Chapter 88: Execution Imminent, Two Generals?
Chapter 88: Execution Imminent, Two Generals?
"General Murong, here is the latest 'Four Spirits Morning Post' for your review."
A marine approached Murong Jin, presenting a newspaper with both hands.
Murong Jin took the newspaper and saw news about his two children on the front page. A rare, warm smile appeared on his usually stern face.
The Supernova Contest was a nationally watched event.
The news of Qinglong Academy defeating Baihu Academy naturally made it to the front page of major newspapers.
The front page featured not only text but also a picture.
In the picture, the Murong siblings stood with a handsome young man, smiling at the media cameras, celebrating their victory.
The surrounding marines took turns flattering him.
"Young Master Murong and Miss Murong, truly your children!"
"The younger generation will surpass the old, the future is promising for Young Master and Miss!"
"I reckon, in a few years, Miss Murong might become the first female general in Dragon Kingdom's history!"
Murong Jin was secretly delighted but had to maintain a stern military demeanor in the camp.
"Maintain military discipline, no more flattery, get back to training!"
"Yes, General!"
After dismissing the onlookers, Murong Jin went to a tree, repeatedly browsing the newspaper, smiling foolishly.
"Shuo'er and Xin'er have found their paths."
"In the future, these two can certainly inherit my mantle and become excellent marines!"
"But if they don’t want to join the navy, I won't force them..."
The Royal Beastmaster Army of Dragon Kingdom is divided into navy, land, and air forces.
The navy is the hardest to serve in due to the long-term sea deployment, making it difficult to reunite with family, leading to rare gatherings each year.
In the eyes of the world, Murong Jin is a highly decorated naval admiral.
But beneath that aura, he is just a father.
As a father, he is conflicted, wanting the Murong siblings to inherit his mantle but worried that the navy is a hard and tiring life.
"Forget it, once these two graduate from Qinglong Academy, they can choose their own paths."
"Even if they don’t join the navy, working in one of the top five national beastmaster guilds is a good choice, with less danger."
Under the scorching sun, Murong Jin's cloak was lifted, revealing scarred arms.
Scars are said to be a warrior's badge of honor, and by this measure, Murong Jin's body is more decorated than a teenager's face with acne.
This shows that the navy is a tough job.
Moreover, the navy has the highest casualty rate among the three royal forces.
"This young man, not bad talent~"
Murong Jin flipped through the newspaper dozens of times before noticing Xiao Xingyu.
"A hero is not defined by his origins. Though this boy comes from a humble background with no family connections, his talent is remarkable."
"Having classmates and friends like him is a blessing for my Xin'er and Shuo'er."
The newspaper's Xiao Xingyu was Murong Jin’s first impression of him.
However, Murong Jin would never have imagined that this boy on the newspaper had already infiltrated the navy headquarters.
At the edge of Icefire Island, in a dense forest.
A shadow flickered by.
Xiao Xingyu, clad in a black robe, moved clumsily through the woods.
Following him was an extremely seductive vixen.
"Lulu, now that we've landed, I'm feeling more nervous."
"Take a deep breath."
Xiao Xingyu took a deep breath, peering through the forest gaps at the navy headquarters' gates.
At this moment, Murong Jin was still sitting under the tree, repeatedly flipping through the newspaper, occasionally breaking into a silly smile.
"Murong Jin!"
Xiao Xingyu almost shouted but restrained himself.
"Lulu, that man is the Dragon Kingdom's naval admiral, Murong Jin!"
Dai Lu nodded, her expression icy.
"Murong Jin is a nine-star beastmaster, and his beast is the Sea God Leviathan."
The Sea God Leviathan is a rare sea god beast, at the beast god level (first tier), gifted in controlling all marine creatures, the "ultimate weapon" in naval warfare.
"Master, let's stick to the plan, avoiding direct confrontation. Wisdom is key."
"Lulu, I'm feeling a bit awkward~"
"What feels awkward?"
"This Murong General is the father of Liu Jin and Yang Shuo brothers. If a fight breaks out..."
Dai Lu patted Xiao Xingyu's cheek.
"Remember, you are not Xiao Xingyu of Qinglong Academy now."
"You are the mysterious and powerful Black Robe."
Xiao Xingyu clenched his fists, reinforcing his mindset.
"Yes, I am not Xiao Xingyu. I am the Black Robe."
Next, it was a matter of waiting.
The execution was scheduled for 8 PM.
According to celestial patterns, tonight at 8 PM, the moon would be at its fullest.
The Serpent Clan's bloodline is unique; only by beheading Medusa at the full moon can a complete monster core be obtained.
Otherwise, killing her at another time would cause the monster core to explode, bringing no benefits to the navy, a huge loss.
Time slipped away like sand through fingers.
The sky darkened.
Massive waves capable of swallowing whales rose at sea.
Around Icefire Island, battleships stood ready, allowing no beasts or enemies to invade.
At the navy headquarters.
A towering execution platform stood in the central plaza.
The platform was rugged, crisscrossed with cracks, the air pungent with blood.
Perhaps due to executing too many high-level monsters, the platform was stained black with blood.
Half an hour remained until the execution.
The entire navy busily prepared.
Over a thousand navy beastmasters gathered in the central plaza, standing guard.
Among them were navy vice admirals, ranging from six to eight stars.
Murong Jin, still smoking a cigar, sat beneath the execution platform, resting his eyes.
Suddenly, the air bore a floral scent.
A gigantic dandelion descended beside the platform.
When it bloomed, an ugly middle-aged man emerged.
This man looked sloppy, an unimpressive figure, the type who couldn't find a bride even with a hefty dowry in the village.
But no one underestimated this unremarkable man.
All navy personnel saluted.
Dragon Kingdom has three generals; this unattractive man is the army general, Bai Yu.
Though his name doesn't match his image, he commands countless plant-type beasts, including an ancient-bloodline plant beast.
"Old Bai, why are you here?"
Murong Jin showed surprise.
Bai Yu, hands in pockets, cloak fluttering carelessly, grinned as he approached Murong Jin.
"Brother Jin, executing Medusa is a big deal. Her Majesty the Empress was worried, so she sent me to assist."
Murong Jin shook his head, smiling wryly.
"Her Majesty doesn’t trust even me?"
"Well, with your company, let’s have a drink after the execution."
On the surface, these two generals seemed to have a good relationship.
In the shadows, Xiao Xingyu turned pale.
"Trouble! The situation changed, two generals are overseeing Medusa's execution, what do we do?"
Dai Lu bit her lip.
"We'll have to adapt on the fly."
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