Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 732: Chapter 732. Secret Revealed

”Justice...? Hehe,” Amon chuckled. ”That is a fancy word. Everyone has their own version of justice. You kept on calling me selfish and accusing me of something I’m not. Do you have proof? Or are you here only to babble nonsense?”

”I myself am proof!” Sima Fang exclaimed. ”You murdered Princess Huang Er and me inside the cave at Xejin Tundra! Do you deny that?”

”I deny it,” Amon answered calmly. ”Do you see me directly when this murder happened?”

”I saw you while you were using your demonic art.”

”What demonic art?”

”The one where you cover yourself with dark shadows.”

Amon grinned. ”If I am covered in dark shadows, how were you sure it was me? Did you sense my aura?”

”... I sensed your demonic aura,” Sima Fang answered.

Amon shook his head while laughing lightly. ”Miss Sima, even if you said that you saw me directly, you are the sole witness. It is my word against yours. Now, you even admit that what you see is someone shrouded in dark shadows, which means you didn’t see me behind that shroud. Do you think anyone will believe your lies?”

”What if we have two witnesses? One that did see you directly during your evil deed?” A masculine voice sounded from the other masked person in a white robe.

Amon turned to that person with a deep frown. He also recognized this voice. This was also the voice of another person who was supposed to have died.

The person removed his mask, showing the angry face of Wu Di. ”It took all my willpower to restrain myself from lunging at you and making you pay for what you have done!”

He removed the white robe covering his body. He was bare-chested. A deep and long wound mark was visible on his chest. ”The wound that you caused is still healing. You left me buried in that rubble, thinking I had no chance of surviving. Well, the joke’s on you. Someone saved me from certain death.”

Sima Fang lifted her hand and told Amon, ”I’m guilty for that.”

Wu Di turned to face the mass gathered in the courtyard. He spoke loudly, ”Everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, I am Wu Di, a loyal Echos Soldier! I am there with King Huang San when Lin Xiaolong’s forces ambushed our army. I am there with King Huang San when he was forced to leave the Spirit Stage Soldiers. General Liu Xun and Yong Baili can confirm my claim!”

Many turned to Liu Xun and Yong Baili, who nodded in response.

Wu Di continued, ”I was also there when the enemy used a despicable method by kidnapping Prince Huang Zen, forcing King Huang San to give chase. I was there when King Huang San was trapped inside the cave that the enemy had prepared. I was there, fighting nearly to my last breath to defend our king! Alas, I am not strong enough. I fell and was buried under the rocks. I don’t know what happened next. I only learned of our king’s fate after Miss Sima saved me. I am here to tell everyone. The one who assaulted us inside that cave was this demon, Amon!”

A murmur was again heard. It was louder this time.

”Liar!” Xin Wuming exclaimed. ”No one here is going to believe your lie! Soldiers, apprehend these liars!”

When the soldiers were about to move, a stern voice halted them. ”No one moves!”

The one who gave the command was Jiang Tong.

Amon stared sharply at the First Class General. Jiang Tong didn’t shy away. He stared back and said, ”Regent, this concerns the truth of our king’s demise. Even if it is unconfirmed, we need to listen till the end.”

”I swear to Heaven and our late kings that I am telling the truth!” Wu Di declared. He pointed at Amon. ”Unlike Miss Sima, I saw the perpetrator directly. You! I blew the dark shadows covering your head and saw you behind it. Amon, you are the one who murdered King Huang San, and you are also the one who murdered Prince Huang Er. You did this for your lust for power. You did this to steal the authority from the Huang Clan. I don’t know this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you are also the one responsible for the massacre of the Huang Clan members in the palace!”

”I have heard enough!” Xin Wuming rushed forward.

A flash of light came between him and Wu Di. He collided with this flash of light and crashed into the ground. Dim Loog stood before Wu Di, shielding him from harm. His Lord Stage’s aura spread and intimidated everyone.

”He is also under my protection,” Dim Loog stated.

”Everyone!” Wu Di resumed addressing the masses. ”This man, whom you called regent, is not only the one responsible for the death of our king, but he is also an abominable existence. He is a demon!”

The earlier murmur now turned into cacophony.

Amon had been observing the people in the courtyard as Wu Di spoke. He could see that some people bought the speech. Some, like Jiang Tong, who didn’t support his appointment as the regent, were the most noticeable. Yet, a majority seemed skeptical.

He addressed them, then.

”My fellow countrymen! These foreigners had come barging here, attempting to sow discord among us. Are we that easy to sway? Are we that easy to be provoked into fighting our own people? All of you know that I have always been a staunch supporter of King Huang San. We had been best friends since we were students at the Royal Academy. I fought with him in the Ancient Ascension Trial to help him be Echos’ king. I fought Khode’s invader under his command, and I went abroad fighting the enemy, making sure our kingdom will never be invaded again. I am always loyal to Echos and to my beloved friend, King Huang San! I don’t care if you sully my reputation, but I will challenge anyone who dares to sully my relationship with him!”

Amon pointed at Sima Fang’s group. ”These people did just that. They accused me without any proof to back their claims. Are you just going to take their words for it? I call on all loyal patriots to stand with me and show these rabble that we are not that easy to fool! Who is with me?!”

A war cry erupted from the crowd. This loud cry surprised even Jiang Tong. Many of the soldiers here in the courtyard were from Echos’ official army, not from the First Demon Army. He didn’t expect that so many of his own underlings also admired Amon.

From the cry and the soldiers’ expression, things didn’t bode well for Sima Fang’s group. Even so, their faces showed no worry. Sima Fang was even smiling.

Her smile unsettled Amon. ’Did the witch still have something up her sleeve?’ He thought.

Sima Fang spoke, ”Regent Amon, Contrary to your claim, we did bring proof. We simply haven’t shown them yet. We are about to.”

Amon’s mind was running as he thought about Sima Fang’s claim. He was sure he didn’t leave any hard evidence on the scene. There should be no witnesses other than Sima Fang and Wu Di. As he was still thinking, he sensed something from behind him. He turned around, and his eyes went wide in surprise.

Lao Zen was holding a talisman. It was glowing, a telltale sign that it had been activated.

Amon recognized the talisman. He had seen it before. It was the same talisman Zhang Daofeng had used before.

”My great-great-grandfather made more than one Demon Revealing Talisman,” Sima Fang said. ”I sneaked into his old chamber a day after his disappearance and found that talisman there.”

Amon’s instinct was to move away the moment he noticed the talisman, but he knew it was futile. Lao Zen was too close by. Even Mu Qin failed to escape the talisman’s area of effect. How could he do otherwise?

The light from the Demon Revealing Talisman washed over him. It continued to expand until the whole courtyard was covered in its light. It then dimmed before going out altogether. Silence reigned, and everyone’s eyes were on one person.

Amon stood there. Threads of dark aura seeped out of him. Everyone was silent.

”He... He was truly a demon...,” one soldier uttered. More spoke, and the cacophony returned.

Amon looked at Lao Zen. The old man felt guilty for his betrayal. ”I... Sorry, I must make sure...”

”Why are you feeling guilty?” Ha Gild admonished him. ”This proves that this man truly is our king’s murderer!”

Lao Zen’s guilty face turned stern after hearing that. He said, ”Amon, I always have high hopes for you. But if I knew you would turn into such a villain, I would have ended you when I first laid eyes on you!”

Amon didn’t say anything in response. He turned to Xin Wuming, who was also shocked. He hid his demonic secret even from his most loyal follower. When he expected Xin Wuming to curse him as others did, the man came to his side and proclaimed, ”Even if you are a demon, you are still my brother! I will not leave your side!”

Amon was honestly surprised by this reaction. He spared Xin Wuming a grateful nod before turning to Sima Fang.

He grinned and praised, ”Well done.”