Novels by Alfonzo Perez

Aji offered a faint, knowing smile as he took in the look of stunned disbelief on Duke Ranamungkarna’s face. “Why such surprise at seeing me? Had I known the full extent of your crimes back when we crossed paths at the village eatery, I would have ended your reign of terror then and there!”“What crime have I committed? I am innocent of all accusations!” the Duke protested, his voice rising with desperation as he struggled against his bonds.“Your words are meaningless—all evidence has been gathered and laid bare,” Aji replied, his tone cold and unyielding. “Tomorrow, you will stand trial before every man, woman, and child in this village. The truth of what you have done will be heard by all.” His gaze then shifted to Village Chief Surananta, his eyes burning with righteous anger.“And you—you who were meant to lead and protect these people as their chief. Instead, you chose to conspire in murder, trading the trust of your community for gold and empty promises!”Surananta could do not

As the group filed into the room, their eyes swept across the spacious chamber—but not a single soul could be seen within its walls.“Search every inch of this place—find them now!” Aji commanded, his gaze cutting through the shadows as he took in the room’s layout. Three massive wooden cabinets stood against the far wall, their doors carved with intricate patterns of vines and flowers. Near the center of the room sat a set of heavy chairs arranged around a round table, and beside it lay a neat stack of ancient books and palm-leaf manuscripts, their pages yellowed with age.One by one, the cabinets were thrown open, their contents revealed to the light. But instead of finding Duke Ranamungkarna and Village Chief Surananta, the searchers discovered piles upon piles of treasure—gold coins glinting like captured sunlight, gemstones of every color winking from velvet cushions, and chests filled with silk fabrics and precious metals beyond counting.“It seems they have fled, Sir,” one of t

Neither the bald mercenary nor his four companions could have anticipated what happened next. As the massive blade came crashing down, Aji simply shifted his foot a single step to the side—moving with the fluid grace of a leaf dancing on the wind—and avoided the strike entirely. In the same instant, his hand shot forward, wrapping around the bald man’s throat with a grip like iron forged in the heart of a volcano. Again and again, the sound of cracking bone echoed through the night air—KREEK! KREEK!—as Aji’s fingers crushed through cartilage and sinew without effort.The sight of their leader felled in a single, brutal motion transformed the remaining mercenaries’ perception of the handsome warrior before them. Where once they had seen only a fair face and a gentle smile, now they beheld a ferocity so cold and unyielding it seemed to freeze the very air around them.Their knees trembled violently beneath them, their hearts hammering against their ribs like stallions racing across open

The soldiers of Duke Ranamungkarna stood frozen, their mouths agape as they watched the four elite guards bow their heads in unwavering deference to Aji. In their minds, only one conclusion could be drawn: this strikingly handsome man must be a high-ranking noble of the royal court. For what other reason would warriors of such esteemed standing—members of the kingdom’s most revered guard—show such profound respect to a single individual?The bald mercenary leader fixed Aji with a glare as sharp as shards of obsidian. Then, without warning, he threw back his head and roared with laughter—so loud and boisterous that his thick, sweeping mustache (which curved across his lips like the great Bengawan Solo river winds through the land) bounced up and down with each heave of his broad shoulders.“Hahahaha! Those four whelps could not hope to stand against me, and you—you think you can fare any better?”Aji offered nothing more than a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the verbal assault. T

“And what of it, Sumarta? Speak plainly—what do you see?” Aji’s voice held a note of quiet urgency, his eyes fixed intently on his trusted captain as they stood within the humble entryway of the house.“Y-Yes, Sir… It is her,” Sumarta stammered, his words catching in his throat as he struggled to reconcile the truth before him. Never in all his years of service had he imagined that the very woman they had been commanded to seek would be so close to their own liege—bound by ties of blood and love rather than duty alone.“Brother Aji, what is happening?” The question came in unison from Ratih and Diandra, their voices laced with confusion as they watched the exchange unfold. Ratih stepped forward, her brow furrowed with concern, while Diandra’s gaze flitted between the two men, her hands clasped tightly at her chest.Aji turned his attention toward the inner room where his mother lay sleeping, her breathing deep and steady beneath layers of woven cotton blankets. He knew that to disturb

Could it be that his mother, Diandra, was the very figure being spoken of by the two individuals within that grand manor? The question clung fast to Aji’s thoughts, weaving through every corner of his mind like ivy creeping across ancient stone walls.If such a truth held firm, then his mother Diandra must be safeguarded with the utmost vigilance imaginable. It would be folly to dismiss the possibility that should they learn the woman now lived in peace and wholeness, paths of brutal violence might well be forged to preserve the standing of Duke Ranamungkarna.In a moment of unguarded movement, his sleeve caught against a heavy iron lantern, sending it tumbling from its perch high above. Aji reached out with swift intent, yet the weight of the fixture was too great to stay its fall—it crashed against the earth below with a resounding clang that shattered the night’s quiet, rousing the curiosity of the guards posted at the manor’s gates. Even several village elders, gathered nearby to

“But I will not accept being accused of belonging to that cursed sect! If they dare accuse me again, I’ll make sure everyone here dies!” A Long’s yellowish skin turned white as his anger flared.“Don’t be afraid, he’s only trying to scare us!” shouted A Fu, trying to sway the others.“If you accuse us one more time, I will let my brother here kill all of you!” Fang An barked, pointing his finger straight at A Fu’s face, which immediately froze in silence.“Watch your tongue, A Fu!” another man shouted, backing Fang An.Ying Sue and all the villagers in the dining house swallowed nervously. They didn’t know whether the young, sharp-eyed man’s words were true or just a bluff. But one thing was certain: the accusations A Fu hurled at the two young men were a mistake.“If you don’t want us in this village, we will leave. But only after we finish our meal. If I hear even one more accusation, I’ll hang the man’s head at the village ga

"Yu Wei, how are the preparations for the Grand Blood Moon Ritual? Is everything ready?""My apologies, Leader… Of the thirteen virgins required for the grand ritual, we are still short of two. Our members are already moving to find the remaining ones. I am certain that before the ritual begins, the number will be complete," replied the long-haired man named Yu Wei."For the success of this grand ritual, I entrust everything to you, Yu Wei. Do not fail me, for I have never known the word failure. You know very well what I will do to you if the ritual fails!" said the man who was, in fact, Ren Zhi, the leader of the Holy Blood Moon Sect.It should be known that the Grand Blood Moon Ritual was a mandatory ceremony for Ren Zhi. Besides strengthening his martial power, the ritual also served to keep the leader of the Holy Blood Moon Sect eternally youthful.If at present his face looked around thirty-five years old, then after the ritual he

Fang An gave a small smile and nodded."At the very least, we need some information from you, Sir, about the situation inside that sect."Duke Song Jian took a deep breath and released it slowly."As for the current situation, I do not know, Prince. It has been more than twenty years since I last joined them.""It’s all right, Sir. At least it can serve as a rough picture for the two of us about the situation there. But for now, we want to bathe first. Later, we will meet you again," Fang An said."Very well, Prince." Duke Song Jian bowed slightly to show respect. After that, he walked back to his chamber.Nearly two hours passed before Fang An and A Fu came out of their room. The two of them hurried toward Duke Song Jian’s private chamber to continue their discussion.Inside the chamber, Duke Song Jian still looked uneasy about the situation he was facing.On one hand, he feared that Fang An and A Fu might fail in their plan to attack the Holy Blood Moon Sect. If that happened, he to

Although it looked like a smile, to the four figures dressed in black, the smile on Fang An’s lips appeared terrifying and intimidating. The wide grin of the young man with white hair instantly drained their courage.“You must have thought we had already left this province, didn’t you?” Fang An chuckled softly, recalling how he and A Long had led their horses out of the palace gate earlier that morning.The four figures exchanged disbelieving glances. They, who were used to spying, had now been thwarted by two young men still younger than them in age.The exits were sealed tightly, leaving the black-clad figures confused about what decision to make. Their only hope of escape was to fight back, though they knew the chance of success was almost nonexistent.Unconsciously, cold sweat began to drip from their pores. The chill that gripped their bodies was nothing compared to the icy sweat brought on by fear.“Why do you look so confused? Relax, I won’t kill you. But on one condition—tell

“The Sacred Blood Moon Sect is a dark sect hidden in a valley beyond Mount Yuelu, Prince. They use the blood of virgins for their offerings,” explained Duke Song Jian.“Then why are they extorting you, Duke? What connection do you have with them?” Fang An pressed. He already sensed a breakthrough.The duke lowered his head, regret written across his face.“I was once part of them, Prince. I joined secretly before I was married.”“And after you married, you left them?”“Yes, Prince. I left without permission from Ren Zhi, the leader of the Sacred Blood Moon Sect.”Fang An nodded, understanding. He could see the duke’s regret was genuine.No matter how strong a man was, when the safety of his wife and children was threatened, he would become fragile—especially when he was powerless to act.“Very well. Now we know who the perpetrators are. What remains is to uncover which of their members is hiding inside this palace.” Fang An’s gaze lifted to the ceiling as he thought hard.“Do you have

Not long after, the two of them finally arrived in front of the palace of Province Sihan. The gates, which had been tightly closed, opened at once when the two young warriors arrived.From inside, a finely dressed man escorted by two guards hurried toward the gate.Fang An and A Long leapt down from their horses and handed the reins to a soldier.“Welcome to Province Sihan, Prince Fang An, Prince A Long. It is truly a great honor for me to receive the arrival of both Princes.” The finely dressed man, who turned out to be Duke Song Jian, bowed respectfully.“Do not be so formal, Duke. We just happened to pass by, so we decided to stop here. Besides, we also need a place to rest for the night,” replied Fang An with a smile, though his sharp eyes studied the finely dressed figure before him.From his experience dealing with officials, such respectful behavior often had two meanings. Some showed respect because of rank and position, while others used it to flatter or to cover up their wro