It's morning and in Yang Wu palace, Zhi Ming was thinking about Murong li, the letter he had wrote last night still on his desk, he was about to send it but then he remembered the argument they had.

"Zhi Ming? Are you alright?"

Zhi Ming turned to face his father, Wang Yong was in his grey robe, his cheeks had hollowed making him look very sickly.

"Father you're supposed to be resting" Zhi Ming scolded.

"Can't I atleast see my son before I die in the day?"

"Father....don't talk like that"

Although they argue alot, Zhi Ming really cherishes his father, he doesn't want the old man to die unhappy.

"Father....if Murong li and i got married....will you be happy?"

Wang Yong chuckled.

"Marriage already? Did you atleast get the chance to win him over? Zhi Ming....i thought about it a lot....if this is your taste then who am I to stop you....plus you hit a jackpot and got the child bearing one" he said and laughed, Zhi Ming shook his head chuckling, the old man was still witty.

"I know it must be hard to get used to it but trust me....he makes me happy"

The doors suddenly opened and Wei young entered, her face showing no amusement at all.

"He makes you happy? That demon?"

Zhi Ming stood up, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't you ever talk about him like that and who let you in anyways"

Wei young was baffled, the tone Zhi Ming was using to address her made her feel like she was unwelcomed. She turned to Wang Yong.

"King Wang Yong? Is this how your son addresses other royals?"

Wang Yong sighed and stood up.

"We address such royals who do not have the respect to  the homes they are visiting, you're so shameless to come inside her without even knocking"

Wei young's face was red in embarrassment, her left eyebrow twitching now and then.

"Zhi Ming! You and that Yaoguang boy....is it true?" She asked.

Zhi Ming chuckled, he straightened out his robe and grabbed his sword.

"Of course, now that you have your answer, what will you do?"

Wei young's chest heaved up and down, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I will kill him, yes! I will kill him and then take you to Wu Yue sect, that's the only way"

Wang Yong stepped forward.

"Are you insane? Taking a whole king from his kingdom is wrong"

Zhi Ming nodded agreeing with his father.

"King? Zhi Ming is ascending the throne? When is the ceremony? will that boy be there?"

Zhi Ming frowned.

"Why does it concern you? Stop embarrassing your sect and leave, shameless queen"

She gasped, those words...the same words Liu Wei used to address her mother.

"You will not talk to me like that Zhi Ming"

"Or what? You came alone, we could kill you and no one would know"

Wang Yong was shocked, his son threatening another royal is something he didnt expect.

Wei young however was heartbroken, it seems Murong li had won this round. She huffed.

"I will leave then, goodluck with your marriage" she said, she didn't even get the chance to meet Zhi Ming's wife.

Zhi Ming laughed.

"What wife? She was sent back home"

Wei young and Wang Yong were both shocked.

"WHAT?!"

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

In Jingnan, Liu Wei was helping with the cleanup from yesterday evening, after he has pulled out his sword from the ground, the pit filled itself up and what was left was the top soil ruble.

Zhao Zhing came running to him.

"Your majesty, the soldiers are healed, they're okay!" He said in happiness. Liu Wei smiled at the news.

"That's great news, once they are fully awake i want to talk to them before i leave to Yaoguang"

"As you wish"

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Murong li was in the throne room, this time he had brought out his first ever flute, it was made of bamboo and very long.

General Qing bowed as soon as he entered the room.

"Your highness, your breakfast is ready"

"Mn...have the maid to take it to my room, i need to change"

General Qing frowned, the red robe Murong li was wearing seemed fine.

"May i ask why?"

"King Liu Wei is coming over today, if i wear bold colors he might not believe that we are innocent"

"Oh....i will go inform the maid then"

"Mn"

Murong li stood up and went to his room, the flute he was holding making him look like a professional musician.

He got inside his room and changed into his soft pink robe, the pattern was simple and it also had a long dramatic train.

He looked at the food on the table and sighed.

"Congee again?"

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Liu Wei was at the soldier's camp,  the men were dressed in their uniform waiting for their king.

"I have one question....what happened?"

The general stepped forward and bowed down before him.

"Forgive me my king, when we were sent back we got inside a bar in Yaoguang and drank some wine....then we met a few ladies...."

"Jingnan men sleeping around, what shame it would bring to this sect" Zhao Zhing said behind Liu Wei, his voice laced with disappointment.

"So you slept with the women? They gave you the disease?"Liu Wei asked.

The general nodded in shame.

"Rumor has it that the women of Yaoguang cannot bare children so their wombs are just hallow....any man who is not an official citizen of the sect will be cursed if they sleep with the women" he said making Liu Wei laugh.

"So it's true....those people are demons"

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Zhi Ming tied his letter to the messenger pigeon's leg.

"Go to Yaoguang and deliver this letter to Murong li personally" he said to the bird and let it go out the window.

He sighed and sat back down, it was time to wait for a reply and in the meantime he will start his preparation for his coronation.

"This boy really caught your eye didn't he?" Wang Yong asked, he had seen the whole pigeon thing.

Zhi Ming smiled and stood up.

"Indeed, something about him is....different, he makes me feel things i never felt before"
Wang Yong chuckled.

"I remember those feelings when i met your mother"

"Really?....father about this coronation...."

"Yes? What about it?"

"Should we invite Wei young? Her behavior this morning made me lose respect for her"

Wang Yong sighed.

"You have to invite her to avoid the spread of false rumors....i want you to start your reign on a clean slate"

Zhi Ming smiled warmly.

"Thank you father"

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

It's now afternoon and in Yaoguang, Murong li was now in the throne room looking at the map of Yaoguang.

The doors opened and General Qing came inside.

"Announcing the arrival of the king of Jingnan, king Liu Wei" he said and opened the door wider.

Liu Wei smiled as he saw Murong li again, the beautiful prince was looking as flawless as ever.

Murong li stood up from his throne and bowed, Liu Wei returned the gesture.

"King Liu Wei, please have a seat" Murong li said pointing to the prime minister's chair and desk.

Liu Wei smiled and sat down, Murong li looked at General Qing.

"General i have an order to pass, give this to the prime minister that will be all" he said and handed him a paper. General Qing took it and left.

Liu Wei sighed, his face turning serious.

"Prince Murong li...you know what I came for right?"

"Mn...rumor has it that you blame Yaoguang for your cursed soldiers."

Liu Wei could feel his mouth go dry, how could he face the fact that his men slept around with different people.

"Murong li...my apologies for that rumor, i heard the truth this morning and I'm very disappointed in my soldiers"

Murong li chuckled and placed his flute on the desk.

"Do you play chess your highness?" He asked.

Liu Wei frowned, chess? During such an important meeting?

"Yes....why do you ask?"

"I was thinking we play a round to calm ourselves down before making any rash decisions"

Liu Wei smiled, how considerate of Murong li.

"Very well, do you have a board?"

Murong li nodded and stood up from his throne, he walked to a shelf and pulled out a wooden chessboard, the pieces were made from white and red jade.

"I will be red" Murong li said placing the pieces in order.

"Very well" Liu Wei replied and sat across from him.

After all the pieces were in order, Murong li moved his pawn.

"Have you attended the Jingnan sect school for royals?" He asked. Liu Wei nodded and smiled remembering the good times.

"I did, it was the best time to spend my early teenage years" he said, he moved his bishop.

Murong li smiled.

"I attended as well, but it was not a good experience" he said. His pawn killed Liu Wei's bishop.

Liu Wei sighed, he had heard about the whole incident with the rabbits.

"May i ask why you killed them?" He moved his pawn.

Murong li killed his pawn with a knight.

"It was either them or my tormentors"

Liu Wei frowned, tormentors? He was about to ask when Murong li spoke again.

"When you grow up in a sect known as the demon sect, people would label you as a demon without even getting the chance to know you....let me tell you how it started.....

FLASHBACK

Five years earlier.

Murong li sighed as he made his way to the room, his training was not going well and he was behind in the class.

Suddenly someone pushed him, he landed with a loud yelp on the floor. He looked up and saw a young girl, her hair black as coal and her face soft and clean, it was a young Wei young and accompanying her was Zhang Jing.

"Look, it is the demon child, are you about to lay your eggs huh demon" Wei young snorted.

Murong li stood up and grabbed her by the collar of her robe making the two gasp.

"What did you say?"

Wei young pushed him away.

"Oh so you want to fight?" She asked.

Without doing anything to her, Wei young started to cry for help, in a matter of seconds the palace gaurds and king Li Jie came to them.

"What is going on here?" Li Jie asked. Wei young wiped her crocodile tears.

"It's Murong li, he said he was going to feast on my womb this night"

Li Jie's blood ran cold, how could this boy say such a thing?

"Take him back to the scared hall and let him face the wall and meditate"

"But I-"

"Shut up, take him away"

Murong li bit his bottom lip and left the palace. Li Jie turned to Wei young.

"My apologies, i hope you forgave him"

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

The following day, Murong li was in the scared hall reading peacefully when the doors opened and Liu Wei came in.

"What are you doing here? You are not allowed here if you're not punished"

"I was just reading...it is quiet here unlike around the palace"

"Reading? Or studying black magic, yes i heard about you demon, get out of our sacred hall."

Murong li sighed and left, the anger he felt about the treatment he wss receiving almost drove him crazy.

It went on like this for the rest of his training then one day, Wei young pulled the ultimate prank on him. They stole his robes while he slept and Murong li was forced to walk naked looking for his robes, his long hair covering what was needed to be covered.

Li Jie was not pleased with him and sent Murong li to the hall for three weeks and when Murong li left the hall, the anger in him had tripled. As he walked around, he saw a field full of rabbits and slaughtered almost all of them. His sword was taken away from him and he was deemed a demon, Murong Chon was forced to take him back.

END OF FLASHBACK

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Liu Wei was speechless, his pieces were all lost and he was left with his king.

Murong li smirked and moved his queen.

"Checkmate"