Chapter 45 45: Just How Many Of You Are There?
Watching the youngster's head fall, King Wu was even more shaken. He was sure that this was the work of the Executioner, but he didn't even manage to see how he did it!
It was evident that the guy was scarier than he had expected!
Ye Han's gaze betrayed no hint of emotion. To the rest of the hall, he appeared like an icy figure devoid of feeling, merely following Xu Shan. It was only Xu Shan and the Emperor who had witnessed glimpses of Ye Han's softer side.
Xu Shan cast a quick look at the lifeless body lying at his feet. He was already aware of Ye Han's formidable abilities, yet witnessing them in action never failed to amaze him.
"This-"
The guards were filled with terror as they pondered the circumstances surrounding the young man's death, seemingly at the hands of the two trespassers.
Despite their apprehension, they knew they couldn't simply abandon their posts without risking severe punishment - even death - at the hands of the King. They steeled themselves to carry out their duties, their fear still palpable despite their efforts to remain stoic.
Despite their trembling hands, the guards bravely raised their weapons and positioned themselves between Xu Shan and the King.
"You fools, sto-" the King exclaimed, but before he could even finish, all his guards dropped to the ground. A similar phenomenon took place. No one saw how it happened, but all the guards had their bodies split in half, falling to the ground.
Throughout the time, Xu Shan hadn't stopped walking at his unhurried pace.
"I think I can finally see why my father pays so much attention to you." He spoke, momentarily glancing at Ye Han, as if none of what happened had mattered to him.
The eldest princess' complexion turned pale. She was fixated on becoming more powerful; however, she had never encountered any violent scenes in her life. Witnessing such a sight was a new and terrifying experience for her, stirring up a feeling of fear that she had never felt before.
As she was the Princess, she didn't experience any fear all her life. People only fawned over her and her security was always maintained since no one had the guts to try to harm a Royal.
Her life had been sheltered so far, but now, she got a glimpse of how scary the world could be, and a shiver ran down her spine. As she nervously held her hands, one could see a faint tremble.
Everyone at the birthday celebration was equally perplexed. Although they were among the most powerful individuals in the Kingdom, they couldn't discern Ye Han's movements, let alone comprehend how the guards had met their demise.
They were certain that acting rashly would lead them to suffer the same consequences as the guards, leaving them feeling helpless.
"Apologies for making your floor dirty." Xu Shan's voice pierced through the eerie silence of the room.
He strolled past the poorly attired youth in the hallway, scarcely giving him a glance. Unless someone impeded his way, there seemed no reason to divert his attention.
As he passed by Ji Yang, he couldn't help but overhear Xinren's bewildered tone. "Another one? It doesn't seem to add up. What in the world is going on?"
'What another one?' Xu Shan asked through his thoughts.
"I feel another familiar aura, this time coming from the guy you just walked past." Xinren appeared next to Xu Shan. The evident perplexity displayed on her face suggested that something was amiss and she was struggling to comprehend it.
'Another Familiar Aura?' Xu Shan frowned, stopping in his tracks. 'You know, whenever you say that, it means only bad news for me. Don't tell me it's another book. Just how many of you are there in total?'
As he conversed with Xinren, he felt the urge to glance back and scrutinize the young man he had just crossed paths with. Nevertheless, he suppressed his inquisitiveness, for he had no knowledge about the individual or his capabilities at the moment.
"Y-young Lord!" The King saw Xu Shan standing silently with a frown on his face. It was as if his soul had left his body as soon as he saw that. His guards had already offended the two guests.
Upon observing Xu Shan's expressions, the thought crossed his mind that the young man might be contemplating the destruction of the kingdom.
If the Dynasty wanted them to be destroyed, they didn't even need to take action personally. As long as words spread that the Esti Kingdom had offended them, then to curry their favor, the nearby Kingdoms would've done the work of destroying Esti.
The King hurried over to Xu Shan, momentarily forgetting his regal demeanor. In that moment, he was as humble as a loyal servant before his master.
"Young Lord, I should've killed the guards who dared to offend you! It's my negligence to allow these bastards to work for me! If you want, please punish me! Let my family and my Kingdom live!"
Xu Shan snapped out of his daze upon hearing King Wu's imploring tone. He sensed a hint of desperation in the king's voice and realized that this guy was close to tears.
"I'm not a villain. Why would I kill anyone?" Xu Shan replied, placing his hand on the King's shoulder.
If anyone other than Xu Shan had touched the King in such a way, the consequences would have been severe. However, under Ye Han's protection, no one in the Kingdom would even dare to lay a finger on Xu Shan.
"Anyway, you don't have to worry." Xu Shan finally started walking again. If he wanted to take a good look at the young man again, there was only one seat from where it was possible without raising suspicions.
He walked past the King.
The King raised his head, taken aback. These guys killed his guards without giving it a second thought. Were they really not going to do anything else? He couldn't help but glance back at Xu Shan who appeared to be going where his daughter was standing.
'Did he take a liking to my daughter? Is that why he let us live?' the King was stunned at the thought. If his daughter could marry into the Royal Family of the Eternal Dynasty, that was like reaching straight to heaven from the ground in one step!
Regrettably, the sense of anticipation he felt rapidly dissipated once he realized that Xu Shan paid no attention to his daughter. It became apparent that his focus was solely on reaching his intended destination, which happened to be the throne.
The throne of the Esti Kingdom was a symbol of great importance, representing the dignity and power of their ruler. Traditionally, only the King was allowed to sit upon it. However, despite this protocol, a man approached the throne and boldly took a seat as if he were the monarch himself, showing no hesitance or regard for the kingdom's customs.
Ye Han stood next to the throne. Even though his only job was to protect Xu Shan, he was also here to make sure that no one dared to trample the dignity of the Eternal Dynasty! A Prince couldn't be stopped by mere guards, let alone ones who dared to raise their weapons at him!
Now that Xu Shan was sitting on the throne, he had a better view of the entire Royal Hall. He could finally see the young man.
While Xu Shan was observing him, he noticed that Ji Yang had an ugly expression on his face as he looked blankly in the air before him. This kind of reaction was strange. It was as if Ji Yang was carefully reading something before him in the empty air.