When Claude opened his eyes, he felt a pain in his abdomen.

"You are up." He heard a woman's voice and looked to the side to see Wen Qing tending to his wounds.

"Your Highness." he said and Wen Qing answered, "I have cleaned your wounds. Mother left you here, and I opted to nurse you."

Claude nodded and slowly sat up, while Wen Qing asked, "That wound was self-inflicted, wasn't it? If it was, then it was too deep."

"It had to look real. I can't just scratch myself and go her," he said.

Wen Qing stared at him before she asked, "What's the plan?"

Claude looked back at her before answering, "Did you get something in my clothes?"

Wen Qing nodded, "If you are talking about that firecracker then yes."

"Where did you keep it?"

"It's safe."

"Have you received any signal? as in some firecracker going in the sky? with a green signal?"

Wen Qing shook her head, Claude nodded, "I see. Sooner or later Duke is going to attack the palace and when he does that my men who are outside will send us a green signal, and I will send them a green signal as well telling them to attack.

Once the signal is sent my men will attack this place." Claude said, "It means that war has begun."

Wen Qing nodded. She was happy that she can be finally out of here however she felt a little worried for Lilith.

What will become of her?

"Sister?" Lilith called out to her in her sweet voice and Wen Qing smiled before she went back to her.

Claude sighed and laid back on the bed, however, his relief did not last long as he heard the sound of the firecracker, he quickly got up and ran outside.

And when he came outside he saw another shot up in the sky leaving a green signal, these shots were going to be fired only four times each at a time interval of ten minutes.

Claude looked around and touched his body but his clothes were changed so he rushed back to the room to look for the firecracker, "Oh god where is it!" he yelled with annoyance.

"Here," Wen Qing suddenly came from behind and gave him what he was looking for Claude quickly took it and ran outside firing the shots in the air.

"Prepare yourself, princess." Claude said, "Or should I say, your majesty?"

Wen Qing smirked, "The latter sounds much better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where the... HELL ARE THOSE PEOPLE?" Cassandra spoke as she flipped the table, and the collapsed on the floor and the contents on it also fell on the floor.

Her guards and everyone else also started to shiver and flinch.

Cassandra was so mad that she was going to explode with anger. How dare they, they killed Austin and also burned his house moreover that Claude Austin's right-hand man was also unconscious?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She sat down in her chair and she kept her hand on her head.

But she quickly became alert when she heard the commotion outside, she got up from her chair and a soldier came running inside, "Your majesty the palace has been attacked."

Cassandra's eyes widened, "What?" she yelled and went out of the room but as soon as she went out she saw a fireball coming in her direction she bent down and the ball landed on the face of the guard behind her.

Another guard came as well and said, "Your majesty, our borders are under attack."

She ran outside, and the guard behind her spoke, "Queen please we have to leave."

Cassandra didn't want to leave not so soon seen she wanted to fight and hang the head of that traitor on the walls of her palace.

She ran but stopped when she came to the balcony because she saw Yibo right there, in the middle as the soldiers ran here and there attacking each other and dying in the process, fire broke out in various parts, in between the mayhem he stood looking at Cassandra.

Yibo's eyes held the most dangerous fire, and determination to get Cassandra, to punish her.

And behind were Yanli, Zhan, and Hoaxuan as well glaring at Cassandra.

Cassandra glared back at them, "I am not going down. Not that easily." She said she ran inside to her room and Yibo ran in, behind her.

Casandra came to her burning room and opened her closet taking out a box with four bands, and she took the one that belonged to Lilith before she wore it in her hand. And closed her eyes, "Lilith."

She called her out before she ran out of the palace.

~~~~~~~

The door of Cassandra's garden burst open and soldiers ran in killing every guard that came to fight.

Cheng was the one leading them, after a long time he felt the same thrill and passion for fighting that he felt years ago.

Lilith heard the commotion and came out Claude saw her and so did Wen Qing who stood beside her, Cheng, and the other soldiers also saw Lilith and were shocked at her demonic look.

But Cheng also saw Wen Qing and saw that she was safe and relief washed over him.

"What's going on? sister? where is the mother? who are these people?" she yelled feeling anxious.

Wen Qing, spoke, "Lilith you have to go inside. right now."

"But sister, who are they? they are ruining mother's garden she will be angry."

"No she won't" Wen Qing and while she was talking to Lilith Claude tried to attack Lilith but Wen Qing pushed Lilith aside and kicked Claude.

"What are you doing princess?!" Claude asked, "Don't tell me that you have developed a soft spot for her." Wen Qing looked at him.

But Lilith saw Cheng, and she recognized him as the same man that she saved, "It's him, maybe he can help."

 She said and ran to Cheng, Wen Qing looked at her with worry, "LILITH STOP RIGHT THERE!" She yelled but Lilith did not stop Wen Qing looked around and grabbed a sword that came into her view and ran behind Lilith.

"Hey, you," Lilith called out in her demonic and deep voice, when he saw her the first thing that came to his mind was a monster and he wanted to kill her, so he raised his sword, as Lilith ran to him.

When Lilith got closer Cheng swung his sword and was about to strike Lilith but Wen Qing stopped his sword with her own shocking him.

Cheng glared at her, "Your highness have you lost it."

Wen Qing also spoke, "Lord Cheng I order you not to harm her."

Cheng was dumbfounded but Wen Qing did not look back, so she did not see Claude coming from behind and slitting Lilith's throat.

Wen Qing turned back, "No!" But to her and everyone's surprise despite her throat being slit, her head did not fall.

Instead, Lilith looked at Claude who took a step back, "You are a bad person." she said and grabbed Claude's throat and lifted him, before putting pressure on his throat crushing it completely.

Claude struggled but fell limp. Lilith threw his body to the side, she stood there silently, hearing her mother's voice, "My mother is calling me I have to go to her."

"Lilith." Wen Qing spoke but Lilith did not hear instead she turned and ran towards the place before disappearing in the mid-air.

Cheng and Wen Qing saw the events unfolding and for a minute everything fell silent, the dead bodies fell but then a booming sound was heard from the cottage.

Wen Qing and Cheng looked in the direction of the loud sound and they saw men with the same black eyes, Lilith, demonic like her coming out of the cottage.

Miles and the others were scared t first but they ran to attack them however Wen Qing tried to stop them, "NO STOP RIGHT THERE!"

But it was too late, Miles's sword was grabbed and a hand pierced his chest and took out his heart before his limp body fell to the ground with wide eyes.

"MILES!"

Wen Qing and Cheng stumbled back, when they saw them, "We have to run now," she said.