World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 915 - 428: The death of Turing Tuo! Severing Zhi Li!

Chapter 915: 428: The death of Turing Tuo! Severing Zhi Li!

The eighty-thousand strong army of Baiyun County hadn’t truly begun to fight before they completely collapsed in surrender amidst the roar of artillery, severing Duke Turing Tuo’s last hope.

Inside Wind Thunder Fortress, Duke Turing Tuo, known for his unbending spine and even firmer knees, now knelt respectfully before Suo Lun.

"Please, Lord Suo Lun, grant the Turing Clan a path to survival," Duke Turing Tuo implored.

Suo Lun asked, "What kind of path to survival?"

Duke Turing Tuo replied, "Fen Mo is my illegitimate son. I am willing to acknowledge him and allow him to inherit the Turing family’s legacy."

Suo Lun gestured and said, "Fen Mo, are you willing?"

Fen Mo did not kneel, shaking his head firmly, "I’m not interested. I’m quite content with my mother’s surname, Fen. Perhaps I can even rise to establish a new Fen Clan."

Suo Lun said, "But at the very least, you must marry and have children, and stop coveting my wife."

Fen Mo replied, "I’ve long since stopped. It’s just truly difficult to find a suitable woman."

Suo Lun turned to Duke Turing Tuo, "You heard him, he is not willing."

Looking at Fen Mo, one could see his face calm, utterly devoid of sorrow or joy.

Duke Turing Tuo, in anguish, bowed his head and said, "I am willing to pledge my loyalty to Lord Suo Lun in exchange for your forgiveness."

Suo Lun shook his head, "No!"

Duke Turing Tuo pleaded again, "I am willing to resign from all my positions, live out my days in peace, allowing my son Turing Chen to inherit the dukedom and to join the Dragon Guard Legion!"

Again, Suo Lun shook his head, "No."

Duke Turing Tuo roared, "Why not? I, Turing Tuo, may have wronged you, but Gui Xingfu has wronged you far more. You can tolerate him, why not me?"

Suo Lun said, "You treated the kingdom’s army as your personal property, corrupting the military’s discipline and leading the kingdom on a path to warlordism. I don’t know how long it will take to correct this. That is why your crimes are unforgivable. Gui Xingfu may be cunning and deceitful, but he is not as greedy and unrestrained as you are!"

Duke Turing Tuo asked, "What do you want me to do? How can I save the Turing Clan?"

"Just die," said Suo Lun.

His tone was very calm when he spoke these three words, but they caused Duke Turing Tuo to shudder violently.

Suo Lun said, "You are the largest faction within the military. If you live, many disgruntled generals will inevitably gather around you. I can’t just go on a killing spree, can I? With you dead, this faction disappears, and I won’t need to kill too many people in the future."

Duke Turing Tuo’s face twitched in agony, "Lord Suo Lun, are you truly intent on utterly annihilating me?"

Suo Lun said, "Only you will die; that’s already very merciful."

Duke Turing Tuo questioned, "What if I refuse to die?"

Suo Lun answered, "Then I might as well incite a turbulent inquisition to exterminate the entire Turing Clan! In any case, nationalization of the army must be completed, and no one can stop it. The kingdom’s army must never fall into any private hands."

Duke Turing Tuo sneered, "What about you? You currently command a force of over two hundred thousand. Are they not all your private army?"

Suo Lun replied indifferently, "Once I completely consolidate the Rage Wave Kingdom, only thirty thousand noble armies will remain in Tian Shui City. As the regent prince, I will retain only the Rock Thieves Corps as my personal guard. The rest of the forces will be handed over to the kingdom. I am a man of my word."

Duke Turing Tuo inquired, "What about my Turing family?"

Suo Lun declared, "You have committed a great crime. The duke will be demoted to an earl, and the title will no longer be hereditary. To restore the Turing family’s glory, you must earn achievements and start anew. I am willing to give that opportunity."

Duke Turing Tuo felt a pain in his heart so intense it nearly choked him.

Suo Lun’s terms were harsh to the extreme. Essentially, this was the end of the Turing family’s future prospects. Merely clinging to life and retaining an unstable title; bereft of everything else.

The Turing family had fallen from the kingdom’s most elite to the lowest rank of nobility in an instant.

There were many such nobles in the royal city; some in debt, chased and beaten every day, living as destitutes.

But what else could he do if he didn’t agree?

Start a killing spree, fighting Suo Lun to the death?

Turing Tuo was indeed formidable in martial arts, but not as powerful as Princess Zhi Yan, not to mention Suo Lun had Zhuang Zhixuan at his back.

With no more cards to play, the remaining eighty-thousand strong army had already surrendered to Suo Lun.

Suo Lun said, "I don’t force you. The decision is yours to make. But I will prepare two edicts. One pronouncing the Turing family guilty of conspiring in rebellion, wiping out nine generations. The other stripping you of all positions, demoting the Duke to an Earl, with no hereditary succession in the family title. By dawn, someone will be sent to make the declaration, you decide for yourself!"

And then, Suo Lun permitted Duke Turing Tuo to leave.

Turing Tuo seemed to have aged ten years, walking out as if he was a walking corpse, bumping into Chu Ye.

On the contrary, Chu Ye seemed ten years younger, radiating with joy and excitement, almost as if he were floating as he walked.

However, upon seeing Turing Tuo, Chu Ye offered no mockery, instead, stepping aside to give way.

Turing Tuo wanted to scorn, but found he couldn’t utter the words. He thought to warn that Chu Ye would eventually be cast aside once his usefulness ended, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

And so, with a sigh, Turing Tuo mounted his horse and returned to Baiyun County!

...