Chapter 73: The Fall of Xia Family (Part 2)
"Why are you laughing at me! I don't need your pity! You are the one surrounded by my people! Do you think that this is your era where people will flock on your side as they will protect you no matter what the cost?" Xia Wuyi couldn't hold his temper back and lost his cool as he was seeing the indifferent expression on Xia Longyu.
"By your lead, you have made the Xia family becomes a laughing stock at the Star Royal City, the once and magnificent General Xia have become an old senile fool. The cowardly turtle that wishing to hide away from the rest of the world as you are content with what you have. What right you do have to look down on me?"
"Only by the reason that you are once a General Xia? Because you are once a Protector of the Fire Kingdom? Because you are once the Right Protector of the Royal Family??? DON'T THINK OF YOURSELF AS AN INFALLIBLE PERSON!!!"
Xia Wuyi roared as he revealed everything inside his heart.
Even though he had an authority inside the Military Department, it was only minuscule as the other three big families had a big control over the Military Department.
That fact hit him hard, and Xia Longyu's indifference stance toward that fact had infuriated him!
His family was losing their standing by the time passed by!
The other three big families had the alliance to pressure the Xia family's authority inside the Military Department.
Unwilling to let the Xia Family pressured, he made a desperate stance. With him and his second brother, the Xia family was able to hold their standing inside the Military Department. But that was all.
While the other three big family's patriarch was still active, their own patriarch, their Dad had withdrawn himself from his service.
It was a big hit toward his plan to restore Xia family's glory.
If he couldn't remove a tumour inside the family, all his hard work would be wasted.
Thus, he sold his allegiance to the Royal Family. It was his first step to consolidate his power as he planned for his Dad's dethronement.
To show who was wrong and who was right.
But as he began to understand that Xia Longyu's existence was absolute in the Xia family's domain, he fell into a headache. He couldn't even possible to commit a patricide to gain his position as patriarch as it was a taboo subject.
Thus, he made a big gamble.
[I must not commit patricide, but it doesn't mean the other couldn't.] A cruel glint flashed as she stoned his determination.
The opposite of the angered Xia Wuyi, Xia Longyu was calm, as if he was watching a show in front of him.
". . . You are a poooor kid. . . Used as a pawn. . . ." Shaking his head slowly, Xia Longyu still had the pitying expression as he saw the angered Xia Wuyi.
Even though his body had already weakened a lot, Xia Longyu kept his straight appearance and dignity.
"What pawn! Don't make a new story!" The impatient Xia Wuyi smashed the desk between him and Xia Longyu. Even though Xia Wuyi had shown his overbearing attitude, Xia Longyu kept his expression as if he was looking at a little kid, an uneducated kid.
All the warriors at the surroundings were surprised as they thought that their lord, Xia Wuyi would kill General Xia. Seeing the unharmed Xia Longyu, those warriors sighed a relief because their mission was to capture Xia Longyu.
'The living General Xia was much better than the dead one' was what was told by Xia Wuyi, since Xia Wuyi planned to use Xia Longyu as a pawn to control and manipulate the commoner. Not only the people in the domain but also the kingdom's citizen.
Shaking his head weakly, Xia Longyu explained, "Sigh. . . I know that you colluded with the other three greedy bastards. Don't ask how I know since there is nothing I do not know."
"Each of them has their own agenda, but they are not the problem since they only want to increase their influence. They want the title exclusive for Xia family, but the existence of Xia family itself is another problem."
"Thus, they used you. Right, little pawn?"
Not waiting for an interjection, Xia Longyu continued, "Those three is also a cannon fodder, like you. The main perpetrator was the other one."
Xia Wuyi narrowed his eyes. "No need to fabricate a lie, Dad."
"Why do I need to fabricate things? Don't you think that I have no influence? Don't you think after I withdraw from my position, our Xia family will have no people?"
"The reason the other three families fear us because their mole is having a hard time to infiltrate this place."
"Planting mole at your rival's place is the usual practice for a big family like us, but our place is a little different. Where do you think their mole is, little kid? Do you think they are able to come near this house? Their mole is not useful as the people in the dominion are united. They are fearful toward the foreign and our bond is strong." Xia Longyu closed his eyes as he remembered each of the warriors of the dominion.
Xia Wuyi paled as if blood had disappeared from his body.
[No! It cannot be! It must be a random rambling!] Xia Wuyi tried to justify himself, but he knew that Xia Longyu had influenced him already.
"This is our foundation, the Xia family's foundation." Xia Longyu opened his eyes as he was pained with everything he lost today. "The reason why those three fear us is because of this. We are akin to a fortress, impenetrable, until an idiot is born."
Xia Wuyi clenched his fist until it paled. He didn't realize it because he was too focused on Xia Longyu's word for word.
"But those three is only a cannon fodder, like what I say. The main perpetrator should be, the Royal Family, right?"
Xia Wuyi gritted his teeth. ". . . So, you have known all time?"
"Like what I said earlier, I may be old but not senile. I have imagined what would happen today, but I just didn't expect the Royal Family's cruelty. Massacring the people? Purge the betrayer? I don't care what is his reasoning, but this kingdom is already doomed to be destroyed.
"NO NEED TO RAMBLING LIKE A SENILE! DO YOU THINK WE ARE WEAK IF COMPARED TO THE EARTH KINGDOM! WE ARE STRONG!!!" Fierce expression was shown on Xia Wuyi's face.
He had experienced a big humiliation from the defeated!
He felt as if his win was worthless!
"What do you think the Royal family's aim to destroy this place? If that good-for-nothing wants to wage a war, the decreased number of the warrior is something he couldn't bear."
With dark expression, Xia Wuyi answered, "Having an uncontrollable pawn is no different from not having one. If it cannot be controlled, it is better to be destroyed rather than being stabbed from behind."
"Good answer, thirty points." Xia Longyu closed his eyes and didn't care whether Xia Wuyi listened to him or not. "An idiot like you will never be able to remember what I said many times. We are the protector of the citizen, not the Royal Family. We have no obligation and they cannot force us, thus they call us as an unknown factor."
"We are not a sharp sword or a long spear, but we are the shield. The Royal Family knows already, but they bend my sentence into something else and you the uneducated idiot is tricked. Sigh."
"Before the answer, I will ask you."
"Do you even know where are your helpers now? At this time? Do you know where is that Shi Tiangang bastard?"
Not hearing the answer after a while, Xia Longyu just disregarded Xia Wuyi and explained, "Those three families are blocking the information of this place's destruction, lest someone disturb with the operation. Meanwhile, their patriarchs will delay the reinforcement from the outside."
"And that Shi Tiangang bastard is trying his hard to delay the Yang family."
"As long as those patriarchs do well in their job, they have attained their purpose, their target. As long as the Xia family is destroyed."
"But, how about the Royal Family? What is their real aim? Don't you feel intrigued by it?" Xia Longyu's eyes opened a little as if he peeked at the tall person in front of him.
The expression of the people in the room was stiff as if they were listening to something impossible or some fairy tale.
They wanted to mock Xia Longyu, but they didn't have the courage as many people knew that the magnificent General Xia disdained to tell a lie. That act itself was disdained and scorned, and that was one of the reasons that many people worshipped him, the Kingdom's Protector, Xia Longyu.
Xia Wuyi's expression was beyond ugly as if he remembered something. But even so, he just kept his silence as he listened to Xia Longyu's continuation.
"This little tale is useless, so I will just tell the big point. Our Ancestor, the founder of the Fire Kingdom, didn't build his kingdom above the blessed land. In the fact, this land is cursed. All this time, until now."
"Our ancestor left one message to us, their descendant. Not to take down the current ruler, not to take down the Royal Family, or become the rightful ruler of the Fire Kingdom. Nothing related to those things, and those greedy bastards feared such things. Ha ha ha. . . It is an irony, right?"
"Our ancestor was the founder of this kingdom, but another person's descendant claims the otherwise."
"We, his descendant were decreed to protect the people, lest the Pandora box comes out someday. And with a heavy heart, I have failed my predecessor."
"This generation will be filled with chaos. The forbidden fruit will attract many things as this place will be filled with cries and agony."
[I couldn't even protect my family!]
[I have let my family ended in this generation!]
[Even my son was being hoodwinked and he believed that he was in the right!]
[What have I done in this world? I lost my family! I lost everything!]
[Even my own kin betrays me!!!] The light on his eyes became fainter.
He was tired, he wanted to rest.
". . . You are talking too long but without the proof. Where is the proof?" Xia Wuyi refuted Xia Longyu's claim as he was trying to protect his pride, his belief, his cause.
Even though he wanted to shake his head, Xia Longyu didn't have any strength left in his body. The wrinkles on his body grew in alarming speed as the sign of vitality diminished.
His body akin to a dried bark, if it was not because of the moving chest, all people in the room would have thought that it was a dried corpse.
But even if Xia Longyu hadn't become a dried corpse, he didn't far to become one.
Even Xia Wuyi and his people were surprised by the sudden change of the event.
"Don't bother, it was the poison that you administered me from him."
"Tsk tsk, I never thought that the one to betray me first is my own people. Sigh. . ." Xia Longyu had no problem to explain the source of the problem, but it only made them baffled!
They are all confused! Even Xia Wuyi was not the exception.
But the word that was uttered by Xia Longyu before was resounded on his mind.
'Pawn.'
[Don't tell me. . .]
Xia Wuyi's expression grew darker as he gritted his teeth. As the person with the military background, who was willing to be made into someone's chess piece?
Moreover, he was kept in the dark.
[Are those bastards trying to make me commit patricide in front of the people? Or there is another party behind?] Xia Wuyi's head turned around a little to look at the trembling person behind him.
He was the one tasked to poison Xia Longyu, the house's Butler.
It was not hard to control him since the butler was Xia Wuyi's person from the start. And because the butler had never left the Xia family's house, the chance of him being suspected was smaller.
Thus he entrusted the crucial part of the plan toward the butler, and everything was perfect.
[It should be perfect! But why!]
Xia Wuyi's expression had already dark as he drew out his personal weapon.
No one witnessed it, but when everyone in the room saw Xia Wuyi drew his sword, the sword had returned to its scabbard.
As they were bewildered, a "thump" sound came from behind Xia Wuyi.
The man behind him disappeared, or more like fell into the floors. There was no any trace of blood, but the sign of life had disappeared from the body.
In a flash, a living person turned into a corpse.
The bunch of warriors had an expression of awe as they saw Xia Wuyi's skill.
Far above the Battle Fighter and Battle Warrior, and even above the Elemental Warrior!
It was the pinnacle of the warrior level, an Elemental Knight!
Even though the existence of an Elemental Knight was not as rare as qilin's horn or phoenix's feather, it was still rare!
If an Elemental Warrior was considered as an elite warrior of a family, then an Elemental Knight would be the secret weapon, the backbone of the family!
Not every dominant family had an Elemental Knight, but every family with an Elemental Knight would be considered as a dominant family.
Not caring about the feat of Xia Wuyi, Xia Longyu just kept his rambling as if he didn't care whether there was someone heard him or not.
"Ever since I take the poison, I have already known what happen. I had some inclination on the culprit, but it was not important anymore."
"I know that you just wanted to send me into the prison and make me into a puppet, but no, thanks. Based on that person's plan, I will be rotting in the cell's prison as he will announce that I am committing suicide to atone my sin."
"Ha! Laughable, isn't it?" Even if Xia Longyu's voice grew softer and lower, it couldn't hide the disdain and self-mocking.
Xia Wuyi and all his man were all surprised because everything that was said was the plan.
Even Xia Wuyi didn't expect that Xia Longyu could deduce many things.
"My naivety has cost my own family's fate! Ha ha ha, it is an irony, right?" Xia Longyu now was no different from a dried tree, standing tall even without any support.
"I don't need your remorse, silly kid. Just don't touch my family as you are only a sinner of my family." Xia Longyu kept his eyes closed as if he was enjoying the silence around him.
[Sigh. Unfortunately, I cannot see the grown-up little Yueyue.] And Xia Longyu's body now was no different from a skeleton that was wrapped by a skin.
[And that mischievous little Shi (Xia Longshi), does he miss little Yueyue? With little Yue (Lan Bingyue), I didn't need to worry anything.]
"This kingdom is a Pandora box, and we, Xia, have always been protecting its door for who knows how long. By the time the Pandora box is opened, you will definitely enjoy it. The Royal Family and those dog followers also would definitely enjoy it. . ."
With the last strength he had, Xia Longyu finished his last word as he sneered at all people who stabbed in the back of the Xia family. ". . . The emergence. . . One of the. . . Four Forbidden Grounds. . ."
And what was left in the reading room was the angered Xia Wuyi.
Xia Wuyi's people didn't dare to make any sound as they were scared of what they just heard.
It was literally a big turn of event.
After some time passed, Xia Wuyi finally made his own decision as his eyes were filled with resolution.
"Keep what happened just now as a secret. Just say that the patriarch of the Xia family, Xia Longyu has already run away when we arrived at this place." Even though it was still the month of the fire, each of Xia Wuyi's word made the bunch of warriors felt as if they were in the winter. It was dead cold.
Xia Wuyi walked closer to the Xia Longyu's corpse as he burnt the body until there was no any trace left. He didn't stop until there, but he also burnt the whole room as if he wanted to burn the whole mansion.
[In this way, there is no trace of proof that can be used to against me.]
Xia Wuyi made up his mind.
His decisiveness scared all the people that were in the room as their face paled white.
The decisiveness and cruelty of their leader definitely scared them because the one he destroyed was his own father's body, the remnant of his own father.
It was a patricide!
As if he realized their state of mind, Xia Wuyi decisively drew a beautiful sword as he made an arc around all the warriors.
The surprised warriors didn't have any chance to react as their head fell one by one.
[This is what I have chosen, so I will walk this road until the end.] Xia Wuyi turned his body around as he left the burning place.
[As for third brother family? If they know how to tuck their tail and never come out, I will not proactively search for them.] Xia Wuyi sneered in his mind as his silhouette disappeared in the middle of the fire.
[From now on, there is only 'MY' Xia family.]
…
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
FrostDream193
FrostDream193 2/10 for this week quota
0/2 for bonus power stone last week
1/10 for the featured bonus.
Making it simple, 3/22 this week XD
Ah, it is really tiring to write 3k words haha.
At first, I wanted to split this chapter into two, but I just fused it into one long chapter.
I hope you enjoyed my story :D
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