The Emperor's Phoenix

Chapter 30 | Her Ability

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Liu Ying Yue

As if the previously fallen soldier only bore a minor scratch on his body, he stiffly rose to his full height with his sword in hand, Ying Yue holding her breath anxiously at the tense uncertainty which wavered in the air at his lack of motion. He remained this way for a second longer until he spotted two new men rounding the corner, immediately rushing towards them in a blur as they let out cries of shock.

The mindless soldier slashed at a comrade's throat as the other attempted to run while drawing his weapon--unfortunately for him, he was slashed down. Ying Yue took a step towards the trio in her cautious observation of the aftereffects, gasping lowly as they also immediately rose to their feet after a moment before following the first soldier.

This...It appears to be a continuous chain. The more people the 'origin' attacks to draw blood despite the vastness of their wounds, the more and more my order will spread until it is completely fulfilled--or possibly if they fail...

"...If that's true, I need to keep the situation in check or else the whole palace will become involved..." Ying Yue muttered to herself, following the sounds of the soldiers' footsteps through the dim night.

For now, Zhang Wei will be safer if he stays in the dungeons. His injuries will only put him in more danger...

Silently yet quickly striding through the hallways with her sword, Ying Yue paused in her steps as she reached the courtyard. As some hidden reinforcements charged at her, she casually dodged their continuous attacks while managing to afflict blows, turning them into puppets under her control. The buzz of power singed through her veins like fire, every movement becoming wilder in nature like her bloodlust as her other pawns finished the work for her.

A small smirk quirked up at the corner of her lips. The sight of some palace members caught off-guard from their own comrades charging against them was chaos. Not to mention, the increasing rate of the chain effect only drew more attention to the scene.

Hm. The problem is--how would I get rid of some of them?...

Narrowing her eyes in deep concentration, Ying Yue attempted to resummon and grasp at the intense awareness from earlier when she awakened her new power. Visualizing the red, pulsing organ and its constant thumping in her mind, she could suddenly spot the clear, twitching outlines through her followers' chests. 

Yes...!

As the overlapping pounding of their hearts rang through her head, a heavy weight pressed down on her lungs as she leaned against a wall for support. Breathing heavily through the overwhelming sound, Ying Yue instinctively extended her right hand forward in a gripping motion and twisted.

The sound of their heartbeats stopped.

More than half of the hundred men paused in their fighting as they simultaneously collapsed onto the ground, armor piled on their bodies--which were now reduced to a state of liquid resembling thick congee and emitting a distinct odor of rotting meat. As some men let out shouts of fear at the irreversible state of their comrades, they were slashed at on the spot soon afterwards before following the rest on the search for her two victims. 

Ying Yue relaxed and breathed heavily through the stench, suddenly feeling a warm trail of blood drip from her nose.

Tch...Perhaps I overexerted myself and my injuries...