The old man was breathing rapidly, and Yun Zhe watched with amusement as the old man struggled with his inner conflict.
“No… Stone, no, I am still the head of the Pas family. I will not agree to our family siding with the Lunlang family. You say you see the trend, you see the future, but have you forgotten? Have you forgotten the kindness of the Donic family in rebuilding our family? You still have fiefdoms and an army to accept gifts from the Lunlang family. Isn’t that all thanks to the Donic family?! Without them, we wouldn’t have the life we have now, and how could you have even caught the Lunlang family’s eye?” The old man gripped a long spear and pounded the ground with the shaft.
“Enough! Father, this is the last time I’ll call you father. Do you want to live like this forever, forever as a second-rate servant, forever so, so lowly?” Stone shook his head. “Enough, Father, this kind of life is enough. Our Paz family has never been second-rate servants. You’ve told me about the glory of our ancestors since I was a child. Have you forgotten the glory of our ancestors?”
"Child, that is a road to death filled with thorns and blood..." The old man's voice was already tinged with sobs.
"It is also the path of glory!" Stone gripped his longsword and raised it high. "For a new journey!"
"For the new journey!" the soldiers shouted in unison, their voices resounding with power.
The negotiations have broken down, Yun Zhe thought, gripping the crossbow bolt tightly.
The girl behind her suddenly drew her bow, aiming at the soldiers inside the other doorway, but at least ten archers on the other side were also aiming at her. The doorway was dark, the crowd dense; aiming wasn't really necessary. A few volleys would likely solve the problem.
Everyone raised their longswords, ready to make a final stand. Yun Zhe could clearly feel the determination of those around him to fight to the death, and the atmosphere instantly became tragic. Even the little girl gripped a short sword.
Yun Zhe roughly understood what had happened. It seemed that the son wanted to take advantage of the chaos to rise to power, while the father wanted to uphold loyalty and righteousness and hold fast to his post.
"The radicals and conservatives are interesting, but they don't seem to offer anything new."
Yun Zhe watched Stone raise his sword high. The sword would fall, signaling the attack, but Stone seemed hesitant. Perhaps it was familial love that made him hesitate. At this distance, Yun Zhe could almost sense his thoughts…
Wait a minute, Yun Zhe stared at Stone. Wasn't this distance a bit too close?
Even if he was wearing armor, Yun Zhe felt that at this distance, one arrow would be enough to kill him.
But should I fire this arrow? Yun Zhe looked at the four crossbow bolts he had left and pondered.
Even if the two sides are on the verge of war, they are still family. Even if Stone's side wins in the end, it will still be considered an internal conflict. If I shoot Stone, wouldn't that be considered interfering in another country's internal affairs? I have a feeling that I won't end up with a good outcome.
But if the sword falls, I probably won't be able to escape easily.
Why don't I just shoot this old man to death with my crossbow? Consider it my pledge of allegiance. I have a feeling Stone would appreciate my pragmatic approach, especially since he's such an ambitious monarch. He probably won't kill me.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. "You can go now. There's nothing for you to do here... I'll plead with my brother... to let you go, to spare your life..." Wood's voice came through, trembling with fear.
Yun Zhe raised his eyebrows. He disliked this oppressive feeling and disliked having his thoughts interrupted. However, at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to be angry at the chubby boy on horseback. He was about to die, yet he was still concerned about the life or death of others, especially a stranger who had ruined his plans tonight.
Yun Zhe made up his mind. He leaned closer to Wood and whispered, "Does our agreement still stand?"
Wood was taken aback. What kind of situation was this? Couldn't she see the situation clearly? Was she still hoping to save his life? But a dying man's words are often kind, so he subconsciously hummed in agreement, "Fine." He thought to himself, "Anyway, you're going to die anyway. We're all dead, what's the point of this cheap promise?"
Yun Zhe smiled, glanced at the chubby boy, and his eyes seemed to say, "Just you wait and see."
He raised his hand and shot an arrow, which struck Stone in the heart.
The sudden change caught everyone off guard. It wasn't until Stone slowly collapsed that the two knights beside him hurriedly dismounted and tried to help him up.
Wood saw Yun Zhe's actions, because Yun Zhe did not lower the crossbow in his hand.
"A son of a wealthy family will not sit under a dangerous roof." Don't people who want to conquer the world know this principle?
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