Chapter 041: The Iron-Blooded Empress

The Embassy of the Northern Sea Wind Nation was tense, with hundreds of foreign nationals inside. In the brightly lit hall, faces were tight with anxiety and indignation. Watching their embassy's security guards and agents being subdued, they felt a sting of humiliation.

Suddenly, a tall blond man, nearly six feet, shouted at the fully armed Fama special agents, "You are provoking war!"

Bang!

A bullet whistled through the blond man's forehead; blood spattered everywhere. Immediately, a burst of gunfire echoed through the hall, sending the crowd into screams.

After the warning shots, the leader of the special agent team spoke sternly, "By order of the Empress, Fama is now in a period of internal conflict. We ask all international friends not to deliberately cause trouble. After the battle, Fama will offer appropriate compensation and a public apology. Otherwise, execution on the spot!"

Watching the Wind Nation citizens being subdued, faces pale and breathless, the team leader spoke into his earpiece, "The Wind Nation Embassy is now fully under control."

At the Northern Sea Yiben Embassy, in the main hall, a middle-aged man stared at the electronic screen and shouted, "The network lockdown started this afternoon, and it still hasn't been breached?"

A woman’s voice responded, "Almost there. If they can hold out just a bit longer, we must get the news out."

Bang, bang!

A man and woman, both shot in the head, collapsed onto their desks, blood splattering. Another burst of gunfire erupted, and chaos broke out among the crowd.

A deep voice declared, "By order of the Empress, Fama is now in a period of internal conflict. We ask all international friends not to deliberately cause trouble. After the battle, Fama will offer appropriate compensation and a public apology. Otherwise, execution on the spot!"

Sweeping his gaze across the room, the lead agent spoke into his earpiece, "Yiben Embassy is now fully under control."

At the Northern Sea Han Nation Embassy, in the main hall—

"You are shameless, using civil war as an excuse to harm our citizens!" a man bellowed.

With a flash, a figure darted forward. The man, clutching his bleeding throat, fell.

The hall fell silent, everyone fearful and cowed.

The Fama agent wiped his blade and spoke solemnly, "By order of the Empress, Fama is now in a period of internal conflict. We ask all international friends not to deliberately cause trouble. After the battle, Fama will offer appropriate compensation and a public apology. Otherwise, execution on the spot!"

As he nodded to his subordinates to take their positions, he spoke into his earpiece, "Han Nation Embassy is now fully under control."

At the same time, a surge of communications rippled throughout Fama.

"Wuchuan Foreign Enterprise Group and the embassy are now fully under control. International guests' emotions are stabilized."

"Blue City’s thirty-second spy eliminated; the area is fully under control."

"Yunluo has secured international guests’ accommodations; their mood is stable."

Hundreds and thousands of reports streamed in and were aggregated, ultimately converging on one place.

The Black Palace in the capital, four in the morning, the sky still pitch black.

Inside the meeting room, only Fama’s most influential figures were present. At the head of the table sat the Empress of Fama.

She was a woman around forty, yet her face was free of wrinkles, as youthful and beautiful as a woman in her twenties. Moreover, her brows carried a noble air, her eyes shone with intelligence.

The Defense Minister presented the latest data: "Your Majesty, after fifteen hours, all foreign media, embassies, corporations, agents, and spies in Fama have been fully subdued. Not a single one missed."

The Secretary-General proposed, "Your Majesty, General Ying and Zhang Hao have deployed the Dance Artifacts. We could request intervention from the Dance Realm."

Lifting her teacup and hurling it at the Secretary-General, the Empress replied in a low voice, "If the extraordinary dancers intervene, balance will be lost, and Fama will fall under control. Do you want my two billion citizens to become someone else's vassals?"

The Secretary-General shivered and bowed his head, "But… if we don’t request intervention from the Dance Realm, the situation may become uncontrollable."

"Even if every Fama citizen dies, we will not seek Dance Realm intervention." Shooting a glare at the Secretary-General, the Empress turned to the Director of the Investigation Bureau. "How is the investigation? Is General Ying's information accurate?"

The Empress would rather be a proud leader than a subordinate—her principles were noble indeed.

Understanding her stance, the Investigation Bureau Director answered with greater reverence, "Investigation complete. Over twenty thousand officials implicated, more than a hundred thousand cases, all confirmed."

Her expression darkening, the Empress swiftly ordered, "Take the hundred names from the list and execute them immediately. Negotiate with General Ying to exchange for a thousand hostages. For the rest involved, shoot a thousand as well."

Soon, all of Fama was shaken anew.

In Grand Sky Square, under bright lights, over a thousand handcuffed officials cried and begged, revealing the ugliness of human nature.

Decrees of authority were read, crimes recounted.

When the last proclamation finished, all of Fama witnessed an astonishing scene on television.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One by one, political parasites were executed with a shot to the head, blood dark and flowing.

After the shock, the people of Fama felt exhilarated, praising the Empress for her wisdom and strength.

The next moment, the solemn national anthem, "Invincible in Battle," resounded across Grand Sky Square as the official delivered an important address.

He elaborated on the Empress's stance regarding the Blue Moon Prison Star Tower incident.

Hostages must be saved, corruption eradicated. Northern Sea will not weep; Fama stands strong—invincible in battle!

At that moment, all of Fama’s citizens felt their blood stir, singing the anthem, roaring to the sky—Fama, invincible in battle!

Meanwhile, at the Black Palace meeting table, the Defense Minister reported grimly, "Your Majesty, all our advance teams have defected—no, they were all General Ying's people. Furthermore, the capital's First Dark Star, Blue City's First Dark Star, Yunluo's First Dark Star, and all major cities’ Dark Stars have assembled."

Silence, a deathly silence.

None of the high officials had anticipated matters escalating so far—this was a convergence of the music and military realms.

As whispers spread among them, the Empress tapped the table. When quiet was restored, she declared, "Schedule the first assault for seven a.m. Bombard all sides of the Eighty-Eight Pearl Steps."

At this point, the Special Police leader asked, "Your Majesty, what about Le Xiaotian?"

The Empress replied, "He is extraordinarily gifted, a genius who could become an extraordinary dancer. Next year, he could help Fama shine at the All-Star Extreme Challenge Tournament and restore our reputation after this incident. If he can be saved, save him. Also, Zhang Hao must be captured alive. He cannot die so easily."

The Secretary-General stammered, "Your—Your Majesty..."

The Empress turned to him, "Speak."

Taking a deep breath, the Secretary-General forced a bitter smile. "Last month, Le Xiaotian’s application was rejected midway; the next day, he successfully registered for the All-Star Extreme Challenge Tournament as an individual."

Silence, utter silence, deathly silence.

Suddenly, the Empress, seeing no teacup at her place, stood and grabbed the cup in front of the Investigation Bureau Director, hurling it at the Secretary-General. "A genius who could become an extraordinary dancer, a conductor of terrifying talent, and his application was rejected? Investigate! Immediately investigate! All negligent officials—execute!"

Watching the Empress erupt in fury, the Fama dignitaries wore bitter expressions.

As she said, letting such a talent slip away was a true loss.

If Zhang Hao had value, Le Xiaotian, as a conducting genius, was worth a thousand times more!

And yet this prodigy registered on his own.

His application was rejected, and he suffered a humiliating incident during a national broadcast. If persuasion were possible, could he be convinced to return?

If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t go back. It’s over. It’s over.