Crisis

Lady Long couldn't help but feel a wave of heartache. A Man was such a good child; even at a time like this, he had no complaints and instead tried to comfort her, which only made her feel even more miserable.

If she hadn't fallen for her family's scheme, she wouldn't have implicated everyone. Looking at the dying A Man, who was still pretending to be fine, her heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.

"Mother, don't be afraid. Brother Long will definitely come to save us," A Man consoled her, while struggling to sit up so that he could avoid the Bone-Corroding Nails pressing against his bones, allowing him to be slightly more "comfortable."

"Child, you have suffered," Lady Long said, her tears flowing again as she looked at the dense, shocking Soul-Corroding Nails covering A Man's body. How much suffering had this child endured?

"Mother, it's nothing. That bastard Marquis Ying tried to force information out of me. I don't know what he was talking about, but I didn't say a single word, which just pissed the idiot off," A Man said bluntly.

It turned out that after Marquis Ying's injuries had recovered to a certain extent, he was overjoyed to hear that A Man had also been captured, so he had him brought out separately for interrogation.

He was extremely curious about A Man's Physical Body. It was incredible that a boy who hadn't even reached the Blood Condensation Realm could withstand a sword strike from an expert like him in the Tendon Transformation Realm.

Marquis Ying desperately wanted to know how A Man managed to Cultivate, but he lacked the powerful Soul Power of Long Chen and could not see the state inside A Man's cells.

Although he noticed the strangeness within A Man, specifically that he only had four meridians, he assumed it was caused by Cultivating some miraculous Cultivation Technique from a young age.

Naturally, Marquis Ying wouldn't let go of this miraculous Cultivation Technique. Even if he couldn't practice it himself, obtaining it would be a priceless treasure.

However, he hadn't expected A Man to be so stubborn; the boy wouldn't say a single word to him, no matter how he beat him, remaining completely silent.

Countless punishments were inflicted, and finally, even the cruelest Bone-Corroding Nails were driven into A Man's body, yet he still refused to utter a single word.

Later, Marquis Ying gradually discovered a fact: the strangeness of A Man's body was, in all likelihood, related to his Physique.

Regardless of whether A Man practiced a Cultivation Technique, even if he did, a normal person would absolutely be unable to practice it; forcing oneself to Cultivate it would undoubtedly lead to death.

Who could withstand the pain of a Bone-Corroding Nail? Even if one could endure one, who could withstand ten without dying? Perhaps even an expert in the Tendon Transformation Realm would go mad from the pain if ten Bone-Corroding Nails were driven into their body.

After realizing this, Marquis Ying was no longer interested in any Cultivation Technique. Instead, he became more interested in A Man's Physical Body; he wanted to see how many Bone-Corroding Nails a person could truly withstand.

Thus, A Man eventually became a human hedgehog. However, what horrified Marquis Ying was that even with his entire body covered in Bone-Corroding Nails, A Man still hadn't died. His Physical Body was simply too terrifying.

Just then, he received orders to send A Man to the execution ground as well, which put an end to the torture.

"Hmph, quite impressive, actually being able to endure so many Bone-Corroding Nails. I wonder if your neck will be able to withstand my steel blade in a moment. I'm looking forward to it," Li Feng said coldly, looking at A Man.

"You bastard, Brother Long will definitely come back to save us!" A Man retorted angrily.

"Keep dreaming. No matter who comes, no one can save you—not even the heavens. Just rest easy and become ghosts," Li Feng sneered, not looking at them again.

Suddenly, there was a commotion on both sides as a group of people emerged from both the Phoenix Empire and the Great Xia Empire. On the Phoenix Empire side, the Empress Dowager appeared slowly, accompanied by all the princes, princesses, and ministers.

On the Great Xia Empire side, a man wearing yellow robes, his figure as tall and imposing as an iron tower, stepped out from the crowd, followed closely by three men carrying weapons.

These four individuals exuded a terrifying pressure. In particular, the sharp light within their eyes was restrained, and their demeanor was profound, like volcanoes ready to erupt with terrifying energy at any moment.

The person in front was none other than the Emperor of the Great Xia Empire, Xia Youyu, an undisputed powerhouse. The three behind him were peerless experts of the Great Xia Empire; this time, Xia Youyu could be said to have exhausted the nation's elite.

The two sides met. The Fourth Prince stepped forward first, accompanied by two people. One was Marquis Ying, and the other was a slightly shorter man with a face full of wiry whiskers, carrying a war hammer on his back. That man was the Martial Marquis, Wu Yi, who was as famous as Marquis Ying.

Since the First Prince had been deposed, the Empress Dowager had immediately issued an edict naming the Fourth Prince as the Crown Prince. After becoming the Crown Prince, he immediately used thunderous tactics to seize the First Prince and his faction.

At the same time, he urgently recalled the Martial Marquis and ordered the main army to return for defense. By the time the army had just returned to the city, the Great Xia army had already reached the Imperial Capital.

Before the Imperial Capital, facing hundreds of thousands of Great Xia elite troops, the Fourth Prince remained as calm as ever, negotiating with them and causing the Great Xia army to halt before the city, sparing the Imperial Capital from the disaster of war.

The people of Phoenix saw the Fourth Prince's brilliance for the first time and could not help but admire his ability; this was the courage a ruler of a nation should have.

"Regarding the misfortune of Brother Changfeng, I, Chu Xia, express my deepest regrets. Fortunately, the heavens have blessed us, and the culprits have all been captured. I hope the blood of these people can console the Soul of Brother Changfeng."

The Fourth Prince walked up to Xia Youyu, his face full of apology.

Xia Youyu looked at the man who should have been his nephew with a complex expression, feeling some unwillingness in his heart.

He knew clearly that his son had actually died unjustly, and in the end, he had died at the hands of the Fourth Prince, Chu Xia, but he could not take revenge.

Because someone had spoken, forbidding him from harming a single hair on Chu Xia's head. His deployment of troops this time was also under the orders of that person, to put on a show with Chu Xia.

"It seems Your Majesty Youyu still cannot recover from the pain of losing your son. This makes me, Chu Xia, feel even more keenly the deep fatherly love Your Majesty Youyu had for Brother Changfeng. Thinking of Brother Changfeng's untimely death, it really makes one sigh with regret," the Fourth Prince said, shaking his head and sighing.

Xia Youyu narrowed his eyes. He wished he could slap this hypocritical fake gentleman to death. He had killed his son and was now putting on an act in front of him, the father; it was simply too bullying.

However, he dared not act. He knew that if he killed Chu Xia, he himself would likely not meet a good end, so he had to endure it.

"Crown Prince Chu Xia is too polite. As long as the murderer who killed my son is executed, I believe Changfeng can rest in peace," Xia Youyu said, looking deeply at Chu Xia. However, when Xia Youyu said "murderer," a flash of coldness appeared in his eyes.

The Fourth Prince ignored Xia Youyu's gaze and said indifferently: "Your Majesty Youyu, rest assured. The murderer is right here and cannot escape."

"However, for the sake of the great friendship between our two Empires, some sacrifices are inevitable. Only by casting aside some prejudices and misunderstandings can the people of both nations enjoy peace. I believe the marriage alliance between Great Xia and Phoenix back then proved Your Majesty's foresight, don't you agree?"

Xia Youyu's heart trembled. He finally understood that the pawn he had placed back then had jumped out of the chessboard and was starting to control its own destiny. The Fourth Prince killing Xia Changfeng was his way of telling him that Chu Xia was no longer the original Chu Xia.

If he still wanted to continue controlling him, that would be a huge mistake; if he wasn't careful, he himself would even be dragged into it.

The Fourth Prince's words made Xia Youyu suddenly snap out of the pain of losing his son. He nodded and said: "Indeed, peace is the true blessing for the people of both nations."

"That is correct. However, peace needs to be built on the foundation of equality and mutual trust. Anyone who attempts to destroy the peace between the two nations deserves to die."

After speaking, the Fourth Prince looked at the First Prince and the others in front, a smile appearing on his face. Suddenly, the smile vanished, and he shouted sternly: "Chu Yang, do you know your crime?"

The First Prince, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly woke up, then looked at the sky in terror, as if he had seen some horrifying scene, and kept kowtowing.

"I am guilty." "I am guilty." "…"

He muttered while kowtowing, as if repenting. Only no one noticed that at that moment, three thin needles were stuck in the hair behind the First Prince's head.

However, the First Prince was not the only person with needles stuck in them. The Empress Dowager, who looked calm and slightly dazed, also had thin needles stuck in the back of her head, but they were covered by her hair and were completely invisible to others.

The Fourth Prince scanned the entire scene and shouted coldly: "Our Phoenix and Great Xia coexist in peace. Those who harbor ulterior motives, attempt to destroy peace, and plunge the people of both nations into misery—there will be no mercy. Execute them!"

Following the Fourth Prince's order, the executioners swung their long blades. "Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft…"

Blood splattered everywhere, and over twenty heads fell, staining the ground red with blood. The stench of blood rose to the sky. More than half of the Long family members behind them were scared into fainting on the spot.

Many commoners in the distance closed their eyes in fear. It wasn't that they hadn't seen executions before, but those usually executed were heinous criminals.

This time, those executed were high-ranking officials of the Empire, which made many feel unbearable pity, while also filling them with awe toward the Fourth Prince.

Watching everyone being executed, the Fourth Prince took a deep breath. He was simply too excited. He loved this feeling of control; a single thought of his could determine the life or death of others. This was the charm of power.

Looking at the pale-faced princes, princesses, and the crowd of nobles and ministers, he saw the fear in their eyes. This was what he wanted.

He wanted to use this opportunity to clear away all opposing factions and make everyone submit, daring not to harbor thoughts of rebellion. He wanted to be the most powerful emperor; those who follow me shall prosper, those who oppose me shall die.

"This is the fate of those who harbor ulterior motives." The Fourth Prince looked coldly at the corpses, then slowly raised his head to look at Lady Long, who was staring forward in shock.

Lady Long was trembling all over. Her heart was filled with fear, but she hadn't fainted; she just stared blankly ahead.

"Lady Long, I am sorry. Long Chen has committed a monstrous crime; even I cannot protect you. Therefore, do not blame me."

After speaking, the Fourth Prince waved his hand with a look of regret. Immediately, the long blades of a dozen executioners were aimed at everyone's necks.

"Bastards, all of you stop!" Suddenly, a wild roar erupted, and a group of people charged straight toward the execution ground.