Chapter 82: The Human Heart

Chapter 82: The Human Heart

Kong Fang stood by and watched Yaoguang, making no move to stop him. He had clearly watched the video more than once. However, he did not know whether what Xia Wuyuan said was the truth or a lie because the information involved was far too subversive. Of course, it was also possible that, as Xia Wuyuan had suggested, no one was willing to believe it.

Kong Fang was one of those people who simply did not want to believe the truth. He chose not to judge Xia Wuyuan’s actions, but one thing was undeniable: the man was an excellent judge of character. Yaoguang was truly a peerless genius, the likes of which appeared only once in a century.

With that thought, Kong Fang said, "He left the Grand Prosecutor's Office on his own."

He looked at Yaoguang and continued, "If he had stayed at the Grand Prosecutor's Office, he would not have died as long as I was there."

"The Liao family already defected to the Rebirth Society; they were more than eager to serve as the society’s dogs," Yaoguang said bluntly. "You were merely a subordinate of the Liao family. You only reached your current position because of their promotion and appreciation. If the Liao family wanted to hand him over to the Rebirth Society, what right would you have had to stop them?"

Kong Fang opened his mouth, wanting to argue. It was true that he reached his current standing thanks to the Liao family’s patronage, but his achievement as a martial paragon was forged through countless life-and-death battles. From the moment he broke through the human shackles and stepped into the realm of a martial paragon, no one dared to claim they were his superior. He had remained at the Grand Prosecutor's Office, working diligently, only to repay the Liao family's kindness.

However, he ultimately kept those words to himself. He knew that if the Liao family was determined to kill someone, he could not have stopped them. Therefore, even though Yaoguang’s words were incredibly harsh, he did not fight back. He had no right to.

***

"Young Master, news came in from the public channel. The palace resistance was cleared, and they are asking if you need reinforcements," Lei Yun’s voice sounded in Yaoguang’s ear.

"I don't need them," Yaoguang replied. "I am returning to the palace now."

"Understood," Lei Yun acknowledged.

Kong Fang, having heard Yaoguang’s words, remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Although they took control of the palace, the Liao family was rooted in the soil of Dayu for four hundred years. Too many people are loyal to them. Once the news spreads, both the capital and the rest of Dayu will descend into chaos. Civil war and fragmentation are foreseeable. When that time comes, many cities will be reduced to ruins amidst fire and slaughter."

"What are you trying to say?" Yaoguang asked.

"I can minimize the possibility of civil war and fragmentation," Kong Fang said. "I am the prosecutor general of the Grand Prosecutor's Office and the Liao family’s most capable subordinate. I hold the power of summary execution over any local official. If the aristocratic families and I cooperate, we can quickly stabilize the situation, preventing a full-scale civil war and total collapse."

Yaoguang understood his intent. "You want to redeem yourself through service."

"No." Kong Fang looked at Yaoguang and said in a heavy voice, "I just... don't want to die yet."

His statement carried two meanings. First, as a loyalist to the Liao family who commanded the Grand Prosecutor's Office, he would surely be purged afterward. Second, he did not want to become a sacrifice or fuel for immortal weapons and fiendish artifacts when the Great Cataclysm truly arrived.

Yaoguang understood. He thought back to Liao Shanhe’s frenzied laughter before his death, saying that everything would be destroyed. Perhaps there was another layer of meaning there. Likewise, it might explain why the Liao family tried everything to curry favor with the Rebirth Society, even stooping to submissive servility.

Based on his and Ji Pingtian’s guesses, the Rebirth Society was backed by a powerful figure from the Crimson Star Empire. Looking at the global landscape, over ninety percent of nations did not even have the qualifications to be pawns of the Crimson Star Empire. Dayu had the qualifications, but the other side clearly did not need them. Thus, they placed their bets on the Rebirth Society.

"How pathetic," Yaoguang remarked.

He glanced at Kong Fang, who stood before him waiting for judgment with a hint of trepidation. Then he looked outside at the horizon, which was stained red by flames in several directions.

After a long while, he said, "Do it."

Those two words caused Kong Fang to heave a sigh of relief. He nodded solemnly. "I will not disappoint you."

After saying that, he left the archive room. Yaoguang watched him leave, but made no further move. He looked at the camera.

He swung his sword, and with a resounding crack, the camera shattered. Then, without looking back, he headed toward the palace.

A long time after he departed, Kong Fang returned to the archive room. Staring at the shattered camera, he remained silent for a while before finally whispering, "Silly boy, you are... too naive."

The reason Xia Wuyuan had joined the Prosecutor’s Office instead of promoting his Zhenwu Fist after winning the National Martial Dao Tournament was because of him. Kong Fang had thought highly of him and invited him into the office. And yet...

"You were exceptional in your position, but this world... does not need someone as exceptional as you..." Kong Fang said as he looked up toward the direction where Yaoguang had departed.

In that moment, the urge to simply walk away and leave everything behind surged within him. He was a martial paragon. Having survived the most treacherous part of the night, he could safely settle in any country or any place, easily living the life of a superior elite.

But he recalled the footage he had watched more than once. He remained unwilling to believe it, but there was a suspicion that the Artifact Sect slots, which every martial paragon coveted, were merely the work of the Crimson Star and Snowdragon Empires. Perhaps, it was even something authorized by the Artifact Sect itself.

If that were the case, their sole purpose would be to gather individuals who might become factors of instability and eliminate them in secret. This ensured that the Great Cataclysm, which operated on a major cycle every millennium and a minor cycle every three hundred years, could be carried out without a hitch.

But what if it were true? Where could he possibly hide? When the sky collapsed, the tallest would be the first to hold it up. He wasn't the tallest, but he certainly belonged to the group that would be crushed first. So...

"Is there any point?" Kong Fang muttered to himself.

Searching his own heart, he couldn't find an answer. However, there was one sentiment he still agreed with: if one wanted to fight for the right to survive, someone was destined to bleed, and someone was destined to be sacrificed.

"Someone... must be the first to stand up..." Kong Fang said.

He stood motionless and silent in the archive room, ignoring the chaos and frantic activity outside. A long time passed—several minutes.

The prosecutor general of Dayu's Grand Prosecutor's Office suddenly cursed, "Fuck this shit! How did the situation turn into this goddamn mess so fast?"

His expression gradually became distorted. "I am a martial paragon! I rose from nothing and fought my way up with a blade and a gun! What kind of danger haven't I faced in my life? If I really find some corner to hide in and grow old in obscurity, wouldn't my life of training as a martial paragon be for nothing?!"

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

He sent a table flying with a sudden, violent kick, causing a loud bang.

"I don't care if that kid's words are true or false! Asking me to hide for the rest of my life? I can't do it! I am the prosecutor general of the Grand Prosecutor's Office of Dayu! Now, I am going to fulfill my duty! Maintain local stability and protect the people! Whoever dares to cause trouble, I will kill them!"

***

Surrounded by darkness at night, Yaoguang walked toward the palace step by step. Despite the best efforts of the nine aristocratic families to maintain a blockade, the roar of battle coming from the palace was noticed by many. Numerous elites loyal to the royal family rushed toward the palace. Even though the nine aristocratic families had made preparations, the news inevitably spread.

Consequently, the entire capital fell into chaos. In many places, tongues of fire rose to the sky. Explosions and gunfire rang out from time to time. In the blink of an eye, this city, which was the political and economic heart of Dayu, had shifted from stability and prosperity to a landscape of flying bullets and thunderous artillery fire.

Yaoguang knew this situation was unavoidable. However, he felt little turmoil in his heart. 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. It was as simple as that.

As for those die-hard loyalists of the Liao family... Even if he hadn't acted today, he would still have had to strike them down when the Liao family eventually moved against him. Unless, of course, he was willing to surrender and be captured.

Soon, Yaoguang was back at the palace. A handful of people guarded each entrance. While fewer than a hundred in total were scattered across the palace, each had a strong build. Clearly, they were the elites of the various families.

Shortly after entering the palace, Yue Xingzhou arrived upon hearing the news. "Lord Yaoguang."

"How is it?"

"There were some complications, but overall, it went very smoothly," Yue Xingzhou said quickly. "It's not just our group in the capital acting; the major aristocratic families in the provinces have moved as well."

He added, "We have been preparing for this moment, so we have corresponding countermeasures for this situation. What we must do now is minimize the damage caused to Dayu as much as possible."

Yaoguang nodded.

Jiang Sheng, whose body was covered in the scent of blood and fire, hurried over. He said with some shock, "Lord Yaoguang... Kong Fang... surrendered? He said he is following your orders to cooperate with us in maintaining local stability?"

"Mhmm." Yaoguang gave a slight nod.

When he spared Kong Fang, he had considered whether the man would simply flee. He hadn't expected him to be so honorable.

"Go, settle the situation as quickly as possible," Yaoguang said.

"Yes, we'll go immediately," Jiang Sheng promised at once.

At the same time, the way he looked at Yaoguang shifted slightly. Kong Fang was the man who controlled the entire Grand Prosecutor's Office! While it wasn't the strongest armed force in the royal family's possession, it was considered the sharpest sword in the eyes of the common people. With Kong Fang’s addition, the effect on stabilizing the provinces would be immediate and more effective than even deploying the army.

He could not believe that Kong Fang had actually defected to Yaoguang! With this, Yaoguang's strength had effectively expanded exponentially. Originally, although he had his own armed forces, the few people from the Su family were hardly significant. The remaining Yue family also carried less weight compared to the others. Now that Kong Fang had surrendered, even setting aside Yaoguang himself, the power he could mobilize was no longer inferior to any single family.

Jiang Sheng departed quickly.

Yaoguang turned his gaze to Yue Xingzhou. "Take me to collect the palace spoils."