Chapter Sixty-One: Silencing Witnesses

With the possession of the Myriad Serpent Basin, a powerful artifact capable of mass attacks, Zhou Tian initially held an overwhelming advantage when he first clashed with the armies of Yellowstone City. Yet as Zhou Tian battled for some time and became more familiar with the Basin’s abilities, the generals of Yellowstone City soon devised a countermeasure.

As a divine artifact, the Myriad Serpent Basin might one day be flawless; but for now, still not fully matured, it harbored a significant weakness. The Basin depended entirely on the serpents it nurtured within, and under its cultivation, ordinary snakes could evolve into extraordinary creatures—flying serpents, fire-resistant snakes, or those capable of swimming underwater. Yet all such transformations required time. At present, Zhou Tian’s Basin could only produce venomous snakes and pythons. Thus, its flaw became evident.

Without the special breeds, the Basin’s offensive relied solely on venomous snakes and pythons. In close combat, unless one was a superlative warrior, any melee fighter would find himself sorely troubled facing the Basin’s swarms. Yet while melee professions struggled against the serpents, that did not mean those skilled in ranged attacks would suffer the same fate.

Once the general noticed that Zhou Tian’s serpents were only engaging in close combat and displayed no signs of ranged assault, he immediately dispatched men to summon magicians from the city. Though magicians were noble and rare, and typically kept from the front lines unless war was extensive, a mid-sized city like Yellowstone could muster a number of capable magicians if necessary.

Thus, about an hour into the battle, a squad of ten magicians, escorted by soldiers, arrived at the front.

“Masters, I must trouble you,” the corpulent City Lord explained briefly, then pointed at Zhou Tian and his companion: “Please apprehend these two frauds.”

“That is…” Unlike the City Lord, several magicians with keen eyes followed his gesture toward Zhou Tian and immediately made a realization.

“Stop at once, City Lord, you’ve made a grave mistake!” A magician, about sixty years of age, clad in the robes of a magus, seemed to recognize Zhou Tian and his companion. He pointed to Vivienne and said, “That lady is a candidate saint of the Holy Church of Light. If you have ordered the army to hunt them down, and the Church learns of this, you will…” Remembering prior incidents, the magus shuddered involuntarily.

“Master, don’t jest. Those two are frauds, not divine envoys. I’ve already exposed their identities—just act, and nothing will go wrong.” The City Lord, speaking of his ‘great achievement,’ could not help but smile.

The magus was infuriated by the City Lord’s attitude, pointed angrily, and retorted, “I am not joking! I speak the truth.” He glanced fearfully at Vivienne in the distance: “That gown, her aura, the nun beside her—she’s almost identical to past candidate saints of the Church. There’s no mistake.”

“Ah—” Hearing the magus’s firm assertion, the City Lord was dumbfounded.

The only reason the City Lord dared act against Zhou Tian and his companion was his certainty that they were frauds. Were it otherwise, given his status, not even the boldest would dare lay a finger on an envoy of the Holy Church.

But now…

His expression shifted rapidly, and whatever thoughts churned within, he finally gritted his teeth and declared, “Enough! Just do it—kill those two!”

“You…” The magus had not expected the City Lord, knowing their true identities, would still order their deaths. He forgot all courtesy and prepared to berate the City Lord.

Yet—

A ruthless glint flashed in the City Lord’s eyes. He signaled his confidant, and before the magus could protest, a blade was pressed to his throat.

“What is the meaning of this?” The magus, never before treated so, glared hatefully and demanded an explanation.

“Enough nonsense. Cast your spells on those ‘frauds.’ If they don’t die today, you will!” The City Lord’s face twisted into a crazed smile.

“You…” The magicians, all pointing at the City Lord, showed their outrage. Yet for all their anger, they knew the City Lord was no longer joking—he truly meant to force them to attack the divine envoys.

With the conflict so escalated, should word reach the Church or the Empire, the City Lord’s fate would be dire. Knowing this, upon learning Zhou Tian and Vivienne’s identities, the City Lord had but one thought.

‘Silence the witnesses.’ It was a desperate and self-deceptive plan, but should Zhou Tian and Vivienne survive, his doom was certain. If he could kill them, and with no evidence, who could lay blame upon him?

With his back to the wall, the City Lord saw no retreat. Any who failed to cooperate might well become a warning against dissent.

Magicians possessed far greater mental acuity than ordinary folk. Perhaps not geniuses, but certainly no fools. Reading the City Lord’s expression, they grasped his intent and dared not defy him.

They knew what killing Zhou Tian and Vivienne would bring, but their own lives weighed heavier. After a brief hesitation, they nodded in resignation, consenting to the City Lord’s command.

Satisfied to see the magicians yield, the City Lord nodded, then waved at his guards: “Escort the masters forward to cast their spells!”

Blades drawn, the magicians exchanged glances and could only smile bitterly as they were led to the front by the soldiers.

Zhou Tian, unaware of the drama unfolding around the City Lord during Vivienne’s rebuke, turned after dealing with Vivienne to see the magicians preparing their spells. Knowing the weakness of his artifact, Zhou Tian understood precisely what would happen if the magicians succeeded.

Recognizing the danger, Zhou Tian grew even more anxious than Vivienne. While desperately considering retreat, he began to slowly withdraw under cover of the serpent horde.

“City Lord, should we pull the soldiers back? Once the magicians act, I fear…” As the magicians prepared their spells, a man dressed as a general approached the City Lord and cautiously offered his opinion.

“Withdraw? If the soldiers retreat, those two frauds will slip away! No withdrawal—it’s just common rabble. If they die, we’ll recruit more.” Previously, the City Lord might have listened, but now, consumed by the trouble he’d caused, his mind fixed on eliminating Zhou Tian and Vivienne. In this state, the general’s suggestion was met with scorn.

The general’s face flushed green with anger. He retorted, “My soldiers are warriors, not cannon fodder. I cannot obey such an order!”

The City Lord, enraged, pointed at him and shouted, “You fool, Nero, don’t forget who saved you from imperial censure! Now you won’t even obey my command—are you rebelling?”

“City Lord, I am grateful for your rescue. But that does not mean I must obey such heartless orders. My soldiers have families; I cannot send them to die for our selfish wishes!” The general’s tone softened at first, but recalling the consequences of the City Lord’s command, he gathered his courage and voiced his dissent again.

A cold light flashed in the City Lord’s eyes. He offered no further explanation, simply gestured, and several warriors surrounded the general.

“What are you doing?”

“If you dare defy your superior for the sake of commoners, it is no wonder the marshals censured you before. I once saved you for your talent, but you have not learned gratitude and persist in your stubborn ways. Do not blame me now.” With a cold glance, the City Lord loudly announced, “General Nero is unwell. Send him back to the city to rest. The army will be handed to his deputy. Follow my orders—reinforce the attack and be sure to keep those ‘frauds’ pinned down!”

“As you command, City Lord!”