Chapter Sixty-Five: Calamity Within the Family

Within the Eastern Palace of Chongde, the lanterns blazed with brilliance. Tiande sat before his desk, hand gently caressing his Zhanlu Sword, as if Yu Fei's war drums still echoed in his ears...

With a leap, Tiande landed at the center of the hall, waving his hand to don golden helmet and armor. Accompanied by the lingering rhythm of those war drums in his mind, he began to dance with his sword.

Iron steeds and clashing arms, those glorious years—once, he had been the youthful hero, spirited and full of ambition. With such bearing and visage, such intellect and martial prowess, he was the Crown Prince of the future, the next Heavenly Emperor! In what way was he inferior to that High God Yunxiao of Jade Clarity Realm?

Tiande lost himself in the dance, majestic and imposing...

But just as his fervor peaked, his left leg gave way suddenly—he fell clumsily to the floor, the Zhanlu Sword slipping from his grasp.

The immortal maidens serving on either side hurried forward to help. "Is His Highness unharmed?"

"Out! All of you, out!" Tiande roared. Terrified, the maids bowed deeply and retreated from the great hall, not daring to linger a moment longer.

Gritting his teeth, Tiande forced himself up, ripped off his armor, and flung it aside in fury. Standing shakily, crippled by the wound in his leg—this, he thought, was the only thing in which he was outmatched by Yunxiao: the dragon tendon once severed on the battlefield.

He touched his face. The skin given by the Faceless High God could conceal the crimson handprint left by Yu Fei, but not the burning sting. It was just like the eighty lashes Yunxiao had given him years ago—not wounds of flesh, but blows to his very dignity. Defeated, left crippled, and still his pride was trampled.

"Well, well! The Crown Prince is putting on a display of manly heroism—did that little hussy’s drums reach your heart and stir your blood?" Princess Leici, his consort, strode into the hall.

Tiande said nothing, but dissolved the sword and armor with a wave.

Leici snorted through her nose, sneering. "So you’ve lost a tendon and now your eyes fail you as well. The one you were so infatuated with—Xiao Qiao—turns out to be a man! A man, of all things... Don’t tell me you feel you’ve been deceived!" She broke into giggles.

"My love, you overthink," Tiande said heavily.

"You’re not angry at being fooled? Or do you fancy that male demon?" Leici shrieked.

"How could I?" Tiande hobbled toward the inner chambers.

"Stop! You’re not leaving this hall until you speak plainly!" With a leap, Leici blocked his path and shoved him to the ground, shouting, "She’s been dead twenty thousand years, and you still can’t forget! At last she’s reincarnated, and now she’s a man! Could she ever be your beloved consort? I am your consort, Leici—not her!"

Tiande propped himself up, his voice gentle. "My love, do not misunderstand me."

"If you feared misunderstanding, you’d never have married me! Now you regret it?"

"Never. I have never regretted it," Tiande replied with a faint smile.

"The way Yu Fei looked at Xiao Qiao—he was clearly looking at him!" Leici insisted.

Tiande forced a smile, grinding his teeth. "How could that wretch ever compare to you, my love? Only you dwell in my heart."

"Bah! Crown Prince or not, your mother was a lowly maid, you’re a bastard, and your position, your dignity—all of it comes from me, from Leici and the power of Leixia Marsh! What has Xiao Qiao ever brought you?" Leici’s shrill voice lashed Tiande without mercy.

Tiande mustered a smile, coaxing her. "My love, I’ve told you, there’s nothing between me and that wretch—"

"Nothing? What about your entanglement with him in the Peach Orchard, and coming home with those love bites on your neck?" Leici demanded.

Suppressing his irritation, the Crown Prince explained, "My love, why won’t you believe me? Those were bee stings—don't listen to the maids’ gossip. It was Yu Fei, disguised as a maiden, who tried to seduce me!"

"Oh? Even if it was bee stings, you’re still obsessed—you want to climb higher for his sake. But he is Yunxiao’s favorite disciple, just toying with you! In your last life, you could not marry him and grieved for him, but in this life, even as a man, he’s beyond your pity!" Leici spat, her words biting.

Tiande smiled and said nothing.

"Tiande! Your dragon tendon is severed! You are nothing now—can't even defeat Tiansheng. He’s allied himself with the Jade Clarity Realm! Is there still a place for you as Crown Prince? Should the second prince seize the position, I won’t stay to serve as your lackey!" Leici began to gather her jewels and valuables.

Tiande hurried to stop her, coaxing, "My love, don’t worry—Tiansheng won’t gain the advantage... Trust me."

"Even if you could rid yourself of Yunxiao, there’s still the Nine Provinces, the Jade Clarity Realm, and Chunfeng!"

"A tree falls and the monkeys scatter—these are not worth worrying about. Besides, I have the support of your family’s Five Hills and Eight Marshes," Tiande replied, smiling.

Leici rolled her eyes at him. "So you only care for my family’s power, not me! If Yu Fei were a woman, you’d beg the Heavenly Emperor to betroth you!"

"How could that be? I’ve only ever loved you. For twenty thousand years, you alone have held my heart," Tiande replied, still with a forced smile.

"Twenty thousand years, and yet you lost my dowry, the Nine Immortals Pilgrimage Flute! That’s a Chaos artifact! Even if I returned to my father’s house forever, I’d never let him use a single bit of Leixia’s strength to help you. My father would gladly support Tiansheng instead. As for you—victor or vanquished, it’s all the same!" Leici said viciously.

Tiande ground his teeth, waved his hand, and conjured a swirl of iridescent conch shells on the floor. With a thud, he dropped to his knees upon them, eyes brimming with tears. "What must I do for you to believe me? These are the abalone shells from your Leixia Great Marsh—the very ones you played with when I first saw you, a maiden yet unwed. That lovely image of you has dwelled in my heart for twenty thousand years. I have never forgotten, nor will I, even in death. Xiao Qiao is a bane—her conduct was disgraceful, she shamed herself in the army and took her own life. Now, she clings shamelessly to Yunxiao. I have long loathed her. If I ever harbor a second heart, may my claim to the throne be as shattered as these shells beneath my knees!"

With that, the iridescent shells were crushed to powder. Leici’s heart, too, was softened by Tiande’s devotion and impassioned words. He was, after all, the husband she had schemed so hard to win. In twenty thousand years, though he had strayed, for one of his status to remain without even a concubine was no small thing. He was the Crown Prince after all—young and vigorous. If, over time, he dallied with a few young immortals for novelty, it was only to be expected. Her own father was no different, and had not her mother borne him four children? As long as Tiande did not dream of bringing some wild woman home to threaten her position, she was content to be the elegant princess, not some mortal woman wracked by jealousy. As for Yu Fei—even if he was the reincarnation of Xiao Qiao, he was a man now. What was there to fear? Twenty thousand years ago, she had the means to win Tiande and drive Xiao Qiao to death; now, she had ways to deal with Yu Fei too!

"Don’t deceive me. Otherwise, my father and three brothers will not spare you!" Leici’s tone softened as well.

"How could I...? My love, in all these years, have I ever lied to you..." As he spoke, pain twisted the Crown Prince’s face, beads of sweat rolling down his brow as he gripped his left leg to stifle a groan.

"How can your old wound pain you so...? Don’t try to fool me," Leici said, unable to hide her concern.

Tiande seized her hand with deep affection. "If only you would not be angry, what’s a little old injury? I’d break another tendon for you..."

"Nonsense! You’d have me help you up rather than standing on your own?" Princess Lei softened further.

"I want Yu Fei dead!"

"Very well, I’ll make him wish for death!"

Just as in years past, winning over Princess Lei required not only tender, earnest words and wounds to stir her sympathy, but also a forceful embrace—a night of heady passion, enough to make them both forget the world...

In the Palace of Nine Spirits, Princess Changyang tossed and turned in her bed. So close to Chongde Palace, she was tormented by the unabashed sounds of Tiande and his consort from their bedchamber, until she could bear it no longer.

"Xiao Rui! Go and distract the dogs of Chongde Palace! Their howling and wailing makes it impossible to sleep!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The commotion from Chongde Palace left her, an old royal aunt unmarried after tens of thousands of years, feeling deeply awkward. Her face remained youthful, but her heart was weary. Watching the man she loved become engaged to her dearest friend was a torment. A marriage of her own choosing had always been an unattainable luxury.

She had no choice. She must shoulder her responsibilities—the mission of a princess in a war-torn, unsettled celestial realm. And there were burdens heavier still! So she must drive a blade into his heart, and her own, and feign a smile—smile fiercely! Whoever said hate was deeper than love spoke nonsense. She would rather turn away with a careless grace and forget each other in the vastness of heaven and earth. Yet, in this world, few can govern their own fate. This cut would be a karmic debt spanning forty thousand years.

Xiao Rui went to the palace wall and meowed like a cat, but heard no response. She returned, complaining, "That dog’s gotten wise lately—won’t come out to play."

"Perhaps Tiande has starved it," Changyang murmured, massaging her temples.

"We should get one ourselves!" Xiao Rui hurried to massage the princess’s temples.

"You’d never catch one like that. Was there any interesting news at the Peach Banquet today?" Changyang asked, eyes closed.

"Today High God Yunxiao betrothed his adopted daughter to Tiansheng!"

"Oh? He has an adopted daughter?" Changyang asked.

"Yes, and she’s very beautiful. And his disciple, the one who cross-dresses as a woman—danced wonderfully. The war drums made my heart race. He’s handsome, too—looks just like that little fairy maiden who visited us a few days ago." Xiao Rui blushed.

"So it was she who played the drums," Changyang mused, her gaze distant.

"Yes, and the Heavenly Emperor even said he wanted to betroth the Seventh Princess to him."

"And did he?"

"No, High God Yunxiao refused outright."

"The Heavenly Emperor is blind," Changyang scoffed.

"Faceless High God said he’d suffered serious injuries, so he can’t marry. From the way he said it, it sounded like... that part of him doesn’t work anymore. Such a pity," Xiao Rui whispered.

Changyang’s cold smile turned to laughter. "Faceless is always talking nonsense. Hanqing truly chooses friends poorly!"

"Exactly! Poor taste in friends!" Xiao Rui echoed, without understanding.

Once Xiao Rui had been sent off to rest, Princess Changyang cast a barrier around herself, blocking out the howls from Chongde Palace that so vexed her. From the eight-treasure lacquered box by her pillow, she took a small white jade vial, poured out a tiny pill, crushed it between her fingers, and pressed the powder to her temples. Eyes closed, she massaged gently and murmured, "Lu Xue, you little crybaby... thank you for the pills... I, Changyang, have wronged you. If the Red Flame lives, the Luminous will die. If you live, he must die—do not blame me..."