Civil Officials and Military Officials

The mysterious figure, seeing how flustered and helpless he was, could more or less guess what had happened. A triumphant smile curled on his lips as he triggered the drawn miniature magic circle, summoning three bolts of lightning that struck toward him. Unable to dodge, he could only draw out the last remnants of his magical energy, fashioning a small shield and placing it before him. How small was the shield? Well, it barely covered his heart—no more.

His body convulsed with pain and numbness; he felt as though a swarm of golden stars danced before his eyes. All he could see was darkness and those spinning stars. From somewhere nearby, the faint scent of burning drifted through the air. He tried to assess his injuries but found he could not even feel his hands. He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. The king, who had served as his unwilling cushion, was dragged away, and without a trace of pity, the mysterious figure flung his battered body to the ground once more. The pain was so overwhelming that he could not even cry out.

When Li Yi arrived, the mysterious figure was just exiting the secret chamber, holding the king hostage. The magical beasts, whose formation had been thrown into chaos by Li Yi's army, suddenly rallied as if injected with fresh vigor, frantically blocking the human army's advance toward the king's bedchamber.

Li Yi immediately understood the mysterious figure’s crucial role among the magical beasts, and that the strange energy was undoubtedly connected to him. With a sweeping gesture, he urged the human army forward, pressing on toward the king’s quarters.

“Cease your advance!” a familiar voice rang out, “I command you as Chancellor of the White Tower to halt the army!” No sooner had the words been spoken than the long-absent chancellor emerged from some shadowy corner, holding aloft the military seal. He announced to all the assembled humans, “Hear me: former Marshal Li Yi is hereby stripped of rank for plotting rebellion. In recognition of his years of service, he has not been imprisoned but placed under house arrest. Yet Li Yi, unrepentant, has used his former influence to conspire in the king’s captivity within the secret chamber, seeking to seize control of the White Tower—an unforgivable crime!”

Having delivered this astonishing tale, the chancellor paused theatrically to clear his throat. From behind him emerged several faces familiar to Li Yi—once comrades-in-arms, now forced from their uniforms into prisoners’ garb, kneeling in disgrace as magical beasts pressed them to the ground. Their faces were full of indignation, but their mouths could utter nothing, only voiceless cries.

“These are Li Yi’s accomplices. Fortunately, I discovered their plot early and summoned these righteous allies to protect the king and myself, narrowly escaping disaster. Now Li Yi brazenly invades the palace once more. I trust those deceived by his schemes can see the truth for themselves. I will say no more—justice speaks for itself. If you believe my word, lay down your arms and I promise clemency; otherwise, do not blame me for what follows!”

His words stirred unrest among the ranks. The king’s favoritism toward the chancellor and his suppression of the marshal were well-known, and though the chancellor had let the magical beasts into the palace, the soldiers found it hard to believe he would betray his own country. They preferred the chancellor’s version—perhaps these magical beasts were indeed righteous allies?

Li Yi watched the soldiers’ unease with resignation. Though he had personally trained many of them, these “palace darlings” had never faced true battles, nor witnessed the ferocity of magical beasts firsthand. All they knew was rumor, and because of various power balances, Li Yi had rarely participated in their training.

Now, the consequences of those overlooked details were painfully clear: these “palace darlings” lacked fighting power, confidence, and experience, and they even believed the chancellor’s far-fetched accusations!

Li Yi felt the weight of the situation press upon him, but fortunately, most of the soldiers remained skeptical, their eyes filled with doubt as they looked at the chancellor.

Just then, the chancellor called out, “Your Majesty, you have finally awakened!”

After all the chaos, the true king finally stirred from his dreamlike stupor. Unlike the narcissus-like impostor he had once seen, the real king’s eyes carried a frosty chill as he woke. His first act was to gesture for the chancellor to release him, and the chancellor quickly signaled the mysterious figure, who let go.

“What is the meaning of this?” Bradley's voice was icy as he surveyed the chaos before him.

The chancellor, feigning humility, recounted his twisted version of events to the king. Li Yi, watching from a distance, suddenly wondered: had the chancellor, during the king’s secret imprisonment, kept the king from seeing the true culprit?

This possibility deepened Li Yi’s frown.

“I see,” the king’s expression seemed to soften after the chancellor’s account. “To address this minor accident, you summoned such powerful reinforcements—you are most diligent, Chancellor.”

After the king spoke, even the soldiers who had steadfastly supported Li Yi wavered, casting hopeful glances toward him for an explanation.

Li Yi made no attempt to explain. He stood at the rear of the field, brow furrowed, as if the matter at hand were not a question of rebellion, but merely some discussion between the chancellor and king about the menu for a banquet that held no interest for him.

Sure enough, after a dramatic pause, the king continued, “To summon the army of magical beasts from so far, Chancellor, your rebellion shows remarkable dedication.” With a cold smile, he stepped forward and snatched the military seal from the chancellor’s hands, breaking it in two before all.

“I’ll leave the command of troops to someone else—if you turn my soldiers into magical beasts, I fear I’ll be outmatched!” The king’s cold smile lingered as he glanced meaningfully at the palace guards, now revealed as transformed beasts.

The chancellor was not one to hesitate. Hearing the king’s words, he realized his treason was exposed. Knowing he had no way out, he gritted his teeth and said to the mysterious figure, “Finish this for me—afterwards, I’ll follow your lead!”

The mysterious figure, awaiting this very command, wasted no time. He raised his hand and launched a powerful bolt of lightning straight at the king’s heart.

Author’s Note:
The previous chapter has been supplemented—now up to 2,000 words—and revised. Readers may wish to revisit it.