Heavenly Court.
Dijun sat upon the imperial throne, his expression incomparably grim. The Chaos Bell hovered beside Eastern Emperor Taiyi, humming in a low drone.
The tenth Golden Crow prince curled up beneath the imperial throne. His once-dazzling golden feathers were now dull and lusterless, stained with un-dried tears and dust.
His tiny body could not stop trembling. The terror of being one of the survivors of the calamity intertwined with the immense grief of his nine elder brothers' tragic deaths, nearly tearing his young mind apart.
"Father Emperor..." His voice was broken and hoarse, choked with tears, like the whimpering of a wounded young beast. "It was... that little demon... He said the Witch Race would dominate the land, and that our Demon Race cannot withstand a single blow..."
Under the swaying candle flame within the hall, Dijun's face seemed to be covered by a mask of ice.
His gaze swept over the young child sprawled at his feet. He bent down, his palm carrying a weight it had never borne before as it gently settled atop the little Golden Crow's trembling head.
"Do not cry." Dijun's voice was unexpectedly calm. "Go see your mother."
"Your Majesty!" Bai Ze, the Demon Saint, stepped forward with his brows locked tight. "The ten princes' departure from Tanggu was by no means an accident!
"The grand formation at Tanggu was personally laid down by Your Majesty and His Majesty the Eastern Emperor. How could ordinary people possibly glimpse its flaws, much less make the princes believe it had fallen into disrepair with age?
"Does Your Majesty still remember that 'coincidence' involving the Dragon Clan?"
Dijun slowly straightened, his gaze sweeping across the people inside the hall: Taiyi, Xihe, Fuxi, Bai Ze, and Shang Yang.
He took a deep breath. It seemed to