The outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
The village of He'an was swallowed by fire. Smoke blackened the sky, roofs caved in, and the scent of charred flesh stung every breath.
Men, women, and children were forced into the village square, their knees pressed into dirt, their faces streaked with tears and soot. Soldiers ringed them with spears, their armor glinting in the firelight.
At the steps of the old shrine, Zhao Haolin stood. His embroidered robes were untouched by ash, his posture relaxed, his eyes glimmering with cruelty.
"Is this what you call courage?" Zhao Haolin's tone was lazy, almost amused. "One farmer dares to wave his hand, and suddenly, worms start thinking they're lions?"
The villagers shivered. Soldiers shoved their leader forward — Lin Weishan, the village head. His face was bloodied, his arms twisted behind his back, but his back remained straight, his gaze fierce.
"We only wanted food for our children!" Lin Weishan roared hoarsely, blood flecking his lips. "You bled us dry! You left us nothing but death! Are we beasts to you?"
"Beasts?" Zhao Haolin laughed. He pressed his boot onto the fragments of Weishan's broken sword, grinding it into the dirt. "Beasts don't rebel. Beasts bow their heads and obey. But you…" His eyes narrowed. "You forgot your place."
He tilted his chin toward the soldiers. "Show them what becomes of fools who dare dream."
The soldiers struck. Blades slashed. Lin Weishan fell to his knees, his chest heaving as blood spilled down his clothes.
"Father!"
A child's cry rang out. Lin Yunyao, no older than seven, stumbled forward, her little hands reaching out.
Xu Meiyun, her mother, clutched her tight. "Don't move, Yunyao!" Her voice trembled, her body shielding her daughter. Her eyes, red and swollen, glared at Zhao Haolin with hatred that burned brighter than the flames.
Zhao Haolin's lips curled into a grin. For months, he had watched Xu Meiyun in silence — her delicate face, her quiet dignity, her beauty that even hardship couldn't wither. Tonight, she was his.
He stepped down from the shrine, his eyes never leaving her. "Xu Meiyun… you were wasted in this pigsty. You should be grateful. I'll raise you higher than you ever dreamed."
Meiyun spat at his feet. "You devil! Even if I die, I'll never bow to you. One day, everything you've built will burn. You'll be left with nothing but hatred!"
Zhao Haolin chuckled, his eyes gleaming with perverse delight. "You curse me?" He yanked her by the wrist, pulling her against him. She struggled, but his grip was iron.
Then, he looked at Lin Yunyao. His grin widened.
Before Xu Meiyun could scream, his blade flashed.
Blood sprayed. Lin Yunyao's small body convulsed, the sword lodged in her chest.
"NO!" Xu Meiyun's shriek ripped the night apart. She thrashed, clawing, desperate to reach her daughter, but Zhao Haolin pinned her cruelly to his chest.
And he laughed. He laughed as she wailed, as her daughter's body slumped lifeless to the ground. His hand slid across Xu Meiyun's body, forcing her closer, even as she trembled with revulsion.
"See, Meiyun? Even your curse can't protect her." Zhao Haolin pressed his lips against her hair, then her cheek, smirking as she screamed and fought. "Now you understand—your god is powerless, your husband is broken, your child is dead. The only thing you have left… is me."
The villagers bowed their heads, unable to watch. Shame burned in their hearts as Zhao Haolin defiled what was sacred before their eyes. Their fists clenched, nails drawing blood from their palms, but none dared move.
"Haolin!" Lin Weishan's voice gurgled with blood. He dragged himself across the dirt, his eyes fixed on his wife and daughter. "You bastard! I'll kill you!"
With the last of his strength, he lunged.
A soldier's blade sliced.
Lin Weishan's head rolled across the ground, stopping at the feet of the kneeling villagers.
Xu Meiyun collapsed, her scream broken, her eyes wide with a grief too heavy to bear. "Weishan! Yunyao!"
Zhao Haolin only laughed, dragging her up like a trophy, ignoring her nails scratching his skin, her body shaking with sobs. He turned to his men. "Burn the rest. Let them remember tonight every time they dare think of defiance."
He walked away with Xu Meiyun in his grip. Her cries grew faint, fading into the night like a ghost's wail.
The villagers stared at the burning ruins. Some tore their hair. Others screamed until their throats bled.
"Why don't you see us, Heaven?!"
"Are the gods blind?!"
"Curse Zhao Haolin! Curse his bloodline! May his empire rot in filth and fire!"
But Heaven remained silent.
Only the flames answered.
Only despair remained.
That night, the villagers understood a bitter truth—
The innocent could be slaughtered, the righteous crushed, and the wicked could laugh, untouched.