Chapter 49: Feint |
[March 13, 2021] . . .
Three days after the emperor ordered a thorough investigation into the attack, the fireball thrown by Xíng Zhǐ was discovered in the northern most part of the Immortal realm. The area was utterly destroyed. Bodies of the dead were scattered about, as though they were purposefully left there to be investigated. There wasn’t a single living soul found. Ultimately, even after searching for so long, the Immortal soldiers had nothing substantial to show for their efforts. The rate of the investigation greatly concerned the wiser immortals. The most worrisome thing of all was the culprit . . .
It wasn’t an attack from monster beasts or citizens of the Demon realm, but rather an attack from the Northern Sea clan.[notes] They were a peaceful group who hadn’t provoked a war in thousands of years, and yet they had attacked the Immortal realm so ferociously.
Considering what they dared in the Immortal realm . . . what atrocities could they have dared in the Lower realms?
The emperor was furious. He immediately sent people northward to find out. However, before news returned, the emperor’s face paled upon reading an urgent missive from the Demon realm. It was dated five days ago.
. . .With the western sky residence no longer habitable, Shěn Lí had to return to Fú Róng’s. He placed a powerful enchantment around her rooms to prevent anyone from taking advantage of her in her weakened state.
Xíng Zhǐ followed along and moved in as well.
Fú Róng was left feeling incredibly stifled. With two such illustrious people under his roof, he had to be on his best behavior.
He had called an acquaintance over to play but the other party only laughed at him. “You, look at this. The Azure Sky king suffered so much that even the emperor is angry about it and High God is personally treating her injuries. You’re not even married, and yet both the emperor and High God supports her so much. Apparently, her reputation in the Demon realm is also very strong. In the future, Lord Fú Róng you . . . hahaha.”
The visiting party wasn’t offended in the least. Instead, the whole thing made him laugh, which of course only served to make Fú Róng even angrier.
A burst of footsteps, fast and urgent sounded, preceding Yōu Lán’s entrance into the garden. She frowned at the scene and in a cold voice asked Fú Róng, “Where is Azure Sky king, Shěn Lí?”
Startled, Fú Róng rubbed his forehead in distress. “I say Imperial Sister, please refrain from adding more to the chaos. The Azure Sky king has High God protecting her. You can’t do as you please. Just calmly, calmly go back OK?”
Yōu Lán gave Fú Róng a cold stare. She repeated her question. “Where is Azure Sky king, Shěn Lí?”
Fú Róng finally realized something was wrong. “In – in the back wing. I set a barrier so she could heal without interruption.”
“Escort me.” She took a couple of steps forward but turned back to glare sharply at him when she noticed he wasn’t following behind.
The look made him tremble in fear and he hastily walked forward. As he led her over he asked, “What happened?” however, she ignored him.
Fú Róng suddenly stopped in front of the door to the courtyard. “I’ll open the barrier. You can go in but I’m not going any farther. High God scares me . . .”
Yōu Lán stepped into the courtyard without hesitating. The enchantment closed up behind her. Apparently Fú Róng had put some thought toward Shěn Lí’s recuperation. The winding path was peaceful, separated from the bustle of the rest of the residence, and was dotted with fragrant trees and plants.
Though Yōu Lán increased her pace as she walked, she stopped short of exiting the pathway. She could just make out Shěn Lí and High God’s outlines through the trees. It looked like they were arguing and Shěn Lí wasn’t happy.
“Why nurse a skin wound for so long! It’s a waste of time!” Shěn Lí stood inside the doorway while Xíng Zhǐ stood just outside of it with his hands on the frame, clearly blocking her path. He was calm; however, it was clear Shěn Lí was anxious.
“Let me leave!”
“You can’t leave until your injuries are fully healed.” Xíng Zhǐ spoke softly.
“They are healed. Those fireballs weren’t as strong as you think . . .”
“If it weren’t for the abundance of spiritual energy in the room and my friends protecting you with their power, do you really think you can talk so energetically right now?”
Shěn Lí was surprised. She recalled the cool breeze at her back. So . . . it turned out they had used their spiritual energy to help her. The ancient gods really were amazing. Even in tablet form, they were able to help others. “In that case, I must ask High God to thank the ancient gods on my behalf the next time you go to pay your respects. Since they protected me, my injury was light and I am completely healed, so please let me leave already.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why do you insist on keeping me here?!”
“Why do you insist on leaving so much?”
Shěn Lí smiled. “It has been five days, and yet the Immortal realm still failed to capture the mastermind. Even if the ones sent to investigate only left the day before yesterday, they should have returned by now. The trip doesn’t take that long. In all the time they have been gone, I could have made ten round trips already. Clearly, they got lost along the way!” Shěn Lí scornfully said. “They’re so efficient!”
Xíng Zhǐ smiled. “Those who should be in a hurry, aren’t. But the one that shouldn’t be, is.”
“I’m practically dying, being cooped up in here!” Shěn Lí gritted her teeth and muttered to herself. “In the old days, I would have taken my spear and hunted those bastards down already.”
“You resent having been beaten before so you want to return the favor.” Xíng Zhǐ smiled as he revealed her true motivations.
Shěn Lí’s eyes widened. Anger made her lips quirk just the tiniest bit. It was barely discernable, but Xíng Zhǐ saw it.
From his vantage point looking down at her, he could see a faint bump on her cheeks. The burn had left patches of uneven skin. This guy . . . He remembered how she fell into his arms that day. He wanted to test the injury by rubbing his thumb across it, but he didn’t.
Whether they be internal or external, Shěn Lí’s exceptional healing abilities meant her injuries normally healed quickly. After only five days and the skin on her abdomen was already healed enough that the only thing visible was a minor skin discoloration.
“I will help you.”
Shěn Lí looked up in shock at Xíng Zhǐ’s gentle tone. Then she slapped his hands away with a pop. She stared at him; her eyes cold.
Several fingerprints marked Xíng Zhǐ’s wrist. He stared back at Shěn Lí for a moment before lowering his hand and hiding them back inside his sleeve. He smiled, not knowing what to say.
“High God.” Yōu Lán spoke up from the pathway. She walked forward and bowed. “High God, Your Highness.”
Shěn Lí and Xíng Zhǐ looked at Yōu Lán. She spoke up before they could say anything. “Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence in Líng Xiāo hall. There is a matter of utmost importance.”
Yōu Lán’s solemn tone made Shěn Lí frown. She said, “Lead the way.”
Xíng Zhǐ raised a brow. “Why not send a messenger to deliver the message?”
“High God, this is too important.” Yōu Lán said after a bit of thought.
“Then let us go together.” Xíng Zhǐ nodded.
. . .Civil servants and military personnel stood in two rows on opposite sides of each other in Líng Xiāo hall. The Immortal emperor’s expression was serious as he sat on the throne. His brows wrinkled visibly at the sight of Shěn Lí and Xíng Zhǐ approaching. “Azure Sky king, this is a letter from the Demon realm. Please take a look.”
Shěn Lí took the letter presented by the attendant. Her face paled as she read through it. “When did this letter arrive?”
“Five days ago.” The emperor sighed. “Everyone had been busy with the fire and the attack, so this letter was forgotten. It was only today that someone presented it to me.”
Shěn Lí’s face was cold as she asked, “Your Majesty, what happened?”
“The Northern Sea clan attacked your capital. The emperor is in a coma and several generals have perished. It is an extremely precarious situation.”
Shěn Lí’s face tightened more at every sentence spoken. This report was from five days ago, things could have only gotten worse since then.
The Immortal realm’s efficiency . . . Shěn Lí had no words, besides, complaining about an ally wasn’t productive. Time was of the essence; she needed to keep calm and think clearly. She closed her eyes and calmed the emotions roiling in her heart. It didn’t take long before she spoke. “This feint was used as a distraction to divert our attention while the real target was attacked.”
They would not have focused on such a secluded area if they were genuinely intent on attacking the Immortal realm, nor for that matter, would they have launched the attack from such a strange location. It was only meant to distract those in the Immortal realm, making officials and soldiers run around and neglect their normal duties. A distraction meant to create havoc so the Immortal realm would be too distracted to assist the Demon realm. The enemy used the opportunity to attack their main target. The Demon emperor lay in a coma and several generals were dead.
The generals, they were all elite soldiers, every single one of them. The Demon realm shouldn’t have suffered such heavy casualties.
“Requesting Your Majesty’s permission to return to the Demon realm.”
“Of course, that is only natural.” The emperor waved his hand and an attendant brought forward several boxes with pills. “Azure Sky king, give these pills to the Demon emperor. For His Majesty to be in coma, the injuries cannot be light. We have already ordered the formation of a troop to be sent to assist the Demon realm. The culprit will be captured quickly.”
“Many thanks for Your Majesty’s kindness.” Shěn Lí accepted the boxes and promptly turned to leave.
After he watched Shěn Lí’s figure disappear, the emperor turned to Xíng Zhǐ and asked, “High God, what are your thoughts on the matter.”
“It is not a coincidence that the Demon realm was attacked while the Immortal realm was distracted. It is clear to see a power struggle is happening just by using simple common sense. The evidence pointing to the Northern Sea clan may be another ruse as well."
The emperor nodded. “High God is of the same mind as myself. The Demon realm has been under the Immortal realm’s jurisdiction for a long time now. There are many who are dissatisfied and seek to wreak havoc in the shadows. They wish to overthrow the current Demon emperor and place a usurper on the throne. This new emperor will surely be troublesome for the Immortal realm.”
Officials and military personnel began whispering amongst themselves so the hall grew a little noisy.
The emperor turned toward Xíng Zhǐ. “These recent events . . . High God must be tired from rushing around. On top of that, the banquet was a failure. I am truly incompetent.”
Under normal circumstances Xíng Zhǐ would have made a polite comment of disagreement, but this time he remained silent, which suggested he agreed with the sentiment.
Those in the hall followed the emperor’s lead and became silent.
The emperor coughed twice in embarrassment before speaking. “The Celestial realm is the source of the world’s vitality. High God has been away for some time now and the world is filling with polluted energy . . . it has become heavy . . . High God . . .”
“I will return to Celestial realm tomorrow.” Xíng Zhǐ uttered before walking away.
His sudden departure left the hall in silence.
“It is clear for all to see. This incidence has exposed many of the Immortal realm’s shortcomings. Such a minor event and the entirety of the Immortal realm is in chaos. We have lived comfortably in peace for too long. It is time to investigate and reorganize,” declared the emperor.
. . .Shěn Lí was walking towards the southern gates, when for some inexplicable reason, she stopped and looked back. She saw Xíng Zhǐ staring calmly at her from not too far away. She clasped her fists and gave a deep bow. “My thanks to High God for your hospitality these past few days. I bid you farewell.”
Xíng Zhǐ’s lips moved. He lowered his head and seemed to whisper something. “I will restrain myself properly this time.”
It wasn’t clear if Shěn Lí heard, but she left without hesitation, her unbound hair drawing an arc in the air as she swiftly turned around and exited through the gate.
Xíng Zhǐ would come to think about that day more than once, wondering why he didn’t call out to her, why he willingly let her go so easily.
After all, there was more he had wanted to say . . .
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