I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1103 Baekje Instantly Backs Down

Baekje Kingdom, Wirye Castle.

Meanwhile, Su Yao piloted the Griffin, circling several times above the city of Weili, its golden wings shimmering in the sunlight and casting an awe-inspiring shadow.

Su Yao took in the chaos and panic in the city, and then instantly spotted the tallest central building—Baekje's "Royal Court." He controlled Griffin to dive down and landed steadily in the open space in front of the Royal Court amidst deafening roars and screams, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Where is your leader?

Sitting high on the back of the griffin, Su Yao looked down at the Baekje soldiers who were trembling in a circle below and questioned them in the local dialect.

At the same time, Griffin let out a long, heart-stirring cry. Its huge eagle head turned left and right, its sharp eyes sweeping across the surroundings, scaring the Baekje guards into a panic and causing them to flee in terror.

"Oh no!"

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

"The gods have been angered!"

King Hyogo of Baekje hid behind a stone pillar in the royal court, his fingers clenched so tightly they almost bled.

The guards' cries just now pierced his heart like needles—he had ruled Baekje for only thirty years, and he considered himself to have seen countless warriors from the various tribes of the Three Han, even personally bestowing titles upon several of them. But now, seeing this colossal beast with an eagle's head, a tiger's body, and wings on its back descend from the sky, he realized that the so-called "tribal warriors" were utterly laughable, like ants, in the face of true power.

"Your Majesty, that monster... no, that 'god' is calling you out!" The personal attendant stumbled in, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "The guards outside are paralyzed with fear. If we don't go out soon, I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."

King Xiaogu took a deep breath, tugged at his leather robe adorned with beast teeth, and forced down his fear. He knew there was no escaping it—the giant beast's gaze seemed to pierce through stone walls, and if he truly angered it, the entire city of Weili would likely be reduced to ashes.

So he could only grit his teeth, pick up the sword at his waist, and, surrounded by nobles and priests, shakily walk out of the royal court.

As soon as he arrived at the open space, a cold gaze fell upon him. Su Yao sat on Griffin's saddle, his crimson dragon-patterned robe billowing in the wind, and the golden pestle in his hand faintly crackling with lightning. Despite being a mortal, he exuded a suffocating aura of power.

"So you are the ruler of Baekje?" Su Yao asked, speaking fluently in the local dialect. "I am Su Yao, the King of Tang of the Great Han Dynasty. I have come here today for only one thing—whether Baekje is willing to submit to my Great Han Dynasty?"

King Xiaogu's throat tightened, and the nobles behind him dared not utter a sound.

Surrender to the Han Dynasty? Since they bordered Lelang County to the north, they were naturally familiar with the Han Dynasty. But no matter what, they never imagined that the other side's "king" could descend from the sky riding a divine bird.

The high priest of the tribe quietly tugged at King Xiaogu's sleeve, signaling him to feign compliance for now. However, a few stubborn nobles couldn't resist—these were the leaders in charge of border affairs, who regularly ventured north to plunder the Han Chinese in the border regions. They knew very well that once they surrendered, their former privileges would likely vanish.

"Don't push your luck!" The bearded nobleman suddenly rushed out, pointing at Su Yao and roaring, "Baekje is the kingdom of King Jin, how could we bow down to an outsider like you? If you don't leave, we will..."

Before the words were even finished, a cold glint flashed in Su Yao's eyes. Before the nobleman could finish speaking, he raised his hand and flicked it, and a silver-blue lightning bolt shot out from the tip of the golden pestle, heading straight for the other party.

"Boom!"

The instant the lightning struck, everyone saw debris flying everywhere and dust billowing up.

Everyone was stunned. They stared blankly at the spot where the lightning had struck. When the smoke cleared, they were shocked to find that the clamoring nobleman had become a charred corpse, emitting wisps of smoke on the ground.

As the pungent odor filled the surroundings, the entire royal court fell into a deathly silence. The Baekje nobles, who had been restless just moments before, were now ashen-faced, their legs trembling, covering their mouths and noses, barely able to breathe. Some of the more timid ones even collapsed to the ground, their groins oozing a foul-smelling liquid.

Su Yao slowly withdrew the golden pestle, his cold gaze sweeping over the trembling crowd before finally settling on the deathly pale-faced King Xiao Gu:

"Now, is there anyone still willing to test my patience?"

King Xiaogu stared at the charred corpse emitting wisps of smoke on the ground, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. He had lived for nearly fifty years, witnessing the bloodshed of tribal feuds and the ferocity of wild beasts in the mountains, but he had never seen such terrifying methods—a single bolt of lightning could take a life. This was no ordinary mortal; it was clearly a deity from legends, capable of manipulating the power of heaven and earth!

"No, I dare not!" King Xiaogu knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground, his voice trembling with sobs, "Baekje... Baekje is willing to surrender! We are willing to submit to the Great Han! From this day forward, Baekje will be a subject of the Great Han, paying tribute every year and coming to court every year, never daring to have the slightest disloyalty!"

Seeing this, the nobles and priests behind him also knelt down, not daring to even breathe. The nobleman's tragic death was right before their eyes, and no one dared to risk their lives to test Su Yao's bottom line.

The high priest, trembling, pulled out a totem carved from animal bone from his robes and raised it high above his head: "This is the 'tribal totem' of Baekje. Today I offer it to the Supreme God, wishing you great mercy and protection for the people of Baekje!"

Su Yao sat atop Griffin's back, looking down at the submissive figures scattered across the ground, a cold smile playing on his lips. Dealing with a tribe that worshipped power and revered spirits, reasoning was far less effective than establishing authority with force. He raised a hand, and Griffin obediently took a step forward, its massive shadow completely enveloping King Xiaogu.
"You may seek my protection, but from now on you must abide by the laws of my Great Han."

“First of all, I have heard that you have abducted many Han Chinese from my Lelang County over the years. Release them all immediately.”

"Then, tomorrow our Han army will land on the coast of Mijuhu (present-day Incheon). You must immediately send men to clear a three-mile-long camp, prepare provisions and water, and do not be negligent in the slightest." Su Yao's voice pierced the air, landing on King Xiaogu's ears like an imperial edict. "Furthermore, within three days, you must compile a register of all households, land, and livestock in Baekje, and submit it to General Haidong, Taishi Ci, for verification. Any concealment or underreporting will be dealt with severely."

"No, no, we absolutely wouldn't dare!"

King Xiaogu pressed his forehead to the ground, repeatedly saying "I dare not," his back already soaked with cold sweat. He had originally thought that surrendering would be merely a symbolic tribute, but he hadn't expected the Han Dynasty's rules to be so harsh—not only must he release the prisoners and provide provisions, but he also had to hand over the entire clan's ancestral ledgers, practically handing over the lifeblood of Baekje to the other side. But looking at the charred corpse on the ground, he dared not even entertain the slightest thought of resistance, and could only grit his teeth and agree:

"We obey the decree of the Divine King (they no longer dared to address the Tang King directly, subconsciously using a more reverent title)! We will carry it out immediately, we will carry it out immediately!"

(End of this chapter)