Luo He suddenly smiled while looking down at the chessboard between them.
"This is boring," he said lazily. "Normal chess feels far too lifeless." He yawned.
The Crown Prince raised one eyebrow slightly. "Oh?" He said obliviously. Then Luo He leaned back comfortably in his chair before speaking again. "Let us play something more entertaining this time."
He said.
The atmosphere in the room subtly shifted. Ning Jia immediately looked curious. Even Jin Mulan narrowed her eyes slightly because she already recognized that particular expression on Luo He's face.
The Crown Prince folded his sleeves calmly. "And what exactly does Brother He propose?" He asked calmly. Luo He smiled. "A game of life and death." He said. The room became completely silent afterward.
Even the nearby servants visibly stiffened. The Crown Prince's eyes sharpened slightly now. Not from fear.
From interest. "A cruel choice of game," he observed calmly.
"A realistic one," Luo He corrected. Unlike ordinary chess, a game of life and death was not played with carved wooden pieces. It was played with people. Real people. Living pieces.
Each faction commanded fifteen human pieces placed upon a massive battlefield board divided into black and white sectors. The king was usually represented by a flagpole carrying the banner of the faction.
Sometimes a statue or symbolic object replaced it. The queen was represented by a woman chosen by the player. The Knights, Bishops, Rooks, and soldiers were all portrayed by living fighters.
And unlike ordinary chess captured pieces did not simply leave the board.
They could be wounded. Mutilated.
Or killed even killed.
Among nobles and royal families, the game had long ago become a twisted symbol of wealth and power. Only the truly powerful could afford to gamble with human lives for entertainment.
Sometimes criminals were used as pieces. Sometimes slaves. Sometimes loyal retainers volunteered willingly for glory and reward.
When the game ended the victor earned complete authority over every surviving enemy piece remaining on the board.
Freedom. Execution. Enslavement.
Mercy. Ownership. Everything depended entirely on the winner's mood.
The Crown Prince slowly smiled afterward. "A dangerous game." He said memorized. "The best games usually are." Luo He answered calmly.
Several moments passed. Then finally the Crown Prince nodded once. "Very well." He agreed. Ning Jia and Jin Mulan looked slightly surprised.
"You are seriously agreeing to this?" The two asked Luo He in suprise. The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "Would refusing, not appear cowardly now?" He asked Luo He. Luo He laughed softly. "That is why I like you, Brother Zane."
Jin Mulan silently rubbed her forehead.
"Two lunatics." She thought. Then the Crown Prince rose from his seat. "In that case," he said calmly. "We should summon our champions." He said proudly.
Luo He remained seated. "No need," he replied lightly. "My champions are already waiting outside the palace gates." He said proudly. That answer immediately drew everyone's attention.
The Crown Prince's eyes narrowed slightly. Then slowly he stood. "Interesting." He said. Moments later the entire group moved back through the inner palace corridors toward the outer gate district.
The air had grown colder by then. Rows of lanterns hung on the stone roads in pale gold and red while armored guards followed cautiously behind the royal party.
Then they arrived. Two figures stood calmly near the gate entrances. Fei and Bing. Little Lin was held in Bing's arms.
The moment the Crown Prince saw them his expression finally changed. For the first time that day genuine shock appeared in his eyes. Because they were unharmed.
Not merely alive. Untouched. And under the golden rays of the sun, both appeared almost breathtakingly beautiful in completely different ways.
Little Lin now stood quietly beside Fei and Bing while the cold wind moved softly through her little hair.
Meanwhile Fei remained calm as ever, carrying himself with the composed confidence of someone entirely aware people were staring at him.
The Crown Prince stared silently for several moments. Because earlier he had secretly dispatched fifty Black Mang soldiers. Not merely to capture them.
But to kill Fei and Bing and bring Little Lin as a bargaining chip against Luo He.
And yet not only had they survived they had arrived at the palace calmly on Luo He's orders as if nothing had happened at all. Luo He noticed the Crown Prince's expression immediately. Then smiled.
"Brother Zane," he said lightly, "you seem surprised." He said with a smug
expression. The Crown Prince slowly regained control over his face afterward.
"Your people are impressive." He said.
"They are expensive," Luo He corrected proudly. Little Lin immediately ran toward Luo He the moment she saw him. "DD" The word stumbled out awkwardly.
Little Lin looked visibly frustrated afterward. Speaking had always been unusual for her. Not because she lacked intelligence. Quite the opposite.
Her mind moved far faster than her tongue ever seemed capable of following. So instead of becoming embarrassed, she simply glared at language itself like it had personally offended her.
Luo He immediately crouched slightly and opened one arm toward her encouragingly. "Come on now," he said warmly. Little Lin stared at him with deep concentration.
Then proudly declared "DD." Complete silence followed. Several palace guards looked confused. Ning Jia nearly laughed aloud. But Luo He looked genuinely pleased.
"There," he said proudly while lifting her easily onto his shoulder. "Perfect." He said happily. Jin Mulan stared at him.
"That is not even close to father." She lightly whispered in his ear once.
Little Lin had eventually learned how to speak properly, though her way of speaking remained somewhat unusual.
Words often came out shortened, misplaced, or oddly interpreted according to her own logic rather than normal speech.
"It is emotionally close." Luo He said to her without any hesitation that day. "That is not how words work." She argued. "It worked," Luo He replied calmly while patting Little Lin's head.
Little Lin meanwhile pointed immediately toward Bing afterward. "Momy." She said. Bing blinked once hearing it for the first time.
Then she slowly looked away afterward as if pretending not to hear it. Unfortunately Jin Mulan heard it very clearly. Her eyes immediately narrowed.
"What did she just call her?" She asked fuming. Little Lin pointed again proudly.
"Momy..." Luo He's palace atmosphere suddenly became slightly dangerous that day.
Jin Mulan stared directly at Luo He. "She calls her mother?" She complained as if she expected him to set it right. Luo He looked thoughtful for a moment afterward.
Then instead of panicking he nodded approvingly. "Well honey," he said calmly. "To be fair, 'Mulan' is currently the most complicated word in her vocabulary."
Jin Mulan blinked slowly.
"What?" She asked offended. Luo He looked entirely serious. "She might call you by name instead of mother but she puts the most effort into saying your name."
Little Lin immediately looked toward Jin Mulan afterward. With visible determination she proudly forced the word out carefully. "Mu...lan..." The pronunciation sounded uneven. Clumsy at best.
But undeniably intentional. Luo He immediately pointed proudly at their daughter like a scholar presenting evidence. "You see?" He said.
Jin Mulan tried very hard to remain angry.
Unfortunately Little Lin looked absurdly serious while trying to pronounce her name correctly. Like overcoming an enemy in battle.
"That still does not explain why she is 'Momy,'" Jin Mulan muttered. Little Lin immediately hugged Luo He's neck afterward before answering proudly herself.
"Mummy soft." Little Lin pointed directly toward Bing while saying it proudly. Bing immediately covered part of her face with one hand in embarrassment while Ning Jia completely lost control and burst into laughter nearby.
Even several palace guards quietly turned their heads away pretending not to hear anything. Jin Mulan narrowed her eyes immediately. "Why are you 'Soft'?" Jin Mulan asked Bing out of curiosity.
Bing looked genuinely offended. "I did not tell her to call me that." She answered casually. Little Lin nodded confidently anyway. "Mummy."
Then she immediately pointed toward Jin Mulan afterward. "Mulan scry."
This time even Luo He openly laughed. "She is indeed scary. Isn't she," he rubbed her little head.
Jin Mulan looked deeply betrayed.
"I am her mother." She said to her self.
"Yes," Luo He replied warmly. "Which is exactly why she thinks you are scary."
That somehow made it even worse.
Jin Mulan stared silently at the child.
Meanwhile Luo He looked completely delighted by the situation.
"You should feel honored," he said proudly. "Most children cry randomly. Ours judges personalities." He said. "She is yours." Jin Mulan said angryly.
"She is gifted." Luo He agreed. "She calls another woman mother." Jin Mulan said solemnly. "She calls her 'Mummy,'" Luo He corrected immediately. "There is a distinction." He reassured.
"That is not comforting." Jin Mulan said.
The truth was simple. Little Lin had spent most of her early childhood around Bing.
Although Bing originally served as Jin Mulan's personal handmaiden, she was also her elder sister by three years and had long since become part of the household itself rather than merely a servant.
She cared for Little Lin constantly.
Fed her. Carried her. Put her to sleep.
So naturally Little Lin had created her own naming system.
Luo He became "DD." Bing became "Mummy." And Jin Mulan remained simply as "Mulan." A fact Jin Mulan still had not emotionally accepted.
Little Lin meanwhile looked toward Jin Mulan again afterward with visible concentration. Then very carefully with genuine effort she stretched both tiny arms outward toward her.
The irritation on Jin Mulan's face weakened immediately. Because regardless of how annoyed she became she could never resist that child for long.
Luo He noticed instantly.
Then smiled faintly. "You lost," he whispered quietly. Jin Mulan glared at him while taking Little Lin into her arms anyway. "I hate this entire family."