The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 678: I Faint!

I Faint! . . .

Cha Eun Xiao was currently entrusted with an important task, one that brooked no interruptions. His uncle, the steward, was a man of formidable influence, rendering any attempt to harm Cha Eun Xiao a futile endeavor. Moreover, the power of Cha Nantian was insurmountable, making it imprudent to cross his path. These reasons, however, were far from satisfactory when attempting to placate the anxious and grieving officials.

The king, left with no other recourse, resorted to feigning confusion. He covered his ears and began to play the part of an elderly ruler beset by auditory issues. "What? What did you say... Wait. No. I am going to faint off..."

The king went to great lengths to mimic a man succumbing to his own frailty, collapsing onto the floor. To the observer, he had 'fainted' in Zuo Wuji's arms.

The officials were struck by terror upon witnessing the king's sudden 'fainting.' They turned their attention toward the fallen ruler and, inevitably, noticed Zuo Wuji cradling him in a flustered manner.

Outraged, they directed their fury toward Zuo Wuji, accusing him as the instigator. "Zuo Wuji! You..."

One elderly official glared at Zuo Wuji as if he were personally responsible for the tragedy that had befallen him. "If you didn't endorse that murderous rascal earlier, my son would still be alive..."

"Indeed! Zuo Wuji! You! You are deserving of death!"

"Zuo Wuji! We are not through with you!"

"Zuo Wuji!"

Zuo Wuji had become the scapegoat, and he felt a mixture of frustration and admiration. [Clever move, Your Majesty! You've managed to escape that way. Do you think these officials are so gullible? If you genuinely fainted, the royal martial artists would be swarming around you. Not one of them moved. You're pretending. You're perfectly fine. Please, everyone, open your eyes! He's awake!]

The king, feigning unconsciousness in Zuo Wuji's arms, felt a sense of relief. [Phew. Thankfully, I managed to pass out. I don't have to engage with all of this. It's rather practical to lay the blame on Wuji...]

Whether he had genuinely fainted or not, and regardless of whether the officials believed it, nobody dared to disregard the king. Some of them urgently summoned the royal physician, who arrived promptly and carried out various procedures but couldn't rouse the king from his supposed slumber. [I won't open my eyes, no matter what you do...]

In the midst of this elaborate charade, a colossal explosion resonated from the west gate of the city. It was more deafening than the previous tremors and felt as though the earth itself was being torn asunder.

"What's happening? What's the commotion?" The king, forgoing pretense, inquired with haste.

A fearful and perplexed messenger rushed in to provide an alarming report. "Commander Cha's flag was too tall to pass through the gate, so he instructed his steward, Song Jue, to create an opening. Song Jue merely waved his hand, and the entire gate collapsed. Now, we are left exposed on the west side..."

The officials exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. [Heavens above!]

[What audacity! Before even confronting the enemy, he has executed over four hundred of our men and demolished a city gate... What do you think this kingdom is?]

[What unfathomable audacity drives his actions here?]

[Leading the entire army to battle, just like that...]

The mysterious steward, Song Jue, became the subject of much intrigue among the officials. They couldn't fathom how he had the power to casually demolish a wall with a mere wave of his hand. Speculation and awe swirled through their minds, giving rise to questions like, "Who is that steward Song Jue? I have never heard about him at all. How could he just destroy a wall by slightly waving a hand? That… That is beyond human's capability! What if he waves his hand on us? Will we be blown away?"

As the officials pondered these questions privately, an unexpected turn of events unfolded. The king, in a sudden fit of exasperation, unleashed a tirade of curses and promptly fainted. He fell into the arms of Zuo Wuji, seemingly unconscious for a second time.

Intriguingly, this time, the king remained truly unresponsive, and his eyelids stayed closed. The martial artists on standby hastened to encircle him, and they carefully transported him back to the royal residence.

Zuo Wuji, the prime minister and a man of astute judgment, found himself perplexed by the king's second fainting episode. Was it genuine or another ploy to deceive the officials? The king's actions left Zuo Wuji, a prominent figure in the Land of Han-Yang throughout his life, in a state of uncertainty.

Cha Eun Xiao's army, in the meantime, surged ahead like a relentless tempest. Having departed from Chen-Xing City, they sped westward with tremendous fervor, advancing as a united force.

Although the cavalry enjoyed greater speed, the infantry was no less committed. Every soldier displayed unwavering determination, spurred on by the knowledge that Commander Cha had vowed to decapitate anyone who disobeyed his orders.

With their lives hanging in the balance, none dared to lag behind. They continued to march resolutely, pushing themselves to the limit.

For three soldiers, however, their valiant efforts proved fatal, and they perished while striving to keep pace with the rest of the troops.

Cha Eun Xiao remained unswayed by their sacrifices. He felt neither surprise nor sentiment. [In wartime, lives are often sacrificed. These three soldiers died trying to catch up with their comrades, but they would have likely met the same fate on the battlefield.]

In this critical moment, there was no room for leniency or hesitation. Cha Eun Xiao recognized the harsh realities of war, where life and death were decided in the blink of an eye. He couldn't afford to dwell on such matters.

Their relentless march eventually brought them to Iron Peak, a strategically vital location for the army. It was the last line of defense preventing an incursion into the Kingdom of Chen by the forces of Lan-Feng, located approximately fifty-five hundred miles from the western frontline of the kingdom.

Sitting on the edge of the central region of the Kingdom of Chen, Iron Peak stood as the final bastion against the Kingdom of Lan-Feng.