“Jiu You is a sacred place within Zhen Huang. Prince Yan, if you do not state your intentions in coming to this place, you cannot enter, even if you are the execution official. I’ll ask you one more time. Prince Yan, are you here to identify the criminals?”

　　The flags flew in the air above. The atmosphere was dead silent below. The young man, with a cold look in his eyes, brushed his hand over his lips heavily, declaring deeply, “Scram!”

　　With another sound of thunder, followed by a deafening thud, Yan Xun was knocked off the stage again!

　　“Yan Xun!” Chu Qiao could not contain herself anymore. She shouted, “You idiot! Are you trying to court death? Come back!”

　　He could not hear any more sounds despite the roars reverberating around his ears. His eyes were red and swollen, his face full of cuts inflicted by dust and sand. His hands were soaked in blood, as if he had just bathed in blood. His chest injuries were so severe, similar to the impact made by a giant stone. It was as if someone was calling out to him, but he was unable to hear anything. Only the sounds of Yan Bei remained in his mind. He seemingly heard his father’s carefree laugh, his elder brother’s endless nagging, his third brother and second sister chasing after him with a whip, his uncle playing music from Yan Bei, and his father’s subordinates, who had carried him on his shoulders to simulate horse riding since he was young.

　　However, they were floating away into the distance, their faces indistinguishable. The sky was pitch-black, and many cold, monotone voices were calling out to him in his mind. They were saying, “Yan Xun. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up, just like how a man from Yan Bei would.”

　　Everyone’s eyes widened, looking at the young man—the esteemed noble in the past—who was drenched in blood. He slowly got to his feet, standing in his pool of blood. Step by step, he left his bloodied footprints on the black steps. The reflection was blinding.

　　The general frowned. He stared at the young man who staggered up the stage, not knowing what to say. His only action was to kick him off the platform at the last moment.

　　Amongst the crowd, soft sobbing started to echo out. The crying sounds among the impoverished civilians gradually became louder. These lowly people stared at the square, unable to suppress the grief in their hearts. After all, he was still a child. The nobles stiffened their lips. They were also slightly moved by this scene.

　　The cold wind raged on. The young man could no longer stand up. The First Marshal of the royal empire, Meng Tian, was a divine exponent who possessed superhuman strength. He once took on an army of over 200 people on the highlands of the Western desert and prevailed. Being struck by him was akin to a quick death. However, no one knew what kind of force was supporting the young man. Using his blood-stained fingers as a support, he slowly made his way back up the platform.

　　After delivering one final kick to Yan Xun, the general frowned and ordered the guards beside him, “There’s no need to carry on the identification. Capture him and carry out the execution!”

　　“General Meng Tian!” Wei Jing frowned. He stood up and replied, “I’m afraid that this is not in accordance with the rules. The order from Sheng Jin Palace was for him to identify the corpses. How could you treat this so lightly?”

　　Meng Tian frowned and turned back, looking at this young leader from the Wei Clan. He pointed to Yan Xun and retorted, “Do you think he can still follow the decree given his state?”

　　Nobody wanted him to follow the decree. Sheng Jin Palace was just looking for a suitable reason to eradicate him. With the fall of the Northwestern Pass, the royal empire and the the Grand Elder’s Council would pin the blame on the king of Yan Bei, thus exterminating his entire family. He was the only member of the family still living.

　　Yan Xun, having lived in the capital for many years, did not get himself involved in these matters and was not able to be implicated. With the demise of Yan Shicheng, Yan Xun would rightfully be the next ruler. However, how could the royal empire take the risk and release this imbecile? Hence, they had set this trap for him. If he did not follow the royal decree, he would be perceived as a defiant traitor who was not loyal. If he obliged, he would be viewed as a coward, an unfilial son. No matter what, it was a situation of certain death for him.

　　This move by the royal empire was but to answer to the civilians and various feudal lords—to keep them quiet. Who would not know their intentions?

　　However, this reason could not be verbalized in broad daylight. Wei Jing, visibly enraged, looked at Yan Xun and remarked coldly, “General Meng, by doing this, aren’t you afraid of incurring the wrath of the Emperor and the the Grand Elder’s Council?”

　　“I’ll take responsibility for everything that happens. You do not need to worry.” Meng Tian turned around and looked at the subdued child. He sighed and turned back, continuing with the execution.

　　In that instant, an old voice suddenly echoed. Huang Qizheng, the assistant execution official, slowly made his way to the front. Half squinting, he spoke gently, “General Meng, as per Elder Muhe’s orders, here is a letter for you, if things do not proceed as planned.”

　　Meng Tian took the letter. As he looked at it, his expression changed drastically. The general stood on the stage for a long while, before turning his head back to look at Yan Xun. He uttered slowly, “Prince Yan, please do not continue to be stubborn. Yes or no, you just need to nod your head. They are your biological family and only you are most qualified to identify them.”

　　Yan Xun was still subdued on the floor, looking a far cry from the confident figure he was in the past. Presently, he resembled a demon from hell, overwhelmed with resentment, thirsty for blood.

　　Meng Tian looked at the young man’s eyes, who showed no signs that his stubbornness had wavered. He sighed helpless and continued, “Since Prince Yan refuses to obey the decree, pardon me for going by the book. Men! Drag him up!”

　　“Hold it!” Amidst the relentless winds and the black clouds, a crisp voice suddenly sounded. Everyone turned towards the direction of the sound, only to hear sounds of a horse’s hooves drifting from where the purplish-golden gates were. A lady, dressed in white with jet-black hair, approached on her horse, declaring, “I’ll identify them!”

　　“Mother?” The young man, still lying in the pool of blood, suddenly looked at the lady on the horse. The lady, dressed in white, gave off an elegant aura. Her facial features were strikingly beautiful. It was like a living goddess had descended to the mortal world.

　　The lady got off her horse and walked to Yan Xun’s side. The guards on both sides were stunned; no one rushed forward to stop her.

　　The lady held Yan Xun’s head in her arms, using her sleeves to wipe off the blood on his face. She broke out in a huge smile, uttering a few words gently. “Xun’er.”

　　Yan Xun’s tears started to flow. This young man, expressionless even when faced with thousands of royal troops, started to cry out loud. Holding on to the lady’s sleeves tightly, he shouted, “Mother, why? What happened?”

　　“Xun’er,” the lady gently wiped another blood stain off his eyes, “do you trust your father?”

　　Yan Xun choked and nodded. “Yes.”

　　“Then, don’t question anything.” The lady held the child, her eyes scanning the crowd of nobles on the platform. She continued gently, “Not everything in this world can be explained clearly. Just like how certain predators choose their prey, there is no clear reason why.”

　　“Mother!” Yan Xun turned around and looked at the flamboyantly dressed nobles. “Was it them? Did they harm Yan Bei?” The look in the young man’s eyes was extremely cold. In that instant, it was as if he had waged a cold war with the nobles. They stared at the beautiful lady, looking at her smile as she wiped the child’s tears. “Xun’er, don’t cry. The offspring of the Yan family only sheds blood, not tears.

　　“General Meng, let me identify the corpses. They are indeed those of my husband, son, daughter and my family. I believe that in this world, no one is more qualified than me to carry out this task.”

　　Meng Tian frowned tightly. Looking at the lady, even he was rendered speechless. The ups and downs in the past flashed through his mind. He still remembered what happened that year. It was spring. Shi Cheng, along with him and the man who could not even call out his own name, bumped into the lady as they wandered by a clear lake in the Tang Empire. They were young back then. The lady, who was wearing green, rolled up the sleeves of her pants, revealing her fair legs. She yelled to the three young men who were captivated by her beauty. “Hey! Do you three big men want to board the boat?”

　　In a flash, 30 years had passed. They had been through everything, through all the bloodshed, the massacres, and the scheming. Back then, they would not have known that 30 years later, they would be facing this kind of situation. If they had known, would they still have suffered through thick and thin, united as one, willing to die for each other? Everything they had done back then…was it only for them to go after each other’s heads in the future?

　　Meng Tian sighed slowly. He remarked deeply, “You shouldn’t have come.”

　　“He mentioned before that he would not restrict my freedom within the capital. As long as I do not step out of Zhen Huang, no one can stop me. General Meng, this is a royal decree, you cannot disobey it. Just like how you sieged Yan Bei, you did it regardless of whether you were willing to.” The lady lifted up her skirt slightly, making her way up the platform step by step. Her movements were so elegant, yet her steps seemed so heavy.

　　“Mother!” Yan Xun panicked and attempted to leap forward. However, before he had managed to take a step, he fell on the floor heavily, groaning in agony.

　　Chu Qiao broke out from the circle of soldiers who were surrounding her. She dashed forward, holding Yan Xun’s body. She asked anxiously, “How are you?”

　　The snow continued to fall. The northern winds whistled on, with the cries of the vultures in the sky audible. Fresh blood covered the snowy ground which was also littered with torn flags and fallen braziers. Everyone fixated their gaze onto the lady who was making her way up the platform. The wind made her sleeves fly up in the air, like a white bird circling in the wind.