“Under the Peach Tree, One Stays”
Outside People’s Square in the Royal City, a voice full of righteousness suddenly rang out from the crowd.
A dragon of azure fighting spirit burst forth from the sea of people, sending dozens of Sacred Office Heretics flying into the sky, shattering their defensive line and charging straight for the execution ground.
“This… Samimi blinked drowsily for a moment.
This wasn’t part of the plan at all. What sort of scheme could have predicted something like this? Even Zhuge Liang himself wouldn’t have gotten it right.
From this moment on, we’re already acting beyond the scope of any plan. Everything is improvised, adapting as we go, playing by ear on the spot.
Seeing that streak of righteous, ashen-blue, rampaging dragon spear, both Samimi and Ke Zhi Si instantly recognized it.
It must be the S-Rank Adventurer Azure Moon Rampaging Dragon!
Samimi never expected the first person to try and rescue the criminal would be him, but it wasn’t all that surprising either.
Because what Adventurers value most is, after all, legendary loyalty.
Seeing a close comrade, a beautiful friend, about to be executed—no Adventurer could possibly stomach that!
“Yulong truly is the embodiment of righteousness, but our performance isn’t finished, he’s made his entrance too soon! Second Company Commander, please go meet him and act accordingly.” Samimi was deeply moved, then quietly whispered a suggestion, sending her senior ahead to intercept.
“Understood.” Sage Knight Order Second Company Commander Ophika could only act at once, leaving the execution ground ahead of time to go block Azure Moon Rampaging Dragon.
He was an S-Rank Adventurer, after all, charging in and out seven times amidst the Sacred Office Heretic army, sweeping aside all who tried to stop him.
Of all those present, only Sword Slope Girl Ophika could face him in battle.
This made the already precarious situation of the Noble Knight even more dire.
The foreigners were fleeing left and right—they were only here for the spectacle in the first place.
The main enemies now were the three top-tier personal guards standing by Archbishop Tyrus’ side, and the two formidable arch-mages.
Yet when they saw Ophika take the field, Archbishop Tyrus, who had just been shocked, now felt even more assured—at least Second Company Commander Ophika was still one of their own.
“Hmph, another wild man comes barging in? Today, no one escapes! Continue the crossfire!”
Archbishop Tyrus straightened his collar, picked up his Magic Staff and shouted furiously, believing that the louder his voice, the more imposing he appeared.
He had full confidence in the organizers of the Judgment Assembly and the unwavering loyalty of the Holy Knights Second Company. The Assembly would proceed as planned.
At once, an elderly Holy Knight stepped forward, torch in hand, ready to ignite the flames.
Unfortunately, the torchbearer too, was one of their own.
Whether or not the flames are lit is not for some deadheaded lackey to decide. It’s all for show, just to let everyone see that the fire is ready.
“Wait! I have something to say!”
Ke Zhi Si made up her mind, grabbing the Magic Staff from the ground and raising her voice.
Ah? The climactic drama is finally about to begin.
The opening scene is the Demon-Hunting Nun’s silence, leaving the whole kingdom’s mouths shut tight.
Everyone wants to know what happened in the Crimson Court.
Did the Heroic Song Squad really become Pureblood Bloodghosts?
Is it truly the end of the world?
What is the outcome of the Blood Clan crisis?
Now is the time to reveal the truth, but this truth cannot come from the Demon-Hunting Nun herself.
Because she’d only be playing the riddlemaster, always hiding something, which has already angered the crowd. Now if she steps out and explains everything, who would believe only her words? Only fools, perhaps.
So she needs a third party as her proxy, to help her reveal the truth, while she keeps playing the mysterious one.
This is the most perfect plan. That’s why Samimi has held her tongue until now, all for this moment.
And the best candidate is—
“Recognize! Truth! Clear! Speak! Now!”
On the other side, Azure Moon Rampaging Dragon and Sword Slope Girl were already locked in fierce combat.
Black Thunder clashed endlessly against the Azure Dragon Spear, both weapons meeting in midair with no sign of victory or defeat. The two opponents held each other in a deadlock.
“Get out of my way!” The face of the Rampaging Dragon was flushed red, unleashing his powerful moves repeatedly to break through.
But Sword Slope Girl was notorious for her cunning. Each time he tried to break through, she would immediately retreat into Black Thunder.
And this time, Ophika was truly giving her all—not like those previous occasions where she’d been secretly holding back.
Sword Slope Girl’s so-called “full power” simply meant being even more cunning: sword qi appeared without a trace, only swirling mist, no blade in sight—was it truly so dark and cold?
“I refuse to acknowledge you as the Saint! Absolutely not! A mage without a weapon’s soul—” Rampaging Dragon raged as he fought, muttering under his breath.
Because, if you have to say it, the Rampaging Dragon is a solo specialist, a true S-Rank Adventurer who excels in direct duels, but Sword Saintess is a specialist in defensive, peculiar, and tactical magic.
This is a complete counter! Sword Saints have always excelled at restraining spear-wielders!
Even if you know Sword Slope Girl’s techniques, it’s nearly impossible to defend—she’s not like regular mages whose tricks become useless once exposed.
She simply opens her Black Thunder, and if you dare to enter, you face her blades. Stay back, and she keeps stalling.
Azure Moon Rampaging Dragon is a speed-type heroic unit, but against Sword Slope Girl’s Black Thunder domain, he’s completely restrained, unable to make use of his spear skills.
Sword Slope Girl Ophika’s greatest strength is stalling, pure and simple!
This buys us precious time for the performance.
“Who are you?” Archbishop Tyrus questioned.
“I am a member of the Hero Party, known as [Arrow of Dream], Ke Zhi Si Fen’en.” Ke Zhi Si introduced herself.
As soon as she spoke, the citizens of the royal city began to buzz with whispers.
The Hero Party’s fame was considerable in the capital. Although few had seen them in person, everyone had heard of them.
The Hero Party was like a noble royal idol group—their strength may not be exceptional, but their fame was immense.
Like all idol groups, there’s a lead dancer. Samimi was that sort of background dancer along the roadside.
Naturally, the Hero was the main focus and the Party Leader.
And that Elven archer was the deputy, the one with dazzling white hair who stood out among the Hero Party—she was a brilliant star, so plenty of people recognized Arrow of Dream.
If the plot required it, then the whole city would know you; if not, then no one would.
“Hero Party, Phantom Dream Bow.”
“So it’s her!”
“Why is she here?”
“Arrow of Dream is still part of the Sacred Office, isn’t she?”
Now was the moment when everyone needed to recognize her, and suddenly the entire population recalled Arrow of Dream!
“I am also one of the twenty-five members of the Heroic Song Squad, so I have specially come to explain everything to you all.” Ke Zhi Si began her explanation.
“Wait—why is there no sound?” Archbishop Purple Saint felt something off, but as he spoke, his Magic Staff suddenly lost its power, and no voice came out.
“We were forcibly taken into an Otherworld Space, entering the blood-red sub-world of one of the Blood Clan True Ancestors, the [Female Vampire Queen].” Ke Zhi Si’s Magic Staff rang out across the square.
The next moment, it seemed the entire city fell into silence—even the battling Azure Moon Rampaging Dragon and Sword Slope Girl turned to listen to her words.
“Forgive me for bringing up such terrible memories, but when I saw that members of the Heroic Song Squad were corrupted, thrown into the deepest pit, I just couldn’t stay silent. Even if I must oppose the whole royal court, I must speak the truth.”
“We were summoned to a fortress built atop a mountain of bones, where all the sky was dyed blood-red, a black sun hung overhead, and hordes of undead—Zombie Horde—stormed us from below.”
“Our group of twenty-five held the defense line, fighting endlessly for four days and nights, slaying thousands of all kinds of undead monsters.”
“Some were Ghoul Giants, several meters tall, capable of crushing our barricades with a single swipe.”
“Some were Bone-Impaling Corpses that crept unseen in the night, sneaking up behind us and impaling us with bone spikes—completely impossible to guard against, absolutely terrifying.”
“Heh, do you know what the true form of the Female Vampire Queen is?”
Ke Zhi Si spoke calmly, but her words struck hard.
From now on, countless stories and legends about the Blood Clan would circulate through the capital.
Because Ke Zhi Si’s words would become inspiration for many a Poet—this momentum was now impossible to stop.
And now, having learned Samimi’s way of speaking, she paused at every key point, taking a deep breath before continuing.
“The true body of the Female Vampire Queen is a squirming Great Flesh Mountain, as huge as a mountain, composed of the massed flesh and souls of everyone she has ever devoured. In other words, if you are eaten by the Flesh Mountain Vampire Queen, not only your blood and flesh but even your very soul is forever sealed, becoming the source of her power.”
“I fought her in the spiritual realm—if we lost, she could descend into this world, the Zombie Horde spreading everywhere. Every person she devoured would add to her strength, until finally she had eaten everyone. At that time, her body would be far more than a mountain—it would transform into the unstoppable Blood and Flesh Earth.”
Ke Zhi Si continued her explanation, her tone still steady, but the content sent chills down the spine.
Everyone was forced to confront the terror in their own hearts—the true enemy of mankind.
“Impressive.”
Even Samimi couldn’t help but exclaim with admiration—this girl truly had the makings of a Poet.
This was why Samimi had insisted on protecting Ke Zhi Si at any cost—for this very moment.
It was so Ke Zhi Si could explain her own experience and fill the gap perfectly.
If she herself had explained, it would have sounded too self-serving—who would believe her word alone?
But letting someone else speak the truth was a direct blow to the heart, striking fear into the listeners.
Even Archbishop Tyrus was drenched in sweat after hearing all this, not to mention the commoners.
Now, the legend of the ancient Female Vampire Queen was related to everyone present—it was no distant tale of some unrelated Blood Clan, but a matter of life and death for all.
If the Blood Clan revived, the first to die horribly would be the commoners.
And now, the authorities wanted to execute the heroic woman who had tried to stop their revival? What justice was this?
Gradually, private whispers spread through the people of the city. They began murmuring to each other, no longer silent, no longer patient.
“In the face of such a terrifying enemy, just one bite and you’d be infected with corpse poison, turning into a mindless corpse and attacking your own companions. Why did only twenty-five of us survive?”
The speech was not over yet, when Ke Zhi Si suddenly pointed straight at Samimi.
“Because of her.”
Her voice was cold and resolute, brimming with unstoppable strength.
“You really shouldn’t be a Magic Cavalry, you should just change professions and become a Poet.” Samimi muttered under her breath, even she was moved by those words.