Dawn. Red.
Not sun.
Fire.
In north. At border. In small cities burning.
Azure Capital heard news. Whispers. Running. Shouting.
They come.
---
Xu Mo on rooftop. Old building. Near east gate.
He watched refugees. Flooding. Carrying children. Carrying cloth. Carrying fear.
City guards tried closing gate. But too many. Too late.
This just beginning.
---
In palace.
Main hall. Officials gathered. Faces pale. Voices chaotic.
"Tie Yan crossed northern river!"
"The Dire forces thirty thousand!"
"First fortress city fell last night!"
Empress Wei sat on throne. Not beside, above.
Beside her, Emperor Shenwu. Laid out. Eyes open. But not seeing. Hands trembling. Still alive? Barely.
"SILENCE!"
All silent.
Empress stood. Face cold. Eyes blazing.
"Tie Yan is bastard child. His mother, northern concubine. Whore. Has no right to throne."
She stepped down. One by one. Approaching generals.
"Gather forces. All. This city will not fall."
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Oldest general spoke. Hesitant.
"Your Majesty... our forces divided. Some west. Some south. Here, only ten thousand."
Empress stared at him.
"Call those from west. Call those from south."
"That takes time."
"Hold them. Three days. Enough."
General silent. Could not say no.
But all knew. Three days, with ten thousand against thirty thousand?
Death.
---
Ling in her chamber.
Two guards outside. Not ordinary guards. Black troops. Empress's troops.
Prisoner.
She sat near window. Sky red. Smoke from north.
She touched chest. Inside, warm. Her mother waiting.
"Soon," she whispered. "Soon."
---
Xu Mo descended from rooftop.
He walked among refugees. Not seen. Not remembered.
At market, chaos. Looting. People taking goods. Guards could do nothing.
In corner, a child. Girl. Five years old? Crying. Alone.
Xu Mo stopped.
Child cried. Called for mother. Mother not there.
Xu Mo did not know what to do.
Then, hand. Someone. Young woman. Tangled hair. Dirty face. But eyes sharp.
She took child. Held. Calmed.
Then turned to Xu Mo.
"You not from here."
Xu Mo silent.
Woman smiled. Bitter. "Me neither. I from north. From city already burned."
She stepped closer. Voice low. Only for Xu Mo.
"Tie Yan, he not only seeks throne. He seeks something. Or someone."
Xu Mo silent.
"I heard at market. His men search for person with scar on neck. Old scar. Shaped like character."
Xu Mo's hand automatically went to neck. Covered by robe. But woman saw.
"My husband, killed by Tie Yan's men. Three days ago. Because he saw something. Because he knew too much."
Her eyes wet. But did not cry.
"I do not hate Tie Yan. I hate, this war. But you... you different. I see your eyes. You also lost."
She held child tight.
"Take care. Do not die for nothing."
She left. Vanished into crowd.
Xu Mo still. Long time.
Her husband died because knew too much.
And she still gave me information.
Why?
---
From north, dust. Closer.
Main gate closed. Guards on wall. Arrows. Stones. Hot oil.
All prepared.
Xu Mo at east gate. Small gate. Not heavily guarded.
If city falls, this way out.
But he did not want out.
He wanted in. To palace. Before moonless night.
---
At northern wall, horn sounded.
Long. Deep.
Enemy, before eyes.
Xu Mo climbed rooftop. Looked north.
Outside wall, black ocean. The Dire banners. Army stopped. Hundred meters from gate.
At front, white horse. Large figure. Black armor. One eye glowing red.
Tie Yan.
He raised hand. Army silent.
Quiet. Only wind. Only dust.
Tie Yan spoke. Voice reached inside city. Reached palace. Reached every ear.
"I came for throne. But I also came to."
He stopped. Laughed.
"save you."
City silent.
"You think I am enemy? Look up!"
All looked up. Sky. Fracture. Widened. Faint,but real.
"That is not ordinary crack. That is, wound. In our world. And behind it, they wait. Creatures from upper world. Who will harvest your qi. Who will destroy you."
He dismounted horse. Stepped forward. Alone. Without weapon.
"I know you do not believe. But I do not need belief. I need, you alive."
Stopped. Right before gate.
"Open door. Or die. Your choice."
---
City did not move.
No one cheered. No one objected.
On wall, guards froze. Arrows in hands lowered slowly.
At market, people stopped looting. They looked at sky. At fracture. At fire in north.
A child cried. Mother covered child's mouth. Did not want sound.
An old man knelt. Not worshiping Tie Yan. But because legs not strong.
Azure Capital stood. And trembled.
---
Xu Mo, from rooftop, saw everything.
He saw fracture. He heard Tie Yan's words. Creatures from upper world. Harvest qi.
Ling said same.
Tie Yan knew. Ling knew. But palace, did not know. Or pretended not to know?
---
Suddenly, from inside palace, lights. Signal.
On wall, commander shouted. Voice hoarse. Afraid. But still shouted.
"ARROWS!"
Hundreds of arrows shot. Toward Tie Yan.
Tie Yan did not move.
Arrows stopped. In air. One inch from his body.
He smiled. Red.
"Good. You chose, death."
He turned. Mounted horse. Raised hand.
The Dire forces moved.
War began.
---
Xu Mo descended from rooftop. Ran.
Not north. Not toward crowds.
To palace.
Moonless night, tonight? Or tomorrow? He did not know.
But one thing he knew.
Ling must survive.
---
Behind him, war horns. Screams. Arrows. Fire.
Azure Capital besieged.
---
To be continued...
