Summer Clark frowned and thought for a moment, carefully surveying the officials on the palace tower, murmuring, “There’s no time to interrogate them one by one.”

Grace Harper’s face showed some confusion.

Summer Clark leaned in close to Grace Harper, his mouth near Grace Harper’s ear.

Grace Harper’s body instantly stiffened a bit, her expression gradually turning dangerous.

Just as General Harper was feeling puzzled.

Summer Clark spoke in a low voice, his tone cautious: “Can you trust those four generals under your command?”

Grace Harper was taken aback, then replied, “I can trust them.”

Receiving a definite answer, a glint flashed in Summer Clark’s eyes. He stepped back two paces, displayed the Taicang national order in his hand, and shouted, “Lucas Grant, Trevor Lane, Colin West, Gavin Moore, the four generals, hear my command.”

The four generals, seeing the Taicang national order, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.

Grace Harper and Julia Reed looked at Summer Clark, completely puzzled by his actions, their gazes questioning.

“Arrest all Taicang officials here except for General Harper, Reed Magistrate, and Melody Shaw the scribe, and escort them to the dark prison!”

The palace tower erupted in chaos!

The four generals thought they had misheard, exchanging bewildered glances.

They didn’t know whether they should obey Summer Clark’s command.

Julia Reed and Melody Shaw were momentarily stunned when they heard Summer Clark’s order.

But it was only for a brief moment; they seemed to understand, falling silent.

Grace Harper gave Summer Clark a deep look, then actually turned to the four generals and said, “Why aren’t you moving?”

Lucas Grant was the first to snap out of his daze. With a wave of his right hand, dozens of palace guards gathered, surrounding the officials.

The Taicang officials immediately fell into chaos.

“Your Highness, General Harper, Chief Magistrate, what is the meaning of this?”

“This is a reckless order! Crown Prince, do you think just because you have the Yin Army under your command, you can do as you please? Don’t forget the former ruler!”

“I am the warden of the dark prison, and you want to throw me into the dark prison?”

Summer Clark turned a deaf ear to these complaints, curses, and grumblings. His face was stern, and his tone carried a hint of authority: “The Taicang national order is here—do you still dare resist?”

The Taicang national order, in Taicang, was as if the ruler himself were present; once the order was given, the whole nation obeyed.

Hearing Summer Clark’s cold words, the officials were greatly shocked. How had this crown prince changed so much?

Though he had often acted absurdly in the past, he had never been so bold!

“Your Highness, you must at least tell us the reason, or we cannot be convinced.”

“That’s right, at such a critical moment, locking all the officials in the dark prison—who will handle all the affairs?”

“A great war is about to break out. City defense, people’s livelihood, logistics, public morale—these major matters need us to coordinate. Without us, how can we win against the Jiuchen Kingdom?”

The scene grew ever more chaotic. Julia Reed and Melody Shaw frowned as they watched, their faces growing darker.

“Are you truly ignorant, or just pretending?”

Suddenly, anger flared on Julia Reed’s face as he shouted at the officials, “Lucas Grant, take them away!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a man among the officials, with a sinister look and triangular eyes, suddenly leapt up!

Summer Clark was more than ten paces away from him, but with this leap, as if by some strange power, he sprang from the crowd, soared through the air, and as he did, his skin began to wither and peel away, revealing a new face beneath.

It was a dog’s head!

“Get back!”

Grace Harper shouted, drawing her sword. A flash of dark red sword energy shot toward the figure.

“Damn reptile! If not for you, if you weren’t here, the Jiuchen army would have crushed Taicang with ease!”

“But you just had to interfere! Then you must die!”

Drool dripped from the dog’s mouth as a claw slashed fiercely at Summer Clark.

It was as fast as lightning!

And this Jiuchen creature was extremely close to Summer Clark; even though Grace Harper was incredibly strong and reacted instantly, slashing out with her sword—

The Jiuchen creature, relying on the short distance, seemed not to care about the consequences.

Its eyes glowed blood-red as it lunged at Summer Clark!

Everyone’s hearts leapt in fear.

If Summer Clark died, would the Yin soldiers granted by Dafeng still obey Taicang’s command?

Julia Reed and Melody Shaw, being closest to Summer Clark, lunged forward, trying to shield him with their own bodies.

But the Jiuchen was simply too fast—Summer Clark was about to die under its claws!

Grace Harper was furious, while despair appeared on everyone else’s faces.

Was Taicang’s last hope about to be cut off by this Jiuchen?

Suddenly, a flash of silver streaked by—a longsword flew out of thin air, its blade gleaming as it sliced through the Jiuchen’s body with lightning speed.

It didn’t even have time to scream before it was cut in two!

The longsword, having slain the Jiuchen, circled once in the air, then flew to Summer Clark’s side and vanished.

“What’s the panic? Is it so easy to kill a Dafeng envoy?”

Summer Clark glanced at everyone’s expressions, hiding his trembling hands in his sleeves, and spoke calmly.

Chapter 6: The Jiuchen Attack

A barren wilderness, with rows of withered, towering trees lining both sides of the road.