Chapter 96: The name of the sage spreads throughout the Southern Region

Evening, the moonlight is like washing.

Black Wolf Castle.

The study room bathed in bright yellow light with candles lit.

Xia Mingyu sat at the desk, flipping through the crime papers sent by the Southern Region lords; their quantity was so large that they almost drowned him when piled on the desktop.

"Read for a day, can't finish even a tenth, and messengers keep sending more..."

Xia Mingyu held his forehead, looking at the dense text on the paper, his handsome face full of bitterness.

Unexpectedly, after crossing over, he actually experienced the feeling of being a cow and horse again.

Not only that, many of the crimes of the villains on those crime papers were heinous, looking shocking and physically uncomfortable.

So much so that after reading from morning to night, Xia Mingyu even had a dizzy, nauseating feeling of discomfort all over his body.

But he couldn't not read it, so as not to misunderstand a good person and let go of a villain.

Knock, knock.

The room door was gently knocked.

"Come in."

Kalen, in military uniform and covered in some dust, pushed open the door and stepped into the study.

"Your Highness, as you command, I have distributed all the grain in that granary to the people of the Night Shadow Territory according to the severity of the famine, and sent the villains with heavy crimes to the guillotine for public execution one by one."

Kalen put his right hand on his left shoulder and bowed slightly.

In order to let His Highness rest assured early, after dealing with everything in the Night Shadow Territory, he ran back on his two legs after exhausting two horses, so it was inevitable that he was covered in dust.

"Thank you for your hard work, Kalen."

Facing this capable general, Xia Mingyu barely managed to support a smile on his face.

And Kalen, after scanning the small mountain of crime papers on the table and the Prince who was clearly revealing exhaustion, immediately understood everything.

"Your Highness, why not let Danielle read these crime papers? She has always been good at handling documents, and the great purge of Black Wolf Castle in the past was mainly decided by her."

Kalen suggested; he really couldn't bear to see His Highness's haggard look, it seemed he was more tired than his two legs running hundreds of miles.

"Danielle still has to take care of Haidun, is it not good to disturb her?" Xia Mingyu was a bit hesitant.

"With the blessing you bestowed upon him, Haidun's physical fitness now is almost catching up to an adult bull, and he doesn't need anyone to look after him at all."

"Moreover, being able to help you, I believe my wife will be overjoyed, please give her this opportunity?" Kalen requested sincerely.

"Cough, cough, then give her a chance." Since Kalen insisted, Xia Mingyu could only agree reluctantly.

Swish!

He pushed the crime papers on the desk to the side with force. After there were no more eyesore things, Xia Mingyu only felt his heart instantly much lighter.

Side hall.

"Cheers!"

Xia Mingyu raised the wine glass filled with bright red wine and celebrated with Kalen.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

The cold wine entered his throat, with a hint of refreshing fruit fragrance and mellowness, giving Xia Mingyu the feeling of living again.

With a little wine, he reviewed the days since crossing over, from a marginal person with nothing to the lords of the entire Southern Region now vaguely following his lead.

From the Fruit Basket Village that was defrauded and couldn't pay taxes, to the brothel that oppressed prostitutes in Ore Town, then to Black Wolf Territory, Night Shadow Territory, and finally... until the entire Southern Region!

In this process, there should be at least hundreds or thousands of people who felt happy because of him, right?

As long as he thought of this, Xia Mingyu felt proud, and that distant dream he set after coming to this world, which was as unreachable as the stars, seemed to be a little closer to him.

However, he couldn't be too happy, there was still a very, very long way to go.

Thinking of this, Xia Mingyu put down the wine glass and opened his mouth to Kalen.

"Kalen, those lords in the Southern Region requested me to send envoys to observe their public executions to confirm that they were not faking it, because time is urgent, so maybe you still have to..."

When saying this, a hint of embarrassment flashed on Xia Mingyu's face.

Kalen had just returned, and he was going to send him out again, and this time the range of running was the entire Southern Region.

A lord who was originally a good lord was forced to be used as a cow and horse by him.

"Being able to execute your orders is my honor, please drive me as much as you want, Your Highness." Kalen smiled slightly.

"The moment my child was born with the blessing of the King's Son, my life and my entire life from now on are under your control, Your Highness."

Kalen said while revealing his heart, and poured wine into His Highness's glass with the wine bottle.

"... Thank you!"

Gold is easy to get, but a confidant is hard to find. Xia Mingyu, who didn't want to drink anymore, drank another cup again.

"By the way, I feel that I should have touched the bottleneck of promotion, but I just can't be promoted, do you know what the reason is?" Xia Mingyu asked in confusion.

His feeling now is very wonderful, there is an illusion of being close at hand, but he can't break that layer of film no matter what.

"Your Highness, prestige and great achievements are indispensable. Your prestige is enough now, perhaps you are still missing a great achievement."

"You might be able to go out for a walk, maybe you can encounter an opportunity for promotion." Kalen thought for a moment and answered.

Go out for a walk... Xia Mingyu was thoughtful.

His promotion to Transcendent with the blessing of fourteen billion seemed to be caused by going out for a walk and encountering the conflict that occurred in the Red Rose Brothel.

Now that the Southern Region has just carried out a great purge, he can just go and see with his own eyes whether those lords have truly fulfilled their agreement with him.

He and Kalen are one in the light and one in the dark, which should ensure that the people of the Southern Region have truly gained happiness, right?

The next morning.

After saying goodbye to Kalen who was also going out, Xia Mingyu took Anliya and Berg and boarded the carriage to travel through the Southern Region.

He refused the luxurious carriage from the Martha family, as well as the proposal of the Black Abyss Wolf pulling the carriage, because after all, it was a tour, and it didn't need to be too conspicuous.

Moreover, Kalen, who needed to run through the entire Southern Region in a short time, obviously needed the Black Abyss Wolf more than him.

Tramp, tramp, tramp.

Under the pull of a tall black horse sent by the lord of Iron Horse Territory, Berg waved the horse whip in the front room, the steed neighed, and the carriage wheels rolled over the soft soil with a thud, driving toward the distance.

The first stop was the village on the edge of Locke Territory, which was closest to Black Wolf Castle besides Night Shadow Territory.

After Berg drove the carriage for a whole day, and Xia Mingyu meditated on Anliya's soft legs for a whole day, they finally arrived at the village on the edge of Locke Territory.

At this moment, the night had fallen, the last orange-red sunset glow in the sky had passed, and twinkling stars hung on the branches.

In the open space at the entrance of the village, a huge bonfire was lit, sparks rose with the heat, crackling, like countless red fireflies flying in the air.

And the villagers of the village were singing and dancing around the bonfire, occasionally someone raised a glass and sang loudly.

"Your Highness, they are holding a bonfire party."

Berg reported to Xia Mingyu, who took Anliya off the carriage.

The villages in the Southern Region have had the folk custom of holding bonfire parties when they encounter happy events since ancient times.

And at this time, the villagers by the bonfire also noticed the three people, and they immediately started discussing.

After all, the appearance and clothing of the three, as well as the unknown blessings on their heads, were enough to explain their noble status.

Not long after, an old man took the initiative to walk toward the group.

"This noble lord, I am the village chief here, may I ask what you are doing in our Oak Village?" The old man asked Xia Mingyu cautiously.

With his knowledge, he could naturally see that Xia Mingyu, who was hiding his blessing, was the master of this group, and his status... was definitely a noble!

"We are just passing by on our travels, can you tell me why you are holding a bonfire party?" Xia Mingyu asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Of course, it is to celebrate the blessings brought to us by the great Sage Lord Xia Mingyu!" the old man replied without hesitation, his weathered face, lined with deep furrows, full of gratitude.

"Our village originally had to tighten our belts to live after paying taxes, and from time to time, gangs came to rob us, snatching the girls in the village to sell to brothels."

"But ever since Sage Xia Mingyu came to the Southern Region, the brothels were destroyed, those poor girls were able to return to their hometowns, and the bullying gangs were even caught in the dungeon together with the nobles behind them."

"I heard that there will be public executions in the town in a few days, I... I... I have lived for decades, and this is the first time I have heard of someone wanting to behead nobles for the sake of commoners. This is definitely not the lord's will, but the will of that sage lord!"

Under the illumination of the bonfire, the old man's expression even had a hint of a pilgrim.

"The only pity is that the villagers in our village all want to carve a stone statue of Sage Lord to express their gratitude, but they don't know the appearance of Sage Lord, which is truly a pity!"

The old man's tone was full of regret.

Hearing his words, Berg and Anliya couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle, while Xia Mingyu felt his scalp tingle with embarrassment.

"Old sir, can you allow us to join the bonfire party?"

Looking at the fiercely burning bonfire, and the beautiful girl beside him, Xia Mingyu, who had meditated in the carriage for a whole day, couldn't help but feel a bit itchy.

"It is the honor of our village that you can visit our party, please." The old man raised his hand to welcome him respectfully.

He wouldn't be stupid enough to refuse a noble to his face. Although the sage brought them blessings, he wasn't always by their side. Commoners and nobles are always in a superior and inferior position.

Under the orange-red bonfire light, Xia Mingyu danced with the girl's hand.

This time he didn't rely on his mind wandering, but tried hard to coordinate his body and keep up with the girl's pace.

Although he couldn't dance as perfectly as last time, he was really happy!

His fingertips felt the coolness of the girl's skin, as if touching the morning dew.

The girl's white dress glowed with a soft luster in the firelight, and the skirt fluttered gently with the night wind, as light as mist under the moonlight.

Her golden hair shimmered with delicate brilliance in the firelight, and her deep blue eyes reflected the reflection of the young man, her white cheeks slightly blushing, how beautiful!

Xia Mingyu forgot the fatigue of the day, he just wanted to hold the girl and dance a dance to his heart's content.

And Berg, who was drinking alone at a wooden table, was also taken a fancy to by a girl in the village and invited to dance.

The emerald green blessing, the strong body, the angular face that had already left behind the immaturity, was undoubtedly the most eye-catching man in this party besides the handsome black-haired young man.

Berg hesitated for a moment, and having not been in contact with the opposite sex, he finally agreed.

Because his father told him that women are natural hunters. He didn't quite understand, but perhaps he could learn a little hunting experience from this girl.

So a moment later, he also danced by the bonfire holding the girl's hand.

Thanks to the hunter's extraordinary body coordination, he even danced much better than Xia Mingyu.

Just when the atmosphere was at its hottest, someone started singing the *Sage's Praise* left by a bard who passed through the village some time ago. It is said that he had witnessed the sage with his own eyes and investigated and recorded the sage's good deeds.

"Listen, the wind blows through the Southern Region, bringing legends from afar~"

"A sage, he walks between the worlds, his steps firm and silent~"

"He once stepped into that filthy place, deep in the shadows of the brothel~"

"It is full of greed and sin, and pure souls are bound by desire~"

"Oh—Red Rose in the Black Thorns, he tears open the tumor under the velvet curtain, letting the shackles of the prostitutes fly away as ashes~"

"The crazy peasant woman who lost her child, wildly shouting that the sage is her child, people thought she was going to face swords, but it was his hug and blessing~"

"For he knows, truth and justice, belong to the king and also to the beggar, belong to every soul bathing in starlight~"

"Respectfully, sing for that black-haired black-eyed sage~"

As they sang, the villagers gradually found something wrong.

Black-haired black-eyed people looked at the young man who was dancing with all his heart while holding a girl by the bonfire, and their eyes gradually became strange.

So, when Xia Mingyu finished dancing and was about to embrace and kiss Anliya, he found that everyone in the village was focusing on him, and that gaze was surprised and full of reverence.

"Noble lord, could it be that you are Sage Xia Mingyu who brought us blessings and cleared away sins?"

The previous old man came to Xia Mingyu tremblingly, asking with excitement.

Xia Mingyu: "."

Sometimes being too famous is not a good thing!

Blade City.

After being promoted to Transcendent Knight, Leo hadn't relaxed for a few days before he and a group of colleagues in the castle were assigned a task—suppressing rioters.

"We want black bread, give us back our grain!"

Hundreds of rioters surged toward the street like a tide, and kept moving forward. Unsurprisingly, their final destination was the center of Blade City—Red Fox Castle.

They were all skin and bones, their faces thin and pale, their eye sockets sunken, holding wooden sticks, stones, and rusty farm hoes, their expressions full of anger and despair.

And standing in front of them were Transcendent Knights wearing fine armor, wearing fine steel helmets, and covered tightly, revealing only a pair of eyes.

Behind these knights were hundreds of soldiers wearing leather armor and cold eyes holding spears.

"One more step forward, kill without mercy," the leading knight captain said coldly.

The rioters hesitated for a moment, then rushed like a tide again. Hunger had already made them lose their reason and forget the sharpness of swords.

"Seeking death, everyone, go!" The knight captain's eyes turned cold, he ordered and took the lead to rush over with his sword.

Clang, clang, clang!

Accompanied by the whistling sound of swords, the sword blade pierced flesh, bringing up pieces of blood.

The rioters' roar was instantly drowned out by screams, stones and wooden sticks were easily bounced off on the armor, having no effect.

Under the great power of the Transcendent Knight, these rioters instantly wailed and wanted to escape, but could only fall one by one, and the blood stained the stone slabs red.

"Hmph, let's see if you dare to ask for bread."

The knight captain retracted his long sword that had been stained red with satisfaction, but then found that a knight had not moved for a long time, but knelt beside a dying rioter with a dull expression.

Damn, a knight kneeling beside a commoner, what kind of system is this?!

The knight captain's already relaxed brows furrowed tightly again.

Suppressing rioters?!

At first, when he received this task, Leo was excited and excited.

For one thing, this was the first knight task he had received after staying in Red Fox Castle for so many years, which was undoubtedly the recognition of him by the castle and Count Martha.

For another, the word rioter, at a glance, shows that they are some ferocious villains. As a knight, he should naturally clear away sins!

However, it wasn't until he came to the scene in person and confronted the "rioters" that all his fantasies and excitement were broken.

Can the skin-and-bones people in front of him, wearing old hemp clothes and shivering in the cold wind, just wanting a piece of black bread mixed with wood chips, really be called "rioters"?

Even, he saw many companions of the same age from the slums among these "rioters". Although they definitely couldn't recognize the Brown-Nose in full armor now, he could still recognize them.

So Leo was completely stunned. He didn't follow the knight's duty to obey orders, completely ignored the knight captain's order, and just stood there blankly.

It wasn't until a familiar scream woke him up that he noticed that a rioter who fell to the ground not far away, with his heart pierced and bleeding, was the neighbor uncle who had actually given him food when he was young!

"Uncle Balun, do you still remember me? I am Brown-Nose!"

He walked over staggeringly and knelt beside the other party, asking with a hint of crying.

The dying man looked at the tall knight in front of him, and it took a long time to find the figure of the timid boy.

The man raised his blood-stained finger with difficulty, wrote a "Na" character on the ground with all his strength, and then closed his eyes and made no sound.

Leo understood his meaning in an instant. Shana was the daughter of neighbor Uncle Balun. Although she often hated him for often going to Uncle Balun to ask for food, she would always quietly hand him a small piece of black bread when leaving.

"Leo, are you okay?"

At this time, the knight captain walked over. He originally wanted to scold him first, but after recognizing Leo's identity, his tone softened a lot, even with a hint of concern.

After all, in the daily training in the training ground, Leo was the most hardworking.

And qualifying as a Transcendent Knight before the age of sixteen with a commoner blessing, if there is no accident, he will definitely be able to achieve Morning Star Knight in the future to replace his position and be loyal to the lord.

However, unexpectedly, Leo suddenly stood up and pushed him away, running away in a hurry.

Knight Captain: "???"

Slums.

Leo came here again after a long absence. Unlike before, it was more desolate now, and the people living here were more skin and bones, and could even be said to be only one layer of skin left.

His armor attracted many people's attention. This gaze was vigilant and carried thick hatred, making Leo's whole body numb.

Following his childhood memories, he found his old tattered home, which had now become the residence of a group of stray cats.

And next door was Uncle Balun's home. He entered the door in a panic, only to see a skin-and-bones girl lying on the cold ground.

Her cheeks were deeply sunken, her skin was pale to the point of transparency, and the blue blood vessels under the skin were faintly visible.

Those once bright eyes were now half-open, her eyes were scattered, as if she couldn't see anything.

The girl's body was so thin that it was almost just a layer of skin wrapped around bones, and her ribs were clearly visible under her thin clothes, as if they would pierce her skin at any time.

Leo tremblingly placed his finger on the girl's nose. Although the knowledge he had learned as a knight over the years could already enable him to identify dead people, he was still craving a miracle, just like when he, who had nothing, met the Prince.

However, this time, no miracle happened.

In an instant, the world spun, and Leo fell to the ground, only feeling his brain blank...

After burying Shana, Leo didn't know how he returned to Red Fox Castle.

He just kept walking with his head down, and when he bumped his head, he changed his position and walked, and walked back to Red Fox Castle inexplicably.

As soon as he returned to the castle, he ushered in the most severe punishment ever—locked in solitary confinement for a full month!

Ignoring orders, contradicting superiors, maliciously leaving the mission, returning late... multiple crimes were punished together. If it were other knights, they might have already been stripped of their armor and expelled from the castle.

That he could still stay in the castle was already because the young lady Rosa kept pleading for him.

But even so, being locked in solitary confinement for a full month was by no means an easy thing.

Because there was almost no sunlight in the solitary confinement room, and no one was allowed to talk to him, including the servants who delivered meals.

This would undoubtedly create great psychological pressure on the people inside, and there were even precedents of people going crazy after being locked in the solitary confinement room for too long.

In the solitary confinement room.

Leo lay on the cold floor, and it was so dark that he couldn't see his fingers.

In this small and quiet space, his body was indeed painful, but it was still not as painful as his heart, which seemed to be entangled by countless vines.

Each vine was a question to his heart. 【96

Why am I training so hard? Is it just to oppress my fellow countrymen?

Why didn't I return to the slums sooner to save Uncle Balun and Shana? I clearly could have done it.

It was Count Masha who stole everyone's grain. Should I kill him to avenge Uncle Balun? But he is Miss Rosa's father; I cannot return kindness with enmity.

Ah! How selfish, how ugly, and how lecherous I am...

One inner questioning after another caused him to roll back and forth on the ground in pain, as if he were in a hell more oppressive than death.

As his consciousness gradually blurred, he saw that torch burning fiercely once again.

Starfire Hall.

On the twelve black prisms, the torch on the second prism from the right flickered uncertainly.

After being drunk by the villagers who had learned of his identity as a Sage and were frantically offering him toasts, Xia Mingyu had come here.

At this moment, Lio was squatting alone in the corner of the hall, while Tamerlane and Hagek Kesi stood behind him, looking at him with worry.

"Your Majesty, Lio has not said a word since he arrived here. He seems very sad."

Seeing Xia Mingyu appear, Tamerlane walked to his side and whispered, as if he had grasped a life-saving straw.

In the days of teaching, he and the desperately training Lio had gradually developed a master-disciple bond, and he had also sensed some secrets from the boy's nervous expressions whenever he wanted to speak but couldn't.

He knew that this secret was known only to the Prince, and therefore only the Prince could soothe Lio at this moment.

"Leave it to me, Tamerlane, Hagek Kesi. You may withdraw for today and have a good dream."

Xia Mingyu said calmly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The two bowed slightly, and then their bodies gradually became transparent until they disappeared.

Subsequently, Xia Mingyu silently took out that copy of *Biography of the Crimson Fire* again from the very bottom of the bookshelf, where it had been covered by a pile of books.

(End of chapter)