Douluo 2: This Dragon God has too much martial virtue

Chapter 586: Martyrdom
The next day, just after dawn, the city walls of Xingluo City were dead silent, and everyone was waiting in silence.

When the emperor, wearing a blood-stained robe, appeared on the city wall, the generals knelt one by one, followed by the soldiers and then the civilians. From the city walls to the foot of the city, a sea of ​​people knelt down.

Xu Jiawei's face was calm, but it would be more accurate to say that he was heartbroken. Before dawn, he had personally ended the lives of all the royal family members and personally severed the inheritance of the Xingguan lineage, even his two sisters were no exception.

As he said, where could the two princesses escape to? They might as well die.

Over four thousand years ago, the Sun-Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, merging the two continents. This precipitated a fierce conflict between the Sun-Moon Empire and the former Douluo Empire, with the Star Luo Empire bearing the brunt of the pressure. At that time, the White Tiger lineage withered, and the imperial family was nearly annihilated. In the face of this crisis, the Star Crown Sect resolutely emerged, leading the Star Luo army and civilians in a fierce resistance. Through a series of arduous battles, they not only preserved the Star Luo Empire but also established its dominance among the three former Douluo Kingdoms.

At that time, the White Tiger lineage was weak, and the royal family changed hands. The Xingguan Sect became the new ruler of the Xingluo Empire, but they did not use any shady means to liquidate the old clan. Instead, they granted them the hereditary title of duke, won the hearts of the whole country, and created a prosperous era that lasted for a thousand years.

Now, Xu Jiawei can say that he has a clear conscience and that he is worthy of the Xingluo Empire, even though the Xingluo Empire will soon cease to exist.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, his ears still ringing with Xu Jiujiu's words, accusing Huo Yuhao of being an "ungrateful wretch." But how had the Star Luo Empire ever treated that young man kindly? It was understandable that he sought another path. Just because Huo Yuhao, who had nearly perished in the Duke's Mansion, was born in the Star Luo Empire, didn't mean he had to fight for it? Those noble ministers, who had been fed by the emperor, had surrendered when the Sun-Moon Empire attacked. Why would they expect Huo Yuhao to turn the tide and save Star Luo?
Xu Jiujiu took it for granted after all.

In retrospect, Huo Yuhao's original suggestion was actually more constructive. Xu Jiawei's sacrifice for his country at least proves to history that all his mistakes stemmed from a failure of strategy and method, not from a flawed stance or original intention. He simply took the wrong path, but that doesn't mean he was the wrong person.

After all, since ancient times, this land has never lacked the worship of authority, and the people often have an astonishing tolerance for the rulers. Martyrdom may be the only decent ending for a fool. It can almost wipe out all the previous stupid operations and show the world that this leader was just born at the wrong time, rather than being stupid and bad.

It doesn't mean that Xuanzi is neither stupid nor bad.

Surrounded by the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Instructor Corps, Orange slowly flew to the front of the formation and was at the same height as the Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei on the top of the city wall.

She knew everything that happened in the city. She did not speak condescendingly to the emperor, but chose to look him in the eye to show respect.

Having followed Xu Tianran since childhood, Ju Zizi had naturally seen the Sun-Moon Emperor, the patriarch who usurped the throne. However, the usurper often appeared ill and sickly, and when he finally died, he looked like an ordinary old man. Not long ago, she had also paid a visit to the newly reclaimed emperor as a marshal, but the new emperor was ultimately just a pawn in the hands of the Dragon Pavilion. They both resembled emperors, yet neither of them was.

At this moment, gazing at Xu Jiawei, she felt that this was the proper demeanor of an emperor. And it was precisely for this reason that she was willing to let him meet his end as emperor. Although they were enemies, even the generals of the Sun Moon Empire couldn't help but show admiration for the Star Luo Emperor's peaceful acceptance of death.

However, when Ju Zi appeared before him, Xu Jiawei's previously calm expression faltered slightly. Meeting her up close was actually his first true glimpse of the Sun-Moon Empire's Grand Marshal. He had never imagined that the enemy commander, commanding a vast army and overwhelming Xing Luo, would be such a young woman.

"Dai Hao was similarly surprised when he first saw me. It seems your Xingluo Empire truly doesn't think highly of women." Ju Zi spoke calmly, as if she were just chatting with a friend. "He once openly declared that women in the barracks were only fit to be prostitutes."

"He's always been so conceited. In fact, every White Tiger Duke has been like this," Xu Jiawei replied calmly, one hand quietly reaching into his bosom, silently gripping a short blade. As a ruler, unable to protect his subjects or defend his country, he had long since resolved to die.

"But he wasn't talking to me." Ju Zi seemed determined to make sure Xu Jiawei died with a clear conscience. "He was talking to the person in charge of Dragon Pavilion."

"Then he deserves it." Xu Jiawei glanced calmly at Dai Hao hanging on the rack under the city, and there was no trace of emotion in his tone.

"..." Orange was silent for a moment, then said something that most people around him couldn't understand: "You are an emperor."

All the power she now holds was bestowed upon her by that being. Therefore, she was unwilling to express sympathy or pity towards Xu Jiawei from a condescending attitude, and she disdained to make victorious declarations like "You've earned my respect."

Naturally, she wouldn't punish Xu Jiawei like she had humiliated Dai Hao, thereby humiliating the entire Xingluo Empire. A scholar could be killed, but not humiliated, especially since the person before her was, after all, an emperor.

Xu Jiawei clearly hadn't anticipated receiving the enemy commander's approval in his final moments. He nodded with a hint of arrogance, then, without a word, slashed his short blade across his neck. Amidst the cries of grief from the soldiers and civilians, he collapsed, forever lost in silence on the top of Xingluo City.

At the last moment, as the aura completely dissipated, Xu Jiawei suddenly remembered the Xingluo Spirit Pearl he had once taken. In the end, he had not been able to condense a second soul core with this magical herb, nor had he been able to become a Limit Douluo-level powerhouse.

The guy from Dragon Pavilion...would he think that the deal was a waste?
Ju Zi gazed at the fallen Xu Jiawei with a complex expression. The Sun and Moon Army had swept all before them, advancing relentlessly towards Xingluo City, but in the end, the Xingluo Emperor brought an end to the Xingluo Empire's millennia-long glory in the most decisive way. Even as an enemy, she had to admit that Xu Jiawei had defended the emperor's final dignity with his death.

In the distance, the cries of Xingluo City's soldiers and civilians rose, their grief overflowing like a tide. Meanwhile, the Sun-Moon Empire's Soul Master Corps remained silently arrayed, their metallic sheen gleaming eerily in the morning light. Victory was assured, yet the air was filled not with ecstasy but with a solemn silence.