Batuma paid no mind to Connor, la, and Avera as they tried to stop him, continuing, "The thirteen families murdered Anlon Lie Feng due to a severe ideological disagreent and a massive conflict of interest."
"To put it bluntly, the people of the thirteen families were nothing but filthy political animals."
"Hm?" Fang Zhen raised an eyebrow.
Batuma hadn't yet specified what ideological disagreent or conflict of interest had turned the ancestors of the thirteen families from Anlon Lie Feng's loyal followers into his murderers.
Fang Zhen looked at Batuma and asked, "The specifics?"
Batuma, who clearly knew a great deal, continued, "Anlon Lie Feng was a man of true vision. When he founded the Lansit Kingdom, he proposed a blueprint for a nation where Crystal Bone Masters and ordinary people could live together as equals, free from hatred, harm, and conflict."
"At the ti, this was considered an overly idealistic notion."
"Back then, it was common practice for the authorities to hunt Crystal Bone Masters. The rulers' attitude influenced the vast majority of the populace. Crystal Bone Masters weren't even called that; they were referred to by the derogatory term 'Bone Freaks.'"
"Spontaneous groups constantly ford within the Kingdom to hunt 'Bone Freaks,' leading to massacres and burnings. Those born with crystal bones were not accepted into society and could only survive by hiding who they were."
"The reason Anlon Lie Feng is called the Legendary King is because he almost single-handedly reversed the situation. He gathered the 'Bone Freaks,' gave them the new na 'Crystal Bone Masters,' and led them to overthrow the old dynasty and establish the Lansit Kingdom."
"But after the Kingdom was established, Anlon Lie Feng's vision diverged sharply from that of the Thirteen-Person Council."
"Anlon's talk of an ideal kingdom was a powerful rallying cry during the overthrow of the old dynasty. The Thirteen-Person Council didn't object because most of them saw it as just a slogan to gather more support—after all, there were ordinary people in the Kingdom who sympathized with the 'Bone Freaks.'"
"It was only after the Lansit Kingdom was founded that the majority of the Thirteen-Person Council realized Anlon wasn't just spouting empty slogans. He genuinely intended to build his utopia. And so, a huge ideological conflict erupted between the council and Anlon Lie Feng."
"Many ancestors of the thirteen families had suffered tragic personal experiences. They harbored a deep hatred for the old nobility who had persecuted Crystal Bone Masters, and they deeply distrusted the common people."
"This division grew and festered until it finally erupted."
"And that led to the assassination of the Legendary King, Anlon Lie Feng."
As Fang Zhen listened, the picture began to form in his mind.
He nodded slightly.
'It sounds like a clash between an idealist and a group of realists.'
'Clearly, the idealist Anlon Lie Feng lost to the pragmatists of the Thirteen People's Council.'
Fang Zhen could roughly grasp the situation.
The mbers of the Thirteen People's Council were drawn primarily from the oppressed 'Bone Freaks.' From the sound of it, this oppression had lasted for at least a century, if not longer.
Such oppression bred imnse hatred and resentnt.
Against this historical backdrop, Anlon Lie Feng had erged. He issued a rallying cry that gathered the 'Bone Freaks' from all corners of the land, forging them into a powerful force that even managed to topple the old dynasty.
And the contemptuous slur 'Bone Freak' was replaced by the noble title 'Crystal Bone Master.'
However, the seeds of division and conflict had already been sown.
The thirteen families were filled with resentnt for the old dynasty and its nobility, and they had absolutely no trust in the common people.
'That's understandable, given the history.'
'It's also completely understandable that once the thirteen families took power, they would want to forcefully suppress the commoners and purge the old nobility. They might even engage in retaliatory oppression.'
This pattern had repeated itself throughout history. For soone from Xia Country, steeped in thousands of years of culture and history, it wasn't hard to understand.
'But Anlon Lie Feng wasn't a typical Monarch or politician.'
'He was a true idealist, with thoughts that were noble and righteous.'
'Unfortunately, his idea of actually building a utopia was not accepted by the thirteen families.'
The only vision the Thirteen-Person Council truly accepted was one where they were the rulers, where the status of Crystal Bone Masters was far superior to that of ordinary people. They wanted to rule by force and conduct a thorough purge of the old authorities and any people or factions who had ever oppressed them.
'Anlon Lie Feng's philosophy, on the other hand, was far more moderate and forgiving.'
This ideological chasm created a huge conflict between Anlon Lie Feng and the Thirteen-Person Council.
But Anlon Lie Feng had founded the Lansit Kingdom virtually by himself. His achievents were unparalleled, not even by the Thirteen-Person Council.
If Anlon Lie Feng had truly pushed forward with building his utopia, the Thirteen-Person Council couldn't have stopped him, even if they objected. His personal charisma and achievents alone could have granted him supre authority to see his vision to completion.
This conflict led to the assassination at the banquet that Fang Zhen had witnessed.
Having pieced together the entire chain of events, Fang Zhen couldn't help but sigh.
'Anlon Lie Feng was capable, bold, and charismatic, but he underestimated the dark subtleties of human nature.'
'One can only imagine the shock and desolate sorrow the Legendary King must have felt when he was betrayed by his closest comrades-in-arms.'
Shaking his head slightly, Fang Zhen pushed aside his empathy and turned back to Batuma. "What exactly happened that day? As a king, Anlon must have been a powerful Crystal Bone Master himself. Why was the Thirteen-Person Council's plot successful?"
"How did they orchestrate it?"
"What role did the Fei Niao Family's ancestor play in Anlon Lie Feng's assassination?"
"And what happened to Anlon Lie Feng's body? Was there sothing special about his blood? Why did his relic, the King's Sword, show up in the Netherworld?"
"Oh?" Batuma sounded surprised by Fang Zhen's questions.
"It seems you're not completely in the dark. You've asked so very pointed questions."
"As it happens, I know the answers to all of them," Batuma said.
"I know the entire story of Anlon Lie Feng's assassination. First, the thirteen families held a banquet and invited Anlon Lie Feng to attend. During the feast, a black bull's head was placed on the table."
"The black bull's head is a symbol of death."
"The thirteen families were utterly despicable. Not only did they poison the food and wine, but they also kidnapped Anlon Lie Feng's lover to use as leverage. Of course, the Legendary King's lover held a special position, but she did not have the official title of Queen."
"Anlon Lie Feng's Crystal Bone Technique was exceedingly strange. Legend says that in his presence, the power of all Crystal Bone Masters on a battlefield would increase, anywhere from double to ten tis over. The closer they were to Anlon, the stronger the amplification. This was the key to how he led the forr 'Bone Freaks' to topple the old dynasty."
"However, while Anlon's own strength was considerable, it wasn't overwhelming. He was probably about as strong as the top three families combined. What truly set Anlon apart was his ability to amplify other Crystal Bone Masters."
"I don't know all the details of what happened at that banquet, but since you ntioned the Fei Niao Family... it was the Fei Niao ancestor who was the first to strike Anlon Lie Feng with a poisoned dagger."
"And that is what makes the Fei Niao ancestor's actions so despicable."
Batuma shot a contemptuous glance at Avera in the distance and said:
"The betrayal by the other twelve families might be understandable, but the Fei Niao ancestor's betrayal carries an indelible stain. The Fei Niao ancestor, of all people, should never have betrayed him, because he was Anlon Lie Feng's..."
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