Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 683 Die for Me
"North Star?"

Phantom Blade Catherine stood calmly in the center of the crowd, ignoring the clamor and noise from the Blood Vial gang members in the warehouse:

"Was he the one who killed our men?"

"The second prince? That barbaric prince who came back from the north?"

"The guy who slept with both the King and Princess of the North?"

"How could this be? How did we get involved with such an important figure?"

"Hasn't he become a duke? Shouldn't he be staying in the palace, living a life of luxury, with eighteen maids massaging him? Why is he bothering us ordinary people?"

"Which blind guy in the gang has offended such a ruthless figure?"

"No, then what's the point of us seeking revenge?"

"This is Emerald City. He's just a guest; he shouldn't dare do that, right?"

“He is the king’s son, the future king. Even if he sends tens of thousands of troops into the city and wipes us out along with the Black Silk Clan, no one will dare to say anything…”

"How are we supposed to fight against such a big shot?"

"How about we rebel?"

"Is it too late to leave the gang and ensure my safety?"

"Excuse me, I need to pee for a bit... Oh, you need to pee too? Let's pee together..."

The warehouse was filled with discussion and unease.

Franco, Jaga, Gutierrez, Gamandia... the bosses from various industries and regions looked at each other, shocked, doubtful, and with a hint of fear.

Damn.

Behind Duro, Golov gritted his teeth, observing the expressions of those present.

Why, why did she say it was Prince Thales?
Is there someone behind this? Someone is planning to use these gang forces against the prince?
Or is this crazy woman just spouting nonsense to cover up the Blood Bottle Gang's losses?
"I knew it! I knew that damn prince wasn't a good person! Boss Duro was right, all the nobles with titles are bastards!"

Zimikas, standing next to the zombie, was furious:
"Fatty, let me tell you, I went to watch the first day that Polaris entered the city. Damn, there were layers and layers of bodyguards. I just peeked out and a guard slapped me! What a damn prince, so arrogant and high and mighty. I've never seen him do anything for the country or the people, all I've seen is him bullying others! He's nowhere near as humble and approachable as our Duke, who cares about the people's well-being."

Golov forced himself to nod, managing a weak smile.

"By the way, his bodyguards are all vicious thugs! I remember one was a super fierce hunk who was fully armed, about as strong as you, Fatty, and he looked like he'd killed a lot! There was also a guy wearing a half-mask that covered his mouth, damn it, if he wasn't incredibly ugly, who would wear a mask? Now that I see him, ha, like master and servant, this prince is definitely the villain!"

Rolf, standing behind Zimicas, clenched his fist and exhaled heavily.

Golov had to turn around, grab his shoulder, and pull him away from the enraged crowd.

"quiet!"

Fogg's voice boomed, forcing the entire warehouse to fall silent.

The local boss of Emerald City turned around, his tone cautious:

"Catherine, are you telling the truth? Prince Thales did it? But that's just too much..."

"That's too unrealistic?"

Catherine took over the conversation loudly, gave a cold snort, and looked around:

"Yes, maybe you don't care or care, but the fact is: on Queen's Day, at the height of the Emerald Festival, in the Sky Palace, the kingdom's high-ranking figures are fighting to the death for power and status. Even their breathing can stir up storms in the lower levels of the city!"

The leaders present looked at each other, some indignant, others worried.

"The big shots are fighting to the death? Bah! It's us who are struggling in the mud, bleeding and losing our lives! Us!"

In the arena, Roger, nicknamed "Dung," angrily pounded his chest:
"Polaris? When they were sitting in the palace, legs crossed, drinking tea, and having sex with their maids in their studies, they didn't lose a single hair!"

His words were met with a chorus of agreement.

Taremi, who was guarding the streets of Glory District, gritted his teeth and raised his hand: "Then let them see what the Blood Bottle Gang is capable of, and see what a hundred-year-old 'gangster aristocracy' really looks like!"

Franco calmly replied, "Boss, we're all here. Whatever you say we should do, we'll do it."

The voices in the warehouse became increasingly unified.

"This is bad. She definitely came prepared, her goal is to draw all the hatred onto His Highness," Golov whispered to Rolf in a corner. "After the first two cases, we've already lost the upper echelons and middle-ranking officials of Emerald City. Now, if we lose even the lower-class streets..."

Rolf did not respond; he simply stared intently at Catherine, enduring the turmoil of emotions in his chest and the throbbing pain in his knees.

“Yes, we are just roadside grass when the storm comes,” Catherine’s voice trailed off in the warehouse, but her tone grew colder. “Weak and humble, drifting with the wind, but don’t forget, grass is also strong and resilient, unshakable.”

The next second, Phantom Blade raised his sleeve claws high:

"So, brothers, now that the storm has come, we have no time to blame each other, no room to complain, and no chance to hide in the shadows!"

She roared:
"We have only one choice: unite, or perish!"

A rousing and indignant response erupted from the warehouse.

Golov watched this scene in disbelief.

Could it be that all of this was anticipated and instructed by Duke Iris, with the aim of making it impossible for Starlake Castle to make any progress in Emerald City from top to bottom?
What will they do next? Ruin Starlake Castle's reputation? Or, with Emerald City's tacit approval, attack the prince's army?
This is terrible no matter what.

No, no, the prince and Marius must know this immediately; they will make the safest decision.

Grover grew increasingly worried and patted Rolf on the shoulder: "It's time to go."

But Rolf shook his head. He squinted, taking in the appearances of Phantom Blade and the other leaders, and tried his best to express his meaning with the simplest gestures:
Wait, something's not right.

Golov frowned: he couldn't understand the other person's gestures, only recognizing that the mute was refusing.

“Hey, I know you’re connected to the Blood Bottle Gang,” Golov said in a low voice. “Maybe you have some friends in this warehouse.”

Sure enough, Rolf froze.

“But don’t forget who you are now,” Golov’s tone turned cold, “and who you are loyal to.”

Rolf instinctively pressed his knee, his gaze fixed on Catherine.

Until a strange, jarring clapping sound rang out from the crowd:
"Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap..."

The voices in the warehouse gradually subsided, and everyone turned to look at the person clapping.

"A good speech, you bitch, as always."

In a corner of the warehouse, Nekra stood in front of a few of his men and said lazily:
"I was almost moved to tears."

Catherine narrowed her eyes.

“Nekra, Red Viper,” Phantom Blade spoke softly, “and you, unite, or destroy?”

The red viper smiled slightly.

"Before that, I only had one question, a small question."

Nekra clicked his tongue:

"Knife Bitch, those big shots you just mentioned, whether it's Polaris, Duke Iris, or some guy with a little power in some backwater... just how much money did they give you, and how many men did they promise you, to make you spout this nonsense in the gang?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the warehouse momentarily froze.

The wanderer, Fogg, sighed, "Good heavens."

Catherine remained calm; she simply raised her hand to stop her indignant subordinates.
"It seems that some people are unwilling to unite."

Behind her, most people looked at Nekra with increasingly hostile eyes.

"Pah, you filthy bitch!"

Nekra's expression changed, and he spat out a ferocious snort:

“Every time, every time you make a mess that you can’t clean up because of your incompetence, you make up an outrageous excuse, bring out an imaginary, superior enemy to fool everyone, saying things like, ‘It was all their doing,’ ‘It’s not my fault,’ ‘They should be held responsible,’ ‘That’s how things are,’ and then you put on an act of being selfless and force the brothers to ‘unite and work together’ with you…”

The red viper swept its gaze over the people behind the phantom blade, and said hatefully:

"Then, loudly proclaim 'Unity or destruction,' and get a few shills to shout it along, making it seem like it's a huge deal..."

Behind Catherine, Taremi, Franco, and others frowned simultaneously.

"Then we'll talk to people openly and secretly, making them 'consider the bigger picture.' As for those who 'don't consider the bigger picture,' we'll silence them, or even make them disappear, until the remaining people—out of self-interest or fear, out of stupidity or malice, or simply out of both—stop opposing us and start calling you the leader of the Blood Bottle Gang again..."

Nekra snorted angrily:
"Damn, after all these years, you've been doing this every time. Don't you get tired of it, you bitch?"

He forcefully ripped open his signature dark red coat and pointed at the others:
"Do you really think the people below are stupid fish in Fogg's tank, letting you come and go as you please, in all sorts of positions, until you're satisfied?"

After the call, the warehouse fell completely silent.

The previously enthusiastic atmosphere seemed to have been doused with cold water; instead of cheering and responding, everyone looked at each other blankly.

Catherine remained silent, her face ashen as if it were about to freeze.

The eerie silence was broken when Ferguson coughed.

“Perhaps you are right, Fogg,” Catherine said gently, “some people are not meant to be given special treatment.”

“Red Viper,” Roger glanced at everyone behind him, “with a formidable enemy at hand, perhaps you should wake up—”

"No, you need to wake up!"

The red viper roared, interrupting him:
"It's you, it's all of you, all you stupid fish, you need to wake up! A formidable enemy is at hand? Who is the real enemy of the Blood Bottle Gang? Who?"

Catherine looked at him coldly:
"I see, Xiaohong. Then I'll take that as your answer."

She waved her hand, and her men behind her received the signal, slowly moving forward to surround the red viper.

Although Nekra didn't have many men, they were not to be outdone and all stepped up to the front line.

The atmosphere in the warehouse became tense again.

"Oh no, didn't you say we wouldn't fight? Fatty..." Zimicas instinctively reached out to pull Grover, but found nothing. "Fatty, where are you?"

“We really should go,” Golov said sternly, pressing Rolf’s shoulder from another corner. “You don’t want to get involved, do you?”

But Rolf took a deep breath and shook his head at him.

His past experience in gangs made him instinctively feel that it wasn't the right time yet.

“Neklava, we’re already in a bad situation facing such a big shot. We can’t afford to fight each other anymore,” Fogg sighed as he watched the two groups about to clash in his arena. He had no choice but to step into the middle of the arena and separate the two groups. “Don’t be impulsive. Think before you speak.”

"I've got a really good idea!"

Nekra seemed to have gone all out; ignoring the dire situation before him, he pointed at everyone through gritted teeth:

"Seven or eight years ago in Yongxing City, on Red Street, a night of fighting resulted in heavy losses for us; five out of eight officers were killed! I don't understand, we were supposed to be prepared to ambush the Brotherhood! You know, even Black Sword wasn't present at the time..."

He said angrily:

"And how did we, the Blood Bottle Gang, lose? How did we lose!"

These words left the members of the gang puzzled.

Nekra snorted, "But then I realized the question shouldn't be how we lost, but rather: why did we lose?" Catherine and Fogg both frowned, the latter asking:
"Isn't this the same problem?"

The red viper laughed.

“Ah,” Nekra shook his head, his gaze sharp, “because we are going to lose, we have to lose.”

He suddenly pointed at Catherine:

"Because if we don't lose, if we don't turn the powerful Blood Bottle Gang into a complete mess, if we don't eliminate the top figures in the gang, including 'Clown' Kex, 'Wolf Warrior' Kalka, 'Chaos God' Song, as well as 'Tailor' Solo, 'Bandit' Rube and their men, one by one, and wipe them all out of the Black Silk Gang, leaving no one alive, annihilating them all on Red Street..."

Upon hearing this, Catherine's eyes flashed!
The red viper uttered the most vicious words through its clenched teeth:
"So how did that boss, who had no qualifications, no ability, no reputation, and not even a few skills, rise to power?"

As Golov was quietly searching for a way out, he suddenly felt Rolf in front of him tremble slightly.

In the arena, the red viper laughed heartily:

"How could someone then, like today, use 'the enemy is too powerful' as an excuse to smooth things over with the big shots and negotiate with Black Silk with great prestige—while also taking over the territories of those fallen bosses, annexing the dead's business, unifying the entire gang, and transforming the Blood Bottle Gang left behind by Boss Turnbull into her Blood Bottle Gang?"

"Look, the Blood Bottle Gang has been utterly defeated, while 'Phantom Blade' Catherine has turned the tide—damn, how wonderful that sounds!"

The entire warehouse erupted in chaos.

Catherine's men started hurling insults, while the Red Viper's men responded with profanities, but most of them dared not speak and were at a loss for what to do.

“Red Viper has gone mad,” Jaga, the bad shoemaker who was on Catherine’s side, sighed as he turned back. “He’s been suppressed by the boss for too long, and he can’t take it anymore. He’s going to go all out.”

“I admire his courage,” script supervisor Franco clicked his tongue, “and I’d be willing to give him extra money for a coffin.”

On the other side, Gutierrez and Sangare stared at the two of them with displeasure.

The scene was chaotic until someone couldn't help but resort to violence, forcing Fogg to step in again to maintain order.

“Whatever you’re implying, Red Viper,” Catherine said calmly, showing no sign of annoyance. “Who, who taught you this dirty trick?”

The red viper's expression froze.

"Dirty water?"

Nekra avoided the question, first laughing wildly, then his laughter suddenly stopped.

"Seven years ago, Catherine, you were the first to get wind of the Black Silk Gang's plan to rob Red Street, so you told us to prepare an ambush and give them a good beating," he said venomously. "But you didn't even show up for this chance to beat them up, to make a name for yourself and show off?"

“I wasn’t in the capital at the time,” Catherine smiled slightly, “and don’t forget, you weren’t there either.”

As she spoke slowly and deliberately, she meticulously inspected the cuffs and straps inch by inch, just as the thugs behind her did, their calmness unsettling.

"That's why I sent out my most capable people!"

Seeing that the other party remained unmoved, Nekra grew increasingly impatient:

"Including the Leiden siblings, Golensky, Niumen, Spin, and Dorno—most of my men left in the capital! After a night of fighting, I still don't have enough men to escort goods and sweep the streets!"

He said coldly:

"And what about you? Did any of the men you sent to the capital that night have any memorable names?"

Upon hearing this, Catherine's expression turned cold.

“Me too,” a cold glint flashed across her sleeve, “That night, I also lost my most trusted and promising lieutenant, right there on Red Street.”

That night...

My most trusted and most promising lieutenant...

Red Town Street...

In the corner, Rolf felt his breath catch in his throat.

Nekra's eyes darted around:
"Oh, right, that smart-talking kid, the one who plays with the wind with his superpowers, what did you guys call him again, Wind Chaser?"

“It’s the ‘Ghost of the Wind’,” Phantom Blade said calmly.

A guy with tattoos on his face who uses superpowers to manipulate the wind...

Upon hearing this, Golov finally understood, and his expression changed!
"Also, his name is Rolf—Midira Rolf."

Catherine lowered her head, her expression unreadable.

Golov could no longer hold back; he instinctively looked at Rolf.

But the latter simply turned his head away, refusing to meet the zombie's incredulous gaze.

Only his shoulders trembled slightly.

"Is that so? Is that so? When everyone in the gang fell to Black Silk, when everyone was badly injured in that one-night battle, when everyone was racking their brains over compensation for the families of the dead, you, 'Phantom Blade' Catherine, lost some arrogant street thug who used to play the wind? Ha, what a heavy loss." Nekra sneered disdainfully.

Catherine raised her head, her eyes growing increasingly cold:
"Xiao Hong, don't say I didn't give you a chance."

But the red viper laughed loudly, looking up at the sky:
"Opportunity? Hahaha! Tell me, you bitch, did you give that wind-playing Rolf a chance?"

Rolf's eyes flickered.

The next second, Nekra spoke, word by word:
"When you use your so-called 'most trusted and most promising subordinate' as a pawn, as a sacrifice, as bait to gain the trust of other leaders, sending him to die in a one-night battle, sending him to Red Street to be sacrificed, so that you can rise inch by inch from the mess left by the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, step by step to the top..."

The red viper's words were casual, yet incredibly malicious:

Did you give him a chance?

In that instant, Rolf shuddered, as if something exploded in his ears, buzzing loudly.

[As a pawn to be discarded.]

[As a sacrificial offering.]

[Used as bait to gain the trust of other leaders.]

what.

what?
Rolf breathed heavily, his breath as violent as a hurricane, raging around his ears and drowning out all other sounds.

[A pointless death.]

[Pre-ordained sacrifice.]

Rising inch by inch, ascending step by step...

Snapped!
Rolf was jolted!
He looked up abruptly: Golov grabbed his arm tightly, preventing him from scratching his prosthetic limb.

Golov shook his head, his eyes filled with an indescribable meaning.

Rolf instinctively pulled his arm back.

Golov spoke in a low voice, his expression slightly anxious.

But Rolf couldn't hear what he said.

Not a single word, not even the slightest sound, could be heard.

Right now, he can only hear sounds coming from one direction:

"What did you say to him, huh? Huh?"

The words of the Red Viper and the Phantom Blade continued, sweeping past his ears like an inescapable hurricane:

"Tell me, how did you trick that poor scoundrel into going to his death on Red Town Street?"

Poor thing, playing with the wind...

Rolf suppressed the trembling in his body.

In the arena, Catherine remained silent, staring coldly at the Red Viper as if she were staring at a dead man.

Nekra sneered:

"What sweet talk did you say to him, you bitch? Was it 'Wind Chaser, you're Catherine's favorite kid'? Or 'I don't trust anyone else, I only trust you'? Or 'You have to become the strongest one'? Or 'Go on, you're worth ten of them, you must show the might of my 'Phantom Blade''?"

Catherine stared at him, her brows slowly furrowing.

Rolf's breath hitched, and he instinctively wanted to lower his head.

But there was no way around it; the memories he had deliberately forgotten were still irreversibly and irresistibly rushing back into his mind.

[This operation was arranged by the mage, it's extremely crucial, and the other leaders have all sent a lot of people... but I don't trust the others, Midira, I don't trust them.]

I only trust you.

I only trust you.

And he, the ghost of the wind, Midila Rolf, had nowhere to escape.

I know they call you one of the 'Top Twelve' among young people, but let me tell you, if you're satisfied and complacent, you're fucking dead! No one else needs to lift a finger; I'll tear you apart first!

[In my eyes, that title is shit! You can't be ranked alongside the other eleven, you can't! You have to be the strongest! Understand? Because you're mine, mine! Got it, you damned little psychic brat!]

So go! Take my men and my name to Red Street, find the strongest opponents, and bring back a few impressive heads! Even if you face Black Sword, you're not allowed to back down! Because you're one of my people, a ghost who survived the winds of my blade, Catherine!

Damn!

Rolf, in a daze, grabbed the wall beside him for support.

Why does that damn red viper talk?

Why does that bastard Nekra have a mouth?
Why is he listening to all this here?
These!

When I return to the capital, I don't want to see you as you are now! Instead, I want to see a man! When people talk about him, they'll say, 'See that? That's him! The true blade of "Phantom Blade"! The reason Catherine can dominate the Blood Bottle Gang!'

Rolf closed his eyes.

He swallowed hard, feeling the flesh and blood in his throat that had become rougher since he was injured on Hongfang Street.

But Nekra's vicious words continued:
"Could it be, hehe: 'Go ahead, as long as you win this battle and come back, I, the boss, will condescend to marry you'?"

No one dared to speak in the warehouse.

As Catherine observed the red viper before her, the disgust and hatred in her eyes gradually disappeared, transforming into pure killing intent.

"And so, after you sent out your 'favorite' pawns, along with my elite troops, the Joker, and the War Wolf, all wiped out by the Black Silk in one night of battle," Nekra continued with a malicious sneer, seemingly oblivious to Phantom Blade's murderous intent, "the most powerful person in the Blood Bottle Gang, the one best at cleaning up the mess, isn't that you left—Big Sister Catherine?"

The boss.

In a daze, Rolf slowly opened his eyes.

Listen up, you highway robber, you've messed with the wrong person today—my name is Catherine, "Phantom Blade" of the Blood Bottle Gang.

In his eyes, the image of Catherine, the leader standing in the center of the scene, gradually overlapped with the image in his memory.

Indistinguishable from each other.

"Ha, let's put it this way, if I spare your life today, kid, then from now on..."

Would you die for me?