Chapter 227: Opening
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Liao Ning furrowed his brow and inquired, “But aren’t they all under the influence of the loyalty potion? How can they possibly break through the checkpoint?”
Even Tina, a mermaid who was not heavily controlled, had to endure immense pain to free herself from the potion’s grasp. The majority of the mermaid army had consumed potent concoctions, rendering them utterly obedient to the royal family’s commands. It seemed impossible for them to defy orders, let alone breach the city gate and confront the guards.
“Kevin, select a few dependable merpeople and bring them back to the empire. Send a shipment of antidotes as a priority,” Li Xian commanded. “Inform these merpeople that if they successfully complete the mission, each one of them will be promoted to the rank of colonel within the rebel army. I assure them that they will be given leadership positions.”
“Yes!” Zhou Ye acknowledged the order and swiftly departed for his home.
Li Xian’s directive aligned precisely with Zhou Ling’s intention, prompting Olift to sigh. “As expected of brothers, you both arrived at the same solution.”
However, Zhou Ling paid no attention to Olift and began devising a plan to infiltrate the empire’s army alongside Zhou Ye.
Leveraging Davies’ abilities, Zhou Ling and Olift assumed the appearances of other mermen, while Lu Fei and Zhou Ye retained their original looks. The four of them made their way back to Planet Dynasty.
Maintaining impassive expressions, they encountered no hindrance from the guards, who had only been instructed to prevent mermaids from leaving the city. Those returning to report were not subject to any restrictions. Exploiting this loophole, the four infiltrated the empire’s army without delay.
They divided into two groups. Zhou Ye led Olift and the rebel army to a designated meeting point, while Zhou Ling rendezvoused with Lu Fei and Lu Fei’s relatives.
With only a hundred doses of antidote in their possession, the four quickly distributed them among the mermaid army.
As Liao Ning refined the soup’s concentration, all the mermaids who partook of it swiftly recovered, breaking free from the control of the loyalty potion.
Zhou Ye led the recovered mermaids and positioned themselves at the east wall entrance of the empire, as planned in his discussion with Li Xian.
The following morning, over a thousand mermaids surged toward the east gate, joined by those who sought to break free from their control.
The mermaids’ movements did not go unnoticed by the observers, prompting the guards to converge on the east gate as well.
“Now, order the mermaid army to return to their posts and await further Instructions. 1 repeat, order tne mermaid army to return to tnelr posts!” bellowed the leader of the guards through the loudspeaker, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Although most of the merfolk maintained impassive expressions, the guards were astonished to see that many had already unveiled fierce and enraged countenances. Some even brandished weapons in their hands—an absolute violation of empire protocol.
Given that the mermaids had always been under the influence of the loyalty potion, the number of guards present was limited. There were merely a hundred to two hundred individuals, making them vastly outnumbered by the formidable mermaid army. While many guards tightly gripped laser guns, their bodies involuntarily retreated.
Zhou Ye took charge at the forefront, leading the merfolk who had consumed the antidote. Lu Fei raised his voice and proclaimed, “If you wish to avoid certain death, open the city gate. Otherwise, we shall surely charge forth.”
Thirty warriors from Lu Fei’s family had already imbibed the antidote, their hands firmly clutching their weapons as they stood ready to confront the guards.
Witnessing the mermaids’ unwavering resolve, the leader of the guards grew panicked. “Mermaids must obey orders! you are the Empire’s army, and thus bound by the agreement!”
He was acutely aware that the mermaids’ anger had been stirred by the royal princess. The hundreds of mermaids in the front row were evidently no longer subject to the loyalty potion’s control. The guards stood no chance against these formidable mermaids.
Sensing the guards’ trepidation, Lu Fei amplified his voice with resounding sound waves. “Guardians, listen carefully. The mermaid army only seeks to depart the city; they do not intend to harm anyone. However, if anyone obstructs you, witness the true power of the mermaids.”
Though his voice was not particularly loud, the sound waves carried incredible penetrating force. Not only did the guards hear his words, but many of the surrounding residents did as well.
In that moment, a growing number of individuals within the mermaid army began to lend their support.
“Indeed! We shall depart the city, ensuring the innocent remain unharmed!”
“The royal family’s heartlessness knows no bounds. They persecute mermaids, commoners, and oppress other races. We mermaids shall no longer pledge loyalty to the empire.”
“Release us! The mermaid army renounces its allegiance to the royal family!”
As the voices of the mermaids resounded, the leader of the guards felt a lump form in his throat.
He turned his gaze and beheld a fleet of aircraft approaching from the other side of the city wall. He knew that the rebel army had arrived to provide support.
“Open the city gate!” he bellowed.. “Open the city gate! Do you truly wish to meet your demise here?”
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