Hua Ren flinched at the cutting words, his heart breaking under the weight of the accusation. The Emperor had already accepted the contents of the report as truth. Despite everything, a part of him—however small—had hoped that the Emperor would not believe it but here they were, his hopes dashed by the harsh reality.
"The report is false, Your Majesty." Hua Ren said, forcing his voice to sound calm. "I am your loyal servant. I will never betray you."
The Emperor’s gaze only grew colder, his eyes narrowing at Hua Ren’s words. "Do you take me for a fool, Hua Ren?" He asked. "The letter was explicit. It detailed your alliance with the Rebels. How you killed dozens of our soldiers, Hei Long and also your own Captain, Liara Fang. Why should I believe anything you say?"
Tears welled up in Hua Ren’s eyes. He couldn’t believe that they even pinned Liara's death on him. He raised his head, gazing at the Emperor, his eyes pleading. "Not everytjing is true, Your Majesty. I do not have an alliance with the Rebels. I did kill Hei Long and many of the soldiers but I never harmed Liara. It was Hei Long who killed her. I swear on my life, on everything that I am, that I have never—"
"Enough!" the Emperor snapped, his voice echoing off the marble walls. "Hua Ren, you just admitted to killing your soldiers and Hei Long. I have heard enough. Guards!"
The guards immediately rushed in.
"No! Please, wait, Your Majesty!" Hua Ren cried out, his heart hammering in his chest. "I killed Hei Long and the soldiers because he was blindly killing the villagers and he tried to have me killed first. Our orders were to investigate first and then pass judgement but Hei Long refused to investigate. He had already deemed them traitors and he wanted to kill them all but I couldn't let him. I couldn't let him spill innocent blood in your name. He didn't listen to me and even fought me. He instigated all the soldiers to attack me. I had to fight to survive, Your Majesty. He was the one who killed Liara, not me. I swear to you, Your Majesty. You have to believe me. I will never betray you. Your Majesty knows that I hate Rebels the most. Why would I collude with them to hurt you? Please, believe me. I will never do that. I live for you! Only you, Your Majesty."
The Emperor stared at Hua Ren, his expression unreadable as a heavy silence blanketed the room. Only the sound of Hua Ren’s rapid breathing broke the stillness. The Alpha guards by the door exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether to go back or to drag the Ivory Warlord away.
For a long moment, the Emperor said nothing, his gaze locked on Hua Ren, who remained on his knees, shaking with fear and exhaustion.
Suddenly, the King saw a small glint on Hua Ren’s finger which he was sure was never there before. It was no secret that the Ivory Warlord detested shiny jewelry so he never wore them. Why was he wearing a ring now?
"Come forward, Hua Ren." The Emperor commanded
Hua Ren did as he was told. He forced himself to his feet and staggered slightly towards the Emperor who stood up and directly reached for Hua Ren’s hand which was wearing the ring.
"This is a gift from your lover, is it not?" The Emperor asked, his thumb grazing the smooth surface of the ring. He gasped softly in surprise for he could feel the enormous power contained within it vibrating under his thumb. He wondered if Hua Ren could feel it too? Did that mean he was aware of his plans?
Hua Ren’s breath hitched from that question and he quickly shook his head, not noticing how the Emperor’s gaze was fixed on the ring. He was too ashamed to even look at the Emperor. "I have no lover, your Majesty."
"Oh?" The Emperor raised a brow. "Is that so?" His eyes were filled with a strange light as he kept caressing the ring on Hua Ren’s finger.
Hua Ren immediately went on his knees, bowing his head. "Believe this humble servant of yours, your Majesty. I have never been involved with anyone and I never will. Whatever you read about me and the Rebel leader is false. The only person who has a place in my heart is you, Your Majesty. I am devoted to you alone."
"Then where did you get the ring?" The Emperor asked.
Hua Ren had already forgotten about the ring. It was then he recalled the things that the village head, Qi Zhen, had told him. The Celestial Weapons. For the first time, doubt about the Emperor flickered in his heart but he quickly kicked it away and said truthfully; "The village head gave me the ring. I do not know why but ever since I wore it, I could not take it off."
The Emperor hummed, thinking about Hua Ren’s words. His dark eyes fixed on the shiny ring. "Did he tell you anything about the ring?"
Hua Ren shook his head; "No, Your Majesty." After all, Qi Zhen only told his to wear it in a hurry.
The Emperor kept quiet for a long time. If Hua Ren’s hand was not being held by him, Hua Ren would have thought he was the only one in the Celestial Dragon Hall. After a while, the Emperor finally spoke, his voice low and contemplative. "Knowing your character, I do find it difficult to believe the contents of the report, so I will reserve judgment until a thorough investigation is conducted. However, you did admit to killing your fellow soldiers and a General. Even though you claim it was self defence, you will be detained in a solitary cell until the truth is uncovered." He then warned; "Hua Ren, if I discover that you did indeed conspire with the Rebels... I will end you myself."
Hua Ren’s breath hitched, the gravity of the Emperor’s words settling heavily on his shoulders. Yet, he wasn’t afraid. Instead, he felt a surge of relief, knowing that the truth would come to light and clear his name. He believwd in the Emperor’s sense of justice. He would soon be free to serve his Emperor again.
"Take him away." the Emperor commanded, his tone softening slightly.
The Alpha guards moved to escort Hua Ren out, but before they could, he quickly stood on his own, his heart still racing as he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Without another word, he exited the Celestial Dragon Hall, flanked by the Alpha guards.