The grand golden doors of the Lianhua throne room opened slowly as two young figures stepped in. Prince Leng Yue, regal in his silver robes, walked beside his sister, Princess Yuyan, whose calm beauty and thoughtful gaze reflected the weight of royalty. At the end of the hall, the Emperor and Empress sat in their ornate chairs, the silence of the chamber broken only by the soft rustle of their children's footsteps.
"Come forward," the Emperor said, his voice carrying the warmth of a father and the firmness of a ruler.
Yuyan bowed, followed by her brother. "You summoned us, Father?" she asked.
The Emperor nodded. "Yes. There is much we must discuss—matters of the future. Yours, and Lianhua's."
The Empress leaned forward, her gentle voice guiding the moment. "Yuyan, Leng Yue… you both have grown so much. But time does not wait. The world outside our walls shifts daily. You must be ready for what lies ahead."
Leng Yue tilted his head slightly. "Is this about the recent movements in the west?"
"In part," the Emperor said. "But first, Yuyan. You must begin to think about your place—not just as a princess, but as a future queen. You have been dreaming of fairy tales, clinging to visions from a book and a heart not yet tested."
Yuyan's eyes lowered, but she remained silent.
The Emperor continued, his gaze steady. "The proposal from Emperor Feng Huojin is not merely about love—it is an alliance. A union of empires. Your marriage is not yours alone to define. I am not saying you could have accepted but you can't keep turning everyone down."
At the mention of Huojin's name, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. Prince Leng Yue suddenly froze where he stood. A powerful gust of wind rushed past him, despite the closed hall. The silk drapes along the walls fluttered as if caught in a storm.
"Leng Yue?" the Empress asked in alarm.
His hand instinctively reached for the Empress's sleeve, gripping it tightly. His head jerked upward, his eyes rolling back until only the whites showed, then turning completely blue. A bright symbol, like a glowing crescent with ancient runes, flared on his forehead. Yuyan stumbled back in shock.
"No... not again," she whispered.
This was the same terrifying state she'd seen him fall into when he had claimed to see the boy in her dreams.
A silence overtook the throne room as the prince trembled, bathed in unseen light. His lips moved soundlessly. Then, as suddenly as it began, the vision released him. He collapsed into the arms of the Empress, who held him tightly as he gasped for air.
Sweat poured down his face. His eyes glistened with tears.
"I saw him…" he rasped. "The Black Scorpion... Hei Xiezhi. He is planning on marching towards the neighboring kingdom of Xiyue. A full army. Thousands strong."
Everyone tensed.
"Xiyue?" Yuyan repeated, her voice sharp. "That's... that's Lianyi's kingdom!"
She turned to their father. "What is going on, Father? Did you know about Leng Yue's visions?"
The Emperor hesitated, then gave a long breath. "Yes. I knew. Since his early childhood, your brother has carried the gift—perhaps curse—of the seer. He has visions of what is to come. Often painful. Always true."
Yuyan was stunned. "And no one thought to tell me?"
The Empress's eyes were sorrowful. "We only wanted to protect you both."
Yuyan turned to her brother, who was still catching his breath. "Whatever it is you possess, Leng Yue... I don't care. Just promise me one thing."
He looked up at her, his silver hair plastered to his face.
"Don't leave me," she whispered.
A soft smile broke through his pain. "Never."
The Emperor stood. "We must act now."
He called forth his personal messenger, a trusted servant who had served the crown since youth. "Send word to Emperor Huojin. Inform him of the vision. Tell him to act swiftly."
The messenger bowed and left at once.
---
In the kingdom of Xiyue, the halls were tense with military discussion when Emperor Huojin received the message. His hands tightened around the scroll as he read the warning from Lianhua.
Without hesitation, he summoned his generals. "Send a battalion east. Find where Hei Xiezhi's forces are camped. Strike first. We must scatter them before they gather full strength."
Before dawn, over a thousand of Hei Xiezhi's men had been ambushed in a surprise assault. Fires roared in the night as chaos erupted across their camp. Horses whinnied in fear. Arrows flew under moonlight.
The message reached Hei Xiezhi by nightfall. A bloodied scout dropped to his knees before the tyrant's throne, panting. "My king... our men were ambushed. We've lost more than a thousand. They were waiting for us. They knew."
Hei Xiezhi's eyes narrowed. The veins at his temple pulsed. "Huojin…" he whispered, the name like poison on his lips.
He stood slowly. "Call off the siege. Focus on the ones who dared touch my blade in the dark. I will not forgive this."
Yet deep in his heart, a bitter truth returned. Huojin had always been one step ahead.
He stared into the fire burning beside his throne, and the memory came rushing back again.
Hei Xiezhi clenched his jaw and summoned his personal guard.
"Bring me the report. I want the exact number—how many were injured, how many dead."
The guard bowed swiftly and exited without a word.
Left alone in the silence of his war chamber, Hei Xiezhi narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of his throne, the sound echoing like distant drums of war.
Huojin moved too quickly. Too cleanly.
As if he had seen the battle before it began.
But how?.
The question gnawed at him like a rat in the dark.
Could my plans have been leaked?
But by who? My generals? My advisors? No… I handpicked them all. Loyal by blood or by fear.
He clenched his fist.
Did someone overhear? A spy? A servant with loose lips?
Or is Huojin using magic? Seers? Could that righteous fool have gotten to the mysterious seer?
His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing.
"You'll pay for this, Huojin," he muttered under his breath.
"One day, I'll make sure you drown in regret."