The morning sun had already risen high in the sky, its light reflecting off the polished stone paths and the pale, whitish walls of the palace buildings.
Everything looked clean, bright, almost blinding in places where the light hit directly.
From where Xiao Feng sat, looking out of the moving carriage, the palace grounds looked alive, it was already full of activity.
His eyes drifted toward the open training grounds in the distance, where groups of people moved with purpose. Their movements were fast, controlled, and practiced.
Those were usually betas.
In the Ming Empire, betas.. were trained from a young age. Their main role was to develop different kinds of skills meant to protect the packs and the empire as a whole.
They trained in combat, tracking, defense, and coordination. They were the backbone of the empire's strength, even if they never held the same authority as Alphas.
Long ago, swords had been common. But as wolves evolved, swords slowly lost their importance.
With sharper claws and stronger fangs, weapons became unnecessary. Speed that could outrun most enemies, strength that could break bone, hearing sharp enough to catch even the faintest sound, and a sense of smell that could track something barely there.. those abilities made carrying a blade feel almost insulting.
So swords were abandoned.
Betas were not as powerful as Alphas, but they were quick learners. Their bodies adapted fast, their minds sharp enough to master techniques meant to support and protect.
Their strength was enough for the duties they were assigned, and their loyalty was expected without question.
As the carriage moved further into the palace grounds, Xiao Feng's gaze shifted again. This time, he noticed the maids moving briskly from one place to another.
They carried trays, folded cloth, buckets of water, and bundles of clean fabric. Their steps were quick, their heads lowered, their attention fixed on their tasks.
These were Omegas.
Omegas were almost always given roles tied to service. Household chores. Cleaning. Cooking. Attending to Alphas. It didn't matter if they were men or women; they were treated the same way.
They were seen as belonging at the bottom, with no voice, no authority, and no place in decisions that shaped the empire.
No Alpha or Beta wanted to marry an Omega openly. Doing so would mark them as weak, even disgraceful.
It was believed that any heir born from such a union would always turn out to be an Omega. No one truly knew why it happened that way, but it happened often enough that people stopped questioning it.
Because of that, most Omegas ended up marrying each other. Vulnerable people bound to other vulnerable people, creating more lives trapped in the same position.
And when an Alpha, or even a Beta, fell in love with an Omega, or desired one without wanting commitment, they hid them.
Secret relationships. Hidden houses. Quiet nights that ended without promises. Sometimes just a single encounter, followed by abandonment.
Those thoughts made Xiao Feng's fingers curl into a tight fist.
His mother was an Omega.
The memory rose uninvited, pressing against his chest in a way he had grown used to but never accepted.
"We're here."
The voice of a guard cut through his thoughts.
Xiao Feng blinked and forced himself back into the present. The carriage slowed to a stop, and the door was opened. Cool morning air brushed against his face as he stepped out with Li Yue and Wang Yuan.
They were led forward, past tall columns and wide steps, toward a large building marked clearly as the court room.
The structure stood firm and imposing, built to remind anyone who entered that power lived within its walls.
As he walked, Xiao Feng straightened his posture and smoothed his expression into something neutral. Whatever thoughts he carried, whatever memories stirred inside him, this was not the place to show them. He never even planned to show them.
When they finally entered the courtroom, both of their steps faltered at the same time.
They stopped, clearly stunned.
None of them had expected what they saw.
The hall was packed.
As Xiao Feng slowly lifted his eyes and traced the faces around the room, he noticed that every Alpha from every pack in the empire was present.
They filled the space from one end to the other, sitting in rows.
Their expressions were dark, faces pulled tight with anger, disgust, and something close to judgment.
Even his father was there.
Xiao Feng's gaze barely brushed over him before dropping down as if it was something he had done all his life, and now it happened instinctively. He couldn't bring himself to look at him in the eye. He never had, not even once in his life.
His heart began to beat harder and faster, the sound almost too loud in his own ears. Something was wrong, very wrong.
What happened?
His mind raced, trying to grasp at possibilities, and then one thought hit him so suddenly that his breath stopped.
Did they find out?
Did they find out about him and Wang Yuan?
The thought made his fingers curl slightly at his sides, and his body slightly shook with fear.
No.
It couldn't be that.
Before he could think further, Emperor Li spoke.
"Have seats."
His voice was deep, cold, and carried across the hall without effort. It was the kind of voice people spent their lives trying to avoid hearing. The kind that left no space for argument or hesitation. The kind that made goosebumps trail on people's skin.
They moved immediately.
Their steps were stiff as they walked forward, and as always, Li Yue sat between them. Xiao Feng lowered himself into the chair, his back straight, his expression carefully controlled, even as tension coiled inside him.
Barely a minute passed after they sat when the heavy doors opened again.
Two men were dragged inside by guards.
They were dressed in training uniforms, clearly betas. Their clothes were disheveled, faces flushed, breaths uneven, as if they had been pulled straight from the training grounds without explanation.
The guards forced them forward roughly, pushing them down until both men were on their knees in front of the hall.
Xiao Feng's eyes fixed on them.
What happened?
He didn't know what the two men had done, not yet. But one thing was already clear. Whatever it was, it had triggered Emperor Li's merciless side, the side no one ever wanted to face.
And once that side was awake, there were only two possible outcomes.
Either those two men would live long enough to remember what happened here for the rest of their lives…
Or they wouldn't live long enough to see the next day.
Maybe not even the next hour.
That much was certain.
When Emperor Li finally stood, the tension in the room rose sharply. Even the other Alphas, men who ruled packs of their own,.. seemed to stiffen in his presence. Some shifted their weight. Others lowered their heads slightly, and no one spoke, maybe even breathed.
The entire hall held its breath.
Xiao Feng sat still, his pulse heavy in his ears, waiting to hear what had caused such a reaction.