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Chapter 216: Like Lambs Awaiting Slaughter
In the simple and crudely decorated underground stone room, the thick soil surrounding it offered little respite from the bone-chilling cold. The bright lights burning on all sides offered only an insignificant hint of warmth to the occupants in the confined space.
The candles on the long table alternated between brightness and darkness, even though there was a clear absence of wind in the vicinity. It was as if the air had solidified, preventing the flames from getting the oxygen they needed to sustain themselves.
“Mr. Ji Bai, are you truly considering becoming a member of the Restoration Society, fighting alongside us and sharing our triumphs and setbacks?” At the far end of the long table, the woman sighed deeply, as if she had contemplated it for quite some time before slowly confirming Ji Bai’s intention.
“Mhm.” The serious question was met with Ji Bai’s resolute response. “Unless your Society has an express stipulation that prohibits individuals outside your race from joining?”
“We don’t actually have such a rule, but …”
“As a human, your excellency seems to lack any awareness in this regard.” Before Nael could express her concern, she was interrupted by a cold harrumph by Fishbone, who was leaning into a chair situated beside her in the long table.
“…First of all, brother, can you tell us your motivations for doing this?” Beside Nael, a well-dressed middle-aged man with a red goatee furrowed his brows and expressed his doubts.
“Does pity count?” Ji Bai promptly responded with a serious expression on his face.
“Haha, that’s truly some pompous reasoning.” Fishbone seemed to harbor an absolutely irreconcilable hatred towards Ji Bai. Each statement he made was intended to cause trouble for him.
“Fishbone, can you tone it down a notch?” Nael’s slightly disgruntled reprimand appeared to have the ability to deter Fishbone somewhat. He opened his mouth to let out a disdainful snort before crossing his arms and turning his head to the side.
“Pity? …In your honest opinion, do you sincerely consider that to be a valid excuse?” The man with a red goatee was not intentionally trying to pick apart Ji Bai’s reasoning. In truth, the Restoration Society was currently facing severe shortages of both manpower and resources. Having someone with formidable combat prowess join their ranks would undoubtedly be of tremendous help.
However, only desire could truly propel one to take action.
Therefore, a purpose was needed to get things done.
Other than air, the restoration society was lacking in all aspects. Their clansman had joined the organization based on intangible beliefs or the lofty conviction of liberating their kin from colonial rule. To put it plainly, their work was fueled solely by goodwill.
Given the circumstances, why would an outsider with no desire nor purpose choose to join them? There was no way he could believe that he was a living saint, whose intention was to deliver all living things from suffering.
With that possibility off the table, only one motive remained.
The gaze which the middle-aged man with a goatee directed at Ji Bai took on a meaningful expression.
In truth, it was not only just Fishbone who carried a special prejudice towards Ji Bai; Many of the higher-ups in the restoration society gathered in this room were also skeptical towards the human in front of them who was hiding his true identity.
“Alright, Mr. Ji Bai. You may take your leave now. After our discussions, we’ll inform you of the results.”
After receiving Nael’s request to leave the room, Ji Bai did not waste any time and made his exit in a decisive manner.
“…So, what are everyone’s thoughts on this?” Nael inquired, waiting until the sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance before breaking the silence and addressing everyone in the room.
“I believe it’s completely out of the question!” Fishbone was the first to speak up. “He’s just a puny human, yet he dares to pity the Asiatic Cat Race in such an arrogant manner. He’s truly ignorant of how the real world works!”
“Even though he’s the benefactor who brought Her Highness Sha back to Nolan City, his origin is extremely suspicious… Forgive this old man for being blunt, but we cannot rule out the possibility that he had some other intentions for sending the princess here.” An old voice resounded from the corner. A white-haired elder leaned on his cane and stroked his mustache as he spoke.
“It’d be fine if he was just a regular human. After all, we’re currently lacking people with significant combat strength… but this human used to be a human knight. I believe everyone is aware of that, right? We can’t afford to lose, not even once.”
Nael’s gaze swept around the long table, and noticed that everyone seated there seemed to carry varying degrees of somberness on their faces.
The debate was mostly skewed towards skepticism. The result would have been obvious had she chosen to decide by vote.
“Let’s stop the discussion here, everyone.” Nael took a deep breath and announced the conclusion of the meeting. “While I believe we ought to be prudent in this matter, the fact remains that we’re lacking combat prowess. I’ve already briefed all of you about Mr. Ji Bai’s battle capabilities earlier… So… let’s observe him for a while.”
“I don’t think this is appropriate. Just one quick look at this guy tells me he’s up to something. If we leave him alone in our base, it could lead to trouble sooner or later.”
“Aren’t you the one who brought him here, Fishbone? He already knows the precise location of our hideout. What’s the point of expelling him now?” Nael’s words instantly left Fishbone at a loss of words.
“Besides, he’s the guest that Her Highness Sha brought back with her. No matter what decisions we come to, we can’t overstep our authority, can we?”
Everyone went silent.
“In that case, we’ll go with your suggestion and observe him for a while…”
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“Mr. Ji Bai, welcome to our ranks. From now on, we’ll face trials and tribulations together, sharing both good times and hardship as a team.”
“Mhm.” Ji Bai gave a succinct reply and took Nael’s outstretched hand.
“Do you have any instructions?”
“Since this is your first day, Mr. Ji Bai, you can head back to the room we’ve prepared for you and take some rest. If you don’t know where to find it, you can ask the middle-aged man standing in front of the hall doors.”
“Do you have any instructions?” The gaze radiating out through the seams of his helmet caused the smile on Nael’s face to stiffen.
“…If Mr. Ji Bai is having trouble staying idle, you can go out and do some patrolling.”
“Alright.” The man with the metallic helmet nodded and left in silence, showing a swift and efficient approach in getting things done.
“Wait, Mr. Ji Bai. If you don’t mind, can I arrange for someone to accompany you?”
“?…”
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“Dang! Dang! Dang!…” The deep and resonant sound of a tolling bell shook up the serene atmosphere of the city. Its echoes reverberated repeatedly, as if a heavy hammer was striking against the hearts of its residents.
Each toll of the bell filled the city’s inhabitants with anxiety.
As if they had reached some sort of silent agreement, they ceased what they were doing, their expressions tinged with anxiety and worry.
Having been reduced to taking residence in their own homeland as guests, the Asiatic Cats were acutely aware of the significance behind the tolling bell.
Setting aside their work one after the other, they did not dare delay for even a moment as they walked out of their house and hurried towards the source of the sound.
The troll tolling the bell stared at the crowd below him which was steadily gathering in front of the massive and sturdy clock tower and set down the copper stick in his hand. He briefly gestured to his fully-armed companion standing beside him and got up to the elevated platform that had been erected in advance.
Amidst the lingering echoes of the toiling bell and the heavy pants of latecomers, the inhabitants in the city had all assembled.
The tall and imposing troll captain shot a glance at the dark mass of Asiatic Cats below, who had gathered together like a swarm of ants. A derisive smile formed at the corner of his lips.
“Good morning, residents! I wonder if everyone slept well last night?”
“…” No one replied.
The Asiatic Cat inhabitants were listless, their eyes showing varying degrees of fear and despondency.
“Hahaha. Seems like everyone had quite a good sleep.” Despite the lack of response, the troll captain remained unfazed. He laughed heartily, and swiftly changed the topic.
“But we trolls couldn’t sleep at all…”
As soon as those words left his lips, the hearts of every Asiatic Cat present suddenly skipped a beat.
“I’d personally love to believe that everyone here is a good person. However, there will always be a few dishonest and wicked ones who try to spoil things for everyone else!” The troll captain’s long speech was filled with righteous indignation.
“Lying about the remaining food in their homes, trying to worm their way through by paying the barest amount of food taxes. Not a single one of them has the slightest intention to contribute selflessly! Such behavior is simply disgraceful, heartless, and unscrupulous! Remember, if we didn’t provide you with the minimum space to live and cultivate your farmland, you would be nothing more than a bunch of wandering refugees!” The troll captain put on an air of seriousness while speaking.
“I’m sure everyone is the same as when it comes to such opportunists; You must loathe them to the core! If that’s the case…” A trace of evil smile appeared at the corner of the troll captain’s lips.
“You will understand the action I’m about to take next…” With those words, he snapped his fingers.
Following that, a series of commotion erupted in the crowd. The troll foot soldiers encircling below him in a neat formation had been eagerly awaiting this moment. Like an impregnable fortress, they stormed into the crowd, snatching all the children and wives and separating them from the group.
“My wife!” A young Asiatic Cat man yelled in anguish as he desperately held onto the troll who was tugging on his beloved’s hair.
“Get the hell out of my way!” The troll soldier was extremely impatient as he grabbed the youth like a fledgling chicken and flung him to the ground haphazardly.
Amidst the sudden outpour of mournful cries resounding in the crowd, the Asiatic Cats were utterly powerless and could only watch their children, wives, and mothers being forcibly dragged up onto the tall platform.
“Cough, cough! Silence! All of you, don’t panic and stay calm. As long as everyone cooperates, your relatives will be fine!” The troll captain’s loud shouts caused the restless crowd to settle down.
“… Naturally, the precondition is that everyone cooperates,” the troll captain said, revealing a hint of an evil smile. He then proceeded to grab the head of a small Asiatic Cat boy and applied pressure with his fingers…
“Crack!” The sound of a crisp explosion filled the air as blood and flesh splattered, dyeing the snow-white platform red.
“No…!” What had transpired caused the eyes of an elderly grandma to redden with grief. The shocking scene before her instantly swallowed her mind in darkness, causing her to lose her balance and stumble to the ground in a stupor.
“Hehehe… Don’t worry. That is just an example, nothing more. I hope everyone will cooperate, so that your loved ones can be spared from an unpleasant fate. Haha.” The troll chuckled with a grin on his face and brushed his hands on a table, getting rid of the blood and yellow-white matter that stained them.
Instantly, the women and children on the platform became so frightened, to the point that their legs gave way. Some of them could not bear the blood stench in the air and began retching.
The people below were also feeling anxious.
“Our Governor understands that there’s no harvest during midwinter. But, as I mentioned earlier, there are some opportunists among you, and we must set an example… So, this time, the food taxes will be reduced from the 1000 stones we initially planned to just 500. What are your thoughts, everyone?”