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Red Lake, the living shall go no further, any intruder will have their bones crushed and scattered as ash.

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Great Qi Zheng Dynasty, Frost Descent*

*18th solar term

　　A group of cavalrymen wildly rushed with horses along the public road. Both men and horses were utterly exhausted. The young cavalryman who was riding ahead of them to clear the way suddenly shouted.

　　"The boundary marker is here!"

　　One can see a vertically upright stone pillar on the roadside which was not so far away. The stone pillar was about three or more meters high, b.l.o.o.d.y characters of flamboyant and cursive calligraphy were written on it, ominous and threatening: Red Lake, the living shall go no further, any intruder will have their bones crushed and scattered as ash.

　　At the front of the stone pillar, a middle-aged general greeted them with a row of guards. The guards donned sharp armor and were lined up. When they saw the man who just arrived, they knelt down altogether: "Crown Prince, Your Highness..."

　　"Shhh... "

　　The young cavalryman jumped down from the horseback and ran quickly. He stumbled under his feet and the general hurriedly stepped forward and held him.

　　"Your Highness, please be careful."

　　"It"s fine."

　　The young man waved his hand, and asked:"Where is my Royal Uncle?"

　　Before he had even finished speaking, he heard someone call his childhood name from nearby.

　　"Xiao Tong... come here ... "

　　The voice came from a man who was wearing a black attire, standing alone at the boundary stone pillar, his back to everyone. The young prince glanced at the bloodied words on the pillar, and resembling a young calf who did not fear a tiger, rushed forwards and pa.s.sed by the pillar. He knelt down in front of the man in black .

　　"I*... "

*crown prince uses 儿臣(er chen) to address himself in front of the Emperor

　　The man in black reached out and pulled up the prince lightly to stand up.

　　"You don"t need to."

　　The man"s face was so young that standing with the teenager beside him, they seemed more like brothers than a pair of uncle and nephew. No one could imagine that he was Sheng Xiao, the Qi Zheng Dynasty Emperor who had been reigning for 21 years.

　　He was born with upward slanting eyebrows and the peak of the eyebrows aren"t prominent. His sideburns were inclined up but the corners of his eyes were slightly drooping and there was a bit of tenderness and affection. He was also glowing with health and vigor and seemed absolutely friendly . He had an elegant and upright appearance.

　　Emperor Qi Zheng patted the young crown prince"s shoulder and softly said.

　　"Accompanying me to walk, aren"t you afraid?"

　　The Crown Prince said: "I am not afraid. When Emperor Uncle was young, at the Red Lake, you suppressed the evil spirits and beheaded millions of demon soldiers. Although I"m not as good as Emperor Uncle, I do not dare to say the word "fear" recklessly to ruin your glory of military prowess."

　　"Glory of military prowess ... what a vicious name."

　　Emperor Qi Zheng smiled and unhurriedly walked forward.

　　"You are not afraid, but I am greatly terrified. I have not dared to return in twenty years."

　　The Crown Prince hastened to catch up and was somewhat puzzled. He could neither understand his fear nor understand why he was using the word "return".

　　"Emperor Uncle-"

　　"Shh-"

　　Emperor Qi Zheng put a finger on his lips.

　　"Listen."

　　The Crown Prince blankly listened with a rapt expression for a moment and helplessly muttered

　　"Listen ... listen to what? There is nothing."

　　Emperor Qi Zheng smiled.

　　"Yes, there is nothing."

　　The Crown Prince looked distractedly and suddenly recalled a folklore he heard when he was young - it"s said that the Red Lake of fire sealed millions of resentful war spirits. Their grievances soared through the sky, thus, gale blew on both sides of the vast valley all throughout the year, whimpering incessantly. One who stood outside of the pillar could hear the screams and cries coming through from there day after day.

　　However in this moment, everywhere was exceedingly quiet thus he could have a stroll safely at the boundary pillar. He heard nothing besides his own footsteps and those of his uncle"s.

　　The Crown Prince thought to himself: "Folklore, can they really be believed in?"

　　Walking into the boundary pillar and moving forwards for merely hundred meters, one could already feel the heat wave coming on to their face.

　　At this moment, the solar term was already at late autumn, the Crown Prince just wore flimsy clothes yet a layer of hot sweat came out on his forehead. He secretly glanced at his uncle and restrained himself not to wipe it.

　　People said that Emperor Qi Zheng who was iron-blooded and ruthless, a temperamental lunatic, was born in the bloodbath of his father and elder brothers, and was born in bad luck. They also said that he murdered his mother, his teacher, burned books, forbid words, grew flattery, was militaristic and, persecuted the honest and the virtuous.

　　However in the young Crown Prince"s heart, he was his only family.

　　No matter what happened, this man always looked gentle and serene and he had never seen him speak in a strident tone or be dishevelled. The Crown Prince looked up to this uncle from childhood ,and until now that he has grown up, already able to draw the heaviest bow and supervise the country methodically,he was still following his back.

　　The two men crossed over the boundary pillar for more than a mile, Sheng Xiao halted his footsteps, and the surrounding air was filled with the smell of sulfur. The young Crown Prince already couldn"t breathe but firmly refused to let it show.

　　"Alright, that"s all for this year."

　　Sheng Xiao turned round, pulled out the sword which was hanging on the Crown Prince and thrusted it into the ground, "To walk any further - it is unbearable for you."

　　"......this year ?"

　　"Later on, you can come over and examine it every year. If I"m not mistaken, this sword should be able to move five miles each year. In less than ten years, the Red Lake of Fire should be completely extinguished. At that time, you can succeed the "Qing Ping Division" as the a.s.signed representative - as for the frightening boundary pillar, it will be smashed."

　　The Crown Prince looked distractedly and vaguely heard another meaning from his words.

　　As early as a year ago, Emperor Qi Zheng had shown the intention of abdication. He went on two inspection tours, letting the Crown Prince supervise the country and simultaneously quelling disturbances everywhere and methodically paving the way for the future generations.

　　However, until this day, the young heir of the throne was still confused and didn"t know how to be good.

　　"Everything that must be taught, I"ve already taught you," Sheng Xiao said indifferently. "Zhang Bo and Kong Yu are useful. Zhao Kuan is still in the prison and was accused wrongly. When you go back, release him and provide to Zhao family political rehabilitation. The son does not speak of the father* — in the future, it will do you no good to speak ill of me. Push Yang Dong to step up — that boy is not a good thing. These years he ate until his brain and intestines are full, now, at the new year, he should be ready to be led out the shed — it"s the new year"s gift I raised for you."

*shortened from The a.n.a.lects, by Confucius: "The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father."

　　He said this, paused for a moment as if to recall whether he had missed anything. The Crown Prince knelt down with a thump: "Emperor Uncle, the prime of one"s life—"

　　Sheng Xiao smiled:"What, are you planning to let me work until I aged gradually or until I"m buried and at rest? Your uncle had been worrying for half a lifetime and it greatly brings me pain — the imperial edict for abdication, Zhang Bo and Feng Chun have it in their hands. Old Feng will bring an imperial guard and escort you to return to the capital. He is your father"s best friend when he was alive. He will protect you, don"t be afraid."

　　The Crown Prince"s eyes were red.

　　Sheng Xiao held his hands behind his back and stood, looked at the direction of the Red Lake and gently touched his forehead : "Do you still remember your biological parents?"

　　"I do not dare to forget even a day."

　　"That"s good," Sheng Xiao nodded. "You have grown up, you know your own path to walk on — go ahead, your body will be harmed if you stay for a long time here."

　　"What about you?"

　　"The capital is too suffocating. I don"t want to go back." Sheng Xiao said, " I...well, I"ll guard the Red Lake for you. If you ever feel empty, you can come and see me."

　　The Crown Prince"s mind was somewhat determined, and then remembered something. He frowned:"But the vicinity of the Red Lake is very desolate and there is no temporary imperial residence ..."

　　"I have arrangements." Sheng Xiao interrupted him, pulled him up, gave him a gentle push and rushed him. "Go. There is my old friend in the Red Lake and I"ve to talk with him. You are too noisy."

　　The Crown Prince did not dare disobey the Emperor"s command, walking back in three steps, then turned around and walked. When he reached the boundary pillar, he finally could not help but look back at the man and saw him sitting on the ground in front of the sword.

　　At that moment, the Crown Prince"s mind suddenly gave a premonition without any reason — this is the last time that he would see person"s back.

　　Then he felt that this thought was inexplicable because Emperor Qi Zheng had foresight. Since he had said "have arrangements", the imperial residence must have been built nearby. He had to be diligent from now on, not letting the Emperor Uncle worry about the consequences, paying respects and be a bit hardworking on festive seasons, given that filial piety was achieved.

　　With this in mind, the Crown Prince knelt at the pillar, meticulously knelt three times and kowtowed nine times to the back of the imperial man in black attire with great courtesy, then walked to his own destiny.

　　After sending off the Crown Prince and others, night has already fallen. The palace guards had been sent away and only the imperial bodyguard stayed behind. The imperial bodyguard came over to Sheng Xiao, knelt down and wriggled his body, His armor came off from his body and the robe landed on the ground. From inside, he drilled out a small bird the size of a palm and kept silently beside its master.

　　"Oh, that"s right ...," Sheng Xiao stroked it"s neck and touched a fine golden silk from the bird"s neck.

　　"I forgot you."

　　There was a complex inscription on the golden silk which seemed like it was growing around its neck. Sheng Xiao lightly stretched out his hand and crushed the golden silk between at his fingertips.

　　The small bird"s throat produced a deep roar, then suddenly, its body grew up to more than ten times larger, its two wings swiftly spread out, raising a raging fire. It roared with an outstretched neck and stirred the clouds of stars on the southern night sky — this was actually a young Bifang*!

*Bifang, a bird in Chinese mythology. It looks like a crane which owns red marking, white beak, and has only one foot. This creature does not eat grains but flames. Its appearance is a signal of big fire.

　　Sheng Xiao stood up and sighed:"You don"t need to monitor me anymore in the future. We both are free."

　　Bifang stepped forward and lightly held the corner of his attire with its mouth.

　　Sheng Xiao looked down at it, and Bifang met his gaze. The bird instinctively trembled, slowly releasing its jaw and sat down stiffly.

　　"Good," the man smiled, raised his hand to remove his crown, and his long hair swiftly fell down. He waved his hand, turned around, and walked in the direction of the Red Lake.

　　The ground of the Red Lake was split open for a thousand miles, oppressive blazing magma boiled underground, barren on both sides. At the edge of the cliff, the man"s sleeve and boots have already been scorched.

　　The gentle and peaceful mask on his face split open, faintly showing delight and madness.

　　Nevertheless, being a mortal person is better.

　　A mortal"s life turns in a flash, hardships last for decades, happiness also for decades. The pain that the body could experience is always limited. Oftentimes, the pain hasn"t been truly felt, yet a person has already freed oneself.

　　Sheng Xiao stood at the edge of the cliff and thought to himself.

　　"I...might have to suffer a bit for my sins."

　　Bifang, who was guarding the sword, made a mournful cry and the man jumped into the abyss of the fiery sea.

　　The hot wind of the fire hit him directly on the face, the flesh was rapidly burnt to c.o.ke. Starting from skin, it burned one layer at a time until the bones appeared. The blood also began to boil, blood vessels burst in the body and pa.s.sed through the scorched flesh. All of the networks of blood vessels from his whole body were severed. He coughed a mouthful of ash, couldn"t distinguish if it was the heart or the lung.

　　Immediately after, he crashed into the blazing magma and slammed against the hard crust on its surface. However, his body was extremely strong. He fell from the extremely high cliff but surprisingly wasn"t broken down into pieces. His broken spine was reduced by a half, the flame raised up high like a banner. Fire that could melt gold and jade opened a mouth, swallowed him down, then exploded and spurted him up midair.

　　So far, he was still alive.

　　If a person can live after experiencing having their bones crushed and scattered as ash, all kinds of so-called "unforgettable" will become ashes floating on stones.

　　Under such repeated tortures, the whole sequence of events in his life, happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, all melted together and were refined by the large fire. Until ...he gradually forgot who he was and the disturbed magma was serene again. His limbs which weren"t completely burnt, slowly sank down.

　　Eventually, it came to an end.

　　Qi Wu Emperor Sheng Xiao, son of Emperor Ping.

　　Emperor Ping was harmed by the demon clan, died in the Red Lake when Sheng Xiao was born. Xiao was subst.i.tuted as the Emperor. His youth was rough and filled with hardships. In the twenty-third year of his life, he beheaded the demon king under Yong An city, changing the reigning era"s name to Qi Zheng. He restored the country to peace, made contributions equal to the merits of five emperors, cruelly slaughtered, and reversed the three cardinal guides and five virtues. Reigning for twenty one years, he finally committed suicide in the fiery Red Lake, no bones remained.

　　After ten years, the fire was extinguished, the Red Lake was peaceful. Emperor Wen removed the boundary pillar and built a tomb for Emperor Wu.

　　The world has transformed. A thousand years after that event, the ashes of the Red Lake sprouted a vast forest. The primitive forest of the Red Lake valley became a scenic area.

　　Buzz-

　　What sound is this?

　　From the depths of earth came vague and disturbing whispers, becoming much and much louder and closer..

　　It"s so noisy ...

　　His consciousness was forcibly awakened by the raucous noise and his consciousness betrayed his will. The senses which had been silent for thousands of years greedily extended out their tentacles, frantically sucking every fresh detail around them. The whole clamor of the world rushed towards him without exception and along his six senses spilled into the sea of knowledge — the touch of mud, the strong smelling of the earth, the sound of the wind, the sound of footsteps, the voice of humans......

　　Human voice?

　　He wondered: "How could there be people here?"

　　The doubt flashed by, and more doubts floated immediately as his consciousness recovered: "Why shouldn"t there be anyone here ? What kind of place is this ? I ...... I am..."

　　Who am I?

　　He felt his body, struggled to move, a cracking sound came into his ears and the wind skimmed over his forehead. He suddenly opened his eyes and was blinded by the long-lost dazzling sunshine. Afterwards he found himself lying in the coffin ...in the broken slags.

　　"Oh...," he pondered for a moment in the coffin with slags and calmly concluded: "I might be a fraudulent corpse*."

*related to a superst.i.tion about a corpse that suddenly moved