Chapter 21: Wood Emperor's Ace

Chapter 21: Wood Emperor's Ace
With a young voice sounding from the bushes in the garden, a young man dressed in deep black emerged from behind a shrub. In the city of Evilo, black attire was highly respected, and the common people could not afford such garments that resembled the dark night sky. The most remarkable feature of this attire was that it sparkled like starlight when walking at night, instilling a sense of fear in those who saw it in the pitch-black darkness. Only the supreme king within the royal family could wear such clothing. However, now this young man, who had a slender figure and floated with each step, was wearing it and confidently standing in front of his father, the emperor. (Note: the use of '
"Father, you are getting old, and governing the country has become too much for you. It would be much better for you to spend your days outside my palace, watching over my concubines. I can even allow them to play soccer without any clothes if you agree to my request. Just abdicate the throne and enjoy your later years, isn't that preferable?" The young man raised an eyebrow provocatively as he spoke, creating the illusion of a casual conversation. However, his guards behind him had already tightened their grip on the swords at their waists, their faces breaking out in a slight sweat as the young man continued to speak.
"You brat, I know I'm old now and useless, but do you think you have the ability to carry the entire country, huh? Tell me!" Mu Huang directly pointed his finger at the young man's nose and scolded, but due to his old age, he started coughing after saying a few sentences.
"Your Majesty, the ritual to summon the Ghost Mother has failed, and now we have lost her protection. Evil Lu City has become a subordinate of the Nine Provinces. When have we ever experienced such humiliation? Even though we have lost the power of the Ghost Mother, why don't you think about finding a way to strengthen our own power? But instead, all you do is behave slovenly, standing on the city wall staring at beautiful women. Are you still the mighty Wooden Emperor who once dominated the world?" The young man in black clothing accused his father coldly, showing no respect in his words.
"So you, you actually activated the Blood Sacrifice method, using the entire royal bloodline as a catalyst to gather all the bloodline power within yourself, am I right? Don't think you can do it without anyone noticing. Ever since Muzhan began to weaken, I knew someone had unleashed a forbidden spell. I sent out all my spies, but none could find out who did it. It was only today that I finally understood. Our Ghost Mother clan is now living in constant fear, while you are overflowing with vitality and have even reached the level of a Half-Step Profound Darkness. At this point, I'm no match for you anymore. And you dare to challenge me right after reaching this state, it seems like you were prepared. So why waste time with words? Come on, show me what you've got."
"Father, why are you so eager? I know you have a Shura King by your side, let him come out. Today, I happen to want to test my skills against him, and all of you can join me. The outcome of today will be determined by this one move." The young man's attendants behind him brandished their blades and rushed towards Mu Huang and Xu Feng. Note: The '
"Ah... you beast, using the lives of your entire family as a bet. Watch me tear you apart, you sinful animal." Two terrifying black claws emerged from within the black robe. It turns out that Mu Huang had known beforehand that the Crown Prince would attack him today, so he had already taken hold of his weapon. With a roar, the two black claws had already flashed before Mu Hong's eyes. Surprisingly, Mu Hong did not move at all, allowing the black claws to grab onto his shoulder. Mu Huang tried to drag the black claws away, but no matter how much force he used, the black claws remained firmly stuck on Mu Hong's shoulder. Just as Mu Huang was about to exert more force, Mu Hong's hands reached out and directly shot the black claws back.
"Old thing, here it is." Seeing Black Claw flying back, the exhausted Mu Huang showed signs of panic. However, before he could react, Black Claw had already smashed in front of him. In that split second, a black sword directly blocked in front of Mu Huang, and then slapped Black Claw into the ground. I have translated the provided Chinese text into English while preserving the @ matches.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for being late. Please forgive me," the man in a green robe knelt before Emperor Mu and confessed his fault without immediately engaging the enemy. "Haha, no need for such formalities. If it weren't for you, I would have lost my life right here. Once we get past this crisis, let's have a good drink together." Emperor Mu quickly helped the young man up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the man in the green robe smiled as he noticed that the Wood Emperor did not blame him. It was at this moment that he could see the faint crow's feet at the corners of this seemingly young warrior's eyes, indicating that he was getting older.
Since ancient times, the path of a warrior has been revered as one of solitude. Those who cultivate this solitary path have always been alone, often treated as mere shadows. Emperor, I have always suspected that there was a shadow by your side, and today I see it, in such a situation. But for him, with his cultivation at the Tyrant Body Realm, to think that he can defeat me, is truly wishful thinking." As he looked at the figure in the blue robe before him, Mu Hong couldn't help but mock in his heart.
"Hmph, whether I can surpass you or not, I will prove it with my actions. Since you did such a thing today, you should think about the consequences. My child, I've always wanted you to have a stable foundation and not be too ambitious. But now you just won't listen. It breaks my heart, you're already the crown prince, so why are you so impatient? Could it be that I've become senile?"
"Father, it's time for you to retire and take care of yourself in the deep palace. The world outside has turned into a battlefield, with extraterrestrial mecha wreaking havoc everywhere. If you don't quickly improve your own strength, you will be trampled upon at will in the future. Being old and oblivious like you, how can you protect Evilro City? You should step down as soon as possible."
"I have already written a royal letter to the Lord of Jiuzhou. Once this place falls, my people can seek refuge in Jiuzhou. If the extraterrestrial mechas come here, I will lead my people to resist together, and let them know that the city of Evil Luo is not easy to bully. If you only think about yourself, how can you be a good ruler of this nation? With your current act of sacrificing royal blood, if things are done here, I will be the first to abolish your position as crown prince."
"Hahaha, Father Emperor, did you think I had no tricks up my sleeve?"
"Puchi..." A short blade stabbed into the waist of Wood Emperor, and at the other end of the blade, a sneering face looked at the fallen Wood Emperor.
"Master of the nation, what are you doing? Have you also betrayed the king?" Mu Zhan exclaimed, looking at the Grand Master who had been standing behind the Wood Emperor the whole time.
"What am I doing? Of course, I am endorsing our new king, Mu Hong, the Wood Majesty. He is the future of our Evil Luo City. The fallen man before us is already old and undeserving of ruling the entire city." The sinister-hearted Grand Master, seeing the Wood Emperor fall but still looking at him, once again raised his dagger and stabbed at the Wood Emperor. At that moment, Mu Hong suddenly made his move, swiftly advancing towards the man in green robes and forcefully kicking him into the surrounding wall. In the blink of an eye, the dagger of the Grand Master had already plunged into the Wood Emperor's collar.
"Bang!!!" With a swift kick, the black figure sent the short blade flying away. The Grandmaster was also blown away by the forceful gust of wind.
"Do they think I am dead?"
(End of this chapter)