Chapter 371: The Coronation Gift

The crescent moon hangs in the sky, and the starry sky is brilliant.

Inside the mourning hall located in the capital square of Ansili, dim light filters through the stained glass windows, spilling onto the smooth marble floor to form mottled light and shadows.

The air is filled with the faint scent of incense and the smoky smell of candles, creating a solemn and grave atmosphere.

Exquisite tapestries hang on the walls, depicting the history of the kingdom and the glorious moments of King Abdullah, each one telling a legendary story.

In the center of the mourning hall, the King's remains are placed in a transparent crystal coffin, the edges of which are inlaid with golden patterns, shining with a faint light.

The crystal coffin is placed on a high platform, surrounded by pure white lilies; their fragrance drifts gently in the air, bringing a touch of tranquility to this sorrowful space.

Hogan, in full military uniform, stands at one side of the crystal coffin; his face is resolute, yet he cannot hide the smile at the corners of his eyes.

His gaze is fixed on the crystal coffin, as if demonstrating to King Abdullah, or perhaps showing off.

Queen Fatima stands on the other side of the crystal coffin; her thin figure appears exceptionally lonely in the dim light.

Queen Fatima is dressed in a long black gown and wears an exquisite crown; her face is pale and haggard, and her eyes contain undried tears.

She gently places her hand on the crystal coffin, as if feeling her husband's final warmth. Beside the Queen, a young Follower stands quietly, holding a bouquet of fresh roses in her hands, ready to replace the flowers that have begun to wither at any moment.

Rows of benches are placed around the mourning hall for those who come to mourn to sit. The benches are covered with deep red velvet cushions, forming a sharp contrast with the black wooden chair backs.

It is just that there is no one on the benches now, making it appear somewhat desolate.

The wall lamps emit a soft glow, illuminating every corner of the mourning hall.

In a corner of the mourning hall, several clergy members in white vestments, holding Bibles, chant prayers in low voices, praying for the soul of King Abdullah.

Their voices echo in the mourning hall, echoing with the distant church bells, forming a sad and solemn symphony.

The chanting ends, the clergy bow to Hogan and the Queen, and then exit the mourning hall.

For a moment, only Hogan and the Queen remain in the mourning hall; Hogan stops pretending, walks down from the high platform, and sits carelessly on a chair as a Follower enters with dinner and places it in front of Hogan.

"Aren't you going to eat something, Queen?"

Hogan asks while eating, without even raising his head.

Queen Fatima remains unmoved, her sorrowful eyes fixed on Abdullah inside the crystal coffin.

"He is already dead. No matter how much you look at him, he won't come back to life. Instead of commemorating the dead, it is better to curry favor with the living."

Hogan looks up at Queen Fatima, "I have already solved all the problems, including those stubborn officials. Now I am the King of this country. If it weren't for the rule that the country requires the new King to keep vigil for the former King, I wouldn't have dragged it out until now without ascending the throne.

But it won't be long now. After today, there are two more days. After two days, when Abdullah is buried, I will ascend the throne.

By then, whether you choose to leave as Abdullah's widow or choose to continue being the Queen of this country and be my wife, you had better make a decision."

"Let me remind you, Fatima."

Hogan says again: "Laila hasn't been found yet. Your choice determines my attitude toward Laila."

Queen Fatima's tear-reddened eyes moisten again: "Hogan, please don't hurt Laila. You have already gotten what you wanted. Please, for the sake of Laila and Yuri growing up together, don't hurt Laila!"

Hogan takes a sip of red wine and says unhurriedly: "You are wrong, Fatima. There is still one thing I haven't obtained."

Fatima bites her lip, making up her mind. She wipes away her tears, walks down from the high platform, comes to Hogan's side, and sits facing him: "Hogan, as long as you promise me not to hurt Laila, I am willing to continue being the Queen of this country."

Hogan curls his lips into a wicked smile: "Very good, Fatima, a wise choice."

At this moment, Burton walks into the mourning hall, bows to Hogan, and reports: "Your Majesty the King, we found Princess Yuri and Princess Laila at the church."

Queen Fatima's eyes light up, and she is about to ask, but seeing Hogan, she holds it back.

Hogan asks: "Where are they?"

"They ran away."

Burton says: "Princess Yuri grabbed my gun and threatened me with death. I had no choice..."

"Enough." Hogan notices the wound on Burton's neck, waves his hand, and says: "Yuri has that kind of temper. I know my own daughter. If she doesn't want to come back, let her stay outside for a while."

Burton has nothing else to do and exits the mourning hall.

Hogan looks at Queen Fatima: "You heard it, Laila was rescued by Yuri again."

Fatima says nothing, but feels a sense of relief inside.

Although she is still worried about her daughter's safety, she knows Hogan's thoughts even better; now, Laila is actually safer outside than returning to the palace.

Hogan notices the change in Queen Fatima's expression, narrows his eyes, grabs Queen Fatima's arm, and pulls her to King Abdullah's crystal coffin.

"Hogan, what are you doing?"

Queen Fatima rubs her arm and looks at Hogan vigilantly.

"You should call me Your Majesty the King."

Hogan roughly pushes Queen Fatima down; Fatima screams and falls onto the crystal coffin.

"Ho... Your Majesty the King, what are you doing?" Queen Fatima asks tremblingly.

"Since you have already agreed to be my Queen, then start performing the duties of a Queen from tonight. And serving the King in bed is the most basic duty of a Queen. You should know this better than anyone, Fatima."

As Hogan speaks, he lifts Queen Fatima's skirt, and his large hands press down on Fatima's waist.

Queen Fatima is panicked, glances at King Abdullah in the crystal coffin beneath her, and begs: "Please don't do it here! Ho... Your Majesty the King, I will perform the duties of a Queen well, but please don't do it here, please don't do this... boohoo..."

The sense of humiliation makes Queen Fatima cry bitterly. She knows she cannot refuse Hogan; besides humble begging, she can do nothing.

Hogan laughs: "The first time serving in bed must be here; that way it has commemorative significance. You can also just happen to say goodbye to Abdullah and tell him you have already found a better home."

"No! Don't! No!!"

Queen Fatima screams hysterically.

Hogan looks at Abdullah inside the crystal coffin, his smile becoming more excited, and he unbuckles his belt.

"Your Majesty the King is in high spirits."

A gloomy voice comes, Hogan is stunned, suddenly pulls out the gun at his side, and turns around.

"It's you?!"

After seeing the face of the person coming, Hogan is almost scared out of his wits. He forcibly controls his trembling hands, grips the pistol, and aims it at Zanpu Dunzhu.

"You... you actually didn't die?!" Hogan asks in disbelief.

Zanpu Dunzhu wore a black robe, half his face hidden in shadow; he ignored the gun in Hogan's hand, pulled up a chair, sat down, and began to eat the dinner Hogan had not finished.

Hogan noticed Zanpu Dunzhu's empty right sleeve, narrowed his eyes, and said:

"Cult Leader, I don't care how you didn't die, or if you died and came back to life; the situation in Ansili has changed now, our previous deal ended long ago, and besides, you were the one who messed it up."

Zanpu Dunzhu chewed the food in his mouth slowly, exhaled, and then spoke: "On my way here, I already saw it; General Hogan has become the King of Ansili without my help, which is truly remarkable."

"I am not here to cause trouble, but to make a new deal with you, your respected Majesty the King."

Zanpu Dunzhu stood up and performed a standard Ansili salute to Hogan.

Hogan snorted coldly: "I don't need you now, so I will not make any more deals with you."

"This really is the last time; if your respected Majesty the King is willing to make a deal with me, I am willing to hand over my death warriors to you, and tell you the method to control them."

Zanpu Dunzhu panted, lifting the face hidden under his cloak; it was pale and bloodless, and it was clear that he was very weak now.

Hogan's brows twitched, he slowly lowered the gun in his hand, and asked: "What do you want to do?"

Zanpu Dunzhu bowed slightly: "I want your Majesty the King to help me leave Ansili and head to Xia."

"So you mean you want a new identity and a passport to leave the country." Hogan looked Zanpu Dunzhu up and down, "I can help you, but you must hand over the death warriors to me first."

"Your Majesty the King, you can see that I am a cripple now and pose no threat to you at all."

Zanpu Dunzhu shook his empty sleeve and bowed respectfully once more, "You help me head to Xia, and two days from now, on the day of your coronation, I will hand over everything regarding the death warriors to you as a congratulatory gift for your coronation."

Hogan revealed the arrogant smile typical of someone in a high position: "Fine, it's a deal."

………