TYMIMA Chapter 111.1

Everyone looked toward the front row. An elder from the rational faction stood up.

 

He could no longer hold back, his arms trembling with anger: “Before the ceremony, I want to ask Selarl, what is going on with the videos and photos online? How do you explain this?”

 

Selarl’s nerves tightened, his brows furrowed, and he sharply rebuked: “Do you know what occasion this is? All official matters will be discussed after the ceremony!”

 

“No, it must be said now!” The elder was stubborn, glaring at Selarl.

 

Selarl’s jaw twitched, and his teeth clenched.

 

He should have gotten rid of these old folks earlier to avoid them causing trouble for him.

 

“Minister Babuti is tired. White Shark, please take him out to rest,” Selarl said coldly.

 

The invited media exchanged glances, sensing the tense and dangerous atmosphere. They quickly pressed their shutters, capturing Selarl’s gloomy expression.

 

White Shark was about to step forward when Sandro suddenly spoke: “What videos and photos?”

 

Selarl suddenly turned to Sandro, and White Shark immediately stopped.

 

Sandro did not look at Selarl but instead looked toward the back of the hall.

 

The young faces of High Tower Guild and Ghost Eye Guild looked calm and confident, clearly well-prepared.

 

Adrian nodded slightly at him.

 

No further words were needed. Sandro already knew that the videos and photos were their doing.

 

“Since Minister Babuti has spoken, it must be serious. As the King of Tasman, I cannot let personal matters delay state affairs. The ceremony is temporarily suspended. Show me the videos,” Sandro said seriously, ordering in a deep voice.

 

The hall fell silent. Several gazes turned to Selarl. White Shark and Bay Crocodile even broke out in cold sweat.

 

White Shark shook his head desperately. He knew that if the videos were shown publicly, everything would be troublesome.

 

“I think it’s unnecessary. It must be someone deliberately sabotaging the engagement to disrupt Tasman’s peace!” Selarl grabbed Sandro’s arm and smiled to stop him.

 

Then, he immediately signaled to the radicals among the guests: “Everyone, stop watching the fun. It’s just a small incident. Please persuade Minister Babuti.”

 

However, this time, the young elites of the radicals did not heed his hint. They looked at him with strange and complex eyes, saying nothing.

 

Selarl’s heart sank.

 

Sandro suddenly shook off his hand coldly and ruthlessly: “When did the state affairs of Tasman become your business to decide?”

 

“You—” Selarl was almost furious and embarrassed. He never expected the king to be so firm at this moment.

 

Due to the presence of several media, he had to suppress his temper and showed the king a deep and apologetic smile: “I was just worried someone would maliciously sabotage our marriage.”

 

At this moment, the rational faction members had already connected the videos to the big screen at the wedding venue. Li Bang’s face appeared before everyone.

 

Li Bang was clearly sitting on the sofa in the suite of the Manxing Sea cruise ship. The camera focused on his face, highlighting a scar clearly.

 

“Fellow Tasman compatriots, hello. Today is January 21st. I want to publicly accuse Prince Selarl…”

 

The guests had actually watched the video countless times before, but watching it again in public shocked and outraged them.

 

“…When you see this video, I may no longer be alive. I have lived a life full of evil and deserve to die. Leaving this truth behind, I hope Tasman will not be subverted by the lapdogs of the parliament!”

 

“Nonsense!” Selarl was furious, veins bulging, angrily smashing the display screen.

 

The big screen creaked, and half of it turned into flickering snow.

 

He did not know why Li Bang recorded this video. He had never treated Li Bang badly, and many parts of the video were false.

 

He had never met Dinlock. He was clearly planted in Tasman by the elders.

 

Moreover, Chen Mingbi never found out he was a criminal in prison. He killed Chen Mingbi only because that person was too smart and troublesome, blocking his path to power.

 

Li Bang hated Chen Mingbi so much. How could he have suddenly woken up because Chen Mingbi was killed?

 

Besides, Li Bang clearly knew about the messenger’s existence and how Chen Mingbi died. So why didn’t he tell the whole truth and instead fabricated another story?

 

All this shows that recording the video was not Li Bang’s original intention. Either someone controlled Li Bang or someone impersonated him.

 

In today’s world, any kind of ability may exist.

 

Everyone looked at the furious and out-of-control Selarl, showing a look of “I knew it.”

 

An angry and out-of-control person often gets no sympathy but makes the audience think he is just angry and embarrassed.

 

Selarl looked at those brilliant faces and quickly realized this.

 

He tried hard to suppress his nature, spreading his hands and pretending to be relaxed: “Are you all just startled by this video? I can tell you now, this is completely slander and fabrication! What evidence do you have?”

 

“When the king disappeared, I was on official business. When Chen Mingbi died, I have an alibi. I have no photos with Dinlock, let alone know him. I have reason to suspect Li Bang was brainwashed and used to believe these conspiracy theories.”

 

 

“I want to say that the people who orchestrated this conspiracy, who brainwashed Li Bang, are the real culprits dividing our Tasman—they are undercover agents of the Federation government!”

 

Selarl’s righteous and stern speech did quiet the hall considerably, and the radicals’ faces gradually returned to normal.

 

Indeed, Li Bang relied entirely on verbal testimony without producing any evidence. This could very well be a long-planned frame-up designed to smear Selarl and make Tasman lose this strongest S-level Awakened one.

 

Babuti sneered coldly and signaled the staff to display the photo: “Then how do you explain this photo? According to the underwater building management department’s inquiry, this is a private residence under your name!”

 

Selarl turned to look at the photo, his expression changing instantly!

 

That was actually the messenger!

 

Who on earth had secretly photographed the messenger? Who would know he had brought the messenger near Wonderland?

 

The stunned expression on Selarl’s face made everyone present tense up again.

 

Babuti pointed at him accusingly: “Nothing to say now, right? You secretly hid an Omega in an underwater private residence, yet dare to claim you’re devoted to the king!”

 

Turning around, Babuti said to the king with heartbreak: “Your Majesty, didn’t you know about any of this?”

 

“He’s not my Omega!” Selarl’s blood rushed to his head. More than panic, he felt anger, not knowing which unscrupulous paparazzi had used ridiculous photoshop and text descriptions to portray him as a sleazy, fickle middle-aged scumbag.

 

“Oh, then tell us, who is he?” Sandro’s ice-bead-like double pupils stared at Selarl as he slowly stepped back, creating distance.

 

Selarl was momentarily speechless.

 

He certainly couldn’t reveal the messenger’s identity, but if he claimed complete ignorance of Li Bang bringing someone to the private residence, it would seem like clumsy cover-up.

 

Silence made time stretch like melted sugar threads, pulled inch by inch.

 

Everyone silently stood up, like sugar figures controlled in unison, struggling in a sticky sugar bowl.

 

After a long while, Selarl suddenly laughed.

 

He finally understood that the king had never stopped struggling. All of today’s smearing and fabrication was prepared for him, aimed at making his persona collapse and permanently losing public support.

 

The opponent first precisely hit his awkward identity as a middle-aged foreign immigrant, arousing Tasman people’s suspicion of him.

 

Then they stirred up the sensitive nerves of historical conflicts between Tasman and the Federation, making Tasman people indignant and lose their reason.

 

Finally, they directly tore apart his facade of devoted love, making him a betrayer of feelings, allowing the king to defeat the enemy without fighting.

 

The person who planned all this had depths of cunning and ruthless methods far beyond his own.

 

There was no such person underwater.

 

He turned his gaze to the High Tower and Ghost Eye teams specially invited by the king.

 

He understood everything now.

 

The reason the king specifically requested red parrot crystal ore was because only High Tower and Ghost Eye had the greatest advantage with this type of energy stone.

 

According to logic, one of them would definitely be selected as the bidding winner and naturally invited underwater as the king’s assistance.

 

But he had wanted to manipulate Sandro and exclude top guilds, nearly disrupting their plan.

 

So they killed Gudeshao, even resorting to behind-the-scenes manipulation and forcing other guilds to withdraw, just to win this bid.

 

It was his carelessness that allowed them to successfully reach the underwater realm.

 

He just didn’t understand when exactly the king had sought help from these two guilds, and how long they had been brewing their plan.

 

Selarl’s internal organs were nearly drowned in venom. Since the king had already revealed his true intentions, he shouldn’t blame him for being vicious and cruel.

 

He laughed even more wildly, speaking to Sandro with deep affection: “There’s only the king in my heart forever. He’s just a friend of mine from the Federation who came underwater to bring us an engagement gift. I originally planned to give you a surprise, but it seems it won’t last until the end.”

 

“Heh.” Sandro scoffed lightly.

 

“I thought you’d be curious about what the gift is.” Selarl shook his head, seeming quite regretful.

 

A radical boldly said: “Since you say he came to deliver a gift, then let him bring the gift in.”

 

“He’s already gone back, but the gift is stored in the palace. Go call the anglerfish to bring the gift up.” Selarl looked up and signaled White Shark.

 

White Shark looked troubled. He had tried contacting the anglerfish, but the anglerfish’s phone couldn’t be reached at all.

 

Bay Crocodile took a deep breath: “I’ll go!”

 

With that, he strode toward the hall exit.

 

Selarl adjusted his formal wear’s cuffs, unable to hide the excitement and madness in his eyes: “Before the gift arrives, let me introduce—my friend happens to have a special weapon with enormous destructive power. When he heard that my beloved Sandro was trapped in an underground city for a year, suffering greatly, he wanted to help me avenge the king.”

 

“Everyone knows there’s a terrifying monster in that underground city in Wonderland Trench. No matter how we attack, we can’t kill it—”

 

Selarl paused, suddenly looking up at Sandro. His speech suddenly accelerated, as if he could no longer suppress the joy in his voice.

 

“But my friend’s weapon can! He infiltrated the underground city overnight, found that monster, caught it off guard, and tore it to pieces! The monster struggled desperately, but being blind, it could only have its head severed, scales peeled, and tail bones extracted by my friend, made into exquisite and delicious dishes.”

 

“Soon I’ll present it for everyone to taste. Such rare mutant beast meat will surely provide many benefits to all of you.”

 

“What monster? I have no idea about this.”

 

“There was a monster in the underground city where the king temporarily stayed?”

 

“This description is too disgusting. Who wants to eat mutant beast meat? Unacceptable.”

 

“The king never said he suffered greatly. How much are you guards hiding from us?”

 

“I know, it seems to have come from the guard team.”

 

……

 

Sandro instantly turned pale, his blood seeming to freeze completely.

 

Sharp, persistent ringing filled his ears, isolating all external noise.

 

He fell into an empty abyss, helpless loneliness, and dense despair.

 

Ryan……

 

Just then, Bay Crocodile returned.

 

He pushed the box with a chef following behind. A fishy stench emanated from the box, instantly filling the entire hall.

 

“Prince, he says he didn’t do it! The box is here!”

 

Selarl frowned deeply, his heart trembling.

 

The chef’s legs went weak as soon as he entered, collapsing to the ground: “It has nothing to do with me, really nothing to do with me! It was all ordered by Lord Anglerfish!”

 

“The box clearly doesn’t contain mutant beast meat, but human flesh! I immediately reported to Lord Anglerfish, but after he looked, he told me not to make a fuss, saying if the prince wanted to use it, just bring the box to him.”

 

“I don’t know anything else. Now Lord Anglerfish can’t be found either. I really didn’t deliberately refuse to make the meat soup—I just couldn’t bring myself to do it!”

 

The whole venue erupted—

 

“Human flesh!”

 

“Outrageous, absolutely outrageous!”

 

“May I ask Prince Selarl, did your friend deceive you, substituting human flesh for mutant beast meat as a gift, or are you deceiving the king?”

 

“Ugh… take it away! Can’t stand it anymore!”

 

Selarl froze. He couldn’t believe the anglerfish had also betrayed him.

 

How could it be human flesh? The messenger with the Thornfish Cutting Net couldn’t possibly fail to complete the mission!

 

Where did the anglerfish go? What about the messenger? Didn’t Li Bang go to see off the messenger?

 

Selarl’s mind was a mess. There were too many things he couldn’t figure out. He didn’t understand how everything had turned upside down overnight.

 

But Sandro quickly regained his composure and sternly ordered: “Guards! Selarl is suspected of colluding with Federation congressmen, subverting Tasman’s regime, harming lives and taking revenge on society. Arrest him!”

 

All the officials scattered, making way for a wide path. The media reporters, like hungry tigers with glowing eyes, recorded every angle of today’s absurd turn of events.

 

 

Photos kept being uploaded online, stirring up public sentiment and a roaring tide of voices.

 

“I dare anyone! Prince Selarl is clearly being framed! This is all a trap! The human flesh was not prepared by Prince Selarl!” White Shark shouted loudly.

 

Bay Crocodile also drew his rare lead ore pistol to maintain order: “Find the anglerfish! Find Li Bang! As long as we find them, everything will be clarified. Everyone, please calm down!”

 

Suddenly, a one-person-high glowing orb appeared in the center of the hall. The orb was a ghostly green, like a visitor from hell, continuously exuding a chilling wind.

 

From the orb, a person with a cold and solemn face, radiating righteous energy, slowly walked out.

 

“Those two have probably fled in fear of punishment!”

 

Everyone looked at the person, all wide-eyed and trembling, some even with tears in their eyes, full of grief and indignation.

 

“Minister Chen!”

 

“It’s Minister Chen Mingbi!”

 

Chen Mingbi’s eyes were clear, his demeanor calm. He walked forward slowly and said in a deep voice: “Everyone, I did not die of heart disease, but was poisoned. The one who killed me was the criminal Selarl from the AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison!”

 

Chen Mingbi suddenly raised his right hand, pointing straight at Selarl.

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)