Faithful Heart (Flesh of my Flesh...Blood of my Blood 2)

Chapter 21

Lian Song had been to many battles in his long life, so many in fact that they had become almost routine until he decided to retire into a life of hedonistic pursuit and taken nine concubines who birthed him children and kept well sated in bed. Secretly having taken the role as Donghua Dijun's Spymaster had kept him well occupied in his old age, now a General in the Celestial Army and actively serving in the War Council of the Imperial Heavenly Court, he had planned many battles but participated very little in the last hundred thousand years. However, going to war had become something akin to muscle memory and he was dispassionate, clothed in his white armour, as he rode a large white cloud with twenty thousand celestial soldiers, five thousand of whom had blood sworn themselves to His Lordship's secret elite army and had been given secret orders to surround and protect Her Serene Highness.

Sighting Roushi Riverbank, Lian Song raised his sword to called out lightning raining it down on the Ghost Realm army and giving the signal to his soldiers to rain down from the sky as falling stars towards the enemy combatants below. Third Prince lightly jumped from the cloud he was standing on and in a flash of light he mesomorph into a twenty-foot dragon that shot lightning from its jaws clearing a path for his troops. Circling overhead, Lian Song saw Bai Xuan had descended from the Northern Lands of Quing Qiu one of the most secretive places in all the Realms, never had any of his spies ever penetrated the secrecy surrounding Bai Xuan and his brother, third son of Bai Zhi, Bai Lei. His large dragon eyes sighted His Lordship on his knees with his Lady Wife in his arms and feeling alarmed he flew towards them, his serpentine body undulating in the sky before he reared back as he saw the Bell of East Emperor activate itself opening its jaws and spilling forth fire. In terror he saw his nephew taking to the sky and diving towards the bell with no hesitation in his actions.

"YE HUA!" Bai Quian's voice cut through the sudden silence. "YE HUAAAAA!"

A swift bright red light flashed through the sky for less than a second before all was still. It could not be. Lian Song refused to believe what his rational mind had witness. It could not be. Ye Hua could not possibly have been as reckless as to rush into battle with Qing Cang without troops and to later offer his primordial spirit in sacrifice to Bell. It could not be.

"YE HUA!" Bai Quian screamed and was finally let go by Bai Zhen who had gone limp in shock. Flying into the air Bai Quian managed to catch the body of her husband as it fell towards the waters of Roushi River. "Look at me, Ye Hua." She begged in misery. "You are not to leave me. I forbid it." Bai Quian sobbed seeing some recognition in her husband's eyes.

"You are to stay with Mo Yuan." Ye Hua chocked out as blood dribbled from his mouth. "My twin will take care of you and the children."

"No." Bai Quian said in denial. "You are forbidden from leaving me."

"I love you." Ye Hua whispered before the light went out of his eyes.

"Ye Hua?" Bai Quian called as she shook him. "Do not leave me."

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Crown Prince was dead.

When the news reached the Celestial Palace, by way of Si Ming who had ran into the Grand Hall with horror in his face, Consort Le Xu had given a great cry, falling to her knees and howling her son's name. Heavenly Lord had simply stood up from his throne and had stared in shock at Si Ming.

Crown Prince was dead.

When the news reached Mo Yuan, who had heard the Heavenly Bells ringing a mournful song above Kunlun Mountain, he had spit out blood and had needed his disciple to catch him as his knees failed him. Zhe Yan had ran towards him to heal him but Mo Yuan had waved him away and beseeched him to see what had befallen his twin.