At Imperial Palace-Crimson Sky Capital, the grand pillars of the Imperial Court stood like ancient sentinels, shadowed by the pain and legacy of war. From every edge of the Crimson Sky Empire, nobles, war survivors, and clan delegates had gathered. The vast jade court felt solemn today, neither triumphant nor mournful—just still, as if the air itself awaited judgment.
Three thrones, draped in silver silk, had been placed before the Jade Steps. Upon them sat the chosen triad of judgment:
Bai Qingtian, The unyielding patriarch of the Celestial Snow Pavilion, dressed in pure white robes veined with shimmering frost runes.
Rao Lin, The Flame-Warden of the Hall of Valor, clad in ceremonial crimson armor, his sword planted like a truth-pledge.
Xie Zhongwen, Current Prime Minister of the Imperial court of the Crimson Sky Empire, serene behind an obsidian mask of discipline, his hands resting calmly upon his lap.
Before them knelt the remaining Compact leaders:
Shi Jainhong, pale and weary, chains of crystal binding his limbs.
Peng Zhenyu, scowling but silent, his pride shattered.
Jin Zeyan, dignified despite disgrace, robes singed by retreat.
The court was ringed by the murmuring breath of nobles and hallmasters. Su Mengtian stood apart, not among judges nor the condemned, but at the head of the Heavenly Spear Alliance, wrapped in thunder-hued robes. Behind him, Yueying stood with head high, a silent strength.
"Let judgment begin," Rao Lin declared, his voice booming across the chamber.
Xie Zhongwen spoke first, unfurling a scroll of crimes in her melodic yet sharp voice.
"Treason against the Emperor. Manipulation of spiritual leylines. Use of blood-forged magic. Civilian massacre in the Luminous Pass. Do you deny this, Shi Jainhong?"
Shi Jainhong raised his weary eyes. "I... do not deny the consequences. But I did not act alone. The Compact was not treason—it was survival."
Rao Lin slammed his gauntlet on the armrest. "Survival? At the cost of children screaming in crystal cages? At the cost of Kun Island's soil bleeding black? We were forged to guard this realm, not rip it open!"
Peng Zhenyu growled, his voice dry. "You think the Empire clean? We did what every Great Clan dreams of: we acted."
Bai Qingtian responded coldly. "And for your 'action,' you fractured the realm. Your pride will never outweigh our people's agony."
The accusations stretched for hours. Witnesses were brought—survivors of the Ember Isles, soul-binders who dismantled Crystalheart, even former Compact mages who surrendered. Each testimony peeled back another layer of the Compact's rot.
As the judgment reached its climax, a bell tolled across the palace.
From the eastern corridor, Emperor Dongfang Tianyi appeared, supported by healers and the Third Prince, Dongfang Ruixian.
A hush fell upon the court.
His voice was softer than before, but clear. "I have seen death. Poison turned my blood to ash. But it could not silence me."
He turned toward the condemned. "You acted not as patriots, but as predators. You feasted on my realm's fears."
Then, turning to Su Mengtian, his tone shifted. "While I slept, you guarded what I could not. Kun Island lives because of you."
Su Mengtian bowed. "The realm lives, Your Majesty. I only lent it breath."
The Emperor approached the Jade Steps.
The Imperial Court remained cloaked in an uneasy silence even days after the trials. Justice had been served, yet the air was thick with the weight of transition.
In the high towers of the Crimson Sky Palace, scrolls flew like migrating birds—restructuring decrees, clan amendments, treaties, and tax reforms. Everything was changing.
The Reorganization of the Empire was taking place.
In the grand chamber of the Tower of Verdicts, Emperor Dongfang Tianyi sat once more upon the throne, his expression calm but sterner than before. Su Mengtian stood beside Dongfang Ruixian as the Emperor addressed the assembled court.
"Let it be known across the Empire and beyond. The Crimson Sky Empire shall never again be held hostage by ancestral privilege. From this day forward, we shall categorize our clans into three ranks—High-tier, Middle-tier, and Low-tier—based not on bloodline, but merit."
A ripple of murmurs moved through the court.
Bai Qingtian nodded silently, eyes flicking to Yueying, who stood nearby. Rao Lin, in his battle-worn armor, gave a grim smile. Baojin offered a respectful bow.
Dongfang Tianyi turned toward Mengtian.
"And Kun Island... shall be yours."
Gasps erupted in the chamber.
"You are hereby granted full sovereign dominion over Kun Island. It shall be an autonomous land, under no imperial tax or military conscription. However, I ask only this—forge peace with us, not walls."
Mengtian bowed. "So long as the Crimson Sky Empire does not betray its people, Kun Island will not draw its blade."
The Emperor rose and took Ruixian's hand. "Let the world witness. My third son, Dongfang Ruixian, shall rise as the next Crown Prince with Su Mengtian's support."
Ruixian placed hand in his chest, humble. "I will not seek power. I will seek stability, and I swear to you, Lord Mengtian, that as long as I breathe, this peace will hold."
Mengtian stepped forward, thunder flickering behind his eyes. "I support Crown Prince Ruixian. He seeks peace, not legacy. That is what we need."
The Emperor lifted the golden seal, pressing it into a new decree.
"From this day, the Empire shall reform the clan system. All Great Clans will be ranked not by bloodline, but by merit."
A murmur broke out.
"Every five years," the Emperor continued, "a tournament of strength and wisdom shall be held—the Clan Wars. The ranks will shift based on victory, alliance, and honor."
Su Mengtian nodded.
The Emperor continued. "Every five years, a tournament—Clan Wars—shall determine the worth of your name. If you desire glory, then fight for it. If you desire honor, earn it."
"Then the people shall witness who protects them best."
Rao Lin whispered to Yue Mei, "About time they fought in the open rather than the shadows."
The decree closed with a final reshuffling:
- Clans now split into High-tier, Middle-tier, and Low-tier, reshuffled every 5 years.
- The State of Records becomes the overseers and guardian of rankings.
- The Heavenly Spear Alliance is to remain sovereign.
The Emperor addressed the hall, "Kun Island shall belong to none. It shall be ruled by the Spear Alliance and Mengtian. Independent. Sovereign."
Gasps from ministers.
"In return," the Emperor continued, "a non-aggression pact shall bind our futures. You protect the realm's edge. I protect its heart."
Su Mengtian bowed deeply. "You have my pact. Until fate says otherwise."
A quiet rumble of thunder rolled outside the court.
Yueying, watching from the side, clutched a small pendant bearing the thunder-dragon sigil. "We have rebuilt. But now... now we must become guardians of peace."
Mengtian turned to her. "That peace may one day need steel again."
She smiled softly. "Then let our steel shine brighter than their shadows."
At evening that day, Yueying approached Mengtian in the Estern Garden of Red Leaves. The tension had lessened, but her face carried memories of war.
"You turned down the throne."
Mengtian nodded. "I do not wish to rule what I once fought to change."
She touched his hand. "You changed the meaning of power. The empire may not understand that yet, but I do."
They sat in silence for a while beneath the crimson leaves.
Few days later, within the State of Records, high above Tianzhen's skyline, the clan registry was being rewritten. Dozens of clerks copied new seals, emblems, and hierarchical charts.
The new list,
High-tier Clans: Bai, Long, Tang, Dongfang
Middle-tier Clans: Jin, Peng, Shi (pending reformation)
Low-tier Clans: Others rising through Clan Wars
Soon, the day of The Pact Signing also came.
In the Truehold Bastion, Su Mengtian sat across a stone table from Chancellor Yushen of the Empire's foreign bureau. The room was guarded by ten Hallmasters.
The non-aggression pact was placed on the table.
"Hundred years," Yushen said. "We agree to refrain from military incursions or political sabotage."
"Agreed," Mengtian said. "But if the Compact ever reforms under another name—"
"—you may act without constraint."
Both signed.
Lightning rolled over the skies above Tianzhen. A new age had begun.
That evening, Su Mengtian stood before the great round table of Kun Island's newly rebuilt Command Hall. Each Hallmaster took their place.
He looked to them, his voice steady. "The war is over—but peace is not given. It is guarded, taught, and rebuilt. From this day forth, we are not merely warriors. We are keepers of the balance."
And outside, far away in the mountains, beyond the oceans, a Grand Gate was opening—guarded by a dragon, protected by swords, a whole new world waiting to be embraced by dawn.