Chapter 1: The traumatic experience
#Warning: gruesome scene ahead.
At a square with hundreds of people. The officials, nobles, palace guards, and commoners could be seen either standing or sitting.
In a section of the square, there was a huge platform raised with planks to form a stage. On the stage were knotted ropes that could contain a person's head, tied to poles, and below the ropes were stools.
Beside the poles were about twenty to thirty criminals in white undergarments and those criminals included children and women. The criminals were kneeling with their hands tied to their backs.
A heavily pregnant woman could be seen among the criminals. Her face was twisted with agony and her eyes were red from crying. In front of her white undergarments were blood stains as it appeared that she had been bleeding.
A young girl of about fifteen years old shifted on her knees towards the woman as she tried to console her but their hands were tied to their backs, so all she could do was cry with the woman - her mother, making her mother even more emotional.
One of the middle-aged men in their kneeling position balled his hands with veins bulging on his forehead as he watched the bleeding woman with sorrow in his eyes and jaws clenched. That was his wife.
Murmurs and whisperings of scorn and displeasure could be heard from many of the people, however those officials sitting on chairs paid no heed to the commoners below who seemed to be cursing them.
The sorrowful cries of children around the age of three to ten years old sent chills down the onlookers' spines as some mothers broke down in tears watching the sorrowful scene.
On the highest seat was an official wearing a red robe with a black official cap. He gestured with his hand and a eunuch spread out the decree he had folded and started to read it with a loud voice.
"General Su Yulan, General Bai Ting, and General Zhu Muyi were supposed to be the pillars of Hua Xia kingdom, but unfortunately, these great generals are the enemies of the kingdom...!" the eunuch paused to catch his breath, giving the audience a moment to lament.
"Is that right? Did General Su Yulan and the others really do that?" Some of the people watching exclaimed in shock.
"How could they commit such horrendous sins? General Su Yulan is a righteous man! The greedy officials and Nobles want them gone, isn't it obvious?!" Other onlookers sneered in disdain at the accusations.
The eunuch's booming voice rang out again, "...They gave the kingdom's layout to the enemies, sacrificed the lives of thousands of soldiers, bribed and killed officials, and recently, they were caught conspiring to kill the Son of Heaven and bring Prince Yi to the throne. They committed treason!
"Plotting treason, endangering the lives of the citizens, corruption amidst other crimes not mentioned, the Son of Heaven hereby declares the public execution of the traitors and their families!" the eunuch paused and glanced up at the official in a red robe who nodded faintly at him before he continued reading the decree.
"That said, the Son of Heaven, out of the goodness of his heart, spared General Su Yulan's third brother; Master Su Tian, for coming forth and exposing his older brother, and for that, the Son of Heaven— the Emperor, shall reward him!"
The man rolled up the decree once he was done reading and then announced. "Let the execution begin!"
Although the crimes of the three greatest Generals have been exposed, still the majority of the people refused to buy it.
How could the Emperor be so blind to the truth? Even though he was just a nine years old child, wasn't he supposed to know that the Generals were framed?!
But what would the cries of the commoners do compared to the decree from the Son of Heaven?
On the stage, five bulky headmen raised their heavy execution swords and slashed their intended targets one after the other.
The cries of the kids grew louder when they saw their mothers, sisters, grandparents, older brothers, Aunts, and uncles going down one after the other. Some with missing heads while others with deep cuts on their backs or stomach.
Soon, the cries of the children ceased as dead bodies filled the stage.
Among the people watching with tears in their eyes, a young girl of about five years old could be seen in the midst of the onlookers.
The small girl watched as her older brother and older sister, kneeling beside the bleeding pregnant woman, were beheaded on the stage. She was about to cry out loud to her pregnant mother when a small hand covered her mouth from behind.
She turned to look at the person covering her mouth with tears and mucus all over her face and saw that it was her brother Bai Lu.
Bai Lu was around eight years old, his bloodshot eyes looking at the girl as he shook his head, telling her to not scream. His own family was there too and he was told to take care of her.
The little girl nodded and continued watching while silently crying. Seeing her Pregnant mother get stabbed in the stomach before her head was cut off, the little girl bit down on the hand covering her mouth as it seemed like a barrier that was preventing her from letting out a scream that was tormenting her throat.
Bai Lu frowned and hissed in pain but still didn't let her go. He chose to endure her bite rather than let her get caught.
After everyone around the three Generals was killed, the people started to wonder if the three Generals would be sent back to prison, to be executed another day, since they have been waiting for a time longer than it took to burn an incense stick, and yet nothing has happened.
The people didn't have to wait much longer as four large cages were pushed into the square.
Inside the four large cages were some barbaric-looking huge animals. "Huff!" The animals' heavy and noisy breathing could be heard by almost everyone in the large execution ground.
It took four burly men to open one cage. The minute the cage was opened, the huge black fury animal roared to the sky.
"Rooooooaaarr!!"
The roar of the animal could cause a person to develop hearing problems if they had stood by the animal, but fortunately, no one could be seen a few meters around the animal.
Once the four deadly beasts were released from their cages, screams and wails started among the onlookers as they instinctively pushed themselves back while some started to run far away, causing a massive commotion on the execution ground. Those animals have a history of going berserk and killing hundreds of humans in minutes.
The little girl and Bai Lu were separated by the commotion. She looked around with tears-filled eyes but couldn't find him anywhere.
"Brother Bai Lu!" She called his name several times but no response.
"B - brother Bai Lu!!"
She panicked as fear gripped her heart. With her tiny little legs, she started to run along with the people to look for her brother Bai Lu. She didn't want to lose him too.
One of the three men on the stage glanced around when he heard that voice amidst other screaming voices. It felt like his imagination because he had sent his daughter and his friend's son away that morning, when he sensed trouble, but hearing his Su Yue's sweet but tears-filled voice just now pierced his heart, even though he thought he was only imagining it.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone