3 Prologue - The Execution (3)

"The Will of Heaven? Her Highness, our Holy Consort, IS the Will of Heaven! Save your strength, little Ingdra, there are still four brothers waiting for you to say good-bye to! How can the show go on if you can't even stand it now?"

With these words, Lord Peacock tossed another feather on the execution platform and announced the punishment, "Reyan to be cut into a fish stick, Chagall to be crushed into fish paste!"

So another two beautiful young men, third brother Reyan and fifth brother Chagall, were dragged onto the execution platform and bound with chains respectively.

Reyan was quiet and easy-going. He had always been regarded by the two masters as the next successor to Leeyu Troupe. When he saw the cruelty of Her Highness the Holy Consort and Lord Peacock, and witnessed the heartbreaking deaths of his two older brothers, he knew that there was no escape from this fate for all of them. His heart filled with sadness as he remembered those carefree days when they had been so close, learning and playing together, but now they were all destined to end up in River Ruo. His longing gaze swept over his brothers one by one, finally resting on the haggard face under the Divine Tree, and he let out a long sigh, "I will go before you, but I hope we will meet again in the Other World. Let us be brothers again then! ..."

Before the words were completely out of his mouth, he was struck by a thunderbolt, and Reyan revealed his true form as a snake-headed fish with six feet on each side in addition to his fins. Lord Peacock chose the punishment of the "fish stick" specially for Reyan, as this punishment involved cutting off all the protruding parts of his body, including his fins and hands and feet, with a blunt knife, which was very cruel. Reyan was easy-going, but also a rather tough person. As the blunt knife sliced into his flesh, his body trembled and blood flowed out like water, but still he refused to make a sound. At last only a fish trunk remained and he was thrown into the Dead Sea alive.

"Third Brother..." Little Ingdra's lips were already dripping blood, clearly his body and soul were shattered, and he choked back a sob, not knowing what else to say.

Fifth brother Chagall had always been optimistic and was the most mischievous of all his brothers. He had never imagined that he, as a simple performer, would one day suffer such a calamity and he was so full of hatred that he shouted and cursed from the moment he was marched to the execution square. Now, seeing that his death was imminent, he shouted in the direction of the viewing platform, "What a Holy Consort! What a vile bunch of birdmen! You only use your power to kill innocent people! Remember, even if I go to the Other World, even if I become a ghost, I will not leave you in peace! I will fight against you to the end! You will pay the price for your crimes..."

Seeing Chagall speak his mind in such an aggressive manner, unafraid of death, the torturers rushed forward to silence him. Just as the execution was about to begin, a man arrived in a whirlwind, leapt onto the execution platform, stood in front of Chagall and shouted, "Hold the execution!"

This man was heavily armoured and had wounds all over his body, as if he had been through a bloody battle and had travelled thousands of miles to get here. The torturers, knowing him as Fedor, the lieutenant of the Feathered Army, dared not proceed, but looked to Lord Peacock for instructions.

"So it is Lieutenant Fedor," Lord Peacock smiled coldly, "I see you are still in your armour, do you have some important military matters to attend to?" He said, "Her Highness is personally dealing with the sinners at the moment to relieve the army of its worries. Even if you are the confidant of General Red Phoenix, trespassing in place of execution, is a crime of disregarding your superiors."

Ignoring Lord Peacock, Fedor took out a piece of paper decorated with a phoenix feather from his inner pocket and knelt down to present it to the Holy Consort.

"By order of General Red Phoenix, I have travelled over a thousand miles to present this letter to Your Highness." Having said this, he unfolded the paper and read aloud, "This defeat is my responsibility alone. The mermen performers of the Leeyu Troupe had nothing to do with it. By the grace of Your Highness, have mercy on them."

When the brothers heard these words, they all became excited. Even Herro, who was still suffering punishment at the hands of his torturers, a glimmer of hope could be heard in his sobs. Chagall wept tears of joy and looked lovingly at Fedor with pride in his eyes.

Seeing everyone's reaction to these words, the Holy Consort' face sank and she sneered, "Who ordered you to stop the scaling? Not a single piece should remain!" With that, the torturers rushed back to peeling the scales with their knives, and the square resounded with Herro's pitiful cries of pain.

Fedor was greatly shocked and said angrily, "Your Highness, since you already know the details of the battlefield and I have presented General Red Phoenix's own handwritten letter here, why do you..."

Before he could finish his words, the Holy Consort struck a thunderbolt, knocking Fedor to the ground and revealing his original form as a golden-haired divine horse.

"A mere lieutenant and a remnant of the Fur Clan, dares to pass on a forged letter here, spouting lies and slandering others! How dare you say that my son Red Phoenix is to blame for the defeat? What a load of nonsense! Do you think I don't know that you are having an adulterous affair with that red salmon Chagall? Since you have come all this way to die today, I will grant you your wish!"

Lord Peacock took the Holy Consort's cue and gave the order. Immediately, Fedor the Divine Horse and Chagall the Red Salmon were thrown together to a place on the execution platform. Several torturers, armed with gilded gourd hammers, smashed them without mercy and it wasn't long before they were beaten to a pulp. They were so mixed together that it was impossible to be separated. They then were thrown down into the Dead Sea with a Sunken Fish Stone wrapped inside.