Chapter 265 I should thank you? Should I worship you like a statue?
To their surprise, the sharp blade could not penetrate the strange clothing he was wearing, only causing a slight dent. No matter how hard they tried, the blade could not advance an inch.
While the two were stunned and speechless, they clearly saw a mocking sneer appear in Xiao Qidi's eyes.
In the blink of an eye—
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two consecutive sounds of something cutting through the air.
Two crossbow bolts struck the eunuch in the back of the heart.
Before they could even react, they tumbled down the steps beside the throne, lay on the ground with their eyes wide open, and died.
Only then did everyone realize that the person who had kidnapped the king had an accomplice.
Everyone looked around, but before they could notice anything, Xiao Qidi's words caught their attention again.
"Duke Dingwu, do you really think you can kill me by secretly sending two eunuchs over?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at the elderly nobleman.
This man was titled Duke Dingwu and was an elder of the royal family of the Huang Kingdom. Even the uncle of the Huang Kingdom's king, Marquis Xinping, had to respectfully address him as "Uncle".
In other words, Duke Dingwu was the great-uncle of the current ruler of the Huang State.
Duke Dingwu calmly raised his wine cup and said slowly, "Young man, you were able to sneak into the main hall without anyone noticing and take our sovereign hostage. Such skill and courage truly impress me. Even when I was young, I could hardly compare to you. I toast you."
Having said that, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.
Xiao Qidi smiled faintly, picked up the wine pot on the dining table in front of the throne, tilted his head back and drank most of it.
Duke Dingwu said, "The royal city's defenses are impenetrable. There's absolutely no way you could have entered from outside. I dare to guess that you must be a child from a commoner's family within the royal city. Because you were dissatisfied with our strategy of refusing to defend the royal city, you sneaked in here. I admire you. If you surrender, I guarantee I'll appoint you as a general. Not only will your whole family be spared punishment, but you'll also enjoy wealth and honor with them."
Xiao Qidi asked with a mocking look in his eyes, "Besides this royal city, all other places have been conquered by the Xuan Kingdom, and the Desolate Kingdom is now just a name without substance. What can you guarantee my family's wealth and honor?"
"Hahahaha!" Duke Dingwu laughed and stroked his beard. "I dare not speak of the long term, but I am confident that everyone here will live a comfortable and peaceful life, even more so than before. Right now, we hold the lives of over 100,000 citizens of the royal city in our hands, yet the Xuan Kingdom's army claims to be a benevolent and righteous force, always putting on an act of caring for the common people wherever they go. Doesn't this give us a perfect opportunity to exploit their weakness?"
Xiao Qidi's eyes darkened slightly as he reminded them, "They are not just claiming it, nor are they putting on an act. They are genuinely doing what is best for the people. Otherwise, they could not have conquered the desolate country in such a short time."
Duke Dingwu laughed even more heartily, "Isn't this even better? Otherwise, how can we use the more than 100,000 civilians in the royal city as a threat? Otherwise, how can we remain so calm in the face of the Xuan Kingdom's army surrounding us? I'm not afraid to tell you, now whatever we want, the Xuan Kingdom's army outside will do everything they can to get it for us so that we can live comfortably. Otherwise, they will have to watch us let the guards kill the people of the royal city for them to see!"
"The people you've killed... are all citizens of the desolate kingdom," Xiao Qidi said meaningfully. "They are the subjects of you rulers. Now you're using them as bargaining chips to hold the enemy hostage. Don't you feel ashamed?"
Upon hearing this, some nobles and nobles showed expressions of unease.
But it was just a slight feeling of guilt.
Duke Dingwu looked disdainful and snorted, saying, "What is there to be ashamed of? Nobles and princes are born to rule, and commoners are merely our tools. Otherwise, what use are they?"
Xiao Qidi sneered, "You support them? With what? Did you cultivate the land? Did you produce the grain, cloth, and daily necessities?"
The Duke of Dingwu shamelessly declared, "We conquered this land! We are the natural rulers! Without us, where would these people of the Great Wilderness come from? They use our land, so it is only right that they pay tribute to us! By allowing them to live on this land, we are essentially supporting them!"
"Wouldn't it be better without you?" Xiao Qidi suddenly said.
Duke Dingwu was slightly taken aback, then said with even greater disdain, "Common people are all foolish. If they are left unmanaged and unrestrained, they will only turn into a bunch of savages. Even a herd of beasts in the wilderness needs a leader! Let alone humans?"
Xiao Qidi said, “Society needs management, that’s true. However, what people need is not people like you. Perhaps many people in the world today have not yet realized this. Perhaps even if they are bullied and exploited, they feel that it is their fate. But I believe that soon more and more people will realize that no one is born noble, and no one is born lowly.”
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Duke Dingwu roared angrily. "Since ancient times, people have been divided into noble and lowly! How dare you utter such heaven-defying words, defying the laws of heaven! You will be punished by heaven!"
Xiao Qidi sighed helplessly, "Anyway, you'll never have a chance to wake up."
"Xiao Qidi! You are Xiao Qidi!" Marquis Xinping suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Boy! I recognize you!"
The entire audience was stunned by these words.
The crowd looked at it again in disbelief.
The king of the desolate kingdom, trembling beside the throne, was even more stunned.
"Guards...guards come quickly!" a nobleman cried out in terror. "Forbidden—"
Before the word "army" could be uttered, Ning Jinli, who was hiding in the corner of the main hall's beams, fired another arrow from her crossbow.
Pfft!
The crossbow bolt pierced the man's throat, rendering him unable to utter a sound.
With this deterrent in place, no one dared to shout anymore.
"Is he really Xiao Qidi?" Duke Dingwu asked Marquis Xinping.
Marquis Xinping's face was extremely ugly. "It's him, no doubt. When I first saw his face, I felt that it looked familiar. After looking at his eyes more closely... I'm sure of it. His eyes are exactly the same as when I was a child."
"It's not easy, finally someone has recognized me," Xiao Qidi said with a cold smile, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he stared at Marquis Xinping.
Marquis Xinping felt a powerful aura of pressure, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his forehead. After a moment's thought, he took a few steps forward and said with a forced smile, "You attacked the Great Wilderness... and even risked your life to infiltrate the Great Wilderness Palace. Was all of this... for revenge?"
Xiao Qidi said, "Revenge? What revenge?"
Marquis Xinping swallowed hard and said, "You...you were a hostage here for many years...during those years, you and your mother..."
"So, you're saying you know very well how much I suffered and how much torment I endured here when I was young?" The chill in Xiao Qidi's eyes grew even more pronounced.
Marquis Xinping did not dare to answer.
Everyone in the palace, from the king to the maids and eunuchs, knew about the situation back then.
Who would care about a mother and son who were abandoned by the heir of the Xuan Kingdom at the time?
Since the mother and son were neither from the Great Wilderness nor had any support, and since the Xuan Kingdom was far weaker than the Great Wilderness at the time, they were naturally bullied.
Xiao Qidi was bullied and mocked like a dog by members of the noble families of the desolate country who were his age.
Jiang Peihuan was used as a tool for sexual gratification by other noblemen.
The mother and her son were at odds; the younger one was bullied by the younger one, and the older one was humiliated by the older one.
Even after the two managed to escape the Great Wilderness, the events of those years became a source of amusement among the nobles and kings of the Great Wilderness.
None of the nobles and royalty of the Great Wilderness could have imagined that the Xuan Kingdom would become so powerful.
No one would have imagined that Xiao Qidi, who should have been bullied to the point of mental breakdown and would have been unable to achieve great things even after inheriting the throne, would actually become a great ruler of the Xuan Kingdom.
“Xiao… Xiao Qidi…” Marquis Xinping said, wiping away cold sweat, “During those years you were a hostage in the Great Wilderness, I… I helped you and Jiang Peihuan quite a bit. If it weren’t for me, you… you would have starved to death long ago…”
Xiao Qidi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Should I thank you? Should I treat you like a sacred statue?"
Marquis Xinping's cheeks trembled, and he forced a humble smile, "That's not what I meant, I...I..."
He figured that since Xiao Qidi had come for revenge, most of the people present would be doomed, so he decided to fight for his own life, but for a moment he didn't know how to continue.
"Useless thing!" Duke Dingwu angrily rebuked Marquis Xinping. "You're so scared by a mere Xiao Qidi? Even if he has the ability to infiltrate this place, does he really have the skill to wipe us all out? Do you think the Imperial Guards and the garrison are just for show?"
Then he looked up at the roof, searching for Xiao Qidi's accomplices, and said, "From what I've observed, this kid only has one accomplice. Although the weapon he uses is powerful, it's impossible for him to kill hundreds of people in this hall in a short time. They were afraid of being discovered by the Imperial Guards from beginning to end, otherwise they would have attacked us directly long ago!"
Hearing this analysis, Marquis Xinping calmed down considerably and his heart was no longer so panicked. "Uncle is really amazing... I almost fell into Xiao Qidi's trap and scared myself to death."
"Just shut up and leave it to me."
"Yes, Uncle."
Duke Dingwu pondered for a moment, just about to speak.
Xiao Qidi suddenly spoke up: "Dancers, move aside and continue dancing. Don't stop. Those who bullied me back then, step forward."
Nearly a hundred young nobles from the desolate country panicked instantly.
Xiao Qidi pressed the tip of his knife against the king's finger. "I remember every one of you. If any of you are missing, I will cut off one of your fingers."
“Xiao Qidi…you…” The king of the desolate kingdom was both shocked and furious.
Snap!
Xiao Qidi slapped him across the face and said coldly, "If you make another sound, I'll cut out your tongue first."
The king of the desolate kingdom trembled with fear and quickly shut his mouth.
The young nobles inside the hall did not move. Xiao Qidi exerted a little force, causing one of the king's fingers to bleed.
Seeing this, Duke Dingwu had no choice but to step forward and urge the young people to step forward.
Before long, more than ninety people stepped forward.
They were trembling, huddled together, none of them daring to meet Xiao Qidi's gaze.
At this moment, a middle-aged man knelt down and said, "My son was too young and didn't know any better at the time. Please... please forgive them..."
Xiao Qidi looked in the direction of the voice and asked, "Who is your son?"
The man pointed with trembling hands.
Xiao Qidi said, "Since that's the case, I now demand that you tie your son's hands behind his back, then kneel down and kowtow to me. Is that too much to ask?"
"Not at all! Not at all!" The man immediately pulled out his belt, ran over and tied his son's hands behind his back, binding him tightly.
The others also assumed that Xiao Qidi had come for revenge, and thought that as long as they went along with him and appeased his anger, they could save their lives, so they followed suit.
A group of elders, who were acting as fathers and uncles, rushed over and tied up all the younger generation who had bullied Xiao Qidi in the past, forcing them to kneel on the ground.
Xiao Qidi added, "Even those who bullied me have been tied up, so... what about those who insulted my mother? Step forward then."
"What exactly is this kid up to? I have a bad feeling about him. Is he planning to take the emperor hostage and then kill all the people who bullied him and his mother back then?" Marquis Xinping muttered with a gloomy face.
Duke Dingwu said in a low voice, "I don't think he has that much ability. I think at most he will humiliate us to vent his anger. If he really dares to kill our nobles or even take the life of our sovereign, he himself will not escape. It's alright, let's be patient and see what tricks he can play."
Marquis Xinping was reassured and set an example by having his uncle, Duke Dingwu, help him tie his hands behind his back.
Then, one after another, hundreds of men stepped forward, were bound by the remaining nobles, and stood with the group of young people.
Looking at so many enemies, Xiao Qidi felt a surge of murderous intent within him.
He wished he could go over and kill them one by one with his own hands.
However, this action was not solely for revenge. If he were to do so, chaos would surely erupt within the palace, alerting the Imperial Guards outside who would then charge in. He had to force himself to remain calm.
The reason for using this method to make these nobles of the desolate country bind each other was twofold: firstly, to stabilize the situation and restrict the actions of this large group as much as possible; and secondly, to cover for Ning Jinli.
"It's all set up," Ning Jinli whispered through the earpiece.
Xiao Qidi slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and then ordered the palace maids and eunuchs present to tie up the remaining hundred or so princes and nobles.
This angered Duke Dingwu. He glared at Xiao Qidi and asked, "The people who bullied you and your son back then have all knelt before you and apologized, their hands tied behind their backs, just as you requested. Don't push your luck!"
Xiao Qidi covered the mouth of the king of the desolate country and slowly stabbed his arm with the tip of a knife.
The king of the desolate kingdom was in so much pain that he wanted to scream, but he couldn't make a sound. He tried to struggle, but Xiao Qidi's strength held him firmly in place.
Duke Dingwu was furious, but he had no way to deal with Xiao Qidi's move, so he had no choice but to order the palace maids and eunuchs to take action.
As a result, all the princes and nobles present were bound one after another, including Duke Dingwu.
Xiao Qidi took off his tactical backpack and unzipped it.
It was stuffed full of small bombs.
This is a special new type of weapon that Ning Jinli asked Shangguan Ying to specially obtain.
Each bomb is less than a quarter the size of a normal hand grenade, but more powerful, and can be detonated remotely.
Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi each carried a bag. Ning Jinli had already placed her bag of bombs in various corners of the main hall, and now it was Xiao Qidi's turn.
"What...what is this?" the king of the desolate kingdom couldn't help but ask.
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