The night sky was like a velvet curtain, covering the outline of the town below. The sleepy coastal town of Haixi was not much different from any other seaside town, relying on fishing as its economic lifeline, with scattered patches of farmland and a weekly supply convoy bringing fruits, vegetables, and other daily necessities to the town... The residents of the town lived their lives day in and day out like this.
But today was different, or rather, not long ago, a heavy unease had descended upon the town of Haixi. "Traitors who disturb the peace and conspire against the country will be executed in the central square." This message was spread by the rulers of Haixi, and soon everyone in town knew about it.
The news was indeed consistent with the official announcement. In the small central square of Haixi, a makeshift wooden platform was erected, and the town's guards surrounded the platform, enforcing strict security measures.
The townspeople gradually gathered as well. However, unlike ordinary spectators at an execution, they looked at the platform with unease and a sense of strangeness, waiting for the rumored traitor to appear.
As night fell and the lights in the town grew brighter, four guards led a prisoner onto the high platform. When the cloak that had concealed the prisoner's figure and appearance was pulled off, the previously subdued unrest and restlessness in the crowd instantly erupted.
"Miss Pingzhi?! Why is it Miss Pingzhi!"
"Explain! What makes you claim that Lady Pingzhi is a traitor!"
Similar questions and doubts came one after another, and the crowd surged forward like a wave, pushing towards the platform. Because of the sudden turn of events, even the guards had not had time to stabilize themselves and were pushed back, step by step.
In the eyes of the bound girl on the platform, a hint of emotion flickered, but most of it was helplessness.
Bang!
A thunder-like explosion and a flash of fire passed in an instant, but the sound drowned out the anger of the crowd. The guards below quickly reacted, holding up their muskets to form a barrier. Those who tried to push forward were shot down mercilessly by the guards.
"Silence! Anyone who causes trouble will be treated as a traitor!"
A man in traditional attire fired a warning shot into the sky. With one hand holding a handheld firearm decorated with inset jade, he walked slowly onto the wooden platform and stood beside the young girl.
The two standing together easily showed that they had at least 80% resemblance in appearance. If one did not consider the differences in facial contours caused by gender, they would almost be identical.
"Yanliu! On what grounds do you claim that she is a traitor? She is your..." The crowd below continued to voice their anger, questioning Yanliu.
"Sister, is that true?"
Yanliu sneered twice, his gaze finding the person who had questioned him. "So what if it is? Gathering armed forces in secret and lurking in the darkness of The Realm, attempting to assassinate the High Priest and even plotting to destroy the Sea Moon—how is that any different from treason? As someone who inherits my father's legacy and guards this town, how can I, the upholder of justice, be doubted by you all?!"
With this speech, the questioner was rendered speechless, but the people around still looked at Yanliu with distrust.
"Who knows if what he said is true..."
"Miss Pingzhi is usually devoted and kind to the town, how could she possibly do such a thing?"
"It's just his word against hers, who knows..."
As Yanliu listened to the murmurs below the platform, his handsome face gradually turned frosty, and his emotions began to get out of control. "Miss Pingzhi, Miss Pingzhi... How much do you people care about this person? I also bear the surname Pingzhi, why do you all..."
"Alright, child, calm down. Trying to gain trust with your surname will only expose your incompetence. It's what you do that proves your worth."
Before the angry words of Iwano could reach the people below, an old but powerful hand pressed down on Iwano's shoulder, accompanied by a gentle yet resounding voice.
"Gentlemen, what Iwano said is indeed true. I...was indeed assassinated last night."
The sudden appearance of the aged man in the gray robe spoke gently to the people below, while his other hand lightly pulled aside his robe, revealing the blood-stained bandages beneath.
"High Priest!"
The people below quickly recognized the elder, and all doubts disappeared in an instant. Almost everyone bowed in respect.
If Iwano's words were nothing more than a breeze that went unnoticed, then the testimony of the High Priest raised the credibility of Iwano's words to nearly one hundred percent.
In this way, the direction of public opinion completely changed. While some still remembered the contributions Miss Hiragi made as the previous mayor's daughter and refrained from hurling insults directly at her, the voices defending her disappeared almost entirely.
After all, the High Priest was highly respected and revered. The Sea of Moon he presided over was of utmost importance to the Kingdom of Aurora. If there was indeed an assassination attempt, it was no different from treason.
Since the High Priest personally testified, the credibility of Miss Hiragi's attempted assassination of the High Priest...
"Urara Hiragi, do you admit to attempting to assassinate the High Priest?"
With the support he received, Iwano calmed down and pointed his gun at his sister, asking.
The gagged girl, who expected the situation to unfold this way, nodded without any surprise. Since they dared to execute her publicly, they must have been confident in suppressing public opinion, especially since she did attempt the assassination herself.
A faint smile of irony appeared in her eyes as she nodded.
At the same time, she saw the undeniable smirk on her brother's face. However, considering the boiling emotions of the people below due to her nod, it was unlikely that anyone else paid attention.
"Now that the defendant has confessed, there should be no doubt in executing Urara Hiragi for the crime of treason. Guards!"
Iwano, in a triumphant pose, put away his gun, and the two guards who were responsible for escorting the girl immediately understood. One of them had already raised his gun and aimed it at her from behind.
As long as he gave the command, there was no doubt that Urara would fall in a pool of blood.
With these thoughts in mind, a burning passion filled Iwano's eyes.
He approached the girl, hoping to see a hint of fear in her eyes, but instead found them calm and serene, just like every time his sister had looked at him before.
"Very well, then maintain your pitiful dignity as you die!"
"#%&·——#%&!"
Just as he was about to give the order, he suddenly heard a faint cry. The content was completely unclear, like a muffled sound coming from a fan with countless blades severed.
"Hey, did any of you hear something strange?"
Iwano hesitated and turned to the guards around him, asking.
"Young Master Iwano, it seems like the sound came from...above?"
Instinctively, Iwano raised his head and glanced at the sky above him. That one glance completely stunned him.
A golden meteor streaked across the sky and spun as it descended, seemingly about to land right in the square beneath their feet.
"Get out of the way!" a voice shouted from below.
As the meteor rapidly approached, the intermittent sound before became more discernible.
What was that thing? A person or a meteor?
No, no, instead of worrying about that, perhaps it would be better to run? It was only at the last moment that Yanliu realized the most important thing.
But as the pressure from above grew heavier, it was already too late to run.
"Dragon's Breath!" he yelled.
With a loud shout, a fierce gust of wind, accompanied by milky-white air currents, engulfed the entire Haiqi Town Square as if a cloud had crashed down, swallowing almost everyone.
The strong winds swept through the square, stirring up a second wave of dust. It took a while for it to gradually settle.
It was fortunate that there weren't many structures on the square—the only temporary platform had already been completely crushed by the wind, so there wasn't much property damage.
However, the people were a bit unlucky. Almost all the residents on the square were blown off balance, while the guards on the platform and the surrounding area were knocked to the ground, unconscious.
"I'm still alive... not a big problem, not a big problem."
He landed in a superhero pose, kneeling with one hand on the ground. Aya felt incredibly cool.
As for accidentally harming innocent people, that was really not his intention.
After Little Angel caught him in the air, she awakened a wave of consciousness that briefly overcame the ancient spirit. Taking advantage of this opportunity, she gave him a protective spell and threw him out. However, the descent protection was hastily done, causing Aya to disappear when he was about a thousand meters from the ground.
Fortunately, at this moment, his Qi Scales had also recovered. Seizing the opportunity, he used a Dragon's Breath to cushion his landing on the ground, but his whole body still ached from the jolt.
Speaking of which, where is this place?
Slowly standing up, Aya surveyed his surroundings. Huh, the clothes on these people seem different from the humans he's seen before, not like the attire of the Western Continent... Did that guy Yuan smuggle him to the East Land?
"Who... are you?"
A pile of broken wood at his feet moved, and then a disheveled figure struggled to support herself, barely managing a smile through her patched-up cloth.
She sounded like a girl?
Before Aya had a chance to answer, several people also crawled out from the ruins of the wooden platform on the other side, staggeringly walking towards them.
"Who are you? How dare you attack the mayor and the high priest in Haixi Town! Guards! Subdue them!"
Wow... they sound really angry.
Um, even though he caused quite a bit of trouble with his righteous arrival, Aya didn't plan on being honest and letting them give him trouble.
Might as well make a run for it.
"Wait... please, please help me, take me away from here."
After landing, he saw a weakly-speaking girl pleading in a faint voice.
"Huh? Why?" Aya didn't immediately agree, as running away himself would already be slow. If he brought someone with him, wouldn't it be even more troublesome if they were pursued by the people here?
"You're an outsider, right? This place is dangerous if you're unfamiliar... I... I can help you..."
The girl said intermittently.
Hmm... Although he wanted to ask more questions, considering that the people around them were also starting to recover, Aya didn't have time to think about it anymore. He bent down, picked up the girl, and ran off in a flash.
