Chapter 199: “Dragon Slayer”

The five princes were both surprised and unsurprised by their fallen brother’s fate.

After all, the eldest prince’s death had already served as a clear warning. If any of them hesitated now, they would likely be the next ones to be hacked to death by the imperial guards.

The old emperor, still kneeling on the ground in a servile manner, lifted his gaze and said, “Hero Jiang, just pick one. Whoever you want dead, just say the word.”

Jiang Wanzhou remained expressionless and replied, “Since they’re all willing, why not let them die together?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the five princes below the execution platform froze.

“Run!”

“Scatter!”

One of them shouted, and the next moment, all five bolted in different directions!

For once, they displayed true sibling unity—by fleeing together.

Their perfect coordination was no accident; it stemmed from their deep understanding of their father.

As long as the old emperor himself could live, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice any of his sons.

The imperial family was the cruelest of all.

“You unfilial brats!”

“All forces, hear my command! Pursue the five fleeing princes! Kill them on sight! Bring me their heads!”

Just as the princes had expected, the old emperor didn’t hesitate for even a moment before issuing the order to hunt them down.

Sacrificing pawns to protect the king—this was simply how he ruled.

“Better that I betray the world than let the world betray me.”

The execution platform offered a clear view of the chaos below. In the sea of fleeing citizens, the five princes could be seen darting through the crowd.

But they weren’t unprepared—numerous deathsworn warriors sprang out, each fighting to buy time for their escape.

As a result, despite their overwhelming numbers, the imperial guards and Great Wu’s city garrison found themselves temporarily unable to capture them.

“Hero Jiang, just give it a little time. These brats won’t make it out of the city.”

“I reckon in less than half an hour, they’ll either be dragged back in chains or have their heads delivered.”

It was clear that the old emperor desperately wanted to survive.

Even though he knew Jiang Wanzhou was unlikely to spare him, he still clung to hope, trying every possible way to buy time.

Jiang Wanzhou said calmly, “I’ll give you only one incense stick’s time… No, half an incense stick.”

“If even one of them is missing, I’ll make my move.”

“Bring an incense stick!”

The old emperor’s heart tightened, and he immediately barked at the guards below, “Didn’t you hear Hero Jiang? Move!”

“All forces, hear me! Seal the capital! At all costs, capture or kill the five princes!”

“Understood!” A deafening chorus of voices echoed through the city.

Most of the guards who had surrounded the execution ground rushed off to join the manhunt. Those who remained were mostly a few elite guards and eunuchs.

Soon, a half-burned red incense stick was placed on the execution platform.

As its wisps of smoke curled into the air, the old emperor silently prayed that it would burn slower.

Jiang Wanzhou glanced at him and said, “You, who rule Great Wu’s vast lands—yet in the end, not a single one of your sons is willing to die for you.”

“Don’t you think that’s pitiful?”

Hearing this, the old emperor’s expression froze for a moment. Then, he chuckled and said,

“The imperial family is the coldest of all. If they won’t die for me, then I won’t hesitate to order their deaths either.”

“To firmly hold the throne, ruthlessness must come first.”

Jiang Wanzhou scoffed. “With someone like you sitting on Great Wu’s throne, no wonder this empire is drowning in corruption.”

“You’re absolutely right, Hero Jiang!”

“How about you spare me, and we—”

Shing!

A flash of cold steel!

A crimson arc of blood sprayed into the air!

A severed head, its lips still curved in an eerie smirk, rolled onto the execution platform.

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Wanzhou launched himself off the platform, his movement as light as a feather. He disappeared into the crowd in an instant!

“Y-Your Majesty~~~!”

“Catch the murderer~~~!”

The chief eunuch’s shrill cry stretched through the air, thick with horror.

“Don’t stop! What happened next?!”

“Did Hero Jiang escape?!”

Seeing the news teller gulping down water from his flask, the eager crowd below grew restless and urged him on.

The news teller exhaled deeply, wiped his mouth, and said,

“My friends! I don’t know what happened after that either!”

“In my line of work, running fast is what keeps us alive!”

“Didn’t you hear me say the old emperor ordered the city to be sealed?”

“I barely made it out before the gates closed! If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be hearing this story today!”

“But rest assured, the last thing I heard before I left was that Hero Jiang hadn’t been caught!”

At this, the crowd let out a collective sigh of astonishment.

Storming the palace with a blade, seizing the emperor in fury, parading him through the streets… and in the end, beheading the ‘dragon’ himself— even in fiction, no news teller would dare write such a tale!

Why not?

Because if someone reported them, it would be an execution-worthy crime!

“Heaven has opened its eyes! Hero Jiang has avenged his great hatred—may he escape safely!”

“What about those five princes? Did they survive? If they’re all dead, who will rule Great Wu?”

“Well, it sure won’t be you… but Great Wu is definitely in for some chaos.”

“Maybe a little chaos isn’t a bad thing… I’ve heard for years how miserable life is under their rule. A change in leadership might not be better, but at least it won’t be worse.”

Such earth-shattering news had the townspeople—used to gossiping about trivial matters—buzzing with excitement.

But the news teller was in a hurry. After finishing his tale, he quickly bid farewell and hurried off to spread the news elsewhere.

“Master Gu, would you say the old emperor of Great Wu finally got his retribution?” asked Butcher Liu, exhaling a puff of smoke from his pipe.

Gu Ning’an nodded. “You could say that.”

“I’d say it’s definitely retribution! After all the wickedness he committed, it’s all coming back to him now.” Butcher Liu blew out another thick cloud of smoke.

He instinctively reached out to wave it away, fearing it might drift into Gu Ning’an’s face—only to freeze in surprise.

Before the smoke could get within three inches of Gu Ning’an, it scattered on its own, drifting off in another direction.

A true immortal indeed…

Butcher Liu put away his pipe. “Sir, would you like to come with me to chat with the old folks? I reckon this story will keep them talking for months!”

Gu Ning’an stood up, picked up his small stool, and smiled. “You go ahead. I’ll be heading home.”

“Alright then, take care, Sir. If anything like this happens again, I’ll be sure to call you!”

Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Much appreciated, Butcher Liu.”

“Come on, no need for that—it’s nothing!”

As Butcher Liu strode off toward the elderly gossip circle, Gu Ning’an turned in the opposite direction.

While walking home, he lightly pinched his fingers together, making a subtle calculation.

Seeing that Jiang Wanzhou was no longer in danger, he chose not to interfere.