Chapter 119: Fist Diplomacy (Part 2)

  "You are not only narrow-minded, ignorant, and dissolute, but utterly unfit for this throne. Therefore, you must step aside. It is more appropriate for your brother to govern this nation." Gru then looked at the three tribal leaders present. "Rest assured. You are well aware of Prince Taze's abilities and character. Even if you opposed him before, that was merely a political choice favoring the stronger faction. He harbors no grudges. Thus, after the succession, neither your private interests nor your tribes' rights will suffer harm; indeed, they will benefit greatly."

  The three tribal chiefs stared at him blankly, unsure how they should react.

  "As for the Hali tribe, which has always been domineering and lawless, it is time they faced some sanction. Your tribe will return all the property and rights you seized from others." Gru glanced at the Hali chieftain sitting beside the king. He was King Brown's maternal uncle. "As for the specifics, let the next king inform you."

  "Hahahaha!" Roscoe suddenly burst into loud laughter, the sound echoing madly through the great hall. "To think a general from Oufu is a madman! Hahahaha..."

  The Hali chieftain laughed along, and King Brown forced an awkward smile.

  "What if I said this was the will of the Shadow Sage?" Gru's expression and voice remained cold and devoid of any fluctuation from start to finish.

  The laughter of the three men paused for a moment. Immediately, Roscoe laughed even harder: "To think you could even invent such a lie! We might as well find a gatekeeper tomorrow and send him to Oufu as a general; he'd be far more useful than this fool..."

  Gru pulled out an object and tossed it onto the conference table, instantly cutting off the Chancellor's laughter and freezing the expressions of everyone else.

  It was a gray jade tablet, strung as a necklace by an exquisitely fine chain. The chain itself was a marvel of craftsmanship, carved from flawless jade into an intricate lattice. The gray jade tablet seemed unremarkable at first glance, but those with sharper eyes could see it wasn't truly gray. The gray was an optical illusion created by countless fine, evenly spaced black and white lines interwoven. The black was pitch black, the white snow white.

  Such a jade tablet, whether naturally formed or crafted by human hands, was priceless. And the characters embossed along those lines had a shocking effect on those present: Tatalia, Heart of Shadow.

  "The Shadow Tablet." Roscoe's voice and face twitched. He didn't even need to see it; he recognized it by the faint magical aura it emitted. It was the item his master, the Shadow Sage Nimbus, always carried and never removed from his person.

  "The Shadow Sage left this with me, instructing me to come to Tatalia to arrange this matter," Gru said flatly.

  "This... how can this be? Master... why would he let me..." King Brown trembled all over, his face covered in cold sweat.

  "Impossible!" Chancellor snatched the jade tablet from the table. Sweat poured from his forehead no less than the king's, and his expression twisted frighteningly. "This... this tablet... you stole it... you robbed... no... impossible..." He couldn't continue. The Shadow Tablet hung around his master's neck and was never removed. If that could be stolen, taking the head above it wouldn't be difficult either. But how could the great Shadow Sage allow himself to be killed?

  "Regardless, this is impossible!" Roscoe shrieked hysterically. "Master was clearly with me... how could he..."

  "With you for what? To help you kill the old king and install this puppet on the throne? So you think he would never do this now?" Gru's tone was flat, his expression still unchanged. But this single sentence made everyone else jump in fright.

  Roscoe's face instantly stiffened, turning pale. The expressions of the others were uniformly shocked. Of course, the degree of shock varied. Some found it earth-shattering, while others, more astute, had vaguely sensed the subtleties but never imagined someone could state it so bluntly.

  Roscoe's face went from stiff and pale to dark red, then flushed crimson. He leaped up like a madman, screaming: "Guards! Someone! Guards! Seize this madman!"

  The great hall's doors were already open. The moment the Chancellor's voice fell, several figures walked in.

  King Brown also snapped out of it, shouting. "Guards! Kill him!" Instantly, four figures emerged from the shadows in the corners of the hall, surrounding the king. Tatalia, has long been embroiled in ongoing conflicts with Erathia and harassment from monsters in the northeast, had no shortage of valiant warriors forged in battle. Since the struggle for the throne began, King Brown had specially selected several one-in-ten-thousand experts in martial arts from the common folk to serve as his personal bodyguards. Although Prince Taze's style had prevented them from seeing action, now was undoubtedly their crucial moment.

  But Gru didn't move. He didn't even glance at the four men, saying flatly, "He will soon no longer be king. You need not obey his commands." He paused. "Of course, if you wish to actively seek death, that's your choice."

  He said this with the same flatness, but the intimidation and shock this calmness conveyed were far stronger and deeper than any ferocious violence. This wasn't the threat of bared fangs and claws between equals, but the calm composure of a lion facing a mouse.

  The four men looked at Gru. None moved.

  "What's wrong with you?" King Brown was both shocked and furious. He remembered these men were more vicious than jackals, more ferocious than lions and tigers when dealing with others. Just like when they demanded their price. He shouted, "Whoever kills him gets five hundred gold coins!"

  Stolen novel; please report.

  But the four men still didn't step forward. Jackals may be fierce, but they aren't brainless. They always knew whether they faced a rabbit they could devour or a Behemoth that would crush them into pulp. Looking at the man before them, who spoke not a word and didn't even glance their way, the four sighed one after another, turned, and walked away.

  King Brown was completely stunned.

  Meanwhile, the figures entering through the main doors seemed unconcerned with the Chancellor's hysterical screams. They walked neither slowly nor quickly. The Chancellor's face grew even uglier. He saw the thick, long tails dragging behind the figures entering. Whether they were the Lizardfolk who should have been at the northeastern border or subordinates Gru brought from Oufu, their brazen appearance here indicated the situation was far more severe than imagined.

  Leading the Lizardfolk was a man wrapped in furs. He was in his thirties, his brown hair blending seamlessly with his clothes. His features were ugly, arranged in a strange combination that made him look as if he were constantly laughing.

  "Prince Taze!" the other three tribal chiefs exclaimed in unison.

  A figure silently appeared behind Gru – it was the Hali chieftain! Taking advantage of Gru's focus on the others, seemingly paying him no mind, he had quietly slipped from his seat, circled behind Gru, drawn the dagger from his waist, and lunged.

  The terror and majesty of a giant beast might make jackals, tigers, and leopards cower in fear, but not everyone is afraid. For instance, maggots, ants, mosquitoes – they pay no heed and are always eager to challenge and attack. Only the ignorant can be fearless.

  But the outcome of fearlessness is often unpretty. Just as he leaped, his face contorted with killing intent, Gru turned. With a swift motion of his hands, he pressed the chieftain back into his own seat. The movement was gentle, casual, devoid of any aggression, as effortless as pressing a rag doll left sitting still. And the chieftain, pressed back into his seat, went limp like a rag doll, motionless. In the blink of an eye, at least twenty bones in his body had silently shattered. The sudden, intense pain rendered him unable to even grunt before he passed out.

  As Gru turned, another figure lunged at him. This figure, though slightly portly, moved with surprising agility. It was King Brown himself, who had been slumped on the throne, his expression twisted, his body trembling, looking utterly incompetent.

  After all, he had been raised and trained as the future ruler of a nation. In this sudden upheaval, he hadn't lost his fighting spirit. His slightly plump body jumped as he drew his dagger. The timing of his strike was excellent, and his posture, speed, and ferocity were vicious and deadly.

  Unfortunately, even the most vicious and deadly ant is still just an ant. Gru didn't even look at him, merely giving a casual wave of his hand. King Brown flew head over heels back onto his throne. Unlike his uncle, his plump face now resembled a tomato that had been stepped on.

  The other three tribal chiefs gasped in unison; one even stood up. But they weren't ants, and they had no intention of siding with the ants now. To become a tribal chief, even if one's mind and abilities weren't outstanding, the ability to read the situation was essential. The moment Prince Taze appeared, they understood.

  "The king has passed away. It seems we can even dispense with the formal abdication. Wouldn't you agree, Chancellor?" Gru turned to look at Roscoe, speaking flatly. His attention had never left this man, who was certainly no ant, and likely stronger than a jackal. This was the one he truly cared about.

  Roscoe stood frozen like a wooden puppet, cold sweat dripping down his chin. He had actually been the first to move among them all, but his action was too slow, so his turn came only now.

  His hands were clasped before his chest. A Shadow Spike was ready. Though the spell was taut as a drawn bowstring, ready to be unleashed by the slightest motion, and its killing power was undeniable, when Gru's dark pupils locked onto his eyes, he lacked the courage to cast it.

  "Why not moving? Don't you want to try?" Gru smiled faintly.

  Prince Taze and the Lizardfolk who had entered the hall stopped in their tracks, not advancing further. The three tribal chiefs also left their seats. No one wished to approach a mage who could unleash magic at any moment, especially since they were well acquainted with the terror of the Court Mage.

  Roscoe still didn't move. Instead, his face contorted as he shrieked hoarsely: "Prince Taze! You dare collude with outsiders to assassinate the king and interfere in Tatalia's internal affairs! Do you think the tribes will recognize you, a traitor?"

  Even as he shouted, his gaze dared not waver from Gru. The man standing there without moving, not significantly taller than him, not only intimidated him but completely controlled his spirit and aura.

  "Silence!" Prince Taze roared. The sound was like thunder, revealing his extreme agitation. Only his ugly, peculiar features made his angry expression look like a grin. "You, of all people, dare call me a traitor? You secretly murdered our father, then installed my brother as a puppet king! You are Tatalia's true scourge! Without you and the Hali tribe running rampant, the other tribes would finally know true prosperity."

  "The Shadow Sage will never forgive you!" Roscoe's voice had become like the howl of a beast.

  The faces of Prince Taze and the three tribal chiefs changed. After all, the status of that name in their hearts was akin to a god's, far more intimidating than any deity.

  "Enough talk. Make your move," Gru's cold voice rang out. "Let me see how much of Nimbus's skill you possess."

  Roscoe's face instantly turned paler than death. He vaguely understood something, though he refused to believe it. The frenzy, despair, and terror surging within him made him realize, deep down, that the god in his heart was indeed dead.

  His face cycled from white to blue to red several times. Finally, when it seemed flushed enough to bleed, all the emotions within him erupted like volcanic magma. Using all his strength, he bellowed: "You lie!"

  Amidst the shout that echoed through the hall, the magic Roscoe had long been gathering erupted suddenly. A pillar of gray light shot from his hands towards Gru.

  "Hah!" A roar erupted, hundreds of times more violent, powerful, and immense than Roscoe's. If Roscoe's shout was gongs and drums, this was thunder, a tsunami. The entire great hall seemed to tremble slightly at the sound. Everyone, including Gru, hastily covered their ears. Even the earless Lizardfolk frantically pressed their hands over the small ear holes on their heads.

  Simultaneously, the hall was filled with white light. Gru still stood in place, not even raising a hand. The white light merely flared from his body as he roared. The aura of battle qi shone for a mere blink before vanishing, briefer than a meteor but far more brilliant. The gray magic column, originally aimed directly at his chest, was like a wisp of smoke encountering a sudden storm, instantly dissipating into nothingness amidst the white light of the battle qi and the thunderous roar.

  But Roscoe, who cast the spell, paid this no mind. The moment he unleashed the spell, he was already flying backward. Simultaneously, he gripped the Shadow Tablet tightly in both hands, raised it high above his head, and screamed like a madman: "All of you, go to hell!"

  The light of the battle qi faded. The people, walls, tables, chairs, everything in the hall lost its original color, all taking on the deathly gray of corpse skin. And the Shadow Tablet held high in Roscoe's hands gleamed with an even more intense gray. Immense magical power churned and surged within it. Every inch of him turned an indescribable gray under its influence, even his eyes seeming to become like stones on a tombstone, an indistinguishable gray.

  Prince Taze and the three tribal chiefs froze instantly. Even without knowing magic, they could tell this would be a devastating magical storm.

  "I offer the Flame of Life in sacrifice!" Roscoe shouted as he flew backward. He had descended into semi-madness. This man had not only effortlessly overturned the entire situation here but had also utterly shattered the unshakable faith in his mind. He felt his world had collapsed. The frenzy drove him to use his own life to trigger the large-scale destructive Forbidden Spell his master had sealed within the Shadow Tablet.

  Everything in the hall blurred, as if dissolving into that gray. Even Roscoe's voice was filled with this color of death. His vocal cords tore as he roared the incantation: "Come forth! Sea of Shadows!"

  Then, silence.

  Prince Taze and the others raised their heads from their arms, stunned to see that nothing seemed to have happened.

  Roscoe also stared around in astonishment. The hall's scenery and colors were completely restored, as if nothing had occurred. Though he had never used this Forbidden Spell, he knew it shouldn't have this effect.

  He lowered his hands from his head and saw... nothing. His wrists were empty. Not only was the Shadow Tablet gone, but his palms were missing too.

  "Too close, far too close," Gru shook his head. For the first time, an expression of regret and annoyance appeared on his granite-like face. "To think this thing had such tricks."

  Hearing the voice, Roscoe turned. Only then did he see Gru standing behind him, though he didn't know when or how he'd gotten there.

  Gru lifted the Shadow Tablet and shook it. The shapeless mass of blood and flesh on it fell to the ground. The surging magical power upon it rapidly subsided and vanished. He exhaled. "Fortunately, Nimbus didn't use this back then. It seems I must indeed be more cautious when dealing with mages in the future." Then he reached out and pushed, planting his hand squarely on Roscoe's chest.

  Roscoe's body, standing there, suddenly shot through the air like a crossbow bolt. Mid-flight, before he could even process the sensation of his life force rapidly burning away, he felt his lungs nearly explode from his mouth and his heart seem to slam into his brain cavity.

  Thud! The Chancellor and Court Mage slammed into the wall of the great hall. Leaving a smear of blood, he slid down to the floor.