Unwanted and Abandoned

The relationship between the Commander and the Emperor might be of an alliance but Emperor Haoran has started to feel insecure, fearing deposition at any moment. In the past few years, he has grown concerned about the Commander's strange and secret missions. Even his appearance has started to become more sinister. The Commander, however, has had his own ominous plans in motion, for a few years, when he manipulated his step-sister to take her own life because she accidentally witnessed the horror that the Commander was hiding in his military towers. Commander Xi had a difficult relationship with his elder step-sister Qiu Jian. They were both children of the dàgōng (High Duke) Xi Gengxin. Qiu Jian was dàgōng Xi's legitimate daughter with his wife while Commander Xi whose real name is Xi Cheng Yu was his illegitimate child. He was born to a water girl in the Xi mansion, who was raped by the duke under the influence of alcohol. Rumors go that she was violently raped by the duke to the point of unconsciousness and then thrown out of the mansion so that his evil deed would not be known. The wounded girl was found by a woman who was a nefari. She took her and nursed her back to health only to find out that she was pregnant. The maid was so traumatized and disgusted due to the rape she endured that she developed a pathological hate towards the child growing up in her womb. There were many occasions when she tried to commit acts that might induce a miscarriage. But the unborn proved to be stubborn. The nefari woman who saved the girl then made a proposal. She asked her to go through the pregnancy and give the baby to her after birth. The girl reluctantly agreed. For the next nine months, the nefari took care of her. Being a powerful sorceress the woman found out that the unborn child had magic in him and she already knew who the father was from the girl. When the child was born the girl refused to even look at it and gave him away to the nefari and left. The nefari brought him up and named him Cheng Yu. It was revealed that Cheng Yu's power element was the mind. The nefari then hatched a plan to use him as a means to gain wealth and power. The nefari trained him fully in dark powers and told him about who his biological parents were and how he was born. Then she brainwashed him to aid her in her quest to attain power and wealth by infiltrating dàgōng Geng Xin's mansion.

Listening to his birth story and how his father raped his mother who never loved him and abandoned him at birth the darkness in Cheng Yu grew day by day. More than his mother, he had an undying hatred toward his father. He spied on him for a few years before he and the nefari acted upon their vicious plan. The nefari with her necromancy was able to retain her youth and beauty which she used to seduce the dàgōng. It happened when dàgōng Xi was traveling through the forest where the nefari resided and she staged an act where she pretended to be a victim of a robbery. She appeared before his convoy distraught and crying for help. Normally the dàgōng never paid any attention to lower folks but seeing her he was immediately captivated by her beauty and decided to help her out. She begged him to save her son as she was a widow. The dàgōng found himself so much smitten by the beautiful woman that he didn't care about anything and ordered his men to rescue them and even took them to the mansion. The next day he declared the nefari as his concubine and Cheng Yu as his adoptive son and heir much to his wife and daughter's disappointment. That night dàgōng Xi went to consummate his relationship with the nefari and while in the act she made him consume the cixing plant extract which she has rubbed on her lips when he kissed him. Cixing extracts are made from the bark of the tree which is red in color. The powder extract has the effect to induce brain hemorrhage and the victim dies bleeding from ears, nose, and mouth if a large amount is administered. But, if given in a limited quantity it induces an obedience-like effect on the one it is given towards the one who gives it.

The nefari kept feeding him the cixing extract every night he visits her, which was almost every day. The dàgōng became like a slave doing everything and anything she asked. The first thing she asked was to name Cheng Yu the rightful heir and make him a high-ranking general in the royal army. She then orchestrated the killing of the dàgōng's wife but spared his daughter, Qiu Jian. The continuous intake of the cixing extract rendered him so weak that he aged rapidly and went limp, body and mind. He could not even sit up on his own and was completely bedridden. He lost his speech and could almost not move his hands or feet, turning into a vegetative state.

Cheng Yu, having gained power within months of entering the Xi mansion saw the perfect opportunity to make his own secret plans in motion. A plan that even his foster mother was unaware of. Being brought up in a way where the only thing Cheng Yu knew was abandonment, he grew darker day by day, becoming so evil that he regarded emotions like love and compassion to be weaknesses. So when the time was ripe he one day decided to visit the ailing dàgōng. The bedchamber where he was, had exquisite interiors. The smell of amber lingered in the air coming from the incense burners. Cheng Yu quite liked the smell and took a deep breath to inhale the rich aroma. He then slowly approached his father's bed and sat down; taking his hand in his. The dàgōng feebly looked at him. Cheng Yu spoke smoothly,

"Fuqin! How are you? Are you being taken good care of?"

The dàgōng had a mild smile on his face and nodded unable to speak anything.

Cheng Yu spoke again, this time his tone was as calm and smooth yet laced with sarcasm.

"You know fuqin I have never told you about my birth father. Actually, first I wanted to thank you for giving me so much. But you should know about my birth father and how much of a scoundrel he was. Not just that I think he is unfit to be called a human. Do you know why? Then let me tell you the story."

Cheng Yu took a deep breath and started,

"Once upon a time there was rich dàgōng, he was one of the most powerful people under the imperial emperor. He was known to be righteous, brave, and vanquished evil with an iron fist. He was known to be just and fair, gaining the emperor's favor. His beautiful wife bore him a daughter but she could not give him a son or any other children that's because under all that righteous image he was a monster. He wanted a son desperately and one day while he was drunk and drowned in wine he grabbed the water girl who was fetching water for the kitchen. He raped her so badly that she became unconscious and even then he didn't stop. Only when she appeared dead he realized what he had done. He ordered her to be thrown away like a used piece of cloth not knowing that she would become pregnant with his son. A nefari took her, and nursed her, only to realize that she had unspeakable hate towards the unborn baby. The nefari coerced her to give the child to her after birth and she did. The child grew up with the power of mind control and he came to know about his treacherous father and vowed revenge on the man who made him a no-one."

Listening to the story the dàgōng's eyes grew shocked and stunned. Tears started to pour from his eyes. Cheng Yu's demeanor was as calm as he was before. He could see that the dàgōng recognized him yet could not speak a word how much he tried to force words out with only mumbling sounds coming out. Cheng Yu then spoke again,

"Yes fuqin, I am that son whose mother you raped and threw away. You see it is said that 'the right thing always returns to its rightful place, no matter what you do'. So fuqin I have come home. Are you happy to see me?"

The dàgōng started to cry. There was happiness, shock, and guilt in his expression. Yet he neither can move nor speak to express his feelings. Cheng Yu then got up, went near his face, and spoke again.

"Fuqin since you are happy now, you should rest and leave everything to me. It is time I give you eternal peace."

With that, he cast a mind spell on dàgōng Xi and placed a small dagger in his hand. He then spoke for the last time with an icy tone.

"The spell I cast just now will make you cut your wrists over and over again until you bleed dry with pain. While you endure it, reflect on what you have done to me. You are the reason my mother hated and abandoned me. I despise you beyond anything fuqin and I am going to destroy everything you have built. Farewell!"

He then bowed to the dàgōng who started slicing his wrists under the effect of the spell. Cheng Yu turned around and left as the bed sheet got soaked in blood. After coming out he went on a frenzy casting mind spells on the guards and soldiers making them obedient to him. One by one they fell under the magic and became his followers. After gathering a considerable number of them he proceeded towards the chambers of the nefari who was resting after her usual evening tea. Cheng Yu entered through the door alone ordering the soldiers to prevent anyone to enter. She sat on a lavish couch and welcomed Cheng Yu. He went very close to her and bowed. After standing up he swiftly reached for the dagger at his waist and sliced off the nefaris throat with one strike. With the sudden attack, she held her throat and with a bewildered look tumbled onto the couch. Cheng Yu then spoke,

"Thank you for bringing me up and telling me the truth about who I am, muqin (mother). But I am just fine being alone and taking everything for myself. Your need has run its course. Rest in peace"

With blood splattered on his face and clothes, Cheng Yu came out of the chambers. His soldiers have rounded up the rest of the maids and servants and lady Qiu Jian. Cheng Yu then went up to her and said,

"Jiejie! Now you know who I am. I thought of killing you but then I think you will be more useful to me alive than dead. I hope you will listen to your brother because if not then I probably have to send you to fuqin as well."

Qui Jian, scared with teary eyes, "You killed our fuqin too. Why are you doing this?"

Cheng Yu, "Why? You still ask why? Didn't you know what our father was? And I believe you should be happy because he cheated on your mother as well and neglected you. I am on the other hand being outwardly compassionate to you my sister. So please live quietly until I find a suitable use for you."

Qiu Jian was a very timid and soft woman so she complied with her step-brother. A few years later she was married off to the prince of Erkhet as a bargaining chip to strengthen its loyalty to the Tianxia empire and keep it un-attacked as Cheng Yu led the biggest coup against Emperor Jiaolong. Qiu Jian's misery did not end there. She became the queen of Erkhet and gave birth to a princess but the king wanted a son. When she realized that her ill-fate followed her child she could not bear it anymore and had a mental breakdown, eventually, a few years later she died by mysteriously taking her own life.

Cheng Yu, who was known as Commander Xi, became the supreme leader apparently controlling the puppet Emperor Haoran. Over the years he has grown more eerie and grim giving completely into dark arts and magical experiments which gave out sinister results. His obsession to take over the world was not the end since the knowledge of the Shadow, his new obsession was to take control of the Dark Realm. Till now he has seen success with only one obstacle; the chosen ones.