Chapter 17: Day of Execution

As time slipped by and the night faded, a gentle pink glow spread across the distant sky. Birds broke the dawn with their cheery songs, while streaks of orange deepened at the horizon.

The dark blue night quietly retreated, heralding the arrival of a new day.

By early morning, the rain had passed and the skies cleared. The whole courtyard buzzed with insects and birds, the narrow paths still damp, and raindrops clinging stubbornly to the treetops.

Gu Qingyi had already risen, looking as though yesterday’s grueling test had left him unaffected.

He was in the middle of an old-school broadcast calisthenics routine from his previous life.

After a full ten minutes of exercise, Gu Qingyi felt completely invigorated, every cell in his body awake and thrumming.

With a creak, the door swung open.

“Good morning, Big Brother Gu,” came Nangong Lin’s voice.

For a moment, Nangong Lin froze in the doorway. She caught Gu Qingyi striking a rather peculiar pose and blinked in confusion. “Big Brother Gu, what exactly are you doing?”

Balancing on one leg, Gu Qingyi glanced over and answered with a casual smile, “Just keeping myself fit. Why, did you need something?”

“Oh, right.” Nangong Lin gathered her thoughts, “Today’s the day we execute the remaining villains of the Wang family in public. Brother Yan asked us to come.” She hesitated, glancing at Gu Qingyi’s flowing movements. “Also, when you have time, could you teach me those exercises?”

“Of course,” Gu Qingyi agreed easily. “Next time, I’ll show you. I’ll just get ready and we can head out.”

“I’ll wait for you, then.” Nangong Lin’s eyes lingered on Gu Qingyi, his sweat-drenched shirt revealing a sculpted eight-pack and a quiet strength. Her face flushed pink as she ducked her head, stammering softly.

“Looks like yesterday’s test didn’t get to him at all!” Nangong Lin thought when she saw Gu Qingyi so full of energy.

“All done, let’s go,” Gu Qingyi announced, stepping out after quickly tidying up. The two set off together.

……………….

Meanwhile, at the execution grounds.

In the early morning light, the central plaza of the small town felt especially solemn.

Yet, there was something restless in the air, as though a storm was brewing beneath the calm.

Old prison wagons stood in the center like silent, brooding beasts waiting to unleash the darkness within.

The heavy doors creaked open and the last of the Wang family’s criminals were dragged out.

Iron shackles locked their arms in front, and their faces were drained of hope—haunted, empty-eyed men robbed of their light.

In this moment, they were nothing like the tyrants who once held lives in their hands; now, they were helpless captives at fate’s mercy.

Crowds surged forward, their emotions boiling like a crashing tide.

Their stares brimmed with rage and contempt, as if they could swallow those criminals whole.

Some didn’t hesitate to fish out rotten eggs and wilted vegetables from their baskets, pelting the prisoners without mercy.

The crack of eggshells echoed in the air, yolk and shards splattering across the prisoners’ faces.

A nauseating reek drifted among them, while soggy cabbage leaves slapped across ragged cheeks, leaving raw red marks.

The prisoners neither fought back nor wept, their eyes remaining hollow as if all of this happened to someone else.

They understood resisting was pointless now, so their faces were blank—already resigned to their fate.

“Silence! Maintain order at the execution grounds!” A stern voice cut through the noise, and the crowd fell instantly quiet.

For a split second, it felt as though time itself had stopped.

Every sound died away, leaving only the Wang family’s ragged breathing and the crowd’s simmering anger echoing in the air.

The public beheading of the Wang family drew every eye.

That day, people packed every inch around the execution ground.

Countless residents of White Deer Town came to witness this historic moment together.

Just then, Gu Qingyi and Nangong Lin arrived.

With Nangong Lin overseeing today’s proceedings, the main seat at the front remained empty until she took her place after a quick exchange with the others.

“The appointed time is here. Begin the execution!” Nangong Lin declared, claiming the lead seat and raising a command token with a sharp yell.

In the center, the condemned were tied to execution pillars, faces drawn and full of regret.

The executioner gripped his knife, and at Nangong Lin’s order, the blade flashed—each life cut short in an instant.

The crowds erupted, cursing the criminals and voicing their overwhelming emotions.

At Nangong Lin’s command, the executioner’s blade swept down. In the blink of an eye, heads from the Wang family hit the ground, blood spilling out and skulls rolling in a grim heap.

A collective gasp swept the crowd—grief, anger, and fear churning together in the charged air.

Cheers broke out as the crowd clapped and shouted, elated at justice being served.

Family of the prisoners sobbed uncontrollably, mourning amid the raucous celebration—a stark contrast.

Nearby, some townsfolk raged on about the prisoners’ crimes, determined that justice must be severe.

Others just bowed their heads in silence, reflecting on how fickle life could be.

Children stared wide-eyed at the remains, their young minds quietly pondering the balance of good and evil in the world.

For the onlookers, this public execution was a sharp lesson—good is rewarded, evil is punished. Some were so moved they dropped to their knees on the spot, bowing their heads with thanks.

Up on the judgment seat, Wang Wan wept as she watched her family’s heads roll. Deep inside, she murmured, “Son, daughter-in-law, your vengeance is complete. You can rest peacefully now.”

“The cultivation world worships the strong, and the weak are nothing but ants,” Nangong Lin and Gu Qingyi couldn’t help but feel conflicted as they took in the scene. “But even among the powerful, no one is untouchable. You never know when death might come for you.”

“There’s always someone stronger out there, always a higher peak to climb.”

Seeing all this only hardened Gu Qingyi’s resolve: only by gaining true strength could he live without fear or submission—only then would others have to respect him, only then would he be safe from a silent, untimely death.

“Only by standing at the very top of this world can you avoid being trampled by others!” Gu Qingyi clenched his fist. “Yes, I must become stronger!” He thought back to that humiliating promise—the so-called two-year challenge. Half a year had already flown by.

A dark look flickered in Gu Qingyi’s eyes as he remembered that shameful day. “Li Ji, just wait. When the time comes, you’ll be the first step on my path to the top!”

[Cultivation Realms of Sword Qi Continent: Ordinary Person, Sword Practitioner Realm, Sword Qi Realm, Sword Sea Realm, Sword King Realm, Sword Emperor Realm, Sword Saint Realm, (Demi-God Realm), Sword God Realm]

[In history, no one has ever reached Demi-God Realm, which is why it’s long forgotten. Sometimes called ‘False God Realm,’ it’s clearly recorded in ancient legacy scrolls.]