Bloody Night

"It's truly magnificent!" Roger, attending a family meeting of officers above the rank of Banner Lord for the first time, marveled at the solemn grandeur of the family's assembly hall. The vast, intimidating hall could comfortably hold over a thousand high-ranking officers, with its uniform crimson carpet, lifelike bas-reliefs covering the walls, a ceiling so high it made one dizzy, and countless crystal chandeliers hanging like scattered stars in the sky...

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

Sterling smiled. "I don't know. But there's a legend that a Banner Lord once brought an entire infantry division here for a meeting. That Banner Lord was late, couldn't find anyone, and left. The next day, his subordinates told him that the entire division of over three thousand men had been waiting for him on the left wing corridor of the hall..."

"Wow!" Chuan exclaimed. "Then who is that long-haired rogue in that really cool and weird-looking portrait hanging in the center?"

"Don't talk nonsense! That is our founder, Lord Zichuan Yun!"

"Huh? Where did our Lord Xiuchuan go?"

"Lord Xiuchuan, why are you squatting in the corner?"

"Oh, I thought I could pry off these decorative gold pieces, but I didn't expect them to be so tightly embedded..."

Zichuan Xiu looked around. The meeting hadn't started yet, and over a thousand high-ranking officers were milling about and chatting in a disorderly fashion. He asked Sterling, "Aren't your Imperial Guards maintaining order in the venue today?"

Sterling smiled. "How could Yang Minghua trust us with maintaining order? The Military Police from the Prosecutor's Office are in charge of order today."

Zichuan Xiu nodded. Chief Inspector Xiao Long had always maintained neutrality, and only he could maintain order in a way that both sides would accept.

Someone came up to greet Zichuan Xiu. "Long time no see, Axiu!"

Zichuan Xiu turned. "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. He smiled and introduced his son, Banner Lord De Ke, to Zichuan Xiu. "This is my son, De Ke. It's his first time experiencing such a grand occasion. I hope you, Brother Axiu, and Lord Sterling can guide him in the future."

De Ke was a very young man, with only a faint fuzz on his upper lip. He looked a bit shy and introverted. After saluting Zichuan Xiu and Sterling, he didn't know what else to say and gave a simple, honest smile.

Sterling praised him, "Your son is full of spirit and will surely have a bright future!"

Zichuan Xiu, however, said with a mischievous grin, "The young man is so handsome, he's almost as good-looking as me—Lord De Lei, are you sure he's yours? I don't think so!"

De Lei burst into laughter. "If we could cut out your tongue, our family would lose more than half of its impudence!"

"And where is the remaining half?"

"It's all with our esteemed President Commander!"

Everyone chuckled knowingly. De Lei took his leave to mingle with other high-ranking officers.

The bell rang, and the meeting began. Six commanders sat on the main stage: Luobo Minghai, Ge Yingxing, Lei Xun, Fang Jin, Ming Hui, and Pigu. However, the seats for the President Commander and the Chief Commander were still empty. Chief Commander Zichuan Canxing hadn't attended a plenary meeting in a long time, so no one expected him to be present this time.

Yang Minghua appeared on the stage on time. However, to Zichuan Xiu and Sterling's surprise, Di Lin appeared with him and took a seat in the middle. Di Lin was back, but he hadn't contacted them... The two exchanged glances, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.

Yang Minghua sat calmly in the chair reserved for the Chief Commander, located beneath the portrait of Zichuan Yun, with a smile on his face, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

An uneasy murmur swept through the hall. The high-ranking officers looked at Yang Minghua with disbelief, the same thought running through their minds: "Has he gone mad?"

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

"Exactly!" Sterling replied. "And he also wants to see if any of the high-ranking officers dare to oppose him!"

At this moment, the main doors of the hall swung open, and the figure of Chief Commander Zichuan Canxing appeared at the entrance.

The hall was suddenly enveloped in an awkward silence. The officers trembled with anger, looking at Zichuan Canxing's blatant provocation and insult. Then they looked at Yang Minghua, who remained composed and showed no intention of yielding his seat... This awkward silence seemed like it would continue indefinitely.

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

Almost everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that a conflict hadn't erupted on the spot, glad that the pretense of peace could be maintained, and glad that they didn't have to make a choice immediately...

Sterling's hands clenched, making a cracking sound. When the lord is insulted, the minister is shamed; when the lord is shamed, the minister dies. He couldn't bear to see the Chief Commander insulted in such a way and would have rushed forward to take Yang Minghua down with him. However, firm hands pressed down on his shoulders just in time. Zichuan Xiu's steady voice told him, "Keep your life so you can act when the time comes!"

Yang Minghua began his speech. "Colleagues, we will now begin this year's plenary meeting for officers above the rank of Banner Lord..." He announced the start of the meeting as if nothing had happened.

"Your Excellency, President Commander, I apologize, but you might have taken the wrong seat..."

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice. A young Banner Lord, still with a childlike innocence, stood up and said shyly. Zichuan Xiu and Sterling were both startled—it was De Ke, De Lei's son.

"Oh," Yang Minghua raised an eyebrow. "This colleague looks unfamiliar. You say I've taken the wrong seat?"

It was De Ke's first time speaking in such a large gathering, and he was accusing someone of such high authority. He stammered nervously, "This subordinate is Banner Lord De Ke of the Black Flag Army... Please don't mind me, Your Excellency. This subordinate means no harm... You might have accidentally taken the wrong seat... However, this subordinate believes that you should have yielded your seat to the Chief Commander, after all, according to protocol..."

His father, De Lei, immediately stood up and scolded him, "A'Ke, have you gone mad? What nonsense are you spouting! Hurry up and apologize to the President Commander and sit down!"

"Alright, Banner Lord De Ke, I understand your point—but please do not disrupt the meeting. This is a very serious occasion!" As he spoke, Yang Minghua gave Di Lin a meaningful, terrifying glance.

"Yes! This subordinate was rude. I apologize to Your Excellency..." De Ke said, blushing furiously—he didn't even know why he was apologizing—"This subordinate..."

He couldn't say any more. A slender, sharp sword flashed into his young, warm, and broad chest, then was withdrawn just as quickly, drawing a spray of blood. He stared blankly at the widening bloodstain on his chest, then at Di Lin, who was calmly wiping the blood from his sword before him, his eyes wide with disbelief... He fell straight down—his wide eyes still filled with childish innocence and longing...

His father, Deputy Commander De Lei, roared and lunged at Di Lin, fighting desperately. However, he was struck a heavy blow from behind, spitting blood and crashing to the ground. He was clearly dying. Lei Xun had silently crept up beside him and delivered a fatal blow with his "Wind Thunder Divine Skill."

The entire hall erupted in chaos. The officers could hardly believe their eyes. Yang Minghua and his faction dared to commit murder openly on such an occasion, killing the De father and son, two high-ranking family officers!

Several officers from the Black Flag Army had already stood up resolutely...

With a deafening thunderclap, a massive explosion of thunder echoed through the hall, making everyone's ears ache and heads spin. Lei Xun stood proudly in the very center of the hall, his body like the source of a giant storm, emitting a whistling sound of rushing air. The powerful airflow swirled within the hall, forcing those nearby to shut their eyes and lose their balance. Even the tightly shut doors couldn't withstand this terrifying force, bursting open with a loud crack. Even more astonishingly, he actually levitated, looking down at everyone from high above, a powerful killing aura enveloping the entire venue—this was the terrifying state of the "Wind Thunder Divine Skill" at its peak.

Sterling muttered, "The family's top expert, truly lives up to his name!"

Zi Chuan Xiu, on the other hand, curled his lips. "Not much different from a fan, really. He was suspended in mid-air, so let's call him a ceiling fan!"

The officers were so intimidated by Lei Xun's aura that they dared not make a move.

Yang Minghua stood up on the high platform, surveying the venue with a stern gaze, as if searching for the next foolhardy individual to challenge his authority... No one dared to meet his aggressive stare; even Zi Chuan Xiu and Sterling involuntarily averted their eyes...

"So, extreme brutality can also become a force of authority," Sterling thought painfully, the wide-open eyes of the young man at death's door kept reappearing before him: his eyes had not closed in death. "Di Lin, why would you do something like this!"

"Alright, the meeting will continue," Yang Minghua announced.

Everyone was struck dumb with fear.

Yang Minghua smiled with satisfaction, thinking, "These lowly wretches, if I don't show them a thing or two, they'll never know what fear is!"

"Next..."

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

"I accuse Di Lin, Deputy Commander of the Far East Army, of the premeditated murder of De Ke, a banner officer of the Black Flag Army!

"I accuse Lei Xun, Commander of the Central Army, of the premeditated murder of De Lei, Deputy Commander of the Black Flag Army!

"I accuse Yang Minghua, the President Commander of the family, of orchestrating these two cold-blooded murders from behind the scenes; he should be held responsible for this crime!"

"I, Shirakawa, Assistant Banner Officer of the Administrative Department, hereby formally lodge a complaint with His Excellency Lord Xiao Long, the family's Inspector General. If any of this is false, I am willing to bear full responsibility!"

Shirakawa's clear voice, trembling slightly with nervousness, echoed in the silent conference hall.

At the senior officers' meeting of the Zi Chuan Family, over a thousand assembled men felt ashamed and disgraced by the justice and courage of one woman.

The date of the meeting was: March 26th, Imperial Year 779. This day would later be recorded in the family's annals under the name "Bloody Night of the Imperial Capital." The blood flowing like a stream in the meeting hall that day would, by late evening, converge into a vast ocean, drowning everyone...

The hundred-year tragic legend of the Zi Chuan Family would also commence with this bloody night.