NOVEL NEXT This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by
Chapter 16: 16.
Chen Kai was focused on working through the last of his regret and guilt while the pagoda fortified itself.
Fixed in the prostrate position, he whispered the last words of a filial son to his parents.
He accepted that he was no longer their beloved son nor is there any way to return to their sides.
In the beginning, he naively thought he can return after fulfilling his missions; probably returning to a time before his death just to see them again. All of those underlying questions accompanied his regret and guilt.
There was no return.
Slowly he straightened his posture and looked around the room. The blue flames were comforting and had a hint of melancholy. It currently mimicked Chen Kai's current mood.
He got to his feet and stared at the chair before him. In his heart, he said his last farewell to the life of Li Yun.
~~~~~~~ freewebno(v)el
Chen Kai was now anxious at the thought of the second floor. A memory of his first transmigration flashed before his eyes. That was the moment a circular array formed below his bare feet. The warm glow flickered along the symbols before enveloping them completely. The familiar feeling of being teleported was felt. He closed his eyes and didn't resist.
~~~~~~
The second floor portrayed a medieval throne room. The bare whitewashed walls, the traditional candlelit chandelier, the gleaming Mosiac floors, and the embroidered tapestries were all recreated.
He stepped forward on the cool floor and fixed his stare on the tapestries ahead. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
The beautiful blue cloth was the brightest in the room. The golden fringe shone under the light and the white embroidered design was clear and intricate. The art of an Eastern Dragon above a forest was drawn to depict the origins of the empire along with the mixture of races. The trees were drawn at different heights and various sizes. It represented the people who wish to live in a judgment-free land.
"One land. Different Roots."
A disturbance formulate when he spoke those words. He brought his gaze downward to see the familiar gold throne with blue patterned upholstery on a limestone platform. It was wide enough to fit two people, with a straight back with a firm cushion for support, it looked beautifully comfortable.
His lips twitched when he saw the position the new phantom materialized in.
Was he always so carefree?
The phantom was lazily leaning on one end of the throne, his head on his closed fist, and his leg propped on the other end. His long hair was black as Raven's feathers. It was unbound with random braids keeping loose hair away from his face. He raised his amber eyes and looked at Chen Kai. Supple lips moved into a welcoming smile.
He sat up at first and gave him a once over.
"We tried so hard to live a normal life. Who would have thought what we did to move on will be so damaging."
His voice was sonorous as he spoke. The hint of self-disdain was in those words, setting the mood for the obstacles they must overcome.
The phantom got to his feet and walked towards Chen Kai. His tall tightly muscled figure moved gracefully; not once did his upright posture waver. The black leather pants were snug on his firm thighs, the handmade boots were loud to the ear as he walked. Each action showed the luxurious design of the knee-length Tang coat and the tunic under it. There were no jewels to show his wealth as a royal only the gold crown that has been passed down each generation and the family necklace around his neck.
Many of his people said he didn't need anything to show his status. His bearing and dominantly handsome looks were enough.
This phantom was the youngest heir to the throne of the Maison Empire.
Amber eyes met Chen Kai's dark ones.
"If we didn't then our land would have been in those vultures' claws," Chen Kai answered.
"But we must learn from our past, right?"
Dark eyes rested on the pendant on the phantom's body.
"Yes."
A large callous hand was lifted and waved in the air. An image materialized eclipsing the entire room. They were both standing above the clouds which were slowly moving away. Below them were vast lands dotted with wildlife and large provinces teaming with life.
Chen Kai smiled in reminiscence and so did the phantom.
"We created something so wonderful," it muttered.
"A tall tree will always be badgered by strong winds," Chen Kai retorted and looked at the phantom.
This was his first transmigrated life. He began this new life at fifteen. His mother held on long enough for him to meet that age. The enemies were chipping away at their homeland for years hoping to get rid of the two living bloodlines. They thought they succeeded in secretly poisoning the two princes a week before the crown prince's coronation. It was cliched but it was a straightforward thing. They had to resort to simple means when the princes were highly talented in magic and swordsmanship.
He was on the verge of death when he transmigrated. The surge of memories and the quick binding of the system helped him save his brother and get a sense of the situation.
One week later he ascended the throne.
He was Emperor Vincent Xuan Deluge from that day onwards.
"All success has its failures and victories have its defeat. We were defeated twice in the cruelest ways which we couldn't handle. The elders said it was because we were young but did they understand what those defeats meant?"
"They can never understand. They said they did but we saw it in their eyes. They didn't. They had everything while we had to move on with nothing. How could they understand?" Chen Kai's words were heavy with emotion.
He walked towards a certain point in the image. The red tiled roof of the buildings was eye-catching. Sprawling meadows and rivers were naturally placed at varying positions. There was a lone isle at the center of the flourishing city, surrounded by clear shimmering water. A castle was built with many defining features. The carefully treated limestone walls gleamed under the sunlight. On the high walls were the flags of his empire and the regiments that were under his command.
"We made a vow to our ancestors to protect them all. We went beyond that. We did our best to protect each household in Maison Empire."
With a wave of his hand, the aerial view of the empire changed to the young Emperor Vincent holding his little brother close. After the failed assassination, he didn't let Vance out of his sight and made sure he was cared for. The fifteen-year-old in this projection looked uncertain of the future but those golden amber eyes were fierce with determination.
Images rolled by. Chen Kai watched them like his favorite movie on repeat.
He watched himself grow according to the development of his land. The joys of becoming a cultivator like his ancestors in his previous life.
The skirmishes between him and neighboring countries. The makeshift family of him and his little brother whom he doted on.
The close friendships he made with the soldiers he groomed to be generals of his army. The conflicts with the nobles when they failed to see the need to grow the ideals of their people.
The smiles on the faces of his citizens were heartwarming. The struggles of living a new life were clear.
He relived everything in those images.
"Humans are filled with greed. It was our belief that it is the core of our soul."
The image shown was of him in his office reading a report of an ambush on his trade lines. The frown on his face was deep. He then picked up a next report stating merchants severing contracts with businesses. One of his trusted generals, Malek read the reports also. "Brother, you know something is wrong with this. These merchants have been in business with us for years," he said lowly.
"I know. What of the people? Are there any spikes in the crime rate amongst the cities?" Emperor Vincent asked. The worry was evident on his face.
"The guilds are getting a lot of reports of thieves in common areas and the city guards sent for help for missing persons cases. This is all too coincidental. Can it be outsiders? We have no bad blood with neighboring countries." Malek's last statement was true.
The Maison Empire never gave the other countries reasons to paint them in a bad light or become enemies with them. If they wish for help, they will do so once the compensation is right. Trade ports were formed, and cultural exchange was allowed. Even though they opened their land to others, it won't stop them from coveting it.
"Quietly place some of your men in city guard positions to handle the kidnapping and to watch out for any discord. I will handle trade affairs."
Chen Kai clenched his fists tighter till his hand was visibly pale. He remembered the events following that private order. The phantom looked at him knowingly; he returned to the throne and waited. His expression was solemn as Chen Kai's was anxious.
The scene moved to Emperor Vincent on the training grounds. He was proficient in martial arts and made it a rule to train the castle guards personally. That day was an uneventful one in the beginning. Though he went through his daily routine calmly, he was uneasy beneath it all. He felt that way for the week his brother left for recruitment for his personal army. Prince Vance turned eighteen that month and received permission to form and train his own people. Vincent was wary of him leaving the confines of the castle but Vance was able to coax him.
"He should be back," Vincent muttered as he watched over the training exercise.
"You have to let him be. Prince Vance is no longer a child and you taught him well. You groomed another monster to roam in the empire," Malek commented with an amused smile on his face.
"We may be happy for that new beast, but not our enemies." Eisa was the one who spoke. Out of the four generals under the Emperor, she was the only female.
Jakob and Dion were the other two generals. They both joined the conversation about the prince leaving the older brother to worry more.
"Huh?" Emperor Vincent paused in his movement and looked to his right. He stretched forth his hand and a talisman appeared in his palm with a green hue encircling it. He touched it without hesitation, his eyes shook in fear. When the sphere was broken, he heard two words.
Brother! Help!
He didn't need to explain a word to his generals. That was an emergency long-distance transmission used between Deluge Royalty.
"Summon! Alucard!" The desperation and urgency were clear in his voice. Out of spatial distortion, a large Griffon appeared and bowed before him, allowing him to climb onto his back.
"Lock down the capital and neighboring cities then send out an enemy alert transmission to all guilds and city guard regiments. Follow my signature. I need to get to Vance." Vincent knew his brother was attacked near the capital. His spiritual energy was strong in the talisman. The question was - who was so bold to attack his brother?
The magical beast beneath him was known as the king of the skies. Its large white wings and sleek body cut through the winds as it flew in the direction Vincent guided it to.
Ten miles away from the capital over a cluster of trees, he found his brother. The area was abnormally quiet even when birds and animals fled the area. His face contorted in anger. The attackers planned ahead and created a barrier to deter any help from the outside.
"Alucard! With me, Wind Spear!"
The beast stood steadily in mid-air and spread its wings. Two spiraling transparent spears form under its wings. On both Vincent's sides, identical spears were formed. Man and beast pinpointed the barrier and sent the spears down.
The harsh sound of breaking glass filled the air.
Vincent lightly tapped his summon's head and the beast went into a nosedive position. It screeched loudly to show its anger when it saw his master's kin being attacked. It can feel its master's brimming anger and sent a few wind blades to the enemies attacking the Empire's soldiers. The move was quick and decisive. The blades decapitated the men, giving the injured soldiers some relief.
The enemies who were hiding and overseeing the attack failed to react timely when the barrier was broken. The mages who were keeping the barrier intact suffered a huge backlash. The magical signatures that collided with theirs were abnormal. When they heard swift winds in the ambush area their body ran cold. The heads of their comrades parted ways with the lifeless bodies. The loud screech that lead the wind blades deafened them.
What happened next was what they were afraid of.
Their bodies acted upon their own and were slammed onto the forest floor. Their muscles ached as the heavy pressure on their bodies was amplified by the second.
"Brother!!!"
They heard it clearly.
It was the Emperor.
Vincent's feet touched the ground lightly. He sent Alucard to search the environs while he rushed to his brother. The soldiers refused his healing when he offered along the way and pushed him to the prince. Their faces said everything.
The phantom watched on as the image played. Chen Kai was lost in his anger. They both understood.
They watched on as their brother suffered mana poisoning from the attack, destroying his magic core. Vincent made the choice to completely severe it to save his brother. This was akin to reducing one's power to survive.
"A deterrent will always be created to cut down abnormalities. We were that abnormality."
"And we turned our brother into the same," Chen Kai rebutted in a hoarse voice.
He reached out to touch the still image of Vance. He was portrayed with a painful expression but his eyes were filled with brotherly love as he looked at his older brother. They were the last descendants of the Deluge bloodlines. They only had each other. As a family with mixed lineage, their bodies held a unique constitution. They were capable of housing two forces - spiritual energy and mana. The Deluge family were cultivators and mages.
That was why their enemies thought of them as abnormalities
"No. We understood wrong. Little Vance wanted to share the burden with us but we wanted to protect him from the world at all costs."
"But..." Chen Kai didn't want to admit it because he knew it was the truth.
The next images proved it.
Craiton Empire declared war against them on claims of killing their fellow countrymen. Everyone knew that was bull shit. The injured prince was bold proof. Plans were made; skirmishes began; arguments between brothers were constant.
War began.
"Why... Why were you so stubborn?" Chen Kai cursed when the image of Vance was fighting on the battlefield.
His fighting was superb even though he was weakened. The expert use of swordsmanship and spiritual energy were the results of Vincent's training. His brother held his own on the battlefield, striking down enemies one by one. The little kid he pampered daily was fighting for his homeland.
The memory image moved to him, as Emperor Vincent.
When he saw the scene, his heartbeat accelerated, his face crumbled in despair, he wanted to skip this memory; he wanted it to stop but his voice wasn't working. He turned to the phantom with pleading eyes but it shook its head sadly.
"We must. We must understand it all."
Chen Kai felt like his heart was once again in a vise grip.
This was the reason why he sealed his emotions. He broke down after this.
In this memory, he was fighting the enemy King himself. It was a fierce fight and he was battered. The king excelled as a close combat mage and Vincent was on the same level as him. Bloodied and bruised, mana and spiritual energy low, Vincent made his last blow precise embuing his Tang sword with the last of his spiritual energy. He made a sharp slash from left to right causing the king to step back to avoid a chest injury. Vincent used that small action to thrust his sword forward, piercing the broken armor and through the man's chest. The shocked disbelieving look on the King's face was pleasing to his eyes.
A cruel grin was on his face as blood streamed down his face from the recent head wound.
"You should have stuck to your petty tricks," Vincent sneered.
"Ha! Those... tricks... will haunt.. you."
Removing the bloodied sword and watching the cold body fall on top of the latter corpses, Vincent was confused by the King's words. He made a step to go help his men but he felt something detach from inside of him.
It wasn't physical.
It was more.... emotional.
'Vincent. Jakob. Traitor.'
Three words.
Three words shattered his reality. The faint transmission from his brother was clear.
He searched the battlefield for Vance, running recklessly to his signature. He cut down any enemy who approached him.
Getting closer, he realized it was more of the enemy than his own people. A path was cleared. He stumbled upon a sight he would never think of in a million years.
Jakob stood steadfast among his dead comrades with his blade stuck into the stomach of Prince Vance. The young prince was holding onto the sword with tears flowing down his dirty face. Jakob had a mocking smile on his face as he spoke. When Vincent got closer, he heard the words.
"The last monster to die."
"JAKOB!!"
The man was shocked to hear Vincent's malevolent scream. He turned to the direction of the scream. Shock returned to mockery. "That foolish king couldn't even deal with you. Pathetic." He retrieved his sword from Vance and violently kicked him to the ground.
For Vincent, everything was silent when he moved. His focus was only on his brother. Nothing else mattered. His body moved on his own. There was only one person on his mind. His brother. His only family since he came to that world.
When he got closer, the sound came back to his ears. The labored breathing of his brother was clear. He was crying, calling out his name over and over.
Vincent rushed towards him and took his battered body into his arms. Vance's head rolled heavily onto his chest as he tried to use the last bit of his mana to heal the vicious wound.
"Vin..ce."
"Shut Up! You'll be fine." The fear wasn't hidden in his voice.
"Li..ar. Big brother ... never lies." The laugh was warm yet filled with regret.
It was true. Vincent was forcing himself to use the healing spell. His body was weak from overuse. Even if he wanted to rest to build back up his mana, it would be too late.
"You're right. Brother is lying." Vincent held his brother tighter telling him to hold on as he forced the healing. In Vance's eyes, he knew it was useless. He used his last strength to hold Vincent's hand.
"Sorry. For. Leaving."
"Where the fuck you're going? Vance stop your crap." Vincent went back into his stubborn mode to chase away the truth.
Vance chuckled. A lone tear left his eye when he felt his brother kiss his head. This was a move his brother made every time he dotes on him. It was his way of saying 'big brother loves you no matter what.'
"I'm sorry." The words were a sad sigh before one's last breath. His body slowly lost its strength sinking deeper into Vincent's embrace.
The young emperor held him tighter, not caring for the enemy soldiers around him. At a distance, a loud screech was heard then violent winds flew across the field leaving a bloody wake.
Alucard flew towards his master after feeling the foreign emotion through their bond. The beast found him holding on to his kin. The enemy was about to attack him while he was lost in his mind. The beast quickly got rid of them and approached his master. It whined mournfully upon seeing the tortured look on his face.
Vincent looked down at his brother and something in his mind snapped.
"I don't want to be alone. I don't want to..... Ah! Why? I just got him. My.. family. I have no one." He kept muttering over and over, his cries got louder as it was all processed.
The grief. The betrayal. The loss. The loneliness. It was all combined into a heavy boulder on his mind. Amidst his tears, he screamed into the heaviness wanting some solace.
Alucard mourned for his master and dutifully lay next to him.
Vincent collapsed unable to keep up with the warring emotions within him.
The phantom allowed the preceding memories to play on. Chen Kai didn't utter a word. He sat on the floor and watched them flow by. They were all memories he blocked. The emotion in each memory returned to him.
The disdain he felt when the nobles pushed their daughters to him.
The solidarity of his friends after Jakob's betrayal.
The loneliness of living in that castle for years before he decided to marry.
He felt pure love during the years of marriage but not as fervent as his wife's. He chose his wife upon a strong foundation of friendship and affection. He was grateful to her. She bore him three children - two girls and one boy. He loved them all equally.
His mind suffered another blow when his dear empress died when their last child celebrated his fourth birthday. He fell into a state of depression and moved mechanically for a while. It was thanks to Malek that the empire didn't go up in flames.
Though his emotions weren't clear to the eye, he felt them all internally.
He loved his wife. No one can refute that.
Talia was the only Empress during his reign.
The images showed how prosperous the empire grew but there was no smile on Chen Kai's face. He buried his head in his arms and quietly sobbed. He was finally able to mourn the loss of his wife. Everything that has been sealed was finally free. He accepted it all.
Chen Kai can now let go of his life and regrets as Emperor Vincent Xuan Deluge.
"We didn't lose ourselves. We should be proud of that fact."
"Yes."
"We can be proud of ourselves. The children we raised kept our ideals and expanded the love we had for the people. We should be proud."
Three images materialized.
They were his children.
Vania Li Deluge. The first female to take the role of Emperor
Yun Eren Deluge. A Scholar of all the arts and a proclaimed Sage.
Tessa Mei Deluge. Commander of the Imperial Army.
Chen Kai smiled through the tears as he focused on his only children. Their black hair and amber eyes were prominent, it was the unspoken proof of the royal bloodline. Their good looks and temperament were combinations of their parents.
Before his death or leaving, he remembered blessing the engagement of his youngest daughter, Tessa. The young man who loved her was a nervous wreck. When he gained permission he was more joyous than his woman.
They were happy and he made sure that they knew how much he loved them. He missed them terribly.
"We did good," he whispered.
The phantom nodded and took a step back.
His body fell into blue wisps that swayed gently around Chen Kai before replacing the flames of the candles on the chandelier.
Taking one last look at his children he bid them a silent goodbye.
[Mental Faculties - 80%]