Chaos Erupts

On March 28, Imperial Year 779, Commander Ge Yingxing was ambushed and attacked on his journey back to the Far East from the Imperial Capital by Lei Hong, the former Deputy Commander of the Far East Army, who had been bribed by Yang Minghua and led thirty thousand elite troops. After a fierce battle, all six thousand members of Ge Yingxing's guard died. The gravely wounded Ge Yingxing was fought out of the encirclement under the desperate protection of several hundred guards and made it back to Valen Fortress, where he soon breathed his last.

The devastating news shocked the Imperial Capital. Ge Yingxing was the most senior veteran official left from Zichuan Yuanxing's era. His achievements were unmatched, yet he remained humble and disciplined; he held immense power, yet never abused it. As Far East Commander, he personally oversaw the Far East's military and civil affairs. Billions passed through his hands every day, yet he remained incorruptible, taking not a single coin for himself and living simply; unlike the likes of Di Lin and Zichuan Xiu, who skimmed hundreds of thousands from every battle they fought. He was strict with himself but generous toward others, caring deeply for his subordinates. Even more movingly, he had always upheld the family's rightful line, struggling against Yang Minghua for six years despite his frail, sickly body. He enjoyed immense prestige among both the army and the people.

When Ge Yingxing's body was returned to the Imperial Capital, mourners lined both sides of the long streets in an endless black sea. The hot tears of a million followers drenched the white marble avenues of the Imperial Capital...

The people cried out in fury: "Cut the traitor Lei Hong into a thousand pieces!"

※※※

Zichuan Canxing held a state funeral for Ge Yingxing for three consecutive days. At the memorial service, he announced that Commander Ge Yingxing's body would be laid to rest in the Sacred Spirit Hall, the burial chamber of the Zichuan Family's Commanders-in-Chief through the generations. This was an extraordinary honor; throughout the family's history, even President Commanders had scarcely ever received such a privilege, let alone a commander.

While reading the eulogy, he had only gotten through the opening lines of the lengthy script before breaking down in tears. Over and over, he wept, "Return, heroic spirit... return..." In the end, he cried until he fainted and collapsed to the ground. This greatly endeared the Commander-in-Chief, who rarely appeared in public, to the people of the Imperial Capital. Cries of mourning shook the heavens both inside and outside the hall.

Shirakawa had also attended the funeral with Zichuan Xiu. Though she had only met Ge Yingxing once, thinking of how he had saved her life and recalling his gentle gaze and frail figure... she had already soaked several handkerchiefs with tears. Then she noticed something very strange:

Zichuan Xiu had not shed a single tear. His face was ashen, and his eyes held a deep, icy hatred that made people shudder. His cold gaze was fixed on the memorial service's podium, where Zichuan Canxing was delivering the eulogy.

Shirakawa shivered. She had always thought only Di Lin could look at someone that way.

"My lord, please don't be too heartbroken. You'll feel better if you cry."

"..."

"My lord, that traitor Lei Hong definitely won't meet a good end. Hating this much will only harm your health!"

"..."

"My lord? My lord, what's wrong?"

Zichuan Xiu slowly spoke, every word thick with killing intent: "Lord Ge Yingxing died so unjustly. He cannot rest in peace!"

He rose, bowed deeply before Ge Yingxing's portrait, then turned and walked out of the hall without a care, even though the service had not yet ended!

The people present began murmuring: "What an ungrateful brat! Lord Ge Yingxing saved him several times, yet he actually left before the memorial service was over!"

Zichuan Xiu's strange behavior at the memorial service remained a mystery in Shirakawa's heart. Ge Yingxing had served the family loyally, been ambushed by a traitor, and died fighting fiercely. How could his death be called "unjust"?

The mystery troubled her for a long time, until years later, when she met Tang Chuan, a young historian of the Zichuan Family. They fell in love at first sight, and she mentioned it to him...

Tang Chuan answered without hesitation: "It was obvious. Yang Minghua could not have bribed Lei Hong without Luobo Minghai, his foremost confidant, knowing about it. Yet no one warned Ge Yingxing to guard against Lei Hong's ambush. Clearly, that was Zichuan Canxing's intention. After Yang Minghua died, the balance of power was broken. Ge Yingxing, who was highly respected, popular, and upright, became a thorn in Zichuan Canxing's side."

"Ge Yingxing was utterly loyal to the family and devoted his entire life to it. In the end, he effectively died at the hands of the very person he served. How could that not be unjust? Didn't any of you see it at the time? Surely not. It was so obvious..."

Shirakawa was left speechless. She came to deeply understand a truth: those within the situation were often blind, while onlookers saw clearly.

※※※

On the very day news of Ge Yingxing's death arrived, the Commanders' Office issued an order of suppression, instructing the Far East Army's other two Deputy Commanders, Lin Bing and Luo Bo, to campaign against the traitor Lei Hong.

In fact, before the suppression order had even been signed, on the very day Ge Yingxing died, Deputy Commander Lin Bing had already led troops in pursuit of Lei Hong's forces in furious vengeance, without waiting for the approval of Luo Bo, Chief of Staff of the Far East Army.

Lei Hong's original plan had been to slaughter Ge Yingxing and all his guards, silencing them forever. Then he could calmly accept an appointment from the "new Commander-in-Chief," Lord Yang Minghua, as commander of the Far East Army. He had assumed Yang Minghua's rebellion would certainly succeed. But things went against his wishes. Not only had he failed to silence Ge Yingxing, Yang Minghua had also been defeated and destroyed in the Imperial Capital. Now, vast as the world was, there was not even a place where he could hide one left hand.

Facing Lin Bing's furious army of vengeance, he did not dare stand and fight. He led his troops back to his own defense district, Glock Province, and ordered the local garrison to rebel.

On April 2, Imperial Year 779, the twenty-five divisions formerly under Lei Hong's command mutinied and raised the banner of rebellion against the Zichuan Family.

※※※

The Commanders' Office was not alarmed upon receiving the news. Yang Minghua's recent military coup in the Imperial Capital, the two hundred thousand Flowing Wind Army troops stationed beneath the Imperial Capital's walls six years earlier, and the Border Defense Army's full-scale rebellion fifty years ago—compared to those, this was merely a local uprising in a border region. It could not threaten the family's overall situation, so there was no need for undue alarm. They only needed to leave it to the two Far East Deputy Commanders, Lin Bing and Luo Bo. Their forces held an advantage over the rebels. The fighting might take a little longer, but they would definitely win in the end.

In the entire Imperial Capital, only Chief Inspector Di Lin keenly foresaw the terrible consequences of this rebellion. That very day, he proposed transferring three hundred thousand troops from either the Central Army or the Border Defense Army into the Far East. With an overwhelmingly superior force, they had to crush Lei Hong's rebels within one week. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable.

President Commander Luobo Minghai took Di Lin's written proposal without even reading it and said, "My stomach happens to be bothering me." In full view of everyone at the Commanders' Office, he walked into the restroom. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged empty-handed. The proposal had already been "used" and flushed down the toilet.

Di Lin directly submitted his advice to Zichuan Canxing. Zichuan Canxing's response was: "The Inspectorate's duty is to supervise whether officials throughout the family have broken the law, committed crimes, engaged in favoritism or corruption, or neglected their duties. Far East affairs fall under the administrative authority of the Commanders' Office and are already beyond your jurisdiction. You would do best not to meddle further."

※※※

While official documents traveled back and forth among the Inspectorate, the Commanders' Office, and the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion in the Imperial Capital, the situation in the Far East underwent a change that no one noticed. It was simply too insignificant; even the Imperial Capital Daily did not publish the news.

On April 11, Imperial Year 779, just as a great battle between the legitimate Zichuan Army of the Far East and the rebel forces was about to erupt, a village in Shalu Province in the Far East—so small it was not even marked on maps, inhabited mainly by Beastmen with a small number of Snake Clan residents—declared independence from Zichuan Family rule and formed a Racial Union Free Army of fewer than one hundred people to defend its homeland by force.