The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 257

Yuan Bo and Song Wei shared a look upon arriving at the scene.

A rose-shaped vortex of fire dyed the Kang mansion red—this was none other than Chen Dian’s ultimate Skill, Flower of Purgatory.

It didn’t bode well...

After all, Chen Dian’s target tonight was a squirt from the younger generation, so what reason would he have to cast such a grand Skill? There could only be one:

Someone must’ve interfered to protect the kid... Wait, could it be?

Don’t tell me...

Yuan Bo and Song Wei were expressionless, but a hint of absurd suspicion flickered in their eyes.

Did the Yaksha wake up?... No, that shouldn’t be, not after all these years....

Well, no matter what, we’ll find out soon.

Looking on impassively, the two waited for the battle to come to a close. Although the night had gone awry, they believed in Chen Dian’s skills—few in this world could survive for long in Chen Dian’s personal hell. The Yaksha wouldn’t pose much of a threat even if he had awakened.

Just then, the blazing flower began to dissipate. However, the scene that met Yuan Bo and Song Wei’s eyes beggared belief.

Chen Dian lay headless, crumpled in the dirt. And looming over him was not the Yaksha but the Yaksha’s son!

Yuan Bo and Song Wei’s expressions changed, but they quickly suppressed their shock and rage.

Now was not the time.

The Kang family’s swordsmanship was famous even in China. It was said that a moment's distraction was all it took to lose one’s head before a Kang—and if Chen Dian’s current state was anything to go by, Kang Jae-Hyeok’s sword technique indeed lived up to this rumor.

Thinking as much, Yuan Bo and Song Wei didn’t hold back. Violently cycling their mana, they exploded forward and swept past Jae-Hyeok like twin beams of light.

By the time Jae-Hyeok noticed their presence, it was too late.

Jae-Hyeok stumbled, his neck and torso gushing blood.

“Hmph. How dare a brat from a little country lay hands on Phoenix?!”

“Kid, you’ll die without a complete corpse!”

Had they come any later, one of China’s pillars would’ve met a quiet death at the hands of a foreign boy, in foreign lands—Yuan Bo’s and Song Wei’s temples throbbed just thinking of the humiliation.

Fortunately, having exchanged blows with Chen Dian, Jae-Hyeok’s senses were dulled by exhaustion and injuries–he hadn’t noticed them earlier, and now that he’d suffered two catastrophic wounds, finishing him off would be all the easier.

The secret of Chen Din’s humiliation would be buried with Jae-Hyeok this very night.

“Theo...dore.”

Baaang!

Just then, the outer wall of the mansion exploded in a rain of rubble. A purple flash of light pierced through the cloud of dust. Before either Yuan Bo or Song Wei could register the purple blur, their vision flickered black.

By the time they’d regained their senses, they found themselves lying on their backs a dozen feet from where they’d been standing.

Eyes widening, Yuan Bo and Song Wei kipped up to their feet.

An undead?

Only then did they register the identity of the purple blur.

It was a hulking skeleton in thick plat armor, oozing purple mana.

A Death Knight?

I’d heard this brat had clashed with the Baus family before both parties ended up stepping back. Did he swipe some undead for himself during negotiations?

Strangely, there was something familiar about this Death Knight. But neither Yuan Bo nor Song Wei could place it, and soon gave up trying.

After all, all skeletons looked more or less the same. There was nothing to be gained from straining their eyes.

In any case, now that the Death Knight had made itself known, they wouldn’t be swept off their feet so easily.

Thinking as much, Yuan Bo and Song Wei shared a glance before launching a two-pronged assault on the Death Knight. But after several seconds, their expressions changed. And after several breaths, they found themselves rapidly backpedaling as they fended off the Death Knight’s ferocious advance—its massive sword was a blur, splitting the air and kicking up moaning winds that caused their hair to whip. On several occasions, they’d only managed to dodge it by inches.

“Get your head straight and focus! You’re both so slow. It doesn’t help that your shoulders are stiff. What, are you guys scared? Aw, did you think I was easy prey?”

“You?!”

Song Wei’s eyes widened in surprise at the talking skeleton. Then the blood drained from her face, exposing the heavy makeup line that traced below her jaw.

Yuan Bo's complexion was no better.

A talking skeleton with power swordmanship...

“...Theodore?”

Song Wei and Yuan Bo shouted at almost the same time.

Death Knight Theodore...

During the battle for Lion’s Castle, this monster’s dark armor and white bones had gleamed red with the blood of countless slaughtered Chinese.

“Why are you he—”

Before Song Wei could finish, purple mana crystallized around Theodore's sword in the midst of its return swing. The sword, now several sizes bigger, crashed through her guard and came within a hair of grazing her nose.

Swept from the ground, her head and feet swapped positions as she flew back, spitting blood.

Had it not been for Yuan Bo’s last moment interference, her head would’ve been split in two.

“Boring! Focus on the fight! Ohhhh—look at this guy!”

Yuan Bo’s muscles bulged and writhed like a bag of pythons. A wild roar escaped him, and he swung his guandao with a white-knuckled, two-handed grip.

The guando struck true, crashing into Theodore’s side in a spray of sparks.

The resulting screech was piercing, and beneath the force of Yuan Bo’s swing, Theodore slid back several paces.

But that was all.

The black armor encasing Theodore held firm—and naturally so. Following centuries of condensation, the crystalized dark mana that made up Theodore’s armor was nigh indestructible. Even Iyarugt could hardly leave a scratch.

“What a waste.”

Yuan Bo’s thoughtless strike was a stark contrast to Jae-Hyeok, who’d aimed only for its joints.

Theodore snorted and wrapped skeletal fingers around the guando grinding against its waist. The guando carved notches into its hand, but Theodore was unfazed.

Theodore raised its own sword.

The air began to twist with sword energy, and soon, six jagged lines of purple sword energy grew from the tip of its giant sword. Each line represented a potential sword trajectory, and each trajectory reflected a unique aspect of the way of the sword according to Theodore’s understanding.

Hell Sword.

With only six threads of sord aura manifesting, Theodore’s Hell sword was clearly lacking in number compared to what Jae-Hyeok could summon through Iyarugt, but even so, its power was beyond ordinary means.

The six growing threads of sword energy abruptly sped up. They each reached Yuan Bo’s vitals in the blink of an eye. Avoiding one meant being struck by another—the six threads synergized perfectly to trap Yuan Bo in a lethal web.

Yuan Bo managed to protect his heart, but his arms flew off like chopped cucumbers. He grunted and staggered before leveling a resentful glare at Theodore.

“How did someone who already died once at the Yaksha’s hands become even stronger?”

Yuan Bo did his best to keep Theodore distracted.

Meanwhile, Song Wei appeared silently behind Theodore, a dagger in one hand and a potion in the other. As expected of an assassin, she’d angle herself to deliver a critical blow as she passed Theodore and reached Yuan Bo’s side, where she could then quickly render aid.

Theodore cackled.

“Who knows? It must be because I found a good master.”

“Master?”

Yuan Bo asked with surprise.

Song Wei was also agitated.

Theodore had once been the nightmare of Lion’s Castle, proclaiming all humans as nothing more than insects before its power. It was unthinkable that this same monster would willingly serve a human.

Before they could even wonder who would have the ability, Theodore pointed toward Jae-Hyeok and shrugged.

“I know, I know—having a master isn’t normally how I roll. But that brat convinced me.”

Yuan Bo and Song Wei were first stunned, then shaken.

Kang Jae-Hyeok...

This boy had bested Jiang Lei and even Chen Dian. Now, it turned out that even Theodore served him as its master.

The rumors hadn’t been exaggerated.

He really is the second coming of the Yaksha!

There was no doubt about it: Jae-Hyeok’s existence was an era-defining disaster for China.

He must die. No matter what, he must die.

Song Wei’s eyes flickered. She’d fought alongside Yuan Bo for decades, but none of that mattered before China’s future. She decisively turned and threw herself at Jae-Hyeok.

The boy was still writhing from his earlier injuries. He lacked Chen Dian’s near-inhuman ability to regenerate, and it showed; with every cough, blood oozed between Jae-Hyeok’s fingers clutching his neck.

Within moments, Song Wei had already reached within several feet of Jae-Hyeok. Only then did Theodore react, but it didn’t bother rushing after her.

Ten minutes ago, in the midst of Jae-Hyeok and Chen Dian’s earlier fight, Theodore had been observing through the mana fluctuations. Admittedly, for a large part of their battle, Theodore had been anxious, especially when it had sensed a massive influx of fire-attribute mana and Jae-Hyeok’s aura caught within.

Of course, no matter how anxious it was, there was nothing it could do—according to that annoying woman’s will, the ice that had trapped it as a glorified statue wouldn’t come undone unless Jae-Hyeok called its name...

In any case, the point was that if it had the choice, it would’ve rushed in to help long ago.

But then it noticed Kang Hyeon-Ah standing by the window.

Why hadn’t she lifted a finger to help her brother?

Theodore had been confused at first. But minutes later, it realized the truth when the mass of fire-attribute mana dissipated and Jae-Hyeok’s aura remained: clearly, its master’s sister had insight into the battle that was even more profound and far-sighted than its own.

She was a genuine master.

So it was no wonder, then, that Theodore was not the least bit anxious on seeing the Chinese lady making a mad dash for Jae-Hyeok.

However, it was curious...

I wonder how she’s going to die?

“Say goodbye!”

Having closed the distance, Song Wei’s killing intent reached its peak as her dagger pierced toward Jae-Hyeok’s heart.

“Throat Crusher.”

Suddenly, something like an iron clamp latched onto her neck, stopping her in her tracks. Song Wei waved and thrust her dagger desperately toward Jae-Hyeok, but it was useless; there was an arm's length of space between Jae-Hyeok and the tip of her dagger. Then, Jae-Hyeok’s entire figure vanished to be replaced by a long-haired beauty. Looking down, Song Wei quickly realized the iron clamp she’d felt was actually the long-haired beauty gripping her neck.

Wait, isn’t that...

Song Wei then recognized the back of her coat collar, and then the heels of her boots...

A moment later, Song Wei fell lifelessly to the ground, her head twisted a full hundred eighty degrees.

Song Wei’s death was so swift and horrible that even Yuan Bo, who was bleeding out slowly in his own little corner, couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

“Little brother, how are you?”

Despite being in the light of a level up, Kang Hyeon-Ah’s only thoughts were for her brother.

Theodore also arrived by Jae-Hyeok’s side and helped support him.

Jae-Hyeok let out a garbled chuckle before speaking a few hoarse words, “It’s... a good... night.”

Not only was there Chen Dian, but Theodore had even kindly spared Yuan Bo from instant death so that Jae-Hyeok could finish him off personally.

Of the two, Yuan Bo was relatively calm. He seemed to have come to terms with his end. Chen Dian, on the other hand...

“Dying in this backwater country, to you? No... it isn’t possible!”

He struggled to deny reality to the end.

At some point, Chen Dian’s head had reattached to his torso, but now his skin was saggy and wrinkled.

Were it anyone else, losing one’s head would’ve meant certain death. But Chen Dian was different.

His very source of his youth and power, the Firebird’s Essence, was something Chen Dian had gained upon awakening seventy years ago, and it had been with him every day since—nourishing and strengthening him like a second heart. Upon igniting the full seventy years' worth of his accumulated essence, Chen Dian had managed to return from an otherwise certain death.

But even miracles had limits.

Looking between Theodore and the two smiling Kang siblings, Chen Dian’s blood went cold. He was out of tricks. This time the Grim Reaper really was breathing down his neck.

“S-spare me! I will give you anything you want!”

In the end, Chen Dian knelt and begged with his forehead against the ground.

“Chen Dian, you’re unworthy of your divine beast title. Despicable!”

Yuan Bo’s eyes were full of disgust as he criticized Chen Dian. A pillar of their great nation had actually knelt and begged for the sake of his own life. Yuan Bo was utterly disgusted to see it.

Hearing Yuan Bo’s words, Chen Dian’s eyes flickered—for a moment, he almost came to his senses.

Almost.

Bam!

Jae-Hyeok drove his sword into Yuan Bo’s heart before extending a hand to Chen Dian.

“Nothing is more important than life. Isn’t that right?”

Jae-Hyeok said. Meanwhile, Yuan Bo’s death wasn’t instant. Instead, Yuan Bo continued to groan and twitch for several long seconds.

“T-that’s right... I also value life the most.”

The frightened Chen Dian let go of his hesitation.

He politely clasped Jae-Hyeok’s outstretched hand with his own.

Qilin, just you wait.

With this, his sword was one step closer to the neck of the Black Dragon Guild’s president, the one most responsible for harming his father.