Esteemed Young Master

Chapter 3: Judgement of the Fallen



"Tampering with the Divine Procedural Guidance of Souls, colluding with Daemons to usurp the Heavenly Emperor's authority and succeeding, corrupting the Multiverse of an Enlightened One, and causing harm to the Stream of All Things for personal gain—these are some of the charges the Imperial Council has levied against you," one of the gigantic primordials seated to the left of his father intoned.

Tian Shi gathered his strength despite the pain. His eyes bored into his father's apathetic gaze. With great difficulty, he shifted his gaze to the elder who had spoken. Despite his defiance, he gained nothing from the action. He couldn't even catch a glimpse of the elder's facial features. Whenever he focused, the features vanished, and at other times, they cycled through various familiar faces. Familiarity was the only way he could describe it, for even that sense was manufactured by the sheer weight of the elder's presence.

He pursed his lips in an attempt to defend himself, but his strength to speak had ebbed. All that escaped his parched lips were low growls of discontent.

"What do you have to say for yourself before the Council, Son?" Primordial Zhao asked, his voice now tinged with a trace of emotion.

Tian Shi received just enough strength from his father to speak his mind. He whipped his neck toward him. A million thoughts danced through his mind. There were many things he could say to lessen the punishment significantly. At the very least, he wouldn't face exile, nor would his domains be stripped from him.

"I am guilty as charged," he uttered between breaths. "And if I went back in time, I'd do it again. And again. And again. Over and—"

"Enough!" Primordial Zhao slammed his fist onto the arm of his throne. "This Council will not be made a mockery of."

"What...?" Tian Shi asked.

The skin around his nose folded in disgust. His eyes reddened. He drew strength from a wellspring of energy he never knew he had. Despite the pressure, he stood up, his bones cracking loudly under the weight of the primordials. Crimson blood flowed from the heavy injuries as broken bones pierced through his skin. Yet, somehow, he managed to support his stubborn body, back ramrod straight, and a fiery gaze channeled at the Clan Leader, his father.

He raised his voice to a furious rumble and said, "You think these crimes will change my perspective? The Dao. The Heavens. The Emperor. They can all fuck themselves."

Tian Shi strained the muscles in his fingers to thrust an accusatory finger at his father, saying, "And even you."

He pointed at the rest of the eight primordials. He ignored the pain and the fact that each inch of bone in his finger was ground into powder as the rage of the primordials coalesced. Pointing one last time at his father, he said, "You can all go fuck yourselves."

"Your son knows no respect, Your Excellency," one of the elders said.

"Don't call him a son of mine; he doesn't deserve the privilege," Primordial Zhao said, his voice cold enough to freeze Tian Shi. "Since he has pleaded guilty, I see no reason to humor his antics. Strip him of his domains."

Tian Shi thought he had prepared himself well enough for that verdict. Oh, how wrong he was. Those words cut through him like a hot knife through tofu, eradicating any perception of love or familial connection he had for his father. At one point, he thought that even though the man had become a Primordial, he would still show love and affection in this situation. That hope shattered after the ruling.

"Fa..." he whispered.

He wanted to beg for forgiveness. Things shouldn't have reached this far. And even if they did, he should have foreseen the outcome. Visibly shaken, Tian Shi tried to find an excuse within him to lay his pride bare on the ground, to accept the so-called sins he committed, and suffer a much lighter punishment. He searched within himself, but each time, he found nothing.

"I, Tian Zhao, do not have a son named Tian Shi," Primordial Zhao said. "My judgment is final."

"I..." Tian Shi said. "I accept your judgment."

A resounding applause cut through the tension. It originated from a gentleman dressed in pure white robes. White hair cascaded behind him in divine splendor, stealing Tian Shi's gaze. Behind him were two guards, wearing uniforms different from those of the Tian Clan.

"An outstanding play, wouldn't you say so, cousin?" the young man said. "Unfortunately, it ends with your death. It's quite unfortunate that you had to be so stubborn. Serve your time and remain alive."

"You have fallen, father. To think that a spoiled brat like this could kill my daughter and get away with it," Tian Shi said. "Yet I'm the one charged with a crime. I find it funny that—"

"Your Highness, I would suggest not further aggravating the situation," Primordial Zhao said.

"I'm only here to spectate, not to aggravate, Senior Zhao," the gentleman in white said, pulling out a fan from the Void to hide the rest of his facial features. "Go on. I'd like to see this criminal's punishment."

Tian Shi felt his father sigh, though there were no visible signs. As much as he hoped to pin the blame on his father, or forget about the driving force behind his actions, he knew he couldn't truly blame the man.

"Do not test my patience, Crown Prince," Tian Shi said.

"What can you do? You are a dead man, Brother Shi," the Crown Prince said, chuckling behind his fan. "Don't let me distract you. Go on, respected seniors."

"Do away with his domains," Primordial Zhao said.

One of the elders stepped from his throne. Instantly, his massive hulking figure shrank to match Tian Shi's height. The new appearance was something Tian Shi scrutinized. The elder wore long robes that swept the floor wherever his feet stepped. Its color was a bright gold with black streaks running along the edges, signifying his Elder status.

"My apologies, Tian Shi, but the law has spoken," the elder said briefly before shaping his hand into a claw.

Just as he raised his hand to plunge the claw into Tian Shi's skull, the Crown Prince yelled, "Stop!"

Tian Shi resigned himself to his fate but felt a swift change of mind once the Crown Prince yelled. The man wasn't difficult to read, and clearly, personally stripping him of his domains would provide a spike of large amounts of dopamine for the idiot. He had long resigned himself to his fate, but the fool gave him a better alternative.

"With the power vested in me, let me do it," the Crown Prince said.


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