"No right to interfere? Humph!"
The city lord of Jinling City spoke with a livid face, enunciating each word clearly.
"Just because I have no right to interfere doesn't mean you can line your own pockets at will?"
"You...you...you're spouting nonsense! What do you mean by 'lining one's own pockets'? If you don't explain yourself clearly, I'll sue you for defamation."
"What have you been doing since the death of the previous Guardian, Tal, last July? Don't you know yourself?"
"What I did is none of your business!"
"None of my business? You, Hongyu, as an elder in charge of law enforcement, knowingly broke the law, and that's none of my business either?"
"Since Tal's death, you have become increasingly insatiable and unscrupulous. Last August, under the pretext of strengthening the defenses of Qiongfeng Pass, you requisitioned 2 Dark Gold-grade Energy Crystals, 1000 Gold-grade Energy Crystals, 2000 Silver-grade Energy Crystals, and 3000 Bronze-grade Energy Crystals. Is this true?"
"So what if we have them? As one of the three elders of the council, it is my duty to increase border defenses!"
The city lord of Jinling ignored Hongyu's attempts to argue and continued.
"Last November, you again used the pretext of strengthening the defenses of the Northern Xiong Fortress to requisition 3 Dark Gold-grade energy crystals and 2,000 Gold-grade energy crystals. Is this true?"
"In March of this year, you again used the excuse of expanding the Dreadnought Fortress to mobilize all the remaining 23 Dark Gold-grade Energy Crystals."
"In May of this year, you continued to use the pretext of expanding the Zhenyuan Legion's military equipment to requisition all the remaining gold and silver grade energy crystals."
"In just one year, you have squandered all of Jinling City's energy crystal reserves, leaving Qiongfeng Pass in a precarious state. Jinling City can't even produce a single energy crystal. And you still dare to say that this has nothing to do with you?"
Hongyu's face turned from green to white, and then from white to red.
"I...I...I had foresight and expanded the military equipment of the four legions in advance. Isn't this perfect opportunity to put it to use now?"
"I'll fucking kill you!"
The city lord of Jinling was so angry that he trembled all over and couldn't help but swear.
"I have never seen such a shameless person as you!"
"Where is your expanded military? Which section of the city wall at Qiongfeng Pass has ever seen your expanded military? Which soldier at Qiongfeng Pass has ever seen even half a grain of your energy crystal?"
"Let alone military equipment, the commander of the Qiongfeng Pass complained to me that he had not received any supplies from Jinling City for two months! When I wrote to the other three commanders and asked them to mobilize the expanded military equipment to reinforce Qiongfeng Pass, I learned that the other three legions had not received any supplies for a whole year."
The city lord of Jinling pointed at Hongyu, his voice trembling with cold.
Throughout the entire cathedral, all the guards stared at Hongyu in shock upon hearing the city lord's words.
Jiang Hao cursed inwardly!
Compared to this man, the corrupt officials featured in the news are nothing but dwarfs.
"You, you, you..."
Hongyu's face turned from red to black, and he stammered for a long time without being able to say anything. In the end, he could only glare resentfully at the commander of his personal guards, who was standing to the side in golden armor.
That sounded like an accusation, implying that you were the one who snitched?
The commander of the personal guards shook his head slightly, looking completely innocent.
Just as Hongyu was about to question him, the city lord of Jinling City continued.
"Speechless?"
"When Jinling City was first built, the 150,000 gold coins that were promised to Sirio were delayed in being given to him. I suppose that was also your doing?"
"Hmph, he's just a peasant who only knows how to build houses. Giving him gold coins is like feeding a dog."
The city lord of Jinling City was so angry that he laughed instead.
"What a fine example of feeding it to the dogs."
Do you know why the skeleton army outside the Qiongfeng Pass came?
"Why?"
"Sirio did not receive the gold coins he was entitled to, and watched as countless artisans were torn apart and their families were destroyed. In his resentment, he sacrificed his soul to Duke Gard, which is how Duke Gard's soul was awakened!"
"What? Duke...Gard? Could it be Gadmir, the commander of the Skeleton Army?"
"Hmph! At least you have some brains! Who else could it be but him? The Skeleton Legion swept through the entire northern ice plains this time, and its advance is aimed directly at Qiongfeng Pass. The root culprit behind this is none other than Your Excellency!"
Upon hearing this, all the guards in the cathedral turned their bloodshot eyes to look at Hongyu. Even the old man who had been silent all along couldn't help but sigh when he saw Hongyu.
Is the reason why Qiongfeng Pass was able to hold out against the entire skeleton army of the northern ice plains for three days, and is it still holding out now, because of the city bricks of Qiongfeng Pass?
It was the corpses of the Jinling City guards! They were a Great Wall of flesh and blood, built by the fearless soldiers of Jinling City, each sacrificing their lives. Now, which of the guards still alive in Jinling City didn't have brothers who died there?
"Nonsense! I simply didn't pay that lackey Sirio his wages. What does the appearance of the skeleton army have to do with me?"
Hongyu was furious and pointed at the group of law enforcement officers inside the cathedral.
"Don't listen to this traitor's nonsense. He's clearly desperate, which is why he's trying to smear me."
"Quickly capture him! Today, I will kill this scoundrel for the sake of all the soldiers in the city."
He seemed to have forgotten that he had not just given a strong rebuttal to the city lord's accusations.
Seeing the motionless law enforcement team, Hongyu drew his ancient longsword from his waist with a whoosh.
"In the name of Prince He, I order you to capture this traitor."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the law enforcement officers finally moved, pointing their broadswords back at the City Lord of Jinling. Several of the City Lord's personal guards immediately stepped forward, confronting the law enforcement officers.
"Enforcement team, listen to my command! Any enforcement officer who refuses to obey will be executed without mercy! Any bodyguard who interferes with law enforcement will be executed without mercy!"
"You dare..."
The city lord of Jinling had barely finished speaking when several members of the enforcement team thrust out their broadswords and spears. The eight guards were already exhausted, barely able to even draw their swords in a standoff; how could they possibly withstand an elite enforcement team twice their size?
In a matter of moments, eight guards were struck in various ways: some had knives in the chest, some had spears piercing their necks, and some had been slashed twice on the head. Blood gushed out, and the guards fell to the ground one after another. Blood flowed on the ground, soaking the soles of the Jinling City Lord's shoes.
The enforcement team members who had made the move were surprised by how easily these guards had been defeated. Doubts arose in their minds, and they exchanged glances, even temporarily forgetting their orders to capture the city lord of Jinling.
Seeing his personal guards, who had just been fighting alongside him, fall to the ground in the blink of an eye, Jiang Hao felt as if a heavy stone had been pressed against his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"Report! Urgent report from the special envoy at Qiongfeng Pass!"
A loud shout rang out outside the cathedral, followed by the clatter of horses' hooves. The hoofbeats grew louder and louder, like war drums striking the heart. At the same time, everyone inside the cathedral heard the man's shout clearly.
"Report! Urgent report from the special envoy at Qiongfeng Pass: the foreground pass of Qiongfeng Pass has fallen. We request immediate reinforcements from Jinling City!"
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