Chapter (8)

The King burst into anger because of the interruption. How venturous Li Jinhai evolved to interfere with the King's determination?

"You disgraceful son, how dare you?"

He stretched his arm out for another hit despite knowing that his son fainted.

Li Bai felt his heart thumping madly, about to tear his chest bone and run away.

In a split second, he covered Li Jinhai with his own body and then he tasted the pain that the Divine whip could have graced one with. Even for him who had years of rough and breathtaking cultivation training and martial arts practices, this hit was overbearing.

The King was gasping, he used his spirit animal strength for the second whip and the heat that came out of it made everyone in the hall cover their mouths.

"Get out of my sight! Take this dumb with you!" The King demanded.

Li Bai's eyebrows creased, biting his lower lip, he got on his feet, picking up Li Jinhai.

Warm red blood painted his white garment. Leaving the robe there, nimbly Li Bai stepped forward. His stomach lurched, the poison had depleted his stamina for tonight and this divine whip added to it.

Getting out of the throne gallery, a mild breeze nuzzled his burning cheeks. He couldn't hear anything, his head was blank. Turning into a flash of blue light, he left the central palace.

Appearing in front of a building, he took unhurried steps, keeping his brother tight between his arms, making sure he would not harm him.

'Why did you do this Li Jinhai? I thought you despised me!'

His pupils had been dilated as if he was consumed by a hallucination.

"Big brother, Li Bai! I am sorry!"

He coughed!

Li Jinhai's voice was more of a hush to his ear but the words were obvious enough to make him halt before entering Jinhai's residence.

"Stop talking, you might choke in your blood!"

Jinhai nodded calmly as it was close to happening.

"Do not save me again! Abandon me when danger is around me. You should not die because of me. It should be otherwise!"

In his mind, he trailed off, 'At least secure yourself with power and then try to save others! This way you won't get yourself killed!'

His voice was hoarse and unfriendly. He did spend his whole life on refinements of cultivation and hardships not to be saved by others, but to save them.

Li Jinhai's eyelashes shivered but he was drawn out of the slightest strength to say that he had no sinister intention. He was always sincere and loved him.

Taking his younger brother to the bed, he looked at the stunned servants who grabbed their mouths and were baffled.

"What is going on?"

"Both of them are bleeding!"

"Our handsome princes!"

"He is so vulnerable!"

....

Bubbles... Babbles... People never stop babbling and judging... Especially when someone is suffering and might perish at any moment.

He ignored the whispers and cut their rambling words. Should they not be here tending to his brother?

"Bring the physician and take care of him."

He hadn't got the nerve to scold them for the delay and time consumption. He would rather skip their mistake for now.

The eunuch and the handmaidens bowed and quickly left to bring what was required.

Li Bai rolled his sleeve up and his palm touched Jinhai's wet forehead and shook his head.

"I heard that you are ill. What made you do such stupidity?"

He grabbed the tissue on the table and began to dry his forehead.

This once great mankind with venerable spirit animals had come to the verge and their extinction was in the near future but his father wanted him to lay smothered like an imprisoned pooch between soulless barriers to be safe and sound.

He wanted him to set concubines and produce descendants!

The Southern empire was already restless and they might ask for unity before a true desolation struck them all.

Moreover, he could not refuse any hand that would stretch for assistance, not him, not his subordinates would stand and watch another's death by lethal demons.

To be ready for ascension, first, he needed to be a meritorious human.

"You must become stronger Jinhai, not for me but for your own sake, for your own self-esteem and sufficiency."

~~

~The next sunrise, the crown prince's quarter

A handsome man in a dark purple majestic robe rushed inside Li Bai's chamber, his face pale and terrified.

"Your Highness, why did you disappear last night?"

"I heard a faint howl that summoned me!"

The man gritted his teeth, his master wouldn't listen to him at all.

"It could be a demon or a trap if it weren't for the girl who saved you..."

The prince raised his hand and shushed him.

He was standing near the window, eyeing the garden view but his mind slipped out of this place. He smiled gently as he recalled the girl's cute withered appearance.

"What was that?"

"What?" Li Bai flustered after realizing that he caught him on the spot.

But he couldn't forget her. She was quite stunning even though she was tangled into an utter mess and languished.

A blazing light crossed his brown eyes. It had never happened before that he craved to see a woman and feel such an attraction.

"I saw it, that was a smile!"

The prince rarely smiled and he would cherish to learn the reason after the recent incidents.

"Lord Hao Yu, stop chastising me!"

Lord Hao Yu, the prince's second in the troop of royal cultivators. A loyal man whose duty was the priority of his life and his duty was defined, protecting his charming mighty prince and his quests.

Li Bai opened his palm and the cursed nail emerged between a blue aura.

"This nail still has poison in it, it must be made by a mighty witch!"

Someone was charging the demons against us with equipment.

"Only I was hit by this artifact, the snake carves are rare."

Hao Yu approached and took a precise look.