The Demon Lords

Chapter 1066: Chapter 257: Curtain Rises! (Part 4)

Xiong Tingshan scratched his head and said, "Indeed, to die is to bring pain to those who love you and joy to those who hate you. It’s really not worth it."

After a pause,

the Fifth Prince continued:

"You really have a lot going on, Fourth Brother. Even dying requires some flair, making it quite difficult for me. But I trust, Fourth Brother, that you’ve already planned the ending for me, haven’t you?

My dear Fourth Brother, you are the most adept at scheming; otherwise, how could the eldest, the second, and the third brothers just launch their efforts only to be toppled before they even warmed their seats?

It’s a pity our father left too soon and too suddenly. Imagine if he had arranged everything for after his passing, how much easier it would have been."

The Regent nodded and said,

"If father had held on for another half year, I could have arranged his affairs for him."

"Fourth Brother, you should have said so earlier, hahaha. I too was quite dissatisfied with our father. The day I heard of his passing, I celebrated with three jars of wine."

"Just tell me what you want," said the Regent.

"Wutong County, to be carved out as a vassal state."

The Regent spread his hands and said, "Now, what difference is there between Wutong County and a vassal state?"

"An imperial decree."

The Regent shook his head,

"Impossible."

"So there’s no room for negotiation, Fourth Brother?"

"With the Yan Emperor breaking the old powers, for Chu to establish vassal states by decree is too foolish. I would not do it."

"I knew Fourth Brother wouldn’t agree, so, shall I share my thoughts?"

"Go ahead."

"The royal guards aren’t here, right?"

"Within twenty miles, there is not a single soldier."

"Fourth Brother, indeed you have thought of everything."

Xiong Tingshan clapped his hands,

and an elder in fish skin walked out of the inn, holding a harpoon with unusually large feet.

"Meng Kui of the Shanyue tribe, at your service, Regent of Chu."

The elder greeted the Regent.

The next moment,

the coachman from before stepped down, stood in front of the Regent, cupped his hands, and said,

"Hong Menyang, at your service, Your Highness."

"Master Hong as the coachman; Fourth Brother, you truly put on quite a spectacle."

Hong Menyang, a Third Rank fist master, renowned for his mountain-opening fists, once dominated the street and later was recruited by the court, entering the palace as a martial arts instructor for the princes.

Xiong Tingshan stood up, cupped his hands to Hong Menyang, and said,

"Little Five greets Master Hong."

Hong Menyang stroked his beard and smiled, but quickly focused his gaze on the Shanyue elder.

And just at that moment,

a middle-aged man with a knife walked out of the inn, his square face void of any hair, cleaner than a monk.

"Wu Junqing, at your service, Regent of Chu."

Standing at a distance, Lord Zheng looked at Mr. Chen beside him and asked,

"A knife practitioner?"

Mr. Chen nodded and said, "In the world, there are seven major knife sects. Wu Junqing is the master of the Broke Saber Sect."

"Sounds quite fancy," commented Lord Zheng, but since he also played with knives, he continued, "How formidable?"

"Among all weapons, swords are revered, but truly powerful knife-wielders may not be inferior to swordsmen."

"So..."

Lord Zheng glanced at the swordsmith sitting nearby.

The swordsmith, sitting and picking his ears, noticed Lord Zheng’s gaze and asked somewhat puzzled,

"Why is Mr. Su looking at me?"

Hmm?

Isn’t it your turn to step up?

"Buzz!"

A sound pierced the air, and a young girl in a floral dress appeared, grasping a bunch of flowers, red and vibrant, and stood there smiling foolishly while eating the flowers.

"Who is she?" Lord Zheng asked.

Mr. Chen shook his head, "I don’t know."

"Aren’t you from the street?"

The swordsmith interjected; "Qin Yueyue of Cherishing Thoughts Manor, she likes to eat flowers soaked in human blood."

She must have much to discuss with A Ming.

Soon after,

another man walked out of the inn, short in stature but solidly built, dressed in leather armor and holding twin hammers.

The man walked to the front and collided his hammers,

and said:

"Deputy General Mo Xilai of Wutong County, greetings to Your Majesty, may the king be blessed and healthy!"

Lord Zheng again looked at the swordsmith,

This time,

it should be your turn, right?

But unexpectedly, from the woods in the back, a man holding a spear walked out, looking very plain, with nothing remarkable in appearance or demeanor.

Xiong Tingshan directly pointed at the spear-holding man and said, "Fourth Brother, didn’t you say there wasn’t a single soldier nearby? Why is Commander Liang here?"

The spear-wielding man heard this and cupped his hands,

"So that Your Highness may know, the criminal killed a young master of the Dugu Clan in the street last month and has already been stripped of his position by Your Majesty."

"Is that possible?" Xiong Tingshan seemed somewhat disgruntled.

Liang Yue nodded and said, "Of course, it’s possible."

"Mo Xilai, what do you think?" Xiong Tingshan asked the shorter man.

Mo Xilai licked his lips and said, "I’ve long heard of Liang’s Spear’s reputation, and it has been inherited for generations as the royal guards’ spear-master instructor. Your Highness, I accept!"

Only then did Xiong Tingshan nod, not intending to pursue the matter further, but still quietly unbuttoned his robe, revealing the skin of his chest, and shouted:

"Fourth Brother, I want to join in too. I know that gentleman from the Dugu Clan also came with you. Let him face me, hahaha, the entire street wants to know whether our Chu’s swordsmith can fight or if his reputation is mere fluff. Fourth Brother, you’d want to know too, right? Today, I’ll help you uncover the truth."

Lord Zheng once again looked at the swordsmith,

The swordsmith became a little upset and said to Lord Zheng, "Joining the rabble?"

"The junior also wants to know."