The Emperor of Xiyue had just finished embracing his son when he turned to address the soldiers who stood lined before him, their armor battered and their faces weary. But before he could speak, his eyes caught two, one very familiar and other unfamilia, standing quietly at the edge of the procession.
One of them he recognized at once—the young prince of Lianhua, Leng Yue. Time had not changed his bearing: tall, sharp-eyed, with the poise of one born to command. The other, however, was a stranger. He was strikingly handsome, with features almost too refined to belong to any ordinary man. His eyes, deep and shadowed, seemed to conceal both power and danger, while the faint trace of strenge aura lingered around him.
Without hesitation, the Emperor strode forward and closed the distance. His stern face softened, and he pulled Leng Yue into a firm embrace.
"How is my old friend?" he said warmly, before turning slightly and extending his hand to the young stranger beside him.
At that moment, Lianyi stepped in, his voice catching in his throat as he began the introductions.
"This is the Emperor of Xiyue, my father," he said, as he introduced the emperor to the stranger. And this is vi.,., ti..., I mean, princess Yuyan's husband. He stammered, not knowing the exact word to use.
The Emperor's brows lifted slightly at that, but he said nothing, only clasped Tian Yu's hand firmly, studying him with keen eyes.
Then his attention shifted back to the soldiers, his voice heavy with command.
"Tell me," he asked, "what happened? Who dared to attack my men?"
A silence fell over the ranks. The soldiers looked at one another, uncertainty clouding their faces. Even their leader hesitated, his mouth opening and closing without words.
The Emperor's gaze hardened. "Speak! Who attacked you?"
Finally, Lianyi stepped forward, his eyes flickering toward Tian Yu before answering. "There were no men, Father. They were… beast-like men."
At once, the soldiers nodded, voices rising in unison as if to rid themselves of their own doubt.
"Yes, yes, that is true!" they chorused. "They were not men—they were monsters!"
The Emperor's composure cracked. His lips tightened, his eyes clouded with dread. He whispered under his breath, though the words carried just enough to chill those nearest him.
"The hour has come…"
Drawing in a steady breath, he turned back to his weary soldiers, his tone softening. "You have done well to return at all. The lives of the fallen will not be forgotten. Their families will be honored, and the empire will see them properly compensated. Go now—rest, heal your wounds. You have served Xiyue with valor."
The soldiers bowed deeply, gratitude and sorrow mingling in their eyes, before withdrawing from the courtyard.
At last, the Emperor gestured to the three young men. "Come. This is not talk for the open air."
They followed him into the palace, through the long corridors until they entered the Emperor's private library. The heavy scent of ink and parchment filled the chamber, shelves towering with ancient scrolls and forgotten tomes. Once the doors closed behind them, silence hung thick in the air.
Lianyi's face grew solemn. He drew a breath and began recounting everything that Emperor Zixuan had revealed to him.
The air inside the royal library thickened as Lianyi finished recounting Emperor Zixuan's words about the forgotten bloodline and Fang Leng's possession of Hei Xiezhi's body.
A cold tremor ran down Emperor Huojin's spine. His lips parted, but no words came at first. Finally, with a voice that cracked with disbelief, he muttered,
"I was but a child when my father spoke of this… he warned us in grave tones, yet I—foolishly—laughed, thinking it nothing more than a fireside tale. And now…" His hands trembled as he pressed them against the table. "Now the shadow has risen in my era. I must face it."
His gaze dimmed, as though the weight of the world had suddenly pressed upon his shoulders. The emperor staggered back a step, searching blindly until he found the nearest chair and sank heavily into it. His son rushed to his side, steadying him by the shoulders.
"Take it easy, Father," Lianyi urged gently, his palm warm against his father's shoulder blade. "Heaven has not abandoned us to darkness. He said looking at Lian Yu." His words were firm, though his own eyes betrayed he.
There is someone you must meet…"Leng
Yue spoke for the first time since they entered into the library. His voice was calm, almost solemn, yet every word carried weight.
"The one you see before you is not merely a guest. He is Princess Yuyan's husband. He is the forgotten bloodline… the Vampire Prince… Fang Leng's nephew. The very one the prophecy speaks of."
Huojin's head snapped up. For a moment he only stared at Tian Yu, as if seeing a phantom rise from a legend. His breath quickened, his hands shook as he forced himself to his feet once more. Reaching forward, he clasped Tian Yu's hand in a trembling grip, his voice stammering,
"By the heavens… is this true? Are you… the hero who defeated the Black Scorpion and his men?"
"Yes," Leng Yue replied firmly.
But Huojin was not done. His eyes, fever-bright, darted between the prince and Leng Yue. "And what of the witch princess? The prophecy speaks of one bound to him… who will stand at his side in the hour of darkness."
Leng Yue's lips curved faintly, and with a slow nod, he answered, "He has found her."
Silence fell. The emperor's chest heaved as the words sank in. Then, with a voice thick with awe and disbelief, he exclaimed,
"The heavens are merciful!" His eyes widened, brimming with unshed tears. "Do you mean to tell me—the little girl I watched grow up under my very roof, that innocent child—is the witch princess, the hope of mankind?"
His voice broke on the last words, equal parts wonder and dread, as the truth of destiny settled upon him.