As the chief minister’s cold voice echoed out, an affirmative response rang out from beyond the entrance.1

Moments later, five imperial guards in golden armor entered, pulsing with baleful auras. Though they looked young, they seemed surrounded by the aroma of blood and gore. What was more, the way they kept their energy linked as they walked forward showed how skilled they were at the use of formations. Each imperial guard was in charge of a prisoner. The prisoners included men and women, and all had bleak facial expressions. They were all wounded, and had clearly been ruthlessly interrogated. Their cultivation bases had been crippled.2

The imperial guards strode up to the chief minister, where they bowed their heads and forced the prisoners onto their knees. No amount of struggling on the part of the prisoners did any good. With the imperial guards’ hands clamped firmly atop the prisoners’ heads, they had no choice but to prostrate on the ground.5

Xu Qing sat on the first step just above them. Looking down at the five prisoners, he ultimately focused on the first of them, who was on the left-hand side.1

He was a middle-aged man whose skin had been peeled off to reveal black paper underneath. The paper was torn, as if someone had ripped a piece off it to use as evide...0