Chapter 010: Rebellion

The city lord grew increasingly uneasy. He knew very well the character of his younger brother, and upon seeing Reine by Du Fan’s side, he immediately understood what was going on.
With a bitter smile, he cursed his worthless brother—why had he chosen to target none other than young master Du Fan? He hurried forward a few steps, stammering, “I was blind and foolish! I deserve death!”
Du Fan sneered and said, “You don’t deserve to die. But this Lord Hai Xin certainly does.”
The city lord was drenched in cold sweat. Seeing his brother lie motionless on the ground, he suddenly got up and kicked him, sending him rolling several times before roaring, “Idiot! Get up and confess your guilt to young master Du Fan!”
Then he bowed low to Du Fan, saying, “Young master Du Fan, I will punish my worthless brother severely and ensure justice for you!”
Du Fan shook his head lightly. “I really don’t care. Ask this lady—if she’s willing to let it go, then today’s incident can be forgotten.”
The city lord glanced at Reine, his eyes flashing with hostility. He thought, If this damned Du Fan didn’t have some power behind him, I wouldn’t fear him at all! You woman are just that scoundrel’s lover—do you really think you can trouble me?
But Reine was no ordinary person. She immediately noticed his hostile gaze. Already furious, how could she possibly give up? With a cold laugh, she said, “I’m not angry. It’s just that your brother promised to give me his head. It wouldn’t be fair to him if I didn’t take it. How about this—I take the head, and you keep his body?”
The city lord became even angrier, but since Du Fan hadn’t spoken yet, he couldn’t say anything.
But Du Fan certainly didn’t take a mere city lord seriously. His greatest fear was that Reine might use magic in front of so many people out of anger. So he nodded and said, “Did you hear that? Your brother wants to give you his head—don’t blame anyone else. How about this? I won’t accuse you, Du Fan, of bullying others. After his head is cut off, I’ll pay to ensure he’s buried properly. What do you say?”
Hai Xin was terrified and screamed, “Brother! Save me!”

The city lord’s heart was in turmoil; he knew this matter would likely not end well. Though he was the city lord of Modo, he was ultimately just a dog under the governor’s command. The governor would never risk offending the Green Family and the Holy Church for his sake. Moreover, the empire had always wanted to launch a war against the North, and this incident provided an excellent excuse. For the sake of stability, the governor would never spare him. By then, no matter how hard he tried, losing his position would be the least of his worries—he feared losing his life even more!

Besides, even if he were ruthless enough to hand over his brother, who guaranteed Young Master Du Fan wouldn’t have other demands? Even if he agreed to let it go, would his backers do the same?

Thinking this, the city lord’s eyes darted around. Young Master Du Fan had at most ten men with him, and judging from their casual attire, it was clear he hadn’t informed the two major factions of his whereabouts. Even if his guards were skilled, they couldn’t compare to his own thousands of imperial defense troops.

If he killed Young Master Du Fan here and silenced everyone present… After all, the imperial defense troops with him were all his loyal men, who wouldn’t turn on him at this port. Killing Young Master Du Fan would solve many problems. Since no one knew he was here, as long as he destroyed the bodies, even if discovered, there would be no evidence. The empire couldn’t act recklessly!

Even if war broke out, he had amassed vast wealth over the years. At worst, he could take his family and brother to the Laney Empire, where the Gavin Empire would likely be powerless against him. That would be better than sacrificing his own brother and causing endless trouble.

It would be a shame to kill this charming girl, though. At least he could keep one alive to enjoy with his brother tonight. A woman from such a noble family must be extraordinary…

With a fierce look in his eyes, the city lord said gravely, “Young Master Du Fan, even if my brother offended you, punishing him is enough. He lost so many men—it’s a lesson in itself. Let’s settle this here. Consider it a great favor from me, Young Master Du Fan. How does that sound?”

Du Fan glanced at Ling Yin’s expression and sighed, “Lord City Master, I’m sorry. Though I don’t want to cause trouble, your brother brought this upon himself… Since you now know my identity, you must understand that even if you’re reluctant, you have no choice. Taylor, go ahead. Be quick—don’t let that Lord Hai Xin suffer too much!”

At this point, the negotiation was completely broken. Taylor naturally couldn’t defy Young Master Du Fan’s wishes. Understanding his intent, he slowly drew out the Holy Cross Sword, silently chanting a sacred hymn. He thought to himself, “You’re lucky. If I were to do this myself, at least your soul could be purified after your death, and you’d be able to return to the embrace of the priest. That should be considered compensation from Young Master Du Fan, right?”

As Taylor prepared to act, the Lord City Master watched, hesitating at first but finally mustering the courage. He couldn’t just stand by and watch his brother die! He waved his hand, and his men immediately raised their weapons, aiming at Du Fan and the others.

Taylor froze for a moment, not knowing what to do. Du Fan, on the other hand, snorted and said, “Lord City Master, what do you mean by this?”

The lord sneered at Du Fan and replied, “Young Master Du Fan, this is your doing. Have you forgotten? This is the Province of Kote, not your Green family’s fiefdom. I’ve respected you out of courtesy. As the saying goes, ‘A bridal sedan is carried by everyone.’ I’ve been lenient, but if you insist on disrespecting me, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

With that, the lord stepped back a few paces, ordering his confidants not to let anyone leave the square. Then he gave a signal, and cavalry immediately surrounded them.

The Temple Knights also grew tense. Though not afraid, facing a group of cavalry—each being a knight of level three or four—they weren’t invincible. A few of them were ready to die together, but under no circumstances could Young Master Du Fan die here.

Du Fan sneered and said, “Lord City Master, are you planning to rebel?”

The lord laughed heartily and replied, “Don’t worry, Young Master Du Fan. After you die, if I have to report this, I’ll say it was you who rebelled. That way, there’ll be no way to prove otherwise!”

Du Fan replied calmly, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill your brother?”

The lord grinned viciously and said, “If I don’t do this, will you spare my brother? Go ahead!”

Du Fan frowned and said nothing more.

Instead, Taylor stepped forward, ripped off his casual clothes to reveal the fine armor underneath, and shouted fiercely, “Lord Du Fan is not only a noble but also a White Robe Priest of the Holy Church. If you dare act recklessly, you’ll be committing blasphemy against the gods!”
The city lord roared, “Who cares about blasphemy? Anyway, not a single alive person can get out today. If they escape alive, everyone will die!”
At that moment, as if remembering something, he suddenly let out a lewd laugh and said, “Has everyone seen that beautiful girl? We’ll capture her alive. Then everyone can enjoy her beauty! There will be generous rewards tonight after the battle!”
A few of the city lord’s confidants began urging the soldiers. These soldiers were originally the city lord’s loyal men and had some fear of dealing with Du Fan and the Holy Church. But now, with the city lord’s threats and promises of rewards, and given the Northlanders’ ferocity and the Holy Church’s limited influence in the North, they hesitated no longer and stepped forward immediately. Even those who were reluctant followed once they saw others moving forward.
Several Temple Knights also looked grim. How noble was the Temple Knight Order—where in the continent wasn’t it revered? Yet here, in this small city of Modo, they were surrounded by imperial defenders! Their own deaths didn’t matter much, but if Young Master Du Fan died, that would be a disaster!
Not far away, a group of soldiers had already surrounded the civilians and nobles, determined to kill a thousand rather than spare one. Although those people tried to resist and some noble guards carried weapons, against such a large number of imperial defenders, those guards were likely of little use.
A few Temple Knights had already surrounded Du Fan and Ringo. Du Fan frowned slightly and, with a flick of his hand, drew out his magic wand, Phantom. As for his broken weapon, he hadn’t had the chance to replace it yet. He glanced around for a moment, then sighed softly and said to Ringo, “I’ll protect you. It’s fine to kill all these imperial defenders, but you must promise me that under no circumstances will you take action!”
Ringo was momentarily stunned and couldn’t speak. Strange thoughts flashed through her mind—she had become so infatuated.
But Du Fan no longer looked at her. With a cold smirk, he said, “Attack!”
Almost at the same time, the city lord roared, “Kill them!”

For a moment, the side of just ten people collided violently with the side of hundreds or thousands. At the instant of contact, screams of agony echoed amid bursts of blood…