Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 269 : The Previous Life (1)

Chapter 269: Chapter 269 : The Previous Life (1)

[Crown Prince...]

Xie Jianyu opened his eyes with a start.

He sat up straight on the bed, his wary gaze scanned the dark room for the person who had just spoken.

The room was empty with no signs of another’s presence.

Xie Jianyu rubbed against his temples. Was he dreaming about an unknown voice?

When he decided to go back to sleep, the voice spoke up again.

[Crown Prince...]

"Who is there???"

Xie Jianyu grabbed Winter Frost and climbed off the bed.

The window locks came undone, and a gust of strong wind blew into the room. A colorful bird with familiar features perched at the window frame, tilting its head to the side and staring at Xie Jianyu.

Xie Jianyu’s grip around Winter Frost slackened.

"Caihong?"

Caihong spread its wings and flew into the room. Usually, it would run directly into Xie Jianyu’s arms and rub against his chest in a spoiled manner, but this time it chose to perch on the table.

[Crown Prince, it is time to fulfill my promise to you.]

The female voice spoke again. It did not come out of Caihong’s beaks. Instead, it spoke directly into Xie Jianyu’s mind.

Xie Jianyu narrowed his eyes at Caihong.

"Who are you?"

[I am Mingzhu Shenxian,-- the voice introduced herself. --Most people know me as the ’Goddess of Fate and Destiny’.]

The Goddess of Fate and Destiny was a goddess unlike any other gods and goddesses. Her gift allowed her to see the past, present, and future of every single living creature in all three realms.

According to the legends, she could read the past up to the point of creation.

Austere and aloof, the Goddess of Fate and Destiny did not like to mingle with her peers. Attachments only served as distractions that prevented her from doing her job well.

She locked herself up in a high mountain with several hand-picked servants. She only agreed to make an appearance in front of noble couples who came with their newborns for a Birth Reading.

This very Goddess of Fate and Destiny now appeared before him, in one way or another.

"What is this promise you spoke about?"

Xie Jianyu did not recall harvesting any promise from the goddess.

Caihong let out a squeaking sound.

[I will recover your memories first,-- the Goddess said. --You will understand then.]

Caihong spread its wings, revealing a magnificent, multicolored plumage. A ball of brilliant blue light appeared out of nowhere in front of its chest, hovering in the air like a miniature sun.

Xie Jianyu’s eyes widened in alarm as the light slowly drifted towards him. The light came to a stop in front of Xie Jianyu, its brilliance illuminating his face. He could feel the warmth of its energy radiating towards him.

[Don’t be scared, Crown Prince,] the Goddess encouraged him. [You will learn about a time that ended a long time ago, but at the same time has yet to pass.]

The luminous orb gradually sank towards Xie Jianyu and entered his forehead. An unknown force hit the back of his head, and he felt himself falling to the ground. Only that there was no ground to block his fall. He kept falling, and falling, until he landed on a hard surface, knees first.

He was surprised to feel no pain at all. Xie Jianyu looked up and found himself back in his bed chamber in Fuxi Palace.

The room was dimly lit by only a few candles. His servants, a maid, and an unknown elder lady gathered around the bed.

Xie Jianyu rose to his feet and approached the bed.

A gasp escaped him when he saw the person who was lying on the bed. It was his other self, albeit older.

The other Xie Jianyu was as pale as a corpse. He sported a swollen belly, and was currently writhing from childbirth pain.

"Your Majesty, it will be over soon," Mingyu spoke with a trembling voice.

The four servants restrained the pregnant Xie Jianyu’s arms and legs to immobilize him.

The midwife made three cuts in his belly, causing blood to spurt out in a grotesque manner. It almost seemed as if they were butchering the pregnant omega.

Xie Jianyu felt a huge lump building in his throat. He slowly retreated until his back bumped against the wall.

Was this what childbirth for male omegas looked like?

How horrible.

He pressed a hand against his own stomach, trying hard to chase away the nightmarish scene to no avail.

It was scary.

Too scary.

The midwife worked quickly.

Before long, she managed to pull out a bloodied baby from the pregnant omega’s belly.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. It is a boy," the midwife announced.

Alas, her patient passed out a while ago, giving the midwife the perfect chance to stitch him up.

Mingyu and the midwife whisked the baby away to clean him up, Xie Jianyu following close behind. His eyes were locked on the bloodied infant, his heart overflowing with love and pride.

"My son..." he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

He wanted to hold the baby in his arms, to feel his warmth and his weight against his chest. But his movement was limited by his other self, who still lay on the bed in a pool of blood.

The servants worked quickly to clean their master up and change the sheets, their movements efficient and practiced. By the time the baby returned, the new mother was already awake and ready to nurse the child.

Xie Jianyu knelt next to his other self, his eyes drawn to the adorable baby in his other self’s arms. The sigil of Longjing Palace shone on the baby’s forehead, a fool-proof piece of evidence that he was a tiger baby.

Warmth flooded Xie Jianyu’s heart as he gazed at his newborn son. He was so small and fragile, yet so perfect. Xie Jianyu couldn’t believe that he was a mother now.

But a shadow of worry crept into his mind. Where was Zhang Fengxi? Why was he not around to welcome the baby?

Xie Jianyu lowered his gaze in distress. Could it be that Zhang Fengxi rejected the baby to the very end?

Before Xie Jianyu had time to mourn his husband’s heartlessness, a guard hurried into the room with an urgent message.

"Your... Your Majesty! The palace has been surrounded by the Longjing and Wuyang Palace’s army!"

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Author’s note :

In this Chapter and the following Chapters, the Goddess of Fate and Destiny took Xie Jianyu on a trip to the past life. In order to not confuse my readers, I will write the scenes of the past in italics.