The path to immortality through martial arts begins with being forced into marriage!

On the day of the execution, the sky over Donghai City was as gloomy as iron.

There was no wind, and the air was so stuffy it was suffocating.

As the prison van came into view, the previously noisy and whispering area around the execution ground fell silent for a moment, before erupting into an even more suppressed commotion.

"this......"

Inside the prison van, there were no fierce-looking prisoners as one might have imagined.

There are only two children.

A boy and a girl, who looked no more than seven or eight years old, were sallow and thin, and their coarse cloth clothes were covered with patches.

The two huddled together, but the boy, who was slightly older, looked around with a stubborn yet fearful gaze.

The people who had prepared a basket of rotten eggs and leaves silently threw these filthy things on the ground.

It's highly unlikely that a child this age is a vicious criminal; it's more likely that he was the victim of a series of events.

There's a saying among the people of the Great Rock Dynasty: kicking an innocent person when they're down is a sure way to go to hell!

Even if no one throws rotten eggs or vegetable leaves at them, the sheer number of people is a silent deterrent.

The girl in the cage buried her face in the boy's thin shoulder, her shoulder trembling and shaking. Before the tear stains on her face had dried, two more lines of clear tears fell.

The boy tried to straighten his back, which couldn't even support his clothes, his dirty little face full of confusion.

They are too small.

The prison cart was too large for them.

Even the gaps in the cage were easily accessible for them to squeeze through.

But they didn't run away.

Because they know that running has no value or meaning.

"This...this is the criminal's sister-in-law?"

"What a tragedy... such a young child..."

"The Demon Suppression Bureau has truly fallen into decline. They'll stop at nothing for fame and fortune, yet they claim to exterminate all demons and evil spirits under heaven. I think they're nothing but lackeys of the Great Yan Dynasty!"

"Shh! Quiet! The Demon Suppression Division's operations are not open to dissent! Be careful or you'll be arrested!"

"The punishment of collective punishment has existed since ancient times. It's just that they were born into the wrong family, with a murderous older brother..."

A few people in the crowd, who only had a limited understanding of the situation, began to discuss the matter in hushed tones.

Sympathy, reluctance, indifference, and even a hint of morbid pleasure were mixed together in the crowd!

But most people just watched in silence, numb as if they were living dead.

The prison cart quickly arrived at the execution ground. The chains on the cage clicked open, and the two children watched in terror as two constables approached them.

The girl finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears.

His pitiful appearance that day even made the yamen runners, who were used to seeing executions, feel a pang of pity.

But what can they do when there are arrangements made by their superiors?

He could only grit his teeth and be dragged, almost being led, to the execution ground.

Suddenly, another riot broke out among the crowd.

This time, however, it wasn't just murmurs. A group of people squeezed out of the crowd, stumbled and ran to the open space in front of the guillotine, and knelt down in a large group, wailing and sobbing.

These people, both men and women, were mostly nearing sixty, with gray hair.

"Your Honor! Have mercy!!"

"My lord! No matter what crimes Mu Yangyan has committed, these two children are ultimately innocent!"

"We've watched Mu Yangyan grow up! His character is impeccable!"

"She's been sensible since she was little, filial to her parents, and loving towards her younger siblings. Whenever she sees us old folks, she calls us 'Grandpa' and 'Grandma' from afar!"

"His father died fighting for the Great Yan, his mother was too sick to get out of bed, and his family was so poor they couldn't even afford to eat, yet he never stole a single steamed bun or a single piece of firewood from anyone! He was a truly good young man!"

Another old woman pounded her chest, sobbing uncontrollably: "It's his uncle's family that's so wicked! They rely on their measly money and connections in the village to bully men and women, running rampant in the countryside!"

"They're even withholding his father's pension, which is his mother's life-saving money. This is clearly pushing this orphaned mother and child to their deaths!"

"The child went to beg, kneeling in the snow and kowtowing, but they not only refused to give him anything, they also chased him with dogs and beat him with brooms..."

"If they weren't driven to desperation, how could a perfectly healthy child... how could they pick up a knife!"

"My lord! If the imperial law insists on an eye for an eye, and someone must pay for that beast's death, then we old bones, half-buried in the ground, have lived enough!"

"We're willing to pay with our lives for these two children! Please, have mercy and spare them!!"

"We're willing to pay with our lives!!"

"Release the doll!!"

"Pay with your life! Pay with your life!!"

There were at least thirty or forty people present, making for a truly spectacular scene.

The two children in the center of the execution ground saw that the grandparents who used to secretly give them half a piece of bread or a handful of dates were kneeling down to beg for their lives, and were even willing to die in their place.

The boy's tightly clenched lips loosened, and tears finally streamed down his face.

He turned his head and shouted in the direction where the villagers were kneeling: "Grandma Liu! Grandpa Wang!"

This cry was like a bucket of cold water poured into a boiling oil pan, instantly causing an uproar and making the old people even more grief-stricken, their cries for help even louder.

On the high platform, Cui Yi slowly closed his eyes, unable to bear to look any longer.

The events of the past few days have had a significant impact on his values.

He originally thought he could be cold-blooded and ruthless.

In reality, his so-called cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness were only based on his own interests.

As long as it doesn't infringe on my own interests.

As long as it doesn't threaten your life.

That feeling of compassion for humanity is like something that grows deep within one's soul, something that can never be severed!

Fortunately, although the methods used by the people from the Demon Suppression Division were despicable, at least they did not really intend to harm anyone.

Xie Yunfeng sat upright in the main seat, his face ashen, revealing no emotion.

But his fingers, beneath the wide sleeves of his robe, tightened almost imperceptibly.

The identities of these people had been reported the moment they set off; they were all from Muyangyan Village and had a good relationship with his family.

But now, there is no way out.

Just yesterday, he specially asked Song Ziwei to make a prediction. If it is not stopped, Mu Yangyan will become a major threat in the future!

Rather than letting a potential threat grow unchecked, it's better to find ways to destroy that possibility!

Therefore, even if Mu Yangyan did not come today, we must find a way to use this matter to cultivate a demon in his heart!

Even if this method is somewhat despicable.

Even if the process is unbearable.

But when it comes to the greater good of the nation, someone has to make a sacrifice!

With this thought in mind, Xie Yunfeng slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only a cold determination remained in them.

He raised his hand and gestured to the messenger standing to the side.

The messenger understood, took a deep breath, and announced loudly, "Silence! This is a solemn execution ground; no noise is permitted!"

"You have gathered a crowd to disrupt the execution ground and obstruct the imperial court from carrying out the execution; you shall be punished according to the law!"

"Someone come here!"

"exist!"

"Drive away anyone who is disrupting the execution ground!"

"Anyone who resists will be considered an accomplice and arrested!"