This was the fury accumulated by hundreds of thousands of citizens in Freewill City over more than a year—now finally ignited.
To forcibly demand that people send their daughters, to shove them into a pit of fire—such behavior had already crossed the bottom line of humanity. That line, once breached, triggered every nerve of the crowd. With someone stirring the flames, the shouts erupted like a tidal wave, voices echoing in unison.
In an instant, all of Freewill City turned into a volcano on the verge of eruption.
A wave of madness spread rapidly.
"Brothers and sisters, elders and fellow townsfolk!"
A man suddenly stepped onto a high platform. With a grand gesture, he shouted loudly, "We all have parents, siblings, and children—our kin, our blood. If our daughters were treated well, who among us would hesitate to send them into the City Lord's Mansion? But now that place is like a demon's lair. Maidens who enter never return. And now, the Freewill King still wants to select more girls? This is no different from murdering our children—an unforgivable sin! How can we tolerate such madness?"
His voice was fervent, his words carrying an indescribable persuasive power.
"We won't tolerate it! We won't tolerate it!"
"If we let the Freewill King continue like this—first it's our daughters, next it'll be our wives. Sooner or later, every woman in this city will be dragged into the mansion!"
Shouts erupted from the crowd, one after another.
A frenzy rose in the hearts of the people, a desire to overthrow the Freewill King surging up violently.
They thought of the young girls who had disappeared into the City Lord's Mansion over the past year, never seen again—rage burned in their hearts.
"If we don't send our daughters, they could become our wives in the future! Women are already scarce. If the king takes so many, who are we supposed to marry? Are we all supposed to become single forever? No way! Never!"
"We refuse to stay single! Down with the Freewill King!"
The moment they imagined themselves forever without wives, their resentment flared wildly. The crowd grew even more frenzied.
"What are you doing? Are you not afraid of death? How dare you oppose the Freewill King? When he arrives, none of you will have a good end!"
Steward Chun shouted sharply. But his voice, though shrill, carried a hollow undertone, revealing his fear.
"'Are lords and nobles born better than us?' Fellow citizens, only if we overthrow the Freewill King can we have a better life! Charge! Storm the City Lord's Mansion! I, Chen Sheng, will lead the charge and fight for a ray of hope for us all!"
Chen Sheng roared to the sky. His battle blade gleamed as he drew it, and a powerful aura rose from him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Just as Chen Sheng's shout and the crowd's frenzy reached their peak, the ground suddenly began to quake violently.
A cold voice rang out.
"'Are lords and nobles born better than us?' Chen Sheng, are you really rebelling against me?"
A squad of soldiers in vine armor appeared—some held bows, others blades. Each of their eyes gleamed with cold intensity as they surrounded the plaza.
Then, several strong men carried a luxurious palanquin into view. Inside lay a corpulent Wang Chen, the Freewill King, lounging comfortably. Beside him, clusters of dark purple grapes rested in crystal bowls. A maid leaned against him, occasionally feeding him a grape.
Her fair jade fingers were even lightly sucked by Wang Chen, making her blush.
Wang Chen looked at Chen Sheng with a strange gleam in his eye.
This was the legendary founder of rebellion himself. The granddaddy of all rebels. Yet he had the audacity to rebel in his own domain?
If the uncle can tolerate this, the aunt surely can't.
"Freewill King… the word got out."
Chen Sheng's heart sank. A bad feeling swept over him.
Wang Chen not only knew his name—he knew of the plot. Judging by the readiness of the Vine Armor Troops, they had clearly been prepared. There was no way such a force could have appeared so quickly without prior planning.
"Brothers! This is the Freewill King! Strike him down, and no one will ever rule over us again! Are lords and nobles born better than us?!"
Chen Sheng's eyes hardened. With no retreat, he had only one choice—fight or die.
If Wang Chen died, everything could still be turned around.
"Hmph. You say I'm cruel, Chen Sheng? Let me ask you—who sheltered the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Freewill City? Who fought the beasts, the monsters, to protect this city?"
Wang Chen leapt up, pointing a trembling finger at Chen Sheng. "Who brought you food, drink, and safety? Me! It was all me! I saved your lives. And this is how you repay your savior? Stirred up by a few words?!"
He looked genuinely heartbroken, trembling with fury.
"Yes, you protected us. But only to enjoy greater pleasures for yourself! You want more maidens for your own cultivation—dual cultivation, I bet! Those girls—you murdered them!" Chen Sheng shouted.
"Hmph. You say I indulge in pleasure? You're right. I deserve it! As City Lord, why shouldn't I enjoy it? And as for the maidens you mentioned—what proof do you have that I harmed them? Red lips and white teeth—your accusations are just words! If you doubt it, I'll show you now."
Wang Chen sneered and waved his hand.
Swoosh!!
Dozens of young women suddenly appeared around the plaza—each a delicate beauty, handpicked.
"My daughter! That's my daughter!"
"I see her! My daughter disappeared into the mansion months ago—I thought she was dead! But she's here!"
"Thank the heavens, she's alive! We were wrong to blame the City Lord!"
Tears streamed down the faces of parents in the crowd as they rushed forward, embracing their daughters.
Yet… none noticed the cold detachment in the girls' eyes. Not joy. Not love. Just… indifference.
"They're alive… but something's not right."
Chen Sheng's face darkened. Something was off.
His greatest weapon had been the citizens' anger—the belief that the Freewill King had killed their daughters. But now, that excuse was gone.
The tide was turning against him fast.
"Why hasn't anything happened yet?"
Chen Sheng scanned the city anxiously. He had already deployed allies at key points. There were supposed to be diversions, chaos, attacks—anything to draw the guards away.
Yet none of it happened.
"You're waiting for your co-conspirators, aren't you? Don't bother. They've already been… dealt with. The rest? Hiding like rats."
Wang Chen grinned coldly.
That was the last blow—Chen Sheng's final hope was shattered.
"Kill!!"
Roaring, Chen Sheng leapt into action. If there was still any chance, it lay in killing Wang Chen—now.
His blade slashed forward like a streak of lightning.
Combat Technique – Gale Blade Art (疾风刀法)!(Yellow-Grade, High-Tier)A technique focused on speed—swift as wind, striking with deadly precision. The faster the strike, the more lethal the outcome. At its peak, the target wouldn't even know how they died.
The attack came fast, fierce, and ruthless.
But Wang Chen was ready.
With a flash of light, a white bone jade fan appeared in his hand. As it flicked open, the young women vanished into thin air.
Clang!!
The fan bore images of beautiful women, each vivid and lifelike. A soft force from the fan met the blade, effortlessly deflecting it to the side. With a casual motion, Wang Chen waved the fan once more.
Swoosh!!
A fragrant wind burst forth, enveloping Chen Sheng.
It penetrated him instantly—through skin, through bone, straight into his bloodstream.
"What did you do to me?! My strength—it's gone! You poisoned me! Coward! Shameless dog!"
Chen Sheng's face contorted in horror. His qi vanished. His limbs went weak. He collapsed.
Crack!
A soldier stepped forward and brought a blade down.
Chen Sheng's head rolled to the ground.