Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 694 It

In the dimly lit tunnel, King Losang II narrowly deflected his opponent's deadly sword strike.

Without hesitation, he bent his knees and stepped forward, rushing into the obscured white smoke, and slashed back!

Over the years, the movements and footwork of this set of ten legion styles have become his instincts, fused into his soul through countless trials, requiring no observation or thought.

Until his sword was suddenly blocked!

"clang!"

Amidst the piercing metallic clang, the enemy firmly parried his blade:

"Too casual, servant."

Upon hearing the other party's words, King Losang II's eyes flickered.

"If you want to become a knight, then be more serious!"

Knight Joaquin emerged from the billowing white smoke, his voice stern as he twisted his longsword with tremendous force!

"Shh!"

Amidst the scraping sound of blades, the two separated once more.

King Lausanne II took three steps back to regain his balance.

But he did not immediately retaliate; instead, he stared at his sword, his eyes darting around.

I want to become a knight...

Become a knight...

knight……

Remember, squire! A knight is more than just a title; it represents a history, a culture, a people, a spirit, a belief… and the way of chivalry is a path of sublimation worth dedicating your entire life to understanding and practicing!

Losang's expression remained unchanged, but he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

A wisp of white smoke rose up and enveloped him, mysterious and ominous.

Before him, the Knight Joaquin remained calm and unhurried, as if this were just a routine training session.

Losang remained silent for a few seconds before gently raising his head to look at the person before him:

"Such a classic Legion Ten Formation...you, are you really you?"

Joaquin paused upon hearing this, then lowered his sword and smiled slightly:
“I know, my servant, you must be very confused right now.”

Puzzled?

King Lausanne II trembled.

【I know, my squire, you are perplexed right now: in this world, the title of knight has become increasingly cheap. Whether it's a knight appointed by a major family or even by royal decree, it seems to have become a utilitarian stepping stone to advancement. Any man who can wield a sword and can afford the money is enough... while the corresponding tests, trials, and training are becoming fewer and fewer, and the threshold to becoming a knight is getting lower and lower... So why, why do we still insist on this outdated and backward set of knightly practices, this set of tenets that have long been scorned by others?】

But how is this possible?

"You, how could you possibly come back to life?"

Losang spoke softly, sizing up the brightly dressed, well-equipped Joaquin Knight, Master Joaquin, trying to find the right word:
"Still so young?"

Just like I remember.

But in the next instant, Joaquin's blade pierced through the white smoke and headed straight for his throat amidst the whistling wind!
"clang!"

Lausanne II reacted quickly, stepping to the side and turning to deflect the enemy's sword to the other side, but Joaquin did not reduce his strength or retreat, and charged towards him!

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, their positions shifted instantly:
They stood side by side, shoulders touching, facing the same direction, their two longswords intertwined in front of them, trembling occasionally in the fierce struggle.

King Lausanne II pressed his foot firmly against the ground on the outside, his expression tense, resisting with all his might.

Just like they have done it hundreds of times in training.

"No, my student, my servant, you've gone off-topic."

From within the eerie white smoke, Joaquin sneered and looked at Losang beside him:
"Your confusion shouldn't stem from my age, nor from such superficial appearances."

Losang frowned and looked at Joaquin's sword—an ancient yet sharp knight's sword that was said to have served Eddie II until the latter ascended the throne.

Just like before.

"What you should be wondering is: Attendant, why can't you still defeat me?"

Unable to defeat him?
Defeat Joaquin?

Losang's gaze sharpened.

The next second, he felt his hands and sides go completely empty, and then he heard the whistling of sword wind!

worse.

Before Losang could even think, every muscle, joint, and organ in his body sprang into action, instantly making the most rational response, allowing him to turn around, raise his arm, and draw his sword to meet the surging storm!
"Clang! Ding! Clang!"

The metal clashed, producing a series of sharp, piercing sounds that even caused ripples to spread across the puddles on the ground.

This time, Losang let go of himself. He no longer clung to the Legion's Ten Forms, but instead used all the martial arts moves he had seen, heard, learned, and practiced over the years—Meteor Strike, Smiling Sword Style, Fearful Kill, Eight Slashes of Bright Candle, Earth-Severing Dragon, Glacier Axe, Inch Strike, Sea of ​​Fire and Gale, Divine Oracle's Teaching Style, Silent Cicada Sword... even two incomplete but wondrous Elf Sword Dance moves, he used them all at will!
To welcome the inspection of the former teacher.

"Clang! Ding! Clang! Clang! Ding! Clang! Clang—"

The clanging of metal was incessant, and white smoke billowed throughout the tunnel, its light flickering from the sparks of clashing swords.

The shadows of the two figures spread out in the smoke, sometimes long, sometimes short, sometimes large, sometimes small, like a revolving lantern, casting discontinuous and illusory silhouettes, ever-changing and eerie.

Finally, after more than ten consecutive strikes, the two beams of light separated again, and the tunnel returned to silence.

The white smoke dissipated, revealing two people standing opposite each other:
Losang crouched low, sword at his side, ready for battle.

Joaquin stood still, seemingly at ease.

"Incredible, impressive."

A few seconds later, the Joaquin Knight nodded in satisfaction:

"Besides the three different styles of Imperial Wind Swordsmanship, you also displayed the martial arts of the Temple: Storm, Rose, and Sinful Lament from the Tower of Endings, at least three different styles. It even included the insidious moves of the Desert Mercenaries, the distinctive grassland martial arts, the desperate moves of the Northerners, the close-combat techniques of the Thornlands, the spinning combos of the Flame Sea People, the sensory style of the Temple Knights, and a set of preemptive Far Eastern swordsmanship, oh, and even the ancient sword dance of the Elves?"

The Knight of Joaquin spoke with appreciation and approval, as if he were still in his memory.

But as Losang listened, he felt increasingly depressed.

"It seems you have heeded my teachings, my servant: 'By studying a variety of schools of thought, learning from each other, and integrating them, one can become a master.'"

The vigorous and energetic Joaquin seemed to read his thoughts, and the knight smiled slightly:
But that still doesn't answer the question: why?

King Lausanne II's gaze sharpened.

Joaquin squinted his eyes:

Why can't you... beat me?

Can't beat him?

A few seconds later, Losang frowned: several nicks had appeared on the blade of his own sword.

what?
He looked at Joaquin's sword: it was intact and as sharp as ever.

Losang's heart tightened.

He lost that round.

Just like always.

Even though over the years, I have...

Thinking of this, King Losang II lowered his head, staring intently at the sewage at his feet, his eyes vacant.

why?
"why?"

Knight Joaquin let out a long sigh and spoke his mind:
"Even after so many years, even if everything has changed, even if you have found a more powerful force, been reborn, and are no longer the same as before, even if my swordsmanship philosophy is outdated, my body is old and frail, and my abilities have not improved at all?"

“Why, squire,” Joaquin sighed, “am I, as your teacher, still too powerful for you?”

But before he could finish speaking, King Losang II suddenly vanished!
"You spoke too soon," Losang roared, launching his attack with a swift, swift sword strike. "Old man!"

"clang!"

Joaquin blocked Losang's attack with a single sword strike, looking so effortless.

Losang II stared at him in disbelief at the blade that was firmly blocked from advancing.

"No, of course it's not because I'm powerful. As you said, I'm already an old man who's about to be buried..."

Joaquin shook his head slightly and pushed Losang away with force:

"It's not because you're less skilled than others and can't beat your teacher."

The next second, Lausanne II launched another attack, his sword flashing like a phantom, stirring up a raging storm as it hurtled straight toward Joaquin.

But he was horrified to find that no matter how he changed his moves, searched for weaknesses, and unleashed his killing blows, he always failed at the crucial moment, either being blocked or dodged, and returning empty-handed.

"It is because of me, my dear students and attendants, that I will always be the teacher you cannot defeat in training, the one who will always guide you in teaching."

In the midst of the fierce battle, Knight Joaquin still had the strength to speak. His voice drowned out the sword strikes, pierced through the wind of the blades, and rang clearly in Losang's ears:

"Because I must be—as a teacher, I must always know more than you, have more knowledge, and have more tricks up my sleeve, in terms of insight, experience, ability, and consideration."

Losang grew increasingly frustrated, but his attacks remained ineffective.

"Because the word 'teacher' has been impossible to 'defeat' ever since it was given that label."

Joaquin's voice was calm and unhurried, as if he were telling a story:

"Because 'teachers' are naturally positioned in a high position, guiding and instructing from above, while as students, as learners, as imitators, as—obedient ones, you are naturally deprived of even the right to challenge and question."

He skillfully and perfectly seized upon a minor flaw in Losang's swordplay, blocking a deadly attack:
"This is one of the cornerstones of how the world works: 'Teachers' can never, cannot, and are not allowed to be placed in the category of 'opponents' or 'enemies'."

Joaquin curled the corners of his mouth:

"Therefore, my students: remain humble in the presence of your 'teacher'."

Lausanne was shocked!
Beware, if you are not humble and introspective, not upright and loyal, not brave and fearless, disdainful of self-sacrifice, and dare not stand up for the strong and help the weak... if you no longer believe in these tenets, allowing them to rot and stink in your heart, becoming something you proclaim and admire while secretly scoffing at... beware, when such a thing happens, often even the knight himself is unaware...

The next second, Losang felt his sword go empty, as if it had no power at all!
"clang!"

He instinctively swung his sword to defend, narrowly blocking Joaquin's counterattack, and rolled away in a disheveled state.

Joaquin did not pursue him, but simply waited for him quietly.

Ultimately, my squire, whether you enjoy fleeting glory or perpetual destitution, whether you are invincible or repeatedly defeated, whether you are revered by all or condemned by all, when that moment arrives, only you, only your heart, will know: whether you are truly worthy of the name of a knight.

Do not!
Losang roared inwardly, and struggled to his feet from the ground, causing the surrounding white smoke to dissipate.

"I've already surpassed you, old man!"

King Lausanne II spoke coldly, his voice brimming with murderous intent:
"Questioning, challenging, surpassing, just as you taught—your students have surpassed you."

But Joaquin laughed.

"Do you really believe this nonsense?"

The Knight of Joaquin clicked his tongue and shook his head, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes:
"The truth is, squire, you never and could never have surpassed me on your own initiative. It was I who 'allowed' you to surpass me."

Losang's expression shifted.

what?
Joaquin swiftly executed a sword flourish, as deftly and skillfully as ever.

"That's right, the 'teacher,' especially the qualifications of a 'teacher,' the existence and essence of a 'teacher' in this world, can never and cannot be questioned, challenged, or surpassed—unless I, unless the teacher 'allows' you, 'bestows' upon you, and 'encourages' you to do so!"

Losang frowned and slowly raised his sword.

wrong.

"Only when I, the 'teacher,' allow you to challenge it, grant you the privilege of questioning it, and encourage you to surpass it..."

Joaquin's voice turned cold, just like his increasingly cruel expression:
"...Only then can you be permitted, in those few precious moments, to treat 'it' as an opponent and an enemy, to conditionally challenge, question, and surpass it, to deceive yourself with: 'Questioning the teacher is the student's duty,' 'A disciple need not be inferior to his teacher,' 'A teacher hopes to teach students who surpass him'..."

Before Joaquin could finish speaking, he moved and launched another attack!

"clang!"

Losang reacted quickly; with his extensive experience, he immediately saw his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and raised his sword to block the attack.

but……

"But why would it do that?"

The Knight Joaquin's expression was terrifying; he exerted force on his sword, pushing Losang backward.

"Why, why should 'teachers' allow students to challenge, question, and surpass them? Why should they allow students to undermine their authority and status?"

King Lausanne II clenched his teeth, inexplicably in pain.

"No, quite the opposite! It does this precisely to strengthen its authority and maintain its position! The destination is often reached by taking an unconventional route, the target is often obtained through seemingly sacrificial means, and the bait is often offered in order to ultimately ensnare the prey!"

Joaquin roared, and the Legion Ten Style was unleashed!

It was a triumphant strike.

"clang!"

Losang used all his skills to barely block this ultimate killing move—compared to decades ago, the opponent's swordsmanship had not faded at all, and was even more difficult to deal with than he remembered.

With a powerful kick from the Knight of Joaquin, King Losang II could not withstand it and fell backward with a muffled groan.

"Because this arena of 'challenge,' this stage of 'questioning,' is a gift from the 'teacher' in great compassion! Only when you stand on the arena and step onto the stage, following its rules and permission, 'challenge' the teacher, 'question' the teacher, and 'surpass' the teacher, can it guide you with confidence and due right!"

No.

why?
"...leading you to say those things to 'it' in a natural, submissive, and even grateful manner: 'Even so, you will always be my teacher,' 'All my skills were taught by my teacher,' 'I carry my teacher's expectations and will surpass my teacher'..."

In anger, shame, and pain, Lausanne II struggled to his feet from the sewage, instinctively gripping his sword hilt. But the words of the Knight of Joaquin, like an irresistible demonic voice, rang clearly in his ears: "Like a great knight who could have achieved great deeds, yet willingly bowed his head to serve a selfish and weak lord to the death, and was thus praised for loyalty! Or an angry slave who could have rebelled and run for freedom, yet willingly bowed his head to be stamped and shackled by a cruel slave owner, and was thus rewarded!"

Losang closed his eyes in pain.

The wind howled.

"clang!"

Losang instinctively raised his longsword to the ground, barely managing to block Joaquin's slash that came right in front of him!

Knight Joaquin leaned forward, close to Lausanne, and whispered, "Even if you have truly surpassed the teacher, surpassed 'it'."

"You, my servant, do you understand?"

The tunnel was completely silent.

The surrounding white smoke grew thicker and thicker.

The next second, Losang suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning with fury!
He stared at Joaquin before him, gritted his teeth, and spoke slowly and deliberately, each word carrying a hatred and anger that even he himself could not perceive:

"You, no, it's him."

Joaquin's gentle smile vanished.

“You still don’t understand, do you?” The knight shook his head, his face full of regret. “You’ll think, ‘Ah, look, haven’t I already surpassed Joaquin, surpassed my teacher?’”

Before King Lausanne II could answer, Joaquin's sword suddenly withdrew, then struck again like a whirlwind!

"Ding! Dang!"

Lausanne swung his sword with all his might, moving continuously to make every choice and every movement perfect in order to defend against the enemy before him—Master Handro Joaquin, who was in his prime, physically strong, and whose swordsmanship and experience were already superb and almost invincible.

"Because that's just an illusion!"

Joaquin roared and swung his longsword. The Legion Ten Styles, now in attack, shone brightly in his hands. Every move carried the spirit of war, with its iron-blooded and resounding style, perfectly embodying the spirit of the Emperor's Sword.

Lausanne could only react passively and struggle to keep up.

not him.

He is not him.

It's not him!
"That's it tempting you to surpass it in its own way! Because once you do that, you will never be able to challenge, let alone surpass, it!"

Joaquin's words were filled with sorrow and lamentation, but his sword attacks showed no sign of abating.

"Because of the teacher, because 'it' can only maintain this set of rhetoric, portraying the inevitability of the student surpassing the teacher, and the helpless fact that the student will eventually be denied and surpassed by the student, as a kind of blessing, permission, grant, and 'this is exactly what I wanted' and 'I knew this would happen' under a higher framework and a larger system. It implies that the teacher-student relationship has long been divided, the master-servant position has been determined, and everything else is just a condescending reward—no matter how strong or powerful you become, it's just that the founder is giving you a chance to make a living!"

Joaquin's offensive became increasingly rapid and intense.

After a series of defensive maneuvers, Lausanne managed to parry a powerful sword strike but eventually gave out and collapsed to his knees.
"Only in this way can 'it' conceal its fear and powerlessness, disguise its weakness and falsehood, rationalize the fallacy that 'a teacher is always a teacher,' and maintain the status and authority of 'teacher' even when 'a teacher is not as good as a student.' This allows 'teacher'—a meaningless label that becomes useless after fulfilling its function of passing on knowledge—to successfully transform into a meaningful and powerful entity, forever, forever, forever standing on a step higher than you!"

Amidst billowing white smoke, Joaquin, his gaze cold, raised his sword towards Losang, who was kneeling on the ground, unable to continue.

The final strike.

But the next second, Losang's expression shifted, and he drew his sword with a backhand.
Time seemed to slow down.

"Shh-"

The swords clashed, sparks flying.

But Losang's expression was resolute, his sword blade unwavering, and he used all his experience and knowledge to launch the most perfect and magical counterattack he had ever made!
"laugh!"

The blade pierced Joaquin's right arm.

"Clang!"

With a dull thud, Joaquin shuddered, and his knight's sword fell to the ground.

King Lausanne II stood up, trembling.

His sword, without anyone noticing, had already stopped at Joaquin's neck.

"you lose."

Joaquin was stunned.

He looked at the sword on the ground, then at the sword at his neck, and understood.

Joaquin looked at King Lausanne II and smiled with satisfaction.

"Faced with 'it', even if you have strong hands and a sharp sword, you will be shackled long ago and powerless to resist."

In the thick white fog, Joaquin showed no anger, but calmly spread his arms, revealing his neck: "For this shift in the meaningless label, it even resorted to the most despicable trick: Come on, student, I allow and expect you to surpass me, so that one day you can become the new me, the new 'teacher'."

The blade of Losang's sword trembled slightly.

Joaquin ignored the sword at his neck and continued:
"In this way, 'it' captures you and makes you its new knight, new guard, and new slave under this label."

King Lausanne II gritted his teeth, his expression one of struggle.

Joaquin Knight spoke sternly:

"By feigning indifference and feigning reluctance, using the rhetoric of 'a disciple need not be inferior to his master,' the foundation of 'a disciple will never be inferior to his master' was maintained, ultimately establishing an eternal system where 'only when the teacher allows you to surpass him can you surpass him,' which has been passed down for thousands and tens of thousands of years! It has anesthetized and hypnotized millions of people!"

His expression relaxed, and he praised again:

"No one doubts it, few people notice it, most people take it for granted, and many more defend it and are spontaneously captivated by it. Ah, look at this method, how cunning, how insidious, how brilliant, how ingenious, how mesmerizing it is!"

Joaquin looked at Losang before him, his expression returning to calm:

"Now, do you understand, my dear student?"

In the mist, Losang looked at the person in front of him in a daze and shook his head.

"You are not him."

Losang said in a daze:
"You are not Joaquin."

Knight Joaquin looked at him and smiled.

"Me? Of course I'm not him."

He spread his hands and sighed:

"The so-called 'respect for teachers and the Way' is just a facade, a means to an end. The ultimate goal is to 'respect the Way,' to imprison, and to enslave."

Joaquin stared intently into Lausanne's eyes:
"So, I am not Joaquin, I am not your teacher, I am not even the teacher himself."

He grinned:

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha—'I,' 'I' am something higher, bigger, more terrifying!"

King Lausanne II trembled slightly.

"Something that makes 'it' your teacher forever and ever and ever, something you can never, ever, ever surpass, have no right to question or challenge, and are even unwilling or unable to perceive!"

Joaquin spread his arms wide, his expression exaggerated, his words fervent:

"A terrifying shackle that you are enveloped in, unable to escape, and which only grows stronger with time, whether you challenge or comply, affirm or deny, consciously or unconsciously—"

"No!"

King Lausanne II roared, and with a swift motion of his arm, he pulled it back and swung it!
Joaquin's words came to an abrupt end.

With a thud, the knight's head detached from his body and rolled to the ground.

His body tilted and he fell into the sewage.

Only Losang remained, standing in the dissipating white smoke, staring at the corpse on the ground, his expression dazed and his eyes empty.

"monster."

After an unknown amount of time, King Losang II gritted his teeth and groaned, stiffly turning around:
"Nonsense, a whole bunch of it."

He struggled to walk, wading through the sewage as if carrying an unbearable burden.

Okay, he has something to do.

He still needs to chase after that...

"Did I say something wrong?"

Losang froze!
He turned around in disbelief:
In the sewage, Joaquin's head and body shattered into pieces, turning into white smoke and disappearing.

But Joaquin's voice still rang out, gradually changing tone:

"Isn't this the shackle you most want to break deep inside—Joe?"

乔。

Upon hearing this name, Losang trembled violently!
White smoke billowed out, and the sewage on the ground began to ripple and evaporate.

A few seconds later, a pitch-black hand emerged from the center of the water!
The black hand gripped the edge of the sewage, revealing the wrist, arm, elbow, and shoulder—until a completely black person rose from the center of the water and stood up.

Losang's brows twitched, utterly shocked.

Joaquin's voice disappeared.

Instead, a cold, resolute, and oppressive voice replaced it:

"Is what I'm saying not what you struggled through blood and tears of injustice, endured humiliation and survived in the ashes of being despised by thousands, screamed in pain in the filth and filth that cannot be seen in the light, and gave up on yourself in the resentment and anger of losing everything, yet you still couldn't understand it, could only swing your sword at the air, numb yourself to the point of madness?"

"If that's the case, why suppress your resentment? Why tie your own hands?" The dark human body raised its head, revealing a face without features. "Why not turn your grievances into anger? Why not let them be released completely, since this is the very meaning for you to give up everything and return to this world?"

King Lausanne II gritted his teeth.

Damn.

Damn!

He quickly calmed his shock and fear and raised his longsword again.

Just like... Professor Joaquin taught.

But upon thinking of this, King Losang II felt a chill run down his spine.

[And so, 'it' uses this to capture you, making you its new knight, new guard, new slave under this label...]

No, no, no!
Losang roared, raised his longsword high, and used superhuman self-control to force himself to stop thinking about these things:

"What the hell are you!"

The pitch-black human body raised its leg and stepped out of the sewage.

"I can understand why you can't."

Its jet-black body began to change, carving out lines and defining its outline.

"How about I give you an example with the same logic and similar reasoning, but one that's easier to understand?"

The pitch-black human body began to show color, from the torso to the shoulders, from the shoulders to the arms, and then gradually developed detailed facial features and hair...

"An example that you remember more clearly, more deeply, and more unforgettable."

As the dark human body changed, Losang's gaze sharpened.

Before I knew it, the person standing in front of me had transformed into a tall and robust warrior.

He wore a heavy helmet and silver-black armor, and held a longsword with a handguard.

His armor was exquisitely crafted, with a precious inner lining, and two ribbons fluttered at the back of his helmet.

Two piercing eyes peeked out from the gap in his helmet, as cold and menacing as ice and snow.

the most important is……

Losang's expression changed.

No.

The black-armored knight stepped forward and raised his longsword.

"Come on, whether you are Master Joaquin's knight squire or anyone else, there is no need to hold back or back down."

Lausanne raised his weapon, his face filled with disbelief.

No.

"Cast aside all your worries, exert all your strength, defeat me, conquer me, surpass me, and seize the crown of this election," the black-armored knight's voice was as piercing as a drawn blade, carrying an undeniable authority, "for only in this way can you embark on the journey, to prove yourself, to earn a title, to become a nobleman, to become a servant, to become worthy to serve me, to us, to die for the kingdom..."

The next second, a glint flashed in the other person's eyes through their helmet, revealing satisfaction and arrogance:
"……knight."

knight.

Losang gritted his teeth, his gaze falling on the other person's chest.

No.

No no no...

On the knight's breastplate, meticulously crafted from precious crystal, was an incredibly conspicuous design, seemingly displaying pride and glory to everyone:
A silver nine-pointed star.

"you you……"

Losang said, stunned.

The black-armored knight remained motionless.

"you?"

The next moment, Losang's face contorted in pain!
"you!"

He roared, his sword flashing like a tidal wave, piercing the opponent's black breastplate with unbearable pain, tearing through the gleaming silver nine-pointed star:

"The Sword of Light!"

(End of this chapter)