“Is everyone finished?” Leon glanced down, his gaze steady, and asked in a low voice.

The officials supporting the changes to the nobility succession law buried their heads, knowing full well the weight of Leon’s stare.

A noble standing at the front of the crowd felt his limbs tremble. This was the first time this usually amiable, even weak, king had ever made him feel such immense pressure.

“Where are the Knights of the Golden Temple?” Leon suddenly bellowed, his voice booming through the silent court like a thunderclap. Some officials even shivered in fright at this outburst.

“Clack-clack-clack…”

Heavy footsteps echoed from outside as a dozen heavily armed guards entered the grand hall. These elite warriors were few in number but each possessed the strength of a knight. Their captain was a grand knight, standing at the peak of the hierarchy.

“Knights of the Golden Temple will die to serve Your Majesty,” the captain declared loudly, striking his chestplate with a hand as he entered the hall and stood at attention.

“Daf Kumar, Yake Zuma, Eddy Farin… five individuals have conspired to alter our ancestral laws and undermine the foundation of the kingdom. Their intentions are treasonous, their crimes unpardonable…”

“Order the Knights of the Golden Temple to arrest these five, and take them immediately to Dragon’s Horn Gate to be beheaded and displayed to the public. Their families’ noble titles are revoked, and their properties shall be confiscated for the public good. Assign all adult males of these three clans to Dragon’s Breath Pass as hard laborers, and auction off the women to the merchant guild.”

“Furthermore, deploy the dragon knights to assist with the execution. If any of the condemned dare to resist, they may be executed on the spot.”

The five men standing outside the formation stared in shock at Leon’s harsh words. They never would have imagined that advocating for a change to the law of succession would result in such severe punishment.

In truth, they were merely pawns tossed out to test the waters. Even their own supporters likely never anticipated such an explosive reaction from Leon.

But the Knights of the Golden Temple cared little for these political machinations. These elite soldiers served only the king, and once they received Leon’s orders, they dragged the prisoners out of the hall. Leon had commanded them to behead the prisoners at Dragon’s Horn Gate, and so they wasted no time in executing this order.

As they were escorted away, one of the condemned finally began to struggle violently, exposing the people who had been supporting them from behind.

The court of the Golden Dragon Kingdom was divided into three factions: Prime Minister Zuo’s noble court, consisting mostly of merit-based nobles with actual titles;

The civil officials, represented by the Right Minister, were primarily composed of administrative officials. Although the kingdom valued its knights, the day-to-day administration of the state still required a cadre of government officials, and thus some officials with administrative talents had risen to high positions. However, these individuals generally lacked the martial prowess of the knightly rank and thus held only official titles, not noble ranks.

There were also a handful of senior military officers representing the military faction.

In addition to these, there were the dragon knights, who held an independent position above the factions. They reported only to the king, and no one dared to provoke them.

The two factions most interested in pushing through this inheritance law were the nobles and the civil officials. Although these two factions were often at odds, amending the law to allow for nobility to be inherited by those with cultivation levels lower than knights benefited both parties.

The nobles, many of whom held noble ranks themselves, had long criticized the inheritance law. Whenever a noble’s title was revoked because their descendants lacked a knight, the remaining nobles would mourn the loss like foxes grieving over the death of the rabbit. Even if this generation produced many talents and didn’t lack for knights, they were still wary of future generations falling into decline and losing their family’s titles and territories. Thus, they sought to abolish this law.

The civil servants also had their own interests in joining this alliance. Although most of them lacked the strength to achieve the rank of knight, their outstanding abilities had still allowed them to occupy high positions. However, due to the law that nobility could only be passed through the male line, they were unable to attain a noble title.

As long as this law remained, their chances of obtaining a noble title were slim, keeping them from achieving a higher status. Therefore, when the nobles attempted to push for the modification of the law of succession, they surprisingly did not stand in opposition and instead lent their support.

Prime Minister Zuo found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place upon hearing his subordinate’s cries. The new king had always presented himself as mild-mannered since his ascension to the throne, and his fortunate succession had allowed him to focus on governance rather than political maneuvering before his coronation. This, in turn, had led many to believe he was weak and could be pushed around.

Prime Minister Zuo was not so naïve, but even he hadn’t expected Leon to explode in such a furious outburst. He had thought the worst-case scenario was simply not achieving their goals; he never imagined he would so thoroughly enrage the king, putting even his subordinates’ lives at risk.

After much deliberation, Prime Minister Zuo was preparing to step forward and beg for leniency—only for Leon’s next words to freeze him in place.

“Anyone who dares plead on behalf of these five shall share their fate.”

Prime Minister Zuo had an intense premonition that if he dared step forward, the kingdom’s imperial dragon knights would descend upon his estate.

Prime Minister Zuo glanced at his old rival, Prime Minister Yang, who was burying his head like a ostrich, clearly unwilling to incur the king’s displeasure. The military generals, on the other hand, reveled in the misfortune of others.

Sighing, Prime Minister Zuo bowed his head in feigned ignorance, as though he had heard nothing.

“Bang!”

“Ah!”

A bloodcurdling scream sounded near the doors to the hall. A member of the nobility faction, frustrated beyond endurance, had燃起自身斗气 in an attempt to resist arrest. These court officials who supported the nobility were typically knights or cultivators with knight-level cultivation.

Yet as soon as he ignited his energy, the captain of the Knights of the Golden Temple viciously severed both his arms. A knight was no match against a grand knight, leaving him helpless.

The cries grew more distant and eventually faded away.

Not a soul in the entire hall dared to make another sound. Perhaps this was when most officials finally recognized the true nature of King Leon, understanding what it meant to anger a ruler. Regardless of how fortunate or undeserving this king was, as long as he sat on the throne, the royal family’s power compelled absolute loyalty from all subjects, making him the supreme sovereign of this nation.

“Everyone may withdraw now.”

Leon’s fury seemed to have subsided somewhat, but annoyance still colored his voice. The crowd below him didn’t dare express any discontent, performing their bows and departing the palace with relief, their backs drenched in cold sweat.

Leon, still steaming with anger, returned to the inner chambers. “Those bastards! They’re hell-bent on destroying my kingdom!”

The officials serving at his side were also alarmed by Leon’s rage. They had heard what had transpired in the court earlier that day, and for the first time, this mild and easygoing king struck fear into them. “Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Golden Dragon Clan.”

Leon composed himself and took the wax-sealed letter, carefully unfolding it for inspection. His brows furrowed deeper and deeper as he read, his grip on the parchment tightening until it was crushed into a ball.