"Here we go," Wei Wuyin's eyes brightened considerably behind his mask. A wisp of tangible excitement suffused his heart and thoughts. However, the crowd below had varying reactions.
"Is that Yuan Longshi?" A young prince shouted in disbelief, his finger pointed towards Yuan Longshi's floating figure with quivering movements. His words induced a collective shift of eyes as they all observed the black-robed figure that floated in the sky with an impressive aura.
This was the legendary figure referred to as the Demonic Dragon. He had turned the entire Xue Country upside down for the last twenty years. His legend was one often marveled by as being filled with twists and turns that allowed him to elevate to a fearsome elite.
Yuan Longshi was only thirty-five years old this year, but when he was fifteen, he had been nothing more than a recently deceased guest elder's son in a noble clan's household called the Jian Clan. They weren't at the top-tier of clans within the country, but they had an expert ready to assail the Astral Core Realm.
According to the reports gathered by witnesses during the event as well as facts that were exposed later, Yuan Longshi was betrayed. Originally, it was said he had poisoned the Young Maiden of the Jian Clan and attempted to do unsavory things to her.
As a result of his incompetence, the event was noticed and interfered by a young master of another clan's household that was truly within the ranks of the top-tier clans. This led to his subsequent crippling and punishment of imprisonment. This clan rivaled the Chen Clan and had an Astral Core Realm elder overseeing matters, its protection, and legacy. It was called the Yuan Clan.
This was how the original story was told, but as time went on and events, conflicts, highlighting events of the country occurred, it was slowly learned that Yuan Longshi's father who had died was a former member of the Yuan Clan. Furthermore, he was that Astral Core Realm expert's son!
And as for that story of his ill-intentions? It was all fabricated by that young master of the Yuan Clan to steal a cultivation treasure left behind by Yuan Longshi's father and the woman that was 'supposedly' nearly taken advantage of and poisoned was a lie.
They were in a long two-year relationship since they were thirteen and he was in love! In a bout of excitement, after his father's death and inheritance were given that included the cultivation treasure, she sold him out to the young master of the Yuan Clan.
How despicable!
Regardless, the Jian Clan attached itself to the Yuan Clan and with their help, they would later earn an Astral Core Realm expert. All her actions were justified if this was considered, but the heavens worked in mysterious ways.
Somehow, Yuan Longshi escaped from imprisonment and recultivated with renewed vigor. With this chance, he obtained the backing of various forces that helped support his climb safely until today. Countless events, chases, and epic battles unfolded amongst the younger generation of the Jian and Yuan Clan and Yuan Longshi.
And he surpassed them all!
In the end, the truth was exposed for all to see and Yuan Longshi decimated the Jian Clan into dust as the Yuan Clan made reconciliation with him, but not before suffering immense losses of youthful talents and elderly experts by his hands.
His story wasn't over just yet. His relationship with Xue Yifei played a heavy part in his survival. Her status as a princess, no matter how neglected, helped pave him a path to success. Their relationship was speculated to be unordinary and even intimate, but no one really knew if that was the case. Regardless, Yuan Longshi helped her constantly and they both rose in status and power.
With his talent for cultivation and overwhelming combat strength, her intelligence, and the Xue Clan behind her, they were a frightful duo.
To see him here didn't surprise many, but they didn't understand why he came with such murderous intentions. Oh right! Xue Yifei was being forced into this. And she was about to be classified as another's. How could he allow someone who helped, supported, and cared for him be snatched away so brazenly? Even if it was Xue Duan, the Bloodforge King and her own father, that arranged it!
Xue Yifei's eyes softly stared at the floating figure that exuded a highly combative aura. Her delicate eyelashes quivered slightly. Considering how things were likely going to turn out, she didn't know how to feel seeing Yuan Longshi arrive with readiness to fight the world and challenge the will of experts.
Should she be emotionally moved? Well, she wasn't.
Should she yearn and pray for his successful rescue attempt? Well, she didn't.
Perhaps if she was truly forced into this, perhaps if the person that stood beside her wasn't THE Wei Wuyin, perhaps she would experience these emotions. Perhaps. However, this only reinforced her belief that her destined role in life would always be secondary and require the existence of another to protect her. Yuan Longshi saw her as a damsel in distress that he needed to save because of his feelings and emotions, because he believed it was right.
How selfish.
She wanted to claim her own strength.
She could make her own decisions.
Wei Wuyin ignored Yuan Longshi who seemed ready to tackle the world, its ghosts, and its gods and he observed Xue Yifei without a hint of fear or happiness in her eyes. When he recalled Lin Ziyan's gaze and expression when Long Chen arrived, she was filled with yearning and hope.
His interest grew. Xue Yifei's beauty was supreme within the continent, and she was most definitely the most gorgeous woman he'd seen to date. He couldn't say he didn't desire her, wanted her as his own, but he thought she would be heavily attached to Yuan Longshi. Due to this, he felt that his desire to accept her as a concubine had to remain an unaccomplished want rather than a possible reality.
However, from her current gaze, he felt slightly unsure and confused for a moment. 'Is it possible?' His eyes beneath the mask lost its brightness. The various plans he conjured that would inevitably result in the death of this beauty was changing at a rapid pace from this single thought.
From the beginning, the moment he heard of Yuan Longshi with all his understanding of the politics of the Bloodforge Continent, he had devised a meticulously conceived plan to not only take over the Xue Country but swiftly take over the Bloodforge Continent as well.
First, he needed a candidate for Bloodforge King. It needed to be someone absolutely loyal to him and could be trusted, someone of a little renown and intelligence. Chen Xiaowei had sworn a Spirit Oath immediately upon realizing the situation and was his selection.
Second, he needed to gather all the elites, experts, people of status into one big pot to be roasted and removed. It didn't need to be everyone, just those within the country at the Astral Core Realm and above. To do so, he needed a large enough event, hopefully controversial and interesting enough to elicit all of them to arrive.
This included all high-ranking and high-status members of the former royal clan, the Xue Clan.
A King's concubine ceremony was often characterized as a party and there were no limits to those who wished to join as long as they had the qualification to participate. Xue Duan handled this nicely as he invited everyone important. Furthermore, with it being such a hot topic, how could they not arrive for this likely lively festival and possible downfall of the current King due to civil unrest?
It didn't fail the slightest, especially after him using various means to instigate their arrivals. It was fairly easy. With all those present here, as long as they died and Chen Xiaowei remained, she could take over as Interim Monarch until the next election. He even ensured that Qi Lang would support her decision because of the unexpected 'tragedy' that occurred. Moreover, he'll offer his support from behind the scenes and she'll easily transition into the new Bloodforge Queen.
The last missing piece was someone who could take the blame, a scapegoat for this slaughter with a reason behind it. Yuan Longshi had actually fit perfectly for this role, especially with his bloodthirsty reputation, the unexplained and unclear relationship with Xue Yifei, and his strength.
It all fitted perfectly. It was like orchestrating the most perfect play, and there wasn't a single issue in cast or production. With a mere thought, he would isolate the Ceremonial Grounds in an Astral Concealment and Defensive Array and kill everyone that needed to be killed. With a little bit of smoke and mirrors, countless citizens would 'witness' Yuan Longshi arriving, the Ceremonial Grounds being enclosed, and everyone dying.
He, as the mysterious and faceless alchemist, would vanish from the face of this world as an eternal mystery.
As for Yuan Longshi and Xue Yifei? They would seem to the world as partners in crime that slaughtered their oppressors and ran off in mad love to places unknown. He even planned to place an unreasonably high bounty on them for their 'despicable' actions as Wei Wuyin, further enhancing the illusion of truth.
However, when he saw Xue Yifei's countenance and emotions that seemed to be nearly as attached as he assumed to Yuan Longshi, he couldn't help but wonder: Did she want to become his concubine? His woman? That thought produced wisps and strands of confusion in his eyes and heart that couldn't be dispersed.
"..."
He abruptly said to Xue Yifei, "Did you want this to be real?" These words were spoken with not nearly as much confidence usually contained within his voice. It still lingered with confusion.
Xue Yifei was startled. Her head turned towards Wei Wuyin with more than just a little surprise in her eyes. She had firmly believed that next year today would be the anniversary of her death. She had no desire to fight against it. Furthermore, could she even do so?
Wei Wuyin was the only person that couldn't be resisted in this portion of the starfield, and he had already unfathomably laid out this perfectly intricate trap without a hint of error. He must be prepared to face any and all variables to arose. While this only made her regret that she couldn't truly become his concubine, perhaps his wife later, she didn't have any hope of him changing his plans.
But now he turned to her and asked her this question. This sent her mind into a hyperactive state of disbelief, uncertainty, and hope!
"Yes." She answered firmly. Her gaze reflected her firmness. In that gaze wasn't a will to live, but her most honest feelings.
"You don't know me, you know." Wei Wuyin added, his voice continued to become even more uncertain.
"I'm willing to," Xue Yifei didn't even hesitate half a step to respond. She added, "You similarly don't know me, but would you reject me on that basis?"
Wei Wuyin thought for a moment and shook his head. The concept of accepting someone was to get to know them. If you rejected everyone you didn't know from your heart, how could you ever form any meaningful relationships? How could you trust? Were you even human at that point?
"Then why do you want me?" She asked. While her words were being said, Yuan Longshi was silent alongside everyone else. They expected an epic fight to begin, but the two couples started an exchange. Furthermore, it was verbal and open! It essentially determined that this wasn't false!
Wei Wuyin answered honestly, "You're the most beautiful woman I've laid my eyes on, besides my own mother." While this was inherently a superficial reason, most relationships were built on these reasons.
Xue Yifei felt her heart calm when she heard this. While she could be considered a beauty, was she the most beautiful in the world? Perhaps to some, but not to others. Everyone had their own aesthetic sense of beauty and personal rating, to receive such a rating from the man they wanted to be with without hesitation, and with the utmost honesty was quite rare. She could tell he wasn't lying even a little.
To him, she was the most beautiful woman besides his mother. And she would never contest that latter portion because the first was enough for her!
Wei Wuyin didn't ask her the same question. It was mostly irrelevant. Regardless, she would want him for features he possessed, such as his talent in the Dao of Alchemy, wealth, or perhaps she even suspected who he truly was, then status and potential would factor in. However, that wasn't something he was particularly against. In fact, he wanted women who similarly wanted him for who he was, and wasn't he all those things? Did he not earn them?
He nodded slightly, turned to Yuan Longshi, and said: "Even if you say I agree to take you as my concubine, he still has to die."
"...!" These words caused an uproar as many were confused, uncertain, suspicious, or outright enraged. The rage was from Yuan Longshi! His aura flared without end!
Xue Yifei looked towards Yuan Longshi. All those years they fought together, she had helped him, he had helped her, and the stories that could be told about them; she didn't want to see him die or suffer. However, this wasn't something that was within her power to change. While she didn't know why he needed to die specifically, if Wei Wuyin said this, then it wasn't possible to change.
She calmly said, "Yes. Yuan Longshi...you should run."
Before Yuan Longshi could flip into an outrage, likely even attack.
Wei Wuyin stepped forward, placed his hand on his mask, and started to lift it up!
