[Ultraman Tiga: Friends, I just turned Ryan's Supreme Arbiter!]
After Anbaixiu sent this message, the first to reply was unexpectedly not the dwarven vampire, but Rose of Decay, who usually said very little.
[Rose of Decay: What are you talking about? Turned that old dog James? I don't follow.]
Before Anbaixiu had time to explain, the chat members promptly voiced their disbelief.
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: Brother, I usually back you up the most, but you're bragging a bit too hard this time. This is even more outrageous than when all those paladins supposedly knelt before you last time.]
[Poet: Since waking up, I've found this world more and more entertaining. In the past, I never had a friend who could brag as well as you.]
[Mute: A bit ridiculous. Even I don't buy it.]
[Non-Vegetarian: Is this how you usually chat? I've been asleep for too long; guess I'm falling behind the times.]
[Dislikes Humans: Everything above is what I wanted to say. Keep bragging, go on. It'd be best if you bragged until Ryan's Supreme Arbiter knelt before you in tears, crying that he'd finally found a wise lord.]
[Ultraman Tiga has uploaded a recording.]
The chat group fell into a brief silence. Then Heji Stone began spamming "xxxxxx" across the screen.
Only after spamming hundreds of lines did he finally send a message: [Bastard! That was my research! How did it become your achievement?! Shameless lich, this is plagiarism!]
Anbaixiu chuckled and replied to the dwarven vampire: [You forget, desert dwarves don't recognize copyright. And we're neighbors living on dwarven turf, after all.]
Heji Stone did not reply for a long time. It was impossible to tell whether he had fainted from rage or torn his Necrotic Codex to shreds.
After the members of the Elegy Poetry Society finished watching the footage Anbaixiu had uploaded, almost everyone expressed shock.
The most excited, naturally, was Rose of Decay.
[Rose of Decay: You actually made that old dog entertain thoughts of betraying Ryan! You truly are a genius! The moment trouble arises in Ryan, his first instinct will no longer be to maintain stability within the empire, but to think about wiping out the imperial family! All my years of effort never matched the effect of your few words!]
Rose of Decay truly could not contain herself. Originally reclining on a velvet chaise lounge reading her Necrotic Codex, she now stood up in excitement and paced back and forth, completely unable to maintain her usual elegance.
Years ago, Rose of Decay had attempted an attack on the Ryan Imperial Capital. The outcome had naturally ended in failure, but the solidarity displayed by the people of Ryan back then had left a deep impression on her—they were a bunch of lunatics who, shouting "By the Holy Light!", had no fear of sacrifice.
Had it not been for their tenacious resistance, the Ryan Imperial Capital would never have held out until the return of the Silvermoon Knight; Rose of Decay would have conquered it long ago.
Yet now, Anbaixiu had hammered a fissure into this unified Ryan—and through a figure as pivotal as the Supreme Arbiter. Even if the man had merely entertained a shred of doubt or divergence, it would still prove a tremendous boon toward Ryan's eventual downfall.
It truly was astounding. How had this lich pulled it off?
Even after watching the memory crystal's recording, Rose of Decay wasn't sure she could replicate it herself.
The senior members in the chat were witnessing firsthand for the first time just how formidable Anbaixiu's god-blessed silver tongue was. He could twist black into white and make people believe that he, a lich, had Ryan's best interests at heart.
[Poet: I'm tempted to compose an ode for you. It would undoubtedly be sung for millennia.]
[Ultraman Tiga: Really? Many thanks.]
Becoming famous wasn't a bad thing at all. Greater fame brought brand value to whatever products he sold.
If everyone knew he was a lich whom even Ryan's people revered, he could double the prices of his alchemical goods.
[Poet: I've got the first line. "O elder blessed by Holy Light, why kneel before a lich in sight? Did the Lord of the Dawn have an affair, or has your Holy Light spoiled right there?"]
Ah, well... An awkward silence fell over the chat.
Even someone like Anbaixiu, who knew nothing of poetry, could tell this line was utter trash.
It had not a shred of epic grandeur; instead, it sounded like the punchline of a dirty joke.
[Ultraman Tiga: Senior, take your time writing that poem. I'm in no rush. Let's get back to business: regarding Ryan, should we wait and see how things develop, or add some fuel to the fire?]
Rose of Decay dearly wanted to fan the flames further, but she had no agents inside Ryan, and the Underdark had recently been in turmoil and was still recovering, leaving her unable to spare any resources.
As for the other undead, they bore no great grudge against Ryan, and Ryan had no jurisdiction over demigods and deities like them anyway, so they all preferred to just sit back and watch the show.
Anbaixiu was also in favor of waiting and watching. Although he hadn't managed to fetch a good price for the heroic spirit this time, he had learned Ryan's greatest secret: the Demonic Dragon's bloodline was reviving, and the Ryan Empire was rotting away.
Despite James Watson's claim that he wouldn't help Anbaixiu steal the Dragon Tyrant Armament, human thought was a fascinating thing. One could not resist thinking of a pink elephant; certain things could not simply be dismissed just because you willed it.
Once James Watson returned, he would undoubtedly investigate the Dragon Tyrant Armament, then find a way to destroy or steal the set of artifacts, no matter how adamantly he claimed he wouldn't cooperate with Anbaixiu.
With patient waiting, Ryan's changes would become evident before long. Anbaixiu believed that when he reached out to the Supreme Arbiter again, he might just pocket that Dragon Tyrant Armament. Without the Silvermoon Knight and without the Dragon Tyrant Armament, and with a powerful undead association like the Elegy Poetry Society standing behind him, who could threaten him then?
Seeing that everyone lacked enthusiasm toward Ryan and that she could hardly accomplish much on her own, Rose of Decay could only ask Anbaixiu: [Where do you think unexpected trouble in Ryan is most likely to break out?]
Anbaixiu pondered for a moment, then replied: [Either a shift in the war at the Orc Mountains, or the tieflings taking the initiative to attack. But my guess is that the orcs' side will erupt first. And it should happen very soon.]
While the undead were discussing Ryan's collapse, at this very moment in the Orc Mountains, Alan was locked in fierce combat atop an isolated peak against more than a dozen orc warriors.
Alan's swordsmanship had changed drastically. In the past, he executed each stance strictly by the book, but now his moves were completely unpredictable, each strike feeling like an inspired stroke of genius.
His sword of Holy Light parried the orcs' attacks from incredible angles every time. After clashing a few times against the orcs' weapons, his blade would sever them clean in two.
Such a disparity was not only because Alan had improved, but also because none of the orcs before him were legends.
This was a death commando unit that had scaled the precipice from a secluded corner, attempting to infiltrate the city and sabotage its defensive magic array. When Alan first spotted them, he saw two orc warriors lose their footing and plummet down the cliff, presumed smashed to pieces.
They were unlucky enough to run into Alan—a paladin who disliked lingering in the city and made a habit of strolling through deserted, solitary spots.
Even after being discovered by Alan, they had bravely climbed to the summit and charged him.
In response, Alan severed all their weapons and knocked them to the ground with ease.
Yet regardless of their shattered weapons and fractured bones, the orcs charged Alan with bloodshot eyes, fueled by a resolve to leave a wound on him even if it killed them.
Watching these orcs, Alan remembered when he had charged that lich.
The same fearless disregard for death, and the same overestimation of one's own strength.
Bravery granted the orcs extra combat prowess, but in the face of a gap in rank, it simply fell short.
Once more, they were knocked down. This time, their injuries were far more severe, making it difficult for them to rise again.
Alan said to the orcs, "You don't have to die here. Your parents are still waiting for you to come home."
Just then, one of the fallen orcs roared, "My parents died in this city long ago! White-haired dog of Ryan, kill me if you have the guts! I will return to the embrace of the gods and wait for you invaders to rot in hell!"
The longsword in Alan's hand trembled slightly before finally returning to its scabbard.
He looked no longer at the furious orcs, turning his gaze toward the sky instead.
Perpetual thunderclouds veiled the sunlight. Alan stared at the flickering flashes of lightning for a long while, until an orc lunged at him from behind in silence.
Alan swung his sword, but this time kept it in its scabbard.
The ambushing orc was struck flying, yet was surprised to find his injuries hardly worsened. The paladin's blow had carried such ingenious finesse that it merely swept him across the ground, sending him rolling twice.
Alan pulled his gaze away from the lightning and looked at the battered, sprawled orcs, urging them once more: "The others will discover you soon. If you leave now, you still have a chance."
As his words fell, more than a dozen beams of Holy Light shone upon the orcs, healing the bulk of their severe wounds.
The orcs looked at Alan in bewilderment, unable to fathom why he was healing his enemies.
Alan urged, "Go. Don't think you can defeat me just because you're healed. Try again, and the outcome will be the same."
While the orcs were hesitating, the sound of Ryan's horns suddenly echoed in the distance. The raid had clearly failed.
"White-haired dog, don't think this atones for your sins!"
Hurling those words, the orcs vaulted off the cliff. Mid-fall, gliding beast hides unfolded across their backs, carrying them soaring into the distance.
By the time the other paladins arrived, only traces of blood remained on the ground.
An exceptionally tall paladin called out loudly, "Alan, was that an orc attack just now?"
Alan nodded and said, "Yes, I drove them back."
"Drove them back?!" the paladin snapped in fury. "You let them go deliberately! This isn't the first time! Alan, are you trying to commit treason?!"
Faced with this accusation, Alan sighed. "General, I want to leave."
Chapter 274