In the grim aftermath of Xuè Gāng's execution, Captain Zhào turned to his nephew, his face alight with a fierce veteran's pride. "Look, I did it," his expression seemed to shout, "I am NOT some old soldier. You get it, brat?" Jian Zhi offered a slight, acknowledging smirk in return, a rare gesture of respect for his uncle's prowess.

  This moment of triumph was a spark in a tinderbox. Xuè Yàn's rage ignited into an inferno.

  [Xuè Yàn]: "YOU COWARDS! Ganging up on one man! I will carve my vengeance for Xuè Gāng from your flesh!"

  He launched himself not at Jian Zhi, but at Captain Zhào. As Mei Lin fended off other soldiers, Xuè Yàn unleashed the full, crushing weight of his Kinetic Dominion. An invisible, suffocating force-field slammed down, pressing the very air from the lungs of the Divine Land's soldiers. Men gasped, their bodies buckling under the pressure, crimson tears welling in their eyes as blood trickled from their mouths. Captain Zhào grunted, his own Hún Guāng flaring as he fought to remain standing against the overwhelming pressure.

  [Xuè Yàn]: "This is for Xuè Gāng! DIE, YOU WRETCHES!"

  The retaliation was not a movement; it was a translocation. Fusing his newly mastered flight with the Ghost Step and the searing energy of his Fire Soul, Jian Zhi became a blazing scarlet comet. A trail of fire scorched the earth where he had stood, and in less than the blink of an eye, he was before Xuè Yàn. The punch was piston-straight, a concussive impact that shattered the man's nose with a sickening crunch and sent him flying backwards to thud against the torn earth.

  [Xuè Yàn]: "[Gasping in shock and agony] H-How…? Who is h—"

  His question was choked off as Jian Zhi’s hand clamped over his mouth, lifting him as if he weighed nothing. With a surge of power, they shot skyward, piercing through the clouds until the battlefield below looked like a child's toy.

  [Jian Zhi]: "No one touches my people."

  His voice was the final judgment. Xuè Yàn’s muffled screams for mercy were lost to the thin, high-altitude wind. Jian Zhi twisted his body and, with all the force of a falling star, drove his fist downward, aiming the man like a missile at the ground. A nimbus of intense heat enveloped Xuè Yàn's body, burning him to a charred husk even before he struck the earth with a force that cratered the ground, burying his remains four feet deep.

  Jian Zhi landed softly, the aura of a wrathful deity still clinging to him. A horrifying sight instantly severed his triumph: Lian, her face turning blue, was being strangled by the ethereal leash of Xuè Jùn.

  [Xuè Jùn]: "I see you possess the devil's own power. But she is important to you, is she not? Should I just snuff her life out now?"

  [Lian]: "[A choked, powerless whisper] Y-Your M-Majesty… D-Don't… worry… about me…"

  She fought to maintain a brave face for him, but the lack of air overwhelmed her, and her body went limp. Jian Zhi moved in a blur of crimson motion, the Punisher flashing from its scabbard to sever the Hún Guāng leash. In the next heartbeat, he had scooped her into his arms and was airborne, carrying her away from the immediate chaos.

  [Jian Zhi]: "Lian… Lian!" he called, his voice tight. When she didn't stir, he delivered a sharp, open-handed slap—not to hurt her, but to shock her soul back to consciousness.

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  Her eyes fluttered open.[Lian]:"[Voice still weak] I am sorry… Your Majesty… I failed you again."

  [Jian Zhi]: "YOU DIDN'T FAIL ME!!" he roared, his words harsh but his eyes blazing with a fierce, protective care. "STOP WITH YOUR INSECURE WORDS!! WAKE UP!! YOU ARE THE CELESTIAL INTERCEPTOR OF THIS KINGDOM!!"

  His shout was the catalyst she needed. A new, unshakable confidence ignited in her gaze.

  [Lian]: "Leave me here, beside Mei Lin. I will help her clean up the soldiers. Soon. Trust me, My King."

  He set her down, and she became a storm. Her Qilin's Grace was a jade-and-silver hurricane, flowing through the enemy ranks. The sound of snapping ribs and shattered legs punctuated her passage as she disabled soldier after soldier in the blink of an eye.

  [Mei Lin]: "Whoa~! My bestie~! You've become this powerful? I need to catch up! Wait for me!!"

  With Mei Lin and Lian leading the charge, the enemy force was decimated, whittled down to a final ten men, with Xuè Jùn at their center.

  Jian Zhi shot toward the clan leader like a ballista bolt. But Xuè Jùn was cunning; a new leash, swift as a viper, lashed out and wrapped around Jian Zhi's throat—the one part of him not protected by the dragon-scale alloy.

  [Xuè Jùn]: "So, that's your secret?" he sneered, tightening his grip. "Your crimson armor nullifies Hún Guāng. Intriguing. Did you steal it from the greedy bastards in the Province of Northern Steel? How did you acquire so much?"

  Jian Zhi clawed at the constricting energy, his breath cut off. Lian saw his struggle. In a single, fluid motion, she hurled the Punisher through the air.

  [Lian]: "YOUR MAJESTY!!"

  Jian Zhi's hand snapped out, catching the hilt. Xuè Jùn summoned more leashes, a web of destructive energy, but it was futile. The Punisher sheared through them as if they were cobwebs. Daggers flew, a sword swung—nothing could stand against the blood-vaporizing edge of the dragon-scale alloy.

  He was the Crimson General in his crimson armor, walking forward with the inevitability of death itself.

  [Jian Zhi]: "Xuè Jùn! You harmed my people. As their protector, it is my divine duty to punish you."

  Terror finally seized the clan leader. He turned and ran, showing his back to the king. Jian Zhi moved with contemptuous ease, a single flick of the Punisher opening a deep gash on Xuè Jùn's calf. The man collapsed, dragging his useless leg, his breath coming in ragged, panicked gasps. A slight kick from Jian Zhi rolled him onto his back, forcing him to look up into the face of his executioner.

  [Xuè Jùn]: "D-Don't kill me! Tell me what you want! Forgive me… just this once!"

  [Jian Zhi]: "[A devilish, soul-chilling aura radiating from him] If you had surrendered before you hung my soldiers from the trees, I might have been merciful. But not anymore. Go. Serve in Hell."

  With a final, raging roar, Jian Zhi unleashed his fury. The Punisher became a blur of light, and when it ceased, Xuè Jùn lay in pieces.

  The battle-high vanished, replaced by the crushing weight of leadership. Captain Zhào approached, placing a steadying hand on his nephew's shoulder.

  [Captain Zhào]: "It's okay. Calm down. Calm… down… Casualties are the unavoidable price of war. Do not be so harsh on yourself."

  [Jian Zhi]: "How… how do I face their families?" he whispered, his voice raw. "Every one of them had a family. I should have planned better. I should not have lost a single one."

  Captain Zhào pulled his king, his nephew, into a firm, comforting embrace.

  [Captain Zhào]: "It's okay… They will understand. Their families died with honour. They died for our Kingdom."

  [Jian Zhi]: "We will raise a tomb for the fallen," Jian Zhi declared, his voice regaining its steel. "Their names will be remembered and respected by our people for generations. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten."

  Thus, the Crimson Siege ended. They had swept away 1,532 members of the Xuè Clan, at the cost of twelve of their own. The army returned to the capital, bearing their honored dead with solemn pride. Jian Zhi remained behind, setting a pyre to the enemy dead. In the radiating, hellish heat of the flames, the king stood alone, his eyes dead and hollow, already calculating the next, necessary move in the great game of survival.