The scene takes place in the autumn of the previous year.
In the imperial court, where the chrysanthemum breeze sweeps through, the emperor held a grand banquet.
The emperor’s surname was Cai (ツァイ), and his name was Suo Meng (索盟)—the father of Fei Ling (慧玲), and later known as the tyrannical “Emperor of Chaos,” who would meet his end by execution.
The cup he raised, calling for it to be filled with wine, was made from the skull of an enemy.
The imperial consorts, though pale with fear, forced smiles, afraid to displease the emperor. But amid the strained tension, a young consort accidentally knocked over a sake flask. Wine spilled onto the table. Trembling, she apologized profusely. The emperor, sneering, dismissed it, saying, “It matters not.”
The consort, relieved, allowed her lips to relax—only for her head to slip from her shoulders and fall to the ground.
“It only matters that you die,” the emperor said.
Blood spurted from her neck. The other consorts stifled their screams, knowing full well that the next head to fall would be their own if they dared react.
The emperor’s eyes, filled with bloodlust, glinted with a dark haze.
The court was dyed red not by autumn winds, but by the raging storm of bloodshed.
The ministers, too, cowered under the emperor’s tyranny, their heads bowed. All the loyal ministers of the “Jade Blood” faction, who dared to offer remonstrance, had been executed. Rumors even swirled that the emperor feasted on the hearts of those sentenced to death.
All mourned. Suo Meng had fallen into ruin, becoming a manifestation of chaos itself.
He had once been so wise, so brave, and so virtuous a ruler.
It was then that someone stepped into the banquet hall—Suo Meng’s elder brother, Xu Diao (胥雕).
“Ah, brother,” Suo Meng greeted him, his face flushed with drink, raising his cup in a grin. “Come, let us drink together.”
Xu Diao glanced at the young consort’s decapitated body and stiffened before kneeling before Suo Meng.
“Your Majesty, did the honeyed mead I offered from a distant land please you?”
“Ah, was it from you? Yes, it was most sweet.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
Suo Meng was the legitimate son of the main consort, while Xu Diao was born to a concubine. Despite being the elder brother, Xu Diao could not become emperor. His surname was Xu (胥), not Cai (蔡), as a mark of his lesser lineage. Even if he had been born to the main consort, it was doubtful he could have ascended the throne. He lacked the ability to wield a sword properly, was unskilled at riding horses, and had no talent for devising strategies. He was widely regarded as a coward, hiding behind Suo Meng’s shadow.
No one believed Xu Diao could stop Suo Meng’s tyranny.
“Then, I shall partake as well…”
Xu Diao bowed as if to accept the cup from Suo Meng, but in that instant—he unsheathed a sword.
The strike, however, did not reach Suo Meng. It was deflected.
“Did you truly think to kill me with such a feeble blow, brother?”
Suo Meng, too, had drawn his sword in a flash, parrying the surprise attack. Xu Diao, retreating with a pained expression, spoke sorrowfully.
“As expected. Even in your ruin, your swordsmanship remains unmatched. It seems I can never best you in this.”
Suo Meng shouted toward the armed guards stationed in the corridor.
“Treason! Capture Xu Diao!”
But the guards, arriving belatedly, staggered into view, bleeding profusely and mortally wounded.
“Your Majesty… flee… Xu Diao’s army… they’ve rebelled…” The guard collapsed, lifeless.
The sound of war cries echoed. Xu Diao’s forces stormed into the hall, surrounding Suo Meng. The consorts screamed and fled, while the ministers all withdrew without aiding Suo Meng.
Now isolated, Suo Meng brandished his sword, fiercely resisting the invading soldiers.
He was strong—hailed as a god of war on the battlefield. But his movements began to falter, his balance wavering.
It was poison.
The mead Xu Diao had gifted was brewed with mercury bees’ honey.
As Suo Meng’s legs began to go numb, Xu Diao seized the opportunity, stabbing Suo Meng through the abdomen from behind.
Blood gushing from his mouth, Suo Meng turned to look at Xu Diao. For a fleeting moment, the haze in his eyes cleared.
“Ah… so it was you…”
Xu Diao hesitated briefly but shook off his doubt, forcing out his words.
“I may have been a useless brother, incapable of supporting you… but it is a brother’s duty to correct his sibling’s mistakes!”
With a final roar, Xu Diao declared his resolve. His troops cheered.
Poisoned and gravely wounded, Suo Meng appeared to mouth some words before losing consciousness.
“Capture Suo Meng and administer the antidote immediately. He must not die before his execution.”
Suo Meng was dragged away.
Turning to the ministers, Xu Diao declared boldly:
“The Emperor of Chaos has been overthrown! From this moment, I am the Emperor of Kok!”
The ministers knelt before Xu Diao, and the army raised their swords high, cheering loudly.
“Long live Emperor Xu Diao! Long live His Majesty! Long live the Emperor!”
The jubilant cries engulfed the court, spreading to the capital like the toll of a bell announcing the end of chaos.
“…That dream from back then, huh?”
Emperor Xu Diao, resting his elbow on the desk and dozing off, muttered to himself.
It had been five seasons since the deposition of the previous emperor—about a year and three months. The emperor sighed, thinking how quickly time passes, as the saying goes, “Time flies like an arrow.” It truly had passed in the blink of an eye. The last time he looked back, the calm eyes of Suo Meng still bound his chest with an unshakable weight.
The bell announcing noon rang out.
Shaking off his thoughts, the emperor lowered his gaze to the wooden tablets spread out before him. They were important documents concerning new policies. Since the high-ranking officials had already reviewed them, the emperor only needed to affix his seal. The repetitive nature of the task made him drowsy.
Without warning, a shadow fell into the room.
The emperor, glancing at the window, suddenly noticed the sky darkening. Was it a storm? But it was unlike a summer thunderstorm to cloud so suddenly. He looked up from the window, speechless.
The sun was being obscured, as if it were being devoured by insects.
“…Unfortunate… Is this the poison of the heavens?”
The emperor’s sharp eyes caught something passing by in his field of vision.
Was it a blazing fire? No, that wasn’t it.
The emperor paled and began to tremble.
A fiery haze, tinged with a golden glow, spread from rooftop to rooftop, climbing to the bell tower, howling against the eclipsing sun.
“…Ugh, ah…”
Suddenly, the emperor clutched his head in agony and collapsed.
The excruciating pain that struck him felt as though his skull would crack open. As the emperor fell, the large bronze incense burner beside him tipped over with a loud noise. The guards stationed outside the room noticed the disturbance and rushed to check on the emperor.
“Is something wrong… What is this?”
Seeing the emperor in such an unusual state, the guard hastily ran out.
“Gather the imperial doctors immediately!”
