The afternoon breeze blew across the war field. It was noisy, restless.
King Hán Wáng Ān's soldiers were nowhere to be found.
Across the field, the opponent king stepped forward, his voice rising as he boosted his soldiers' morale. Their weapons clashed against shields in response, loud enough to carry.
Inside the camp, King Hán Wáng Ān smiled faintly as he finished a discussion with the military general Yán Lǐng.
He did not fully trust Yán Lǐng.
He was aware—slightly, but enough—of how evil he was.
Yán Lǐng, clearly tired of the long conversation, stood up.
The movement was sudden.
King Hán Wáng Ān stiffened.
The soldiers in the room reacted instantly, standing abruptly, their hands almost pulling out their swords. The air tightened.
YÁN LǏNG spun.
His body dissolved into the air as if it had never been there.
The soldiers stood still—then, amused; they exchanged uncertain looks, unsure whether they had just witnessed magic or mockery.
King Hán Wáng Ān sighed.
Stepping out of his camp, he mounted his horse. His expression hardened as he faced the battlefield ahead.
Yán Lǐng stood in the air, far from the battlefield, his eyes shut. Suddenly, he felt something heavy hovering around him.
His eyes widened instantly.
His gaze fell on Tiān Jùn, who was smiling, watching him.
"Your Highness, this is a little dirty work. Why are you here?" Yán Lǐng asked, shifting from his position.
"You have something this interesting, and you didn't tell me," TIĀN JÙN said. His smile stretched, breaking into laughter. "You must be stingy."
"Well..." Yán Lǐng began.
A shout from below interrupted him.
He looked down and saw King Hán Wáng Ān shouting.
"Please don't let me down; my country will crumble," King Hán Wáng Ān said.
But his horse suddenly adjusted, jerking sideways, then bolted in another direction.
Yán Lǐng spun at once.
He knew what TIĀN JÙN had just done to the horse.
"He talks too much...!" Yán Lǐng waved dismissively.
They turned toward each other and bowed, humming low prayers of battle.
"Lead not your servant into temptation."
"But deliver us from killing the innocent."
They concluded together.
They straightened.
Then they dissolved into thin air.
King Hán Wáng Ān's countrymen were filled with fear. The people stood at the country gate, watching as their enemy made a mockery of them. The soldiers chased them back, but they always found their way there again.
HÁN was a well-developed country; it lived more in the future than other nations. Many kingdoms envied it and wanted to take over the land. King Hán Wáng Ān paid treasuries to many nations so they would not take his ancestors' land.
King Guó, ruler of Chìzhàng, vowed to eliminate Hán. He had been sending threatening messages to King Hán Wáng Ān for a long time.
His general, full of pride, sent a war message to King Hán Wáng Ān.
The battlefield was filled with laughter, as though a show were ongoing.
"Hán Wáng Ān...!" he shouted. "Come out. Don't keep the people waiting to meet their new king."
He paused and turned to his soldiers. They burst into laughter, raising their swords into the air.
"HÁN WÁNG ĀN...!" he called again, spinning to face HÁN's country gate.
"HUǑYUÁN is not a country that can save you. Come out and face us here and now. HUǑYUÁN is as useless as you are...!"
He sneered. "Do they even have a battalion?"
His soldier replied, "No...!"
"And what of their gods?"
The soldier answered in a firm tone, "An unknown creature. TIĀN...!"
They burst into laughter.
Suddenly, as the soldiers laughed, fire caught them. It spread at once.
The general felt heat rush from behind. He spun—and saw his entire army burning. Thick black smoke swallowed the air.
He ran.
An unseen hand seized him.
His body lifted. He was hanging in the air, legs kicking, breath failing. His hands clawed at nothing.
"A general does not surrender?" Yán Lǐng said calmly as he became visible. "How about I teach you? GUÓ never taught you well."
The general trembled at the sight of Yán Lǐng, yet death did not take him.
"Why not teach him the right way?"
The voice cut through the smoke.
YÁN LǏNG stiffened.
He vanished.
The general dissolved into the air.
King Hán Wáng Ān stood inside his camp, yet his heart would not settle. Unease pressed heavily on him.
He stepped out of the camp and moved toward the battlefield.
A wave of hot air rushed at him.
His skin burned.
He recoiled at once and hurried back inside, sweat soaking his robes.
As he entered, a parchment floated before him, suspended in the air.
He read it.
Return home...!
His soldiers stood frozen in fear. They had never witnessed anything like this.
Outside, the fire grew stronger, spreading far across the battlefield—but it never crossed into HÁN's city.
Not a single flame touched their land.
King Hán Wáng Ān gave the order.
He and his men fled, retreating toward home.
When they arrived, the people erupted in joy. Cheers filled the streets as they praised their king, believing he had saved them.
Yet HÁN WÁNG ĀN said nothing.
He knew—
This was not a victory.
It was mercy.
Night fell slowly on CHÌZHÀNG. King GUÓ was seated at a feast, celebrating his nation's prosperity. Music filled the hall, and wine flowed freely.
Then the news struck him like thunder.
The golden jug slipped from his girdle and shattered against the floor. King Guó fell back into his throne, grief draining the color from his face.
His allies noticed at once.
One of the powerful kings present stood up abruptly. His expression had changed. He had seen this before.
He knew how ruthless the descendants of TIĀN were.
His grandfather once clashed with the former king of HUǑYUÁN—KING TIĀN HÀO. When the conflict escalated, his grandfather's nation surrendered. But TIĀN HÀO did not stop there. He destroyed the land and made sure its people were erased from the face of the earth.
Another king laughed and rose from his seat.
King Guó stood up in alarm.
"Where are you all going?" he demanded. "Are we not allies?"
The experienced king turned on him, anger burning in his eyes.
"You brought this upon yourself. Were you not fully aware that King Hán Wáng Ān was invited to HUǑYUÁN? And you know how skilled their soldiers are."
He paused, gesturing sharply.
"They will not only kill you, but you will surely meet their general in hell. Yes... he is their king. You will not return as a king in your next life. What awaits you will be tantalizing."
He turned and left with his personal soldier.
One by one, the kings who had witnessed HUǑYUÁN's might stood up and followed.
They laughed as they left.
"Who dares mess with HUǑYUÁN—a nation that stands alone, feeds on humans, yet still calls them citizens? Haha... hahaha. I would rather be mocked than die with you. Foolishness."
Another king grabbed two jugs of wine as he departed. He smiled at King Guó, whose face was stiff with grief.
"Let me help you with your wine," he said. "I would have been your ally—but you chose to wake a sleeping dragon. You won't be able to drink when a nation empowered by dark magic stands at your door."
He waddled out quickly, waving at those still seated.
"Bye... die...!" he joked, laughing.
Some guests from distant foreign lands remained seated, confused, unaware of what had just begun.
Then—
A body appeared.
King GUÓ's general was hanging in the air.
A maid who had been fanning the king screamed and collapsed.
"Ghost...!" she cried, pointing upward.
Everyone looked.
It was unmistakable—the general.
Suddenly, his body twisted. His shape no longer looked human. His head dropped onto King Guó's table, while his life thread still hung in the air.
Panic exploded.
The hall emptied in chaos. Guests fled on their heels, running as fast as their legs could carry them. The fat king, nearly at the door, slipped and fell, almost breaking his neck.
The war bell rang.
The city was alarmed.
People screamed, not knowing what had happened.
King Guó stood frozen in the hall.
He did not know where to run.
The capital city of CHÌZHÀNG was filled with life, and the New Year celebration was still ongoing.
Tiān Jùn in the air wandered above the land. He saw children playing, and a smile tugged lightly at his lips. Women carried their babies while their husbands supported them. He released his fore-eyes, scanning the entire country.
He saw that the people were good, but the royal officials were corrupt.
He was snapped back when a baby waved at him.
TIĀN JÙN descended slowly. The baby looked so much like the child he had seen on the SÌ TIĀN seashore. He paused. He decided not to end the future of the nation.
He stepped onto the market. The people were fortunate. No one recognized him. He bought a candy at a crowded stall, blending in easily.
Suddenly, a chariot burst through the crowd.
A king sat inside, gasping.
Looking out from his window, the king said, "HUǑYUÁN differs from other kingdoms where provokers can walk free."
His eyes caught a tall figure dressed in royal attire.
The figure waved calmly at the people as the chariot passed through endless greetings. Yet that figure never left the king's mind. He pulled out his painting board and began to draw what he had seen.
That night, Yán Lǐng and Tiān Jùn left Chìzhàng.
They appeared within Hán's palace.
Their faces were masked as usual—but the king was already familiar with the false faces.
King Hán Wáng Ān, in his chamber, received a message. He jumped to his feet and left the room at once. He reached his receiving palace, but thick darkness blinded him.
Yán Lǐng and Tiān Jùn were seated on his throne.
"If you don't mind," TIĀN JÙN said calmly, "this hall is compatible."
He clicked his fingers, and fire hung in the air at different corners of the hall.
The king finally saw their faces.
Realization struck him. He dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times before straightening.
"Yes, my lord. Whatever you want."
Yán Lǐng smirked, resting his temple against his open palm. Tiān Jùn felt unease; his power could be released at any moment.
"Leave."
King Hán Wáng Ān bowed and turned to go. As he did, he saw two of his soldiers approaching with a tray of food.
He walked past them, signaling for them to leave—but the soldiers had a second intention.
The king closed the door behind him as he returned to his chamber, clutching his chest.
YÁN LǏNG closed his eyes, while TIĀN JÙN sat still, controlling what was about to control him.
"Young lord, we brought you dinner," the soldiers said as they approached the throne.
Tiān Jùn restrained his power so they could leave. But the soldiers sensed something wrong in the hall. One of them gasped.
Yán Lǐng snapped his eyes open, alarmed.
TIĀN JÙN's power slowly slipped from his grip.
Yán Lǐng disappeared instantly.
The two soldiers began to shrink.
Yán Lǐng reappeared outside the hall, releasing his power to balance the air before it turned toxic.
But a few people still suffocated.
At dawn, Yán Lǐng and Tiān Jùn returned to Huǒyuán. The country was busy as usual as they walked through the capital streets. When they reached the palace's main entrance, they queued among the commoners.
The soldiers verified the people's cards as they entered calmly. It was Yán Lǐng's turn. Tiān Jùn stood behind him.
"Your card?" the gate soldier asked, opening his palm.
There was no reply.
"If you don't have your card, please go and get it," the soldier said, looking at Yán Lǐng.
"Sir, it is still early to start explaining. Please step out of the line. You cannot enter the palace."
Yán Lǐng smiled, noticing how well-mannered the soldier was.
The soldier suddenly realized who stood before him. He bowed deeply, his head almost touching his knee.
Yán Lǐng and Tiān Jùn entered the palace.
The soldier straightened, clutching his chest as he gasped. He turned and saw the man walking beside the military general. His eyes widened.
His fellow soldiers spun toward him.
"That is the Crown Prince."
The palace was bursting with life. Preparations for the Crown Prince's wedding were already underway. Royal maids filled every hall, instructing others on how to decorate each space.
The Queen's Palace welcomed officials from different regions. Queen Yù Yuè received her in-laws with joy. They received a special mansion.
Lord Chen did not join them at the palace. He returned to his hometown instead. His goods had just arrived, and he met a foreign tycoon whose aim was to extend his business into another country. Lord Chen received the goods at his doorstep and hired men to store them properly.
During the meeting, he met a king—KING HÁN WÁNG ĀN.
The king placed him in charge of the project.
Lord Chen tried to explain that he dealt only with domestic products, but the king was not convinced.
"My king, I have never worked hand in hand with the military. How can I handle this task?" Lord Chen asked, following King Hán Wáng Ān, who was inspecting the packaged materials.
"How familiar are you with the quick road?" the king asked, looking at the straight road leading toward the capital.
"My king, I am a traveler. I know every corner of this land," Lord Chen replied, choosing honesty.
"Good," the king said. "Hand him a horse. He will lead you. Report anything unusual to him."
The soldier brought forward a horse.
"Chen, choose your assistant from my men. Who fits your requirements?" King Hán Wáng Ān asked.
The sun beamed overhead. Lord Chen wondered how he could manage his personal business and still not fail the king. It was a collision of fate—he had always wanted to partner with a powerful business lord. Now, he had gained one, yet a king summoned him to direct a royal project.
He sighed, patting the horse.
King Hán Wáng Ān smiled as he entered his chariot.
"Congratulations, father of the phoenix dancer," the king said calmly. "It is a pleasure working with the king's in-laws."
Lord Chen mounted the horse, smiling faintly.
They traveled the road. Midway, an evil spirit attacked. Sensing something strange, it dissolved instantly. Fear shook the foreign soldiers.
This road lay at the heart of HUǑYUÁN, stretching east, west, south, and toward the capital.
Inside his chariot, King Hán Wáng Ān looked out and saw a transparent figure trailing behind. He quickly closed the curtain.
Evening fell before they reached the capital.
King Hán Wáng Ān went straight to the palace.
Lord Chen led the workmen onward to the island.