The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 189
114. Dark Emperor
Shulzi woke up from a nightmare, turning to look out the window. Thick dark clouds covered the sky, and under the pitch-black night, this ancient and prosperous city seemed so peaceful.
The unhealed old wounds still throbbed painfully. Even with a high-priced healing mage hired for treatment, under the influence of the forbidden drug, that kind of injury from that night was hard to heal in such a short time.
But compared to the physical pain, he was more concerned about the unease in his heart.
In the room, fine pine wood burned in the fireplace, the warm glow dispelling the chill of the autumn night, a faint fragrance wafting through the air, releasing enough musk to calm even a lustful elephant.
Yet the unease in his heart remained hard to quell. Since that day, since the failure to seize the ancient dragon’s blood, it felt as if some bad switch had been flipped, and the entire lower district was suddenly shrouded in an invisible shadow.
Something was about to happen.
As the most notorious hyena in the lower district, Shulzi was extremely sensitive to such matters. He had once relied on this sensitivity and intuition to evade countless threats to his life.
“Gulsen! Gulsen!”
“Boss.”
The voice of his confidant sounded from outside the door.
“What are your orders?”
“Has there been any response from above?”
“…No, we’ve already reached out many times unilaterally, but those messages have sunk without a trace.”
“Damn it!”
Shuerzi cursed angrily, his eyes dark with fury.
“Those damned nobles are truly untrustworthy at critical moments!”
To maintain their current position and gain enough support, the Hyena Gang spent most of their income each month to appease those high and mighty nobles, yet at this crucial moment, he received none of the promised assistance.
Not even a single response!
Had he been abandoned?
A flicker of panic crossed Shuerzi’s eyes.
No, that’s not right.
As long as the Hyena Gang remained one of the largest gangs in the lower city, they would never be so easily discarded.
For those greedy nobles, discarding everything they had and rebuilding a faction from scratch would be extremely unprofitable.
It must just be that something has delayed them, it must…
Calm down.
You must stay calm.
In any case, he needed to rest for a moment; he hadn’t slept in several days, and if this continued, before the real crisis arrived, his body might collapse first.
Shuerzi, with slightly trembling hands, opened the drawer beside the bed, and from the nearly overflowing bottles of medicine, he familiarized himself with one bottle, shaking out two small white pills.
But before he could swallow the pills, he heard the voice of his confidant outside the door, returning:
“Boss, the Rat King has sent a message.”
“What did he say?”
“He wants you to meet with him.”
“Now?” A hint of astonishment flickered in Shuerzi’s eyes as he instinctively glanced out the window.
In the dead of night, what kind of secret rendezvous is this?
“I’m not going!”
“But the Rat King’s messenger said you must consider it.”
“Consider his grandma’s legs! I haven’t even settled the score from a few days ago!” Shuerzi slammed his fist against the wall, the precious gemstone ring on his finger instantly cracking with several lines, becoming worthless.
Although bloodshed sometimes occurred between gangs, and there were occasional victories and defeats, just thinking about the events from a few days ago made him feel like his mind was drowning in anger, almost ready to explode on the spot.
He had never been so embarrassed; at that time, if he hadn’t hidden in the filthy sewers, the dignified leader of the Hyena Gang might have truly fallen into the hands of those guards!
So he swore, if the Rat King appeared before him, he would not smash the wall, but that ugly face of his!
And those other guys…
“But…”
The trusted aide outside seemed a bit hesitant.
“The person sent by the Rat King said that he has invited more than just you this time.”
“More than just me?”
Shuerzi furrowed his brow and quickly realized:
“He has invited other gang leaders?”
“That’s what he said.”
The aide paused, “From the moment I pulled out all ten of his fingernails, he still didn’t change his story, so he must not be lying.”
“Inviting many gang leaders from the lower city at a time like this…”
Shuerzi instinctively tapped the edge of the bed, pondering to himself, “Rat King, what exactly are you up to? Have you also noticed something’s off?”
“Boss, are we still going?”
“Going? Why wouldn’t we go!”
Shuerzi’s eyes flashed, and he quickly made up his mind.
Although he didn’t know what scheme the Rat King was concocting, since he had invited so many people, being excluded in this situation would be fatal.
A wise person would never miss any opportunity to gather intelligence.
“Gulsen, prepare the carriage, we are going to meet the Rat King.”
“Yes.”
The aide’s presence faded outside the door, and soon the low sound of hooves echoed in the courtyard.
Shuerzi casually crushed the pill in his hand into powder, stood up to grab the cane placed at the corner of the table, but accidentally knocked over the kettle, extinguishing the flames in the fireplace.
Shuerzi stared at the smoking fireplace, an ominous feeling growing stronger in his heart. At that moment, he kicked over the table in front of him, his aged face suddenly contorting with rage.
“I want to see, after decades of my Shuerzi ruling the lower city, who can do anything to me!”
…
…
“I have done as you said.”
In the desolate night, the Rat King Sam looked at the pure black figure not far away.
He stood on the narrow bridge, gazing at the entire city. Although his face was completely covered in the shadow of his top hat, making his expression unclear, as his gaze shifted, Sam could occasionally feel a terrifying fear creeping over him.
As if what stood before him was not a gentleman in a tuxedo, but a fierce beast unable to suppress its inner agitation for some unknown reason.
“Is that so?”
Mu En suddenly turned around, instinctively pressing down the brim of his hat, revealing a calm smile.
“Thank you for your hard work, Sam.”
Without the suffix “Mr.,” Mu En’s words sounded like casual banter between friends.
But Sam still showed no reaction, his face stern as he said:
“According to what we agreed upon, I’m only responsible for bringing those guys over and providing the venue; everything else has nothing to do with my organization.”
“No, there’s one more thing I need from you.”
“You want to breach the contract?”
A glint of coldness flashed in Sam’s eyes; even if you are indeed unfathomable, my organization is not…
“Of course not.”
Mu En patted Sam’s shoulder firmly, speaking sincerely:
“Audience, oh audience, how could such an important occasion be complete without you? Come, let’s watch this grand performance together, my friend.”
“…”
Sam fell silent for a moment. “I want to know, what exactly are you planning to do?”
“Planning to do?”
Mu En blinked and said:
“Of course, it’s to bring redemption to you lost little lambs. You’re about to meet your end, you know?”
From noble mtl dot com
“You’re lying.”
Sam continued to glare coldly at Mu En:
“I don’t think you’re that kind-hearted; you definitely have ulterior motives.”
“Sigh, good people are always easily misunderstood.”
Mu En shook his head and sighed, walking toward the inconspicuous building hidden deep in the darkness.
In the empty alley, various gazes intertwined, clashing with a chilling intent.
Yet Mu En seemed oblivious, strolling leisurely into the shadow fraught with danger.
Sam’s cheek twitched; after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately followed the man.
The path was clear and unobstructed.
But in front of the building, Mu En suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Sam tilted his head to look at Mu En.
“Still feeling a bit… unaccustomed,” Mu En said, looking down at his hands, suddenly sighing.
“Unaccustomed?”
Sam looked at him with suspicion, thinking that this lunatic was acting crazy again.
“However, although I find it hard to adapt to this pretentious version of myself, isn’t there an old saying?
——Just one glance can make your legs weak, but it’s a necessary quality for a blonde.
So I have to give it a try, right? There are still people waiting for me.”
Mu En chuckled self-deprecatingly, adjusted his top hat once more, pushed the door, and walked into the stage that had long been prepared.
Leaving behind the Rat King Sam, who looked utterly bewildered.
What blonde? Isn’t your hair white?
And what on earth is this necessary quality that makes one’s legs weak at a glance? Is this really an old saying?
Why does it sound like something bad?
……
……
Reknot’s underground bar.
As an ordinary underground bar in the lower city, it was neither famous like those notorious dens of iniquity with sizzling striptease dancers, heart-pounding music, and readily available drugs.
In fact, as a bar, it was too quiet.
Terrifyingly quiet.
Mu En stepped inside, and what greeted his eyes was the white smoke curling up in the dim light, along with the gloomy faces behind the haze.
Hyena Gang, Shurzi.
Brotherhood, Silok and Dolan.
Cerberus, Frangi.
Trading House, Taikel Brothers.
……
One face after another aligned with the information An had provided, and thus, in this small bar, most of the leaders or power holders of the major gangs in the lower city had gathered.
“It seems that without the leash, these house dogs are feeling uneasy.”
Mu En chuckled mockingly.
At this moment, he might even have to thank the Silent Moon for stirring up enough trouble in the shadows. If it weren’t for their pressure forcing those nobles to accept the palace’s summons, causing these house dogs to lose their masters one by one, it would have been impossible to gather these guys here in such a short time, even with the Rat King’s influence.
But since the actors have arrived, it’s time for him to…
“Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce myself, I am…”
Snap—
The crisp sound interrupted Mu En’s opening remarks.
So suddenly.
He pressed down his top hat, tilted his head, and glanced at the… bottle of liquor that brushed past his cheek.
The wine bottle had shattered, the bright red liquid splattering everywhere, like blood.
But that did not change the fact that the bottle had been thrown at his head.
This is…
Mu En slightly raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the man who had thrown the bottle.
“Hyena Gang, Shuerzi…”
“What are you?”
Staring at this inexplicably appearing stranger, someone he completely did not recognize, Shuerzi felt the anger in his mind becoming increasingly hard to suppress.
“Get the Rat King out here!”
“Rat King…”
Glancing over at the shadow lurking nearby, watching the commotion with a grin, the Rat King showed no intention of revealing himself. Mu En turned back to Shuerzi, revealing an elegant smile.
“Mr. Shuerzi, the one who invited you tonight is not the Rat King, but…”
Smack.
A second bottle was thrown.
This time, Shuerzi smartly did not aim for Mu En’s head but let the bottle explode at Mu En’s feet.
Thus, the wine, mixed with shards of glass, splattered up, brushing against the pure black dress, leaving a clear mark on it.
Mu En did not dodge; he lowered his head, looking at the mark on his dress, remaining silent for a long time.
“Stop fucking around and let the Rat King come out himself, hurry up! I’m not interested in talking to you!”
Shuerzi continued to roar with bloodshot eyes.
In reality, Shuerzi was not that impulsive of a person; the image he had always wanted to create was that of a polite old gentleman.
But the headache from sleepless nights and the growing unease in his heart made it very difficult for him to control his emotions.
Moreover, he had finally found the source of his unease.
From the moment he stepped into this bar, seeing that glimmer of the same hidden unease in the eyes of others, he understood the Rat King’s intention.
—To huddle together for warmth.
Now, it was probably not just him; the entire gang in the lower district had been abandoned by those above.
This was a terrifying message, indicating that a storm was approaching.
And when facing a storm, the best approach was to huddle together for warmth. Although the gangs in the lower district had never been consolidated, in the face of this unknown threat, something that no one had ever encountered or even knew where it came from, it was not impossible for something unprecedented to occur.
However, to huddle together meant that a true leader would emerge.
Someone who might truly rule the lower district, ruling over all their gangs… the Dark Emperor.
Then the reason the Rat King had suddenly summoned them tonight became clear!
He wanted to become that Dark Emperor…
Even he had felt that he had a great chance of success, sending a stranger, whose name he didn’t even know, to intimidate him!
But how could that be possible!
Given the enmity he had with him, he had become the dark emperor ruling the undercity, and he certainly wouldn’t enjoy any sweet fruits from this!
So, no matter what, he had to disrupt the Rat King’s plans and force him to show himself!
“Haha, the hyena is going mad again.”
Someone behind him sneered.
But Shuerzi merely smiled coldly.
A group of fools.
They were completely oblivious, with a knife already at their throats.
At this rate, they probably wouldn’t live long!
Thinking of this, Shuerzi’s gaze involuntarily grew heated.
Sure enough, his intuition was remarkably accurate; as long as he eliminated the source of unrest that was the Rat King, that so-called dark emperor, it wasn’t impossible for him to…
“My name is Bruce Wayne.”
“Hmm?”
Shuerzi looked curiously at the stranger who had been pushed out by the Rat King.
He finally raised his head, wiping the wine from his cheek with a handkerchief, wearing a calm and elegant smile, still polite as he introduced himself:
“Bruce Wayne, Mr. Shuerzi.”
“I don’t care what you’re called, hurry up and bring the Rat King out for me!”
Where did this naive fool come from?
No wonder he was pushed out by the Rat King.
In that case…
A trace of impatience flickered in Shuerzi’s eyes as he silently gripped his weapon…
“What a pity.”
But at that moment, he heard the man who called himself Bruce let out a regretful sigh.
Such pity, as if lamenting the withering of flowers, the falling of leaves, the passing of life.
In an instant.
Shuerzi’s inner unease swelled like never before, as if a balloon was being inflated, constantly pressing against his pulsing nerves.
To die!
To die!
To die!
What’s going on?
The uneasy object… could it not be the Rat King?
There was no time to think.
Schurzi then heard the latter half of the man’s sentence:
“It’s such a beautiful night, but Mr. Schurzi, you show me no respect at all. You won’t even call me Mr. Bruce Wayne.”
In the midst of confusion, fear, and incomprehension, Schurzi opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But he could no longer say anything.
The world suddenly spun around him, and amid the fading unease and anger, he saw the dimly lit ceiling, the terrified and incredulous gazes of others, and… a headless corpse.
His own corpse.
His head rolled on the ground, staring blankly at everyone, the corners of his mouth still holding that smug grin.
The Hyena Gang’s Schurzi, after three days and two nights of insomnia, finally fell into eternal slumber.
…
“Madman! Madman! Madman! This is a fucking madman!”
In the darkness, the Rat King Sam, who had witnessed the entire scene, could hardly believe his eyes as he hissed in disbelief.
What did he just see?
That guy, so casually, so effortlessly, beheaded Schurzi right in front of everyone?
Who did he think he was?
Although Schurzi was always quite detestable, the Hyena Gang was still one of the major gangs in the lower city.
Was he trying to provoke a war in the lower city?
Moreover, after gathering people with such difficulty, how was he going to wrap this up? Schurzi didn’t come alone!
Just as he was thinking this, Sam saw Mun turn his head suddenly and glance at him, a strange smile on his face.
“Sam, my dear friend, those Hyena Gang members outside are all yours.”
“What… wait!”
A sense of foreboding immediately surged in Sam’s heart, for the volume of this guy’s voice was clearly much louder than usual, allowing those outside the room to hear him distinctly.
Sam’s shout never came in time, as the sound of arrows piercing through the air suddenly rang out.
The elite members of the Rat Club, positioned outside for his protection, without hesitation, pulled the trigger towards the Hyena Gang members under Mun’s intentional words.
“Rat King, you—”
Outside the door, Schurzi’s confidant let out an angry roar, but that roar quickly turned into a wail.
Screams echoed one after another.
And then quickly subsided.
Everything returned to calm.
As Sam, trembling with rage at the realization of what the so-called audience was, watched blood gradually flow in from outside the door.
It was like an invisible blade, stabbing at everyone’s eyes.
In this incomprehensible situation, an almost suffocating silence enveloped the place.
And this silence was soon broken.
As if completely unconcerned about what was happening outside the door, Mu En raised his eyes, scanning the dazed and shocked faces of everyone, and smiled with satisfaction:
“Very well, now there should be no one to interrupt me while I speak.
Since that’s the case, due to time constraints, I will get straight to the point.”
At that moment, in this unremarkable bar, the man who called himself Bruce uttered a phrase that would be widely circulated in the future, addressing the many bosses of the Lower City of Beirlande:
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be my dogs.”