World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 712 - 351: Loyalty! Break Ling Ao’s legs!_2

Chapter 712: 351: Loyalty! Break Ling Ao’s legs!_2

Gui Xingfu was very cunning, and as soon as Suo Lun spoke, he knew what it meant, and immediately said, "The Chief Secretary is a subordinate of the Governor, so of course it is up to His Excellency the Governor to make the final decision!"

Suo Lun said, "In that case, from now on you are a man awaiting punishment, temporarily take up the post of the Governor’s Chief Secretary!"

Gui Xingfu kowtowed deeply and said, "This old servant accepts the order and thanks my lord for the cultivation!"

Meanwhile, Yan Wuzhi’s complexion was pale, and his entire body was ice cold.

He had originally wanted to hold back a little, waiting for Suo Lun to take the initiative to appoint him, but he had not expected Suo Lun to directly give Gui Xingfu the position of the Governor’s Chief Secretary.

In the past, as a lord of the kingdom, Gui Xingfu could not have taken up the post of Chief Secretary. But now, as the Earl of Linhai and the City Lord of Linhai City was Gui Qinshao, Gui Xingfu, a commoner, could certainly take on this position.

Then, Suo Lun waved his hand and said, "Someone, send for a carriage to take Yan Wuzhi back to the Royal City!"

At once, two samurai stepped forward to lift Yan Wuzhi and were about to throw him out of the Governor’s Mansion, expelling him from the Southeast Province.

At this moment, Yan Wuzhi was in a state of desperation, where could he care about dignity and self-respect?

Compared to his ambitions, what was face worth? Was he really going to return to the Royal City like a defeated rooster, to receive the pity and favor of Yan Wuji?

Suddenly, Yan Wuzhi struggled desperately and shouted loudly, "Marquis Suo Lun, I am willing to be loyal to you, I am willing to be loyal..."

Suo Lun said, "You’re willing to be loyal? But I don’t have any positions to arrange for you."

Yan Wuzhi said with great difficulty, "I, I am willing to be an assistant to Gui Xingfu."

"Really?" Suo Lun said, "You were originally the Chief Secretary, and now you are going to be an assistant. Are you truly content with that?"

"With my sights set on the future, I will definitely show you my talent," said Yan Wuzhi, nearly biting his own teeth bloody as he spoke.

Suo Lun nodded and said, "Alright then, you stay and become Gui Xingfu’s assistant. The two of you together, manage the internal affairs of the entire Southeast Province well!"

"Yes, Your Excellency," Yan Wuzhi knelt down on both knees, his heart relaxed, yet his words were filled with bitterness.

What was it all for, indeed. If he had not made trouble, not only would he still be the Chief Secretary, but also the first civil official by Suo Lun’s side, a pillar of the state.

Now, he had not only become the assistant to Gui Xingfu, but he also lost his entire staff.

Suo Lun’s recent spate of killings had utterly severed the entire officialdom of the Southeast Province from Yan Wuzhi.

As Suo Lun looked at Gui Xingfu and Yan Wuzhi kneeling on the ground, he said, "Issue an order, all officials of the Southeast Province from the prefects of the six counties upwards must report to the Governor’s Mansion within ten days."

"Yes!" Gui Xingfu kowtowed and said.

"Yes..." Yan Wuzhi said, "However, some officials are disciples of Zhi Li His Highness, and might not come!"

Suo Lun said, "Those who do not come will all be killed!"

Yan Wuzhi trembled and said, "Yes!"

...

After everyone had left, Gui Xingfu was still kneeling in the same spot.

When he came to Donghai City, Suo Lun had dispatched dozens of samurai and two thousand soldiers to escort and supervise Gui Xingfu. When Yan Wuzhi detained him in the Governor’s Mansion, in fact, the Shadow Cabinet Warriors could have stormed the Governor’s Mansion and rescued Gui Xingfu.

However, they did not do so. Instead, they let Gui Xingfu be detained in the Governor’s Mansion, setting the stage for today’s drama.

"Gui Xingfu, do you know what you should do in the future?" Suo Lun asked.

"I know," Gui Xingfu kowtowed and said, "To temper Yan Wuzhi, to make him truly become a pillar of your realm."

Talking to a smart person is just that simple.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Suo Lun asked.

Gui Xingfu said, "My adopted son, Ling Ao, is also inside the Governor’s mansion!"

Suo Lun’s eyes flashed in surprise, followed by, "Then bring him over to meet me."

Half a quarter of an hour later, Ling Ao appeared before Suo Lun.

"Xia Ao, kneel!" Gui Xingfu commanded.

Clenching his teeth, Ling Ao looked at Suo Lun with a complex gaze filled with hatred, loss, and unwillingness.

"Xia Ao, kneel!" Gui Xingfu said sternly.

In Gui Xingfu’s view, Suo Lun’s power was about to undergo a massive expansion: from the original army of fifty thousand to about one hundred and thirty thousand, and after completely taking over the Southeast Province, it would expand to two hundred thousand soldiers.

At that time, how many opportunities and how many vacancies for real authority would there be within the military?

Now, Ling Ao didn’t have much chance on Zhi Li’s side. It would be better to come to Suo Lun’s side, believing that before long, Ling Ao would be able to promote to a commanding officer with real power, either as a cavalry leader or an infantry commander.

Ling Ao’s face twitched. He clearly understood his adoptive father’s painstaking efforts.

Moreover, he and Suo Lun were not true archenemies; they had never had a real head-on conflict. The conflict they had was when Suo Lun and Gui Qinshao had a martial contest two years ago, and Ling Ao had preemptively broken Suo Lun’s right arm.

But Suo Lun had never truly done anything against him.

However, he and Suo Lun were love rivals. More importantly, at that time at the Royal City Academy, Ling Ao didn’t acknowledge Suo Lun’s existence at all and saw him as no better than pigs and dogs.

And now, he was expected to kneel and pledge allegiance to Suo Lun—how could he be willing?

"I don’t want to!" Ling Ao said through gritted teeth.

Gui Xingfu trembled and said, "You were raised by me, you can only listen to me, kneel down!"

With a face of firm bravery, Ling Ao looked at Gui Xingfu and said, "Adoptive father, your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain, and I will always respect you. But to pledge allegiance to Suo Lun? I can’t do that!"

Suo Lun laughed and said, "Oh? That’s strange. Is it because of Gui Qinshao, because we are love rivals? Do you think I cuckolded you?"

Ling Ao’s face twitched, but he remained silent.

Suo Lun continued, "I don’t think so. Zhi Li directly asked you for Qinshao’s first night rights, and you, grinding your teeth, agreed, and still worshipped him; even after he grew cold towards you, you were full of anxiety. It seems your self-esteem isn’t that valuable, nor is what you call feelings, right? So what is the real reason then?"

At this moment, Ling Ao’s face was devoid of color and began to twist.

Suo Lun said, "It must be jealousy. In the Royal City Academy, I was notorious and without prospects, a rotten person. While you were the Academy’s pride, a future attendant to the King, your status far above that of a soon-to-be landless aristocrat like me. You didn’t even notice me back then; to you, I was less than an ant. But now I sit high above, and you can’t even see my shadow when you look up. This heaven and earth disparity. To kneel and pledge allegiance to me? Of course, you are unwilling. In your heart, you would rather beg than bow down to me; you interpret this jealousy as your pride?"

"In your heart, it’s only proper that Zhi Li sits high above, so he is entitled to sleep with your wife. While someone like me rising to become the Marquis of Rage Wave and the governor of the kingdom, that’s against the way of the heavens, right?" Suo Lun laughed. "It’s like seeing a poor neighbor you once looked down upon suddenly becoming wealthy overnight. Jealousy fills your heart, and you secretly swear that even if you starve, you won’t flatter or fawn over them, interpreting this jealousy as backbone?"

Suo Lun’s words were like a fierce knife stabbing deep into Ling Ao’s heart, brutally tearing open the most unbearable and ugliest side of his soul.

Unable to face his own heart, Ling Ao became furious. All of a sudden, pointing his finger, he shouted, "Suo Lun, now that you’ve come into power, this little villain, I want to see how long you can be arrogant! Zhi Li His Highness will soon cast you down to the eighteenth level of hell, then you will die without a place to bury!"

Then, Ling Ao turned sharply and said, "Adoptive father, if you insist on following Suo Lun down this dark path, then I am powerless to stop you. I’m going back to the Royal City now. Farewell!"

Gui Xingfu’s face turned deathly pale, shaking he was at a loss for words.

Watching Ling Ao storm out in a fit of anger, Suo Lun suddenly said coldly, "Who let you leave?"

Ling Ao responded coldly, "I am Zhi Li His Highness’s envoy, the adopted son of Duke Turing Tuo, how dare you lay a finger on me?"

Suo Lun said, "Killing you would be like slaughtering a stray dog. But I find it more amusing to keep you alive, so I won’t kill you. However, two years ago during my fight with Gui Qinshao, you shamelessly broke my right arm. Blood for blood, tooth for tooth, right?"

Then, Suo Lun commanded coldly, "Men, break both of Ling Ao’s legs, and then throw him out!"

...

Note: The first update, four thousand words, is here; I ask for your support, thank you all!