Xie Lian's left hand was already dripping with blood from his self-inflicted wounds. However, since he was only causing injury and not death, his desire was left unsatisfied. The cloth gag slipped from his mouth, and in a desperate bid, he drove his sword deeper into his left leg.
The blade penetrated deeply, the sound of metal piercing flesh was all too clear, and the young soldier who had been watching could no longer restrain himself and rushed forward. Hearing his loud footsteps, Xie Lian, terrified, backed up until his back was against the cave wall. He kept retreating, panic-stricken, "No, no!
Don't come, don't come any closer..."
The second line of blood at the cave entrance was designed by Xie Lian to stop himself, but it wouldn't stop the boy. Yet, as the allure of temptation washed over him again, Xie Lian feared the boy entering would result in him taking the boy's life before he could even escape. Afraid of such an outcome, he could only avoid him. The young soldier heard the fear in his voice and hesitated, "Your Highness..."
The murderous intent surged within Xie Lian's veins. His trembling hands grasped the broken sword, and inside his head, a voice shouted repeatedly, "I won't die, I won't die, I won't die!"
The next moment, he made a quick decision and reversed the sword's edge.
In the darkness, the young soldier faintly saw a cold light flash and screamed, "Your Highness!!!"
Xie Lian had already plunged the sword through his own abdomen, pinning himself to the ground!
A sharp pain exploded from his belly, flooding his whole body and dispersing the feverish heat. He grasped the sword handle tightly, his eyes wide open. As he coughed lightly, a trickle of blood seeped from his lips, his breathing stopped, and he lay motionless. The young soldier seemed shocked and fell to his knees beside him.
At that moment, a loud shout came from outside the cave: "Who's there!"
The floral spirits' shrill voices screeched, but one person's yell surpassed them all, "What the heck!!"
Hearing this angry shout, Xie Lian abruptly breathed in.
Feng Xin!
A muffled voice followed, "This place. Block your face if you don't want to fall for it."
It was, of course, Mu Qing who had already covered his nose and mouth. Feng Xin covered his face, seemingly seeing something which made him mutter angrily, "Is that... Your Highness? Your Highness?! Damn it! Seriously!! What the heck is going on here!"
Mu Qing also voiced a small exclamation, "This is outrageous, simply indecent!" His tone, however, lacked the anger of Feng Xin and sounded more like he had heard a poor joke. Lying in the cave, Xie Lian was unclear about what they were saying, guessing they were displeased with the floral spirits' nudity. Feng Xin kept cursing, "Burn them now! Don't let others see this!"
A sound of scorching fire erupted, and amidst the roaring flames, the floral spirits' shrieks and curses gradually faded. Mu Qing stated, "Burn them cleanly. These floral spirits have toxic fragrance, and their seeds will cause great trouble if they sprout." Xie Lian raised his voice to speak, but after a small cough, the two recognized his voice and called out, "Your Highness, are you inside?"
Xie Lian answered weakly, "I'm here..."
Although he tried to keep his voice steady, it was much weaker than usual. The two hurried over, halted briefly by the bloodlines blocking the entrance, but understanding how Xie Lian usually set barriers, they knew how to break them. Feng Xin raised a palm fire flame to light their way, but before they could fully illuminate the innermost part of the cave, he questioned, "Who's there?"
Mu Qing also asked warily, "Is there anyone else inside?"
Xie Lian replied, "It's nothing. Just a small soldier."
The two relaxed and advanced. The warm light cast by the flame turned the cave into a cozy orange hue, revealing Xie Lian lying on the ground. His long hair spread about, his upper garment was nearly off, and a longsword had pierced through his abdomen, nailing him to the ground.
Both were shocked and horrified. Feng Xin bent down, "Who did this?!"
Xie Lian replied, "I did it myself."
Mu Qing was stunned, "What's going on here?"
Xie Lian shook his head, "Don't mention it, it was a last resort. Just get me out from here, quickly."
Mu Qing stepped forward, frowned, and removed the sword, tossing it aside. The young soldier picked up the bloodstained weapon. Feng Xin helped Xie Lian sit up, draping a cloak over him. Xie Lian briefly recounted the terrifying night he had at the mercy of the floral spirits and said, "You both arrived faster than I expected. What about Qi Rong?"
Feng Xin replied, "Qi Rong was locked in the imperial palace by the king. He was showing off too much outside, making it easy for others to target him. However, after returning, he knew to find us first, which shows he's somewhat sensible."
Although Qi Rong greatly disliked Feng Xin and Mu Qing, he acknowledged their abilities. They thought of leaving one to guard the city, but with Qi Rong causing such a ruckus and brandishing a sword blessed with Xie Lian's blood, they figured the danger was too great and came together.
The Back Slope area had heavy demonic energy, and finding it wasn't difficult, so they rushed over.
Though Xie Lian had ascended and ordinary weapons wouldn't cause lasting harm, this was the most severe injury he had ever received in his lifetime of battles. He had never been wounded this badly before and needed some time to recuperate. So, Feng Xin carried him back to the imperial city. The unfamiliar pain pulsing through his abdomen caused Xie Lian to frequently frown but he controlled it, asking, "Did you encounter anything unusual on the way here?"
Mu Qing replied, "Nothing."
Xie Lian, keeping steady, warned, "Be careful, there might be something not of this world..."
He wanted to mention the white masked figure he had seen but was too exhausted. Seeing the young soldier following with the blood-soaked sword, he felt reassured and closed his eyes for rest, drifting into a deep sleep.
Since he came down to the mortal realm by choice, Xie Lian had not closed his eyes in nearly a month. The accumulated fatigue hit him like a wave, and when he finally slept, he was out for three days. Awakening suddenly, he found himself in a lavishly decorated room, realizing he was back in the imperial palace. He sat up abruptly, "Feng Xin!"
Practicing with a bow outside, Feng Xin came at his call, "Your Highness!"
Xie Lian found that his abdominal wound had healed long ago and got out of bed immediately, "Did I rest for too long? Did anything happen?"
Feng Xin assured, "Don't worry. Just a few days. No enemy attacks during this time. Believe me, wouldn't I have woken you if anything happened? Get back to bed, you're not wearing shoes."
Feeling relieved, Xie Lian sat back on the bed. After a pause, he asked, "Where is Mu Qing?"
Mu Qing entered, holding clothes prepared for him, "Here."
Serving his crown prince with clothing, Feng Xin added, "No battles these few days, but we discovered something."
Xie Lian enquired, "What did you find?"
Mu Qing responded, "There was something suspicious on the Eternal Peace side; we suspected they had foreign aid. We investigated the Back Slope area, found some people dressed as locals, but their accents were strange, not like Celestial Music people. We captured them and found that another country was secretly aiding them with food and weapons."
With so many people in Eternal Peace gathered on barren lands, relying solely on wild herbs and bark, they'd never last till now without aid!
Feng Xin cursed, "They pretend friendship all along, but at this crucial moment, they stir up trouble as if they want Celestial Music to fall into chaos!"
Celestial Music was rich in natural resources, abundant in gold and jewels, attracting the envy of surrounding nations. Xie Lian had long expected such a situation. He lowered his head with a slight sigh, thinking of another issue, he asked, "What about that child?"
Feng Xin questioned, "Which one? The young soldier? With everything happening that day, nobody paid attention to him. He probably returned to his troop."
Xie Lian felt his clothing settle, lowered his arms, and said, "That child had impressive skills. I see great potential in him as a talented bladesman. If guided well, he's sure to be remarkable. Mu Qing, remember to find him and give him some proper arrangements."
This wasn't the first time Xie Lian had shown admiration for promising talents, preferring to keep them by his side for direct observation and approval. His words of praise, "a perfect candidate for blade work" and "sure to be remarkable," elicited complex reactions. Mu Qing toyed with Xie Lian's discarded headband, squishing it into a ball, turned, and threw it aside discreetly. Feng Xin criticized, "That boy looks just fourteen or fifteen, much too young. What use is he right now?"
Mu Qing also remarked dryly, "Not exactly in line with military regulations."
Xie Lian asserted, "Even gods descend to the mortal realm, why should the military be so bound by rules?" Adding, "You should have seen how beautifully that child handled the wicked ones."
Recollecting the sinister white-robed figure he once encountered, Feng Xin queried, "Your Highness, how did we never hear of these floral spirits causing such trouble before in Back Slope?"
Xie Lian, getting up, disclosed, "That's what I intended to share with you earlier."
Finally having a chance, he detailed the encounter with the white mask man. They discussed it seriously and agreed to report it to the heavens. Thus, Xie Lian quickly paid respects to the king and queen before heading up the majestic Mount Taicang to the Divine Martial Hall.
Normally, Xie Lian would have directly returned to Immortal Capital and reported to Jun Wu personally. But the situation differed now since he had voluntarily returned to the mortal realm and handed over the celestial key. He couldn't unlock the doors even if he wanted, plus his hasty departure left him feeling apologetic to Jun Wu.
So, he sent an earnest incense prayer to the Divine Martial Hall, leaving a message for the Heavenly Emperor. With millions paying homage daily, when the emperor would receive his message was uncertain. Feeling uneasy about being away too long, he returned to the battlefield and resumed his watch over the city.
Perhaps due to the heavy losses in their first battle and the disrupted foreign support, the opposition from Eternal Peace shifted strategies and ceased reckless assaults. Over the months, they engaged in several skirmishes which weren't as devastating. Compared to that brutal first encounter, these were almost less significant. The eerie white-hooded figure hadn't reappeared, and so gradually, the nerves eased in the Celestial Music royal city, allowing Xie Lian to take a rare break from the front lines for a stroll to ease his mind.
He walked over a little stone bridge, stirring the willow branches hanging by its side, watching the bright red carp swim by with carefree tails below the flowing water. Envy stirred within him. As he stared off into space, he felt someone watching him. Turning quickly, he saw no one but, sensing no harm or malice, dismissed it.
After crossing the bridge, he walked leisurely along Divine Martial Street where passersby greeted him happily or respectfully, hailing him as the Crown Prince. Xie Lian acknowledged them all with a smile. As he strolled a bit further, he sensed that watchful gaze again.
This time, with a guess in his heart, he turned abruptly and caught someone. From behind a willow tree, a half-hidden silhouette ducked back too late. Xie Lian approached and reached out. Instead of the lurking figure escaping, it was a bandaged youth hiding, causing Xie Lian to pause, "You are...?"
The youth, head wrapped in bandages, crossed his arms to cover his face, showing just one eye from beneath a patched sleeve, stammering awkwardly, "C-Crown Prince, I didn't do it on purpose."
Xie Lian pointed, "You're the one from that night..."
He suddenly recalled that night several months ago, remembering his own miserable state. The memories swirled, and embarrassment colored his face. With a soft cough, he said, "So it's you. I’d been trying to find you, but there's been so much going on. Ahem, weren't you in the army? What are you doing in the city?"
The young man's surprise was evident, speaking in a soft voice, "I'm no longer in the army."
Xie Lian was puzzled, "Ah? Why not?"
The boy seemed more taken aback, exclaiming, "I... got kicked out, didn't Your Highness know?!"
Xie Lian was baffled, "Know what?"
He had clearly instructed Mu Qing to take care of this promising youth and ensure his rise. How had this child been expelled from the forces instead?
The young boy seemed thrilled and hopeful, lowering his arms, "So Your Highness didn't know! I thought... I thought..."
As Xie Lian listened, curiosity deepened, "Come, tell me how you got kicked out? Who did this? Why would you assume I knew? What did you think?"
The boy took a step toward him, ready to explain, when suddenly from Divine Martial Street, a terrified scream erupted, "Ah—!!!"
Xie Lian turned sharply to see someone approaching, stumbling and clutching their face.