Storm drew near

[3rd POV]

She just wants to be happy.

She did not desire to be remembered forever, she didn't want to conquer the world, she didn't want to expand her empire and she definitely did not want wars.

But she wants to be happy and maybe find people who she could share her happiness with.

She stared at Tai Lung's serene face as he medicated in the middle of the room. She could see how his chi was under his complete control and they churned and moved in a way that tried to imitate hers.

It was scary to be honest. Whatever she could do, she was born with but what Tai Lung had was something he earned through sheer persistence and training alone.

There was a clear difference.

He was dangerous.

She recalled what he said about ambition and how it drives people forward. She played the scene of his declaration in her mind.

It was enviable.

She wanted an ambition to drive her forward as well. She made up her mind, getting out of the Emperor's control seemed like a good start.

So freedom then, would be her goal from now on. After she was done with this mission, she would get the reward the king promised and after turning into a full leopard, then she could have her freedom.

She would fit right in with the world then.

She got up from her bed and walked towards the the window of the inn. The moon was hung high in the sky and its full circle brought a soft glow of light to the world.

Her ears twitched as she looked at the many soldiers prancing around the streets. That was not all but there were many carts and people dressed in luxurious clothes leaving the city.

On that night, the city of Shigatse was busier than it had ever been.

They were evacuating.

The soldiers she had come with had a message and a mission of thier own. While she was supposed to act as a distraction and supression to Tai Lung, they were tasked with bringing all of the influential and important people out of the city.

The battle that was about to take place in the city won't spare the lives of anyone. So the important people were alerted and swiftly escorted out to the city.

The same thing happened last night as well.

The Emperor was willing to sacrifice the lives of the normal people but important officials were given a chance to live.

Trade had also been stopped from the checkpoint 5 kilometres away from the city. The only movement now was people leaving the city.

The normal residents on the other hand would act as sacrificial lambs to not alert Tai Lung.

She shifted her gaze from the streets to the walls surrounding the city. Not only the walls but the great rocky hills which encased the city in a naturally made cage.

A cage.

She turned back to look at Tai Lung, observing for any change. She shook her bell one more time to be sure and then she closed the window.

The storm drew near.

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..

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[3rd POV]

"How long until we reach the border?" Samudragupta asked as he sat cross-legged on top of a mountain. His thousand elite soldiers camped on the foothills of the mountain.

"Two more days." The General of Tibet said. On another section of the mountain lies the Tibetan army which were double the number of the Guptas.

These two armies had met up today and joined forces as they travelled north towards China. They were not exactly friendly with each other but they were working together with the same goal.

The Guptas found no need for such weak allies but it was better than nothing. At least they could act as errand boys. If they were not strengthened by the Priestess of Infinity, the army of the Tiebtan Empire were awfully ordinary, not comparable to the elite commanders of the Great Gupta.

"But before that, we will go to the city of Shigatse to kill the Supreme General of China." The General of Tibet, a fierce lion with a hat said.

"Tai Lung?"

"Indeed."

"Is it really worth it to bring all of the soldiers just to kill one person? I could take him on myself." Samudragupta said with his eyes still closed and in a meditative position.

"You might be able to defeat him in a fight but we want to make sure to kill him. We will surround him in the city and also cut off his ability to fly away so that he won't be able to escape us. The Emperor wants Tai Lung to fall with the city."

"That is not our only objective either as we will turn the city into a military camp. The city will be given to the allied forces and all of its resources shall be used for the upcoming invasion." The General said.

That was the plan. The Emperor was basically giving up the whole city of Shigatse for the army of the Gupta Empire and their future operations to China.

Everything in the city shall be forfeited, only the important people were allowed to escape before anything happened while the normal citizens were left as possible manpower or were left to die.

"So its like that." Samudragupta hummed.

His body was attracting the surrounding chi and absorbing it into his body. If one looked closely, they would notice how Smudragupta was using that to expand his overall quantity of chi and also used it to refine and strengthen his body.

His action was awfully similar to cultivating. In fact, one might call it just that.

The only difference was that there was not much technique or different styles of cultivation. It could be said it was the earliest form of cultivation.

It was through this that he was able to strengthen his body beyond ordinary reason and he was still in his prime physical state after 400 years.

The elite soldiers, the Elephants that he had brought with him were also old with the youngest being over a hundred years old.

They were the finest warriors of the Gupta Empire. With strength, wisdom and experience that have accumulated for hundreds of years.

That was the might of the Gupta Empire. They were unshakable.

They outstrength, outnumbered, outsmart and outexperienced the whole world itself.

That was why they were the most powerful Empire in the world.

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[IMAGE]

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