"...Fourth Prince?"
General Zhen's voice trembled as he stared at the corpse.
For a moment, he seemed unable to believe his own eyes. His gaze remained fixed on the young man's face, as though hoping that a closer look would somehow prove his identification wrong.
He took an involuntary step forward.
The faint sound of his footsteps echoed through the dimly lit hall, but he barely seemed to notice. His attention was entirely focused on the corpse pinned against the wall.
"Impossible..."
His lips quivered.
"How... how could this happen?"
The shock in his voice gradually gave way to disbelief and horror.
He had served the dynasty for many years and had seen his fair share of death on the battlefield.
Yet seeing the Fourth Prince's body displayed in such a gruesome manner was somehow far more difficult to accept.
