The skies of the Golden Phoenix Race's palace were shrouded in golden light, glittering like an everlasting ember that never went out. At the center of the kingdom stood a gigantic palace of flaming golden fire crystal, as if formed directly from the essence of the sun. Tall pillars rose, each side covered with carvings of flapping Phoenix birds, the symbol of pride of the great race of cosmic fire guardians.
Inside the palace, a tense atmosphere reverberated. The main hall was filled with elders, guards, and selected disciples who had witnessed the commotion in the training arena earlier. Their faces were crimson, not from the heat of the fire, but from the boiling anger.
An elder with a long white beard pounded his golden staff on the floor. His voice trembled with emotion.
"Your Majesty, the Queen! That boy has gone too far! He has disgraced the great name of the Golden Phoenix Race! Riding a young Phoenix with its tail tied with spirit rope... that is an insult to our own sacred blood!"
Another elder quickly chimed in, his voice loud but full of anxiety.
"It's not just contempt, Your Majesty. He laughs at the disciples who are practicing seriously, and he makes a mess as if the palace is his personal playground. If left unchecked, other students will lose respect for the rules!"
A chorus of protests erupted. The students who had witnessed the incident knelt, but could not help but whisper angrily. Their voices were low but clearly piercing.
"That boy... is always causing trouble."
"He is even the Queen's own son. If he is not punished, what is justice?"
"This great race is guarded by the rule of cosmic fire. If even the heir disregards the rules, our honor will crumble."
On the golden flame crystal throne, sat a woman whose aura was like an endless sea of flames. Queen Jinyan Tianfei, ruler of the Golden Phoenix Race, is the epitome of elegance and authority. Her long hair was reddish-gold in color, sparkling as if each strand were a spark of the sun. Her regal gown was made of Phoenix feathers that fused with her body, making her not only exquisitely beautiful but also exuding an aura that no one could resist.
Her eyes stared ahead, deep and meaningful. Behind the beauty, there was a disappointment that he could not hide. Not disappointment in his people, but in someone who had long been a thorn and a wound in his heart: his own son, Jin Yunzhao.
In a calm yet forceful voice, he asked.
"What do you all want?"
For a moment, the hall was silent. The elders looked at each other, then the eldest bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty... to maintain the honor of the race, we demand that Jin Yunzhao be punished. No matter if he is royal blood or not, the rules must be upheld. Otherwise, how are we different from the lowly races that like to create chaos?"
A cheer of approval spread, like the ripples of a fast-moving fire. The elders and disciples agreed. Everyone waited for the Queen's answer.
But before he could speak, a large door of burnished gold opened. The sound of steps could be heard, casual, unhurried. From the shadows of the long corridor, a young man with golden-black hair emerged, a mischievous look in his eyes, his lips slightly raised as if he never took the world too seriously.
Jin Yunzhao.
He walked in as if there was no problem. Yawning widely, he stepped into the center of the hall. He scratched his head for a moment, then looked around. Dozens of pairs of eyes pierced him with hatred, but he just shrugged, completely unperturbed.
"Wow, it's so crowded. Did I miss the party?" he said casually, making the elders' faces turn even redder.
The white-bearded elder shook his hands, nearly hitting the floor with his staff.
"Impudent child! You dare to enter without honor before your mother, our Queen!"
Yunzhao just gave a small chuckle, then yawned again.
"Salute? Oh, so I have to bow, crawl, then worship? What for? Aren't Phoenixes born to fly high in the sky, not bow down on the ground?"
The faces in the hall were burning with anger. But the young man didn't flinch at all. Instead, he stared straight at the throne on which his mother sat and casually raised his hand.
"Mother... er, I mean, Her Majesty the Queen," he said in a snide tone. "Shouldn't Phoenix be free? Why do you all like to tie the chains of rules to every step? You see, I've just had a little fun with young Phoenix, and you're all up in arms like the world is about to collapse."
The whole hall was silent for a moment. The words were piercing, not because they were wise, but because of how succinctly he said them.
Queen Jinyan Tianfei's gaze changed. There was a flash of fire dancing in her eyes, not just wrath, but also pain. Her heart was torn in two: as a Queen, she knew her son's words were a great insult to the rule; as a mother, she saw a child growing up in a way she did not expect.
"Yunzhao..." his voice was heavy, deep, and stressed. "Do you know what you're doing?"
The young man smiled faintly, his head tilting slightly.
"Of course. I'm alive, Mother. Or... is that also against the rules?"
BUUGHH!
One elder couldn't hold back any longer, slamming his staff into the floor to crackle with fire.
"Enough! That child should be locked up! He doesn't deserve the name Golden Phoenix!"
The exclamation was followed by roars of agreement from many elders. The disciples looked down, some looking satisfied, some looking pitying.
Yunzhao, however, just chuckled, even waving a hand casually.
"Lock me up? Wow, you guys are really good at drama. If you lock me up, who will train the young Phoenixes to be faster? Besides, I think I'm better at making them run than you guys, who only know how to shout rules."
Angry cheers almost broke out into clashes, but the aura from the throne suppressed everyone into silence. A loud noise erupted from the Queen's body.
WUUUSHH!
Golden flames blazed around him. The majestic Phoenix aura filled the entire hall, making the elders and disciples tremble. Even Yunzhao, who was usually indifferent, swallowed hard this time.
"Silence." The Queen's voice echoed, cold yet burning.
Everyone immediately looked down, not daring to make a sound.
Jinyan Tianfei stared at his son, his gaze piercing, as if trying to penetrate that heart full of arrogance.
"Yunzhao, you are my flesh and blood, the golden blood heir of the Phoenix ancestors. But your behavior shames our honor. What are you pursuing with all your shenanigans? Do you want your people to only know you as a disgrace?"
For a moment, Yunzhao was silent. His eyes flashed, as if something in his heart was stirring. But in an instant, he was back to smiling faintly, his lips curled frivolously.
"Disgrace? Heh, if that's what you think, so be it. At least I was honest with myself. I don't like rigid rules; I don't like living like a puppet who has to bow to these authoritative faces. Phoenix should be free, Mother. And I... will fly my own way."
Her words electrified the hall. The elders roared, both angry and shocked, while Queen Jinyan Tianfei gripped the back of her throne tightly. In her eyes, the fire of wrath and sorrow combined, like two sides that could not be separated.
The atmosphere froze. Everyone waited. What would the Queen do? Will she punish her son? Or protect him because of his mother's blood?
The tension hangs like embers ready to explode at any moment.
Hook is imprinted on the reader's heart: a mother's love and a Queen's authority collide, with a rude young man at the center who refuses to bow down to anyone.