Chapter 1512: Beheaded by His Own People

The surrender footage from Dongke Xing spread rapidly within the Nanjing Xingyu.

Within hours of receiving that footage, the administrative systems of eight planets began accelerating preparations for disarmament documents, and other subordinate planets in the territories of Talian and Tuermeng followed suit with the same operations.

By the third day, among the six noble houses that had originally supported Kusilei, all jurisdictions except for Kusilei's own territory had publicly stated they were abandoning resistance and had completed disarmament according to the Dongke Xing standard.

Kusilei stood before the Holographic Star Map in the main hall; the map of the Southern Border territory on the screen was already unrecognizable.

Within his own territory, four of the six planets had already submitted declarations of disarmament, with only Lanos itself and one peripheral mining planet remaining in Silence.

If they hadn't backed down at the last minute, we wouldn't have ended up like this.

Kusilei turned around and faced the few remaining staff members in the main hall.

After Tuermeng knelt, Talian followed suit, and then everyone knelt. If they had held out for two more days, held out until my fleet had finished assembling, the situation would not be like this.

The few staff members before Kusilei did not speak, continuing to speak.

The fleet size of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance is indeed large, but their supply lines are stretched very thin. If their supplies cannot keep up, then as long as we cut in from the flank and sever their logistics lines, they will be forced to retreat.

Retreating would reveal flaws; I have calculated all of this, but no one was willing to wait for that window of time.

He pressed his finger against the green light representing Lanos on the star map.

Even the planets under my own command have started to surrender. They saw that Dongke Xing was not destroyed, saw that they could survive after surrendering, and started secretly sending me declarations of disarmament. Four planets, all of them completed the process without my knowledge, without even notifying me once!

The staff member at the door raised his head and spoke.

My lord, we no longer have a chance to turn the tide. All five noble houses have surrendered, four planets in the territory have disarmed themselves, and the defensive forces of Lanos are no longer sufficient to resist the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance. The fleet is moving toward Lanos and is expected to enter orbit tomorrow.

Kusilei turned his head to look at that staff member.

So you also want to tell me to surrender?

"No, my lord."

Just as Kusilei was about to rebuke his staff member, a burst of shouting suddenly came from outside the mansion.

Kusilei listened carefully to the intermittent sounds coming from outside.

Hand Kusilei over to Xiuluo to trade for our lives...

What is going on outside?

A crashing sound came from the direction of the main entrance. Kusilei walked quickly toward the main door of the hall, but before his hand could touch the door handle, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Three guards wearing dark gray uniforms entered. The one in the lead was burly; he was the Deputy Captain of Kusilei's mansion guard, and the two behind him were guards on duty.

Kusilei's gaze fell on the Deputy Captain's face, and he questioned him.

What are you trying to do? Are you trying to rebel?!

The Deputy Captain stared at Kusilei's chest and spoke.

My lord, the soldiers in the plaza have all mutinied. They said if you die, everyone can use your head as a gift of atonement so that the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance will stop attacking Lanos. They said that your life alone can trade for everyone else's life; this is a good deal.

Hearing this, Kusilei took a step back and said loudly.

You are my guards! I pay your wages, arrange your housing, and moved your families from the mining planets to the main planet to live! You are going to betray me now?

The Deputy Captain continued.

My lord, we don't want to do this either. But the soldiers outside are already rushing in. Once they storm the mansion, they won't just kill you. They will kill everyone who stands in their way, including the three of us; we have no choice.

Kusilei turned and ran toward the passage on the side of the main hall. That passage led to the backup Landing Pad in the mansion's backyard, where a small shuttle was parked, enough for him alone to escape the Lanos atmosphere.

But before he had fully turned the corner of the passage, the three guards had already caught up.

The Deputy Captain grabbed Kusilei's shoulder from behind and yanked him backward. Kusilei lost his balance, and his back slammed into the corridor wall.

The other two guards closed in from both sides, restrained Kusilei, and carried him back toward the main hall.

Kusilei's legs kicked against the ground, and his roars echoed in the corridor.

Let me go! You let me go! If I leave, you can say I fled, you can push everything onto me! Let go...

"My lord, just give up; at least you can let us live."

The Deputy Captain walked in front and pushed open the main door of the hall; the plaza outside was already packed with people.

Kusilei was carried out of the main hall, and the Deputy Captain brought him to the open space in the center of the plaza and released him simultaneously with the other two guards.

Kusilei stood in place, surrounded by the lowly people who usually obeyed his every command, now encircling him; there was no path left for him to leave.

The Deputy Captain stepped back two paces, stood about five steps behind Kusilei, and drew a short blade from his waist.

Kusilei heard the sound of metal leaving its sheath.

He turned around, but before he could speak, the Deputy Captain's short blade had already slashed over from the side. The blade cut through the air, cut through the skin on the side of his neck, and continued to push inward.

The entire process lasted less than half a second.

Kusilei's body stiffened after the blade entered; his eyes were wide open, the focus of his pupils dissipated rapidly, and he fell face-down onto the ground.

The Deputy Captain sheathed the short blade, looked at the body on the ground that was no longer moving, then turned to face the soldiers and civilians in the plaza and shouted loudly.

Kusilei has been executed. Now, clear the body, contact the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, and tell them that Lanos has completely surrendered, that Kusilei himself has been executed by us, and that we will disarm completely.

A burst of cheers erupted in the plaza.

"Hahaha, Kusilei is finally dead!"

"That idiot wanted to drag us to our deaths, we don't want that!"

"We can live now!!!"

Several soldiers wearing city defense uniforms stepped forward, lifted Kusilei's body from the ground, and placed it on a flatbed transport vehicle.