Atlas Battle Song

"and many more!"

An Tuo An Haran stood up.The silver mask was as cold as ice, but his voice trembled.

An Tuo ignored everyone, and only spoke to the old priest: "Master Priest, how can you be so shameless! Such a liar as Trand Muawia...you actually said that he is the successor of the Gulbadi Dynasty, The new owner of this ancient palace?"

The irrepressible anger was about to overflow, like a simmering fire about to ignite the adjacent curtain, and then spread to the whole house.

"You once rejected me, why? Obviously my family is the ancient blood of the Gushan royal family - obviously me! Why didn't you choose me?" An Tuo lowered his voice, as if what came out of his throat was not a sound, but was irritated poisonous snake.

The old priest listened calmly.

The scene reached a stalemate for a while, and the onlookers were afraid that An Tuo would cut the old man's throat if he got excited.

"Master Antuo? Anharan, you are very ideal, but..." The old priest lowered his head with a sigh and did not continue.

"Are you so confused that you have forgotten the duties of a priest... Or do you just want to take this opportunity to curry favor with the governor? Then let me tell you, you are all wrong!"

An Tuo calmed down.The silver mask glanced around coldly, as if the winged messenger was announcing a truth to the world:

"Trand Muawia cannot be the Governor of the Western Plateau. He is just a liar and a wanted criminal."

The wanted?

For a moment, the lords became vigilant, with an indifferent and polite expression on their faces.They are still watching.

"This……"

An Tuo, wearing a mask, pointed at Trand's face and shouted, "This man is lying—!"

Who is lying?

For a moment, the gradually calm reflection in the wine glass became turbulent again.

Trande looked down at the crowd with a blank expression, "Enough is enough. Antuo? Anharan, I will forgive you if you repent now."

"Forgive? Are you worthy?" An Tuo sneered.

The two men stared at each other.They were playmates when they were children, but now they wear different power rings on their hands, and each wears the imperial uniform and the lord's gold-thread burqa.A deep sense of alienation speaks for itself.From the eyes of each other, they have long understood:

It is irreparable.

During the whispers during the meeting, An Tuo continued to say loudly: "I know this man! He was born in Yaxu. He has been stealing and cheating since he was a child. He is a habitual offender. If you want to prove it, you can call the captain of the patrol team over. "

People whispered.

"Liar? How is it possible..."

"It's really weird, in case..."

"But the ring 'Crown of Ardashir' cannot be forged..."

The baron thought for a moment, but agreed.After a while, the soldier captain in charge of guarding the city and patrolling trotted all the way to the audience hall.The bearded soldier captain was wearing armor, with a scimitar pinned to his waist, and knelt down to salute: "My lord, the lord of the counties."

"Tell me, have you heard the name 'Trand? Muawia'?" An Tuo asked.

The soldier captain bowed his head in thought for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, sir, this man is a wanted fugitive, charged with..."

The voice was low, but enough to make the crowd into an uproar.

"the wanted!"

"That man might actually be..."

"What's going on here?" The baron quickly seized the opportunity, deliberately stood up and reprimanded: "Bold! How can you say that Trand? Muawia is a wanted criminal?"

The soldier captain was so frightened that he didn't even dare to look up: "That's true! This man is insidious and cunning. He set up a trap today and teamed up with a gang of gangsters to injure the patrolling soldiers. In addition, he is suspected of treason..."

The crowd seemed to explode.

"Treason?! How do you say that?" The baron seemed to be scolding the captain, but he was actually targeting Trand.

The soldier captain didn't understand the meaning of the baron's words, so he lowered his head and dared not speak.

Yi Ge laughed as soon as he heard it: "Big Lion, why are you suspected of treason again?"

Trand looked icy.He walked down from the throne unhurriedly, came to the kneeling soldier captain, and said, "Then please take a look, does the wanted criminal look like this?"

The soldier's head was lowered, but when he saw a pair of military boots coming in front of him, he couldn't help raising his head—but when he saw the man's face, the soldier's head was so choked up that he couldn't say a word.Because the wanted criminal in the portrait was right in front of him, not only wearing the imperial military uniform, but also wearing a power ring on his hand.

The emerald green pupils reflected the captain's frightened expression, like some kind of scorching scale.

"Ah...you are..." the soldier tied his tongue.

"good evening."

Trande nodded in greeting, and then continued with a pleasant face: "In the tunnel, I told the truth to your subordinates: 'I am the new Governor of the Western Plateau, Trande Mu'awia'. They didn't believe me , what about you?"

"Yes, yes...this..." The soldier commander's pupils were constricted, and the corners of his mouth were also tense.For a while, he secretly looked at the old governor and Antuo Anharan, and then turned his gaze back to Trand, like a boy who has made a mistake and doesn't know how to lie.

Yi Ge said happily: "Soldier, don't be afraid. If this lion rebels, I will catch it for you."

"This this……"

"Say it!" An Tuo, who was wearing a mask, slammed the table.

The captain of the soldier was so scared that he blurted out: "My lord! We received a secret report from the spies at that time - saying that there was a group of mobs in the Valan District who were meeting and planning to rebel, so we sent people to encircle and suppress them... As a result, we met in an underground secret passage. Lord Trand Muawia! He said he was the new Governor of the Western Highlands, but the soldiers did not believe it... As a result... if we..."

"enough."

An Tuo, who was wearing a mask, waved his hands forcefully, and the double sheep gold bracelet on his wrist trembled.This action seemed to give the other lords a certain confidence—they then thought that the double-goat gold bracelet as the "lord's certificate" was powerful, and even the governor sent by the empire could not deny this power.

An Tuo went on to say: "Enough is enough, Trande Muawia is not the governor at all. The ring is forged, or he stole it. This man is not only suspected of fraud, but also colluded with the mob, which..."

"Yes, this is treason!"

A loud cry resounded through the empty and silent audience hall, and the echo echoed in the empty serpent-column corridor—the word "rebellion" was repeated repeatedly, as if there were countless tiny devils whispering in the shadows.

The dinner was dead silent, as if no one was there.

And the person who said those outrageous words was Trund Muawia himself.

"This is treason."

Trand repeated it again.His voice was thick and firm, as if he was promulgating an unquestionable law.

For a while, no one knew what card this man played.

The lords held their breath.It was as if they were hesitantly standing in front of a single-plank bridge with an unknown path ahead, should they go or not?It may lead to Hell, or it may return to the world.No one wants to take the first step.

"Because I am against such a rule."

Trand said: "Some of you here, in order to please the rich businessmen and the superiors, even forbid the poor to draw water from the spring and the river... You just want a beautiful landscape painting, and for this you abandon your sympathy and conscience , let the sick poor drink dirty water."

Some people knew what was going on in their hearts and dared not respond.

Trand paused, and said: "If the dreamy 'Golden City' can only be built by sacrificing ordinary people, then I oppose all your rule and power. If I am the governor, I will use the highest power to achieve it." -"

He took out the emperor's imperial order.

It was a palm-sized sheepskin booklet, the edges were hollowed out and bound in gold, and the cover was painted with lapis lazuli powder and gold leaf patterns to depict the imperial coat of arms—the golden snake ring.The snake's eyes, fangs and tail tip are all set with emeralds and sapphires.Each scale of the snake is pasted with tiny gold foil, which is vivid under the light.

It appeared hot like a heavy rune, making everyone's nerves tense.The Baron and An Tuo also had nothing to say... After all, imperial orders cannot be forged.

Trande drew out his sword and declared sternly:

"If I were just an ordinary soldier, then I would use violence and rebellion to tell you that since many people here are not worthy of being a ruler at all, it is better to let me be."

The audience hall was silent.

There are many animals here, and the caged larks and canaries still sing.However, a stormy sense of oppression hangs over everyone, because the crime will be liquidated.Banquets become trials, courtyards become execution grounds.

Everyone was silent, just waiting for the owner of the palace to speak.

Trand sat there, overlooking the crowd with a kingly attitude.His authority hangs like a thousand swords.

"Before I took office, you are thinking of killing me, my allies, and your own brothers. For hundreds of years, the empire has protected the provinces of the Western Plateau from disaster. But you want to betray your trust and take His Majesty's Kindness is like a shoestring?"

Trand tapped the scabbard with his nails.The sound of metal knocking was so piercing that it seemed to hit the listener's eardrum directly.

"Now I have a list in my hand, which records the people who participated in the assassination and rebellion, and some of you here are among them. Everyone, why don't you give me some advice, what should I do with you?"

Actually no, Trander was just trying to scare them.

The baron watched the situation calmly.

As the old governor, the baron no longer cares about whether the countries in the western plateau have double-mindedness towards the empire, and he no longer needs to be responsible for it.And the deeper the conflict between these lords and Trander, the more reason he has to blame these scapegoats for murder.

"I have hanged many traitors for the Empire."

Trander raised his sword, and looked at the blade with the light of the glazed lamp.When he raised his eyes, the lords below lowered their heads to avoid the sharp gaze.

He went on to say: "I ordered people to cut off the head of the traitor and hang it on the city wall. According to the laws of the empire, I also have the right to order the massacre of the rebellious lands that do not surrender-all men over the age of 14 will be slaughtered." , women are sent to the army, and children are kept as hard labor. Of course, this is an extreme method of treatment..."

Egg muttered in a low voice, "Send Trand to the army..."

Trand pinched his lover's ear, and Egg stopped making trouble, and began to silently count how many cups there were on the table.

After a moment of tense silence, Trand continued: "I am a man who pays for his kindness and revenge for his revenge. Of course you are not the first or second person who intends to kill me...As long as I want, I can go without trial Just impose any punishment on the traitor. Of course, if anyone wants to experience the experience, I am also willing to serve him personally, and guarantee that he will live on the torture instrument for seven days, and there will be no drop before he dies."

Thunder could fall on everyone at any time, and those with ghosts in their hearts were even more frightened, and their backs were drenched with sweat.

"But today, I forgive you."

Trand said word for word.

"Because you didn't know what kind of man I was before, and didn't know if I was trustworthy and worthy of following. So this time I can forgive the people on this list..."

He drew a small folded piece of paper from his collar pocket and burned it.In fact, it wasn't a list at all, it was just a doodle of small animals he drew when he was bored.

As the "list" was reduced to ashes, some lords were sweating and their hands were shaking.

"If there is a next time... then blood will be paid. I will make you pay ten times the price, and Trand Muawia will do what he said."

The green-eyed governor smiled.

At this moment, the silence seemed to have a quality, weighing heavily on people's shoulders, and the tiny sweat on their foreheads was unbearable.

Only the breeze, ringing a thousand glazed lamps crisply.

"Okay, I'm done." Trander smiled and spread his hands: "Come on, let's drink, don't you have a good time tonight?"

Last second he was a terrifying monarch, but this second he is a lively and friendly good friend.Just when everyone felt fear in their hearts, Trander seemed not to care, and just hugged Yi Ge and kissed him.

Impatient, Egg tried to push away the coquettish lion with a blank expression.

Trander smiled, took his lover's finger and kissed him, then got up and announced:

"Lords of the Western Highlands, rulers of the city-state—now you come to my court, and you are my distinguished guests. Tonight, I toast to you and thank you for all the efforts you have made for this land. Next , I, Trande Muawia, will be in charge of the 'Crown of Ardashir', as the representative of Nu and the emperor in the western highlands. Gentlemen, I toast to you—may we be confidantes, allies, Partners, together dedicate virtue and goodness to the gods who sit in the sky, and to the mortals who live on the earth."

It's time to toast.

The wine glasses were filled one by one and placed in front of everyone.

The baron gave a hint, and the poisoned gold cup was filled and presented to Trand.

"Everyone, forget about the previous unhappiness." Trander took the gold cup and held it high. "After drinking this glass of wine, I will forgive you and let us become friends again."

When he said this, Trand looked at An Tuo who was wearing a mask.

They used to be childhood friends, and Trand originally hoped that An Tuo would repent, but his hope failed—An Tuo hated him even more.

The poisoned wine was in his hands, but Trander didn't know it.He talked and laughed with people, opened his lips and prepared to drink in one gulp——

The baron looked at the shadow in the glass calmly, grinning.

The music started again, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief and planned to raise their glasses to celebrate.

"There is one more cup."

Egg said suddenly.

"?"

Before Tland could react, Egg took the wine glass in his hand and was about to drink it——

"Wait, Your Excellency!!!"

The baron jumped up in fright, and hurriedly tried to stop Egg from drinking the poisoned wine.In a panic, the baron's wine table and nautilus wine cup were overturned.

With his lips close to the poisoned wine, Yi Ge stopped and smiled slightly: "Oh?"

"Please...be sure, be sure..."

The baron panicked.

If Yi Ge was poisoned to death, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would never forgive him.

Egg looked at the Shadow in the Cup with a smile.

"Hey, it seems His Royal Highness doesn't want me to die just yet. He loves me, right?"

At this moment, Trander suddenly understood.He snatched the cup from Egg's hand and slammed it on the ground furiously.

"how dare you--!!

Wine spiked with poison and bull's blood stained the red carpet, gold cups were thrown and deformed.

"Haha... The main reason is that this wine has not been chilled, the taste is not good, it should be replaced..." The baron felt guilty and could only pretend that he didn't know.

Everyone panicked and looked at the three Sibyls.

Egg smiled indifferently, took a sip from his glass again, and handed it to Trander after making sure the glass was safe:

"Continue to wish the bar, Your Excellency Governor."

Trander was still angry, and when he thought that Egg might have drunk the poisoned wine for him just now, he became frightened like crazy again.He kept stroking his lover's lips and cheeks, for fear that a drop of poisonous wine might get on them.But Trander was worried, what if?What if?

In the end, he simply kissed Egg forcefully.

The tip of the tongue was demanding, the lips were rubbing together, kissing moistly and rudely.Until he had confirmed for himself that the lover's lips hadn't gotten the venom, Egg was safe.

Trand could finally feel relieved.

"Nearly died, silly lion."

Egg stuck out his tongue expressionlessly and touched Trent's lips.

Trande, still in shock, kissed the palm of his lover again and again, like a suffering prayer kissing an icon.

"No, there's only one poison in the world that can kill me...and that's you."

He held Egg's hand tightly.