Chapter 015: Big Trouble

Redcliffe smiled bitterly and said, “Commander Dox, you guessed right—it is indeed this. Five years ago, just as I was promoted to your deputy, I was ordered to go quell a rebellion! I had no sense back then; I thought you sending me there was to train me… But when I returned from quelling the rebellion, I found that my entire family—my old mother, my three-year-old child, and my pregnant wife—had all died! Do you still remember how you told me back then? That there were bandits in the capital? Ridiculous! If there really were bandits in the capital, even the stupidest wouldn’t dare attack the residence of the deputy commander of the imperial guards! Moreover, the finances in the house remained untouched… yet my relatives’ bodies had been disposed of! I couldn’t even see them one last time…”
“Commander Dox, you told me it was the work of bandits back then, and I believed you… But not long after, people from Prince Fisher came to my door. After he showed me something, I realized… it was all premeditated! Dox! The reason you sent me to quell the rebellion was simply because that damned Second Prince had his eyes on my pregnant wife. By moving me away, you made it easier for him to act! Poor me, completely unaware, falling for your scheme! As for you trusting me all these years? Ridiculous! You just felt guilty whenever you saw me, that’s why you gave me so much power! But what you don’t know is that from the day I learned the truth, I was already on Prince Fisher’s side!”
A hint of pain flashed in Dox’s eyes, and he said in a low voice, “Why?”
“Why?” Redcliffe laughed heartily. “Good question! Because… I need revenge! Only by killing that Second Prince piece by piece can I find peace! But if I stay under the First Prince’s command, it’s absolutely impossible! Only if Prince Fisher ascends to the throne can I get revenge! Commander Dox, rest assured. I’ve already told Prince Fisher about all the plans I know tonight. So, you have no chance of winning! And after I get my revenge, even if you die, you won’t have to feel guilty!”
Dox’s expression changed slightly. “I see! You traitor! All this time I…”

“Why all the nonsense?” Redcliffe interrupted Dax. “As the saying goes, if you won’t be kind, I won’t be either. So don’t blame me now! Let’s get started!”
With that, a murderous intent flashed in Redcliffe’s eyes. With a casual swing, his combat energy sent two enemies flying. Then, with a leap, he swung his long sword at Dax.
Dax had remarkable eyesight and immediately saw that Redcliffe’s strike was incredibly precise. With such power, he had no chance of blocking it. He didn’t dare to fight head-on either and could only grit his teeth and take a few steps back to barely avoid that deadly attack.
But Redcliffe didn’t stop there. He shook his hands, and sword energy surged from his sword as he thrust it at Dax. This time, Dax had no way to avoid it and had to raise his hand to block.
A clang was heard as Dax barely deflected Redcliffe’s attack, but even so, the sword energy scraped past his scalp. Dax’s hair fell loose, and blood immediately streamed down from his head—clearly, Redcliffe’s strike had taken off a large piece of his scalp. The once-imposing commander of the imperial guards was now disheveled.
Yet, seeing his condition, Redcliffe showed no intention of sparing him. He raised his sword again, sending several more waves of sword energy flying.
Dax gritted his teeth and desperately blocked those attacks, feeling extremely frustrated. Normally, with his skills, he might have been a match for Redcliffe. But now, with his right hand injured, he could only use his left hand, reducing his strength to less than half. On top of that, for some reason, Redcliffe’s attacks became increasingly vicious with each strike. Despite doing his best, Dax continued to retreat.
After a while, Dax was covered in wounds. Redcliffe’s sword energy was filled with deadly intent. Even though Dax managed to block it, any slight contact with his skin would cause immediate bleeding and flesh destruction!
Seeing Dax’s terrified expression, Redcliffe laughed heartily and declared loudly, “Commander Dax, don’t doubt it… Although I wasn’t your match five years ago, over these past five years, Prince Fisher has taught me all the martial arts manuals stored in the royal library. So right now, you are by no means my opponent! If you stop now, out of old friendship, I might spare your life!”

Doxes gritted his teeth and handed the long sword in his hand to his right, ignoring the blood streaming from his palm. He charged at Redcliffe, shouting, “If you want to fight, then fight! I, Doxes, am not the kind to admit defeat!”
Redcliffe snorted and said, “Good! You take the chance and refuse to accept it! Commander Doxes, don’t blame me later!”
With that, Redcliffe swung his long sword horizontally, sending a fierce wave of sword energy toward Doxes.
Although Doxes was the commander of the Imperial City Guard, he acted like a madman at this moment. As Redcliffe launched several attacks, Doxes could barely hold his ground. Finally, gritting his teeth, he stabbed repeatedly without caring for his own safety. When Redcliffe prepared to strike again, Doxes suddenly roared and rushed forward to meet the attack. With a loud “bang,” Doxes’s entire left arm was almost severed by the combat energy, flesh flying everywhere and revealing his bare bones.
But after blocking that strike, he thrust his long sword violently at Redcliffe’s abdomen.
A hint of sarcasm flashed in Redcliffe’s eyes; it seemed he had expected Doxes to fight so desperately. He swung his sword, not retreating but advancing, avoiding Doxes’s strike while inflicting several wounds on him. The final blow landed on Doxes’s thigh, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Watching carefully, Redcliffe suddenly let go of his sword, which flew straight at Doxes’s chest. Doxes rolled aside desperately, avoiding the vital spot, but the blade still pierced his left shoulder. With a loud “boom,” his entire shoulder blade was shattered by the combat energy attached to the blade!
Doxes felt dizzy from the pain but gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound.
Redcliffe merely smiled coldly, then casually grabbed a fighting member of the Imperial City Guard, snapped his neck, took his sword, and walked toward Doxes.
Doxes sighed inwardly, ready to close his eyes and wait for death.
But just then, two soldiers suddenly rushed out from the side—Doxes’s personal guards. Covered in blood, they threw themselves at Redcliffe, clinging to his legs. One of them turned and shouted, “My lord, run!”

“Boom—” “Boom—” Two bursts of combat energy surged from Redcliffe’s body, sending those two bodyguards flying like tattered sacks. Before they could hit the ground, their bones shattered one by one, and they died instantly even before falling.

Dox saw it clearly and felt a surge of anger rise in his heart. Yet he understood that this momentary opportunity was bought with the lives of those two bodyguards—he must not die here at all costs!

He roared loudly, his combat energy flashing as his long sword was thrown at Redcliffe. At the same time, he retreated into the chaotic crowd behind him.

Dox’s move was indeed astonishing, almost like a final burst of strength. Redcliffe raised his eyebrows and swung his sword, causing the two blades to collide and shatter into powder almost instantly.

After that, Redcliffe glanced in Dox’s direction but found him already disappeared among the chaos.

Yet Redcliffe wasn’t angry at all. He sneered and said calmly, “If you can avoid it on the first day, can you avoid it on the fifteenth? What’s the difference between dying later or earlier?”

With a casual wave of his hand, his combat energy flashed again, knocking several of the Crown Prince’s men to the ground.

At that moment, the Crown Prince was carefully observing the situation around him. He had calmed down and, by deploying his troops, managed to hold back the sudden chaos. But thinking that if it weren’t for these unexpected enemies, he would have already behead his father and brother, he felt increasingly frustrated.

Just then, he suddenly saw Dox returning, covered in blood. Blood flowed from all over his body, with a sword stuck in his left arm and wounds all over him. Yet he didn’t utter a sound, only gritting his teeth as he leaped at the Crown Prince before shouting, “Your Majesty, these are all Prince Fisher’s men. Redcliffe has betrayed us—he’s revealed all our plans. Please make preparations soon, or… things will get very bad!”