I've always been curious about those born into noble families or those who grew up and made themselves rulers.
Why are they always so arrogant and conceited?
As if all humans besides themselves are mere livestock. Sheep that can only bleat. Cows that can only moo. And they consider themselves lions among them.
"Who are you? How dare you speak like that in front of me."
He put on an annoyed face while pointing at me with his index finger. Look how arrogant he is.
"Who are you? How dare you speak like that in front of me."
I repeated his words to me while pointing back at him with my index finger. He immediately stood up from his throne with raised eyebrows twitching in offense.
"Do you realize who you're talking to, you madman?"
His guards in black cloaks prepared to draw their swords while the soldiers guarding around the king's hall began to lower their spears to waist height. Their sharp points were aimed at me and the princess.
"Do you realize who you're talking to, you bumpkin king?"
The tense vein on his forehead twitched even more. He raised his hand and descended from his throne. He walked towards me.
He sneered in annoyance. His face began to redden like a bull. But not yet smoking.
"You.." He chuckled. Then he threw a punch at my face with all the strength he could muster.
Thud!
"Ah." The princess closed her eyes hearing the sound created by the punch just now.
"Hehe, how does it feel to be punched by a king, you madman? My cultivation has reached the early stage of Soul Transformation this year. In this kingdom, I am the strongest!"
"Oh, I see. Congratulations."
The king's face now twisted in surprise. He used a Qi explosion punch technique on my face but I didn't look hurt at all. Not even a bump or a scratch.
"You.. who are you really?" He began to step back with trembling hands.
His soldiers and two black-cloaked guards immediately surrounded me and the princess. One step around me, spears extended, pointing at me. Except for the two men in black cloaks whose heads were covered with cloth, the soldiers' faces looked anxious and a little scared in their slowly widening eyes.
"Did you defeat this maid's father with such strength? Ah, or perhaps your two guards beside you killed the maid's father? Because it feels like you're too weak to rule a kingdom."
The king gritted his jaw until a cracking sound came from inside his mouth. He raised his hand, ordering his soldiers not to do anything to me.
"Heh, you want to know?"
"No, but perhaps this child wants to." I glanced at the princess. The princess turned to me with a 'huh?' expression. She looked confused and at the same time tried to remain calm.
She then nodded, agreeing with me.
"Tell me how my father died."
The king grinned. He then laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Your father died miserably! He died by my own hands. That night, we dueled here, in this magnificent room. I killed him using a Qi explosion punch technique to his chest, causing his heart and lungs to explode out and decorate the walls.
"Heh, when he was dying he said to release his beloved daughter. But unfortunately, you were caught in the end, crane girl. With this, I have successfully taken full control of the kingdom of Jin, that weak man."
"My father was not weak! You lie! My father was a strong man who always practiced his sword techniques day and night! He couldn't possibly lose to a barbaric man like you!"
"But the truth is he lost! Little child!.. Perhaps he was a little stronger than me. His cultivation level was one step ahead of mine, but! He was very foolish. I easily poisoned him." The king smirked cunningly as he walked closer to the princess. He gripped her cheek hard. The princess tried to shake her head but couldn't. This made the king's smirk widen even more.
"Before I began the invasion, I sent a woman to disguise herself as a servant and pour tea for that foolish king. She is a reliable woman. Anyone would easily be seduced by her alluring voice and her eye-pleasing body.
"She had a poison that weakened one's Qi to the Soul Transformation level, like mine. That's when I launched the attack. He was already sitting helplessly on his throne, watching his soldiers die one by one at my hands. Your brother, seeing hundreds of my troops surrounding from outside the walls, immediately prostrated himself in surrender without even trying to fight or flee. And I easily killed that fool Huan Jin."
The princess tried to bite the king's finger, which dared to touch her thin pink lips. The king pulled his hand away and smirked widely.
"If I wanted to, I could kill him with poison. But I am still a king and a man. I prefer violent methods over feminine ones. And now, you, Shun Jin, from today onwards, are my concubine. I will make you my personal slave until I get bored of playing with you."
The king chuckled, imagining the things he would do to the princess. Meanwhile, the princess began to shed tears of despair.
"Being weak is truly unpleasant, isn't it?"
I think this is enough. I have found what I was looking for.
I untied the ropes binding my wrists tightly with one easy motion, no sharp tools needed.
The king walked backward, away from me. His personal black-robed guards and his soldiers became more vigilant. They pointed their spear tips at me. Almost touching my skin.
"Maid. Your name is Shun Jin, right?"
The princess named Shun Jin nodded. She was surprised I could break free from my shackles so easily.
"I will ask you one thing. Do you want to become strong to avenge your father's death with your own hands?"
"I..." Shun Jin sounded hesitant. Her face was bowed, with tears streaming down both her cheeks.
"I will repeat it once more. Do you want to kill the man who killed your father in a gruesome way, more gruesome than your father's death?"
She then lifted her face and looked at the king with eyes filled with vengeance and determination.
"Yes! I want to kill that bastard with my own hands! I want to cut off his head and chop up his body! I want to color the floor and walls of this hall with his blood!"
The king smirked very widely upon hearing her.
"You fool! A harlot like you doesn't deserve to be my slave! I will cut off your head, Shun Jin! And I will make your body and head decoration at the entrance of my fortress!"
I nodded, accepting Shun Jin's deepest desire. I glanced at a soldier who was still tightly holding my cloth-wrapped demonic sword.
"Kill them!" The king shouted loudly, ordering his soldiers to stab us with their spears.
I quickly stepped behind Shun Jin, to her side. While covering both her ears with my palms.
Before even one sharp iron spear tip could scratch my clothes or Shun Jin, I screamed very loudly.
"A!"
One word, but accompanied by a lot of Qi in my scream, was enough to make ears of someone with a Soul Transformation cultivation level ringing. For those below that, their eardrums burst, and blood immediately flowed out of their ear canals.
The soldiers surrounding me did not advance further and began to lose their balance and their sense of hearing due to my brief scream. They dropped their spears and their bodies swayed, faces confused. As if seeing the entire room spin unnaturally.
The king shouted, pointing at me while bending over, holding his dizzy head. "Kill him! Useless Devil Cult! I paid you because you have power! Quickly kill him!"
Two men in black robes, their heads covered with cloth so I couldn't clearly see their faces, jumped and lunged at me.
Shun Jin was still confused and processing what had just happened. A flying knife aimed at her face faster than an arrow as she blinked.
Clang!
I used Qi control techniques to pull the demonic sword, still wrapped in cloth, that had fallen on the floor. Then I stopped the flying knife right in front of Shun Jin's eyes.
"We're getting out of here. You'd better hold on tight to me."
Shun Jin wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. My right hand lifted the back of her thighs while my left hand was busy deflecting flying knives shot by two men in black robes who were running around me.
"Get out of the way. You're blocking me."
The demonic sword was still wrapped in cloth. When dozens of flying knives, thrown by the two men in black robes in an instant with Qi techniques within them, came towards me. At that very moment, I made a short sideways slash.
Slash!
The flying knives shot past me, landing scattered on the floor. Aiming to pierce the walls and floor. Some even almost hit the king if he hadn't deflected the flying knives heading towards him.
Two severed heads flew in the air as I carried Shun Jin out of the king's hall using flash steps. After the two heads fell rolling on the floor, Shun Jin and I had vanished from the sight of the king, who clenched his jaw hard.
"SHUN JIN!!!"
***