Shree Yan woke from his sleep and stepped outside quietly. His mother was still asleep inside the cave.
The sky outside was clear. Morning light filtered through the trees, and the soft chirping of birds echoed in his ears. A cool breeze brushed against his back. Under a large tree stood a senior soldier. The senior soldier smiled faintly and said, "Good morning, young master Shree Yan. I'm shocked—how early you woke up."
Shree Yan stood there, realizing someone was before him. He looked behind the senior soldier.
The soldier's hair was black, but white hairs were slowly growing in the middle. He almost looked like a middle-aged man. He wore steel armor. His hair was medium-short and flowed slowly with the wind.
The senior soldier was calm. Shree Yan's forehead was covered in sweat. "Good morning, senior soldier. I'm also shocked that you woke up before me. What was that thing you needed to wake up early for?" Shree Yan asked.
The senior soldier replied without hesitation, still calm. "Nothing, young master. There is nothing I need to do. You don't need to call me 'senior,' young master. I'm just an ordinary soldier to you. I'm honored that you say 'senior,' young master. You can call me by my name. Just talk to me about what you want." He was calm—too calm.
Shree Yan smiled lightly and said, "Okay then. Long You, I will call you by your name."
Long You smiled and said, "Thank you, young master, for listening to my word. Young master, can I ask a favor of you?"
Shree Yan answered without hesitation, "Speak."
Long You smiled faintly and said, "I would like to spar with you. I want to see how capable our next patriarch is!"
Shree Yan started panicking and thought, Shit, what do I do? Why did I say 'speak'? He trapped me. Shree Yan had no option but to go through with it. He said reluctantly, "Yes... you ca—"
Before Shree Yan finished speaking, Long You attacked Shree Yan with a sword.
But at that moment, Shree Yan dodged his attack, though he got a small cut on his cheek. Shree Yan murmured, "What are you doing? You're attacking for real!"
Long You said in a chilling tone, "Ah, sorry, did I hurt you, young master? But you didn't tell me the rules. You said 'yes.' It's not my fault, young master." He began attacking.
Strike... strike... strike... Long You continued striking Shree Yan slyly. Shree Yan didn't get any opportunities to strike back.
Argh!
"This bastard!" Shree Yan's body started to tremble because Long You had terrifying strength. Shree Yan was so young—just a child, really. He was no match for Long You's strength. Shree Yan started to roar for his mother. He roared so loudly. But he was deep in the jungle. His loud voice couldn't reach his mother or anyone else. Shree Yan had no support. He couldn't be helped. Fog slowly drifted between the trees as Long You walked forward step by step.
Long You's lips curled cruelly. "Ah, sorry, didn't I tell you? Your voice can't reach the cave, even if you were there. I planted a little formation that keeps voices from reaching anyone inside it. But you will get help if someone wakes up and sees you. Hehe... hahahah."
Shree Yan controlled himself and said with rage, "So this was already planned..."
Long You laughed loudly and said, "Yes, yes, hahaha. Look behind you. See where we are. Hahaha."
Shree Yan turned. He saw that he was in the clan's forbidden area. He was extremely shocked. He gritted his teeth. "You... you...!"
Long You laughed lightly. "What should you do, young master?"
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the forest and in their ears. His mother was running toward Shree Yan and Long You. Long You gritted his teeth.
Long You saw that a wolf was coming toward the sound. Before Shree Yan could react, Long You pushed Shree Yan toward the wolf. Shree Yan and his mother were shocked and scared. The wolf jumped and attacked. Before the wolf could bite Shree Yan, his mother attacked with her blade.
Bang.
The wolf was killed. Shree Yan's mother looked at Long You with furious eyes. Long You's cheeks were covered in sweat. He was terrified. Qing You grabbed her blade and aimed an attack. She struck.
Before she killed him, he quickly spoke. "If you kill me, you will no longer be safe, even if you are the patriarch's wife. This rule works for everyone. And without witnesses and evidence, how can you prove anything to the clan leader and the people?" He laughed. His laugh echoed in Qing You's ears. But she didn't care—he was going to kill her son.
Strike!
She cut off his head. Everyone woke up. They rushed to the place where Qing You and Shree Yan were standing. Everyone was shocked after seeing Long You's severed head. "How is this possible?" someone murmured. Others noticed that the wolf king was dead as well.
"Everyone, seize Miss Qing You! She has committed the greatest crime!" someone raised his voice loudly. After Long You, he had the authority to do this. His name was Nu Mang.
At this point, for the first time, Qing You cried—so hard. She knew her time had ended. For the last time, she turned her head toward Shree Yan. She didn't want to leave. Leaving her child was like cutting her own body into pieces. Her heart broke in two. Shree Yan cried—cried so hard.
---
Sacrificing Hall
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!
Silence.
"In the court of clans, it has been proven that Miss Qing You is a criminal. The court has witnessed evidence of Miss Qing You's crime. Qing You has no evidence to show her innocence." The judge's voice echoed through the hall.
People roared in fury. Everyone wanted to see Qing You killed. In the middle, the sacrifice butcher stood. In front of him, Qing You knelt. Her head was on the center of the table. Above, Shree Yan's father stood on the throne.
His name was Tunxo Miaming, the clan leader. In front of him sat Advisor Niang Ming and Shree Yan. Suddenly, Advisor Niang sharpened his eyes and advised the clan leader, "Leader, you should order them immediately. The people are going crazy."
Tunxo Miaming closed his eyes and ordered, "You can st"
Before Tunxo Miaming could finish speaking, Shree Yan said, "Father, please let me talk to my mother for a few minutes. As a son of my mother, I have the right to speak to her." He was demanding his rights from his father. In the clan, a young master could demand his rights.
Tunxo Miaming gave him permission to talk with his mother.
---
Front of the Sacrifice Hall
"Mother, I can't see it. I can't see you dead. Let's go, Mother—run away, you and me, just us. We can live happily." Shree Yan was frustrated, his emotions out of control.
But Qing You smiled softly. "Son, I can't. I can't run away with you. If I run away on my sacrificing day, they will not accept it. They will definitely come back to kill me and you, if you help me escape." Qing You knew that if he helped her, he would become their target, even as the young master of the clan.
And in that case, the clan leader couldn't help him, because he would be helping a criminal in their eyes. She had killed the captain of the Elite Soldiers.
And killed the wolf king in the clan's forbidden area.
"Mother, but.." Qing You covered his mouth with both hands. She didn't let him speak further. "Son, don't cry. Your mother is always with you.In front of you, in the shadows. I will protect you always. Even if I die, I will always be with you."
Time was up. Two soldiers came to take Qing You to the hall. The soldiers grabbed Qing You's hands. Step by step, they walked toward the hall. Qing You turned and looked at Shree Yan and said with a gentle smile, "Goodbye, son."
Tunxo Miaming ordered, "Cut!"
Nooooooooooo!
Qing You's body was cut in two. After seeing it, Shree Yan was stunned. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He was frozen like a stone. After ten minutes, Shree Yan cried.So hard. He was no longer himself. His tears were not like water; they were like bloody tears. His heart stopped moving. His emotions collapsed.
After that day, Shree Yan didn't leave home. He was deeply depressed.
Then he left the clan.
---
Ten years later, Advisor Niang betrayed the clan leader. After hearing this, Shree Yan came back to the clan and slaughtered every single clan member,man, woman, even child. No one survived. Shree Yan walked the demonic path. He slaughtered millions of humans for revenge.
Seven hundred years later, he was killed by his enemies.
The world collapsed.