CONFLICT

"You know why I am here Tianyao." There was no playfulness or joviality in his voice like he used to be, only seriousness and urgency.

Xiao Tianyao crossed his arms while giving menacing glared toward his older brother, he didn't say anything, but Xiao Jun knew in an instant that Xiao Tianyao wouldn't back away. He recognized this attitude of his brother.

Things only would get worse from this point onwards, since both of them unwilling to step down.

"Tianyao, you can't keep her, if you have done with her, hand her over." Xiao Jun held Xiao Tianyao's glare calmly.

Upon hearing Xiao Jun's words, rage boiled inside him as he roared. "Watch your word Jun!!"

Xiao Jun slightly taken a back, never Xiao Tianyao treated him in this way. Something wrong had happened to him. Someone had manipulated him.

"Tianyao, your desire to keep her is clashing with our plan. You will ruin all! Xiao Zi can use her against us. That the last thing we need." Xiao Jun kept trying to pull some sense from his brother.

However, Xiao Tianyao didn't heed his words.

"Leave this place now Jun." He warned him through his gritted teeth.

"I will leave if you kill her." Xiao Jun stated harshly. That was what the decree had said. The woman must be sentenced to death and it was only right to kill her.

That woman… Xiao Jun mentally noted this fact.

The moment Xiao Jun finished his words Xiao Tianyao had dashed toward him with sword in his grip, ready to cut him.

Xiao Jun unsheathed his own sword right in time to block his blow. No words had been said when both of them attacking each other fiercely.

Both brothers looked very calm when assessing one another movement despite the fire that burn inside their eyes.

No one could say who got the upper hand in this battle, because both of them seemed so ferocious, yet in the same time so reserved to not give a fatal attack.

The sound of clashing metal simply deafening along with their anger growled.

"Enough!!!" Xiao Jun roared and twirled his sword against Xiao Tianyao that forced the latter to drop it, Xiao Tianyao let go of his sword, but he kicked Xiao Jun right in his chest.

Xiao Jun bounced back a few meter away before he could steady his ground.

"Tianyao, they did something to you!" Xiao Jun felt anger surged from within him, but it wasn't directed to Xiao Tianyao.

Yet, Xiao Tianyao kept mum and only pick up his sword that he had drop earlier and sheathed back to his scabbard. "Leave Jun. I will handle this."

"You don't know what you are facing now Tianyao." Xiao Jun hissed. He was in agony.

"I will handle this. You must leave now, because you are not supposed to be here." He replied coldly. "Don't you dare to make stupid move against her, I know you will try. If something happened to her, I will not forgive you Jun." He said those words plainly, but it was clear as a day that he was very serious by what he said.

Xiao Tianyao gave him a side look before he walked away, leaving Xiao Jun who was still astounded by his words.

Liu Wei who had been standing on the side during their battle, finally approached his Master when he saw Xiao Tianyao was leaving.

"Master, what we should do now?" He asked carefully. "Should we make a plan to capture the woman?"

Xiao Jun took a deep sighed and shook his head. "No, let's go for now." He turned his back and walked away.

There was a possibility that he could snatch away the woman from Xiao Tianyao, but he didn't like the idea that he could face his brother head on. There must be another way. He couldn't make a reckless decision in this matter.

"I will return to the Capital City," Xiao Jun said when he mounted his horse and added. "Go back to Greenhill and tell my Master to meet me."

Liu Wei bowed in respect as he received the order.

***

In Azura, inside the Emperor study room. An old man with white hair was leaning his back against the window while sipping his liquor.

He was chuckled eerily when he heard the news that his messengers delivered.

"Good job Luna… " Modama said proudly.

"Your daughter has done it beautifully." Xiao Zi praised. "Beautiful lady with such ability is indeed a fatal weapon."

The messenger that was still kneeling on the ground added. "One of our people spotted Prince Xiao Jun in Xinghe, it seemed Prince Xiao Jun confronted Prince Xiao Tianyao. There was a battle between them."

Of course Xiao Jun visited the Xinghe Palace wouldn't go unnoticed by Emperor's people.

Xiao Zi laughed heartily upon hearing this piece of news. "Good. Good!!! Let both of them kill each other! It will end up good for them! I don't need to dirt my hand!"

The Emperor's howl echoed through the wall of the study room, sent chill down to the other people who attended inside the room.

"What you will do with Xiao Jun?" Modama chuckled, Xiao Jun had made reckless move. He showed himself in Xinghe when he supposed to be grounded in his house.

"Well…" Xiao Zi stroked his chin, thinking. "I will close my eyes about this matter. It isn't pleasant to finish him off with only this matter. I wanted that brat to die in his brother's hand, so my deceased brother could curse me more." His lips cracked into vicious smiled.

"You can suppress Xiao Jun movement through his brother."

"Hmm… I will make him suffer before I finished him off." Xiao Zi hummed. "Call back Xiao Tianyao to the capital right now." He gave his ordered to the eunuch who was standing silently near the door.

"Yes, your majesty." The eunuch bowed his head as he received the order and walked away from the room.

"My dear niece won't survive from this…" Xiao Zi whispered to himself as a horrible plan form inside his mind.