At the summit, the silence was deathly.
Only the wind could be heard, howling past with flurries of snow.
The Japanese Emperor stood rigid, as motionless as a statue weathered for a thousand years.
Whoosh!
His gaze locked onto the Hongqi fluttering in the wind and would not let go.
That glaring red seared itself into his eyes like a branding iron, burning through every nerve.
The Japanese Emperor's mind remained a blank, chaotic mess.
Rage, humiliation, hatred, fear... countless emotions battered against his chest, threatening to tear his reason apart.
Why?
Why did he have to endure all this?
All he had wanted was to reign in peace, enjoy the people's offerings and reverence, and leave behind a reputation in the history books that was neither good nor bad.
Why had this "demon" named Yue Xiaofei latched onto him like a vengeful ghost?
Why did he have to take things this far?
The Japanese Emperor could not understand it. He did not dare try.
He only knew that, from this day forward, he and the imperial family he represented would be nailed to the pillar of historical shame forever, the greatest laughingstock in the world.
The Japanese Emperor could feel countless eyes watching him from the foot of the mountain, from across the country, and from around the world.
They were watching how he, their "god," was trampled and humiliated by an enemy atop this "Sacred Mountain."
He could even imagine how future history books would record this moment.
[On this day, in this month and year, the Japanese Emperor ascended Sacred Mountain to pay homage to Yue Xiaofei, the War God of Dragon Kingdom, and dared not speak at the sight of his Hongqi...]
At the thought, the Japanese Emperor tasted blood rising in his throat.
He clenched