Chapter 11: A Question Amidst A Massacre

Wei stood stiff in between a fat noble and an effeminate looking merchant. They squished him from both sides trying to stay as far away as they could from the men in the dark armor. The loyalists were staying as close to the king’s throne as possible but they still maintained a healthy distance from the imperial guards.

Luckily escaping the encirclement hadn’t been difficult.

From the fiercely burning hatred that the king was no longer even trying to conceal We deduced that every single one of his targets were known and accounted for. When the king had ordered those, who had meetings with him to come to his side Wei had immediately moved along with them.

Clearly the king had been planning this for a while and had clear targets in mind. There were about one hundred and fifty armed enforcers covering all exits. They all clearly had designated targets. With a few easy strides Wei moved along with the rest of the loyalist under the protection of the king.

The air was still and the entire room held a teetering balance. Violence could erupt at any time.

 The traitorous nobles and merchants were surrounded. Boxed in all sides.

“Cut them down! They are the last of the traitors, their families have already been dealt with to the last man. Show them no mercy,” the king ordered. His words sealing their fates.

He already killed their families did he really have to tell them about it in their last moments? This is why I don’t like King Chen An. His needless cruelty will come back to bite him one day.

The enforcers moved slowly, step by step – seeming in no particular hurry, mentally tormenting the traitors. They traitor were indecisive about whether they should fight or make another bid to escape. Their hesitance cost them greatly. From the beginning Wei knew how the coming confrontation would end. He could see the fear practically pouring off of them. They were like skittish animal’s ready to bolt at the slightest movement.

The enforcers faces were filled with a deranged fanaticism, no anticipation or dread was visible on their faces. Wei found this to be very disturbing.

Wei really hated things he didn’t understand. He started to pay close attention to every move of the enforcers. They didn’t move, simply grinning seemingly idly waiting for something.

 This didn’t seem to correlate with what he had heard about people whose only job was to kill. The consensus was that usually these people either derived pleasure from killing – the psychos or were completely detached from it and viewed it as simply a job – the professional. At first glance Wei thought that they may have been ‘professionals’ but upon looking a bit longer he noticed that they were too excited.

They were eager to start.

It showed from the twitching of their hands and the constant flicker of their eyes in a single direction. So, they have a leader. If I wasn’t watching closely I wouldn’t have noticed he doesn’t have anything different about him that sets him apart. Even his uniform is standard.

Interesting. Why is he the leader?

Just as Wei was observing the leader of the enforcers it happened.

A break in the stalemate.

A young merchant wearing light yellow robes made a run for it. Dashing with surprising speed he headed towards a side exit with only two enforcers guarding it. He had not made it ten steps when one of the enforcers moved to intercept him. The enforcer moved with a strange gait every step seemed to put him directly in the young merchant’s path. The young merchant tried to shake him off but quickly found out it was impossible.

Seeing no other choice, the young merchant resolutely drew his sword. Wei could see it in his eyes, the determination and will to never give up without a fight. His conviction.

He intends to take the enforcer down with him. Wei found himself watching the face-off with baited breath, hoping for the young man to overcome the odds, to show him something spectacular, a miracle. Something that could convince Wei that he wasn’t only lucky. That other people could change their fates too.

The merchant lunged and the enforcer blocked his sword with one of his own. The exchange was loud the clanging of the two swords filling the room.

There was no second exchange.

A sick squelch sounded out suddenly, the young merchant had been stabbed right through the back, the second enforcer having circled around the moment the young man’s eyes were off him. Wei saw him smile, his eyes filled with glee. “At least pay attention when your surrounded ya dumb fuck. Do you think this is an honor duel or something? Every one of you bastards listen up. You have to make this a bit of a challenge for us otherwise it would be very boring. An easy victory has no meaning.  Understand! Now who’s next.” He shouted looking around eagerly for his next victim. With a slight grunt, he pulled his sword from the young man’s chest, the movement looking very practiced and natural.

With nothing supporting him the young man fell down with a small thud. The enforcer paid him no mind seemingly preoccupied with the blood on his blade. His sword was covered in crimson blood, every couple of seconds a drop of blood would form at the tip and fall.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The young man’s death set off the rest of the traitors. They all drew their weapons and charged towards the enforcers. Trying to make their deaths and that of their children mean something. Anything was preferable to standing around and doing nothing. Their only desire now was to try to kill their executioners.

Hm. In the end only power matters first and foremost. Especially when there are people like this in the world willing to kill at a single world from a monarch who’s never fought a day in his life.

But that too is a  kind of power.

The throne room quickly devolved into chaos. The clashing and clanking of weapons mixed with the wails and cries of the dying to form an eerie melody. The fighting was quick and dirty. The traitors were being killed like curs. Not a whit of mercy or even swift deaths were granted in the savagery of the enforcers onslaught. Men, women, the elderly all fell before them like wheat before a scythe. None were spared.

And from above his lavish throne the king watched every moment with a genuinely happy smile. His face shining like that of a man released of a heavy burden. All the while the traitors continued to be whittled down. Dying ignoble deaths while their killers smiled their armor stained red.

While the traitors panicked and begged entreaties to the king the enforcers kept on butchering everything in their way. However, this alone wasn’t enough to explain the utter destruction of the traitors. Logically amidst the chaos at least two or three enforcers should have fallen, however the results spoke of something completely different.

Not a single enforcer had died. The worst any of them had was a deep stab wound in his shoulder and that was more likely due to luck than anything else.

The biggest reason Wei realized was due to skill and mindset. Most of the nobles fought with flowery moves designed more to look impressive than to deal actual damage. They also never regained their composure, from the first death until the current situation the traitors had been panicking. Meanwhile the enforcers used any means necessary to kill their targets. No mercy or hesitation was shown and every blow was a killing blow.

The fighting started to die down as the last of the traitors were disposed of in increasingly grotesque and creative ways.

All the while Wei watched them. Especially the leader. Early on Wei had realized why the leader was the leader.

Simply put he was an excellent killer. He was just very good at it. Whereas sometimes one of the enforcers struggled to make a quick kill due to interference or some other circumstance. Their leader who Wei had mentally dubbed Smoke moved like a snake every one of his blows lethal. He seemed to be trying to perfect some type of movement in battle, but Wei with his meager experience couldn’t tell what.

In his eyes smoke was one of the most terrifying mortal he had met up to date. I wonder if he could take Lady Seer he thought absently and almost laughed at the notion. Oops better be more contentious, laughing at a massacre is not acceptable Wei he reprimanded himself.

It was a disturbed face that Wei realized that he felt nothing at the sight of the ensuing massacre. When I seriously need to look into this heavenly treasure it is changing me more and more every day. But I’d still take who I am now over who I was before any day.

Still, anything that affects my mind needs to be thoroughly understood or else it’ll really screw me over one day.

A few minutes later the last of the traitors died impaled through the mouth and out of his rear like a spit pig. Wei found that to be in poor taste especially considering how fat the man in question was. Immediately all the enforcers dropped to one knee in tandem leaving only the leader standing.

“We have disposed of all the traitors your majesty. I hope we have met your expectations,” the leader said voice reverent.

“You have done well, I am very impressed by your men Shuang Min. You have exceeded all of my expectations. I will reward you accordingly,” King Chen An said voice filled with barely concealed joy.

“All we require is your thanks your majesty. That is more than enough,” Shuang Min replied sounding even more zealous.

“We will discuss later, for now stand aside, Imperial guards, clean up this mess.” The King ordered imperiously. “Yes, your majesty,” they replied and head off towards the edge of the hall and the bodies respectively.

 Watching this exchange Wei felt intrigued. What could Chen An whose a fairly run of the mill king have done to earn the devout loyalty of such a dangerous individual. According to the rumors King Chen An is a reckless king who cares little for the rumors about him. Unlike the majority of Chen’s throughout recent history who valued their reputation above all else. He is neither skilled in strategy, politics or combat so how has he acquired the loyalty of this dangerous individual and his highly capable men?

Wei’s eyes darted between Chen An and Shuang Min quickly. Seeing the wide smile on King Chen An’s face Wei couldn’t withhold his curiosity. Weighing the chances Wei decided that risking it was worth it. It was a simple plan and to the point.

Since the king is in such a great mood after crushing his enemies.

 I’ll just ask him directly.