53 What Must Be Done, Will Be Done I (1/2)

Trapped in the blood-reeking space, Guo Pingrong shuddered involuntarily at the thought that his glorious and brilliant life had come to an official end. A beautiful, firework-filled dream had in an instant been crushed.

”Your Highness...I need revenge...”

Through the glossy layer of blood on the ground a reflection of a faint purple robe could be seen, its corner swaying before Guo Pingrong's eyes. Hopeful, Guo Pingrong looked up at his venerable crown prince.

A familiar pair of eyes – breeze-like, deep but perpetually smiling – greeted him, but the feeling it evoked in him was completely foreign. The way he looked down at Guo Pingrong was no different from how a wyvern would, from the highest of heavens, at a mere mortal who had dared intrude upon his territory.

It was distant, compelling, cold and deadly.

Guo Pingrong's desperate call for revenge had instantly cracked within his throat, and his body started shaking uncontrollably.

In front of him, Zhangsun Wuji bent down and squatted in the pool of blood. There seemed to be flames burning beneath the eyes that were fixated on the hot blood.

”You've done wrong, Pingrong,” he stated dully.

Guo Pingrong jolted his head, not understanding why His Highness had said that. Also, why hadn't he called for the physician?

”You're wrong for being conceited. You were born into the lowest rung of society and have suffered too much in the beginning, to the point where you have lost control of your temper and become petty and narrow-minded. You spent a night traveling over a hundred kilometers to wipe out the family, whose member had once spat on you. You ordered men to gang r*pe your aunt, only because she hadn't thrown you a single compassionate glance. You drunk-stabbed a man who had accidentally bumped into you in a small alley, and even killed his innocent and good-willed friend.”

Guo Pingrong listened as the crown prince listed his doings, which he hadn't expected to ever be divulged. His whole body was trembling as he looked up at those unfathomable eyes. Why was he bringing these up, and why hadn't he mentioned anything about them thus far?

”I need Generals, not Saints.” Zhangsun Wuji emphasized, and upon seeing the doubt in Guo Pingrong's face, he continued, ”Generals need no virtues. They just have to be good killers and brave warriors. As long as you're able to guard the 18 restless tribes in the southern border and work hard to build up Wuji Nation, I have no reason to get involved in your personal matters. They have nothing to do with my court.”

Hands behind his back, Zhangsun Wuji stood up, his robe moving slightly and releasing an exotic scent.

”But today, Pingrong, you have done something I cannot tolerate.”

In response to Guo Pingrong's increasingly apprehensive look, Zhangsun Wuji's smile disappeared as he bent down to whisper something into his ears.

Guo Pingrong's face instantly changed. It was as though he had just swallowed a burning clump of coal, and his whole face was beyond distorted. He opened his mouth as if gasping for air, attempting to say something but no matter how hard he tried he simply couldn't utter a single syllabus.

He stared, wide-eyed, at Zhangsun Wuji, while his whole body was shaking. The initial shock on his face had gradually morphed into regret, confusion, despair and so on. Ultimately, he cried out. Both of his knees were on the ground, crawling over to tug at the corner of Zhangsun Wuji's robe.

”Pardon me, Your Highness!”

Hands hidden in his sleeves Zhangsun Wuji gazed at his capable general, whose temperament had been warped by what he had had to go through as a child, his eyes expressionless.

”One more thing...the child prostitution in Deepspring Brothel... it's because of you, isn't it?” Zhangsun Wuji smiled faintly. ”You sure know how to play, and you play without the slightest scruple, don't you? Do you really think these girls are poor kids from Zhongzhou villages? They are the daughters of the 18 tribes, dragged over by Tory. You're the general in charge of assuming control over the southern border, and yet you went on to provoke its already unruly inhabitants? Pingrong, you have really disappointed me.”

Guo Pingrong loosened his blood-filled palm and stared at Zhangsun Wuji in disbelief. He couldn't understand why the crown prince, who should've been busy with big governmental affairs, would even know about the child prostitution going on in the brothel. Worse, he couldn't understand why Tory would lie to him. Guo Pingrong looked in utter despair at Zhangsun Wuji but was unable to seek the answers from his eyes.

”No...” Guo Pingrong jumped to his feet, howling and making a dash for the door. ”I can't die like this. I am a military leader. I came in fourth place in the True Martial Arts Meet. I'm the disciple of the ninth strongest man! I-”

His voice was stuck in his throat.

Snow was falling outside, and fine specks drifted into the room through the creaks in the window, and toward the body that was releasing a significant amount of heat. Yet, upon closing in, the flakes stopped midway and started falling to the ground, as though there was an invisible wall blocking their path.

The sky was bright, its sunrays highlighting a kneeling figure from within the room. A few snowflakes could be seen falling upon a finger, fair and slender, whose tip was in contact with the kneeler's forehead.

It was a subtle pose, but the crazy, tiger-like Guo Pingrong was no longer able to advance even a millimeter forward.

Guo Pingrong's consciousness had fallen into chaos; there were countless horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, weaving together to form a rope. The rope tightened with a creaking sound, squeezing and wringing his memory and clarity until his mind was in a tremendous mess.

His body fell a little to the side, the last thread of awareness escaping his head.

”Master is the ninth most powerful man and Zhangsun Wuji...”

”Offended the wrong person...”