"Marvelous poem!"
Emperor Zhou exclaimed, his voice filled with joy and emotion.
Nathan Ye did not disappoint; he was a true gentleman, a genuine hero!
Nothing is more sincere than a sacrifice of one's own life.
Nathan Ye's choice left Emperor Zhou feeling deeply moved, and a bit guilty.
In his poem, Nathan Ye spoke of repaying the grace of his sovereign and being willing to die for him. Yet, Emperor Zhou had barely remembered Nathan Ye's name until now.
To be fair, it wasn't really his fault. As emperor, Emperor Zhou had countless scholars under him, and not all could be remembered.
Though Nathan Ye had passed the imperial exams, he wasn't a top scorer, nor did he come from a prominent family—being overlooked was nearly inevitable.
"For him to offer his life for me, and yet I did not even know his name until today..."
Emperor Zhou bit his lip, emotions stirring within him.
In that moment, he made an important decision.
"You are loyal to me, and I will not fail you. Even if I lose my throne, I shall protect you!"
It was a bold, perhaps even overly emotional, decision. As an emperor, Emperor Zhou should prioritize the state over personal emotions, yet at this moment, his heart overruled his mind.
In his mind, if he could not even protect a loyal, righteous official like Nathan Ye, then what was the purpose of his rule?
"An exceptional poem indeed,"
Mark Wiley, the King of Wei, murmured as he recited a few lines to himself, casting a respectful gaze at Nathan Ye.
He sheathed his sword and returned to his place, closing his eyes.
Today, he had done his part and said what he needed to say; the rest no longer concerned him.
Though Immortal Sect was aiming to divide Emperor Zhou's empire, it did not mean there was no strife within the sects themselves. In fact, the Six Kings (Chinese mythology) were full of rivalries and constant border disputes.
Yuhua Sect planned to support the establishment of a seventh kingdom, which had little to do with Mark Wiley, as Wei had its own backer among the sects. Assisting Yuhua Sect had been purely for the sake of a common goal.
Now that he had done his part, the rest was up to Yuhua Sect.
"The sword of Mark Wiley does not slay a true hero!"
He closed his eyes, his heart filled with complicated feelings.
Today, he had met a true hero—how gratifying!
But the hero had refused to join him—how regrettable!
Wei was the most powerful of the Six Kings (Chinese mythology), and Mark Wiley held the highest status among the kings. The other five followed his lead, remaining silent as well.
In any case, they had done what they could, enough to fulfill their duty to Yuhua Sect; the outcome couldn't be entirely their responsibility, after all. Deep down, none of them were particularly eager to see a seventh kingdom emerge, as it would only mean more competition.
The officials fell silent. Six Kings said nothing more.
Nathan Ye was bewildered.
"What's going on?"
He blinked, thoroughly confused.
He had been prepared to provoke them into killing him, but somehow, they held back?
But there was still one person who could take his life!
He suddenly thought of Gavin Tsai He, the master of Yuhua Sect!
Yes, while the officials were merely sycophants and the kings hesitated to break with Emperor Zhou outright, Gavin Tsai had no such scruples.
"Only the Immortal Sect will dare to end me!"
Nathan Ye thought to himself.
Indeed, Gavin Tsai was already furious.
The silence of Six Kings conveyed a disconcerting message.
"These men don't wish to see Yuhua Sect establish a foothold here!"
Gavin Tsai mused, considering the possibility that the sects behind Six Kings might also be reluctant to split their control further.
"Don't think you can obstruct our plans!"
Gavin Tsai growled, his cold eyes fixed on Nathan Ye.
What had been a smooth plan was now falling apart, all because of this insignificant mortal.
Did he really think he could stand in the way of the Immortal Sect?
Gavin Tsai felt his killing intent rise.
"Foolish mortal, hand over the Imperial Seal now, and I may grant you a whole corpse. Refuse, and I'll obliterate your very soul!"
He raised his whisk, each word sharp as a blade, filling the hall with a biting cold.
Some officials were so terrified their teeth chattered, their legs quivering.
"It's over!"
Kenneth, the eunuch, thought despairingly.
"Brother Ye, you shouldn't have defied the Immortal Sect!"
"Master, please don't harm him!"
Emperor Zhou called out, rising to intervene.
Yet Gavin Tsai ignored him.
Standing high above, he looked down on Nathan Ye—a mere mortal, hardly worth a second glance. Killing him was almost beneath him.
"I'll give you three breaths to decide. If you dare refuse, I'll show you the price of defying the Immortal Sect!"
As a cultivator, he possessed methods mortals couldn't fathom, enough to make any suffer an eternity of torment.
"Ah, such a pity. An arm is never a match for the might of a leg."
The officials all sighed in their hearts, sympathetic but accepting. Even if they had once stood opposed to Nathan Ye, seeing him about to die still filled them with regret.
To their surprise, Nathan Ye wasn't scared at all—in fact, he looked even more exhilarated.
"The Immortal Sect is heartless, treating mortals like animals!
"If immortals do not perish, then thieves will never cease!
"The Immortal Sect is the root of all turmoil in this world! You traitors think you can force me to yield?!"
He spoke with earth-shattering force, his words ringing out like thunder, shaking everyone present.
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