Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Fall

When the Commander of the Paladin Order kicked the door open, as expected, he was met with a volley from twenty flintlocks. Reacting swiftly, the commander dodged the barrage just in time; yet, by now, he no longer had enough battle energy left to shield himself, so he was indeed wounded!

However, for someone who had endured all manner of grueling training since childhood, as long as he could still move, he was nothing short of a killing machine. After a battered, sprawling dive to the ground, a bloody storm swept through the entire VIP chamber. The twenty musketeers were utterly annihilated. By the time the commander finally finished off the last of them, he was so drained from blood loss that his head was spinning and his legs felt like lead.

Yet, at that moment, several heavily armored elites with the strength of advanced knights still stood by Emperor Maurice’s side!

Emperor Maurice eyed the commander who had fought his way through countless perils to reach him. The man was clearly at his limit, his body riddled with wounds—anyone could see he was no match for the few, fully armed advanced knights remaining. Now, facing five vigorous, fully equipped knights while his own battle energy was spent and his vision blurred, the great commander stood little chance.

Relieved, Emperor Maurice burst into laughter.

“Haha! I win after all! You lot, draped in the so-called light of your god, will never take my—” But before he could finish his triumphant speech, a mouthful of blood gushed forth. A dagger protruded from his heart, blood streaming down the blade. Caught in his moment of pride, Emperor Maurice was slain in an instant!

“Well done, well done indeed! Sun Li, you have rendered a great service this day. When we return, whatever you desire, the Commander will grant you—even if you wish to wed the Saintess herself!” Seeing the target dispatched cleanly by Sun Li, and with so many brothers avenged, the commander laughed heartily despite his wounds. Miraculously, he fought the remaining advanced knights with renewed vigor, as if his body was suddenly filled with boundless energy.

Sun Li said nothing. This was no time to revel in victory, not with hundreds of Imperial Guards still outside and thousands more in the regiments beyond the palace!

With perfect coordination, Sun Li and the commander slaughtered the remaining knights. With Sun Li’s strength added to their side, the surviving knights and despairing guardsmen could not last even a few minutes; soon, none were left alive, and the VIP chamber was soaked in blood.

Knowing they couldn't linger, the commander, after dispatching a few more guards who burst in, charged out of the blood-soaked chamber with Sun Li close behind. Sun Li discreetly fell to the rear, and once the commander cleared out the last of the guards, Sun Li followed suit.

Outside, the battle was drawing to a close. No matter how formidable the Church of Light’s assassins, they could not withstand the endless waves of elite soldiers forever. Forced to hold their ground to buy time, by the time the chamber fight ended, only a handful of assassins remained alive.

The wounded commander no longer had the strength to blast through the guards with battle energy. Sun Li, catching up and seeing the numbers arrayed against them, realized escape was impossible. Raising his sword, he shouted,

“Don’t let the Paladin Commander of the Church of Light escape! He just killed His Majesty Maurice!” Sun Li repeated such cries as he hurried toward the commander.

The commander was momentarily stunned. He had come precisely to kill Maurice and didn’t care about the infamy. But why was Sun Li shouting this?

Before he could process it, Sun Li charged at him, sword raised. A sudden chill ran down the commander’s spine as realization dawned—Sun Li meant to silence him!

Before the commander could react, a sword beam over ten meters long swept toward him. He watched in horror as darkness claimed his vision, and he was cleft in two.

Sun Li did not stop there. Under the grateful gazes of the guards, he swiftly dispatched the remaining assassins, then declared righteously that he would continue to hunt down any survivors, vanishing into the palace before anyone could respond.

The guards harbored no suspicion. Sun Li had just slain a Paladin Commander before their very eyes! No matter how cunning the Church of Light, they would never sacrifice a commander in some elaborate ruse.

Having finished his work, Sun Li made straight for the palace gates. Along the way, he encountered several skirmishes between assassins and guards, lending a hand to eliminate the assassins—he recognized every one of them and knew they must be wiped out.

Just as he neared the gates, Sun Li spotted ranks of cavalry riding toward him. At their head was the very divisional commander with whom he’d once crossed paths.

Seeing Sun Li, bloodied and running for the gate, the commander frowned instinctively and ordered his men to surround him. Sun Li, showing no sign of resistance, explained that he was pursuing assassins. Soon, the commander learned from passing guards that Sun Li had slain the Paladin Commander—a feat confirmed by those who witnessed it. Moreover, the commander privately knew Sun Li had been sent to protect Emperor Maurice; the Emperor himself had said as much in front of trusted aides, which is how Sun Li and the commander had met.

The crisis passed, Sun Li slipped out of the palace as he wished. The divisional commander, anxious for the Emperor’s safety, had no time to bother with this outsider.

Not long after Sun Li’s departure, the assassins were all but eradicated. However, as word of Emperor Maurice’s death spread, chaos erupted from the palace outward. The enraged regiments scoured the city for assassins, arresting anyone suspicious.

The ministers, upon hearing the news, began plotting their next moves. With Maurice gone—the linchpin holding it all together—everyone knew the empire was on the verge of upheaval. The pitfalls of Maurice’s absolute power now grew more apparent than ever. The capital boiled with panic—despairing crowds filled the streets as if their faith had collapsed, and chaos reigned.

With no heart for governance, the civil officials packed their belongings, ready to flee at the first sign of danger.

But the military’s loyalists, those who had followed Maurice through countless campaigns, could not accept their leader’s sudden death. Fury swept through the ranks of the imperial army, from the highest general to the lowest private. Without their leader or faith, this mighty army needed an outlet for its wrath and a target for revenge.