Chasing You (Arcs 1-7)

My Dear Emperor (XXXV)

A/N: Sorry for the late update... Was out for fifteen hours yesterday and returned home late.

---

Finally able to dulcify his erratic soldiers, Yeung Bai organized what very little of his troops he had left. From one million five hundred thousand to less than five hundred thousand men. He had lost more than half of his army.

Having them search the area and dousing the ardent flames, they could barely be able to identify their fallen comrades as their bodies were so charred that they turned black. Being calcined by the fire, their bodies became indiscernible from the burnt woods and tents.

The pungent and appalling odor of torched human flesh lingered in the arid air.

Yeung Bai wanted to curse the heaven for his mischance. Throughout the entire time, not even a single enemy could be spotted. Suddenly, one of his men pointed their sword towards the myriad of flaming tents. Black shadows appeared out from the inferno, their fulgent armor added to their oppressive and domineering aura. From behind the rising smoke, the two large characters could be seen on the banner, 'Xuan Xing'.

Yeung Bai sneered imperiously, "Dogs of Xuan Xing. We should have known that sooner or later, you would have showed up."

Though he had a controlled his facial expression, beneath that false mask Yeung Bai was fuming. Their first operation had only brought insolvency to them. Now there was a profusion of death and fire all around them.

His eyes reddened even more looking at the dignified and noble figure that had just emerged from the assemblage of soldiers in black and gold armor. They gave him a smirk, "Seems like We were too late to come and welcome you, Emperor Yeung."

Their words were laced with ridicule and mockery. His eyebrows twitched at their words, he scoffed, "You have arrived just on time, Emperor Tu. It saves Us the trouble of coming to find you."

Grabbing one of his subordinates bow and arrow, he pulled the string and swiftly shot at Tu HuaLi. They didn't even flinch or blink at their abrupt actions. He arrow whizzed past their face, tenuously grazing the side of his cheek. Tu HuaLi touched the small scratch on his cheek, and his eyes narrowed down. Raising two of his fingers he held a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Fire."

At his command, flashes of burning arrows came down like a maelstrom. Like rain they fell land bathed the land with blood.

Yeung Bai barely escaped the onslaught of alight arrows, he had used the body of a bleeding foot soldier to shield him but he didn't not come out unscathed from the assault. Three arrows managed to pierce through his armor and impaled into his flesh. The display of power elicited a scowl from Yeung Bai. The scorching hot flames had partially cauterized the tissue and fat where it had penetrated, causing great pain to him. He jeered at Tu HuaLi, "You imprudent man. Wait for the heavens to seek you out and vindicate justice for Us!"

Tu HuaLi pulled out his own bow and arrow, he aimed it at Yeung Bai, "We will wait for that day to arrive then."

"As for you, We will make sure you witness the ramifications of coming into Our lads and thinking about laying your hands on 'him'."

Releasing his hold on the string the arrow soared across and embedded into Yeung Bai's chest, puncturing into his lungs. He fell down onto his knees as he began to cough copious amount of blood.

Tu HuaLi gave a look of derision and signaled his troops, "Finish everyone but Emperor Yeung. He must see the magnificent sight of the 'rising dawn'."

The soldiers behind him all stepped forward and finished the wretched eastern troops with ease. Their number fell drastically at an exponential rate to only one member left. Yeung Bai was kicked down to the ground and tied up like a pig about to be roasted, before he was roughly dragged through the dirt and road to the border. There he saw past the eastern boarder to his homeland, tall and tumultuous towers of fire towering into the night sky from where his imperial palace would be. His breathing became haggard, taking shaky breaths of cold air as his eyes remained wide open.

Alone, a figure galloped their way over to where they were. The smell of burnt flesh and blood wafted over to them as the figure riding the horse came closer. Getting off of their steed, they held something grotesque in their hands. The object made, Yeung Bai start to hyperventilate and his stomach churned and turned green with regret; it was the empress dowager's head that was in their hands.

Having the last mental strand in his mind snap after seeing his mother's head, it made Yeung Bai start to convulse with hysterical laughter. Not only did he lose his home land, he saw his home bathe in fire, he was now without an army and any subordinates, a regent without any people was no regent at all, and now... His empress mother was gone because of his voracious and esurient decisions.

Wu QingJue has no feelings of commiserations as he gazed at Yeung Bai. The man had brought his doom upon himself, trying to steal the chicken but ended up losing the bait².

He drew out his sword from its sheathe and sauntered over to the laughing and dying mad man. He could hear them sputter and heave as they breathed towards death. Lifting his jian sword¹, Wu QingJue gave a condescending smile, "You only have yourself to blame, Yeung Bai."

Upon his blade making contact with their neck, a soundless warm breezed by and the last remaining of the eastern nation's royal bloodline had ceased to exist on that night.

As Tu HuaLi attacked from the front, Wu QingJue had circled around with his four hundred thousand troops and crushed the credulous eastern kingdom from all sides. Yeung Bai had been incompetent and too rash in his decision to take too many of his generals with him, and left his back wide open for anyone to take.

Now with the completed conquest of the eastern lands, Xu XiuLan had completed the last of his mission and saved Tu HeJian from possibly encountering his preordained fate.

With everything settled, Tu HuaLi commanded the others to clean up and for Wu QingJue to oversee the assimilation and conformity of after winning the war. He mounted his steed and departed, there was nothing he wanted more at this moment then to see how Xu XiuLan and Lin Jun Kai was doing. He couldn't put off the feeling that his 'brother' would be making his appearance soon.

———

¹Jian Sword: A double edged straight sword used in ancient China.

²Trying to steal the chicken but ended up losing the bait: A chinese proverb meaning, 'trying to gain advantage but ended up worse off'.