Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 321 : Unity In Diversity (4)

Chapter 321: Chapter 321 : Unity In Diversity (4)

Xie Jianyu was feeling gloomy these days.

He never thought of himself as a "sword freak" before, but recently he wondered if he truly was one.

Confined to his bed, the Crown Prince found himself lost in a sea of memories, his mind drifting back to a time when his body was his own, when he could move with the agility of a panther and strike with the precision of an eagle.

Winter Frost, once a ferocious blade that formed an extension of his will, was now lying next to him on a silken bedsheet, appearing as tame as an Emperor’s gem-studded scepter.

"Little Yu, put Winter Frost away," Xie Jianshen said with a frown when he entered the room with another bowl of medicine. Xie Jianyu was cuddling his sword like he would a kitten.

"No," Xie Jianyu said defiantly. "I am not doing anything dangerous. I just want to hold it for a while."

Xie Jianshen reached out with his hand and patted his foolish younger brother’s head affectionately.

"You are going to give birth soon, Little Yu. You are going to be a mother. There will be plenty of time to practice once the babies are born."

"....."

No, there won’t be, Xie Jianyu told himself.

"Little Yu?"

Xie Jianshen’s hand wandered to the younger omega’s forehead. He did not have any fever.

"Yes," Xie Jianyu squeezed Winter Frost to his chest. "Just a little more, Big Brother, I promise."

Xie Jianyu’s chest ached at the lingering thought, but he quickly drove the depressing notion away.

"Head Servant Zhou."

Dutiful as always, Head Servant Zhou quickly approached the bed and knelt in front of Xie Jianyu’s bed.

"Yes, Master?"

"Any news from Juhua Palace? And Zhang Fengxi?"

"Yes, Master. The battle at Juhua Palace has concluded. Juhua Palace Master, Wu Qingyou passed away during the intense fight. The demons have withdrawn their forces, and Princess Wu Shenxia is currently managing the aftermath of the battle."

Xie Jianyu pressed his lips together in a thin, hard line.

"And..."

"Your Majesty! Prince Zhang Fengxi is here!"

Mingyu almost tripped over her own foot as she rushed into the bed chamber to give Xie Jianyu the good news.

"And and... And Prince Jiang Muchen is also here!"

Xie Jianshen’s lips parted in surprise.

Had he been away from Shuiran Palace for so long that he did not even know that his own son had exited the seclusion?

When Jiang Muchen finally arrived at Fuxi Palace, he was informed of the shocking events that transpired during his absence.

The atrocious crime of murdering the Heavenly Emperor.

The destruction of Golden Dragon Palace.

Xie Jianzhi’s false claim on the Dragon Throne.

Liu Wenyuan’s return.

The collusion with the First Demon King to get rid of Xie Jianyu and establish Xie Jianzhi as the next Heavenly Emperor.

And lastly, the attack on Juhua Palace.

"I didn’t know," Jiang Muchen stuttered, shaken by what he just heard. He then started to tell his side of the story.

"Father was resting when I got back to Shuiran Palace. Mother is also not around... I only heard from some servants that Wuyang Palace attacked Juhua Palace, so I decided to take some men with me and drop by Juhua Palace to offer some help."

"Juhua Palace is a huge mess. The front side of the palace has been decimated into rubbles and piles of dirt. Wu Shenyuan, the heir to the Juhua Palace Master seat, seemed to have lost his mind.

Wu Shenxia was busy taking care of the aftermath and her cousin -- she did not have time to explain the situation to me. For some reason, he merely told me to find Zhang Fengxi instead, but I decided to go find my Little Uncle first. I was worried that Little Uncle was having some difficulties... I didn’t expect that... that..."

His words trailed off in a vortex of confusion.

Jiang Muchen sat on a chair, his shoulders slumped forward in disbelief.

"The Golden Dragon Palace, and then the Emperor... I don’t understand. Why? That Xie Jianzhi, he looked so meek. How could he even...?"

Xie Jianshen crossed his arms in front of his chest and harrumphed in disdain.

"That useless alpha is no better than a child whose eyes lit up at the promise of candies," he said viciously.

Xie Jianyu’s silence echoed the emptiness of his heart, his tongue rendered speechless by his elder brother’s words.

Zhang Fengxi left the doorway and walked toward the bed. With a tenderness that belied the turmoil within him, he enveloped Xie Jianyu in his embrace, his arms encircling his wife’s fragile form like a protective shield

"Hey, baby."

"Hi..."

Amidst the somber atmosphere, they sought solace in a fleeting moment of tender connection.

Zhang Fengxi watched Jiang Muchen’s pale countenance with a lot of interest.

In retrospect, Zhang Fengxi wondered whether Jiang Muchen’s absence was a curse or a blessing. In his past life, Jiang Muchen was also spared from the tragedy of watching Fuxi Palace crumble under the combined attack of Wuyang and Longjing Palaces.

If he had been there when Xie Jianyu died, he might have just lost his mind the way Wu Shenyuan did.

He was no better than Wu Shenyuan.

Zhang Fengxi tightened his arms around Xie Jianyu and pressed a kiss on the latter’s forehead.

If he were to lose Xie Jianyu again in this life, he did not think that he could go on living. Even less than in his previous life.

Xie Jianyu raised his head and looked at Zhang Fengxi. There was a deep-set longing in the alpha’s eyes.

Zhang Fengxi smiled at him before he redirected his focus to the problem at hand.

"Jiang Muchen, we are planning to attack Wuyang Palace in two days. Wu Shenxia already agreed to lend us her power. The army from Longjing Palace is ready to move. Will you join us in our plight with Shuiran Palace’s troops?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Jiang Muchen growled. "I am going to loop that bastard Xie Jianzhi’s head. How dared he raise a hand to harm Little Uncle!"

Xie Jianyu turned to look at Zhang Fengxi.

"I am sorry that I cannot join. I entrust Fuxi Palace’s army in your good hands."

"Thank you, my love," Zhang Fengxi gave his wife a peck on the lips.

"With this, our preparation is almost done," Zhang Fengxi mused. "I just need one more person to join us."

"Who?" Everyone asked in unison.