Ave Xia Rem Y

~~~

“Your lunch, your majesty.”

Liu Jin pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I told you not to call me that.”

His words are delivered in a quiet, almost defeated, voice. However, the servant reacts as if he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Forgive me, your majesty!” the poor woman says as she frantically bows her head, barely remembering to place his food on the nightstand first. “I mean… I didn’t mean…I…I…”

Lu Mei laughs.

“Oh, pay it no mind, woman. His majesty is not a man quick to anger. Leave and see to your duties. That is surely what his majesty would say if he were not so tired. Is that not so, your majesty?”

Liu Jin glares at her but stops when he notices the look in his eyes is frightening the servant. He takes pity on the poor woman and waves her away, only speaking once she has left the room.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, your majesty. I am your ever humble servant, your majesty.”

Liu Jin has a reply at the tip of his tongue but lets it die. What point is there in arguing about this? News of his bloodline–though not of his father–has been spread throughout the Empire. He arrived with two of three Heavenly Generals to the palace, defeated the third, and is now staying in the Emperor’s room. There has been no formal announcement yet, but as far as everyone is concerned, Liu Jin is the Emperor, and General Nie Dan is his regent.

“I do not wish to rule.”

“A most eloquently put point, your majesty,” Lu Mei says. “However, if you would allow this lady a simple question, and if his majesty answers it, this lady promises she will never call his majesty his majesty again.”

Liu Jin glowers at her in silence for five full seconds.

“... ask your question.”

“Are you planning on letting things be?”

“What?”

“The Storm Dragon Empire has been freed,” Lu Mei points out. “Murong Bang is dead. General Nie Dan is an able ruler. The Eternal Flame Clan might gain greater control of this country from now on, but they will never abuse the people as Murong Bang did. There is no monster for you to slay anymore. Surely, it would be fine if you step away and let those overwhelmingly more capable than you handle things from here?”

Liu Jin opens his mouth.

He closes it.

Murong Bang is dead. He Bin is dead. The Death Fashioning Scripture has lost its agent here. Some people might still have flesh buds, but that issue can be resolved in time. All his objectives have been completed. General Nie Dan and the high-ranking members of the Eternal Flame Clan can handle what follows. It is not as if Liu Jin can claim to know more about ruling than the Heavenly General.

This country… It is not his concern now.

And yet…

Liu Jin groans and grabs onto his hair. “I really dislike you right now.”

Lu Mei chuckles. “There is no need to make yourself twice a liar.”

Liu Jin decides to increase the potency of her poison training for Ceaselessly Refining Breath. Her venomous tongue clearly means she is more than ready for it.

It is certainly not because of something as petty as revenge. Not at all.

“I need to talk to General Nie Dan about my uncle. The one from my mother’s side, not the one who can barely look at me without flinching. It will be good for him to know there are people in Murong Bang’s former territories that he can trust,” Liu Jin says. “The same goes for the Lei Clan, albeit with several caveats. I should also try to ingratiate myself a little more to City Lord Chu. As General Nie Dan’s main civilian advisor, the man is about to become much more important soon enough… You sent a letter to his daughter while I was unconscious, didn’t you?”

Lu Mei says nothing. She does not need to. The look on her face is enough of an answer.

Lu Jin sighs.

“Is there anything I am missing?” He asks, putting a hand over his forehead.

“You are forgetting about your other side of the family,” Lu Mei says, reaching for the tray with his food and bringing it to him. Liu Jin is still too tired to walk. “I agree that your uncle is probably a lost cause, but you should try befriending your cousin. Things will go a lot easier if he trusts you.”

“As he kindly pointed out when we met, I came here with Murong Bang,” Liu Jin says. “I do not think trust is an option.”

“Please, that was days ago,” Lu Mei says, waving the matter off as unimportant. “You’re the hero of the empire and the man who saved his beloved father from the clutches of the treacherous He Bin. You didn’t even try to have him executed. That automatically makes you better than most tend to be in cases like this.”

“The fact that cases like this exist at all is the problem,” Liu Jin says, sighing. “I still need to present myself before the Eternal Flame Clan. It is for the best if I don’t delay that.”

If Liu Jin puts off returning to the Eternal Flame Clan for too long, the Eternal Flame Clan won’t take it kindly. While he is technically untouchable so long as he is inside the Storm Dragon Palace, he doesn’t like the idea of spending the rest of his life hiding within these walls.

Besides, Liu Jin is fairly sure Patriarch Feng would find a way to make him regret it if he tried it.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Lu Mei says. “Remember, you’re the legitimate heir. That’s more than just a title. The Storm Dragon obeys you above everyone else. There’s power in that. The Eternal Flame Clan understands it needs to keep you satisfied, or someone else will put you inside their sphere of influence. For example, General Nie Dan or the Divine Frozen Palace.”

Liu Jin narrows his eyes.

“You want me to make them compete for me.”

“I am warning you they are definitely going to compete for you,” Lu Mei says. “What I want is for you to take advantage of it.”

Liu Jin’s brow creases as he considers the idea.

“No,” he says at last. “I know you are advising me to do what you believe is best, but I don’t think that will inspire people to trust me in any significant way. I have had enough of people suspecting me. I want to make sure the people won’t be abused, and I will be transparent about it.”

Lu Mei sighs.

“I imagined you would be, but do you really think people will hear you say that and actually believe you?” Lu Mei points out. “They are obviously going to suspect you are up to something.”

“I don’t know,” Liu Jin says. “At the very least, I seem to have gotten through to Feng Zhi somewhat.”

Lu Mei gives him a long look.

“You’re entirely too hopeful sometimes.”

“Hope is sweetness, and sweetness is a necessity. The world would be too bitter otherwise,” Liu Jin replies, taking a slice of fruit and popping it into his mouth. “Honestly, I am somewhat glad I am too tired to leave this bed. Otherwise, I’d have to start involving myself in all of this right away.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Lu Mei says. “You’d be surprised by how many people you have never met suddenly want to visit you.”

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~~~

Lu Mei’s words prove unfortunately prophetic. Several people are soon requesting permission to visit Liu Jin. At first, they are people he knows. For example, Huang Shing and Fan Bingbing visit together.

“I wanted to come earlier,” Huang Shing says while eating his sweets, “but Sister Fan told me we should give you space.”

Shooting Fan Bingbing a very grateful look, Liu Jin snatches his sweets from Huang Shing’s hands but thanks them both for coming. What follows is one of the most relaxing afternoons Liu Jin has had in a long while.

Not all days are so peaceful.

The first noble walks into his room a few days later. He talks in pompous tones and rains praise on Liu Jin at every turn, thanking him for saving them all from General He Bin while making sure to cast himself as an innocent victim who had no idea about the depths of the man’s treachery. People like him soon become a common sight as are the many gifts they send to his room.

However, some people are more honest than others.

“Thank you for saving us from ourselves,” a gaunt-faced noble says. He makes no attempts at justifying himself. He presents his gift, an ornate knife, and leaves.

Liu Jin wishes more of his visitors were like him. Unfortunately, they are not. The nobles are a tiresome lot. He vastly prefers the visits from the people he actually likes.

“You have changed.”

“I think I could say the same, Senior Brother,” Liu Jin replies with a tired smile. The corners of Mud’s mouth twitch upward.

“You noticed.” Mud sounds proud, an emotion Liu Jin has a hard time associating with the older disciple.

“I don’t think anyone could miss it.”

Liu Jin is not exaggerating. This is not an issue of Liu Jin possessing any sort of great skill. The Mud sitting by his bedside is undeniably different from the one he knew before they entered the palace.

Senior Brother Mud’s appearance is unchanged, and even his gestures and facial tics, minuscule as they are, remain largely the same. However, the air around Senior Brother Mud is different—less quiet and static, more… energized. Liu Jin struggles to find the words to explain it, yet he somewhat understands what it means.

“Did you find yourself, Senior Brother?”

This time, Mud’s lips pull back in a real smile.

“Perhaps,” he says. “At the very least, I think I have begun to bloom.”

“I am happy for you.”

Mud laughs. Is it the first time he has heard that sound? Liu Jin is not sure.

“It is usually the older one who says such things to the younger one,” Mud points out, “and as much as I want to congratulate you, I have to ask this first: Are you happy with your change?”

Liu Jin does not answer right away. He lifts his hand and lets his Qi flow through it. Scales gradually appear over the limb. It does not happen instantly now. Liu Jin has learned to freely control their manifestation unless in a sufficiently high-stress situation.

Is he happy about this?

He died. Probably. Somewhat. Technically. Nine-Headed Snake God’s Inheritance brought him back, but not without changes. It tried to discard some aspects of him, but the dragon side of him woke and refused to part with them. The full ramifications of it all still elude him, but it is undeniable both experiences have changed him.

No matter how he looks at it, he’s less human than before.

“I am still not sure,” Liu Jin admits at last. “However, I am sure there is something for me to learn from this experience, and I look forward to finding out what it is.”

“Because your master trusted you, and you trust your master?”

They are an echo of the words Liu Jin told Mud after the incident in the Dead Plains. Liu Jin smiles and laughs.

“Yes, that’s exactly it, Senior Brother.”

“I happen to know it’s wonderful advice.”

~~~

General Nie Dan gathers his closest advisors a few days later. Representatives from the Eternal Flame Clan, one representative from the Divine Frozen Palace, and other important people are also present. Liu Jin has naturally been included.

His paternal uncle and cousin are both absent.

The late General He Bin would have held this sort of meeting in the throne room, but General Nie Dan has chosen a smaller conference room. Besides, the throne room still has not quite finished repairing itself.

The Storm Dragon Palace can seemingly mend itself without external aid, usually quite quickly. However, Liu Jin and the Storm Dragon cracking the palace in half, combined with all the damage caused by the many cultivators fighting once the spatial realm came down, will take quite a bit of time to fully repair.

“News of our victory has been received well in our territories,” one of General Nie Dan’s officers says. “There have been celebrations reported in every city. Some of them are still ongoing.”

Liu Jin hides a smile at that. No doubt, City Lord Chu must be busy planning various parties.

“Regarding Murong Bang’s former territories…” the officer trails off and grimaces. “It has gone about as well as can be expected. The fight between Murong Bang’s officers to claim his mantle has been fierce. However, none of them can be considered a serious threat, and we are not without allies there thanks to the Emperor’s efforts.”

Liu Jin stoically ignores the attention suddenly put on him. Even without the aid of the Lei Clan and his uncle’s men, General Nie Dan would have no problem bringing Murong Bang’s men under control. Without Murong Bang or Bright Sword, there is nothing dangerous about them.

“We are also grateful for the aid of the Divine Frozen Palace in this matter,” the officer adds with considerably greater nervousness.

Big Sister Bai Wen does nothing to hide the satisfied smile on her face. Liu Jin had been curious when she did not come to visit him. Apparently, she had seen an opportunity with Murong Bang gone. She left the palace shortly after the end of the battle to… pacify a few of his more troublesome territories.

“General He Bin’s territories pose a larger problem,” the officer says. “Many noble houses have declared the current reign a false one and want justice for General He Bin’s murder and the reinstatement of former Emperor Qing Jianjun. They do not pose a military threat, but they do control a few important cities and hold sway over the population there. We hold members of their houses hostage but-”

“But the possibility of us being killed once we prove useless as hostages probably worked as an incentive for them to rebel rather than a deterrent,” says the gaunt-faced noble who visited Liu Jin once. “I know my nephew has wanted me dead for a while.”

“Treachery,” says the pompous noble, banging his fist on the table. “Treachery everywhere.”

“It is as they say, general,” the officer confirms for General Nie Dan.

“Not unexpected,” General Nie Dan says. “In fact, everything is proceeding in the most obvious direction, which means these are all minor problems that can be dealt with at our leisure. We only have one significant problem on our hands.”

General Nie Dan looks towards one of the corners of the table. One by one, all other heads follow suit.

The two disciples from the Temple of the Thousand Shadows are not intimidated in the slightest.

“Bah!” Alarming Shadow meets their looks with a scowl and crossed arms. “We shouldn’t even be here! Contact with the other side is forbidden!”

“It is exactly because things have deteriorated this much that communication has become a necessity,” General Nie Dan states. “I understand the Temple of the Thousand Shadows respects the non-interference treaty, but your peers clearly do not.”

“You are right,” Firm Shadow says, sighing deeply. “It does not please me, but there is no other way.”

One of the officers scoffs. “Do you think us so beneath your notice that even the idea of talking to us is unpleasant?”

Firm Shadow shakes his head. “You misunderstand. The non-interference treaty is not there because we look down on you. It is there for our protection, not yours.”

Many confused looks appear around the table.

“You all already know this, but there was once a war between humans and demons in which humanity chose to isolate itself from the rest of the world to prevent defeat,” Firm Shadow explains. “However, the continent had become a battlefield long before that happened, and it was this side of the Dead Plains that saw the greatest combat and casualties. The very Dragon Veins under the earth were damaged by the war. As a result, it was our side of the Dead Plains that recovered first, but there was one thing your side had that we lacked.”

“Inheritances,” General Nie Dan says.

“Correct,” Firm Shadow nods. “Many divine beings died here and left behind Inheritances. That proved a temptation too great for us. As we turned our eyes to your lands, we quickly entered into conflict with each other. Realizing nothing good would come from fighting each other, we signed a treaty forbidding us from interfering with this side of the Dead Plains, save for a few exceptions. For example, those from the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak can assign someone to execute any demons that might form on this land. I assume that was Bright Sword’s duty.”

“He allied with Murong Bang!” shouts one of the soldiers.

“I am aware,” Firm Shadow says. “That should never have happened, nor should the Death Fashioning Scripture have been present in this country. This is all wrong. However, I now understand what they were after.”

“The heart,” General Nie Dan says, making most of the room shiver. They have all been informed. A few have even tried to venture into the room, but their nerve failed them once they got too close.

Firm Shadow nods. “Quite. The characteristics of the Storm Dragon’s Inheritance created the conditions for them to attempt this. After all, a dragon cannot be anything but a dragon. That quality persists even after their death.”

“We thought keeping the Storm Dragon manifested merely allowed He Bin to protect himself from Murong Bang and me, but it’s clear there was more to it than that,” General Nie Dan says. “By keeping it manifested, the Storm Dragon’s spirit permeated the palace. It began manifesting a body once more, starting with the heart.”

“It is not complete, but it is, in essence, the heart of a divine being,” Firm Shadow says. “No doubt the Death Fashioning Scripture was salivating at the thought of having such a thing.”

“W-will they come back to claim it?” asks one nervous noble.

“We already sent a message home,” Alarming Shadow says. “We’re not letting them get away with this, so there’s not going to be another incursion by them any time soon.”

“In other words,” General Nie Dan says, “all that is left is to decide what to do about the Heart.”

The room breaks out into noise.

“It’s too dangerous! We need to get rid of it!”

“Fool! It’s an asset!”

“If we could use it!-”

“That power cannot be handled safely! We must only use it to bargain and-”

“Enough!” General Nie Dan shouts. “Look at all of you so quickly turning into vultures when presented with treasure. You forget yourselves! Only one person here has the right to decide what to do with the heart.”

Once again, every head turns to Liu Jin.

~~~

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