The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Master Puli’s right hand held the light and shadow, while his left hand made a gesture of grabbing someone's hair, as if he had a person's head in front of him controlled by his left hand. His right wrist moved, making a cutting motion across the throat. The Masters Puli standing behind the King and the officials moved together, the light and shadow cutting across the throats.

The Light and Shadow was a famous knife, its hilt inlaid with pearls and gemstones, and its scabbard inlaid with agate and jade, extremely rich and luxurious. The blade shimmered with iridescent light, incomparably sharp. A forceful cut could cleave through steel, let alone a throat.

Fresh blood spurted out, the wound was enormous. His Majesty the King widened his eyes, his hands reaching for his own throat, but stopped as they approached, his hands trembling, as if struggling to reach but restrained by an invisible force. The officials on either side of the King looked terrified, their hands reaching for their throats, wanting to block the wound, but their hands could not get close.

Fresh blood sprayed onto the lavish delicacies in front of the officials, like vivid red flowers.

Life force rapidly disappeared with the spurting blood. The fear of death was an invisible hand, seizing the last bit of consciousness of everyone whose throat was severed by the Light and Shadow.

Master Puli released his left hand in the void, and his shadows also released their left hands together. The heads of His Majesty the King and the officials fell, plunging into the delicacies in front of them, overturning some cups and plates with a clatter.

Master Puli sheathed the Light and Shadow, and his shadows also sheathed their knives together.

Silently, the shadows that killed the King and the officials disappeared together, as if they had never existed.

Master Puli returned 'Light and Shadow' to Haji Moir.

"Truth and Wisdom! My teacher, I offer you this Light and Shadow, please accept it."

Master Puli nodded expressionlessly and placed the Light and Shadow into his sleeve.

Master Puli did not refuse the famous Light and Shadow knife.

Haji spoke a few words in his native language to a dark-skinned guard at the door. The guard left, and soon a team of dark-skinned soldiers entered the room to carry away the bodies. Then, female slaves came in, carrying buckets, to clean up the bloodstains and clear the food and cups from the circular table.

The masked Elder of the Remnant Guest was also killed in the pool of blood. Her black veil was not removed as she was carried away in a black shroud.

The masked Elder of the Remnant Guest who was active outside was the most steadfast advocate for war within the Remnant Guest. After obtaining the consent of the three higher-ranking Elders in Scorpion Tail Fort, Master Puli killed the masked Elder of the Remnant Guest along with the others to ensure that no information would leak.

With the pro-war Elder killed, the three Supreme Elders in Scorpion Tail Fort could simply appoint a new masked Elder.

Half an hour later, the oval conference hall was completely refreshed, the warm amber color giving a comfortable and pleasant feeling. Master Puli and Haji entered a small room next to the conference hall, where a newly appointed masked Elder of the Remnant Guest was waiting. In addition, there was an Undying Warlock who looked extremely similar to Master Puli, almost indistinguishable.

A moment later, the four emerged from the room. They were His Majesty the King, Lord Haji Moir, the masked Elder of the Remnant Guest, and Master Puli.

Master Puli, Haji Moir, and the masked Elder of the Remnant Guest followed on either side of His Majesty the King.

The four walked out of the conference hall, where three legions had gathered. One legion was the most elite mercenaries belonging to the Thirteen Giants, five hundred elite soldiers. This legion was long controlled by the merchant leader, Lord Haji.

The other legion was a Black-Clad Legion, with each member's chest embroidered with a scorpion-tailed beast. This force was small in number, twenty men. But each was a top assassin and poison expert who used scorpion-tailed beast venom to kill their targets.

Master Puli's goal in enlisting the Remnant Guest was to use their terrifying power to easily threaten the families and loyal subordinates of any nobles who refused to submit.

Killing almost all the influential figures of Qarth would arouse the deep hatred of the loyalists of these powerful figures. Those people were not afraid of trouble, but in the face of absolute power, they could only survive if they did not come forward. Once they did, they would be completely eradicated.

The third legion was a hundred-man team. They were the Royal Guards loyal to His Majesty the King. In the middle position between the two captains stood an Undying Warlock. The Undying Warlock came from the House of the Undying and served His Majesty the King for life.

The King said, "Have the guards of the Ancient Guild of Spicers and the Tourmaline Brotherhood, and the Twelve Giants been all killed?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the captains of the three legions replied in unison, bowing.

While the massacre was happening in the oval conference hall, a massacre was also happening outside simultaneously. The mercenary corps loyal to Haji, the Royal Guards who had received the King's orders, and the twenty assassins from Scorpion Tail Fort of the Remnant Guest, acted together to kill all the guards brought by the other officials.

A sudden and clean backstab.

The guards of the Tourmaline Brotherhood and the Ancient Guild of Spicers died inexplicably. The guards and attendants of the Twelve Giants also did not know why they were being killed. This was, after all, the headquarters of the Thirteen Giants Merchant Guild.

The twenty assassins of the Remnant Guest were hidden lines planted in advance, not to have them take action, but to use them to deter the few die-hard loyalists of the Tourmaline Legion, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Twelve Giants after the mutiny and massacre.

With the leaders killed, no family member or subordinate could act rashly. Everything had to be done according to orders and summons, otherwise, those who dared to rebel would be killed. The power of the Remnant Guest represented death.

His Majesty the King looked at the warlock in the Royal Guard. Each generation of kings would have several warlocks serving for life, just as the royal family of Westeros had grand masters from the Citadel serving as grand counselors.

The position of grand counselor to the king was always held by the Citadel, and they appointed the personnel. The warlocks beside the King of Qarth were the same, appointed by the House of the Undying.

The accompanying warlock was named Amber Schaefer, chosen by the Undying Warlock Master Puli and sent to the royal family.

His Majesty the King's face was grim: "Master Amber, please order the team to return to the palace and proclaim Master Puli's prophecy throughout the city, that enemies from outside the city will come riding four dragons to attack the city, and will soon build invincible cannons outside the city that destroyed more than six hundred of our warships in the naval battle. Those cannons are so powerful that they can easily collapse our walls beyond the range of dragon-hunting crossbows."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

*

A few days later.

The northern gate of Qarth slowly opened, and a horse walked out, it was Lord Haji Moir. Another horse followed, it was an Undying Warlock. The third horse out was a royal courtier.

The three horses were connected end to end!

However, it was not over.

One horse after another continued to come out of the narrow city gate, the width of the gate only allowing one horse to pass through.

After a while, the horse team completely came out, and the city gate slowly closed.

Behind the three great figures, a hundred-man cavalry team gathered.

The cavalry was covered in light red scale armor, with tall, beautiful pheasant feathers inserted into their helmets, all equipped with lances, and short scimitars at their waists. This was a team that gathered the most valiant warriors from the royal family, the Remnant Guest, and the Thirteen Giants legions.

The Remnant Guest mixed among them to protect the safety of Lord Haji Moir.

This hundred-man team was not to guard against attacks by Dothraki riders outside the city, but to guard against the die-hard loyalists of the Tourmaline Brotherhood and the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and those loyal to the Twelve Giants within the city.

Of the Thirteen Giants, twelve had died, leaving only Haji Moir, the leader of the Thirteen Giants. The wealth, armies, and warships of the Thirteen Giants were all concentrated in the hands of Lord Haji Moir.

The navies, merchant ships, mercenaries, accumulated wealth, and castles of the Tourmaline Brotherhood and the Ancient Guild of Spicers had been divided up by the royal family, the Remnant Guest, and the House of the Undying.

The vast majority of forces had already submitted to His Majesty the King, Lord Haji Moir, the Remnant Guest organization, and the House of the Undying, with only a few die-hards not yet completely eliminated.

The overall situation inside Qarth had been settled.

As long as His Majesty the King and Lord Haji Moir were not careless, those very few die-hards would have no chance to get close to them, let alone assassinate them. Under the protection of the Remnant Guest assassins, Lord Haji Moir had never worried about his life.

He was not afraid of being assassinated by the die-hards of those great figures, because that was simply suicide.

With the Remnant Guest by his side, no die-hard could ever harm the King and Lord Haji.

This team, led by Lord Haji Moir, headed towards the Dothraki riders' camp.

*

Central tent.

Before Haji Moir even entered the tent, he felt a sense of pressure.

This sense of pressure was invisible and intangible, but it could be felt.

Jorah Mormont was responsible for receiving Haji Moir's party.

The hundred-man guard was left outside the military camp by Grey Worm, with a hundred Dothraki riders and Unsullied soldiers guarding the Qarth hundred-man team from the front and back.

If an order to attack came from the central tent, these hundred men would be killed here.

The cavalry was responsible for ambush, and the Unsullied soldiers were responsible for interception. Located on the only way for the guard to retreat was the Unsullied spearmen formation. The Unsullied spearmen formation was the nemesis of cavalry.

Inside the central tent.

A giant-like behemoth sat on a surprisingly tall wooden chair. Beside him were Daenerys Targaryen, an old man with white hair and a red face, and a well-muscled strong man. But compared to the Mountain, that strong man looked like a child.

Missandei, as a translator, stood on the Mountain's right-hand side, Daenerys' left-hand side.

Haji Moir, the warlock, and the courtier stood in front of the Mountain, looking surprised and uncertain.

No one from Qarth had ever seen such a giant.

This was a giant bear in human skin.

The Mountain stared at Haji Moir, this guy was probably from the Summer Isles, his skin was really too dark. In the Mountain's mind, only people from the Summer Isles had such dark skin.

The people of Qarth all had very white skin, both men and women, creamy white skin. This also led to another problem: the people of Qarth had many small black spots on their faces.

A tall man with dark skin could never be a native of Qarth.

While Haji and the others were in shock, Missandei had already whispered the identities and names of these three envoys to the Mountain.

The Mountain's gaze fell on Haji Moir's face.

Although this guy was dark, he was well-maintained, with a fat head and big ears, and a prosperous look.

"Haji Moir," the Mountain said. His voice boomed, startling Haji Moir.

The Mountain's voice, like his extraordinary stature, was full of overwhelming crudeness.

"Your Majesty," Haji Moir knelt down.

The warlock stood without kneeling.

The royal courtier also knelt down.

The Mountain's gaze fixed on the warlock.

"Undying Warlock?" The Mountain said, his voice carrying the authority of an interrogation.

"I am an Undying Warlock, serving His Majesty the King for life."

"Why do you not kneel before me?"

"Your Majesty, I only kneel to the witch-gods in the House of the Undying."

The Mountain said, "Someone, kill him."

Misanlo immediately stepped forward, and with a clang, drew his scimitar.

"Your Majesty, I am a believer, not your subject. I do not disrespect you by not kneeling."

"Don't dirty the ground here, drag him out, I want to see his head."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Misanlo's scimitar was placed on the warlock's neck, "Go!" With a slight force on his hand, blood flowed from the warlock's neck.

"Your Majesty, we are envoys," Haji Moir said, looking at Daenerys, "Your Majesty the Queen, please tell His Majesty the King that the Undying Warlocks do not kneel to kings. If they kneel, it will be bad for the king, because it will anger the witch-gods."

Daenerys said, "Your Majesty the King, the Undying Warlocks only kneel to their gods, this is faith, and it is also a rule. For thousands of years, the kings of Qarth have never received their kneeling.

Misanlo had already escorted the Undying Warlock out of the tent.

"Bring him back," the Mountain shouted.

Misanlo then brought the warlock back into the tent.

"Where is your Master Puli?" The Mountain asked.

Haji Moir said, "Your Majesty, we have brought you Puli's head."

"Oh, bring it up."

Haji's party had naturally not come to see the Mountain empty-handed. Three exquisite large rattan boxes were placed on the ground of the tent. It was said that they were all gold and silver treasures sent to the Mountain.

One of the rattan boxes was opened by Haji, and Haji held out a brocade box. The brocade box was handed to Misanlo, who opened the brocade box and saw a head inside.

Misanlo first opened the rattan box to check, to guard against hidden arrows in the rattan box. If there were any, Misanlo would be shot to death first.

Misanlo sent the brocade box to the Mountain, and the Mountain glanced into the brocade box: "Lord Haji, I do not recognize Puli's face. I need you to prove to me that this head is Puli's."

"Your Majesty, please send someone to find anyone in the city to look at it. If I deceive Your Majesty, please kill me and throw me on the wilderness to feed the dogs."

"Feed the dogs? That's not necessary," the Mountain said, "Asha, come out, see whose head this is."