The Ancient Rule

"It's alright, as long as you have understood."

Yusheng calmly hides the chill from appearing on his purple eye, knowing fully well how extremely sharp a Master's instinct is.

Especially if there is any danger or hostility shot in their way, a tiny slip of killing intent can even easily alarm them about it.

Unlike the modern world, Yusheng is in a world filled with martial arts, where people can achieve supernatural fighting ability along with cultivation, and the use of internal energy, which can also be called Qi.

Basically, it's quite similar to the cultivation in the wuxia novel he usually read on the internet with meridians and acupoints in the physical body, and people being able to use lightness skill to swiftly move around.

However, there is a big difference from the normal wuxia world novels he read in the modern world; there is a sort of mysterious power in his world, it seems like it can be in a genre of a fantasy or cultivation world.

Because there isn't any easy explanation about the unbending rule that exists in the beginning of the Four Great Empires, and the rule has lasted for countless generations, even to their present state.

No matter which Empire among the Four Great Empires, no one can fully conquer another land no matter how powerful they have become, or else, the Empires in the war will face severe consequences.

Of course, the one who will start the war or, the people who have schemed for it from the start, hidden or not, will face the most serious consequences.

The mastermind behind the war between the Great Empires will receive a curse with different effects depending on how deep he has sinned, or he can even suddenly die.

There are various consequences, but natural disasters suddenly occurring in various parts of the Empire are the widely known consequences among the common people, when two Empires were at war for an extremely long time.

Or it may happen that, when the winning Empire has gone deeper into another Empire's land, the closer it is to the Empire's Capital, the harsher and dangerous the consequences will be.

It's one of the reasons why Yusheng wasn't deeply concerned about the war, because despite the severe consequences, the Su Empire would remain standing still.

At least, until the mysterious year when the bug Empire somehow figures out that the unbending rule in ancient time had completely disappeared. 

What the Bai Empire did had surprised the other three Great Empires, completely catching them off guard, particularly when countless preparations had already been secretly made for a long time.

It showed how the Bai Empire had already known about the sudden disappearance of the supposedly unchangeable rule.

Especially when they displayed their attitude to unify the entire Four Great Empires, which no one was able to stop.

Damn bug… It's definitely her fault for the sudden disappearance of the ancient rule placed over the Four Great Empires.

Yusheng desperately tries to lessen the thoughts of the bug in his mind, after noticing how his violent urge always emerges, wanting to get out of control whenever he thinks of a certain woman.

Before he turns his attention towards the young protector standing silent in the distance.

Yusheng is able to easily detect the shock in the young man's paralyzed expression after witnessing how he has reprimanded Guang.

Which was completely different from how he usually treats the older man, particularly when he has also done it in front of everyone's eyes.

"Qi, these people, take them away and let them receive a punishment."

Yusheng slowly points at almost half of the soldiers standing on the side with his blood-stained finger, his expression becoming solemn and serious with his purple right eye displaying a certain light of harshness in it.

"W-Wait! Why are you ordering them to be punished?"

When the soldier who has arrived together with Guang and Qi suddenly speaks up, Yusheng completely ignores the brazen young man and turns toward Guang who is still kneeling before him.

"Guang, kill him."

"W-what! It's not the time to joke around!"

Yusheng completely ignores the wide-eyed soldier who easily disregards what he has spoken.

Instead, he chooses to deeply stare at the shocked Guang who swiftly snaps his head up as soon as he speaks a rather unexpected ruthless order.

Hmm? Such unusual reactions…

Although Yusheng wants the soldiers to also resent Guang, he quickly notices an entirely different kind of emotion in the man's eyes when it quickly flickers towards the foolishly brave soldier who doesn't believe his words at all.

… Mnm… I wanted to let you have a taste of what you planned to do… but this is surprising… 

Guang, are you in cahoots with that soldier? Or more likely, the powerful person behind that soldier?

Although Guang was quickly able to control his expression, which the Yusheng's old self wouldn't have noticed at all.

Shortly, a certain thought flashes in Yusheng's mind while he watches the middle age Protector he honestly trusted and respected in the previous life, swiftly go over and kill the disbelieved soldier.

Guang has completed the order in a way that the dead soldier lying on the ground wasn't able to speak another word before dying.

… Trying to let the foolish soldier not reveal anything, eh? After all, it's hard to know when your own people or allies will suddenly turn into pig teammates.

Using the skill given by the System on the soldier that Yusheng commanded Guang to punish, he has learned that the dead person had negative Loyalty to the Su Empire.

Which is absolutely a glaring fact since it completely meant that the dead soldier was already a traitorous person.

… There is something wrong in the army…

While Yusheng has started to consider the situation of the army after witnessing a traitorous person, the young protector Qi has finally finished his performance of obeying the command, separating the group of soldiers into two.

Although Yusheng had displayed an unusual reaction, ordering Guang to kill a person, it didn't stop the young Protector from following the order without a single ounce of hesitation.

A truly loyal person huh… but I still don't believe that his loyalty can always remain permanent.

"It seems I had been far too nice. Although this is the military, I am still an Imperial Prince. Don't forget that extremely important fact alright?"

I can easily take people's lives as I see fit.

It doesn't matter if there is no good reason for doing it, just a mere whim and action is enough to take a person's life.

Do you think I will always continue to be humble, respectful, and thoughtful towards all of you?

In another sudden silence, Yusheng raises his right hands to gently tap on the silver mask on his right face with his delicate finger, before it slowly slides all the way down to under his lip.

In which he calmly displayed the familiar smile that usually showed kindness.

And yet, in everyone's eyes, the familiar smile has become extremely chilling and dangerous, although everyone cannot deny that the simple movements of those slender fingers appear very pleasing to the eyes.

The entire movement was filled with a certain elegance, a hint of laziness, and a laid-back feeling.

"Let me see… for the reason why I decided for some soldiers to be taken away and punished. How about you examine the difference between yourself and the opposing group?"

At that moment, the soldiers completely experience the dangerous pressure and power of a Royal Family member, especially from the Imperial Prince standing before them with his slender figure slightly stained with blood.

The usual gentle, and thoughtful Imperial Prince who was quiet and humble, always enduring the disrespect they unconsciously or consciously showed toward him, seems to have decided to erupt.

… Have we pushed him too far???

"T-They are injured…"

The group of soldiers that are going to be punished after getting back to the military camp can't help but finally speak out what they noticed in the opposite group, completely breaking the heavy atmosphere around them.

"Yes, all of them are injured while you all don't even have a single injury."

Based on what kind of world Yusheng lives in, the mad horse in berserk state from before wasn't just a normal horse, especially when the horse was supposed to belong to one of the important figures in the army with a certain rank.

So it wasn't surprising when the horse was able to even injure the soldiers, particularly when it also caused Yusheng severe injuries in the previous life.

"No matter what the reason for the unexpected matter of the horse going crazy is, it's an undeniable fact that all of you are responsible to look out for my well-being."

When the two groups of soldiers have remained quiet, with certain understanding flashing in their eyes, Yusheng continues to speak in a steady voice with his purple eyes glancing between the two groups of injured and uninjured soldiers.

"It stands to reason that all of you should get punished. However, I have decided to pardon the group of soldiers which have received injuries and punish those who didn't. You understand why I have made such a decision right?"

At that moment of great danger, either I would end up getting severely injured or even dying by accident.

Surprisingly, there are still soldiers willing to rescue my life despite retaining a rather bad opinion toward my sudden appearance in the army, or they might have various reasons for rescuing me.

"I already understand how most of the soldiers in the army seem to dislike my sudden presence. Nonetheless, as the Imperial Prince of the Su Empire, it won't change the fact that I respect and admire the soldiers who didn't forget their own duty."

I won't still trust them, but at least, there are some soldiers who can still fulfill their own part and responsibilities, never forgetting what they are supposed to do.

Yusheng still understands the concept of giving reward and punishment.

And despite the serious situation, Yusheng also does not forget to show the image that he doesn't mind their earlier attitude, and that he is more focused on what is transpiring in the present, completely being open-minded.

The deceiving images Yusheng is trying to portray at that moment, seem to have easily hooked the group of injured soldiers.

Just like that, they have completely forgotten the sudden death of a certain soldier a while ago, with the open-minded image isn't matching up at all.

Supposedly, there are already various reasons that have unconsciously appeared in the soldiers' mind which they silently believed themselves, causing the brainwashing to become effective.

Well, it is one of the effects which happen after a person who has been in lower rank suddenly gets a sort of acceptance from an extremely important figure.

And in ancient times, the figure of the Imperial Prince was quite useful and extremely effective, unfortunately, he quite failed to understand such concepts in the previous life.

He also chooses the wrong method when facing the soldiers, although kindness and thoughtfulness is good, but one has to be more smarter when using it.

Human race is really a complex race.

Noticing how a certain group of soldiers' attitude seemed to change, Yusheng inwardly nods his head before turning around to finally return back to the military barrack since there is still a mission he needs to do.

As for the unconvinced people, Yusheng just needs some people to spread the news of how great he is, in order to slowly change the already ingrained opinion the soldiers have in their mind.

Besides, he still understands the fact that he couldn't easily brainwash and make every single person like him.

Ah… I really just want to kill all of them… it is far quicker and a convenient move to take…

For now… I'll just restrain myself and do it in the future when I will have more power in my hands.