Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 559 Eight Meridians
Marius slowly raised his gaze, as if he were looking at everyone present.

The air seemed to be tightened invisibly, leaving no gaps.

"You will only choose to sacrifice when you believe that you can gain something more precious through sacrifice—posthumous reputation, practical benefits, the safety of others, or pure self-satisfaction."

Marius's words grew increasingly solemn:
"In other words, only when you know what you believe in, what you cherish more, and what you want to trade, do you have the right to choose and the right to rightfully sacrifice something, such as your life."

Thales remained silent, as if he had the illusion that Marius was watching him the whole time.

The next second, Marius swiftly turned around, and Patterson swung his arm just as quickly, both of them delivering another lash with their whips—

Snapped!
This time, Toledo didn't even have time to react, and his counting could only barely catch up.

“Otherwise, your so-called glorious sacrifice,” Marius said expressionlessly, looking at the two men lying on the ground, panting.
"It was just a momentary impulse, a foolish act of being manipulated and incited, or even a self-deprecating act of blind faith and obedience."

Snapped!
Another whip.

Golov dragged his chest off the ground, gritting his teeth and holding on, while Doyle simply leaned back and knelt on his calves.

“I’m punishing you, Doyle, not because you made the wrong choice.”

Marius said coldly:

"When your father was kidnapped and the situation was tense and unclear, you were so brave and unparalleled. You put everything else aside, drew your sword and charged forward, determined to fight and save your father."

Doyle was momentarily dazed, then looked at the Watchman.

"But what are you willing to sacrifice, and what can you gain in return? Your father? His Highness? Yourself? Justice? Loyalty?"

Do you know? Do you understand?

Marius no longer looked at the bewildered Doyle.

"And you, Golov!"

The zombie straightened up with great effort, listening solemnly to the instructions.

"Whether you sympathized with Doyle and secretly let him go to save his father, or you wanted to stop him from dueling and suggested a flanking attack... it felt like you were very kind, noble, and cared a lot about camaraderie."

"But what are you prepared to sacrifice, what do you want to gain in return? Comrades? Friendship? Conscience? Responsibility? Mission?"

"Do you even know that? Have you ever thought about it?"

Marius revealed an unusual seriousness:
"What do you believe in? What are you fighting for? What are you sacrificing? Who are you trying to save?"

Doyle and Golov were both bewildered, unsure of what to say.

But they didn't need to answer, because what awaited them was—

Snapped!
Amidst screams of agony, their thoughts were once again interrupted by excruciating pain.

"No, you can't even tell me, you can't tell me honestly, because neither of you knows anything."

Marius's voice calmed down, but he didn't seem to relax at all; he still had that taut bowstring tension.

The entire guard fell into deep thought.

"No, I'm punishing you not because you made the wrong choice, but because you couldn't even see the choice!"

“You just resort to animal instincts in moments of confusion and dazedness, blindly move forward, act impulsively, and then regret it afterward. Then you pretend to be tough, wipe away your tears and say ‘the necessary price,’ and then do the same stupid thing again next time.”

"And you call that a sacrifice?"

Marius chuckled and flicked the blood off his whip.

"Like two pathetic chess pieces, subconsciously making their own moves."

“Until His Highness mercifully pulls you out of the game of certain death—along with the enemy’s pieces.”

Thales, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly shuddered.

He sensed that many people were turning their attention to him.

DD and the zombie breathed in a daze, as if at this moment, the excruciating pain of the whipping could no longer affect them.

"The result is that your unclear actions not only harm yourselves and endanger the mission, but also harm your colleagues and threaten the overall situation."

"You'll end up with nothing on either side, and you'll achieve nothing anywhere."

A deep sorrow appeared in Marius's eyes:
"Absolutely stupid."

The wind howled, and the whip flashed swiftly.

Snapped!
Amidst screams of agony, the shadows of the two tortured men stretched out in irregular shapes on the ground.

“If you are the charging warriors, the cannon fodder of war, the suicide squad on the battlefield, then perhaps I will promote and award you medals to encourage my troops to continue to risk their lives. Whether you like it or not, I will publicize the ‘sacrifice’,” Marius’s voice dimmed along with his gaze:
"But you are not."

Marius looked at everyone, his voice heavy with sarcasm:
"You are the royal guard."

“A thousand years ago, your name was—the Emperor’s Guard.”

The whip cracked again.

Snapped!
This time, however, Doyle and Golov only grunted defiantly, their bodies trembling, but they did not fall.

Marius watched as Paterson silently put away the whip and handed it to Pezarosi, then saw Toledo frantically giving him signals that the quantity was sufficient.

“You are not sacrificing yourselves.”

“You people don’t deserve to be sacrificed.”

"The Watchman said calmly."

“I’m tired. Save your last lash,” he said, turning around and handing the whip to Carpenter.

"Officer Doyle".

As soon as they finished speaking, the two who had been holding on breathed their last and collapsed.

Only the blood-soaked back remained in the air, telling the story of what had happened.

A small commotion broke out in the guard, as if many people had breathed a sigh of relief.

Logistics officer Steve sighed and waved his hand. Several people who were prepared rushed over and quickly and skillfully carried out tasks such as stretcher preparation, disinfection, cleaning, applying medicine, and bandaging.

Standard-bearer Hugo Forbes then put away the notebook he had been keeping in record during the execution.

"Someone will cover your shifts while you recover from your injuries."

“And those who weren’t whipped,” Marius glanced at the crowd, causing the remaining twenty-odd men to shudder:
"learn a lesson."

The Watcher took his weapon from Toledo, saying neither too hard nor too softly:
"Now, let's disband."

The next moment, the entire Star Lake Guard dispersed like a taut bowstring.

But right now.

“Lord, I don’t understand,” Doyle, pale-faced and lying on the stretcher, struggled to sit up despite Piloga’s attempts to stop him, his voice weary: “Sacrifice is wrong, but not sacrificing is also wrong.”

"Then, sir, what should I do?"

Many people paused in their tracks.

Marius also paused slightly.

He glanced at Thales in the distance, which made the latter's heart tighten.

"Since sacrifice is a transaction."

The watchman spoke softly:
"So when making a transaction, don't misjudge the value of either side of the scale. There are too many things in the world—empty and grandiose words, sinister plots, and unconscious habits—that can confuse them and trick you into making unfair transactions."

Marius turned his head and looked at everyone.

“So, when you decide to make a trade,” the Watcher said calmly, but his tone held an emotion that Thales couldn’t decipher:
"Make sure that's your own scale."

He said slowly:

"What remains on the scale must not be weights and markings that you yourself cannot understand and blindly believe in."

After these words were spoken, many people fell into deep thought.

Thales remained silent.

A few seconds later, the guards on the training field went about their duties and left one after another.

Thales snapped out of his daze, stepped forward, and approached the two men being tortured.

On the stretcher, Doyle, sensing something, struggled to lift his head. Seeing it was Thales, he gave a weak, dying smile.

"Your Highness."

Thales was heavy-hearted and didn't know what to say, so he could only say:
"How is your father?"

DD on the stretcher gave a bitter yet defiant smile:
“You know he… was terrified.”

"They'll probably behave themselves for a while."

Thales was silent for a few seconds, then patted Doyle's arm and nodded to Golov on the other side:
"Take good care of yourself."

Doyle and Golov were carried away.

Many members of the Star Lake Guard passed by him and saluted Thales.

Old Piloga, who had sparred with him, Zonevid, who wielded a left-handed sword, former guard officer Commuto, the tall Franzuk and the dull-witted Ferry in the guard wing, the burly Bastia who had just come with him, and the young Neshi...

"Your Highness."

"Good day."

"Wishing you all the best."

After spending several months together, faces that had gone from strangers to acquaintances flashed before my eyes.

Whether it was just his imagination or not, after one night, the initial sense of unfamiliarity and disharmony that the Star Lake Guards had given Thales seemed to have dissipated considerably.

At least, their greetings appeared more respectful, yet more natural.

Except for one person.

"Thank you for coming, Your Highness."

Marius calmly approached him:
"It adds luster to our team's work."

Thales sneered:
"To add luster and prestige, is that your reason for inviting me here?"

Marius, seemingly oblivious to the Duke of Starlake's anger, turned away leisurely:

"Perfect timing, the martial arts class is about to begin, let's warm up."

Thales took a deep breath.

“I said, every time I think my impression of you is improving, Marius…”

He watched the two stretchers disappear into the distance and said coldly:

"You insist on destroying it, don't you?"

"My most hated bodyguard captain?"

Behind him, Bastia and Neshi exchanged a glance and retreated to a distance in perfect unison.

Marius casually picked out a practice sword and tossed it to Thales.

"So, how many captains of your personal guard have you had?"

Thales snorted coldly, went to the training ground, and began to warm up, brandishing his longsword:
"Only you."

“Hmm—” Marius hummed through his nose in a rising tone:
"I can rest assured that."

Thales let out a sarcastic laugh.

“By the way,” he said, glancing disapprovingly at the Watcher:
"I have a feeling that when you said 'those who weren't whipped,' you were implying something?"

Marius smiled slightly, as relaxed as ever:

"Perhaps you've misunderstood?"

Thales drew out several sword stances, quickened his breathing, and stretched his body:
Or not?

Marius shrugged and laughed:
"Then it can't be."

His indifferent and lukewarm attitude left Thales speechless.

"anyway……"

Thales said with ill intent:

"Why do I feel like you're admonishing them against impulsive sacrifices? Against blind loyalty to the royal family?"

Marius gestured for Thales to make his movements more exaggerated, while saying calmly:

"I told you, you've misunderstood."

Thales sneered:
Or not?

Marius did not respond to this question.

"You might as well take the warm-up seriously," the Watcher said earnestly, as if he had transformed back into a dedicated martial arts instructor. "After all, it's your own health that's at stake."

"You'll have to take good care of it yourself."

Thales snorted coldly.

But then he remembered something less pleasant.

"Has no one arrived from Fuxing Palace yet?"

“After all, last night…” Thales didn’t finish his sentence.

This topic seems to have dampened the mood.

Marius remained silent for a moment:
"No."

"But I assure you, they will come, sooner or later."

With mixed feelings, Thales finished warming up, feeling warm all over and slightly sweaty.

"Okay, so what's today? Target practice? Sword stand? Or getting beaten up?"

Marius smiled and waved into the distance:

"Nexi?"

In the distance, the trainee vanguard officer Neshi first pointed to himself in surprise, and after being confirmed, he stepped forward, flattered.

Thales rolled his eyes, resignedly went to find his shield, and prepared to take—cough cough, sparring practice.

But this time, Marius surprised him.

“No, Your Highness, you don’t need to participate,” the Watchman said with a smile, gesturing to the chair: “Come, sit down.”

"Today is a demonstration lesson, followed by a theory lesson." Hmm?
Demonstration teaching?

Theory class?
Thales was stunned.

He looked at the heavy practice sword in his hand and said foolishly:

"Then why did you make me warm up just now?"

Marius laughed even more heartily:

"In order to... maintain good habits?"

Thales looked at him expressionlessly.

"Toledo," Marius, oblivious to the Duke's murderous glare, cheerfully summoned his messenger:
"Go up there and practice a few moves with Neshi."

Thales angrily threw down his practice sword, plopped down in his chair, and crossed his legs inelegantly.

In the arena, Nehi and Toledo exchanged a glance, then looked at Thales, before walking toward the weapons rack.

“Wait,” Marius said calmly.
"Use your own weapons, real swords."

“I’m saying, we don’t want Ms. Ginny to find any more dirt on us, right?”

As the watchman spoke, he glanced at Thales, seemingly unintentionally.

Having known him for so long, Thales knew he was using this opportunity to mock and protest, so he didn't respond, just letting out a few cold laughs.

A few seconds later, Nehi and Toledo both stepped onto the training field.

"You're more senior and have a higher rank than me, so why don't you go first?"

Young Nehi kept glancing at Thales and Marius, eager to try.

The longsword in his hand was light, agile, and of excellent quality.

"No, I'm not used to being at the front of the line."

As one of Marius's most trusted old subordinates, Toledo simply smiled modestly:
"You should go first."

Toledo's weapon was a scimitar, but strangely, he sheathed it and strapped it horizontally to his waist, which looked quite awkward.

Neshi smiled and no longer offered any more politeness:
"it is good--"

But the instant he finished speaking, Neshi's sword was drawn.

The sword flashed, striking like lightning!

Thales's hand, which was still yawning, suddenly stopped—the sin of the River of Hell within him was suddenly awakened!
clang!
A muffled thud, metal colliding.

At that moment, Toledo barely managed to draw his sword, and with a clumsy posture, he blocked the lightning-fast strike.

Thales looked at Neshi in astonishment, calming the power of annihilation within him.

He recalled the first sword strike he had just received.

This is too fast.

Even from such a distance, the River of Sin felt threatened simply through sight, forcing it to react instinctively.

But Nehi’s offensive did not end there.

His sword reflected a strange light as he pressed his advantage along the shortest route, heading straight for the center!

clang!
This forced Toledo into a difficult situation, making their defense extremely challenging.

"Your Highness, do you remember me telling you that there are different schools of martial arts in the kingdom?"

Marius stood leisurely with his hands behind his back, watching his two subordinates fight with real swords.

"Of course, there are the offensive and defensive factions in the North, the martial arts factions in the Southeast, and the new trend factions that prioritize practicality."

“You did more than just ‘say’.”

As Thales answered, he watched Neshi's rapid sword attacks with astonishment, discovering that it wasn't just the speed of his sword that was fast, but also his movement and footwork, which made him appear like a phantom in the battle, always appearing in the places that made Toledo most uncomfortable.

Marius nodded:

"And as I said, once your fencing practice is up to standard, I will introduce you to the other two major schools of thought."

"Now is the time."

The watchman squinted.

"You two, put in some real effort!"

Marius shouted:

"His Highness didn't come to watch your circus performance."

As soon as he finished speaking, Neshi's sword flashed again!
His pace and speed seemed to have increased several times in an instant, and the last sword even grazed Toledo's shoulder armor!

Toledo's defense became increasingly strained, forcing him to retreat and evade, and the battle gradually turned into one side relentlessly pursuing the other while the other fled in disarray.

Thales frowned as he looked at Toledo, who was at a complete disadvantage.

If it were myself...

Thales shook his head inwardly: No, he can't avoid it, and he'll lose even worse than Toledo.

But how old does Neshi look?

"Within the kingdom, there is a special type of warrior."

Marius's voice came from the side:
"They learned their martial arts from the same source, but their styles are all very different and bizarre."

The Watcher's expression was serious:
"Historically, there have been scholars who have specialized in martial arts styles, and they are collectively referred to as the Temple Disciples."

Thales was taken aback.

"temple?"

Disciples of the Temple?

Marius nodded, watching the swordplay and flashing blades on the field, yet he remained unhurried:
"But today, because the name is too literary and too old-fashioned, hardly anyone calls it that anymore."

But his tone was incredibly serious:

"But in reality, they are not only scattered across the stars, but also throughout the entire Western Continent, thriving for thousands of years and still in prosperity today."

“Nate Nehi is one of the best among them.”

Thales stared intently at Neshi, who seemed to be visually creating a clone of himself.

His longsword was swift, fast, and direct.

The effect was astonishing with a single strike.

Marius, adopting a storyteller's demeanor, continued:
"The place where they were taught martial arts is ancient and special, gathering the most diverse and complex martial arts traditions and ultimate techniques over thousands of years. It has been continuously refined in different eras, passing on its knowledge and skills, and becoming famous in the region—"

But at that moment, Thales suddenly interrupted him:

"Knight's Temple".

Marius was taken aback.

The prince straightened his posture and said earnestly:

"That's why they're historically known as the 'Temple Disciples,' right?"

Marius frowned as he looked at the boy, a hint of displeasure at having his story interrupted:

"You...you knew?"

Thales looked back at him and smiled slightly:
"know a little."

a little……

Marius took a deep breath, looking at the relentless onslaught of Neshi, and tried to regain his previous tone:
"Okay, then you might not know, these people, they were the first to be—"

But Thales interrupted again:

"They were the first knights to emerge from the north before the imperial era, and the first to awaken extraordinary powers."

The young duke watched the fierce battle between the two men intently, seemingly muttering something to himself, with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

Marius was speechless again.

The Watchman had to cough:
"Speaking of extraordinary power—"

“Through them, extraordinary power spread among humanity,” Thales said quietly, picking up where he left off.

"In wars against other races, such as the war to slay saints and the war for survival, they shone brightly, achieved victories, expanded and refined their then-immature supernatural powers, and explored the boundaries and future of human potential."

Thales turned his head, looked at the displeased Marius, and began to speak at length:

"Thus, they gathered elites, gradually formed groups, and built their own creeds and organizations."

"It is called the 'Knight's Temple'."

Thales took a deep breath, as if inhaling the scent of ink from a book:

"For thousands of years, it was a sacred place for human martial arts and a holy source of chivalry."

Marius paused for a few seconds, somewhat caught off guard.

"Where did you hear that?"

Thales smiled:
"In the north, to be precise, is the Walton family's collection in Dragon Sky City, 'The Light of Mankind - The Beginning and End of the Knight Temple'."

Marius pursed his lips.

The Yankees' book collection.

The beginning and end of the Temple.

Okay, since we're only going to the temple...

The Watcher, interrupted again, cleared his throat in annoyance:
"So, the Knights' Temple, however glorious, could not withstand the changing times, until—"

"Until the final battle."

Thales' voice rang out again, at an inopportune moment:
"Seven hundred years ago, the entire army of the Knights Temple was mobilized to fight against the calamity, but suffered heavy casualties, with less than one-tenth surviving."

"Even the temple itself was destroyed and is difficult to rebuild."

Beneath Marius's incredulous expression, the prince's words were filled with a wistful longing for the past and a lament for the present:

"Finally, the survivors of the Knights' Temple went far away and built a legendary tower."

"In that tower, they carried on the legacy of their knightly predecessors, collecting, refining, and teaching extraordinary powers—which were later called the Power of Termination—spreading various martial arts and guarding the hope of humanity."

"It's all thanks to today's great reputation..."

"The Tower of the End".

Having said that, Thales breathed a sigh of relief and looked with a smile at Marius, who had been interrupted by him several times:
"Therefore, Neshi must be a student of the Tower of the End."

This time, Marius remained silent.

Thales winked:

"what happened?"

Marius gave a soft snort, his face grim:
"I'm waiting."

"Let's see what else you have to say."

Thales raised an eyebrow, a satisfied look on his face:
"Hmm, there shouldn't be any more."

The prince watched with amusement as Marius looked utterly defeated.

"Please correct me if I've said anything wrong?"

Marius took a deep breath, as if using all his strength to control himself as he turned toward the center of the field.

"Didn't you eat?"

The watchman's cold shouts revealed the imposing authority of the captain of the guard:
"Play seriously, all of you!"

The two fighters in the arena paused slightly upon hearing this.

Marius, with a look of utter dismay on his face, turned around.

"Ahem—you were right."

“Nate Neshi only recently returned from the Tower of the End.”

Marius paused subconsciously and glanced at Thales.

Only after confirming that His Highness was listening attentively and had no intention of interrupting him did the Watchman cough and continue:

"In the Star Kingdom, the 'Temple' faction, which regards the Tower of the End as its standard, is a prominent school of martial arts in the eyes of many, with a long and rich history."

A prominent field of study.

Thales frowned slightly, recalling many acquaintances who had learned their skills from the Tower of the End.

"Many noble families in the kingdoms, if they hope to achieve something in martial arts and military merit, will choose to send their descendants to the Tower of the End, on the one hand to receive the inheritance and improve their skills, and on the other hand to broaden their horizons and travel the world to learn."

It can also accumulate reputation.

Or perhaps they can avoid a major disaster.

Marius thought to himself.

The Watcher pointed to the two people in the arena:
"But unlike the offensive and defensive schools, the trendy schools, and other martial arts styles that are defined by style, the swordsmen who come out of the Tower of the End do not have a unified style of martial arts. Their power of ending varies greatly, and each swordsman is completely different."

"As the successor of the ancient Knight Temple, the Tower of the End has a profound foundation, encompassing all kinds of martial arts. Furthermore, it keeps up with the times, organizing and classifying the inherited skills, and then refining them."

"Ultimately, the eight major schools of thought that exist today can be identified."

Thales was taken aback.

He had long admired the Tower of the End and had heard many stories about his apprenticeship from Wyatt, but this was the first time he had heard Marius talk about it so seriously from the perspective of martial arts schools.

"Eight branches?"

Marius nodded.

He spoke slowly, with a mixture of apprehension and respect, as if reciting a short poem:
"Pegasus's Sin and Tragedy, Iron-Blooded Brilliance. Rose Storm, Miracles Across the Mortal World."

The Watchman said solemnly:

"This is to end the Eight Extraordinary Meridians."

(End of this chapter)