Matsushima Zekawa's courage had long since crumbled.
He had only heard of Bai Zihe's reputation before, thinking him strong.
But now, facing him in person, he understood the caliber of being he was up against, utterly invincible, leaving no room for resistance.
He crawled on the ground, desperate to escape.
Bai Zihe watched him crawl.
But his footsteps were relentless, and in an instant, he stood before Matsushima Zekawa.
"Bai, Bai Zihe..."
Matsushima Zekawa looked up.
Bai Zihe's face was as cold as frost, devoid of any emotion.
Only...
An endless killing intent permeated the air.
"You, you... you can't kill me!"
Matsushima Zekawa's voice trembled, unable to remain calm in the face of death.
Bai Zihe said indifferently, "Weren't you trying to provoke me just now? Did you consider the price of provoking me?"
Matsushima Zekawa's eyelids twitched violently, his heart clenching.
Indeed.
He had intended to anger Bai Zihe, to make him err.
But he had not anticipated such a vast disparity in strength, being defeated in an instant.
Looking back now.
His act of provocation had been utterly foolish.
Suddenly.
Matsushima Zekawa felt his body lighten, as Bai Zihe's hand grasped his neck and lifted him into the air.
Suffocation descended instantly.
"No!"
"Bai Zihe, you can't kill me!"
At this moment, Matsushima Zekawa felt the summons of death, his soul in utter disarray. His words poured out in a torrent: "I am the envoy of the Great Ying Nation within the borders of Great Xia."
"This concerns the honor of the Great Ying Nation. If you kill me, you will undoubtedly be declaring war on the Great Ying Nation!"
"You don't want to see the soldiers of Great Xia slaughtered, do you?"
"You don't want to let..."
It was evident.
Matsushima Zekawa was truly terrified, trembling all over, yet his mouth continued to move, fearing that any pause would lead to Bai Zihe's merciless end.
"Enough!"
Bai Zihe's cold shout silenced Matsushima Zekawa.
His eyes narrowed, and the light that blazed from them sent a chill down Matsushima Zekawa's spine. "When you gave the order to arrest my second senior sister..."
"When you colluded with Gai Tianya to attack me..."
"When you built one Ying-style commercial street after another within Great Xia..."
"When you spoke of the gene project, intending to exterminate the Great Xia race..."
"You should have been prepared for death!"
"You..."
A cruel glint flashed in Bai Zihe's eyes. "Deserve to die!"
With that, he snapped Matsushima Zekawa's neck.
The envoy of the Ying people, dead!
"Junior Brother..."
Just then, Fifth Senior Sister and the others arrived.
Seeing the tragic scene before them, they could not help but gasp in astonishment.
"Second Senior Sister, Fifth Senior Sister..."
Bai Zihe immediately commanded, "Have this place leveled and rebuild with new structures."
"From this day forward..."
"There shall be no more Ying-style commercial streets in Nan Province."
"And there is no need for the existence of an Ying envoy's embassy."
The two nodded in agreement. "Alright."
Yue Rushuang then asked, "Junior Brother, where are you going?"
Bai Zihe held up Matsushima Zekawa's severed head, displaying it. "To deliver a grand gift to the heroes of Great Xia."
Half an hour later, at the Martyrs' Cemetery.
Bai Zihe placed Matsushima Zekawa's head before the monument.
Then.
He retrieved a jar of fine wine from nearby and poured it onto the ground.
"You were all valiant sons of Great Xia."
"And the backbone of the Great Xia nation!"
"Today."
"I, Bai Zihe, offer the head of Matsushima Zekawa, the envoy of the Ying people, to comfort your souls in the heavens!"
As his voice fell.
Bai Zihe bowed.
Behind him, the members of the War God Camp also bowed.
The capital.
The Ministry of War Headquarters.
Bai Zihe's successive killings of Gai Tianya, the Southern Region Lord, and Matsushima Zekawa, the envoy of the Ying people, had sent shockwaves.
The Ministry of War was stunned by Bai Zihe's strength.
The Ministry of War was enraged by Bai Zihe's audacity.
In a secret conference room, many aged figures were seated.
Some with white hair, others ruddy-faced, some gaunt, others with hawk-like gazes...
Without exception.
Their auras were exceptionally condensed.
Clearly, they were all rare and terrifyingly powerful experts.
And now, they had gathered together.
They were the Elder Council of the Great Xia Ministry of War.
And a portion of the Great Xia Ministry of War's hidden strength.
"Bai Zihe is too reckless, daring to kill even the envoy of the Ying people."
"I suggest..."
"We arrest him first."
One elder stated.
"Bai Zihe is utterly unrestrained, disregarding the national conditions between our Great Xia and the Ying nation."
"I suggest..."
"He be executed directly, to prevent further trouble."
Another elder began to speak.
"While Bai Zihe possesses immense strength, he defies the law. Killing the Ying envoy could very well lead to war between the two nations!"
"This is an act of outright warfare."
"I suggest..."
"He be brought back to the Ministry of War headquarters first, to temper his spirit."
"If he remains unrepentant, then he cannot be tolerated!"
A third elder stated.
They were all furious.
After all.
Killing the Ying envoy might be easy, but the subsequent repercussions would bring endless trouble.
It could even plunge Great Xia into war once more.
This involved the lives of hundreds of millions.
All eyes turned to Qian Yuanshan, awaiting his final word.