Chapter 107: Fine Food and Drink

Sword energy roared, the air fractured, and the shockwave rattled half of Daliang City. Although two thousand armored guards in the Crown Prince's palace could have easily swarmed the scene, their commander seemed in no hurry at all.

"Hey, why did it stop?"
"Let’s go, let’s charge!"

With everything suddenly quiet, Prince Jia felt a pang of disappointment. If he could, he would have loved to see this Young Master Lin hacked to death.

"Charge!"
"Kill them! Advance! Hurry!"

Amidst the thunderous footsteps, the brave, fearless soldiers rushed into the small courtyard.

"Heh, you all can get lost now."

With a wave of his hand, two hundred soldiers were sent sprawling to the ground, and the force of the gale stopped the charging ranks in their tracks. Lin Shu had already disposed of the corpses on the ground, so he had no need for these useless onlookers.

"Understood!" The commander, panicked, scrambled to his feet and led the retreat.

"Ah! He's really fine!" Prince Jia’s expression shifted, and he stepped forward, filled with alarm.

Once the soldiers withdrew, Xuan Jian jumped down from the wall, holding his wife and son.

"My King, please forgive me!" With the remnants of sword energy and Yin-Yang internal power lingering all around, Xuan Jian knew the two Queens had also intervened.

Lin Shu waved his hand, and Xuan Jian stood up. "It is fine. Take them back to rest. This trifle was merely a post-meal activity."

"Thank you, my King!" Xuan Jian bowed with a bitter smile. The powerful sword intent remaining in the air made even him shudder, yet the King regarded it as nothing more than a bit of exercise after a meal.

Seeing the unharmed and bewildered little girl in black, Xuan Jian felt his heart grow even more chaotic. He couldn't be mistaken about that aura! Perhaps the King already knew their connection.

Stretching her back, Jing Ni smiled. "That was quite a good workout. Husband, you should keep them well-fed; we can use them for practice whenever we're bored."

Luna’s eyes lit up. "Exactly. From now on, there will be no shortage of opponents for those reaching the Grandmaster rank."

Jing Ke, heavy with drink, ran over, nearly tripping in his surprise. "My King, were there assassins?"

Lin Shu nodded. "It's nothing, just a few little mice from the Net. Ambassador Jing Ke, please continue to drink at your leisure."

"Ah! I feel like I missed something! It’s a pity I haven't been able to move like that in a long time!" Jing Ke sighed; it had been years since he last drew his blade.

The Net had been annihilated yet again, and their elite forces lurking in Wei and Han were almost entirely wiped out. Compared to the Three Sword Lords who had met their end, what pained the two remaining Great Sword Lords of the Net most was the loss of the Six Sword Slaves.

The Six Sword Slaves were the Net’s trump card, honed to hunt down Grandmasters. Even at the innate level, the six could contend with peak Grandmasters. Once they fully matured, the Grandmasters of the Hundred Schools of Thought would have no escape from the Net’s relentless hunting.

"From now on, the Net will abandon all missions concerning the Northern Kingdom!" The First Sword Lord decided without hesitation.

The Second Sword Lord nodded. "Our Black-tier division alone is no longer capable of dealing with them."

The Net had suffered heavy casualties; only three of their Heaven-tier assassins remained, and they were all ready for retirement. With even the Three Sword Lords unable to escape, the two remaining Sword Lords abandoned any plans for revenge. They could not risk exposing their connection to the White-tier division for the sake of a Northern Prince.

Two days after resolving the matter with the Net, Lin Shu departed from Daliang, heading toward the State of Zhao.

Wei Yong was also leaving the State of Wei. With no other choice, Xuan Jian had to return first, taking his father-in-law’s family, Qianqian, and the little girl. Lin Shu kept their child in the carriage to keep company with little Yan'er. If there were any more ambushes, Xuan Jian could flee with his wife; the worst that would happen was the loss of Wei Yong.

Upon arriving at Handan, Lin Shu did not meet with the King of Zhao. Everything that needed to be negotiated had already been discussed; there was no need for further talk. Since joining the alliance, the State of Zhao no longer suffered from displaced refugees. With the arrival of grain and dried fish from overseas territories, the food shortage in Zhao had begun to ease. The departure of the families of fallen soldiers further reduced the state's burden.

The carriage traveled leisurely, beginning its journey back to Liaodong.

...

"Ugh, mission accomplished!" Duan Shui couldn't help but offer a bitter smile. Although he wasn't the strongest, his speed in recovering internal energy was the fastest.

Not long after, Zhen Gang also stood up.

"When will these days ever end?"

Duan Shui frowned, his fists clenching involuntarily. *Zap! Crackle!* Just as Duan Shui seethed with resentment, several bolts of electricity struck him.

"Cough! No! Stop! I submit! I submit! I am willing to completely surrender to the Northern King!"

Unable to take it anymore, the exhausted, smoke-covered Duan Shui finally broke. This was merely the appetizer; he never wanted to endure what came next again! Over this past month, they had spent most of their time recovering their energy only to have it drained away. If they didn't hand over their spiritual energy on time, the intense electric shocks would rain down on them. They found that even death was a luxury they couldn't afford.

Zhen Gang turned to look at the cells not far away. All seven of them were locked in a row of small rooms, separated by thick steel bars. If they disobeyed, they weren't just shocked; they were denied food and water, and forbidden from sleeping. Even worse, they were forced to consume their own excrement. If anyone dared to harbor thoughts of suicide, their teeth were locked in a metal brace, and they were forced to drink the urine of the others.

The Sword Lord remained quiet, not even daring to look at Duan Shui. He didn't want to eat their excrement again, nor did he want to spend another day with his eyes pried open, unable to sleep from exhaustion.

"We, too, are willing to submit!" the twin sisters, Zhuan Po and Mie Hun, hurriedly declared their stance. The sisters had been the most obedient throughout the month; they had long harbored other thoughts, waiting only for someone else to break first.

"We are six as one; from now on, we all serve the Northern King!" Not knowing which way was which, Zhen Gang bowed toward the iron gate. The rest of the Six Sword Slaves followed suit with a deep bow.

In the blink of an eye, the Six Sword Slaves vanished, and the seven iron cages merged into one.

*Heh!* Bowing his head with a smirk, the Sword Lord quickly resumed his cultivation. He would rather die than surrender! The Six Sword Slaves were cold-blooded animals with no attachments, but he had a family—and a cute, mischievous granddaughter!

...

Sea breezes wandered, and the waves never ceased. This was the sound of the sea; this was the taste of freedom. By the campfire, Lin Shu’s family of four was boiling seafood, while numerous soldiers ate and drank nearby.

"Zhen Gang, Duan Shui, Luan Shen, Wang Liang, Zhuan Po, Mie Hun—we ask the Northern King to take us in."

The Six Sword Slaves knelt on one knee in unison; this was their resolution.

"Eh? So soon?" Jing Ni frowned. It had only been a month! She suspected they weren't being sincere.

Luna shook her head in disdain. "Are the killing machines crafted by the Net really so easy to break?"

What was "easy"? Thinking of those days spent eating filth, Duan Shui nearly went mad. They were even forced to let it ferment before they were allowed to taste it!

Lin Shu had received confirmation from Xin Ying. If the Six Sword Slaves hadn't truly submitted from the heart, what awaited them would have been dozens of pounds of excrement instead of an audience with the Northern King.

"I am also surprised. I had originally intended to let you think it over for two or three years." After all, the carriage required vast amounts of spiritual energy, and Lin Shu was happy to have a few more batteries. As for the minor issue of force-feeding them excrement, he had done it just to experiment; he still had many techniques he hadn't yet developed.

"Please, my King, take us in!"

The Six Sword Slaves panicked, bowing their heads lower. They couldn't bear another month, let alone years!

At first, it was just the electric shocks and the sensation of suffocation followed by CPR. Then, they were forced to keep their eyes open, staring at blinding lights. Later, it started with drinking urine, which eventually turned into eating excrement—and having to watch it ferment!

Thinking of this, the twins felt nauseated and wanted to vomit. It was fortunate they had been "good"—they had only had to drink their own urine. If they had been forced to drink the urine of the five men, they would rather have been torn to pieces.

Watching the six dejected warriors, Jing Ni couldn't help but ask, "Husband, what have you been doing with them this past month?"

Lin Shu suppressed a laugh and replied with a straight face, "I have been treating them to good food and drink, and I had Xin Ying talk to them. After a month, they must have been moved by our hospitality."

Lin Shu wouldn't let Jing Ni know about the force-feeding.

"I see!" Jing Ni shook her head with a smile and stopped asking.

*Good food and drink?*

*Ugh!* Duan Shui couldn't hold it back and vomited. The twins immediately scrambled to the seaside to retch.

Lin Shu frowned, and with a wave of his hand, he swept Duan Shui, dirt and all, into the sea. "From now on, you will follow the carriage. If you dare to stray more than ten kilometers away, you can go back to eating and living with your Sword Lord!"

*Eating and living with him?* Zhen Gang nearly vomited as well.

"Thank you, Northern King, for taking us in!"

Regardless of the cost, not having to return to the iron cages was the greatest fortune. The Six Sword Slaves finally felt a sense of relief.