Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 879: Chapter 638: Seeing the Coffin to Follow, Waning upon the Full Moon - Part 3

"Squeak—"

The courtyard gate was opened, and Fang Zhou was shocked by the scene inside. He saw many people, about dozens of individuals wearing masks, bounded at the hands, forcibly kneeling on the ground with soldiers standing around wielding gleaming long swords.

Several headless corpses were strewn haphazardly on the ground, blood staining the earth beneath their feet, and the heads wearing masks were just tossed aside.

These heads also wore strange masks and were all from Earl Mansion. It looked like this so-called Prince Qi came prepared, perhaps having seen through Earl Mansion’s treachery all along. The sudden turn of events caught Fang Zhou unawares.

Among the decapitated bodies, the one in the middle was recognized by Fang Zhou. Those familiar clothes he had only seen not long ago belonged to the head of Earl Mansion, also the Manor Master of Fushou Manor. Just the night before, he was dreaming of becoming the Emperor, but after one night, he ended up with such a fate. It must be said that fate is fickle and cruel.

The next second, the door of the room was opened, and there was a screen standing inside. Several personal soldiers stood on both sides of the screen, casting the silhouette of someone behind it—it must be Prince Qi whom he had met during the day, sitting on a Taishi Chair, draped in a large robe.

"Kneel!" Under the coercion of the executioner behind, Yang Xiao and his group had no choice but to kneel facing the direction of Prince Qi.

Prince Qi, from behind the screen, slightly raised his hand, and the personal soldiers by his side shouted in a stern voice: "Bold villains! You dared to assist Earl Mansion’s rebels in using Evil Technique to plot treason and attempt to murder the current Holy Emperor. Now the leader of the crime has been executed, and you still refuse to confess the truth!"

"It’s a wrongful accusation!" Nalan Shuo cried out loudly, "I implore Prince Qi to see clearly, we were merely invited by Earl Mansion to celebrate our Ancestor’s birthday!"

"Facing death yet still stubborn, dare you claim you knew nothing of Earl Mansion’s conspiracy?" The personal soldier was imposing, his eyebrows raised, his voice thunderous, "Bring them out, behead them!"

As the words fell, Yang Xiao was dealt a harsh kick, knocked to the ground from behind, and then dragged near the group of Earl Mansion people. Along with Yang Xiao dragged out were Fang Zhou and Chang Chuchu, the unluckiest ones.

The three were pinned head down to the ground, a sharp long sword resting against their necks, and Yang Xiao could even smell the blood on the blade, with some dirty blood still lingering in its groove. Only recently had this sword taken a life.

"Prince Qi has a merciful heart, considering that you were deluded by others and not entirely the principal criminals, confess the truth and you may yet be spared!" bellowed the personal soldier. "Do you wish to end up like these traitorous rebels of Earl Mansion?!"

As the sound of his voice faded, there was a "splat," hot blood splattered over, hitting Yang Xiao and the others on their bodies and faces, followed by a masked head rolling onto the ground.

The personal soldier who had swung the blade and removed the head remained expressionless, wiping his blade on his sleeve, cleaning it of blood, then sheathed it and stood by, coldly staring at Yang Xiao and the others, his eyes akin to those of a butcher looking at lambs to be slaughtered. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Before Yang Xiao could react, there was a "thump," as Fang Zhou collapsed onto the ground beside him, twitching a couple of times, then motionless.

"Frightened into unconsciousness?" Yang Xiao was stunned at first, then quickly realized that playing unconscious was an excellent way to escape. In such a scene, fainting would be a normal reaction. freёwebnovel.com

Just as Yang Xiao was contemplating how to faint with creativity and novelty without falling into cliché, another "thump" happened, shocking everyone. He tried to twist his head to look, and this time it was Chang Chuchu kneeling on the far right who had fallen.

Different from Fang Zhou’s neat collapse, Chang Chuchu was convulsing violently while rolling her eyes back, her legs kicking out in a very realistic display.

"Damn, I’m the only one left."

Yang Xiao mentally cursed, unhappy with Chang Chuchu’s deceitfulness. Fang Zhou’s fainting was most likely genuine, but Chang Chuchu was clearly acting. That woman might not hatch open plots often, but she was no stranger to cunning, now leaving him hanging out to dry.

Just as Yang Xiao was about to unwillingly follow suit, play the part and faint, a cold blade preemptively pressed against his neck. If he fell, his neck would neatly deliver itself to the blade’s edge, almost the same as if he were slitting his own throat.

Thus, a rather dramatic scene unfolded – Yang Xiao, who was about to "faint," desperately propped himself back up.

"Dare to faint, and I’ll chop your head off!" The soldier behind him knocked on Yang Xiao’s head with the back of the knife, like striking a wooden fish.