Over a thousand people knelt in unison, their pleas even drowning out the sound of Ye Tian's loudspeaker.
"Your Honor, please spare us!"
"That's right! Rebellion is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations! I still have an eighty-year-old mother at home!"
Hearing their desperate cries, Ye Tian felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
Once accustomed to being beasts of burden, it was hard to change.
"Young Master, these people aren't worth saving. Let them fend for themselves," Zhou Long stepped forward, his voice laced with anger.
Beside him, Dai Ya sighed. "The entire Tianxing Province has been struck by disaster. Without work at the docks, they'll starve to death in a matter of days."
Ye Tian did not respond to either of them.
His gaze swept over the kneeling laborers before him.
It seemed the most primitive method was needed to secure their loyalty.
Leaping down from the platform, he approached the laborers and looked down at one of them.
"What's your name?"
"Your Honor, this lowly one is called Hei Niu, a commoner from nearby Daoxiang Village," the young man replied in terror.
Though clearly older than Ye Tian, he dared not meet his eyes, his voice trembling.
"Stand up," Ye Tian said impassively.
"Y-yes," Hei Niu stammered, his legs shaking as he forced himself to rise.
Ye Tian drew his sword and handed it to Hei Niu.
"Take it."
Hei Niu's hands trembled. "Y-Your Honor, I d-dare not!"
"Take it!"
Seeing Ye Tian's anger, Hei Niu had no choice but to brace himself and grip the sword—though his hands still shook violently.
Ye Tian pointed at the severed heads hanging behind him. "See those soldiers' heads? Pick the one you hate most and cut it down."
Hei Niu dropped the sword in fright, falling to his knees and kowtowing desperately.
"Spare me, Your Honor! Spare me! This is a crime punishable by death!"
Ye Tian couldn't help but laugh coldly at his words. "Do you think disobeying me will keep you alive?"
Had his army been too disciplined during the port's capture, making these laborers believe he wouldn't break the rules?
"Today, either those heads on the platform are cut down, or yours will roll."
"Of course, once you've struck the head of a Star Luo Empire soldier, you'll be a rebel—and the only way out is to join us."
Ye Tian's smile was bright, but it sent a chilling silence through the surrounding laborers.
He glanced around. "Line up and prepare yourselves. One by one."
Then, he patted Hei Niu's shoulder. "I order you now: stand up, pick up the sword, and climb the platform."
Hei Niu froze—or rather, his mind went blank.
For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Swallowing hard, Hei Niu stole a glance at the Heavenly Strategy Army soldiers standing guard.
Finally, he made his decision.
If he disobeyed this lord's command, he would surely die on the spot.
The only way to survive was to follow through—to sever a Star Luo soldier's head and pledge his loyalty.
With no way back, Hei Niu's emotions steadied.
Pleading wouldn't earn this lord's sympathy.
Trembling, he picked up the fallen sword and shakily climbed the steps.
When his eyes fell upon the row of severed heads, his fear vanished—replaced by fury.
He stared fixedly at the second head from the left.
That face—Hei Niu would recognize it even in death.
"Zhu Yi, you've finally met your end!"
He remembered that night when Zhu Yi and his men had "lodged" in Daoxiang Village.
They had taken his family's five laying hens—their only means of survival—and slaughtered them for a feast.
When his younger sister confronted them, Zhu Yi kicked her to the ground, breaking three of her ribs.
As tenant farmers, his family couldn't afford medical treatment.
Within half a month, his sister was dead.
At this memory, Hei Niu laughed wildly, tears streaming down his face.
"Die! Die, you bastard!"
Closing his eyes, he gripped the sword with both hands and hacked madly at Zhu Yi's head.
Once, twice… until his strength gave out.
Watching impassively, Ye Tian ordered soldiers to carry Hei Niu away.
Then, he distributed weapons to the remaining laborers, forcing them to do the same.
Two hours later, all the laborers had completed their "pledge of loyalty" as demanded.
By then, the dozen or so heads had been mutilated beyond recognition.
Gu Yuena reduced them to ashes with a burst of elemental fire.
The square fell silent—so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
No one begged anymore.
After all, they had all struck down imperial soldiers. They were rebels now.
In fact, the laborers feared Ye Tian might reject them.
That would mean certain death with no burial.
Looking at the subdued crowd, Ye Tian found it almost amusing.
Returning to the platform, he raised his loudspeaker.
"Now, let me reintroduce myself. I am Ye Tian—son of the former Guardian General of the Empire!"
(Of course, his father—whom he'd never met—had never held such a title. A position like that required at least a ducal rank, and his father had merely been a prince's guard captain.
But that didn't matter. In these times, legitimacy was everything—and the grander the claim, the more followers it attracted.
Most commoners knew little of state affairs, let alone history from over a decade ago.
So Ye Tian wasn't worried about being exposed.)
Next, he pulled Dai Ya forward.
"This is Her Highness, Princess Dai Ya—the surviving daughter of the late Star Luo Crown Prince!"
"The current Star Luo Emperor is a tyrant who murdered his father and brother! Today, I, Ye Tian, pledge to support Her Highness in raising arms to slay the usurper!"
With that, he raised his sword high in a show of resolve.
Ye Tian's words stirred murmurs among the laborers.
"So the emperor is such a ruthless monster!"
"No wonder we've suffered so much! It's all that damned emperor's fault!"
"Then following Princess Dai Ya makes us the righteous side!"
"That's right! We're not rebels—we're an army of justice! We'll follow Her Highness to the death!"
"To the death for Her Highness!"
The laborers began chanting slogans, their voices rising like waves.
"Xiao Tian…" Dai Ya's eyes welled up at the impassioned cries.
She longed to embrace her younger brother, but before the crowd, she had to maintain the image he'd crafted for her.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and raised her sword.
"Today, I, Dai Ya, swear in the name of the Star Luo Empire: I will devote all my strength to avenging my father and slaying the traitorous usurper!"
Watching this unfold, Ye Tian allowed a faint smile to curl his lips.
From this moment on, the towering edifice of the Star Luo Empire would begin to crumble.
Stepping forward to stand beside his sister, he shouted to the laborers:
"You are the first soldiers of our righteous army! When we march with Her Highness to conquer Star Luo City, you shall be remembered as the empire's heroes of justice!"
(End of Chapter)