Chapter 1

Prologue

The sunset was blood-red, and its fading glow weakly spread over the ravaged battlefield, casting an ominous dark red hue over the city.

The wind, carrying a hint of sorrow, weaved through the tattered banners and scattered weapons.

In this eerie silence, only one place stood out, drawing attention.

It was a young general, holding a sword, standing alone amidst piles of corpses and bones. His silhouette stretched long in the setting sun, exuding both loneliness and resilience.

He wore shattered armor, the bloodstains and dirt on his gear blending together. His helmet was long gone, and his messy long hair clung to his forehead, soaked in sweat and blood, yet could not hide the heroic air between his brows.

The young man’s eyes were like two bottomless, cold pools, harboring endless ruthlessness and determination. His pupils reflected no warmth or light, only cold gleams that flashed like sharp blades, capable of cutting through hearts in an instant.

The broken sword tightly held in his hand had its tip bent, yet he still treated it like a precious treasure. It was his only companion in this slaughter, and the loyal guardian who had saved him countless times from danger.

There was no fear or despair on his face, only a near-mad obsession that drove him to relentlessly destroy all obstacles in his way.

All around him were bleached bones, silently telling the tragic story of what had happened just hours before.

A few hours ago, the young general gave an order, and his soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, surged into the city, beginning a massacre beyond imagination.

He personally led the army through the sea of blood, where no one survived where his sword passed.

Whether it was the elderly, the weak, women and children, or soldiers who had laid down their weapons, none escaped his cruel hands.

His smile grew more sinister in the bloodshed, as though only through such killing could the unquenchable anger in his heart be soothed.

The ancient city now lay in complete silence, its past prosperity and clamor gone, leaving only broken walls, ruined structures, and scattered weapons.

The wounded young general stepped over corpse after corpse, his sword’s tip ruthlessly scraping across the ground, until he finally reached the county office, where he reluctantly dropped his sword. But the next moment, he collapsed to his knees with a soft thud.

The dim lanterns flickered in front of the county office’s screen wall, casting dappled shadows. In the stillness before the office, there seemed to be a few low sobs, the mournful wails of a woman being punished with flogging.

She had already been reduced to a bloody, mangled mess. Beside her lay the flogging rod—an instrument of punishment made from thick bamboo strips. Each strip was carefully selected to ensure it was both tough and sharp, capable of inflicting the maximum pain without being immediately fatal.

Having already endured forty lashes, she had lost all breath.

The young general knelt beside her, and to his surprise, tears appeared in his cold eyes. He removed his armor, then his battle robe, and draped it over the woman’s body before lifting her into his arms.

The girl had been a beauty in her life. Even though her face was unrecognizable now, it was still evident that she had once been a delicate beauty.

He wandered aimlessly with her in his arms for a long, long time.

When they arrived at a small earth god temple, the young man suddenly knelt as though he had lost his soul.

He sat with his back against the temple door, bending his left leg so the girl could rest against him.

Uncertain how much time had passed, amidst the daze, the young man seemed to hear someone calling his name. But he was too weary to open his eyes, though he vaguely sensed a red glow in front of him.

“You slaughtered my entire city, killed my people, your crime is unforgivable,” a solemn and stern voice echoed.

The young man suddenly chuckled lightly, without lifting his eyelids, and disdainfully replied, “And who do you think you are? ^[1]“A fish that slipped through the net” means someone who managed to escape from being caught, punished, or controlled, often when others were not so lucky. A fish that slipped through the net?”

“Presumptuous! I am the Earth God of Yang City!” the deity scolded.

“So what? Do you think I can’t kill you?”

“Unrepentant! You ruthlessly slaughtered my people; you are bound for hell!”

The young man found it amusing, sneering and saying, “My people? Does that include her? I’m heartless? What about your cold-blooded people? They killed her, so should they also go to hell?”

The deity fell silent and stopped reprimanding him.

After a long time, the young man spoke again, “You damn Earth God, you couldn’t even protect an innocent woman.”

“But which of the people you killed was not innocent?”

The young man stroked the girl’s face, tilting his head back against the temple door, too tired to speak another word to the deity.

“Stubborn fool, your sins are deep. After death, you will serve as my divine messenger, helping me protect this land in peace.”

After finishing his words, the young man still didn’t respond. The next moment, his head heavily dropped, tilting to the side.

He was dead.

He became a ruthless general, forever nailed to the pillar of shame in history.