Chapter 137 Judgement

"What exactly happened?!"

Walking through the halls in a hurry, Jade walked alongside Joan while they both wore a worried face.

"I-I don't know exactly how it happened but... from what I know, Dianne and Sumsa found some sort of evidence before Lord Fang attacked them."

After Joan responded, Matt appeared from around the corner, saying. "So, that's what happened."

Jade then looked at him, asking. "Did you bring Mae along?"

"Yes."

"Tat and Sun?"

"Still out. Do you want me to?"

"No, just... asking. Let's hurry!"

After that little conversation, they hurried their way towards a large hall, where a bunch of people are gathered.

As soon as they entered, they were met with a room filled with suspicion-filled gazes, coming from the family heads that were able to come.

In the middle of the room, right before the throne where Lord Jade sat, wearing an angry expression, looking down on a certain man wrapped completely in chains. It is Lord Fang.

As Joan and Matt went with the rest of their group off to the side, Jade separated from them and approached the throne, sitting by Lord Jade.

After she sat down, Lord Jade gave her a handful of papers.

As Jade read the papers, Lord Jade focused his attention towards Lord Fang kneeling before him.

He then spoke with a commanding voice. "Lord Fang. These papers... your actions... tell me they're fake."

To which Lord Fang replied, his voice still weak from the beating he took earlier. "Yes, they are all true."

"Father!" 

Hearing a scream from the crowd, everyone turned towards the source of the voice.

There she sat, a fair young lady, her saddened face filled with tears. It was Lady Fang.

She spoke, her voice wavering as she tried to hold back her tears. "Tell me! Tell me that was a lie!"

To which Lord Fang replied. "I'm sorry, my daughter. That is the truth."

After hearing her father's words, she couldn't hold it in anymore as her tears flowed freely.

Everyone then focused their attention to Lord Jade, all of their gazes looking the same.

Lord Jade gave them a nod of acknowledgement before giving a signal to the group off to the side.

Then, Kenny and Dianne escorted the still crying Lady Fang out of the room.

After she was gone, Lord Jade then returned his attention to Lord Fang, saying in a disappointed tone. "I treated you like a brother... and this is how you repay me? Betraying not just me, but the entire population that you swore to protect?"

As he said this, Jade lowered the papers away from her face, revealing an extremely angry expression.

Then, Lord Fang replied. "Yes, I did betray you and the entire Jade region."

Without letting go of his disappointed glare, Lord Jade continued. "You are smart, Fang. Where are they and when are they going to strike? I know you are smart enough to make the correct decision here, Fang."

Then, Lord Fang, staring directly at Lord Jade's eyes, replied. "I know nothing."

Then, Lord Jade continued. "I know you have a few tricks up your sleeves, Fang. You fought instead of trying to clean your name. Almost as if you wanted to get caught."

Then, Lord Fang, with a dastardly look on his face, replied. "Maybe I am."

"Aren't you ashamed to be called a father? You betrayed your daughter's trust."

With a cold expression, Lord Fang replied. "I have never even considered her as my daughter. Who wants to have a child who can't even defend themself?"

Jade bit down on her lip as she continued to glare at Lord Fang with an angry expression.

Lord Jade then said, with a demanding tone. "I'll ask only one more time, Fang. Where are they?"

"Like I'd tell you, you coward."

Everyone in the room was caught off guard by Lord Fang due to his blatant disregard for the authority that Lord Jade possess.

While the room was still quiet, Lord Fang continued. "I remember those days clearly..."

Lord Fang then glared at Lord Jade up at his throne as he continued. "I remember the days when you weren't such a coward."

"The days when you never took No as an answer."

"The days when you never settled for less."

"The days when the world was at our fingertips."

Lord Fang then turned his attention to Jade, who is sat next to her father, as he continued. "Then you sacrificed it all... All for what? So you can have a happy life with this failure-"

*Bam!*

Lord Fang was now on his side, coughing up blood, while a bamboo halberd now sat just to his left, embedded into the floor.

Lord Jade, who has now stood up from his chair with his arm extended, said with an angry expression. "I will hear none of it!"

Then, with a sluggish motion, while still bleeding from his side, Lord Fang forced himself to sit back up before he said with a coughful of blood. "Yeah... That's the you we are talking about."

"We were so close... And yet... you threw it all away." Said Lord Fang while gritting his teeth.

Lord Jade then stated angrily. "That side of me is nothing but a fossil."

To which Lord Fang hastily replied. "You cannot kill the past, Jade."

"The past will always dictate the future."

"No matter how hard you try... people will NEVER change."

Then, Lord Jade siad with a domineering tone. "Answer the damn question, Fang."

Then, Lord Fang shouted. "You already know the goddamn answer to that!"

He then continued to scream. "The Jade region will fall!"

"I have already signed all of our death warrants!"

"They will raze this city to the ground until all that is left are ashes!!!"

"And there is nothing you can do about it! We are, inevitable!!!"

After the room turned silent for a good minute, Lord Jade then commanded. "Guards! Take him away... He WILL talk later!"

As the guards rushed over, Lord Fang crushed something between teeth before he continued. "You will fall, Lord Jade! Just like those scums over the valley! Just like those scums behind their walls! You will all fall!"

"Enough! Guards!"

Before the guards could reach him, a few people noticed an orange glow on Lord Fang's abdomen.

Lord Fang then continued, only this time, somewhat calm. "I never wanted it to go this far... But you forced my hand."

As Lord Jade got in front of Jade, Matt and the others also acted by shielding the rest of the people in the room.

Just as the glow on his abdomen began to turn unbearable, Lord Fang said calmly. "Oh, before I go... I'd stay away from the mines if I were you."

Just then, Brad and the rest charged at Lord Fang with their weapons fully drawn.

*Boom*

Without a single pause, Lord Fang's body imploded, scattering his guts all over the room.

The people closest to him, Matt and the others, got knocked back a bit, but thanks to their efforts, the damage caused by the explosion was kept to a minimum.

While the room remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly trying to figure out what just happened, Jade realized something.

Immediately, she stood up, went around Lord Jade as she yelled. "MATT!!! MAE!!! THE MINES!!!"

With a quick nod, Matt, Mae, Joan and Sumsa fled the room in a hurry.

But, just in few seconds after they left, a large explosion was heard in the distance, shaking the very earth their building stood on.

Soon, screams of sheer terror echoed from the city, yelling. "OH MY GOD!!! THE MOUNTAIN RANGE!!!"

Then, in a hurry, the family heads bolted out of the room, saying. "I'm sorry for this, Lord Jade! But, I must check up on my family!"

In just a few seconds, the hall was almost empty, leaving only Brad, Shan, Deniss, a few guards, Jade, and Lord Jade himself, who is looking very angry.

Then, with pure hatred in his voice, Lord Jade stated. "I will make the people behind this PAY!"