The following morning in Yang Wu, Zhi Ming was at the throne room, his councilmen had held a meeting and were telling him about what happened between them and Murong li.

"Your highness, he ordered his general to chop off our fingers, we almsot bled to death"

Zhi Ming was stunned, why would Ah li do this? Could it be that he wanted to scare the councilmen?

"I'll go have a word with him" he ensured them.

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Murong li was in Zhi Ming's room, he ran the wooden comb through his hair and sighed.

The doors opened with a soft 'creak' as Zhi Ming entered the candlelit room. His serious face made Murong li feel....nervous for the first time.

"Ah li....we need to talk"

He stood up and faced him, their eyes locked, the flaring of the candle flames reflected in their eyes.

"Anything wrong?"

"It's about the councilmen....they told me what happened"

He sighed and walked up to him, his cold hands held on to Zhi Ming's warm hands.

"I did that because they were going to turn against you....if i didnt do what I did....they would've took your sect from you"

Zhi Ming sighed, they were valid reasons but....

"It wasn't necessary...you should trust my judgment Ah li, those councilmen wouldn't dare do that to me"

Murong dropped his hands to the sides, it seems Zhi Ming is still naive.

"You don't get it do you, being a king doesn't mean everything will turn out alright Zhi Ming! You need to focus, be vigilant and sometimes a little cruel, that's the only way to earn respect from your councilmen and your people"

Zhi Ming chuckled, it was cold chuckle and Murong li  didn't like it.

"I see....i think you and I need some time apart, you will go back to Yaoguang and wait for my presence there....if i don't come then.....it wasn't meant to be"

Murong li sighed, so it had come to this.

"I understand....I'll go prepare for the journey then"

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"Li Jun stop it"

"Why, don't you like it"

He blushed and turned to the side, he shivered when he felt Li Jun's warm tongue ran down the crook of his neck.

"Li Jun....stop it"

Li Jun sighed and stood up, he almost laughed when he took in Liu Wei's look, his robe was out of position and his headpiece was now on the side.

"My apologies"

"It's okay....umm....meet me tonight"

Li Jun nodded.

"I look forward to it"

Liu Wei watched him walk away, he sighed and sat up. He fixed himself up and got out of bed, the white roses on the desk in his room made him smile.

"Leave it to Li Jun to get another man flowers"

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In the afternoon, Murong li had arrived at Yaoguang, his calm and collective face made the councilmen in the throne room nervous, he opened a scroll and placed the king's seal stamp next to it.

"There's a possibility that Yaoguang and Yang Wu will become one full sect....i want you to know that if you desire to leave, this is your chance"

Murmurs erupted in the room, the old men were confused, why would they join Yang Wu?

Are Zhi Ming and Murong li getting married?

Qing Jing stepped forward.

"Your highness....you said possibility....so there's a chance that we will not join them?"

"Yes....."

They murmured again, were the two kings in conflict? Qing Jing looked at his king, he could tell that he was trying to be calm yet his eyes spoke up for him....he was sad.

"King Murong li....i think we need to talk....in private"

He nodded and stood up, his white robe creating a rather calm aura around him. Qing Jing followed behind.

"Did you and Zhi Ming have an argument?"

He chuckled and pulled out his white jade flute.

"He called me evil....for what we did to his councilmen"

Qing Jing remained silent, no one will ever understand how Murong li thinks, he thought Zhi Ming was one of those people who knew Murong li but now..... he sighed.

"You should use this opportunity to find out the masked man....we need to know who he is"

"No need....."

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Wei young was with Zhang Jing, the two had become....close if one was to say, their friendship had became stronger and Wei young was pleased about it.

"Wei young....there's something I have to tell you"

"Oh?....I'm all ears"

Zhang Jing blushed, her mouth didn't dare to speak the words she's been wanting to say, how could it even be possible, her and Wei young...together.

"I....I..."

Her ear wiggled when she heard a soft 'swoosh' sound from a distance, she pushed Zhang Jing back and she took a step back.

The arrow shot a soldier in his throat. Zhang Jing gasped and drew her sword.

"Wei young get inside, hurry!"

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He played the flute after a long time, this time it was a new melody, the melody of rest.

He was tired, all the thinking and planning and sneak attacks was taking a toll on him.Even Qing Jing could see that.

"When I first ascended the throne i wanted one thing and one thing only"

"And what is that?"

He chuckled and placed the flute on the desk.

"Power"

Qing Jing also chuckled.

"What about now? What do you want?"

Murong li sighed, he looked towards Yang Wu.

"I want him, I want us to be together forever....I want....peace"

Qing Jing nodded, it seems the Yaoguang king had reached an epiphany.

"I'm so glad to hear that....give him some time....you guys will come out strong, just wait and see"

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The smell of blood filled the air, the coppery metallic taste could make someone nauseous. Zhang Jing walked around the palace looking for Wei young, her face was smeared with blood, the soldiers all dead, nothing was left alive.

"Wei young!"

She called out as she opened and closee different rooms, she froze when she saw Wei young ahead, her sword was broken in half and her robe was bloodied.

"Wei young...."

She turned around to face her, the anger she was feeling was unmatched.

"Zhang Jing....you did this?"

Zhang Jing paused, how could she possibly do this when she was there all along?

"What do you mean, you....you think I'm behind the sneak attack?"

Wei young dropped something to her feet, it was a mask.

"I found it in your room, you....you went out there to try and kill Murong li...why?"

She gripped the handle of her sword, her lips released a tone Wei young had never heard before, a humourless, cold chuckle.

"Why? Because you've gone soft, letting a man threaten you so easily and you sit on your throne preaching about the sect rules, do you know how hard it is to be a commoner here?"

Wei young couldn't believe what she was hearing, her eyes glassed over with tears.

"So...because of that, you went ahead and ruined my sect, look around, Murong li retaliated and we lost...everything and for what?"

She held her hands, her thumb running over her knuckles, Zhang Jing looked the queen in the eyes.

"Don't you see....this is a chance for us, you are a commoner now, come with me and let's form a new sect of our own, let's run away to the abyss"

"What?....Zhang Jing, you....are you saying you have...feelings for me"

"It started when you asked me to pretend we were in a relationship...ever since then I've been dreaming of you, thinking of you, Wei young I lov-"

Smack.

"You don't love me.....if you did you wouldn't have to go this far....Zhang Jing....people lost their lives today and for what? So you can confess?"

She released her hands, so it seems her plan had failed.

"Then you leave me with now choice"

Before she could even respond, Zhang Jing's cold blade ran through her stomach, tears welled up in her eyes looking at her friend.

"You.....why?"

"I'm sorry....if I can't have you....no one can"

She pulled out her sword and watched The Wu Yue sect Queen plummet to the ground, she dropped to her knees, Wei young's wheezes making her heart ache.

"In the next life....you and I will be together....I promise"

She watched her take her last breath, she stood up and walked away, the bloodied blade dragging behind her, she closed the place doors and dropped to her knees to kowtow ten times.

"In the next life....we will be together"

With one look at the Wu Yue sect symbol, Zhang Jing sliced her own throat.

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In the evening at Yaoguang, Murong li was at the gardens, a figure stepped from behind.

"Did you succeed?"

Feng Qiao chuckled walked up to him.

"You know....you are worse than your father, what made you come up with that plan"

He smirked and turned to face the elderly man, his hands patted the navy blue robe he was wearing.

"The day my father died, he gave me something....a drop of his blood, since then my mind was clear, i started to formulate plans no one could ever imagine"

"I see, one thing though, why did you have to stab me, you clearly saw i wasn't fighting for real"

Murong li chuckled.

"My apologies, it had been long since i was in a fight so....i lost control....meet me tomorrow at Wu Yue sect, there's something I want to give you"

Feng Qiao smiled and bowed.

"I shall be waiting"

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Zhi Ming and Wang lei were in the throne room, the elderly councilman closed the doors with a loud bang startling the royal.

"What is wrong with you?" He scolded. The man looked around the room as if he was afraid the walls were listening.

"My king....Wu Yue sect....is no more"

He shivered, the coldness he had just felt was unnatural, could it be that...

"Who...who was behind it?"

"That's the thing, we don't know....we thought it was Yaoguang but their army was not seen leaving the sect"

Zhi Ming frowned, who was behind all this? Wang lei stepped forward.

"Could it be...the masked man?"