Dragons had been humans' ally since the founding of the Great Yu Empire. They were gods that protected humans from the cruel beasts and granted the Yuan Clan the power to rule an empire. With their divine support, the First Emperor ascended the throne, heralding the birth to the Yuan Dynasty. They were powerful creatures that swore allegiance to the Yuan Clan, but ferocious beasts that posed a major threat to rukki. If it weren't for them, humans would still be suffering from the cruelty of rukki.

How could a dragon be involved in a massacre aimed at annihilating the Yuan Clan? On top of that, with the participation of rukki? The mere thought of dragons collaborating with rukki was enough to convince Jin Ge not to believe a single word Shuren told him.

He couldn't help but snort. "A dragon and rukki working together? Do you expect me to actually believe that bullshit?"

Shuren's gaze never wavered. "You're a descendant of an imperial blood, the rightful heir to the imperial throne. Of course, you are well-educated and armed with the knowledge of the history of the country. I don't expect you to right away believe what I've said, which contradicts what you've been taught."

"But let me ask you. Do you know why the Phoenixes and Dragons are at each other's throats in the first place? There will be no war if no one initiates it. Phoenixes were once peaceful creatures, until one had been a victim of a dragon's scheme."

Jin Ge's eyebrows slanted down. "Are you implying it's dragons who started the war that put mankind at the mercy of rukki?"

"I'm not saying it goes for all dragons. Of course not." Jin Ge could have sworn he heard her voice turn bitter. "As far as I am concerned there is only one dragon you should be wary of. Who knows, he could be the mastermind behind all this."

She nodded up at someone, and a female rukki servant hurried toward Jin Ge, bringing with her a small porcelain urn. Jin Ge's expression became puzzled as he stared at the urn in front of him, then at Shuren.

"It's the remains of our fallen warriors we collected from Ya'an Mountain," Shuren explained. "Have a look and see for yourself. You should be able to recognize it."

The rukki servant gently opened the container. Jin Ge once again glanced at Shuren, whose gaze remained steady and cold, before taking a look. His eyes widened. Inside the container was a pile of sparkling gold and purple. Ashes. There was no way he didn't know about it. Even sages and scholars would recognize it with a single glimpse. Dragons were powerful beasts, but only first-rank ones had the ability to wield the Flame of Judgement, a Blue Fire capable of reducing anything to ashes.

"Burning hundreds of rukki was no easy feat," Shuren said, no longer looking at Jin Ge. "That had to have taken a toll on him. That would take him at least years to recuperate."

Everything had a limit, and dragons were no exception. The Flame of Judgement required a lot of internal energy to perform, so dragons of first-rank couldn't use it as much as they wanted or their body would suffer the consequences. Jin Ge had never seen a dragon use the Flame of Judgement, but he had read many books about them not to know this most crucial fact. Anything burned by a Blue Fire left behind gold and purple ashes.

"A certain dragon used hundreds of my men for his own goals and then disposed of them once they served their purpose." Shuren's voice sounded calm, but Jin Ge could sense the underlying tone of her resentment. "And the blame will once again fall on the innocent. History sure is repeating itself."

The rukki servant closed the container and retreated as if following a silent command. Jin Ge was left staring at the empty space she had left behind.

"The wolf..." Jin Ge uttered in a barely audible voice.

Taijin glanced at him with feigned curiosity. "Are you trying to get my attention or...?

"That fucking wolf was there!" Jin Ge growled at Shuren, ignoring the mischievous rukki beside him. "He was there when the palace was attacked. How would you explain that one, then?"

Jin Ge heard Taijin chuckle. He fought the urge to punch him in the face until he bled out.

"I knew you'd bring that up, dumbass." Taijin looked at him, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Of course I was there. How do you think you'd end up here?"

Jin Ge tightened his jaw. Another word from the wolfman, and he wouldn't hesitate punching him to wipe that annoying grin off his face.

Mei Lien giggled. "Don't provoke him, Taijin."

"Taijin's presence sure did nothing but raise your suspicions." Shuren's cool voice resonated around the room. Her face was as calm and composed as when she walked into the main hall, as if she had always been prepared to counter any argument Jin Ge would throw at her. "I couldn't really blame you. But I was the one who sent him there."

"Your Ladyship, let me," Taijin offered. He straightened and faced Jin Ge. "I was indeed there, but not to attack your people." His voice lowered to a murmur. "Although I did kill some, only because they tried to attack me first."

Taijin shrugged, not a trace of regret on his face. "I was there to investigate the unusual mobilization of our soldiers. But I was too late. All of them were already dead when I arrived at the scene. Not burned by a Blue Fire, but killed by exceptional sword strokes that could not possibly belong to any of your soldiers. This particular warrior aimed for their heart without missing once. All of our men died from one fatal wound."

"Not that we're demeaning the skills of your warriors, human," Lijie jumped into the conversation. "But one human could not possibly accomplish that unless someone from Jianghu was involved, which is unlikely."

Ruwen.

The name of an old friend suddenly appeared in Jin Ge's mind. Although Ruwen wasn't from Jianghu, his skill was almost comparable to those of martial artists. But if he had been around that time, Jin Ge wouldn't have ended up here, so he quickly ruled out the chance of his friend being that warrior.

He knew Ruwen more than anyone; that friend of his would protect Xiuying first and foremost. After all, that was the oath he made Jin Ge not just as his subject, but also as his friend. So even if Jin Ge's demise was inevitable despite Ruwen's presence, Xiuying would have never been touched by a single blade, which she did. She would never have seen him turn into the monster that he was now or blame her for it.

Jin Ge choked on a breath as realization hit him. There was not a trace of Ruwen during that catastrophe. He never showed up and even failed to keep his promise.

Ruwen, you dared die before me?

"The rukki dispatched at Ya'an Mountain were burned by a Blue Fire," Shuren added. "While those at the Imperial Palace were perished by a blade. If those behind it were at your side, no one would have harmed the Imperial Family. Regardless of how you look at it, this attack was arranged to wipe out your clan, and my men were nothing but disposable pawns in someone's scheme."

Jin Ge just stared at Shuren with a blank look. A blend of emotions swirled through him—anger, hatred, betrayal, despair. They were as strong as a wave, ready to knock him back at any moment.

Was a dragon really behind it?

Shuren seemed to have sensed his thoughts. "I heard the Prime Minister is still alive, currently imprisoned somewhere. You can go find him if you want; I'm sure he knows more than anyone." Shuren's mouth curled up in a slow smile. "Maybe he also knows what you really are."

***

Jin Ge was brought into the Frost Courtyard where he would be staying. The place was cold and desolate, and it was smaller compared to other courtyards in the headquarters of the Crimson Claws. It didn't seem to have been touched by a single servant in a long time. The courtyard was untended and overgrown with weeds and dying plants. Fallen leaves were spread out like carpet on the ground.

Better than being locked up in the prison, Jin Ge thought bitterly.

Once the rukki servant left, Jin Ge stood in the middle of the courtyard, watching the leaves fall. His chest ached as unwanted memories played in his mind. He still remembered how tenderly Xiuying looked at him that day, and how her lips slightly parted as he leaned in close to her. If he hadn't been summoned to court at that time, would his first taste of her lips have been in late autumn, beneath the falling leaves?

He held out a hand to catch a falling leaf. He stared at it with an absent, disinterested gaze. Then he closed his fist, crashing the leaf as anger and frustration bubbled within him. He hated what she did, begging for the wolfman's help that put him in the misery that he was in now, yet his feelings for her never seemed to fade. He hated it, and he hated himself for it.

The past was no more. He was now a prisoner of his supposed enemies, and a prey hunted by his own people. To make it worse, he might not even be who he thought he was.

I have to end it one way or another.

Dry leaves crunched behind him, jolting him out of his thoughts. Turning around, he saw Taijin walking toward him, an amused smile on his face. The wolfman swept his gaze around the courtyard, momentarily gazing at the falling leaves from the scattered trees outside. His long dark hair, half gathered into a high ponytail and the rest woven into thin braids, swayed in the cool breeze.

"What a mess of a place," Taijin said. "Well, since you're my guest, then that means you're my responsibility."

Jin Ge ignored him. Taijin didn't seem bothered by his cold demeanor and continued to put on a friendly act. He even summoned rukki servants to clean up the courtyard, which Jin Ge had no objection to. Taijin left the courtyard afterwards, much to Jin Ge's relief.

As he watched the servants sweep the courtyard, he thought about what happened in the main hall. If Shuren was telling the truth and Li Qiang was still alive, then he would have to find him. He had never mentioned it to anyone before, but there was really something strange about the Prime Minister. He was a loyal and capable official who had guided his father throughout his reign, but everything about him remained a mystery. Jin Ge also observed that Li Qiang often left the capital for reasons he never figured out.

Shuren informed him that they had been looking for Li Qiang for almost three years, but without any luck. He was not one of those killed on Ya'an Mountain. Based on the information they had so far, the Prime Minister was imprisoned, although he was never taken to the imperial dungeon, leaving them uncertain of his exact whereabouts.

When Jin Ge questioned Shuren's motives, the Marshal admitted needing Li Qiang for the same reason as he would now. However, she never really said anything about him other than that. It was for Jin Ge to find out if Li Qiang wasn't who he claimed to be.

Jin Ge craved answers, and the truth more than anything. He wanted to know who he was—what he really was. If the Prime Minister he had long suspected possessed the answers he sought, he would go to any length to find him, even if it meant going against his people.

"Aren't you getting bored watching these servants?"

Jin Ge refused to turn around, even when he heard Taijin's approaching footsteps. "What do you want?" he asked, annoyed.

"Never been fond of wolves, are you?" Taijin's footsteps halted. "Someone wants to meet you."

Taijin led the way. They made their way down a long corridor until they passed through a moon gate, where they arrived at a large courtyard. A rukki guard greeted Taijin, as though already expecting their arrival. As the guard escorted them toward the main room, the servants in the courtyard eyed Jin Ge suspiciously. Some regarded him with curious looks. Jin Ge kept his eyes straight ahead until they entered the main room.

With a salute, Taijin spoke in that unusually courteous voice of his. "Greetings, Wuji. I brought the guest with me, as you requested."

A beautiful and composed-looking man was seated at a table. It was the first time Jin Ge had seen him. Unlike other rukki he encountered in Crimson Claws, this one had such gentle features that he almost looked as harmless as a dove. But his eyes, in stark contrast to his calm demeanor, were glowing with a bright orange reminiscent of a flame.

Jin Ge stood there for a moment, stunned.

This guy is...

Wuji smiled at him. "Please have a seat."

Jin Ge and Taijin took the vacant seats across from him. Wuji poured a cup of tea for the two of them with such graceful motion that one might think he was a prince of royalty. Taijin thanked him before taking a sip of his tea. Wuji smiled kindly at Jin Ge and gestured to the other teacup, but Jin Ge refused to even look at it. He didn't want to drink anything that this shady man offered him.

"Please accept my apologies if this sudden invitation upset you in any way," Wuji said as kindly as he could. "But I've been hearing a lot about you ever since my dear comrade brought you here. I never got the chance to meet you back then due to some...complicated circumstances. However, now that you're back, I didn't want to lose another opportunity." He sipped his tea. "I've been hoping to meet the human who always managed to escape death."

"I didn't escape death," Jin Ge retorted. "It's death that did."

"I apologize for my poor wording," Wuji responded with a regretful tone. "You're right. It should be the other way around."

"What do you want?"

"I understand where you're coming from, but I don't harbor any malicious intent with this meeting. I just truly want to meet you."

"You're a phoenix," Jin Ge said matter-of-factly.

Wuji blinked, then spoke in the same soft, collected voice. "Yes. Not that I'm trying to hide it." He poured himself a cup of tea. "In case you were curious, I was one the four Phoenixes who battled the Celestial Dragon and unfortunately the only one who survived." His gaze never left his cup as he uttered those words. There was a small smile on his lips, yet his eyes reflected a deep melancholy. "We never wished for a war. But when one of us suffered a cruel fate at the hands of a dragon, we couldn't just do nothing."

He let the silence fill the room for a moment before speaking again. His voice was much quieter this time, laced with grief and just a tinge of contempt. "But we never imagined that we would be up against a more formidable foe—one that had a remnant of our own."

Silence fell again, heavier this time. Jin Ge lowered his gaze to the untouched cup of tea. Wuji didn't intend to say anything more and ended the meeting afterwards. As they stepped out of the main room, Taijin suddenly halted and turned to face Wuji, who was standing in the doorway. Taijin said nothing and just clasped his fists in salute. Just then, a young boy rushed into the courtyard. He held in his hand a fishing rod. Scampering after him were two servants, one holding a bamboo basket.

"Delun," Wuji said, looking at the boy in front of him. "How did your fishing go?"

"I caught two large carps!"

The two servants bowed at Wuji, breathing hard. The servant carrying a bamboo basket moved forward so Wuji could examine the captured fishes.

Wuji smiled at Delun, warmth and affection in his blazing eyes. He ruffled the boy's hair. "That's impressive." Then he gestured at Jin Ge. "Delun, this is Jin Ge. He will be staying with us from now on. I want you to treat him nicely."

Delun turned and looked at Jin Ge, who stiffened as his gaze met the little boy's. He had the same eyes as Wuji, blazing and orange as flames. He was a phoenix. When Jin Ge turned his gaze to Wuji, the old phoenix was already looking at him, a small smile on his lips.

"He used to be an old friend of mine."

Jin Ge and Taijin walked along a corridor in silence. None had spoken since they left Wuji's courtyard. Jin Ge's mind, however, had never been quiet. His thoughts had always been a mess. Meeting the marshal and now the ancient phoenix only made it worse. There was something he was meaning to ask though, something that had been on his mind ever since he left the main hall.

"This Marshal of yours," Jin Ge asked without taking his eyes off the path ahead. "What is she?"

"I'm not talking," Taijin answered, a little smile in his voice. "It's best if she shows you herself."