At that moment, Stannis stepped out of the tent. The Knights parted to make way for him, allowing him to stand at the very front of the procession, facing Daenerys directly.
"Was it your men who attacked Mansred?" Daenerys asked coldly.
"Yes." Surprisingly, Stannis admitted it directly. Perhaps his pride made him disdain lying.
“Very well, then hand over the murderer. You must understand, Mansray is a king, the king of the Free Men. I paid a heavy price to bring about the Night's Watch and the Free Men's alliance at the Wall. In every respect, this is absolutely beneficial to humanity's future war against the White Walkers. But you, Stannis. You are destroying this alliance. Do you want to become a sinner against humanity? Or do you really think that by possessing the Lightbringer, you can save the world single-handedly?”
Stannis's face flushed red, veins bulging. He was clearly suppressing his emotions. But finally, he sighed and said...
“It was my men who attacked Mansred because I needed a king’s blood. I am sorry for this. I will give you a satisfactory answer.”
At this point, Stannis turned to look at the group of resolute Heart Knights and then spoke in a complex tone.
"Mandy, Gosling, Bor, Hagen, come out here..."
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Chapter 296 Under the Night (Fourth update, please subscribe and vote)
The savages scattered. After Stannis personally executed four Knights of the Heart, they believed the killer was dead. Not only them, but even Lu Xuan and Daenerys were stunned by Stannis's actions.
On the way back, Daenerys asked in a low voice.
“Teacher, Stannis is not acting right. I’ve learned about him through some channels. He shouldn’t be like this.”
“That’s right, it certainly doesn’t resemble him, which only proves one thing. When you place your hopes on an evil god, you have to be prepared for the backlash. Stannis should have already been infiltrated by Rahlo.”
After Lu Xuan's 'disagreement' with Rahlo, he stopped directly calling Rahlo by that name. After all, a hallmark of gods is that when someone calls out their name, it is perceived and even exerted with some kind of influence.
However, there are no such taboos at the Wall. Firstly, the Wall is covered by some kind of grand magic, capable of greatly interfering with the magic of the non-human world. Secondly, it's the Green Prophet's territory. Lu Xuan would never underestimate the Three-Eyed Raven. Don't be fooled by its relatively low profile in the series; it's the one who ultimately triumphs.
“It seems we need to make some preparations against Rahlo. I’m starting to understand why the High Wizard of Valyria’s Freehold was always wary of Rahlo in his early years. He seems to harbor some enormous ambition towards the human world.”
“That’s right. As one of the very few gods who can directly influence the human world, that guy is absolutely extremely dangerous. Sometimes I even feel that he might be more dangerous than the White Walkers in the North. We should make some preparations.”
At this moment, the old dragon soul, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke in Lu Xuan's spiritual world. Because of the immense passage of time, the old dragon soul had spent most of its time in slumber. Only in this way could it maintain its consciousness and even absorb some of Lu Xuan's dissipated spiritual energy to slowly repair itself.
"The dragon lords of Valyria's Freehold once developed a complete magical system specifically for R'hllor. But unfortunately, I don't know the specific details. If you can return to the ruins of Valyria, you might be able to find some clues."
Lu Xuan listened and then spoke to Daenerys.
"Let's wait a while. Once we've dealt with the attack from the nine free city-states, we'll try exploring the ruins of Valyria. Since they were able to control Rahlo, perhaps we can find some clues."
Unfortunately, the knowledge contained within Lu Xuan's Wizarding Fire now appears to be only second-rate, or even third-rate. While the quantity is vast, there's none truly top-tier. After all, the overall level of the male wizards of Qarth is far inferior to that of the archmages of Valyria.
"Okay, I'll be ready."
When the two returned, Jon was still practicing with the glass candle. In just half an hour, the glass candle on the table was already as bright as a candle flame. This talent was almost on par with Daenerys's. However, the two were clearly on different paths.
How are you feeling?
“Very good? I even sensed Bai Ling just now. Last time, we got separated outside the Great Wall. But I just sensed it through my talent. Bai Ling is heading this way now. It should reach the castle before dawn.”
"Very good, it seems you're beginning to accept your talent. But Jon, there's one thing you need to be careful about. As a wolf spirit, you can possess a ghost and use its body. This is perfectly normal. But remember, don't become addicted."
When you possess the wolf's body, you'll experience a wildness and unbridled freedom that isn't human. It will give you an unprecedented thrill. But if you don't want your mind to become like a wolf's, then control that feeling. Always remember, you are human.
...................
Stannis's tent was engulfed in crimson flames, which nearly reached the top. Melisandre stood motionless before the flames, her eyes fixed on the center, as if some secret lay hidden there.
She had expended a great deal of energy during the day. Using this blood magic now was clearly a strain on her. Her face was covered in sweat, and her body was trembling slightly. However, she gritted her teeth and persevered. She even nodded occasionally, as if communicating with some being.
In truth, Melisandre herself was utterly shocked. She had never experienced the presence of the Lord of Light so closely before. In previous interactions, she could only vaguely see some blurry images and hear some indistinct voices from deep within the flames.
But this time, she heard the Lord of Light's divine pronouncement with unparalleled clarity. The scene within the flames was clearer than ever before. She even felt her depleted magic power rapidly recovering. This divine favor was something she had never experienced before.
Stannis, standing to the side, was so intimidated by some unseen force that he nearly collapsed before the flames. He barely managed to hold on until the ritual was complete, then hurriedly stepped forward and asked...
"So? What was the result? How did the Lord of Light respond?"
“Your Majesty, the Lord of Light has already arranged everything. He gave me a clear divine oracle: we need to kill the black-haired knight beside Daenerys. He is a follower of the evil god. Kill him, and Daenerys' power will wane. Only then can Your Majesty become the true savior.”
"But how are we going to kill him? Even a hundred knights might not be able to kill that guy."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The King of Light has already made arrangements."
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan, who was fast asleep, suddenly heard a knock on the window. He opened his eyes and saw a crow gently pecking at the windowpane. With his exceptional eyesight, Lu Xuan could clearly see that the crow had a third eye on its forehead.
"A three-eyed raven?" Lu Xuan walked to the window and opened it. But the raven didn't come in; instead, it turned and flew into the night sky. Watching the direction it left in, Lu Xuan thought for a moment. He turned around and put on his armor, short spear, and long sword. Only after fully arming himself did he get up and chase after it.
Although the three-eyed raven in the story has basically never harmed anyone, as a messenger, or even an incarnation, of the Old Gods, Lu Xuan has always maintained a high degree of vigilance towards it. Especially in the Academy City, where the raven has a history of spying, this makes Lu Xuan even more cautious.
The three-eyed raven flew about, stopping and starting, clearly guiding Lu Xuan. Until they arrived beneath an enormous weirwood tree. This was the place where the Night's Watch swore their oath. They stood guard beneath the weirwood, reciting the Night's Watch's classic oath.
At this moment, the huge weirwood was densely covered with black crows.
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Chapter 297 The Dual Gods' Ultimate Kill (First Update)
The moment Lu Xuan saw the countless crows, he sensed something was wrong. He instinctively gripped his longsword. But before Lu Xuan could make a move, the countless crows in the trees soared into the sky, covering the sky above Lu Xuan's head.
They did not attack, but instead circled around Lu Xuan's head, constantly flying around and forming a huge black vortex.