The scorching noon sun beat down upon the gilded tiles and green bricks of the Imperial City, the white marble steps before the hall reflecting a blinding, harsh glare.
The Emperor held a dagger inlaid with seven Oriental pearls pressed tightly against the slender neck of Fu Yingzhi. In the sunlight, the blade glinted with a cold, lethal light. A bead of sweat rolled down the Emperor’s temple, where the veins were bulging, and shattered against the back of the blade.
"Everyone, back away!" the Emperor rasped, the hoarse command forced through cracked lips. The soles of his black boots, embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons, scraped harshly against the green bricks. This monarch, once feared across the world, stood now with his imperial robes disheveled and his golden crown askew; a fire of madness and terror burned in his eyes. He dragged Fu Yingzhi with him, retreating toward the exit of the hall step by step, leaving a trail of bloodstains behind him.
Chapter 136