Ave Xia Rem Y

~~~

The Storm Dragon’s spatial realm comes down, and chaos spreads over the battlefield. Not a single person is in the same place they were in when the light swallowed them all. Every formation has been broken, and countless lie dead. While high-level cultivators engaged in duels, the regular soldiers slaughtered each other by the hundreds in the endless corridors of the spatial realm.

Even General He Bin’s soldiers, who knew about the spatial realm ahead of time, do not come out unscathed from the experience. No amount of warnings could have prepared them for the constantly shifting dimensions of the labyrinthine realm where one does not know whether friend or foe awaits beyond the next door.

Still, it is better to be left shaken and confused than dead. Now that they are free, they can feel the material world instead of the vast emptiness of the Storm Dragon’s spatial realm.

It shakes Lu Mei to her very core.

“We need to leave,” she hisses. “Now!”

Her reaction is purely instinct-driven. Primal. That is why it is only after she says it that she realizes her words will not be accepted without question.

“I refuse to leave, my lord!”

Sure enough, that is the first and most obvious objection. Lu Mei notes, with no small amount of relief, that she can sense Qing Jin alive and well.

“What? But now that the spatial realm is down, I can finally go to where my Honored Ancestor is!”

That is the second objection. Thankfully, it is easily ignored.

“I thought we were trying to rescue Brother Qing?”

The third. Lu Mei wasn’t sure whether Huang Shing would speak up, but she is certain there is no need to wait for a fourth voice. She may not like Fan Bingbing, but she knows the girl will wait until she’s explained herself before saying anything.

“You can go to him now if you want to,” Lu Mei tells Lei Kong, then quickly adds, “but wait until I have finished explaining! He’s safe here! We aren’t!”

Thankfully, Lei Kong does not disappear in a blur of speed when she is in the middle of her sentence. Were he not dealing with the Curse of the Earth Realm, he probably would have.

“It’s so obvious now,” Lu Mei says, the temperature around her rising erratically.

The Eternal Flame whispers to her. It shows her the truth that had been kept hidden from her due to the spatial realm and the barriers around the palace.

It is terrifying.

“He said it. Remember?” Lu Mei says, pointing at Qing Guo. “The Storm Dragon has been manifested all this time. That’s what this has been all about!”

“What are you talking about?” Qing Guo asks. “The manifestation of the Storm Dragon is a necessary defensive measure to protect my father from the other two generals.”

“But that has not always been the case,” Fan Bingbing points out, finally speaking up. Her gaze shifts to Lu Mei. “It’s only because of the civil war that the Storm Dragon has been manifested this long. As I understand it, that usually wouldn’t have been the case.”

“Of course, it wouldn’t. There is no way something like that could stay manifested this long without consequences!” Lu Mei says, pacing erratically. Her legs want to run, but she contains herself. “Its power has been festering in this palace all this time, changing it. Now, it’s nearly done! It’s beating! Can’t you hear it?!”

“Hear what? Sister Mei, you’re not making any sense,” Huang Shing says.

“I am saying the palace has been acquiring the characteristics of the Storm Dragon! It’s creating a heart! All one giant mass of power, probably the single greatest power source in the entire continent!” Lu Mei shouts. “And this whole place could become a battlefield between emperors at any second.”

Gold flames flicker around her. Her pupils are completely dilated.

“We need to leave!”

~~~

Just as an ant cannot tell the difference between a hill and a mountain, most were unable to notice that Murong Bang was in death throes. Whether at his weakest or strongest, an Emperor remains an Emperor.

However, a dead Emperor is another thing entirely.

When a beggar dies, the world can ignore it. When an Emperor dies, the world must give proof. And so, the earth trembles and the skies darken. Murong Bang’s soldiers fall to their knees, disbelief written on their faces while nearly everyone else cheers. The earth might pay its respects, but they will not. The monster is dead. Let all rejoice!

General Nie Dan breaks into the palace.

His motion is sudden. Instant. A single step takes him right next to Liu Jin.

“Did you deal the finishing blow?” he asks.

It takes Liu Jin several seconds to answer.

“I thought about it. For years, I kept thinking about it. I told myself I wasn’t, but I was,” Liu Jin says. He is still looking at Murong Bang’s corpse. “He was injured. Weak. It was the perfect opportunity… I couldn’t bring myself to do it…I couldn’t…”

“I see.”

There is no condemnation in General Nie Dan’s tone. There is also no approval. The general merely looks at Liu Jin without judgment.

“He thought I was my father,” Liu Jin blurts out. “He wasn’t thinking right. He saw my eyes and thought I was my father.”

Not just his eyes, General Nie Dan thinks to himself. The boy looks so much like his father that it is almost terrifying. It is a resemblance that goes beyond the physical. They have the same expressions, the same cadence, the same presence. It is only natural that a dying Murong Bang would have mistaken one for the other.

“My father is dead,” Liu Jin says. “He destroyed his cultivation and lived as a powerless doctor for many years. Murong Bang attacked our city one day… My father died in that attack.”

General Nie Dan closes his eyes.

He knew. Of course, he knew. From the moment he saw the boy, he knew it was a possibility. Out of all the scenarios he theorized, it was the most likely one.

Hearing it confirmed makes him feel every single one of his years.

“I wanted to tell him the truth as he died,” Liu Jin says. “For him to die happy…thinking my father came back… It wasn’t right. Why should he die content after making everyone so miserable? I wanted him to realize what his way of life had wrought as he died. I wanted him to die miserable. Hurt and full of despair. That should have been the least he deserved.”

Liu Jin’s whole body shudders. In confusion. In anger. In regret.

All those and more.

“I couldn’t,” Liu Jin says. “At the very end, I saw nothing more than a rabid dog who was just happy his master finally came back. I felt pity for him and let him die happy because of it.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t.” Liu Jin chuckles miserably. “I guess I am as soft as everyone says I am.”

“You are,” Nie Dan says, making Liu Jin flinch. The general crosses his arms. “However, on this occasion, I am grateful you were.”

“General?”

“Murong Bang is a man I fought beside once upon a time. He saved my life, and I saved his. We shared countless triumphs and occasional setbacks,” Nie Dan says. “No one sane will mourn Murong Bang. No one sane will miss him. Countless will rightfully rejoice at his death. Nevertheless, as a fellow follower of the Black Dragon, I appreciate what you did even if no one else will.”

“To think a beast like Murong Bang would ever be spoken of so fondly. It is far more than he deserves.”

Nie Dan lightly raises his aura.

“He Bin,” he says. He knew his fellow general was listening.

“It has been a long time,” He Bin says, striding into the room. The third of the Three Heavenly Generals looks at Murong Bang’s corpse with disdain. “I wonder. If I die, will you speak of me so kindly?”

“You already know the answer to that,” Nie Dan replies.

He Bin smiles.

“Of course.” His steps echo softly in the chamber. “How can I expect anything else? How unfair of you.”

He Bin swings his arm. Murong Bang’s body is immediately obliterated, rendered as nothing more than dust in the wind. Liu Jin wisely moves behind General Nie Dan.

“He was an animal. Less than that. The Black Dragon kept him around because he was a good butcher and nothing else,” He Bin says, brushing some dust from his robes.

“He made the rest of us look better by comparison,” Nie Dan says. “The Black Dragon was skilled in the use of cruelty. Having a monster like Murong Bang was quite convenient sometimes. While standing next to him, the Black Dragon could always present himself as a reasonable man. It took me a while to understand that.”

“That’s the Black Dragon’s accomplishment, not Murong Bang’s,” He Bin counters. “The truth is we are all better off with him dead.”

“True,” admits Nie Dan.

“Good. We finally share some common ground.” He Bin takes a step closer. Nie Dan’s aura intensifies in warning. “Would you be open to negotiations?”

Nie Dan snorts. Liu Jin’s face remains blank, but there is a glimmer of confusion in his eyes.

“Of course you would try this,” Nie Dan says, shaking his head.

“Am I wrong for doing so?” He Bin spreads his arms, gesturing at the room. “I think we can both agree that enough people have died. Why continue? Murong Bang is dead. With him gone, the Storm Dragon Empire can finally move to a new era of prosperity. You say this child is of Qing blood? That’s fine. He can be the heir apparent if you wish. Why quibble over details?”

“You shameless bastard,” Nie Dan says. “Do you expect me to forget your alliance with the powers from the other side of the Dead Plains?”

“Naturally,” He Bin replies. “In turn, I will forget you chose to ally with Murong Bang before allying with me. A less reasonable person might feel hurt by such a thing.”

“You are pathetic,” Nie Dan says, wiping the smile from He Bin’s face. “Your monsters are done. Their creator must have died or been incapacitated. Your army cannot match mine, and you cannot kill the child next to me because the Storm Dragon will protect him. Fighting me is the only road open to you, and you fear even doing that much. This is over, He Bin. You have lost.”

General He Bin laughs.

However, the rage that fills the room makes it hard for Liu Jin to breathe.

“Nie Dan, you damned fool,” He Bin says, smiling with anger. “Murong Bang is dead. Do you not understand what that means?”

“I realize you found some way to kill him,” Nie Dan replies, unfazed. “I also know that if you could do it again so easily, you’d have killed me already instead of trying to negotiate. You’re far too prudent for anything else. In other words, you cannot kill me right now.”

“Very well thought out and reasoned. As expected of you.” He Bin grins. “However, I am pleased to tell you that you are wrong.”

General Nie Dan and Liu Jin’s heads turn even though they know looking away from an Emperor is foolish. They have no choice. The presence there demands their attention. There is no need for General He Bin to explain himself further. They feel it. She has been there all this time, but only now are they allowed to see her.

“How?”

For the first time, General Nie Dan sounds shaken.

“The wind goes where it pleases. You might not notice it, but it is always there.”

She wears a green cloak over her person. Her stature is far smaller than the two generals. Nevertheless, the woman seems to tower over everyone. Liu Jin immediately understands who she is. No... perhaps it would be more accurate to say this person’s presence is revealing her identity to him.

She is the Wandering Wind, the strongest cultivator of the Endlessly Raging Valley, one of the Four Great Sects of Crimson Cloud Empire.

She is someone who has stepped into the Divine Realms.

“I see,” Nie Dan says gravely. “You are the one who killed Murong Bang.”

“I am,” the Wandering Wind answers.

“You will kill me as well.”

“I will not.”

“What?”

It is He Bin, not Nie Dan, who shouts in surprise. The general immediately silences himself when the Wandering Wind turns her attention to him.

“You called upon a favor because of your inability to deal with two Emperors. One has been dealt with. One remains,” the Wandering Wind says. “Surely, you will not say this is beyond you. Or do you believe you can command the Wind?”

He Bin does not get the opportunity to say anything in reply. Taking solace in the Wandering Wind’s stated non-interference, General Nie Dan bursts into action and tackles He Bin out of the room. From Liu Jin’s perspective, it is as if the two of them suddenly vanished. He can detect their presence several miles above the palace.

“It seems like he has wanted to do that for a while,” the Wandering Wind says. “I cannot blame him. He Bin is rather full of himself.”

“How are you here?” Liu Jin asks.

The Wandering Wind does not answer.

“I know Murong Bang had dealings with the Endlessly Raging Valley, but does this mean General He Bin does as well? Is the Endlessly Raging Valley related to the Death Fashioning Scri-”

The Wandering Wind makes a motion with her hand.

Liu Jin’s mouth keeps moving, but his words cease to make a sound.

“You seem to be under a misunderstanding,” the Wandering Wind says. “While I must admit watching you feel pity for that beast was somewhat curious, that does not mean you are qualified to speak to me.”

It is the expected answer of someone like her. It is only because of his confusion that Liu Jin has dared to voice his questions. There has to be a link between the Wandering Wind, General He Bin, and the Death Fashioning Scripture, but he cannot understand how it works or what purpose it serves.

“The only reason you are here is because your bloodline prevents anyone from hurting you within the bounds of the Storm Palace,” the Wandering Wind tells him. “However, make no mistake, I would like to test that. Perhaps I might after those two are done. Or perhaps not. I cannot say I care for greater plots. Regardless, I would appreciate it if you remained silent.”

Liu Jin considers his options carefully.

As long as the Wandering Wind is here, they cannot win. She might have said she will not aid General He Bin against Nie Dan, but who knows what she will do after that battle is over? The Wandering Wind is notorious for doing whatever she pleases, operating completely beyond the control of the Endlessly Raging Valley.

There is only one thing Liu Jin can do.

“Storm Dragon, dwell inside me.”

The palace cracks in half.

~~~