1787 Truth

Even as war raged right next to them, another smaller and verbal war was erupting where the newly arrived cultivators had gathered.

Long Huogang, the Empire's only working Head in the war, was speaking against Yan Yating, who was once the Head of War himself.

The two of them spoke, trying to convince the cultivators to come to their aid, but none could successfully persuade the cultivators.

Long Huan arrived a moment later, leaving his brother, who had been trying to convert the soldiers into fighting against their father.

The gathered cultivators looked at the prince, and one ancestor moved forward. She brought out a talisman and spoke, "This is a talisman to remove all illusions and lies. May I use it on you?"

"Go ahead," Long Huan said.

The old woman threw the talisman at Long Huan and activated it. Instantly, the talisman burned away as it left an aura behind that gathered around Long Huan.

Long Huan felt the aura move around him and seemingly settle on his surface before rapidly fading.

"No, that is the prince alright," the woman said. "Second prince, are you any sort of compulsion to speak what you speak?"

"I am my own man. No one is compelling me to say what I am saying," Long Huan said. He could feel the energy of the talisman somewhat take away his ability to lie, which he fortunately didn't have to do.

"Then your words regarding what your father did is correct?" someone else asked. "Did the Emperor kill the Azure Dragon?"

"He did," Long Huan said.

Several of the cultivators gasped in surprise as they realized that what was being said was true. They all then looked toward Yan Yating and Long Huogang.

"Senior Huogang," one of the senior cultivators spoke. "Would you mind telling us what reason the Emperor might have had to do what he did?"

"What he did is already bad enough that he will have to immediately abdicate his throne," someone else said. "We cannot stand the murder of our true ruler and let his murderer sit on the throne."

"Yes," someone else shouted, and soon enough many of the people that had gathered there were of one tone.

"That is true," the senior cultivator that had first asked the question said. "However, if there was a reason why he did it, a good one, then maybe we can stop at just abdication. There won't be any need to punish him."

At those words, many of the people slowly nodded their heads as they understood the purpose of the question.

"I…" Yan Yating began to speak but a look of pain flashed through his face. "I cannot tell you. I am bound by the oath that the Emperor forced upon me that day."

"I already told everyone through my message," Long Huan quickly said. "His Majesty, the Azure Dragon had a son. My father wished to kill him, so he attacked the secret realm with many soldiers who were bound by oaths and could not leave."

"Many died that day, and many others were forced to speak another oath to never speak of that day again," Long Huan said. "The Azure Dragon died during that."

A quiet murmur passed through the cultivators as they took in the information and tried to make sense of the situation.

The people seemed to take the information in stride, but their beliefs were shattered when Long Huogang asked a single question.

"Were you there that day, Your Highness?" the man asked. "Were you there to witness what happened?"

"What?" Long Huan asked. "No, I wasn't."

"Then how would you know what happened?" Long Huogang asked.

Instantly, many of the cultivators looked back at Long Huan as a new layer of confusion and distrust passed through them.

"Senior Yan," Bing Zheshuang of the Ice Mist Palace spoke. "You mentioned that you were all forced to speak an oath that day?"

"Yes," Yan Yating said.

"Then… why does His Highness know what happened that day?" she asked him.

Yan Yating paused for a moment and turned around toward Long Huan. He wasn't sure how anyone else had accurate information from back then.

"I…" Long Huan tried to answer, only to find himself stuck once again. It wasn't as though he didn't know the answer, or that he would have to lie to make up an answer.

It was just that these people would not accept the answer that he was going to have to give to them. And he wasn't sure how well they would take that information.

With no choice, Long Huan spoke.

"I received that information from Alex," he said.

"You were told this by the King of the Southern Continent?" someone asked.

"Surely you didn't help wage a war against your father just because of another King's words," someone else said.

"Are you sure you weren't played, Your Highness?" someone else asked.

Doubt was heavy in the air, and distrust was slowly growing as well.

"That I might have received knowledge from someone," Long Huan said. "But do you doubt when I say that my Father tried to kill me?"

"He didn't try to kill you, Your Highness," Long Huogang said. "He simply wanted to stop you from running away."

"And he nearly killed me back then."

Long Huogang sighed. "He merely sought to get back the Empire's treasure that you ran away with."

"He nearly killed my wife," Long Huan shouted back.

"That was because she was killing our soldiers," the old man said. "His Majesty merely tried to stop her."

"You know damn well that is not true," Long Huan said as he looked ready to kill the old man.

"And what of me?" Yan Yating spoke as he turned toward Long Huogang. "Do you claim that I and my fellow soldiers turned against the Emperor for no reason as well."

"Stop your squabbling!"

A drowning voice covered the entire battlefield as the Emperor flew high in the distance and spoke from there.

"Long Huan, I'm disappointed in you," the Emperor said before looking at Yan Yating. "And I expected better than this from you, old friend."

Yan Yating could only growl in response.

"The rest of you," the Emperor addressed the gathered cultivators. "Since you are here, come assist us in this war. Help us drive the foreign army from this land."

Many of the cultivators looked at each other, unsure what to say or do. The leader of the Immortal Saint Pavillion stepped forward and bowed toward the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, we apologize but we cannot aid you just yet," he said. "The accusations made against you are severe enough that we cannot just look past it. If you wouldn't mind, please enlighten us to the truth."

"The truth?" the Dragon Emperor asked. "The truth is simple. I shall prove it to you all at once."

The Emperor took a single second to take in a deep breath and spoke out loud.

"I, Long Tiankong, Emperor of the Azure Empire, did not kill the Azure Dragon, Qing Tianchui. If I am lying, may the heavens strike me down."

The war seemed to pause after the Emperor's words as silence filled the earth.

And just as well, it filled the sky and the heavens as well, for they did not rumble, and they did not strike him down.