241: Chapter 242 My judgment was wrong again.

Xu Zian's complexion changed drastically.

"What are you doing?!"

"I've already told you everything I know! Don't do anything reckless!"

However, no one listened to him.

Two men in suits held his shoulders from the left and right.

Old Ghost pulled a thick-backed short blade from under the table and strode to Xu Zian's right side.

"Wait!"

"You want money, don't you? I can give it to you! One hundred million, one billion, we can negotiate!"

"I am the agent for the King of the South. If you dare to hurt me, the King will never let you off!"

Xu Zian shouted.

However, the blade's light still fell.

"Ah!!"

A shrill scream instantly shattered the silence in the secret room.

Xu Zian's right arm was severed at the elbow and fell heavily onto the ground.

Fresh blood sprayed violently from the stump, splashing onto the wall and Old Ghost's black suit.

Intense pain surged into his mind in waves.

His whole body twitched uncontrollably, the veins on his forehead bulged, and he nearly shattered his teeth from clenching them.

Having held a high position for many years, how could he have ever suffered such a punishment?

An arm!

Just like that, an arm!

It was gone just like that.

From now on, he would be a cripple!

Zhou Tianhao sat opposite him, his expression unchanged.

"I'll give you one more chance."

"Tell me, what exactly is the mission Prince of Zhennan Wang Dingshan gave you?"

Xu Zian was trembling from the pain, even as he breathed.

But the instinct to survive outweighed his status, dignity, and anger.

He stared fixedly at Zhou Tianhao, his tears and cold sweat matted together on his face.

"It's exactly what I said before!"

"The King wants me to push Flower City to develop in the direction of the King of the South's territory during the Congress of Kings and Dukes, and then use the mouths of other agents of kings and dukes to put pressure on Zhou Yun together!"

"Zhou Yun has just been promoted, and his Foundation is still unstable. As long as the King shows his attitude, he will know how to choose!"

"The King just wants him to bow his head! He just wants him to give the Wang family an explanation and move past the old debts between them and the Wang family!"

"I've said everything I should!"

Zhou Tianhao took a puff of his cigarette.

"What else?"

"There is nothing else!"

"There really isn't!"

Xu Zian shook his head desperately, his voice already choked with sobs.

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"Tell me, and I can help you investigate! As long as you spare my life, I can give you anything!"

Zhou Tianhao, however, lowered his head and sighed.

Old Ghost heard this sigh and gripped the blade tightly again.

Upon seeing this, Xu Zian's pupils contracted sharply.

"No..."

"Everything I said is true!"

"The King really only tasked me with this!"

"Don't! I beg you, don't..."

Pfft!

The second blade's light fell.

Xu Zian's remaining left arm also fell to the ground.

He looked down at the two blood-stained arms on the ground, his mind and body suffering a heavy blow simultaneously.

The lights before his eyes blurred rapidly, and he could only manage half a scream before collapsing limply into the chair.

Darkness swallowed him once again.

He did not know how much time had passed when a basin of ice-cold water was splashed in his face.

"Splash!"

Xu Zian woke up with a start.

The excruciating pain from his severed arms made him instantly recall everything that had happened before he lost consciousness.

Two arms.

All gone.

He lifted his pale face and saw that the masked middle-aged man was still sitting opposite him.

The cigarette had burned more than halfway down, its dark red embers flickering in the dim secret room.

Zhou Tianhao asked the same question as before.

"What did Prince of Zhennan Wang Dingshan send you here to do?"

Xu Zian completely broke down.

"Make Zhou Yun bow his head!"

"Make him concede at the Congress! Make him give the Wang family an explanation!"

"I said it! I've fucking said everything!"

"You lunatic! What else do you want me to say?"

"Say! Say! Say! Fuck you!"

Hysterical cursing echoed continuously in the secret room.

Zhou Tianhao just sat there quietly, as if the person being cursed had nothing to do with him.

Only when Xu Zian's voice gradually became hoarse did he throw the cigarette butt on the ground and slowly crush it with the sole of his shoe.

Then he stood up from the chair.

"It seems..."

He glanced at Xu Zian, who was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Prince of Zhennan Wang Dingshan doesn't know yet that his precious son is dead."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zian's cursing stopped abruptly.

He jerked his head up, his face revealing, for the first time, undisguised shock.

"What did you say?"

"Who is dead?"

"Make yourself clear!"

Zhou Tianhao did not answer.

He turned and walked out of the secret room, leaving only one sentence as he passed by Old Ghost.

"Clean it up thoroughly."

Bang.

The heavy iron door slowly opened, then closed again behind him.

...

Inside the Congress of Kings and Dukes hall.

The air around the round table seemed to have frozen.

Over twenty mahogany chairs surrounded the huge round table; the agents who had been whispering advice moments ago now all fell silent.

Some looked at Zhou Yun.

Some looked at the empty seat of the King of the South.

Others subconsciously looked at the virtual star map in the center of the round table.

That silver route leading from the Xiaonan Region to the Lesser Central Heavenly Region still hung quietly in mid-air.

But looking at it now, that route, which originally symbolized convergence and the big picture, had gained an indescribable aura of slaughter.

Seizing the path.

Borrowing the path.

Regardless of which word was used, applying it to a veteran prince like the King of the South felt completely absurd.

A moment later, some agent gently drew a breath.

The sound was very light.

But in this silence, it sounded exceptionally clear.

Just at this moment.

A woman's light laughter suddenly rang out from the right side of the round table.

"Heh."

The laughter was not loud.

The disdain was undisguised.

Almost the instant the laughter rang out, everyone on both sides of the round table turned their gaze, all falling onto the mobile phone in front of a Duke's agent.

His phone was placed squarely on the tabletop, the screen remaining lit.

On the screen was an active WeChat voice call interface.

The call duration had been running for a long time.

In other words, from the beginning of this Congress of Kings and Dukes until now, someone had been listening on the other end.

The official presiding over the Congress saw this, and his expression immediately darkened.

He stared at the phone, his tone carrying obvious dissatisfaction for the first time.

"Remote eavesdropping, I'm afraid that's unbecoming of a Duke?"

That agent, however, kept his expression as usual.

Facing the host's questioning, he even reached out and pushed the phone closer to the center of the round table, then turned the call volume up a notch.

And on the other end of the phone, the woman did not shy away at all.

She laughed again.

"If not for eavesdropping, I wouldn't have known that this newly promoted Duke Zhou is such a brazen, disrespectful person."

Disrespectful to elders.

As soon as these four words were spoken, the expressions of many agents around the round table became subtle.

Zhou Yun is a Duke.

The Duke Mingyue on the other end of the phone is also a Duke.

Yet when she said these four words, her tone was as natural as if she stood above Zhou Yun, as if she had the qualifications to scrutinize this newcomer who had just taken his seat from the stance of an elder, a Senior, or even a superior.

The presiding official's brows tightened further.

"Duke Mingyue, Duke Zhou has been conferred by the Heavenly Dao. Since he has taken his seat today, he is on par with the other dukes of the Great Han Nation."

"The term 'disrespectful to elders' is likely inappropriate."

The voice from the other end of the phone came over faintly.

"On par?"

"I have managed Mingyue City for many years. When I was guarding the outer lines of the Xiaonan Region for the King of the South, his Flower City didn't even exist."

"Now that he has only just stepped into the status of a lower-level city, he dares to threaten to borrow the path of the King of the South at the Congress."

"I dare not acknowledge such a person as an equal."

The hall fell silent for another moment.

Some things are not appropriate for agents to say.

But when spoken by a veteran Duke, the weight is completely different.

Especially since this Duke Mingyue, Zhao Mingyue, has always been outspoken and has a fierce temperament.

Since she said it, it means she really thinks so.

She is truly dissatisfied with Zhou Yun.

Such a development was somewhat unexpected.

After all, for this Congress, logically, except for Duke Zhou appearing in person, all other kings and dukes only had agents present.

Under such circumstances, even if Duke Zhou's words crossed the line a bit, it wasn't convenient for anyone to say anything.

But who would have thought, for some reason, Duke Mingyue was actually eavesdropping via WeChat voice call?

And she even stood up after Zhou Yun stated his position?

With this, how this Congress will unfold is now very hard to predict...

Just as everyone was thinking this, Zhao Mingyue's voice continued, the target still aimed directly at Zhou Yun.

"Zhou Yun, you, a newly promoted lower-level city lord, where do you get the guts to make an enemy of the King of the South?"

"Even if the King of the South's agent is not present today, I cannot let you speak such wild words!"

"Whether you really intend to take action or are just indulging in temporary verbal bravado, I must, to some extent, teach you a lesson on behalf of the King of the South!"

"Otherwise, if it spreads, outsiders will think that the kings and dukes of our Great Han Nation have lost their rules!"

After these words fell, many people at the round table subconsciously looked at Zhou Yun.

Duke Mingyue has clearly stated her position.

Then, how will this Duke Zhou respond?

One must know that Duke Mingyue is not only a veteran Duke known for being serious, but she also has a very deep relationship with the King of the South.

If this young Duke Zhou continues to be tough, the next step will likely be truly bearing the pressure of a veteran Duke head-on!

Then, they saw Zhou Yun lift his eyes, without a hint of panic, his expression still very peaceful.

He was not angry, nor was he in a hurry to argue; he just looked at the phone with the lit screen and spoke gently:

"I haven't asked yet, how should I address Your Excellency?"

The answer to Zhou Yun was just a cold snort.

Zhao Mingyue seemed to disdain answering this question at all.

The presiding official looked at Zhou Yun and introduced:

"This is the sixth Duke of our Great Han Nation."

Zhou Yun nodded gently.

"So it is Duke Mingyue."

He paused, his tone still polite.

"I have never met Duke Mingyue before; we have no past grievances or recent enmity."

"The matters between the King of the South and Flower City will be settled by both parties."

"Why must Duke Mingyue be so aggressive?"

After this sentence was spoken, the eyes of many agents in the hall changed.

The young man who said he wanted to borrow the path from the King of the South just now, after Duke Mingyue spoke personally, his tone actually softened?

Never met before.

No grievances, no enmity.

Why be so aggressive.

These few sentences, no matter how one listens, have a flavor of concession.

Someone lowered their eyelids, sighing inwardly.

Too young after all.

The previous air of confidence was held too high, and now, being pressured by a veteran Duke over WeChat, he is actually having trouble backing down.

Some also had a hint of playfulness flash in their eyes.

That majesty from just now came fast and dissipated just as fast.

In the end, a Duke speaking in person carries a different weight than an agent!

On the other end of the phone, Zhao Mingyue obviously had the same thought.

So she laughed.

This time, the disdain in the laughter was heavier than before.

"If you were a bit tougher, perhaps I might think more highly of you."

"Unfortunately..."

"The so-called youngest Duke of the Great Han Nation is just a person who is strong on the outside but weak on the inside."

"However, once I have said something, I cannot take it back."

"It's too late now; being afraid is useless."

"Since I have said I will teach you a lesson, I must make this trip personally."

Around the round table, several agents shook their heads slightly.

If Duke Mingyue says she will make a trip, she will definitely go.

This veteran Duke's seriousness is known to everyone in the Great Han Nation's circle of kings and dukes.

Since she has said so much in front of everyone at the Congress, she will definitely not let it pass lightly.

This Duke Zhou is likely going to suffer a big loss.

Just as everyone was either feeling pity, watching the show, or shaking their heads secretly, Zhou Yun sighed gently.

He did not look at others, only lowered his eyes to look at the cup of tea in front of him that had already gone more than halfway cold.

In this instant, several people flashed through his mind.

If Lei Lie heard that someone was coming to Flower City to teach him a lesson, he would probably smash the table first and then ask how many troops the other party brought.

Strategist Zhu Ge would likely have someone spread out a map to see how many roads, how many cities, and how many advantageous positions there are between Mingyue City and Flower City.

Wan'er would quietly open a booklet and list out military provisions, medical supplies, household registrations, reception, and post-war compensation all together.

...

Thinking of this, Zhou Yun spoke up:

"Duke Mingyue, you have misunderstood."

"The reason I said that is not because I am afraid, but because I feel it is a pity."

The laughter on the other end of the phone stopped.

Zhao Mingyue's voice grew colder.

"A pity?"

"What do you feel is a pity?"

Zhou Yun lifted his eyes and looked at the phone with the lit screen.

His voice remained gentle.

"It is a pity for the Foundation that Duke Mingyue has managed for many years."

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

Duke Zhou, do you know what you are saying?

Encountering this situation, you are not worried about yourself, but instead worried about the other party?

Only hearing Zhou Yun continue:

"If you retract your previous words now, you and I can still be at peace."

"If you insist on coming to Flower City..."

Speaking to this point, he shook his head slightly, as if feeling it was not worth it for the other party.

"At best, you will suffer broken heads and bleeding, losing soldiers and generals."

"At worst, those under your rule will become disloyal, and your city will collapse!"

As these words fell, the agents who had just thought Zhou Yun was conceding all froze in their expressions.

Truly...

Such a hard bone!

Facing a veteran Duke like Duke Mingyue, not only did he not soften, but he went even further?

This is really forcing himself onto a path to death!

Alright...

The previous judgment was wrong again.

This Duke Zhou has absolutely no intention of softening!

His thought process is simply not normal!

At the same time, this 'retreat' fell into Duke Mingyue's ears as naked humiliation.

Insist on going to Flower City, at best broken heads and bleeding, at worst total collapse?

She laughed.

She was laughed out of anger.

"Good, good, good!"

"What an arrogant and ignorant junior!"

"Everyone present has heard it."

"I originally had no intention of bickering with a junior."

"But this person is disrespectful to elders and lawless, forcing me to have to take action!"

"If I cannot even suppress such a madman, what face do I have to stand among the kings and dukes of the Great Han Nation in the future?!"

The presiding official's expression changed drastically, and he immediately spoke:

"Duke Mingyue, Duke Zhou is, after all, newly entered into the ranks of kings and dukes; this matter perhaps..."

Zhao Mingyue interrupted him directly.

"Zhou Yun, right?"

"I will tell you a piece of good news."

"The army will depart from Mingyue City, and in just seven days, it will be at the gates of Flower City!"

Beep.

The WeChat call disconnected.