The Fu Xiang Emperor went pallid as he recognized the faces of the few persons thrown into the hall.
Shi Dakai drew himself up clumsily from the ground. His face was pale but filled with intense rage. The others thrown into the hall with him were high-ranking Fu Xiang officials, all loyal to the Fu Xiang Emperor.
But now, the Fu Xiang Emperor’s expression was incomparably grim as he looked at them.
Shi Dakai and those officials were all noble in conduct. They respected the Fu Xiang Emperor’s benevolence, and they ground their loyalty on that. But Ruan Quer and the Fu Xiang Emperor’s earlier words had completely torn off their Emperor’s facade of kindness.
From this point onwards, Shi Dakai no longer viewed the Fu Xiang Emperor with deference. His eyes were instead filled with suspicion and overwhelming anger.
The Fu Xiang Emperor had appeared to rule with integrity, but now Ji Fengyan had torn apart his pretense and exposed his ugliness and sins before everyone.
“What a splendid show. Too bad I don’t have time to continue watching.” Ji Fengyan smiled as she looked at the Fu Xiang Emperor’s pale face. She had brought along Mai Ya before she left the Free Valley, and also captured Shi Dakai and other high-ranking officials, to offer them the chance to watch this earth-shaking performance.
The Fu Xiang Emperor looked increasingly grim. It was as if he was witnessing his own fall from the clouds.
Ji Fengyan had shattered his carefully cultivated image beyond salvage at this point.
He had used virtue to gain the support of all those officials, but had also lost them when he discarded his own sense of integrity.
Ji Fengyan walked down from the throne and paused when she passed by the Fu Xiang Emperor. “Like you, your officials have started to understand what it’s like to detest something? Just that their object of disgust has become you.”
The Fu Xiang Emperor’s face was white as he fervently tried to think of a way to recoup the situation.
However…
Ji Fengyan suddenly raised her hand and gripped the Fu Xiang Emperor’s neck.
“Before I leave, I need to settle our scores.” As she spoke, the crisp sound of bones breaking reverberated across the palace hall.
The Fu Xiang Emperor’s neck had been snapped off by Ji Fengyan.
Without any chance to struggle, the Fu Xiang Emperor breathed his last. He had naively thought that Ji Fengyan would really show him mercy. He didn’t know that Ji Fengyan had a vengeful personality and there was no way she would have let him go.
The pale-faced Ruan Quer gave an ear-piercing shriek as the Fu Xiang Emperor collapsed in a heap on the floor.
But Shi Dakai and the rest remained cold in their original spots. They watched without expression as the Fu Xiang Emperor fell.
“It is time to welcome your rightful queen.” Ji Fengyan cast one last glance at the Fu Xiang Emperor’s body. With that final statement, she smiled and left the grand hall without turning back.
The Fu Xiang Emperor had died and his evil deeds exposed. Mai Ya was no longer in danger. Ji Fengyan was confident that Shi Dakai and the other noble officials would know what to do.
However…
She had no time to waste at Fu Xiang anymore. There was another good show waiting for her at the Kingdom of the Sacred Dragon.
It was also time to settle her scores with the Emperor of the Kingdom of the Sacred Dragon!
…