The Reincarnation of Dragon Emperor

Chapter 4: The Power of Rui

7 years later.

[Dragon Fist!]

Brakk!!!

Several tree trunks shattered after receiving a Qi-strengthened fist from Long Rui. His long breath came out after he delivered the final blow. Dust and wood chips scattered, leaving a trail of destruction around him.

"Haaah..." Rui exhaled, clenching his fists as he felt the remaining Qi still swirling in his body. This Dragon Fist was starting to show its power, but he knew that it had not reached its peak yet.

He looked at his fist which was trembling slightly due to the unstable energy flow. "Still lacking... I need to strengthen my Qi control."

Rui took a deep breath, then repositioned himself. If Dragon Fist was still not strong enough, then the only way was to train it even harder.

Rui's Qi flow began to emanate, these few years of training allowing him to regulate his Qi rhythm more gently, as well as regularly than when he was Long Zhi.

Moreover...

[Dragon Fist!]

An explosion of air rang out as Rui's fist shot forward. The ground shook, leaves flew, and the tree trunk in front of him cracked before finally falling apart. Dust soared up, leaving a trail of destruction where his fist landed.

Rui let out a long breath, her hand still feeling a little numb from the blow earlier. He looked at his fists, feeling the Qi still swirling inside his body.

"Still not enough," he muttered softly.

Although the blow was much stronger than before, he knew it wasn't enough. If he wanted to reach a higher peak, he had to keep pushing himself further.

He clenched his fist again, staring straight ahead. A light breeze blew, carrying the rustling sound of the trees still standing.

"Alright... one more time."

Rui took a stance, took a deep breath, and prepared to repeat the exercise.

Rui repeated the exercise without stopping until late afternoon. Sweat ran down his temples, his breathing was labored, but his eyes remained sharp. Every punch he threw made progress, gradually perfecting his technique.

Finally, his body felt heavy. He lay down on the ground which was now full of cracks from his training. He looked up at the afternoon sky that was beginning to change color, from purplish orange to golden red.

At the age of twelve, Rui realized the anger and resentment that used to fill his heart were slowly starting to subside. During these twelve years, his life in the village gave him something different.

Peace.

Although he never truly forgot the Seventh Prince's betrayal, he began to see the world differently. There was more than just revenge. Some people cared about him, there was a future he could rebuild.

"Huh..." Rui let out a long breath, then closed her eyes for a moment.

However, inside him, he knew that his current future was more important, and revenge might no longer be his top priority, but he still had a goal.

To become stronger. Not just for himself, but to protect what he had now.

Luna Mei, his 'adoptive mother'. A woman who was already twenty-four years old. She had become a beautiful woman, yet still a mysterious woman to Rui.

Sometimes, he wondered, who exactly was Luna Mei before living in this village? How could she be so powerful, but choose to live a simple life? However, whenever Rui tried to find out, Luna Mei just smiled and changed the subject.

"Haaah..." Rui let out a long sigh, letting his mind wander for a moment before finally getting up from the ground that was already shapeless from his training. The sun was beginning to set, and the afternoon sky turned into a beautiful blend of orange and purple.

He stretched his body a little before walking back to the village. Maybe it was time to go home.

....

The next morning, Rui woke up with a wary face, something out there making his already sharp senses scream.

Instead, Rui went about his morning activities as usual. He made the bed, washed his face with cold water from the wooden bucket in the corner of the room, and then rolled up his sleeves before going out.

The morning air was as fresh as ever, but there was something different. Rui could feel a faint air like a hidden gaze watching her from a distance.

He showed no signs of excessive caution. If someone or something was trying to test him, then he would pretend not to notice.

Rui went out of the house, the residents who usually passed by were nowhere to be seen, as if they were inside the house and did not want to come out at all.

Rui frowned, he also did not see Mei who would usually hug him tightly.

"Tsk, damn it!"

Rui immediately ran towards the center of the village. The atmosphere of the village was eerie. Only the sound of his footsteps echoed on the cobblestone streets.

Suddenly, his ears caught a faint sound similar to someone speaking in an insistent tone. Rui quickened his pace, and once he reached the village square, his eyes narrowed sharply.

Several bandits stood proudly in the center of the square. They carried weapons and seemed to be intimidating the citizens who had gathered with frightened faces.

One of them, apparently the leader of the group, spoke in a tone full of arrogance.

"We will not repeat this. Hand over what we demand, or this village will suffer the consequences!"

Rui clenched his fists. His breathing slowly became heavy. He knew this situation could become a big problem. However, one thing that ed him more-Mei was not being among the crowd.

"Asshole..." he muttered, his gaze turning cold. Without hesitation, he began to step forward.

His Qi began to emanate, an aura so powerful, that he confirmed that those people were beneath him in terms of strength.

The bandits instantly felt an overwhelming pressure. Some of them involuntarily stepped back, as they felt a chill creeping up their backs.

The bandit squad leader raised his eyebrows, his eyes sharpening at the sight of a twelve-year-old boy standing calmly before him.

"Who is this boy?" muttered one of the bandits in a trembling voice.

However, their squad leader maintained his composure. He stepped forward, looking at Rui curiously.

"You caused this pressure?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Rui did not answer. He just stared intently, then slowly raised his hand. In an instant, the Qi around him grew heavier, forming a vortex of energy that seemed ready to explode at any moment.

Instantly, the atmosphere became heavier. Rui took a deep breath.

"I'm only going to ask once," he said in a flat but threatening tone. "Where is the woman named Mei?"

Silence fell over the square. The bandits exchanged glances, hesitant to answer.

Rui clenched his hands tightly. If they wouldn't talk, he would make them talk in his way.

Rui's eyes glanced at a hut not far from the center of the village, he sensed two people inside, and one of those people was very familiar to him.

Rui disappeared and appeared right in front of the hut. He opened the door of the hut slowly, and his eyes saw the figure of Luna Mei who had her hands tied up crying, but what made him most angry was...

The figure of the man he guessed to be the Bandit leader was removing his clothes, he seemed to be preparing to rape Mei.

His Qi aura intensified as it filled the hut, the air in the room shook violently as if responding to the rage exploding from within him.

Luna Mei looked up, her eyes welling up with tears at the sight of Rui standing in the doorway.

"R-Rui..." her voice was soft, Mei smiled weakly at Rui who came to her rescue.

The bandit leader who was undressing stopped his movements, turning his head with furrowed brows. "Huh? Who's interrupting--!"

However, before he could finish speaking, Rui had already moved quickly.

BOOM!

The ground beneath her feet cracked as she lunged forward with incredible speed. The bandit had not even had time to react when Rui's fist full of Qi slammed into his face.

CRACK!

There was the sound of bones breaking along with the bandit's body being thrown backward, crashing into the wooden wall until it collapsed. The men standing guard outside were immediately shocked to see the explosion from inside the hut, they immediately ran over to the hut.

Rui stood tall, his eyes flashing with anger. He darted towards the bandit leader, Rui grabbed him by the neck and lifted him easily.

"Who gave you the right to touch her?" his voice was cold, almost like a whisper of death.

His Aura Qi exploded once again, making the bandits feel an overwhelming sense of terror. Some of them began to tremble, realizing that they had just challenged someone who was not at all like an ordinary boy.

Rui threw the bandit leader's body at the bandits, unprepared to catch it.

The bandit leader's body hit them hard, making some of them fall with groans of pain. Others took a step back, fear beginning to creep across their faces.

"You!!! Who are you?! What kind of kid could do this?!" one of the bandits exclaimed, his hand trembling as he drew his sword.

Rui stepped forward without hesitation, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Me?" He clenched his fist, Qi swirling around him like a small storm. "I am the one who will finish you all off."

Rui prepared with a fist, Qi flowing right into his clenched hand, his teeth chattering loudly as his eyes glared at the bandits.

[Emperor Dragon Fist!]

He swung his fist forward, and a dragon appeared and swooped down on the bandits until they were all blown away.

The Dragon Qi that Rui released went berserk, sweeping through the bandits with terrifying force.

BOOM!

The ground shook, dust rose, and terrified screams echoed throughout the hut. The bandits were flung in all directions, some instantly losing consciousness without having time to comprehend what was happening.

When the dust began to settle, Rui was still standing where he was, his sharp eyes staring at the remnants of the chaos he had created.

It was silent.

Only the sound of the wind whispered among the ruins.

The still-bound Luna Mei stared at his back, her eyes filled with emotions that were difficult to express.

Rui also looked behind him, he immediately ran over and untied Mei's hands.

Rui quickly hugged Mei's weak body tightly as if he didn't want to lose her.

Rui was grateful when he felt Mei's regular breathing.

"I don't want to lose you, Mei."

End of Chapter