Dance Of The Dragons

"Your Majesty, no!!!"

Mingyu threw herself at Xie Jianyu's feet when the latter rose from his birthing bed.

"Let me go," Xie Jianyu said with an unhurried voice. "Otherwise, they will go inside and ransack this palace."

Mingyu broke into sobs.

"Your Majesty, you just gave birth," she said, as if Xie Jianyu needed a reminder. "Your body is very weak at the moment. Please don't go... please don't go, alright? Let's just escape through the secret tunnel..."

Xie Jianyu peeled Mingyu's fingers off his feet one by one and then pulled the young maid to her feet with one swift movement.

Mingyu widened her eyes in shock when Xie Jianyu squeezed her upper arms.

"Take the baby," he said while pinning Mingyu with a sharp gaze. "Go with Midwife Chen. Take the baby far, far away from here. Go to the human realm if you must."

"No," Mingyu shook her head and cried even louder. "No, Your Majesty, you must come with us! You must!!!"

"I can't!"

Xie Jianyu's face was distorted into a mask of anger.

"Do you presume to go against my order?!"

Mingyu, Midwife Chen, and all servants inside the birthing chamber quickly fell to their knees.

"We do not dare."

Xie Jingyu took a deep breath and tightened the sash around his body.

"Do as I say," he said.

No one dared to say another word to oppose the crown prince. Everyone was struggling with their inner turmoil. The only one who dared to make a sound was the little prince.

Xie Jianyu's heart was torn to shreds when he heard his little son cry his heart out.

"Take him away," he ordered, trying his best not to divulge the magnitude of his heartbreak to his subordinates.

Outside of the Fuxi Palace, the soldiers from Longjing and Wuyang Palace already surrounded the entire area. They were led by Grand Chancellor Liu Yichen and Supreme General Zhang Fengxi. The many flaming torches bathed the surroundings in a golden light, their burning flames reflected the lust for vengeance in both palace masters' hearts.

"Why is he taking so long to come out?" Wuyang Palace Master, Grand Chancellor Liu Yichen asked.

"No worries, Uncle Liu," Zhang Fengxi calmly said. "He will come out sooner or later."

The grand chancellor was not a patient man. He was even more impatient as he grew older.

"Why are you so sure? Maybe he already escaped through a secret tunnel. The Fuxi Palace is known for its intricate design."

"Unlikely," Zhang Fengxi exhaled. He was too lazy to explain, but he already took a countermeasure against his companion's source of worry.

Fuxi Palace's interior map fell into his hands a few months ago. Zhang Fengxi made sure to place soldiers at every exit, just to make sure that no one could escape from the Fuxi Palace.

But that was not why he thought that Xie Jianyu would not escape through any secret tunnel. It was because Xie Jianyu was not a coward.

A stubborn fool he might be, but Xie Jianyu would rather die than dishonor the reputation of the Fuxi Palace.

Just as Zhang Fengxi predicted, the red-golden entrance gate of Fuxi Palace soon fell open, and the master of the palace stepped out with his palace's army in tow.

"He's out! He's out!!!"

The grand chancellor was so excited that he kept smacking the supreme general's armored shoulder with his iron fan.

Zhang Fengxi was too focused on Xie Jianyu to be irritated by Liu Yichen.

"Retreat, all of you," he said.

The soldiers from both palaces quickly retreated. They stood behind the supreme general and the grand chancellor, waiting for their next instructions.

Zhang Fengxi pointed the end of his spear in Xie Jianyu's direction.

"Fuxi Palace Master, today I shall settle the scores between us and avenge Wenyuan's death!"

Xie Jianyu chuckled.

He ignored Zhang Fengxi's address unceremoniously and shifted his gaze toward the old grand chancellor instead.

"Grand Chancellor Liu, are you so impatient to sit on the Dragon Throne? My father's body barely turned cold, and here you are, standing outside my palace to claim my head."

Grand Chancellor Liu gritted his teeth.

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Someone like you does not deserve to sit on the Dragon Throne! Because of you, my Wenyuan... My Wenyuan..."

The old man started crying pitifully. Alas, his heartwrenching sobs failed to make Xie Jianyu feel the least bit of guilt.

"Hahaha..."

Xie Jianyu broke into booming laughter.

Zhang Fengxi narrowed his eyes at the crown prince.

"Fuxi Palace Master, have you gone mad?" he asked.

Only then did Xie Jianyu bother to look at Zhang Fengxi.

"My mental state is none of Supreme General Zhang's business," he snapped.

"Well, then. Let's end this pleasant exchange of greetings," Zhang Fengxi said.

He was there to fight a bloodbath, not to talk.

Xie Jianyu unsheathed his sword, the heavenly blade that he named "Winter Frost". When it clashed with Zhang Fengxi's Three Realm Spear, it caused the ground beneath everyone's feet to shake from the impact.

Soldiers from both sides quickly fell into a fight, all the while evading the supreme general and the crown prince who were engaged in a heated duel.

Xie Jianyu's swordsmanship was hailed as one of the best across the nine layers of heaven. His every movement was elegant, his every thrust was deadly.

Zhang Fengxi was prepared for a bitter battle of life and death, but he soon discovered that Xie Jianyu was not his usual self.

With every move they exchanged, Xie Jianyu's complexion became worse and worse.

"What is wrong with you?" Zhang Fengxi hissed when he came close to Xie Jianyu in one of the attacks.

Xie Jianyu did not answer.

His face was devoid of blood, but his eyes shone full of determination.

Zhang Fengxi humphed.

Two palaces against one. Xie Jianyu did not have any chance to win. Maybe this was just his last attempt to act high and mighty. He knew that his life was about to end.

Zheng Fengxi spun his spear and at one critical moment, stabbed it through Xie Jianyu's stomach.

The crown prince vomited a mouthful of blood that stained Zhang Fengxi's chest armor.

In his dying moment, he extended a trembling hand at Zhang Fengxi's face and awkwardly caressed the supreme general's cheek.

"Feng... xi..."

And then, the crown prince fell dead in the supreme general's arms.

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Author's note :

Yes, I know, the story starts out really dark.

But here is the silver lining! Now that we are at the bottommost valley of despair, there is no other way to continue the story than going up!

Be brave, my dear readers!

More character introductions :

Supreme General Zhang Fengxi, 24 years old, alpha.

Also known as the Longjing Palace Master, one of the nine palace masters.

Our gong/top/seme ᕙ⁠(⁠ ⁠~⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠~⁠ ⁠)⁠ᕗ

Grand Chancellor Liu Yichen, 50 years old, alpha.

Also known as the Wuyang Palace Master, one of the nine palace masters.

Liu Wenyuan (passed away at the age of 22 years old), son of Grand Chancellor Liu.

Dubbed as the most beautiful omega across nine layers of heaven.