The interrogation chamber was dimly lit.
Yao-inscribed suppression shackles hung along the walls, and the air carried a faint medicinal scent mixed with an oppressive heaviness.
Gu Ying was bound within Yao-forged restraints, her wrists and ankles secured. Yet at her temple lingered a mocking smile, sharp and unrepentant.
Tie Ye sat at the interrogation table, his expression cold and immovable. Luo Yan and Lin Yaochen stood on either side of him, while Mozi paced silently along the edge of the shadows, watching without a word.
"Your collusion with the Third Continent is already proven," Tie Ye said, his voice heavy as iron, striking straight at the heart.
"If you don't wish to die without even a body left behind, speak. What is Lin Zhaochi's next move?"
Gu Ying let out a soft laugh, though fatigue flickered briefly in her eyes.
"Lin Zhaochi…" she said. "Do you really think he's doing this only to seize power?"
Her tone slowed, half-mocking, half-reminiscent.
"He once told me that at fifteen, he could already identify the structural flaws of a broken-generation Yao array at a glance. Back then, he was brilliant, arrogant—so gifted that even the Keepers of Records sought his counsel."
She turned her head toward Tie Ye, her words edged with irony.
"A genius like that, hailed as 'a jade unseen in the Yao Palace for a hundred years'—and yet he lived forever beneath a shadow."
"Lin Zhaoting," Mozi said quietly.
Gu Ying sneered, true coldness rising in her gaze.
"All of you generals, guardians, court officials—who among you didn't follow that elder brother? Lin Zhaoting had extraordinary Yao lineage, the legitimate eldest son, groomed from childhood as successor. Even when he didn't want the throne, none of you ever considered giving Lin Zhaochi a chance."
Her voice dropped.
"You see only Lin Zhaochi's ambition, but you never see how that ambition was forced into being. He hates your outdated bloodline system. He hates his father even more—for no matter how hard he worked, he was forever nothing more than a 'secondary son.'"
Lin Yaochen's expression shifted, something stirring deeply within him.
Gu Ying slowly raised her head. Her voice was no longer arrogant, only weary.
"He once said: 'I don't need anyone to give me a throne. I will build one myself.'"
"The ideology of the Third Continent struck straight at his heart. They promised him real power—no bloodlines, no birthright, only strength. With the Yao Compass and the Ge family's weaponcraft, he could lay the foundation for a new order."
Tie Ye's voice cut in, cold and absolute.
"What he wants is not order. It's the吞噬—the annexation—of the Yao Realm."
"Yes," Gu Ying said slowly, each word deliberate, her tone suddenly carrying a fanatical certainty.
"He will destroy the Yao Realm. But he will build something new—
a world that does not depend on surnames, does not judge origin, and does not imprison the talented within the shackles of blood."
Luo Yan muttered darkly, "He just wants to be king. He's dressing it up with pretty words."
Mozi finally spoke, his voice glacial.
"Does he know how many corpses he's stepping on to reach this so-called 'new world'?"
Gu Ying fell silent.
Tie Ye rose slowly from his seat.
"If his 'new world' is built on slaughter and betrayal," he said,
"then it is not order. It is calamity."
Lin Yaochen felt a jolt in his chest.
Gu Ying's words echoed in his mind—
A world not bound by surnames, not limited by birth.
The phrase struck like lightning, hitting a place within him he had never fully examined.
He had grown up in the modern world—without royalty, without nobility. A world that valued ability and choice. His father, Lin Zhaoting, had never spoken of bloodline glory, never taught him to look down on others. The world he knew was one where respect was earned through effort and sincerity.
He could not accept Lin Zhaochi's betrayal. He despised the sacrifice of innocents in the name of "ideals."
And yet, he could not deny it—
Lin Zhaochi's ideology sounded eerily similar to the modern world Lin Yaochen had grown up in.
"Not bound by surnames. Not judged by birth…"
He repeated the words silently, feeling a heavy, unnameable contradiction settle over him.
Tie Ye's sharp gaze caught the shift in his expression.
"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly.
Lin Yaochen paused before lifting his head, his voice steady though faintly trembling.
"I just… never expected my uncle to say something like that."
He hesitated, then looked at Gu Ying's eyes—fervent yet exhausted.
"I can't accept what he's doing. But some of his ideas… they feel like they came from the world I know. And that makes it hard for me to completely dismiss him."
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow.
"Don't let fancy words fool you. What he's doing is no different from the darkest chapters of history."
Ge Zhiyao said calmly,
"The most dangerous people aren't villains. They're villains who believe they're saviors."
Tie Ye said nothing. He studied Lin Yaochen for a long moment, then turned and issued a cold command.
"Take Gu Ying back to the lock prison. Tight security. Every word she said will be submitted to the Yao Court."
The guards moved in and hauled Gu Ying up. Her smile never faded, as if she could already see a future approaching.
Lin Yaochen watched her receding figure, his heart heavy.
Never before had he questioned the definitions of justice and order so deeply. Never had he felt so clearly that—
to seek the Five Yao was not merely to find people,
but to determine what the true future of the Yao Realm should be.
He stood in silence, lowering his gaze to his palm.
The Earth Yao mark that had glowed moments earlier was dim now, yet warmth remained, as though the earth wall he had raised had not fully vanished.
"Not bound by surnames. Not judged by birth…"
He repeated it again, no longer able to dismiss it as mere enemy rhetoric.
He had heard those words in the modern world. He had believed them once.
But now, spoken by Lin Zhaochi, they were entangled with conspiracy, bloodshed, and betrayal.
Was this what ideals became?
Were such ideals worth shaking his resolve?
He closed his eyes.
Gu Ying's fanatical smile flashed through his mind.
Tie Ye's silent weight.
And Ge Zhiyao's calm yet sorrowful warning—
The most dangerous people are those who believe themselves saviors.
Lin Yaochen clenched his fist, his breathing growing heavy.
He realized he was standing at a crossroads.
Not between people.
But between futures.
Footsteps approached. Luo Yan sat down on a stone nearby without speaking, simply keeping him company.
Lin Yaochen didn't look up. He asked softly,
"If a bad person says one true thing… what would you do?"
Luo Yan tilted his head, thought for a moment, then grinned.
"I'd remember the words."
"And still smash his head in."
Lin Yaochen froze—then laughed, genuinely, for the first time in a while.
He lifted his gaze to the night sky, where starlight flickered as if whispering an answer.
He understood now—
Some ideas are worth cherishing, but never at the cost of excusing violence.
Some words can be accepted, but never allowed to justify corrupted actions.
"Not bound by surnames. Not judged by birth."
They were beautiful words. His world had lived by them.
But now he saw clearly:
when spoken by someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, they became not ideals—but poison wrapped in sugar.
He spoke quietly, firmly.
"Not bound by surnames. Not judged by birth—that's good."
"But it doesn't mean chaos, or the right to trample others."
His eyes reflected the stars, his voice steady with conviction.
"A true leader doesn't just want the throne.
If it's only to satisfy personal desire, then no matter how noble the words, it's nothing but self-deception."
"The one truly worthy of saying those words should be someone who carries the people in their heart, who can protect this realm, and who can hold up peace amid chaos."
"Not bound by surnames. Not judged by birth—
that should be a road of hope, not a shortcut to destruction."
His clenched fist loosened slightly.
The values of his modern upbringing and the turmoil of the Yao Realm no longer clashed—they fused, forging something clearer.
At this moment, he was no longer just someone's son.
No longer merely the bearer of the Yao Compass.
He was Lin Yaochen—the one who would shoulder the path of seeking Yao.
He was no longer following.
He was choosing.
He lifted his head to the night sky as the wind brushed past his hair. His gaze hardened with resolve.
"I will find them—the Five Yao."
"And together, we will protect this world."