The Human Heart

At his side, Kong Fang watched Yaoguang without stopping him. He had clearly watched this video more than once. He simply did not know whether what Xia Wuyuan said was truly real or false. Because... The information involved was far too subversive. Of course, it was also possible that, just as Xia Wuyuan said, no one was willing to believe it either. He... was one of those people unwilling to believe the "truth." He would not pass judgment on Xia Wuyuan's actions for now. Yet one point was undeniable: the man was a sharp judge of character. Yaoguang... was truly a peerless genius seen once in a century. Thinking of this, Kong Fang spoke up: "He left the Supreme Procuratorate on his own." He looked at Yaoguang. "If he had stayed in the Supreme Procuratorate, with me around, he would not have died." "The Liao family has already thrown in their lot with the Rebirth Society, eager to serve them like dogs. You are merely a subordinate of the Liao family. The only reason you've risen to where you are today is because of their patronage and favor. If the Liao family wanted to hand him over to the Rebirth Society, what makes you think you could have stopped them?" Yaoguang spoke bluntly. Kong Fang opened his mouth, wanting to retort. It was true that he had reached where he was thanks to the Liao family's elevation and appreciation, but his achievement of becoming a Martial Saint had been forged through narrow escapes from death time and again. From the moment he broke through the shackles of the human body and stepped into the Martial Saint realm, no one dared claim to be his superior. He had remained at the Supreme Procuratorate working diligently only to repay the Liao family's kindness in recognizing his talents... However, he ultimately did not voice these words. Because he knew. If the Liao family insisted on killing someone, he could not stop them. Therefore... Harsh though Yaoguang's words were, he did not argue back. Nor... did he have the right to argue. ... "Young Master, word came through the public channel that the resistance in the palace has been cleared. They're asking if you need backup on your end." At this moment, Lei Yun's voice sounded in Yaoguang's ear. "No need," Yaoguang said. "I am heading back to the royal palace now." "Understood," Lei Yun acknowledged. At his side, Kong Fang listened to Yaoguang's words, fell silent for a moment, and said, "Though they control the palace, the Liao family has been rooted in Dayu's soil for four hundred years. There are far too many people utterly loyal to them. Once the news spreads, the royal capital and the entirety of Dayu will be plunged into chaos. Civil war and division are inevitable. When that time comes, who knows how many cities will be reduced to ruins amid flames and slaughter." "What are you trying to say?" Yaoguang asked. "I can minimize the likelihood of civil war and division," Kong Fang said. "I am the Prosecutor General of the Supreme Procuratorate, the Liao family's most capable right-hand man. I hold the authority to execute first and report later regarding any local official. If I cooperate with the aristocratic families on this, we can sweep away instability like autumn leaves in the wind, keeping civil war and division from fully breaking out." Yaoguang understood what he meant. "You want to redeem yourself through meritorious service." "No." Kong Fang looked at Yaoguang and said in a heavy voice, "I just... don't want to die yet." Not wanting to die. This held two meanings. One: as someone who had been fiercely loyal to the Liao family and oversaw the Supreme Procuratorate, he would inevitably be purged afterward. The other... He did not want to become a sacrificial offering and sustenance for immortal and demon weapons when the Great Cataclysm truly arrived. Yaoguang caught his meaning. He recalled the somewhat crazed laughter of Liao Shanhe before his death... *Everything will be destroyed.* Perhaps there was another layer of meaning behind it. Likewise, it might explain why the Liao family had tried every possible means to curry favor with the Rebirth Society, stooping to subservience and obsequiousness without hesitation. Because according to the speculations of himself, Ji Pingtian, and others... Behind the Rebirth Society was a certain prominent figure from Chixing. Looking across the global landscape, over ninety percent of nations did not even qualify to be Chixing's pawns. Dayu had the qualifications, but the other side clearly didn't need it. So they staked their gamble on the Rebirth Society. "How pathetic," Yaoguang said. He glanced at Kong Fang, who stood before him nervously awaiting his "verdict." Then he looked outside... At the night sky, dyed crimson in numerous places by raging flames. After a long while, he uttered two words: "Do it." Those two words made Kong Fang let out a breath of relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted. He nodded solemnly. "I will not let you down." With that, he stepped out of the archives. Yaoguang watched him leave, making no further move. He glanced at the video camera... *Smash!* Swinging his sword, he shattered the camera into pieces. Then, without looking back, he headed in the direction of the royal palace. ... A good while after he departed, Kong Fang returned to the archives. Looking at the shattered video camera... He fell silent for a moment, and ultimately sighed, "Silly boy... you were too naive." The reason Xia Wuyuan had not gone on to propagate his Zhenwu Fist after winning the National Martial Arts Tournament, but instead entered the Procuratorate system, was because of him. He had thought highly of Xia Wuyuan and invited him into the Procuratorate. And the result... "You did an outstanding job in your position, but this world... doesn't need people who are too outstanding..." Saying this, Kong Fang looked up toward the direction where Yaoguang had left. At this moment, the thought of walking away and leaving everything behind crossed his mind. He was a Martial Saint. Having already survived the most perilous situation just now, no matter which country or place he went to, he could live safely and comfortably as a member of the elite. But... He recalled the video footage he had watched more than once. Though he had always been unwilling to believe that the Artifact Sect slots—coveted by all Martial Saints—were merely Chixing and Xuelong's... And perhaps even the Artifact Sect's own bidding. A scheme whose sole purpose was to gather these individuals who were about to become unstable elements and eliminate them in secret, ensuring that the cataclysm cycle—a major cycle every thousand years and a minor cycle every three hundred years—could proceed smoothly. Yet what if it was true? Where could he hide? When the sky collapsed, the tall ones bore the brunt. He was not the tallest, but he definitely belonged to the first batch to be crushed to death. So... "Does it have any meaning?" Kong Fang muttered to himself. Searching his own heart, he could not find an answer. Yet there was a passage that resonated deeply within him. To fight for the right to survive, someone was bound to bleed, and someone was bound to sacrifice. "Someone... must be the first to step forward..." Kong Fang said. He stood motionless in the archives, saying nothing. He let the outside world descend into frantic chaos. A long time passed... Several whole minutes. This Prosecutor General of the Kingdom of Dayu suddenly cursed, "Fuck it all! How did things turn into such a goddamn mess?!" His expression gradually turned savage. "I am a Martial Saint! A Martial Saint who rose from nothing, carving out a path with cold steel and grit! What danger haven't I faced in this life? If I truly hide away in some godforsaken corner and grow old and die in obscurity, wouldn't my training to become a Martial Saint have been completely in vain?!" *Crash!* He kicked a desk in front of him, sending it flying. "Who gives a damn whether what you said was true or false! Asking me to hide for the rest of my life? I can't fucking do it! I am the Prosecutor General of Dayu's Supreme Procuratorate! Right now, I am going to carry out my duty! Maintain local stability, protect the people's safety! Whoever dares to cause chaos, I'll slaughter them!" ... Bathed in the night, Yaoguang walked step by step toward the royal palace. Though the nine great aristocratic families had done their utmost to seal off the area, the roaring sounds from the direction of the palace had still been noticed by many. Numerous elites loyal to the royal family flooded toward the palace. Even with the advance preparations of the nine great families, news inevitably leaked out. To the point where... The entire royal capital had fallen into chaos. In many places, flames soared into the sky. From time to time, explosions and gunshots rang out. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, this city representing Dayu's political and economic heart had shifted from peace and prosperity into an inferno of gunfire and roaring artillery. Yaoguang knew this situation was unavoidable. Yet his heart remained largely untroubled. Everything he did was merely for self-preservation and survival. The Liao family wanted to kill him, so he allied with others to destroy the Liao family first—nothing more. As for those who remained diehard loyalists to the Liao family... Even without today's operation, when the Liao family moved against him in the future and he fought back, he would still have had to strike them down all the same. Unless he was willing to let himself be captured without resistance. ... Before long, Yaoguang's figure appeared at the royal palace. By now, the palace's several entrances were guarded. The guards were few, fewer than a hundred, but every one of them was burly and strong—clearly elites from the various families. Not long after entering the palace, Yue Xingzhou hurried over upon hearing the news. "Lord Yaoguang." "How is it?" "There were a few hitches, but overall it went very smoothly," Yue Xingzhou said quickly. "Right now, not only our group here in the royal capital is taking action, but the major aristocratic families in the provinces have also moved." Saying this, he added, "We have long prepared for this moment, so we have corresponding countermeasures in place for such a situation. What we must do now is minimize the damage this operation causes to Dayu as much as possible." Yaoguang nodded. At this moment, Jiang Sheng, reeking of blood and gunpowder, hurried over and said with some astonishment, "Lord Yaoguang... Kong Fang... he surrendered? He said he is following your orders to cooperate with us in maintaining local stability?" "Yes." Yaoguang gave a slight nod. When he spared Kong Fang, he had considered whether the man might simply flee. He hadn't expected him... to actually keep his word. "Go on, settle the situation as quickly as possible," Yaoguang said. "Yes, we'll get right on it," Jiang Sheng agreed immediately. At the same time, the way he looked at Yaoguang shifted slightly. Kong Fang! He held the reins of the Supreme Procuratorate system! While this wasn't the royal family's strongest armed force, in the eyes of ordinary people, it was the sharpest sword in the royal family's hand! Kong Fang's cooperation would indeed produce an immediate effect in maintaining local stability— even more effective than deploying the military. Yet... Kong Fang had actually submitted to Yaoguang?! With this, his influence could be said to expand exponentially. Originally, though he had armed forces of his own, the handful of people from the Su family couldn't even make a proper showing. As for the remaining Yue family... Compared to the major families, their weight was also somewhat lacking. Now that Kong Fang had pledged allegiance, even setting Yaoguang himself aside, the forces he could mobilize were already no weaker than any single family. Jiang Sheng quickly departed. Yaoguang turned his gaze to Yue Xingzhou. "Take me to claim the spoils of the royal palace."