Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  “Humans and beasts lived just fine together before,” A third guard suddenly broke in, “Who told the humans to suddenly hunt us all down and force us to leave the homes where we had lived for eons? It is their own fault that we will get our revenge!”

  Hearing the many different opinions, Li Meilin was stunned and somewhat fearful. Upon reaching the King rank she had been given information from the country about the Dark Age; however it seemed as though this period was far different from what she had heard. She started to wonder if the information she had been told was a lie, or if the information the beasts had was a lie.

  Either way, it was obvious that the beasts were very enraged every time they thought about humans. Li Meilin slowly made her way back to the castle where she rushed to her room and stripped off the uniform only to wear her own robes once more. With a flick of her hand, a small flame appeared that burnt away any traces of the maid uniform she had used previously.

  “It has to be war,” Li Meilin mumbled to herself as stared at the wall deep in thought about the information she had acquired. “It seems that these beasts blame us that they are stuck in Shenyuan. They dared say that the humans forced them away!” Anger was suddenly flaring in the eyes that were thinking about the situation “But what I heard when I became a King was that the beasts were living everywhere. They were subduing humans and forcing them to be their slaves or food. Why would these beasts claim that we all lived side by side?” A frown appeared on the beautiful woman’s face, and no matter how much she thought about it, she could not reach a conclusion.

  Pondering, Li Meilin gently bit her lower lip as she was wondering what was going to happen to her, alongside the world around her. She was currently being treated well by all these beasts, so the likelihood of her suddenly getting in trouble was quite low, but at the same time, she feared for the Siban Empire. Within the capital was the royal castle and her family were nobles who had never had anything to fear. Even know, Li Meilin was certain that her family was enjoying their time, living life as one would in the upper classes of a wealthy kingdom.

  Their King had his dream about one day overthrowing Shenyuan and even now, even when the group containing a Saint did not return, he did not think too much about it. The Siban Empire had more than one Saint and should anyone be silly enough to attack his empire, then the Siban Emperor felt ready to deal with it. This was how Li Meilin thought whenever she imagined the Emperor’s train of thoughts and her mood grew somber as she thought about it.

  “He might be able to help,” Li Meilin mumbled as she remembered the white-haired young man who was living within Shenyuan. Li Meilin, as an Emperor, was capable of feeling the aura which was emitted from the young man, and although he was capable of transforming into a wolf-man, Li Meilin was certain that he was a human being which had undergone some unfortunate situations.

  Nodding her head determinedly, the woman stood up and made her way towards Hui Yue’s room. She had previously been there to get help from this guy, but he had refused to help her in any way. Anyone less thick skinned would have understood that he did not want to have anything to do with her, but Li Meilin was not like everyone else. She was a woman who was willing to do anything to get what she wanted, and right now she wanted a decisive answer about what was going on. Normally she would not have expected this young man to know the truth, but having seen how he had spent a lot of time with Wan Qiao, she suddenly understood that this human boy in front of her was far stronger and influential than what she had expected.

  Standing in front of his door, the woman slowly knocked on the door, and as it opened she saw that the young man was seated on the bed, cultivating his internal energies. Seeing that the woman appeared in front of him, a sigh escaped his lips as he stretched his body.

  “Lady Li, what can I do for you?” He asked with a calm voice, his eyes showing only a little bit of annoyance, but not so much that Li Meilin could see it.

  “Lord Hui,” Li Meilin said respectfully as she nodded towards him as a greeting, “I had a few conversations with some guards earlier today and they all seemed to have the impression that the kingdom of Shenyuan is going to war against the humans.”You are a human, you must feel that this is not acceptable right? Do you not have family or friends whom might be hurt by these beasts? Even if they say to leave your entire family out of this, how can you possibly keep everyone under control and ensure it is so?”

  Hui Yue’s eyes grew cold as he looked at Li Meilin, his head c*cking to the side as he wondered what the woman wanted and finally a sigh escaped his lips.

  “The guards guess that this is a war, but do you truly think so?” Hui Yue asked with a raised eyebrow. “These guys are not soldiers. Look at them. They are guards. Do you see them suddenly becoming infantry, ready to march through Shenyuan and enter the outside world? I think not.”

  The voice which Hui Yue was using contained a slight mockery as he looked out the window in his room, seeing their camps in the far distance.

  “You are an observer, tell me, does brute strength win against tactics? Even if we had many more experts on our side, it does not necessarily mean that we will win. The only way to truly win is to teach the guards how to become soldiers.”

  Hearing this Li Meilin could not help but agree with what he stated, but deep within her mind was a thought that she could not kill. A thought that said that even if tactics were important, some things could not be dealt with by solely relying on tactics. The many beasts should be capable of overrunning the few supreme experts of the human kingdoms, something which truly frightened her.

  Hui Yue paid no attention to the woman any longer as he saw a servant rushing towards him, his eyes glued to Hui Yue seemingly busy to bring some information to the young man.

  “Lord Yue!” The servant yelled from some distance away, “Lord Yue!” Panting the beast-woman in front of him made her way towards Hui Yue while completely ignoring Li Meilin the servant bowed deeply to Hui Yue, a show of deep respect.

  “Lord Yue, Lady Wan Qiao has asked for you to attend the library where you were last time. There is a guest whom you need to meet.”

  Saying this, the woman bowed deeply once more before Hui Yue started moving towards the library straight away, not even bothering to say goodbye to Li Meilin. Hui Yue did not like this woman.

  Grumbling about how he could get rid of her, Hui Yue rushed to the library where he politely knocked on the door and waited for someone to call for him to enter. He did not have to wait long before a woman’s voice could be heard through the door, “Please enter,”

  Opening the door, Hui Yue was curious as to who was inside as the woman’s voice was clearly not Wan Qiao’s. His eyes peeked into the room only to land on the lady who was seated in a chair next to Wan Qiao. A small table was between the two and on this table was a small vial with what seemed to be coagulated blood.

  “Good day,” Hui Yue said with a frown on his brows as he looked at the two women in front of him. Wan Qiao looked as she always had, yet the woman by her side was as stunning a beauty as Wan Qiao herself, however, she was completely different.

  Her black hair was long and smooth falling from the shoulders and framing her beautiful back. It fell so far that it was pooled on the floor around the beautiful woman. Her skin was as pale as newly fallen snow and so white that she seemed to be created by white jade. She was like a doll, a doll so fine and fragile a wrong wind would crush the beauty in front of him.

  Standing there, staring at the beautiful woman Hui Yue was taken aback, but he quickly overcame his shock and nodded to the two women.

  “You called for me ladies,” He said with a calm voice as though he had not been mesmerized by the beautiful woman before. The ability to return to his senses this swiftly was something which caused the beauty to raise an eyebrow in both surprise and praise.

  With an elegant gesture of her hand, she pointed to a chair in front of both Wan Qiao and herself, a small chair where Hui Yue quickly sat down with a gratefu
l nod of his head.

  “So to what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked curiously as his eyes roamed from one stunning woman to the other. When his eyes landed on the vial of blood between them, he could not help but wonder exactly what was going on.

  “Good day,” The woman spoke with a voice that was as light as a summer breeze and as warm as the rays of the sun which shone upon one. Hearing her mesmerizing words, it felt as if one was transferred to a world of eternal summer.

  “I am here because my lord, the Frozen General, wished for me to bring a message to you.” She continued, her voice as light as before, but as the words were said a heavy atmosphere appeared in the room, and Hui Yue suddenly felt as though he had a massive boulder placed on his shoulders.

  Chapter 233 - The Messenger

  * * *

  Chapter 233: The Messenger

  Hearing the words the woman said, Hui Yue froze. He said nothing but his eyes turned hard and every muscle in his body tensed. Both women saw the change in the young man. Wan Qiao knew why the young man had complex emotions towards the Frozen General. He felt some fear since he knew that he was completely incapable of standing firm in front of this man with immense strength. He clearly had enough strength to eradicate even Lan Feng without too much trouble.

  Still, so far, Zhong Fai had been incredibly friendly towards Hui Yue. He had helped him before, and although he set some rules that Hui Yue had to follow, neither of them were too hard to follow. Thanks to this man his plans managed to bear fruit in the end.

  He owed this strong entity quite a bit, but at the same time, something told him that he should not get too close to the Frozen General. There was something about him which caused Hui Yue to feel uncomfortable. Especially how he had found him here in Shenyuan. Was he just good at guessing or did he truly have people who kept an eye on him all the time?

  A shiver ran down his spine, but he said nothing; instead, he looked at the beautiful black woman, waiting to hear what she had to say.

  “You have managed to spark life into some dreams of these old beasts,” She started, her voice never hurried, it was like running water in a fresh spring refreshing, clean, and as beautiful as nature itself. “The Frozen Lord said that he will not participate in this war as long as you promise to visit his frozen castle within five years. The Frozen Lord has something he wishes to show you.” The lady finished her speech and with an elegance so marvelous she lifted a small cup of tea and took a very small sip. Her eyes closed slightly in delight as she was relaxed now that she had given the message from her superior.

  Hui Yue could not help but frown as he heard what the woman said. It was obvious that he knew what was happening deep within the forests of Shenyuan, yet how could he know? Did he have spies everywhere, even within Wan Qiao’s most secret chambers? Or had he guessed what would happen when the conclave of the lords become a reality? Hui Yue had no answer, and he was not certain he would enjoy the answer he was going to get if he asked the beautiful woman for one.

  Wan Qiao’s face was sour to behold, clearly unhappy with the messenger’s news, yet for once she held her tongue and said nothing. Zhong Fai was not someone she wished to cross unless she had no other option. It was unknown which one of the two was the strongest.

  Looking at the beautiful woman, Hui Yue sighed. “Can the Frozen General guarantee my safety if I were to visit?” Hui Yue asked the beautiful woman who gently put down the beautiful and adorned tea cup.

  “His lordship will ensure that you come to no harm. He seems to have taken a liking to you so be at ease; he will not harm you unless you go against him.” She said with a casual voice, in her world she would not understand why anyone would go against the handsome and strong man that was her superior. What made her feel slightly nauseous was that the only person who seemed to matter to Zhong Fai was Hui Yue. This weak creature who was not even a King had somehow caught the Frozen General’s attention and he also managed to keep it.

  The black haired woman sat still and pondered for some time before she sighed. “You can leave us now,” She said with a detached voice. “I will tell his lordship that you will comply with his request.” Tossing a memory stone to Hui Yue, the white-haired young man grabbed it on pure reflex, but he was astonished to feel just how cold it was. It was as cold as though it had been touched by death. This shocked Hui Yue as the woman just grabbed this memory stone from within her pocket showing that the woman literally as cold as ice.

  Bowing to the two women, Hui Yue slowly backed out of the room before he placed the memory stone on his forehead where he noticed that it was a map showing the way to Zhong Fai’s frozen castle.

  Walking away, Hui Yue glanced back at the door. Although the beautiful woman decided on her own that Hui Yue accepted the deal from Zhong Fai, Hui Yue was aware that he had no other option. If the Frozen General were to participate in the war, then their victory was no longer as certain as it would be otherwise.

  Still, what truly worried Hui Yue was not the Frozen General. Although it was unknown whether he or Wan Qiao was strongest, those two could keep each other tangled up for years on end; however, if An He were to arrive then it would turn into a massacre. A massacre of beasts.

  ….

  The two women were seated within the library, and between them was a heavy air. None of them spoke, but both had something to say. Eventually, the black haired woman could no longer hold back, and her face turned unsightly as she turned towards Wan Qiao.

  “What is so special about that youngster?” She asked. Her previous crisp and enjoyable voice had turned hostile and slightly rushed. Had Hui Yue seen her now, he would have been unable to recognize her.

  Wan Qiao looked at the pretty girl, but her expression showed no surprise just an unexplainable pity which made her face seem much gentler than it had previously.

  “This youngster, as you call him, has a brilliant mind. He has knowledge no one else has, and on top of that, his body holds quite a few secrets. Secrets which cannot be shared with others. I assume that your lord has noticed these things, and that is why he wishes to pursue this young man.”

  “The lord is a collector,” the woman said, her eyes still displaying a bit of indignation, confusion, and dislike. “Every youngster my lord has ever taken an interest in has been captured instantly, and enrolled in the Frozen Brigade even those who did not wish to do so.” She continued.

  “Certain individuals who were too talented to join the Frozen Brigade became Frozen Commanders.” A certain degree of pride was visible in the woman’s voice as she spoke. “Becoming a part of the Frozen Brigade and even better becoming a Frozen Commander is something which any talent on this plane should be honored by. To think that this youngster is showing disrespect to my master! I cannot believe it.” The more the woman spoke, the more annoyed she seemed to become.

  Sighing deeply the furrowed brow and the indignation slowly vanished from her face, and she stood up and straightened out her robe as she regained her cool.

  “I apologize Lady Wan Qiao.” She said, her voice once more as alluring as it had been when Hui Yue was within the room. Nodding her head towards Wan Qiao the woman too left the library, not waiting for anyone to show her the way out; instead, she left the castle with familiar steps. As she exited the castle, a cloud suddenly appeared below her feet. At first, it was transparent but after some time, it grew denser. So dense that it could carry the beautiful woman. It did not take long before she was flying in the air, heading back to the Frozen Castle and her master.

  Still seated within the office, Wan Qiao held her head in her hands. A worried expression was obvious on her face as she looked at the closed door from which both the young man and the beautiful woman had left. Standing up and leaving the room, Wan Qiao went to Hui Yue’s room where she instantly opened the door not knocking and waiting to be allowed inside.

  “Follow me,” She said with a solemn voice. As she turned around, leaving Hui Yue confused but also curious, he quickly got to his feet an
d followed behind Wan Qiao to her personal rooms.

  Seated within one of her chambers, Wan Qiao sighed heavily before she wondered how to start explaining what she had to say.

  “Hui Yue, you drawing the attention of the Frozen General, I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing,” She started with a sigh, “The Frozen General is a collector. Anyone whom he takes a fancy to will be invited to his Frozen Castle where he will give them an offer they can’t refuse. He forces them to drink a concoction he has created; a drink which includes his blood and his Wu Wei.”

  “Together with this drink, Zhong Fai also uses an inscription which he draws on the bodies of these talented individuals.”

  “What happens is that these humans die. You most likely noticed that even today, this woman who was here, she had no heartbeat. Her skin was white as the purest snow, no blood flows through her veins, but although their bodies have died their soul stays within the body and the body cannot decay.”

  “I do not know how he managed to create this inscription, but he did, and it forces the many men under the Frozen General to follow his orders blindly. They died for Zhong Fai, and their afterlife will be used for their master. Their bodies and minds have become one. All of them will do anything they have been told to do by their master, no questions asked.”