Chapter 476: Die, he has to die
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
The voice...
Shan Ling was not loud. In fact, he was almost out of breath, but his voice sent a chill down Su Qing's breath.
"Actually, I didn't get to finish my sentence. Even the most perfect plan isn't immune to hiccups! Am I right? Crown Prince? Official Su?"
His words echoed through Su Qing's mind.
The smile on his face had all but disappeared. His hand froze in mid-air.
He held the flap open...
But he didn't move.
What was happening? How could this possibly happen?
Su Qing was in disbelief. He refused to accept that this perfect plan of his could go awry.
In fact, the plan seemed to be going even smoother than he had expected.
Fang Zhengzhi's crime had been witnessed by everyone! This, compounded with his usual demeanor...
For him to kill Shan Ling in a moment of panic...
Was definitely possible!
It wouldn't matter even if others didn't believe it.
The dead couldn't speak. As long as he and Lin Tianrong continued to assert that this was the truth, then it would be so.
But...
What if Fang Zhengzhi didn't die?!
Su Qing's body was stiff. He turned slowly to look at Crown Prince Lin Tianrong, who was nearby.
As the Crown Prince of the Great Xia, Lin Tianrong didn't want to entertain his defeated adversary.
However...
When he heard what Shan Ling said, his expression changed completely.
He could tell from Su Qing's expression that something was wrong. Furthermore, he could see inside the carriage.
All this while, Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had been calm and composed. As the Crown Prince, he would never do anything unless he was absolutely certain that it would work.
But this time, he had acted even though the odds weren't overwhelmingly in his favor.
The temptation was too great!
All the credit!
By doing this, he could stabilize his position in the courts! His work here would secure the throne for himself.
However...
The key to this plan was that Fang Zhengzhi had to die! His death was a necessity for this operation to succeed!
"You... you let him escape?!" Lin Tianrong's stammered. He never expected that Fang Zhengzhi could escape.
He was poisoned and comatose!
Killing him would have been a piece of cake!
Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had eight hangers-on to help him! Even that was quite the overkill. Even an ordinary soldier could have done the job.
But now...
The carriage was empty!
There could only be one possibility! Shan Ling had let Fang Zhengzhi go. Only Shan Ling had the antidote.
"Hahaha, what do you think?" Shan Ling chuckled maniacally. He was paralyzed, blood flowing from his open wound. However, he was extremely happy at the result of his actions.
"Die!" Lin Tianrong lunged.
The blade in his hand morphed into a ray of light as it shot towards Shan Ling.
Shan Ling didn't move.
He watched the blade pierce his throat, beaming radiantly even till his dying breath.
Then, the world in front of him went dark.
He was dead...
Lin Tianrong glared at Shan Ling, his heart filled with hatred. In all honesty, he could have waited for Shan Ling to kill Fang Zhengzhi before he killed Shan Ling...
But he didn't wait.
Fang Zhengzhi was a poisoned, paralyzed individual. What was there to worry about?
He struck...
But now...
"Chase! Hunt Fang Zhengzhi down and end his life!" Lin Tianrong bellowed.
"Yes, sir!" The eight hangers-on sprung into action the moment they heard the Crown Prince. They shot off in eight different directions.
Nightfall...
The blood was stained with white snow.
"Woosh!"
The blade in Shan Ling's throat was removed and the blood dripped onto the snow. The night was chilly.
Crown Prince Lin Tianrong's expression was dark and solemn.
He would not allow for any room for error when it came to the fight for the throne.
He also knew how difficult it was to track someone down in these dense forests.
He looked into the dark, dense forests, then back at his bloodied blade.
"Woosh!"
He struck again.
Blood splattered everywhere!
But this time, he was not striking at Shan Ling or Su Qing. He stabbed himself in the chest.
"Your Highness!" Su Qing shuddered as he fell to his knees.
"He didn't die? Hahaha... he didn't die! Good... very good! I would like to see if you still dare to show your face in the Great Xia!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong spat out a mouthful of blood.
"With such determination, the throne would definitely be yours. I am willing to die for your cause as well!" Su Qing understood what Lin Tianrong was doing.
He may have taken advantage of the Princess of the Southern Region!
But with his contributions in the war, he would not be executed. However, if he killed the Crown Prince of the Southern Region and injured the Crown Prince of the Great Xia...
He would not be able to escape death!
...
...
In the morning, the Southern Region welcomed their first snowfall of this winter.
The morning was cold and the snow added an icy silver layer on the ground.
The Sagely Mountain City was completely covered in snow.
However, there was a squad in rattan armor amidst the snow. All of them rode two-meter tall beasts.
These beasts were like wolves, and they had a single silver horn on their heads. Yet, they were at least two to three times larger than conventional wolves.
The Silver Horned Wolves Squad!
The creme de la creme of the Southern Region Army.
Ordinarily, the Silver Horned Wolves were incredibly quick. They could run on snow almost as quickly as they could run on the plains.
However, these Silver Horned Wolves were not particularly quick.
They trudged through the snow, each step deliberate and pained. They left behind deep footprints.
They were walking towards the throne room.
It was snowing heavily.
The sky was dark.
The throne room was pristine and visible in the distance. However, none of the members of the Silver Horned Wolves were excited to see it.
Their expressions were solemn.
None of them spoke. All one could hear in the air were the footsteps and snorting of the Silver Horned Wolves.
Finally...
They stopped in front of the palace.
No guards came forward to question them. Everyone watched the Silver Horned Wolves Squad patiently and quietly.
Then the doors opened.
"Creak, creak!"
The doors were heavy from the snow and the hinges were frozen, but they still creaked open.
"Aroo!"
The moment the doors opened, the Silver Horned Wolves let out a howl. The sound echoed through the city.
However, the Silver Horned Wolves didn't move.
There was someone standing in the middle of the doors.
This was a man in a snow white leather hat and a snow white leather robe. There was a thick layer of snow over his robe. He had been standing in the snow for some time.
Behind this man...
There was a lady. She too wore a snow white leather robe which was caked in snow. She had beige skin, dark eyes, slender legs, and two daggers sheathed at her thighs.
Princess Shan Yu!
As such...
The person in front of her was the King of the Southern Region.
The Silver Horned Wolves Squad spotted the King, the Princess, as well as the settlement chiefs and generals standing behind them.
However, they did not step forward to bow, nor did they fall to their knees. They remained silent and mounted.
It was a strange sight.
At that moment, the King of the Southern Region shuddered, then fell to his knees.
"My son!"
The King of the Southern Region howled, his hair dancing in the wind, tears rolling down his cheeks.
This was an old man who had lived through many wars. He never cried, even when faced with terrifying enemies.
But right now...
Tears rolled freely from his cheeks.
"Kaboom!"
Princess Shan Yu, as well as the settlement chiefs and generals, fell to her knees. This caused the ground to shake, and snow to be sent flying in all directions.
"Woooooooo!" A solemn ring could be heard from the walls.
At that moment, the Silver Horned Wolves lay prone on the ground. However, the soldiers riding them didn't move.
They remained still despite the wind and snow.
Because...
They carried a large black plank of wood on their shoulders.
This was a plank of wood cut down from an ancient tree. There were intricate carvings on the surface of the wood.
It was identical to the pictures on the walls of the palace.
The snow on the wood made it heavier by the second.
Most importantly, there was someone lying on the plank of wood. This man was covered by a white sheet of leather, but the blood stain was clear for all to see.
It was Shan Ling.
The Crown Prince of the Southern Region, next in line to the throne. But now, he was dead.
"Where is the Crown Prince of the Great Xia? Where is he?! Why didn't he come back? Is he afraid that I would kill him?!" The King of the Southern Region bellowed.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince was severely injured. He is now comatose and on the way to the Great Xia!" One of the members of the Silver Horned Wolves Squad replied.
"Injured? Comatose? What injuries did he suffer? Why is he comatose?" The King's expression changed.
"He took a blade to the chest! It missed his heart by just a single thumb width!" The Silver Horned Wolves Squad member replied.
"A thumb width?! Hahaha... missed by the width of a thumb... hahaha..." The King laughed. He was laughing out of anger. He clenched his fists and began to tremble.
Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Sh*t!"
The blood splattered all over the snow, staining it red.
"Father!" Princess Shan Yu lunged forward and hugged the King. She was trembling as well, her eyes filled with hatred.
She did not say anything after hugging her father.
She knew what the situation was. She also knew that there were things that could be said, and things that were better left unsaid.
"My daughter, your eldest brother and second brother are both gone. Now, even your third brother..." The King looked at Princess Shan Yu, his wrinkles getting deeper by the second.
"Father, you still have a daughter!" Princess Shan Yu's hands were covered by a thick layer of snow. No one could tell that she had balled her fists...
"Yes... I still have a daughter, a daughter who is capable of ruling the Southern Region!" The King's eyes glittered as he stood up.
His body radiated rays of red light and the snow on his body melted away. Steam could be seen rising from his body.
"From today onwards, Princess Shan Yu will govern the Southern Region!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Father, I am still too young, and you..." Princess Shan Yu shuddered, her eyes widening.
As a Princess of the Southern Region...
She may be part of the Shan Family, but she never thought that she would have to govern the Southern Region. This was a job for the King.
"Enough has been said. I have made my decision. Where is Fiery Crow?" The King shook his head as he ruffled Princess Shan Yu's hair.
"Your Highness, I am here!" A skinny man walked out from the crowd.
This was the settlement chief of the Fiery Crow Settlement.
"Mm, you will make a trip to the capital on my behalf. Request a gift for Princess Shan Yu as she is about to take the throne. Ask for 80,000 tons of rations, 10,000 taels of gold, silver..." The King scribbled in the snow as he spoke.
"Your Highness... we are a vassal state to the Great Xia. We have been paying them in exchange for some books. I think... they may give us the gold, but would they really give us the rations?" Fiery Crow was stunned by the numbers he saw.
He knew exactly how scary those numbers were. They were enough to build an army.
Fiery Crow was not alone. The settlement chiefs and generals behind them were equally shocked. This was unprecedented.
"Yes, they will definitely give it to us!" The King asserted as he looked at the settlement chiefs and generals.
"I understand!" Fiery Crow nodded.
"Father, you're asking for a ton of resources from the Great Xia. Are you planning to..." Princess Shan Yu's expression changed.
"No! My daughter, this is my gift to you as you ascend the throne. You are a lady taking the throne. You need to use these gifts to buy over the hearts of some people. The Emperor knows this, so he will definitely give these to you! However, you will still have control over how you wish to use these resources. You are the future ruler!"
The King turned to look at the settlement chiefs and generals, his body glowing red.
"We will serve Princess Shan Yu to our last breath!" The settlement chiefs and generals fell to their knees.
Princess Shan Yu shuddered. She did not kneel this time. She knew that she had a huge responsibility on her shoulders.
She had to govern the Southern Region.
She did not speak as she looked at the kneeling settlement chiefs and generals. Then, she turned to look into the distance.
The ground was covered by a thick layer of snow. The trees were slightly bent due to the wind and the weight of the snow. She was looking in the direction of the Great Xia.
Of course, there was something other than the Great Xia in that direction.
There was a major settlement in that direction. That was the Icy Monkey Settlement. There was a sword...
A sword that was embedded on the Feng Su Cliff...
More than half of the sword had been driven into the ground. The snow fell on it and the wind blew around it.
This was undoubtedly the coldest part of the Southern Region. There was a layer of ice around the blade. Yet, there was still a strange purple glow flowing across the blade...