Chapter 270 She is my wife, and I am the Duke!

Famine has been a problem that has plagued the Middle-Territory Continent since ancient times.

The poor were unable to get enough food, but the nobles' banquets were still luxurious, and the upper class's pursuit of gourmet food reached an almost fanatical level.

Quoting the famous saying of Epicurus from the "Hedonism School", the root of all good is the pleasure of eating. Cooking, famous chefs, banquets and other things are of great significance in the Midgard Continent, and the status of a food chef is no less than that of an alchemist.

On the wedding day, Silver Birch Manor.

In the evening, the afterglow shines on the lake where swans are patrolling and water lilies are swaying in the wind.

In the pavilion by the lake, Yeats looked through the wedding menu that Cran had gotten from somewhere. It listed: sage wine, grilled pike in white wine sauce, chicken in red wine sauce, wheat and milk porridge...

"It is said that Colin specially hired a famous chef from the Roland Kingdom to host the banquet."

Crane smoked his pipe, looking very interested in the wedding banquet. He said, "This famous chef is famous for the entertaining meals during the banquet. He once cooked a huge pie. Under the pie was a twelve-piece orchestra and a hundred live pigeons. When the pie was cut open, all the pigeons flew out."

Yeats complained: "It's like putting a whole circus in a pie."

Cran shrugged and said, "The current Emperor Frederick of the Empire has issued a ban on extravagance, but it has no effect. People still have to waste what they should waste... This is a world where the rich overeat and the poor starve to death."

Gluttony among the seven deadly sins refers to overeating in a narrow sense, but it actually has the extended meaning of extravagance and excessive pursuit of pleasure.

Yeats glanced at Cran and said, "You are a rich man too, so you shouldn't be so harsh."

"But it's commendable that I can realize this, don't you think?" Cran said with a smile.

Ye Zhi did not comment, looked at the sky, and got to the point:

"The Duchess of Suffolk will also attend Colin's wedding banquet. The interior of the manor is empty, which is a good opportunity to go deep into the tiger's den to collect evidence... When the sun sets, we will set off in stealth."

Cran nodded, holding his pipe, and stared at Yeats with some appreciation in his eyes:

"I was still hesitant. If I told you that I suspected that the Duchess was the Blood Spider Prince, would you think I was crazy? I didn't expect that you and I would have the same guess."

"Because Colin looked at the Duchess with a strange look that day. The two of them have a close personal relationship, and the Duchess can indirectly learn about the royal family through Colin. In addition, if the Duchess is the Blood Spider Prince, with her sixth ring level, it would be easy for her to conceal her soul realm..."

Yeats slowly explained his reasoning process and said that finding out the real Duke of Suffolk was the top priority.

Crane nodded repeatedly.

Although he always encounters powerful enemies when traveling with Yeats, such as the terrifying giant evil eye, Yeats's ability and courage are unquestionable, and he insists on justice. Cran values ​​this friend very much.

"According to you, His Majesty the King knew that the wedding banquet was prone to ambush, but he still took the risk, intending to use the Sword in the Stone to lure the Blood Spider King into the trap?" Clan asked.

Ye Zhi nodded and said, "Lord Blood Spider must have been prepared... It all depends on who will win the game between her and Your Majesty."

Kelan sighed and said, "There is no such thing as an ordinary Six Ring Master. His methods will not be easily known to outsiders. Let's just do what is within our capabilities."

Yeats agreed.

As the sun sets, the two set off.

The banquet is in full swing at the South Bank Castle.

The U-shaped angular dining table was covered with white linen, and the guests sat according to their rank. The main seat was placed on the raised platform in the center. Colin, wearing a red cloak and a silk robe, looked neither happy nor depressed, and calmly entertained the guests.

Next to each guest's table, there is a large round piece of bread. The bread serves as a plate for guests to eat their dishes. If they encounter delicious dishes with rich soup, they can eat them together with the "plate bread".

There are also "finger washing bowls" at the side of the table, filled with lemon, myrtle or nutmeg-flavored finger washing water, for guests to wipe their fingers.

Next to Colin stood a noble lady with a dignified appearance and a slightly old-fashioned temperament. She had a reserved and distant smile, was dressed luxuriously, and had an arrogant look in her eyes.

She is the biological mother of the Duke of Cornwall and Colin's new wife.

The two of them standing together looked like strangers.

But this marriage was arranged by King Lionheart, so no one would seek trouble for themselves, and everyone praised the bride and groom for being a perfect match.

Hundreds of servants dressed in family colors shuttled around in this grand wedding banquet. Elaborately decorated cakes, fish wrapped in puff pastry, roasted suckling pig with apples embedded in its mouth... one delicious dish after another was served at the wedding banquet, and the orchestra played melodious wedding music.

Colin watched this lively scene coldly, as if he was an outsider at his own wedding. His soul and body were split into two. There was still a smile on his face, but his heart was numb. He just wanted to end this farce as soon as possible.

At this time, a figure came in late. Mrs. Lee Matilda was wearing a fiery red dress, her black hair hung down on her white jade-like neck, her gem-like green eyes were gleaming, she never put on makeup, but her skin was so white that all the female guests felt ashamed.

Mrs. Lee Matilda apologized softly to the host, then sat down at her seat without even looking at Colin.

However, Colin felt that this black and white wedding banquet suddenly became colorful. Only her dress was red, like a flowing flame, which accelerated the blood in his veins and made the memories in his mind become vivid.

Colin was born in a humble family and suffered humiliation in his childhood. He once competed with hounds for food. Although he was strong, he was sensitive and had low self-esteem. After lighting up the Ring of Life, he devoted himself to cultivation. He was unexpectedly spotted by the Lionheart King, who accompanied him in battle. From then on, his strength improved by leaps and bounds, and he became the top six-ring master on the continent.

Colin is an extremely pure knight. There is no room for love except the sword in his life. He is like a piece of cold and hard iron, until he meets Lady Lee Matilda.

This woman, whose fingers were painted with bright red balsam juice, was like a raging fire when she was passionate, and like a distant cloud when she was distant. She was high above, bossy, and gave orders to the knights, but she made Colin crazy about her.

Sometimes, Colin would think that what he fell in love with was not the Duchess, but an imaginary phantom - he projected the good qualities of this phantom onto Matilda, so when he was courting her, he was actually loving himself who longed to be loved.

Now, Colin was about to marry a strange woman. He would not disobey the Lionheart's order, because without the Lionheart there would be no current royal knights, but he had a faint hope in his heart, hoping to see even a trace of hesitation in the Duchess's eyes.

But no, the Duchess chatted and laughed with the guests at the head of the table, and didn't even glance at anyone the whole time. This made Colin anxious and even developed a trace of hatred for Matilda. He didn't understand why it was obviously his wedding and the happiness was still hers, but she left all the pain to himself.

Colin's heart became as hard as iron again. He kept a stern face and didn't even look at her.

All these changes in micro-expressions were reflected in the wise blue eyes of Richard the Lionheart.

Colin is Richard's friend, knight, confidant, and even his adopted son.

Richard understood how remarkable it was for Colin to grow from a street kid to a six-ring master, but he also knew that no matter how high the status and glory, it could not erase the inferiority and loneliness left over from childhood.

Therefore, Richard would not blame Colin, his real rival, for having arrived at the banquet.

Life is cruel. Female spiders will devour male spiders. But now, a bright red blood spider has woven a gentle big web, and Colin is the prey on the web.

Lions fight throughout their lives. Even when they are old, they will not avoid a fight when facing a young and strong foreign male lion.

The old king narrowed his eyes and glanced at Lady Lee Matilda. Slowly, the king stood up. Everyone's eyes were focused on Richard. He raised his glass and said slowly: "Today is Colin's wedding day. I am very happy to see my most loyal, bravest, and most trusted knight complete the transition of his life stage..."

The Lionheart stared at Colin, his eyes moved slightly, his face showed sincere tenderness, and he smiled:

"Colin, when life shows its cruel side to you, it is not far from showing you a smile—"

Colin stood there in a daze. He had a vague feeling that His Majesty had noticed something. He felt a little ashamed and opened his mouth.

However, the Lionheart raised his glass and said loudly:

"Come, let us drink good wine together, toast to the god of wine, and to youth!"

Everyone raised their glasses and chanted in unison: "Cheers to the God of Wine, Cheers to youth!"

Colin had lost count of how many glasses of wine he had drunk.

This wine is called Dragon Blood Wine, a royal treasure. It is not made from real dragon blood, but from the bright red sap of the dragon blood tree. It is scalding hot and has a strong alcohol content. It is said that even dragons will get drunk after drinking it.

Colin was a little reserved at first, but he drank freely later. When he came to Mrs. Lee Matilda, she frowned slightly and said softly, "Today is your wedding day...Drink less, okay?"

Colin could only smile bitterly.

If only feelings could be as pure as a sword.

He couldn't tell the difference between falsehood and sincerity in people's hearts, and his Dawn Swordsmanship, which was the best in the continent, was the only thing Colin was proud of.

"you……"

Ke Lin was already drunk, his face flushed, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Are you related to the vampires?"

Colin is not stupid. Ye Zhi and others guessed that the true identity of the Blood Spider King was Matilda. How could a dignified Six-Ring Master not guess it?

He just didn't want to admit the truth. After all, lies don't hurt people, but the truth is the sharpest knife.

"You are drunk, let your wife help you back..." Mrs. Lee Matilda sighed softly, "Also, we have stopped here, we can't go back to the way we were before."

Until he saw solid evidence in front of him, or heard her admit it herself, Colin was unwilling to believe that he had aided and abetted the evil for so long... But fortunately, he was drunk, and it was reasonable for him to make wrong judgments after drinking.

Colin walked away with a staggering step. He was still thinking about King Richard who was also drunk. The old king was lying on the main table, his temples were pale, his eyes were red and swollen, and he looked exhausted.

He had an exquisite scabbard on his waist, and the hilt of the Sword in the Stone was glowing beautifully.

Once upon a time, Lorraine pulled out the Sword in the Stone from the King's Stone, formed the Knights of the Round Table, and established a magnificent empire spanning the continent. Later, the Sword in the Stone was shattered in a duel. This broken sword still remains the symbol of successive Golden Lion Kings.

Among the three greatest treasures of the Golden Lion, the Great Seal, the Black Prince's Ruby and the Sword in the Stone, the Sword in the Stone ranks first. There are even rumors that the Sword in the Stone is the key to open the fairyland [Avalon]!

Please...collect 6...9...books...!

Mrs. Lee Matilda stared silently.

She is waiting.

Waiting for the crowd to exclaim.

Just as she expected.

Not long after, the air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur and the crowd fell into panic!

"Oh no, there's a fire!"

"Ahem, what's going on? This fire can't be put out at all!"

"Oh my God, this is the alchemical creation 'Sulfur Fire'!"

Genesis 19 records, "He destroyed those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and everything that grew on the land." "There went up smoke from the land, like the smoke of a furnace." This is a description of alchemical creation, sulfur fire!

This kind of flame can ignore armor and barriers and directly burn human flesh. Once it touches the sulfur fire, it will eventually turn into a handful of charcoal! Even a five-ring hero will change color when talking about sulfur fire, not to mention that most of the people present are low-ring heroes and mortal servants! For a moment, the banquet fell into extreme chaos. The guests who were touched by the sulfur fire were instantly burned into skeletons, and wailing and screaming continued!

The raging sea of ​​fire surrounded the hall. Li Matilda walked slowly towards the drunk Lionheart. Seeing this, Colin clenched his fists and said hoarsely, "It's you..."

"What?" Matilda stopped and looked at Colin with a smile.

"You are Lord Blood Spider."

Matilda shook her head: "I'm not."

"You still want to lie to me now?" Colin pressed his hand on the hilt of the sword, his eyes filled with pain. "You've deceived me for so long!"

Matilda tilted her head slightly: "Maybe... I'm just a vampire pretending to be Li Matilda?"

Colin was stunned, and his hand on the hilt of the sword kept shaking.

However, at this moment.

A sharp sword flashed across, Matilda dodged quickly, and the sword light cut a marble column in the hall in half, with a loud bang, and the huge rock collapsed and raised dust! The Lionheart King held a bright and shining fine steel sword in his hand, and his drunken look was gone. He stared at the woman with black hair and red skirt, and said in a deep voice: "I am still alive, and I will never allow you to be presumptuous here!"

The Duchess's aura was revealed, and the pressure from the Six Rings Master was like a gust of wind sweeping through the hall. The aura was gloomy, bloody, and vicious. The femme fatale raised her passionate eyes, and a sneer appeared at the corner of her lips: "Do you think I can't see that this is a trap?"

"But you still came." The Lionheart narrowed his eyes, "You must be ready to die!"

The Duchess laughed, looked at Colin, and asked, "Are you going to attack me?"

There were three six-ring masters present, and Colin's decision almost determined victory or defeat! The Lionheart King also looked at Colin. He didn't say anything, but just stared at him closely.

No one can help him make important decisions in life. The only person Colin can rely on is himself!

Colin gasped for breath and felt his stomach cramp. Unlike the king who was pretending to be drunk, he was really drunk. Colin could only smile bitterly at his own stupidity.

But he had to make a decision.

"Poor child." Mrs. Lee Matilda said sympathetically, "Perhaps you can do nothing but stand there and wait for the battle to end."

"Colin!" roared the Lionheart. "Know who you are!"

Ke Lin was stunned, recognize myself? At this time.

Two figures rushed over from the edge of the sea of ​​fire.

King Lionheart and Lord Blood Spider both looked at the newcomer. The man was wearing a white robe and had an outstanding appearance. He was accompanied by a bearded man who was carrying a sack and was panting.

Yeats Browndi! Yeats glanced at the stalemate and thought that he had come at the right time. He cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, the real Duke of Suffolk has been found!"

He winked at Crane, who understood and dropped the sack on the ground.

The person in the sack was still struggling. When Clan opened the sack, an ugly, bruised face appeared in front of everyone.

Colin's eyes widened. He was surprised to find that he was quite familiar with this man! He was actually the gatekeeper of the Duke of Suffolk's house, the ugly cripple! But what did Yeats mean by "the real Duke of Suffolk"? Colin was puzzled. The Lionheart King showed approval, and the Blood Spider Lord raised his eyebrows slightly.

The gatekeeper, with a bald head and yellow teeth, banged his head on the ground and cried bitterly:

"Mercy, Your Majesty, mercy!"

The battle was at a stalemate for a while. The Lionheart King glanced at the Blood Spider Lord warily, but saw that she actually looked very interested, so he said in a deep voice:

"Ye Zhi, what on earth is going on!"

"Your Majesty, scarlet fever can consume the leprosy strain, but it cannot cure disability."

Ye Zhi glanced at the gatekeeper who was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, and said, "This man is afraid of death and was promised by the blood clan to cure leprosy. After becoming a blood clan member, his leprosy was indeed cured, and he swore allegiance to Lord Blood Spider from then on."

"Your Majesty, you said before that the real Duke of Suffolk has been practicing Furnace Fighting Qi since he was young, and Furnace Fighting Qi can only be mastered by those with physical disabilities. This man not only possesses Furnace Fighting Qi, but also disguises himself as a gatekeeper. Baron Cran and I just sneaked into the manor. Thanks to Baron Cran's meticulousness, we successfully discovered a secret room underground."

"There are a large number of torture instruments hidden in the secret room, and even intact human skin and skeletons, which exactly match the information of the missing victims that I ordered people to collect."

"While Baron Cran and I were collecting evidence, this man showed up and tried to plot against us." Ye Zhi glanced at the gatekeeper and snorted, "But I am the champion of the martial arts tournament chosen by His Majesty. Even if this man has the furnace fighting spirit and is a five-ring warrior, how can he be my opponent!"

Clan wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, recalling the scene in the battle just now, when Ye Zhi held the Shield of Medusa in one hand and the Flute of Pan in the other - the equipment was overwhelming, and the Five-Rings Hero had no choice but to accept it!

There was a gleam of light in the eyes of the Lionheart King, and he nodded repeatedly.

He thought Yeats could complete the task, but he never thought that the task would be completed so brilliantly!

However, underneath the mask of the Duke of Suffolk, there turned out to be this inconspicuous gatekeeper... Even the Lionheart felt a little surprised.

The king shouted, "Tell me again, who are you?"

The gatekeeper wept bitterly, knelt on the ground, pointed at Lady Lee Matilda and said, "She is my lady! I am the Duke, I am Suffolk!"

Ye Zhi: “…”

Why does this word sound so familiar? (End of this chapter)