Bloodshed

"What a magnificent sight!" Roger, attending a meeting of family officers above the rank of Banner Commander for the first time, marveled at the solemn grandeur of the Family council hall. The vast, intimidating hall still had room to spare after accommodating more than a thousand senior officers. The carpets were all luxurious crimson, the thousands of wall reliefs were lifelike, the ceiling was so high no one dared raise their head to look at it, and countless crystal chandeliers hung like stars scattered across the sky...

"How big is this hall?" Shirakawa asked Sterling, who was seated beside her.

Sterling smiled. "I don't know either. But there's a legend. They say a Banner Commander once brought an entire infantry division here for a meeting. He arrived late, searched everywhere but couldn't find anyone, so he went back. The next day, his subordinates told him that the entire division, over three thousand men, had been sitting in the left wing corridor of the hall waiting for him..."

"Wow!" Changchuan cried. "Then who's that long-haired hooligan in the huge portrait hanging right in the middle—he looks cool and weird?"

"Don't talk nonsense! That is Lord Zichuan Yun, the Family's founder!"

"Huh? Where did Lord Xiuchuan go?"

"Lord Xiuchuan, what are you doing crouching in the corner?"

"Oh, I thought I could pry those gold decorations off, but who knew they were embedded so tightly..."

Zichuan Xiu carefully looked around. The meeting had not yet begun, and more than a thousand senior officers were wandering about and chatting in disorder. He asked Sterling, "Wasn't your Imperial Guard supposed to maintain order today?"

Sterling smiled. "How could Yang Minghua trust us with that? The military police from the Inspectorate are in charge of maintaining order today."

Zichuan Xiu nodded. Chief Inspector Xiao Long had always remained neutral. Only if he maintained order would both sides accept it.

Someone came over to greet Zichuan Xiu. "Long time no see, Axu!"

Zichuan Xiu turned around. "Lord De Lei, it really has been a long time."

De Lei was the Deputy Commander of the Black Flag Army. Six years ago, he had fought alongside Zichuan Xiu in the counterattack against the Liufeng Family. Smiling, he introduced his son, Banner Commander De Ke, to Zichuan Xiu. "This is my son, De Ke. It's his first time seeing such a grand occasion. I hope Brother Axu and Lord Sterling will guide him more in the future."

De Ke was a very young man, with only a faint fuzz growing around his mouth. He seemed a little shy and introverted. After saluting Zichuan Xiu and Sterling, he did not know what else to say, so he gave an honest smile.

Sterling praised him. "Your son has a heroic air about him. He is sure to have a boundless future!"

But Zichuan Xiu grinned wickedly. "What a handsome young fellow. He's almost as good-looking as I am. Lord De Lei, is he really your son? He doesn't look like it!"

De Lei burst into laughter. "The day someone cuts out that tongue of yours, the Family will lose more than half its wickedness!"

"And where's the other half?"

"With our esteemed President Commander!"

Everyone smiled knowingly. De Lei took his leave to socialize with other senior officers.

The bell rang, and the meeting began. Six commanders sat on the dais: Luobo Minghai, Ge Yingxing, Lei Xun, Fang Jin, Ming Hui, and Pigu. But the seats of the President Commander and the Chief Administrator were still empty. Chief Administrator Zichuan Canxing had not attended a general meeting in a long time, so no one expected him to appear this time either.

Yang Minghua appeared on the dais right on time. But to Zichuan Xiu and Sterling's surprise, Di Lin appeared with him and took a seat in the middle. Di Lin had returned, yet had not contacted them at all... The two exchanged looks and saw the worry in each other's eyes.

Yang Minghua calmly sat in the chair reserved for the Chief Administrator beneath Zichuan Yun's portrait, smiling as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

An uneasy stir rose through the hall. The senior officers stared at Yang Minghua in disbelief, all thinking the same thing: Has he gone mad?

Zichuan Xiu whispered to Sterling, "He's building momentum for his rebellion!"

"Yes!" Sterling said. "And he also wants to see whether any senior officers dare oppose him!"

At that moment, the central doors of the hall swung open, and Chief Administrator Zichuan Canxing appeared in the doorway.

An agonizing silence fell over the hall. The officers looked at Zichuan Canxing, trembling with rage at this blatant insult and provocation, then looked at Yang Minghua, who remained perfectly composed and showed no intention of standing up to yield his seat... This embarrassing silence seemed as though it would continue forever.

Zichuan Canxing stamped his foot, turned, and walked out of the hall.

Almost everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They were thankful that no clash had erupted on the spot, thankful that the illusion of peace could still be preserved, and thankful that they would not be forced to choose a side immediately...

Sterling's clenched fist crackled. When the lord suffered humiliation, his servants were shamed; when the lord was shamed, his servants must die. He simply could not endure such humiliation being inflicted upon the Chief Administrator. He would rather rush forward and perish together with Yang Minghua—then a firm hand pressed down on his shoulder in time. Zichuan Xiu's steady voice said, "Keep yourself alive, and wait for the day you can achieve something!"

Yang Minghua began speaking. "Colleagues, we will now begin this year's general meeting for all officers above the rank of Banner Commander..." As though nothing had happened, he declared the meeting open.

"President Commander, forgive me, but you may be sitting in the wrong seat..."

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. A young Banner Commander, still boyish in appearance, had stood up and spoke shyly. Zichuan Xiu and Sterling were both startled—it was De Lei's son, De Ke.

"Oh?" Yang Minghua raised an eyebrow. "This colleague is unfamiliar. You say I am sitting in the wrong seat?"

It was De Ke's first time speaking at such a grand gathering, and the person he was criticizing held such immense power and status. So nervous that he nearly stammered, he said, "I am De Ke, Banner Commander of the Black Flag Army... Please do not take offense, President Commander. I mean no ill will... Perhaps you sat in the wrong seat by accident... But in my opinion, you should have yielded your seat to the Chief Administrator just now. After all, by the rules..."

His father, De Lei, immediately stood and berated him. "Ake, have you gone mad? What nonsense are you talking about? Apologize to the President Commander and sit down at once!"

"Enough, Banner Commander De Ke. I understand what you mean—but please do not disrupt the meeting. This is a very serious occasion!" As he spoke, Yang Minghua gave Di Lin a meaningful, terrifying look.

"Yes! I have been disrespectful. I apologize to you, sir..." De Ke apologized, his face flushed red—though he himself did not know what he was apologizing for. "I..."

He could say no more. A slender sword flashed into his young, warm, broad chest like lightning, then flashed back out, bringing with it a spray of blood. He stared blankly at the spreading stain on his chest, then at Di Lin, who was leisurely wiping the blood from his sword before him. His eyes widened in disbelief... Then he fell straight backward—his wide-open eyes still filled with boyish innocence and dreams...

His father, Deputy Commander De Lei, roared and lunged at Di Lin in desperation, only to receive a crushing palm strike in the back. Blood immediately gushed from his mouth, and with a smack, he crashed to the ground, clearly beyond saving. Lei Xun had somehow already slipped to his side and dealt him a fatal blow with the Wind Thunder Divine Skill.

The entire hall erupted. The officers could scarcely believe their eyes. At such an occasion, Yang Minghua's faction had actually dared to commit murder openly, killing the De father and son, two senior officers of the Family!

Several officers from the Black Flag Army sprang to their feet in fury...

Crack! Boom! A thunderous blast exploded through the hall, making everyone's eardrums ache and heads spin. Lei Xun stood proudly in the center of the hall. His body seemed to be the source of a massive storm, emitting a howling rush of air. Violent currents swirled through the hall, forcing those near him to shut their eyes and struggle to remain standing. Even the locked doors could not withstand that terrifying force and flew open with a bang. More astonishing still, his entire body rose into the air, hovering high above as he looked down at everyone. A powerful killing intent shrouded the hall—this was the Wind Thunder Divine Skill at its peak.

Sterling muttered, "The Family's greatest master indeed lives up to his reputation!"

Zichuan Xiu curled his lip. "He's not much different from an electric fan. Since he's floating in the air, I suppose he's a ceiling fan!"

The officers were cowed by Lei Xun's imposing aura and did not dare make a move.

Yang Minghua rose from the dais and swept his majestic gaze across the hall, as though seeking the next fool bold enough to challenge his authority... No one dared meet his aggressive gaze. Even Zichuan Xiu and Sterling unconsciously looked away...

So even utter brutality can become a kind of authority, Sterling thought painfully. The young man's eyes, still wide open even in death, kept appearing before him. He had died with his eyes unclosed. Di Lin, why would you do such a thing?

"Very well. The meeting will continue," Yang Minghua announced.

Everyone sat silent as cicadas in winter.

Yang Minghua smiled in satisfaction, thinking, These lowly wretches really don't know fear unless they are shown some color!

"Next..."

"I accuse!" A woman's voice interrupted him.

"I accuse Di Lin, Deputy Commander of the Far East Army, of deliberately murdering De Ke, Banner Commander of the Black Flag Army!

"I accuse Lei Xun, commander of the Central Army, of deliberately murdering De Lei, Deputy Commander of the Black Flag Army!

"I accuse Yang Minghua, President Commander of the Family, of ordering these two cold-blooded murders from behind the scenes. He must be held accountable for these crimes!"

"I am Shirakawa, Assistant Banner Commander of the Administrative Office. I hereby formally bring these accusations before Lord Xiao Long, Chief Inspector of the Family. If any part of them is false, I am willing to bear full responsibility!"

Shirakawa's clear female voice, trembling slightly with tension, echoed through the silent council hall.

At the Zichuan Family's senior officers' meeting, over a thousand proud men who had come to attend felt ashamed before a woman's righteousness and courage.

The meeting was held on March 26th, Imperial Year 779. This day would later be recorded in the Family's history under the name Bloody Night of the Imperial Capital. The hot blood that flowed like a stream across the meeting hall would, deep into that night, gather into a vast sea and drown everyone...

The century-long tragic legend of the Zichuan Family would also begin from that scarlet night.