kingnovel Chapter 1290 This is the true restoration of the kingdom
Chapter 1290 This is the true restoration of the kingdom
After Xiao Ce said this, this tactic proved effective time and again.
As expected, Wang Laoshuan and the others dared not refuse.
Xiao Ce didn't waste any more words and waved his hand, "That's enough, I'm leaving!"
He said no more, turned around and led Yin Pan'er and Little Mudfish out of the low, dark shack.
Outside, the ghost town walkway remains noisy, chaotic, yet full of life.
Sunlight struggled to penetrate the gaps high above, casting down a few weak beams of light.
Mr. and Mrs. Wang, with their two children, knelt at the door, their eyes filled with tears, watching the three figures merge into the flow of people on the plank road and disappear into the boundary between darkness and light. In their hands, they looked at the bag of dragon coins, as well as the dragon notes that Yin Pan'er had secretly added later. Those dragon notes were sold in limited quantities.
With this money, their family has absolutely defied the odds and changed their fate...
For them, their son's fate had been completely altered, like a fledgling bird leaving the nest and flying into a vast and unknown sky... Of course, what shocked them even more was that Xiao Shen, such a high and mighty person, was actually so approachable...
They left, and the little mudskipper was quite cheerful at first.
However, they kept looking back as they walked...
The little loach didn't turn its head at first, but as it walked, it kept looking back...
He carried a small cloth bag containing only a few old clothes and some dry food his mother had given him. He walked briskly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future, yet he would occasionally turn back to look in the direction of home, his tender face filled with reluctance.
Xiao Ce stopped in his tracks, and the little mudskipper curiously stepped forward.
The voice was gentle: "Little mudfish, you know this place best, show us around."
The little mudfish immediately straightened its back and nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Master Xiao, I know all the little tricks!"
Yin Pan'er chuckled softly, taking Xiao Ce's arm and whispering, "This kid changes quite quickly... I thought he'd be stuck in that sad mood for a while..."
Xiao Ce followed the little mudskipper. He had indeed seen this place before, and everything was exactly the same as before...
With fewer cults around, everything seems much more orderly...
While they were strolling around, at this time in the stronghold of the Zionist Church.
Scar Wolf has returned, but he didn't mention what happened before.
He followed the path Xiao Ce had laid out for him, just as he had done before...
Now, he is also reflecting deeply on the past...
Just then, Wang Shui rushed in.
Seeing Wang Shui's anxious expression, Scarface asked, "Wang Shui, what's wrong? What happened?"
Wang Shui looked around, then said to Scarface, "Brother, it seems someone who looks like Xiao Shen has arrived... Although I'm not entirely sure about Xiao Shen, I'm certain the woman beside him is his wife..."
Upon hearing Wang Shui's words, Scarface immediately sprang to his feet...
"Sure?"
Wang Shui nodded, then said to Scarface, "Brother...should I send someone to arrest him?"
Scarface waved his hand and said to Wang Shui, "No need, Wang Shui...aren't you curious about how I knew that fake person was fake before?"
Wang Shui shook his head after hearing Scar Wolf's words.
“Because they were the ones who told us…” Scarface said calmly.
After listening, Wang Shui looked surprised and said, "What? They told us? Aren't we against them? How come they support us now?"
Scarface hadn't had a chance to tell Wang Shui before, so he did now.
After hearing this, Wang Shui looked at Scarface with disbelief...
"Brother, so you mean...we were wrong?"
Seeing Wang Shui's expression, Scarface quickly said, "It's hard to explain in a few words... However, they are not our enemies..."
Then, Scarface said to Wang Shui, "Take me there..."
After hearing Scarface's words, Wang Shui froze on the spot: "Go... to catch him?"
After hearing Wang Shui's words, Scar Wolf shook his head: "Of course not... it's just that since they've come here, we should also entertain them."
Upon hearing Scarface's words, Wang Shui quickly replied, "Yes, sir..."
Seeing Wang Shui's expression, Scarface seemed to have misunderstood and added, "It's just the literal meaning of 'entertainment'..."
After hearing Scarface's words, Wang Shui nodded awkwardly.
Scarface then hurriedly led Wang Shui out...
Meanwhile, on Xiao Ce's side, the hustle and bustle of the plank road flowed in his ears, mixed with the shouts of vendors, the clanging of metal, and the dull echo of the underground river in the distance.
The little mudskipper led the way, its slender figure nimbly weaving through the crowd. Occasionally, it would turn back, its eyes filled with longing for the future and a complex look back at the muddy land behind it.
Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er walked side by side, seemingly strolling leisurely, but in reality, their eyes were sharp as they scanned the subtle changes in their surroundings and the people around them.
Yin Pan'er was speaking softly to Xiao Ce, but out of the corner of her eye, she keenly caught the unusual commotion in the crowd ahead.
She gently squeezed Xiao Ce's arm.
Xiao Ce stopped without making a sound, his deep gaze passing over the throng of people and landing on two figures who were struggling to push through the crowd and walking quickly toward them.
The leader was a burly man, and the distinctive, ferocious scar on his face was still conspicuous in the dim light; it was Scar Wolf.
Closely following behind him was Wang Shui, whose expression was tense and whose eyes held a mixture of awe and confusion.
Both men were dressed in the coarse cloth clothes of ordinary residents of the Dragon City, which allowed them to keep a low profile, but their imposing aura of long-standing power and their current urgency still made them seem somewhat out of place in the crowd.
The little mudskipper saw it too, and instinctively tensed up, retreating quickly to Xiao Ce's side like a frightened little animal, its little hands nervously clenching the hem of his clothes.
Scarface, the boss!
This ruthless leader, who once held the power of life and death at the bottom of Dragon City, left a deep psychological scar on Little Mudfish.
Before they could react.
Scar Wolf and Wang Shui quickly squeezed to the front.
Scarface stopped abruptly three steps away from Xiao Ce. Without hesitation, he clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to Xiao Ce, the movement so forceful that it almost bent his entire upper body down. Seeing this, Wang Shui behind him hurriedly followed suit, bowing extremely low.
"Your Majesty!"
Scar Wolf's voice was low, carrying an unprecedented respect and a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, completely different from his past fanatical roars or cold, commanding tone: "This humble subject... Scar Wolf, pays his respects to Your Highness! I was unaware of Your Highness's presence and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"
Although Wang Shui didn't know what was going on, he was a smart man.
After hearing a few words from Scarface, he understood...
He followed behind Scarface, bowing as he went...
"Greetings, Your Highness! Greetings, Your Highness the Princess!"
Although their movements and voices were low, they did not attract much attention in the noisy environment. They only drew a few curious glances from nearby stall owners before they went back to their work.
After all, in the Dragon Guardian Ghost City, all sorts of strange people and events, as well as private transactions, are commonplace.
Xiao Ce remained calm, his gaze lingering for a moment on Scarface's deeply hunched back and lowered head, then glancing at the tense Wang Shui before speaking indifferently: "Stand up and speak. There are too many people around here, so there's no need for formalities."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Scarface straightened up, the scar on his face seemed to soften a bit, and his gaze toward Xiao Ce was incredibly complex, containing awe, gratitude, and a sense of relief that was almost liberating.
His gaze fell on Yin Pan'er again, and he bowed slightly once more: "Your Highness, Princess Consort."
Yin Pan'er nodded slightly, her demeanor dignified, her eyes holding a hint of scrutiny, but without any hostility.
Scarface then noticed the little mudskipper staring warily at Xiao Ce from the side!
Although he didn't recognize Little Mudskipper, he recognized the incredibly clever child who had struggled in the underworld of Ghost City from his attire. A knowing glint flashed in his eyes, and he said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, Your Highness, this place is too noisy and might disturb your ears. I have a relatively quiet place to stay in the city. I wonder... I wonder if Your Highness and Your Highness would do me the honor of staying there, and allow me... allow me to explain my intentions?"
His tone was cautious and pleading, his posture extremely humble, with not a trace of his former arrogance and ferocity.
Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er exchanged a glance, and Yin Pan'er nodded slightly.
Xiao Ce then said, "Lead the way."
"Yes! Your Highness, Your Highness, this way please!"
A flicker of excitement flashed in Scar Wolf's eyes. He immediately stepped aside to make way and glared fiercely at the few idlers who were trying to get closer to watch the commotion. The idlers were so frightened that they shrank back.
He personally led the way, while Wang Shui carefully followed at the back. The group soon left the noisy main path of the plank road and turned into a relatively quiet, narrow path leading to a higher rock face.
Little Mudskipper followed closely beside Xiao Ce, his little hands still clutching the hem of his clothes. But seeing how obedient Scarface was to Xiao Ce, most of his fear dissipated. He curiously looked around and at Scarface, who was leading the way.
Walking behind, Xiao Ce said to Yin Pan'er, "I thought you would object?"
After all, this time, neither of them brought any lifelike figures...
If this Scarred Wolf wanted to cause trouble, he'd be in a pretty difficult position...
Yin Pan'er smiled and said, "Your Highness, since you were able to capture him and then release him, I think you must have been absolutely certain of your abilities..."
"Moreover, everyone has focused on how brilliant your strategies are... but everyone has overlooked your martial prowess... isn't your martial prowess actually your greatest strength?"
Then Yin Pan'er said to Xiao Ce, "Also, Your Highness, I'm quite skilled... We're both armed... Even if they wanted to attack, it would be quite difficult for them to capture us..."
After reading Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce smiled and expressed his agreement...
After walking for a while, they arrived at Scarred Wolf's dwelling...
Scar Wolf's "dwelling" is located in a huge, semi-suspended cave, which is high up and offers a wide view, overlooking part of the walkway and platform below.
The cave was quite spacious, but the furnishings were unusually simple, consisting of only a few rough wooden chairs, a stone table, and a simple bed covered with animal hides.
Several weapons hung on the cave walls, and some miscellaneous items were piled up in the corner. The overall atmosphere was empty and cold, exuding a pragmatic vibe, which was in line with Scar Wolf's past identity.
It was completely different from what I had imagined...
Scarface personally brought over two of the best-preserved chairs, carefully wiped them with his sleeve, and respectfully invited Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er to sit down.
The little mudskipper cleverly stood behind Xiao Ce's chair.
Wang Shui then guarded the cave entrance.
After Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er sat down, Scarface did not sit down. Instead, he took two steps back and bowed deeply to Xiao Ce again. This time, his voice was no longer deliberately lowered, but carried a heavy and clear self-reflection:
"Your Highness! To see Your Highness's face again today, Scarface... is overwhelmed with emotion! There are so many things I need to say, and I must get them out!"
He raised his head, and beneath the hideous scar, his eyes held an unusual clarity and honesty, even tinged with pain.
"What the prince said that day was like a morning bell and evening drum, awakening this fool who had been blinded by hatred and delusion for many years!"
Scarface's voice was somewhat hoarse: "Your Highness said, 'Restore the kingdom? What kingdom are you restoring? Are you restoring that corrupt dynasty that treated us like dirt and its people like cattle? The Restoration Church is nothing but using the name of restoring the kingdom to commit acts of calamity against the country and its people! For their own selfish desires, they are dragging countless innocent people like Wang Laoshuan and Xiao Niqiu into the abyss, making them struggle to survive in the mud, or even turn them into cannon fodder! This... this is not restoring the kingdom, this is clearly committing atrocities!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving and the scar on his face twitching slightly, but it wasn't a violent outburst, but rather a result of his inner turmoil.
Yin Pan'er was quite surprised to hear Scarface's words...
After all, Scarface looks like a thug, not the kind of person who would speak in such a refined manner.
However, Scarface's words at this moment are all contradictory...
Xiao Ce then said to Yin Pan'er, "Aren't you surprised? He's not a boorish man; these people actually came from prestigious families..."
Yin Pan'er suddenly understood after hearing Xiao Ce say that.
Scarface, on the other hand, looked embarrassed...
"I am ashamed... Your Highness, you overthrew the old system and implemented new policies! You spoke of equality for all! Those four words carry immense weight! In truth, we, those former aristocratic families, were all stuck in our ways... We all knew that even without you, someone else would have emerged..."
"You abolished those cannibalistic social classes and gave everyone a world where they can live with dignity based on their abilities and efforts! Ordinary people can eat their fill and stay warm, children can go to school and learn to read, merchants can run their businesses with peace of mind, and soldiers can defend their country... This is true restoration! It is the restoration of a country where all people live in peace and happiness!"