Scheming

As soon as Jing Ling left, Huan Ying entered the hall and Xiao Bao rushed over to him.

"Ying! How was it?"

"How was what?"

"Jing Ling! I left you alone with her for a reason. Did you get to know her better?"

"...Yes and No."

"What do you mean?"

"We had a nice conversation after you left but Huan Huo told her that I only approached her in order to get her to join my faction."

"Why were Jing Ling and Huan Huo together?"

"He purposely followed her when she was taking a stroll in the garden."

"But after he told her, you cleared everything up right?"

"No."

Xiao Bao couldn't believe this. "Did you do anything?"

"Nothing. I admitted it because it's true."

"What?! How could you do that? No wonder Jing Ling looked upset and immediately went home! How could you be so dumb?"

"Dumb? How am I being dumb?"

"Don't you like her Ying? Why would you let her walk away without explaining anything or going after her!"

"Bao'er, since when have I ever said I like Jing Ling? I find her interesting because she's different from those weak women but that's it."

"...So what are you going to do now that Jing Ling has found out?"

"Let her be. We won't force her to join us."

Xiao Bao knows that she nothing she says will make Huan Ying change his mind so she walks away in frustration.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Your Highness please, let me go. I beg you," cried a young boy.

He was so skinny that he looked like a walking skeleton, and his clothes were in rags. Due to weeks of not being able to bath, he smelled of a mix of urine and feces.

"Hehe, how can I be assured that you won't tell anyone about this? I will be so worried about being found out that I wouldn't be able to sleep in peace at night."

"I swear to the heavens that I will never tell anyone about this. If I do, all my family and future generations will immediately be cursed to death. Please! I just want to go home."

Who knew that going out that fateful day would have led to this. He had just left his house to go the market to get groceries for his mother when he was kidnapped off the streets. By the time he woke up, he had been chained to this dark room and has been kept here ever since.

Today is the first time he has seen anyone since he got here. At first, he even though that Huan Huo was here to save him but he found out how naive he had been the moment the Prince drew his sword.

"Hmm, I can let you go but I need your blood."

"Blood? How much do you need? I'll give you as much as you need as long as you will let me go!"

"Hehehe. How much? I need ALL OF IT."

Before the poor boy could react Huan Huo's sword slashed his neck and tied the boy up so that he was hanging from the ceiling like a slaughtered pig.

He watched as the blood drained from the corpse with a glee in his eyes until the last drop.

He took the jug of blood and headed to an underground chamber. He drips the blood of an innocent boy onto the insignia and watches as it absorbs the blood.

Huan Huo was smiles and eagerly waited for the other side to answer his call. He paces in front of a bloody insignia etched on the stone wall and immediately drops to his knees when the insignia releases a red light, painting the chamber in an eerie atmosphere.

"Speak" a deep voice spoke.

"My King, I have found the one you have been looking for."

"Who is it?"

"It is a young girl name, Jing Ling. She is 12 years old this year and has already reached violet mortal realm."

"Good job, you will be rewarded handsomely for your contribution."

"Thank You, my King. If you will allow me to do so, this lowly one has a request."

"What is it."

"I would like you to leave Jing Ling in my hands. I wish to have her join my faction."

"You are permitted to do as you wish."

"Thank you, my King. May you continue to prosper and live for thousands of years. Thank you!" Huan Huo continued to repeat as he kowtowed until the red light died out.

"Kekeke, Dear, Older Brother, what will you do now?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far away from the Song Empire, in hidden at the bottom of a valley lies an entrance cleverly camouflaged with the surrounding rocks. A lone man sits on a throne in complete darkness. His powerful figure and deadly aura seep out from him into the surroundings.

"Gu"

"Yes, my King."

"Send your men and get rid of the girl."

"As you wish."

The black figure vanishes the man is once again left alone.

"Hehehe, you're so heartless, King. You told the boy you would give the girl to him."

"I told him to do as he pleases. Whether the girl joins his faction or not doesn't matter to me. In the end, she is going to be dead anyway."

"Ah~ that's so evil of you, King, but I love it!"

"Yimu. Why have you been snooping around?"

"How rude, I was preparing our next attack. Everything is ready, all we need is your word and we can start."

"Not yet, Kang hasn't made his prophecy yet."

"Hmph, that maniac's visions aren't that accurate and we never know when they will happen. The last one took more than 500 years before the girl appeared! Don't tell me we are going to wait another 500 years!"

"It's better than nothing. Besides, what is a mere 500 years if we succeed in the end?"

"Ah~ it's as you say, my King but I am getting terribly bored of waiting."

"Go torture your boy toys."

"I'm getting bored of them too. I'm planning to get new ones soon. Of course if you, my King is willing to play with me, I would never get bored."

King picks up his halberd.

"I'll play with you. I'll make sure you can never get it up again."

"Hehe, my, would you look at the time. I'll take my leave now King."

Yimu ran out of the room like his life depended on it.

King also left the throne but it wasn't to chase after Yimu. He went into the adjacent room.

If Jing Ling saw the man she would have been shocked to see that he is the man she saw in Song Xuegang's memories.

In an empty room, a young ethereal man sits on the floor with eyes closed, surrounded by flames,

"Kang"

The young man opens his eyes and looks at the King with a dead gaze.

"My King, what do I owe you the honor for this visit?"

"We have found the girl."

"What girl?"

"The child from your prophecy."

Kang lost his poise and his calm demeanor changed into one of a maniac.

"FINALLY! The time has come and chaos will soon engulf this world. KEKEKE I can't wait!"

"Calm down. I have already sent Gu to get rid of her but we don't know if we will succeed in killing her before his revival."

"She's still a child. It's only been two years since the violet light was seen. How strong could the little girl be?"

"We shouldn't underestimate her."

"Hehe, I can't wait. Once she's dead we can move forward with our plans."

"Not yet. Those piles of bones have been cracking down on our plans so we need to lay low for a while."

"They're still hounding us? Why don't we just get rid of them for good?"

"They have their uses. You don't need to worry. Notify me when you have the next prophecy."

"Understood"

Kang reeled in his sanity and became silent once more.