Chapter 458: Beheading

The next morning, inside Laizhou City.

"Shixiong, come back to your senses."

The Huanhua Sword Sect youth's eyes refocused, his body shook, and he saw his *Shimei*'s worried expression, but he had no heart to comfort her, only raising his hand to cover his face and sighing longly.

"Sigh..."

"Shimei, how many people haven't left yet?"

The woman bit her lip.

"Five, all *Jianghu* wanderers with no attachments. The others with families or sects have already left, preparing to sell their property and flee for their lives."

The youth nodded.

"That's fine, what about the remaining five?"

The woman replied softly.

"They are waiting for your decision, Shixiong... If you decide to leave, they will leave; if you still want to do something, they will do it together... So I came to ask you."

The youth gave a bitter smile.

"Do what, what else can be done?"

"A bit of showing off, implicating Brother Li, implicating the sect. Disloyal, unfilial, unrighteous, and unwise—all gathered together. Can't advance, can't retreat, don't even know if I should pay for this life with Brother Li's or Commander An's... Where is there any plan?"

"What about you, Shimei, what do you want to do?"

The woman was silent for a while, pulled a package from behind her, and spread it on the table, revealing all kinds of bottles and jars inside.

"These are items for disguise, bought secretly this morning."

"I want to go see, see the result."

"The execution ground for General Qi has already been set up, just outside Laizhou City. The commoners have received the news and have already gone there. Execution at noon... I want to go see."

The youth was also silent.

After a long while, he stood up, picked up a bottle, took out a bit of brown pigment, smeared it on his face, and said softly.

"Fine."

"We should, see the result."

The two silently disguised themselves, took their weapons, came out of the room, told the remaining five *Jianghu* people their plans, and received their silent agreement.

So, half an hour later, the seven of them merged into the crowd and headed outside the city.

The execution ground was not far.

Not far from Laizhou City, and not far from the seaside.

As the sound of the waves rolling became clearer, the group finally arrived at their destination.

This was an open space.

To the east was a raised cliff, with sea waves constantly rolling beneath it. To the west was a dense forest, with the official road running north and south.

On the open space stood a wooden platform half a *zhang* high and ten *zhang* in circumference, surrounded by cloth to block the void beneath the platform. On the platform sat a tree stump, and beside the stump stood a ghost-head blade, the blade heavy and the edge flashing with cold light.

The youth was pushed by the crowd to the bottom of the platform, looking up toward the back of the platform.

A shed had been set up there.

On both sides of the shed, several Embroidered Uniform Guards were guarding.

Inside the shed, two people were sitting opposite each other drinking tea.

The wind lifted the curtain, letting him see the face of one of them—An Ziyang.

His complexion was still as pale as last night, but there wasn't a single wound, and he was chatting and laughing.

The youth's heart turned cold.

"Brother Li, in the end, was defeated after all..."

Regret, pain, and confusion swallowed his heart instantly, making him fail to see who was sitting opposite An Ziyang.

The woman beside him tugged at his sleeve.

"Shixiong, over there."

He looked up, following the direction the woman indicated, and almost couldn't help but shed tears.

On one side of the shed, there was a cage.

A person in rags, covered in wounds, was curled up in a corner, motionless.

The commoners beside him began to weep in low voices.

"General Qi..."

"General Qi..."

The youth clenched his hands, biting his lip until it bled.

He almost couldn't help but rush over.

The woman forcibly held him back.

"Shixiong, don't be impulsive."

"See General Qi off on his final journey."

The youth nodded reluctantly, forcibly shifting his gaze.

Turning his head, he discovered that not far away, there was another youth with eyes as red as his, almost rushing out, held back by his female companion.

That youth had a youthful appearance, with a Japanese sword hanging at his waist.

His female companion had a beautiful face, slightly older, with a cold expression, holding an infant in her arms, speaking to him in a low voice.

"Wu Mingxiao, don't move."

"Things are not as you think; wait and see, there will definitely be a change."

The youth turned his head, looking at his companion with red eyes.

"Miss Zhao, there's only half an hour left before the Vice Commander is beheaded; how can you convince me not to move? What change, who will change it, what exactly do you know!"

The companion shook her head.

"I don't know anything, but I know that person gave you a promise, and he will definitely fulfill it... You just need to wait."

The youth struggled a few times, but in the end, he gave up.

The Huanhua Sword Sect youth gave a bitter smile.

"Change?"

"Who can change the mind of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who can save someone An Ziyang wants to kill?"

"It's nothing but... wishful thinking."

He was already disheartened, just waiting to see the result and give up completely.

The sun shifted.

The commoners gathered more and more, surrounding the execution platform, leaving only the direction of the shed on the east side empty.

And as more people gathered, some emotions gradually accumulated, and bit by bit, they squeezed open the lid of reason, spilling some out.

"General Qi... shouldn't die..."

"My wife, my child, were all saved by General Qi, my life belongs to General Qi... let me die instead..."

"Damn heavens! Dog-shit imperial court! Blind eyes!"

The resentment of the people boiled.

But facing the snow-white blades of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in the end, no one dared to move.