed excessively long.”

Chisel's face turned cold.

"You don't need to imply that."

“I’m revealing these secrets to you all to gain your trust,” Chisel said coldly. “To prove to you that the Shadow Shield, at least the part I lead, is no longer what it was during the Teng era, and we should not have to endure the treatment and stigma of that time.”

Upon hearing this, the masked man snorted and shook his head, while Clay chuckled.

The unexpected person to take the chisel was Marina.

“Ridiculous,” the woman in red said with a tone of hatred, “What kind of ‘stigma’ do you think we could bestow upon a bunch of stinking rats from the gutter?”

Upon hearing this rebuttal, Qianzi frowned and looked at Ricky, only to find that the other party showed no displeasure at being interrupted.

He could only sigh and turn to Marina.

"I am not making this up."

Under Marina's hateful gaze, Chip said with a heavy heart, "Once upon a time, the Shadow Shield was not a rat that everyone hated. Once, we also had noble and respectable ideals."

The mercenaries looked at each other in bewilderment.

Qianzi took a deep breath: "A thousand years ago, the final empire was re-established, and various powerful forces were born. Those in power and high positions launched countless wars, tyranny, enslavement, and oppression. Helpless people experienced famine, death, pain, and torment time and time again."

A longing appeared in the eyes of the chiselman.

"Thus, when driven to the brink of despair, a group of people emerged: they were of humble origin, of lowly names, and outnumbered, yet they stepped forward with swords, using their limited strength to achieve great things, and risking their lives in the shadows to assassinate tyrants, resist tyranny, and fight back against power in the most primitive, simple, yet also most powerless and clumsy way. They stood in front of the rulers' tyranny and the tyranny of the feudal lords, and voiced the suffering of the common people."

“That’s rare,” Ricky said, a hint of approval in his eyes. “Compared to those killers who act blindly, at least you know about your organization’s past.”

Thales's brow furrowed: This was the first time he had heard the Shadow Shield described from this perspective.

He bowed slightly, then let out a long sigh, his eyes darting around.

“Once upon a time, we were the last hope of the suffering people, the vanguard of the uprising, and the unyielding warriors of the resistance. Through unimaginable means and at unimaginable cost, we threatened, reminded, and warned those tyrants who held high positions but preyed on the people: In the shadow cast by the rulers, there is always such a restless presence, which is always transformed into the most steadfast and intractable shield, protecting the people who are trampled underfoot and despised as ants.”

Ricky remained motionless, while Clay and the masked man responded with their expressions: the former showed disdain, and the latter snorted angrily.

But Chisel's words were interrupted once again.

How could you be so shameless as to describe such despicable and vile things as something noble?

“Last hope? Bah!” Marina gritted her teeth and said, “Scum, do you know how many, thousands upon thousands of innocent people lost their homes and families because of you during the Bloody Year?”

Chisel looked back at Marina with some surprise.

He said with a complicated expression, "I can't say you're wrong, girl."

The chisel lowered its head and sighed:
"The truth is, a thousand years have passed, and the Shadow Shield, which once resisted to the death in despair, has degenerated into its current filthy state through day after day of drifting with the tide and helpless compromise."

He clenched his fist, and seemed to grit his teeth as if resentful:

"They are driven by profit, scheming and despicable, living in a daze, and are utterly disgusting."

The air in the tavern fell silent for a moment.

“Wow, a noble, pure, and detached shadow assassin,” Clay shook his head sarcastically. “That’s rare.”

Chisel still clenched his fist, as if he didn't see the gazes of others, nor hear Clay's sarcasm or Marina's snort.

“Especially after Teng arrived, our situation became even worse, making matters worse.”

His face tightened, and his breathing quickened.
"It all started eighteen years ago when he instigated us, contacted various parties, and launched an operation against the Starry Sky royal family, beginning with that assassination that shocked the world."

Thales' heart was pounding faster and faster: my family's pub had given him too much information tonight.

Chisel suddenly looked up, gritting his teeth: "As the shadow master, he has never revealed the list of employers for that business to us, yet he has tried his best to seduce us into ignoring the risks behind it."

"Teng put it very nicely: The Shadow Shield has had enough of lurking in the slums, collecting a few coveted coins from a few country bumpkins, and finding rich or poor barons and officials to seek justice for the stolen and slaughtered livestock in the village. He also said that we are entrusted with a great responsibility and will go straight to the root of the problem."

Chisel looked around, its eyes blazing with anger, as if searching for validation.

"He told us: Through an unprecedentedly large business deal, the Star Kingdom will collapse. This signifies the beginning of a new era, a great age rooted in chaos and confusion, where whips will crack, blood will spill, fields will burn, and fear will sprout—a chaotic world that will allow us to shine, reverse our decline, and rise to prominence, just as we rose a thousand years ago—the world that awakens from its slumber will remember us once again, and need us once more."

Chisel's words were so vivid that Thales could even imagine Teng's tone at the time.

but……

List of employers.

Thales noticed the word.

In this bloody year, who exactly wanted to see the Starry Sky Royal Family destroyed?

He exhaled, his expression and tone both darkening.

“I must say, he’s very eloquent, highly skilled, and wields the power of a newly appointed leader… Some people have been bewitched, while others, for the sake of their lives, have no choice but to obey him.” Clay displayed his contempt: “I guess you’re going to say that you’re one of those who ‘had no choice’?”

Chisel shook his head.

"None of that matters anymore. What matters is the consequences of this."

"Let's see what Teng and his crazy plan have brought us."

With his hands outstretched, his face dejected:

"Chaos? Of course, the chaos of the Bloody Year was utter mess. It wasn't just civilians who suffered, but also assassins like us, and even mercenaries like you. If everyone could die under the shadow of war, what would be the point of assassins? In the midst of endless war, if we can't even find a flat, quiet place to rest and recuperate, how can we talk about bribery and assassination?"

"And that great upheaval did not last long—at least not until our golden age arrived—before it ended."

The chisel's expression was one of struggle, as if it were going through hell:

"For eighteen long years, Teng made enemies on all sides for us: not only did the Shadows hide their tails and have nowhere to go within the Starry Sky Realm, but even in the world outside the Starry Sky Realm, they had to face the relentless pursuit and extermination by the Secret Society or their allies. You can't imagine how we got through those days; everything was terrible."

With a cold look in his eyes, he said, "That was a business with no winners."

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

"If I had to say there is..."

"The Star Kingdom did not suffer a complete defeat after the great calamity, nor did it usher in a golden age of assassins and shadows for us. On the contrary, they rose from the ruins, and the new king's ruthless methods were even more severe than before, with unprecedented absolute power on the throne. The opportunities we once wholeheartedly hoped for and relied on for survival—the endless feuds among nobles and the warring states among lords—have slowly disappeared under the new king's iron fist, vanishing without a trace. The chaotic future promised by the decline of the Star Kingdom has not only failed to arrive but has also receded further and further away. It's laughable, but sometimes we, his men, even suspect: Could Teng, who launched that assassination, be the Star Kingdom's spy?"

In his final narration, Qianzi spoke with a bittersweet tone, almost as if he were crying and laughing at the same time.

It makes one frown.

Ricky exchanged glances with the others.

"You just asked if I'm 'dissatisfied' with Teng?"

Qianzi shook his head violently, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes: "No, the word you chose is too simplistic and cannot adequately describe even a fraction of our feelings towards Teng."

"Over the course of twenty years, Teng has brought about the Shadow Shield."

"It's a disaster."

The tavern fell silent again.

Only Thales remained lost in his own thoughts.

Teng.

What kind of person is he?

"You're saying that six years ago, Teng risked his life to show himself in Dragon Sky City, only to be ambushed and left on the verge of death?"

Ricky's voice rang out, pulling Thales back to reality.

Chisel nodded politely:

"Yes?"

Ricky stroked his chin, his eyes clear and bright, and chuckled softly:
Regardless of whether your words are credible or not.

"Be careful. How did someone like Ru Teng manage to be discovered in Dragon Sky City, which you've managed for so long?"

Chisel's expression froze.

Ricky hummed softly.

"So either you're making this up, or..."

Ricky's smile turned cold.

"Now, you, the one dealing with us, Chisel, are someone who refuses to be subservient to anyone and, in a fit of rage, murdered his master..."

Ricky's eyes held a deathly coldness:
"traitor."

A suffocating, eerie silence returned to the tavern.

Everyone stared at the chisel with a strange look.

Damn.

He rubbed the sweat from his palms.

This so-called Krassu...

Ricky remained motionless, waiting for the drill to respond.

A full few seconds passed.

The latter took a deep breath.

“In fact,” finally, at this moment, the chisel no longer wore a smile, but instead his face turned icy cold, and a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes:
"If you have never been loyal to someone or something..."

"Then what is there to betray?"

Upon hearing this, both Clay and the masked man looked at the chisel with even more piercing eyes.

But to everyone's surprise, Ricky laughed.

"You must be very afraid of him, right?"

The leader of the Sword of Calamity said calmly, "Afraid of Teng."

The drill bit trembled slightly.

"Whether you subconsciously imitate his words and actions or deliberately show resentment and dissatisfaction, you can't hide the fear that you inadvertently reveal."

The chisel's breath caught in its throat for a moment.

Ricky seemed to have found the other party's weakness:

"To you, he is like an insurmountable mountain, a boundless shadow, isn't he?"

"The reason you want to know his secrets so much is because you can't wait to surpass him, to surpass Teng."

Chisel swallowed hard.

His lips trembled, but he didn't make a sound, as if he was struggling.

It was as if all his previous eloquence had lost its luster at this moment.

Finally, Ricky looked at him, clicked his tongue, and shook his head.

“Come on,” Ricky said, snapping his fingers as he leaned back against the chair without asking further questions.
"It's time to talk about our collaboration."

Chisel suddenly paused, seemingly not expecting the other party to return to the topic he wanted so easily.

"So……"

Ricky clenched his fists, his eyes flashing coldly:
"For the sake of possible cooperation, why don't you tell me something about that prince?"

Thales, who was listening in, stiffened and tried his best to appear natural.

How did you find him?

A few seconds later, the chisel took a deep breath and smiled.

A moment later, a simply dressed man was led into the tavern.

The new guest was lightly dressed, travel-worn, and his face showed signs of fatigue from his journey. However, even when faced with a room full of unfriendly swordsmen, he maintained his composure and even arrogance, walking with neither servility nor arrogance, and immediately found the person in the room who held the reins of the deal.

With a broad smile, he said, "Let me introduce you. This is Baron Russell Vida."

As he spoke, the new guest bowed slightly.

Thales stirred slightly; he instinctively felt he had seen this man before.

but……

Ricky frowned slightly: "Baron?"

Clay looked doubtful and said softly, "Vida, I remember this noble surname of the Northman. It seems to be a minor vassal with a fief, so minor that it couldn't be more minor."

The new guest stood up, revealing a weathered yet serious face.

“Remove the title of honor,” Russell nodded. “My fief has already been taken back, and my title has been stripped away.”

He said sternly, "Right now, I am just Russell Vida."

“You’re too modest,” Qianzi said, waving his hand excitedly. “Right now, you are our most reliable source of intelligence and our most reliable partner, including our backup plan…”

Suspicion crossed Ricky's face: Cooperation?

But the newcomer Russell made no attempt at small talk and simply broke the chisel.

“I’ve had enough of diplomatic rhetoric,” Russell shook his head and said bluntly:
"So I'll get straight to the point."

“A few days ago, we received a message,” he said solemnly, his voice low, drawing the attention of the others: “an informant has secretly discovered traces of Thales Star in the desert.”

Thales' heart skipped a beat!
Even the rope stopped moving.

"The informant has already pinpointed the target, but due to a lack of manpower and being in enemy territory, he has to ask us for help to arrange their evacuation afterward."

Russell frowned and said, "The deadline for evacuation was last night. According to the plan, our informant was supposed to come to us with his prince captive."

Ricky listened to the other person's account, his suspicion never fading.

Thales stared intently at the ground, motionless.

"But it was past midnight, and the informant still hadn't responded."

Russell exhaled and said sternly, "Therefore, we have reason to believe that he has failed."

"That is why I am here today, breaking with tradition, to urgently request assistance from both of you."

Russell glanced at the smiling Chip, then at Ricky, whose expression remained blank.

The new guest gritted his teeth and said, "It's very likely that Thales Star has escaped our control and is under the official protection of the camp. We must strike swiftly and recapture the target before the main force returns to reinforce us. Time is of the essence, the sooner the better."

Ricky and his companions exchanged glances.

"Any clues?"

Russell nodded.

“Our informant, he’s a mercenary,” Russell said, glancing around seriously, “His name in the desert is…”

"Big Dean."

I'm back from a business trip!

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(End of this chapter)