The mystic surnamed Ji had been frightened to death, his organs crushed by Roy's overwhelming aura. In the world of Campione, these mystics were nothing more than ordinary magicians. With Roy's power at the peak of a Campione, he could have turned the man to dust with a mere flick of his fingers.
Roy's left hand shot out, seizing Song Yi, the former Prime Minister of Chu, who was so terrified his courage failed him. Stumbling and falling to the ground, he screamed for help, scrambling desperately to crawl away.
To Roy, since this Prime Minister of Chu had conspired with King Huai Xiong Xin, he was already a dead man. Roy's left hand clamped onto the back of Song Yi's neck, and with a slight squeeze, the assembled high-ranking officials of Chu heard the sickening crack of his spine snapping.
Roy lifted Song Yi's corpse with his left hand and tossed it aside like a rag, sending it crashing into a row of tables.
"Help, someone help!!"
Xiong Xin cried out in terror. From outside the chamber came urgent shouts as King Huai of Chu's personal guards and alchemists immediately rushed in, throwing the entire hall into chaos.
Liu Ji watched the chaotic scene and gritted her teeth as she rose from her seat. Without hesitation, she condemned the guards of King Huai of Chu, "Who are you? How dare you barge into General Xiang's residence uninvited? You deserve death!"
Xiao He tried to grab Liu Ji but was a step too slow. Seeing her draw her sword and start killing, he groaned inwardly and quickly ducked under the table. As a civil official, the best he could do in the midst of this chaos was to try to stay alive.
Though Liu Ji's martial skills couldn't compare to those of the fierce generals, her time training in the military camp had made her far stronger than the average guard. Moreover, the razor-sharp sword in her hand effortlessly cleaved through the weapons of King Huai's personal guards with each clash. Fueled by sheer courage, she managed to cut down several men in the narrow passage.
When the occultists saw Liu Ji's prowess, they attempted to use their mystical arts against her. Yet, every spell they cast had no effect on her, leaving them momentarily stunned.
One of the more knowledgeable occultists took a closer look and exclaimed in alarm, "This woman possesses the bloodline of the Red Dragon! Ordinary spells are useless against her, and the sword she wields is no ordinary weapon either. Everyone, be careful!"
Liu Ji possessed the bloodline of the Red Dragon, granting her an exceptionally high resistance to magic. Common spells and mystic arts had no effect on her. Moreover, she wielded the "Sword of Imperial Path" of Huaxia, making such mystic arts mere child's play in her presence.
At first, Liu Ji was startled by the bizarre and peculiar mystic arts—lightning flashing and thunder rumbling everywhere. But when she realized these attacks did absolutely nothing to her, she smirked in triumph and charged straight into the crowd of sorcerers. It was like a tiger pouncing into a flock of sheep.
"Petty tricks, all flash and no substance! You sorcerers are truly a blight upon the nation!"
She cut down several of them, sending the sorcerers wailing in terror. Facing someone nearly immune to magic, these sorcerers were simply out of luck.
Meanwhile, Roy didn't resort to any supernatural means either. Relying solely on his martial prowess and strength, he wielded his demonic spear and swiftly slaughtered King Huai of Chu's elite guards to the last man. The hundred or so rigorously trained soldiers stood no chance against Roy—none could withstand even a single strike. In mere moments, the grand hall was littered with corpses, the floor awash with blood.
Seeing Roy standing amidst the carnage without a single drop of blood on him, having effortlessly slain all those elite soldiers like a demon king descended upon the world, the previously restless high-ranking officials of Chu and rebel leaders fell silent. They averted their eyes, each praying Roy wouldn't notice them.
"Xiang Ji… you can't kill me! I am King Huai of Chu! Slaying me is regicide—the world will never accept you!"
King Huai of Chu, Xiong Xin, was so terrified he wet himself, trembling on the ground as he wailed.
If Roy truly intended to become emperor, he would naturally care about his reputation. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't resort to such a ruthless method of overturning the board. But Roy had no intention of becoming emperor in the first place, so his reputation mattered little. In fact, the worse his reputation, the more it served his purpose.
"Too late! Had you been smarter, I wouldn't have killed you—at most, I'd have kept you under house arrest for the rest of your life. But since you chose the path to hell, then to hell you shall go!"
Roy had already decided to kill King Huai the moment he mentioned Yu Ji. Had the king refrained from mentioning her and continued playing the political game, Roy would have humored him. But since he chose the wrong path, Roy showed no mercy.
Roy seized King Huai, twisted his arm slightly, and tore his head clean off. Tossing the corpse aside, he lifted the severed head with his left hand and turned to face the gathered Chu nobility, laughing loudly.
"...Now that King Huai of Chu is dead, I shall be the 'Hegemon-King of Western Chu.' Who among you supports this? Who opposes?"
The Chu officials exchanged uneasy glances. The hall was so silent one could hear a pin drop, the air thick with the nauseating stench of blood. Severed limbs littered the ground, and some civil officials couldn't hold back their vomit, covering their mouths in horror. Everyone stared at Roy in fear.
Liu Ji was the first to react. She dropped to one knee, clasping her fists in salute.
"...All hail the Hegemon-King!"
The other Chu officials snapped out of their daze and hastily knelt, echoing loudly.
"...All hail the Hegemon-King!"
At this point, anyone who dared oppose would likely share King Huai's fate...
Although Roy's methods were cruel, forcing these people to submit out of fear, as long as he maintained his strength, they wouldn't dare to defy him.
Liu Ji knelt on the ground and exhaled. She hadn't expected Roy to seize power in Chu using such methods, which could easily destabilize the regime. But since Roy had already acted, she had to find a way to help him stabilize the situation.
'Is the King of Xiang doing all this for Lady Yu?'
Liu Ji thought to herself, feeling a mix of envy and jealousy.
Just then, she suddenly sensed Roy looking at her. Liu Ji cautiously raised her head and indeed saw Roy smiling at her, his eyes holding a profound meaning. She quickly lowered her head again, her heart pounding, her fair and delicate face flushing crimson.
'H-he couldn't be doing this for me, could he?'
Liu Ji had an epiphany. Roy had previously used various means to boost her reputation, and now he ruled Chu with cruel and domineering tactics—wasn't that the complete opposite of the benevolent image she, Liu Ji, projected?
At this realization, Liu Ji didn't know whether to feel happy or sad. Happy because Roy's actions might be for her sake, but sad because she still couldn't fully grasp why he was doing this. Deep down, she sensed it wasn't something that would bring her joy.
"The world has long suffered under Qin, and the tyranny of the Second Emperor surpasses even the First Emperor's. This is the time for all enlightened men to rise against the Qin's cruelty. Yet King Huai, petty and narrow-minded, fails to see the bigger picture. At such a critical moment, he still seeks power and profit—such despicable behavior! I killed him as a warning to all, lest we forget our true purpose!"
Roy sneered as he addressed the high-ranking officials of Chu. His words sent a chill down their spines. They had assumed Roy was merely a reckless tyrant who had committed regicide, but now it seemed he had long been aware of King Huai's treachery and had orchestrated this entire scheme. His sharp mind far surpassed ordinary men, leaving them even more wary and fearful.
"Our plan to attack Qin remains unchanged. I will personally lead the army to rescue Zhao, drawing the main Qin forces there. Liu Ji, in the name of the 'Hegemon-King of Western Chu,' I confer upon you the title of Marquis of Wu'an. You shall lead troops westward to seize Guanzhong. I hereby vow that if you conquer Guanzhong, I will grant you the land and title you as the 'King of Han!'"
The moment his words fell, the entire hall was stunned.