Emperor of the Mysterious Heavens

Chapter 3: Means

Yan Chuan was quietly observing the group when a sudden commotion echoed from the distance. Several soldiers were dragging along a young man dressed in lavish robes.

"What are you doing? I am the young master of the Zhao family! My name is Zhao Tiande! Are you blind? Let go of me, or I'll have your entire family executed!" Zhao Tiande shouted arrogantly at the soldiers. Despite his outburst, the soldiers, though visibly displeased, did not release him and instead forced him in front of the bamboo pavilion.

Behind him, more soldiers arrived, carrying the corpse of the servant Ma along with eight black banners.

"You! What's your name? I'll have your entire family executed!" Zhao Tiande continued to rage.

Yan Chuan's eyes narrowed as he regarded the brazen Zhao Tiande.

"Execution of your entire family? Who gave you that authority?" Yan Chuan's voice turned icy. Now that he understood his own position, he was ready to fully assume the mantle of power.

Though he detested the title "Equal of the Emperor," Yan Chuan wouldn't reject it when applied to himself. With a rank equal to the Yan Emperor, he held power on par with a sovereign. And with that authority came the laws of the land—the highest and most sacred tools of governance. The crime of executing an entire family was reserved only for offenses against imperial power, a sentence only the emperor could pronounce. In the Great Yan Empire, only the Yan Emperor—and now Yan Chuan—had the right to declare such a punishment. What right did the son of a mere noble family, even the head of the Zhao family, have to make such a claim?

Yan Chuan's words immediately caught Zhao Tiande's attention. He sneered. "Heh... Yan Chuan, do you even know who I am? You better let me go right now, and I'll pretend this never happened."

"Your Highness," the middle-aged eunuch stepped forward, "the Zhao family is one of the most powerful clans in our empire. The head of the family holds the title of a foreign prince and commands a third of the Great Yan's military forces, most of which are stationed nearby. Zhao Tiande himself holds the rank of Marquis, specifically Marquis of Virtue."

"Haha, I remember now! You still haven't recovered from your amnesia, right? You forget everything once a year. Now that you know who I am, you'd better release me, or the Zhao family army will raze this place to the ground!" Zhao Tiande boasted, his arrogance growing.

Yan Chuan's gaze turned cold. "Marquis of Virtue? An official of the Great Yan who dares to disrespect the imperial family? Slap him! Huo Guang, carry out the punishment."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Huo Guang, who had been kneeling, immediately rose to his feet.

Clenching his fists, Huo Guang walked up to Zhao Tiande.

"What do you think you're doing? Who dares strike me? I'll have your entire family—"

*Smack!* A crisp slap landed on Zhao Tiande's cheek, leaving a bright red mark.

"You dare hit me?"

*Smack!*

*Smack!*

*Smack!*

Yan Chuan did not call for a stop. Huo Guang delivered slap after slap, and in no time, Zhao Tiande's face was swollen, his speech slurred, and his arrogance replaced with terror.

"Stop! Please stop!" Zhao Tiande finally pleaded.

*Smack!*

*Smack!*

Huo Guang didn't relent.

"Please! My teeth... my teeth are falling out! Stop!" Zhao Tiande begged, tears welling in his eyes. The haughty young master was now utterly broken, no longer the overbearing figure who had threatened to wipe out families.

"Enough," Yan Chuan commanded in a low voice.

Huo Guang stopped at once, while Zhao Tiande collapsed to the ground, clutching his swollen face, trembling with fear. He cast a venomous glare at Huo Guang but was too terrified to act further.

Yan Chuan glanced at the corpse of the old Daoist priest, his cold gaze lingering for a moment before turning back to Zhao Tiande. "Tell me, why did you try to harm me? Speak the truth!"

"I... I was deceived by the people of the Zheng Kingdom. I swear, I was tricked! Your Highness, please spare me!" Zhao Tiande stammered, his arrogance completely gone.

Yan Chuan's lips curled into a faint, chilling smile. "Do you really think you can fool me? Am I that easy to deceive? Huo Guang, break one of his arms."

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"No! Please!" Zhao Tiande screamed.

*Crack!* Zhao Tiande's right arm was snapped in an instant, and a bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat.

"Now, speak!" Yan Chuan's voice was cold and unyielding.

The fear in Zhao Tiande's eyes grew, his earlier malice completely replaced by abject terror. *This man is a demon*, he thought. "I'll tell you everything! I'll tell you everything!"

"Good." Yan Chuan motioned for Huo Guang to step aside, who did so, standing respectfully with admiration gleaming in his eyes. Before, he had felt bitter about being assigned to protect Yan Chuan, thinking it a dead-end for his career. But after seeing Yan Chuan's decisive actions, a new hope had sparked within him. There might be a future after all, serving this prince.

"Speak!" Yan Chuan ordered.

"It was... the Zheng Kingdom's envoy. Their forces have infiltrated the Forbidden Forest. My family saw this as an opportunity and decided to work with them to assassinate you. I was only meant to be their guide!" Zhao Tiande stammered through the pain.

"And why?" Yan Chuan's eyes narrowed.

"My father decided it was the best chance... because you're of the Yan bloodline, and because of your rank as 'Equal of the Emperor.'"

"Yan bloodline?" Yan Chuan's expression grew thoughtful. "So, your Zhao family intends to usurp the throne?"

The surrounding soldiers were shocked.

"The Zhao family harbors treasonous ambitions!"

"No, no! It's not like that..." Zhao Tiande trembled, his face pale.

Yan Chuan ignored his pleas. "And what about the Zheng Kingdom envoy? Why have they entered this territory?"

"I... I don't know! I truly don't know!" Zhao Tiande shook his head desperately.

Yan Chuan's face darkened.

"I swear! But I heard that the Great Yan's envoys will also be coming soon. Not just the envoys, but even people from the immortal sects might show up. That's all I know!" Zhao Tiande blurted out in panic.

Yan Chuan stood still, processing the information.

"Your Highness, I beg you! I was foolish! Please spare my life!" Zhao Tiande groveled, now fully submissive.

"How should we handle him, Your Highness?" Huo Guang asked, standing ready for orders.

Yan Chuan looked at Zhao Tiande, his expression stern and unyielding. "For disrespecting imperial authority, for treason, and for attempting to assassinate me, he is guilty beyond pardon. However, since he's been cooperative, grant him a swift death."

"A swift death?" Zhao Tiande's eyes widened in horror. He had hoped to survive this ordeal and take revenge later, but now his hopes were dashed. "No! You can't kill me! I'm the Zhao family's young master! If you kill me, the Zhao family will rebel! My grandfather won't let you get away with this!"

"I can give you wealth! Power! Anything you want!" Zhao Tiande's voice turned desperate, but Yan Chuan remained unmoved.

"Huo Guang," Yan Chuan said calmly.

"Yes, Your Highness."

With a swift motion, Huo Guang drove his spear through Zhao Tiande's throat.

The arrogant young master gurgled his final protests before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Around them, the soldiers stood in stunned silence.

As Yan Chuan surveyed the crowd, the distant sound of arrogant shouting suddenly broke the tense silence.

A group of soldiers was escorting a man dressed in luxurious robes.

"What's this? I'm the young master of the Zhao family, Zhao Tiande! Are you all blind? Let go of me, or I'll have your families exterminated!" Zhao Tiande bellowed, cursing at the soldiers. Despite his outburst, they grimaced but held firm, dragging him in front of Yan Chuan's bamboo pavilion. Behind them, others carried the body of a man and eight flags.

"You! What's your name? I'll have your entire family wiped out!" Zhao Tiande shouted, his arrogance on full display.

Yan Chuan narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the scene unfold.

"Exterminate entire families? And who gave you the authority to do that?" Yan Chuan's voice was cold as ice.

Upon realizing his own status and position, Yan Chuan immediately leaned into his authority. Though he personally despised the title "King of Equal Rank," it served its purpose in situations like this. His status was equivalent to that of the Yan Emperor, effectively making him a sovereign in his own right.

The laws of the land, the pillars of the nation, were not to be desecrated. The crime of exterminating nine generations of a family was reserved for those who posed a threat to imperial power. Only the emperor could decree such a punishment, and now Yan Chuan, as a ruler, had the same authority. Even the head of the Zhao family lacked the right to wield that kind of power.

Yan Chuan's cold remark drew Zhao Tiande's attention.

"Heh, you... Yan Chuan, do you even know who I am? You'd better release me right now, and maybe I'll forget this ever happened!" Zhao Tiande sneered, his arrogance unwavering.

"Your Highness," an older eunuch quickly intervened, "the Zhao family is one of the great clans of Yan. The family head has even been granted the title of a prince, commanding a significant portion of our forces. This man, Zhao Tiande, holds the title of Marquis of Virtue!"

Zhao Tiande let out a laugh. "Oh, I see, your amnesia must still be acting up! You forget everything once a year, right? Well, now that you remember who I am, let me go, or the Zhao family army will flatten this place!"

Yan Chuan's expression remained cold as he cut him off. "Marquis of Virtue, is it? You dare to show such contempt for imperial authority? Slap him! Huo Guang, carry out the sentence!"

"Yes!" Huo Guang, kneeling, immediately rose to his feet.

Clenching his fist, Huo Guang stepped forward.

"What do you think you're doing? If you hit me, I'll have your family wiped out!" Zhao Tiande screamed, his eyes bulging with fury.

*Smack!*

A vivid red handprint appeared on Zhao Tiande's cheek.

"You dare hit me?"

*Smack! Smack! Smack!*

Huo Guang didn't stop, delivering one slap after another. Soon, Zhao Tiande's face was swollen, and his words became garbled as terror set in.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Zhao Tiande begged desperately.

*Smack! Smack!*

Huo Guang continued without hesitation.

"My teeth! My teeth are falling out! Stop, please!" Zhao Tiande cried, now utterly broken.

Yan Chuan watched coldly as Zhao Tiande's arrogance was beaten out of him. There was no escape, and the once-defiant man now groveled in terror.

"Stop," Yan Chuan ordered.

Huo Guang halted immediately, while Zhao Tiande, now trembling and clutching his face, looked at him in utter fear. His once-handsome features were now unrecognizable.

Yan Chuan turned his gaze to the body of the Taoist that had been destroyed by his own will, his expression indifferent.

"Now, tell me—why did you try to kill me? Speak the truth!" Yan Chuan demanded.

"I... I was tricked by people from the Zheng Kingdom! I was deceived, Your Highness, please spare me!" Zhao Tiande quickly pleaded.

Yan Chuan gave a cold smile. "Deceived? You think I'm that easy to fool? Break his arm!"

"Yes!" Huo Guang responded.

"No!" Zhao Tiande shrieked.

*Crack!*

Huo Guang snapped Zhao Tiande's right arm, eliciting a bloodcurdling scream.

"Talk!" Yan Chuan commanded, his voice cold and sharp.

Now, there was no trace of defiance left in Zhao Tiande. His eyes were filled with pure terror as he looked at Yan Chuan, whom he now saw as a demon.

"Speak!" Huo Guang barked.

Trembling, Zhao Tiande stammered, "I swear! I've told you everything I know!"

"Heh," Yan Chuan sneered. "I despise liars, especially ones like you. Since you refuse to tell the truth, Huo Guang, pull out his tongue."

Huo Guang immediately reached for Zhao Tiande's mouth.

"No! No, I'll talk! I'll talk!" Zhao Tiande screamed in sheer panic. He now realized that Yan Chuan wasn't bluffing. If he didn't tell the truth, he'd be dead in minutes.

Yan Chuan gave a slight wave of his hand, signaling Huo Guang to stop.

Huo Guang stepped back, standing tall, his respect for Yan Chuan evident in his gaze. Having been assigned to guard Yan Chuan, Huo Guang initially felt as though his career had stagnated. But seeing Yan Chuan's decisive and ruthless actions had rekindled his ambition. Perhaps serving this prince was the path to greatness after all.

"Speak," Yan Chuan said calmly.

"It was the Zheng Kingdom's envoys—they led an army into this 'Forbidden Forest.' My family head saw an opportunity and allied with the Zheng Kingdom to kill you! I was just the guide!" Zhao Tiande stuttered, his voice trembling.

"Why?" Yan Chuan asked, frowning.

"It was the family head's decision. Because... because you carry the bloodline of the Yan dynasty. If you die, there's no one left to challenge the throne. The Zhao family plans to overthrow the empire, and killing you would be the first step!" Zhao Tiande confessed, shivering with fear.

At this revelation, Yan Chuan's mind raced. So, the Zhao family's ambitions were finally out in the open. If the Yan royal bloodline were wiped out, he, as the only remaining heir, would be a threat to the Zhao family's plan. Killing him would sever the empire's last hope and give the Zhao family an excuse to blame everything on the Zheng Kingdom. It was a dangerous game, one that the emperor himself might even be complicit in, given how precarious his position had become.

"Treason?" the surrounding soldiers gasped in shock.

"The Zhao family... they're wolves in sheep's clothing!"

"N-no, that's not it!" Zhao Tiande stammered, shaking uncontrollably.

Yan Chuan ignored him, his mind piecing together the deeper conspiracy. "The Zheng Kingdom's envoys—why are they here?"

"I-I don't know," Zhao Tiande stammered, his face pale.

"Hmm?" Yan Chuan's eyes darkened.

"I swear, I really don't know! But I've heard that the imperial envoys are also coming here soon, and not just the envoys—there's even talk of people from the immortal sects arriving. That's all I know, I swear!" Zhao Tiande frantically blurted out everything.

Yan Chuan looked at Zhao Tiande in silence, digesting the information.

"Your Highness, I was foolish! Please, have mercy!" Zhao Tiande cried, tears streaming down his face.

"Your orders, sire?" Huo Guang asked respectfully.

Yan Chuan glanced at Zhao Tiande, his expression icy. "For defying the imperial authority, colluding with enemies of the state, and attempting to assassinate me, his crimes are unforgivable. But since he has been cooperative, let him die with his body intact."

The words struck like thunder, leaving Zhao Tiande stunned. He had hoped for a sliver of mercy, a chance to survive, but Yan Chuan was merciless.

"You can't kill me! You can't! I'm the young master of the Zhao family! If you kill me, my family will revolt! My grandfather won't let you off! Please, I'll give you anything—money, power!" Zhao Tiande babbled, his words turning incoherent with fear.

Yan Chuan paid him no heed, looking at Huo Guang instead.

"Understood." Huo Guang raised his spear.

With a swift motion, the spear pierced Zhao Tiande's throat, silencing his pleas.

The soldiers surrounding them fell into a heavy silence, no one daring to lift their heads. For many, this was their first time witnessing Yan Chuan's decisive, ruthless methods. Even the black-armored prisoners shivered in fear.

"Your Highness, Zhao Tiande is dead," Huo Guang reported.

Yan Chuan glanced at the lifeless body and spoke calmly, "Send his body to the imperial capital. Deliver it to the Yan Emperor."

"Yes, Your Highness," Huo Guang replied.

The soldiers were puzzled. Why send the body to the capital? But no one dared to question the decision.

Yan Chuan turned to Huo Guang. "Have the families of the fallen been compensated?"

"They have, Your Highness. Each family will receive 300 ta