Liu Xing halted his steps and inhaled deeply. Inside his heart, he knew what he would hear would be bad, but to think Yan Yu would do something like that. His opinion toward her, which had been about to be neutral, dropped again.

"As she stabbed my heart, she infused me with her bloodline. Instantly, my consciousness filled with a cold aura, and while it hurt so much, it helped me control this bloodline." Yang Liangyu stopped her steps and pointed her index finger at her chest. "The way she did it was not ideal for me. There's a little blade that stabs my heart even now, one that would kill me even if I had the slightest intention to betray my new master, but in exchange, she gave me the power to tame the bloodline that ravaged within me."

What she exchanged for her survival was her freedom. Yan Yu had absolute control over her. If Yang Liangyu didn't want to die, she needed to obey her every command. Right now, he could see that Yang Liangyu actually accepted her position. But there would be a time when Yan Yu ordered something that would go against her heart. For example, what if someday Yan Yu ordered her to kill her brother? If she didn't do it, she would die, but if she succeeded, her brother would die. While that exact scenario only had a slim chance of occurring, there must be similar scenarios later, in the far future.

Liu Xing pinched his chin and began to think. Was this the way Yang Liangyu was asking for his help? After all, she had the option to shut her mouth and keep the fact that Yan Yu enslaved her a secret. Yet, she easily told him the entire situation. But then, he remembered that the frozen sword inside her heart would kill her if she thought to betray Yan Yu. Which meant that she told all of this without even a sliver of intent to betray her new master.

But what if Yang Liangyu was trying to deceive herself, to believe that by simply explaining her situation, she wasn't betraying her master? Deep inside her heart, was she actually asking Liu Xing for help? It was a complicated situation, one that he could not ask directly and be given an honest answer.

The wind howled in his ears as he simulated what would happen if he asked Yang Liangyu whether or not she wanted Yan Yu to be… killed.

The answer to this was probably no, but it probably didn't come from her heart, but from that frozen blade. Still, if he killed Yan Yu, then that meant the Infernal Sun Bloodline would ravage her from the inside, and hadn't she said that before Yan Yu stabbed that frozen sword, she implied that she intended to kill herself? Without this frozen sword, would she feel unimaginable pain that would compel her once again to kill herself?

Then, a question struck him. Was Yang Liangyu even telling the truth?

While he had had a conversation with Yang Liangyu before, he could not say that he knew Yang Liangyu deeply enough to know whether she was telling the truth or lying. Their meeting was brief, and while their encounter left a favorable impression on Liu Xing, there was a chance that she hid her true self from him. But still, that didn't mean that Yang Liangyu was a master manipulator who controlled each and everything she did and said. If asked who he trusted more, Yan Yu or Yang Liangyu, he would be inclined to trust Yang Liangyu more.

"I'm sorry to make you think too much," Yang Liangyu suddenly said. Liu Xing lifted his head, and for the first time that night, a smile bloomed on her lips. The smile was faint, like that of a tired mother who had worked a full day and was seeing her child happily eat the food that she bought on the way home. "I don't have a deep intention by telling you my story. While it would be a lie if I said I had no resentment toward my new master, the fact is, she saved my life."

"Perhaps. But at this point, we know that her actions did not come from good intentions," Liu Xing said.

"Indeed, but as I'm sure you've already thought, this is in exchange for my life, and while this is not ideal, I would like to live a bit longer. I have decided to become stronger so I can protect this little empire, and the bloodline that resides within me would be a great help to achieve that. Likewise, the mark that Yan Yu left me is actually a great boon to help counteract my wild bloodline. All in all, it's not too bad." She continued walking, and so Liu Xing walked beside her. "The point of my story is not about myself, but for your benefit, Liu Xing."

As they walked toward their destination, he tried to decipher the meaning of what Yang Liangyu had said, and an understanding suddenly came to his mind. The answer to the question about why Yang Liangyu decided to divulge her enslavement was a warning for him. After all, if Yan Yu could make Yang Liangyu her slave, she could make others her slaves also, and this meant even he could become her slave. Upon realizing this, his eyes widened. This completely changed his view toward Yan Yu. She had become a threat.

"Thank you," Liu Xing said from the deepest part of his heart. In a cave that he made near Dragon Skull Forest, Yan Yu gave him information about a strong and precious treasure called the Lightning Ring. At that time, she told him this was her way of saying thank you, and Liu Xing had intended to go to the Water Nation and retrieve this treasure. But, knowing that Yang Liangyu had fallen for her trap made Liu Xing think that perhaps this was also a trap.

"You're welcome." Yang Liangyu flashed a smile. "I think you would be alright. You're strong, and since you know about the true colors of Yan Yu, you would not fall into her trap."

"I wouldn't be too sure about it. People can fall into a trap, even if it's obvious," Liu Xing said.

"How so? If you can see a hole in front of you, how can you fall into it?"

"If I see a hole in front of me, and the walls around me are closing in to crush me, I have no choice but to jump in."

He decided to stop walking for a moment and face Yang Liangyu. Half of him came from the modern world, and this half was the one that dominated. At this time, if someone asked who he was, he would say that he is Liu Xing, but inside his heart, he would also answer that he is also William. This translated to him having a slightly different view about certain things compared to people entirely from this world. People deserved to be free and could do whatever they wished, as long as it didn't trouble other people. So, Yang Liangyu's condition was one that he could not leave alone. The solution for it on the other hand...

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Yang Liangyu gazed at him, and at this time, he realized how red her lips were. It was the color of a rose, or perhaps blood. A haze formed around her, as if she were boiling water. His gaze locked into her eyes, focusing all his attention on them as if they were the center of the world. A cold intent formed in his heart, and the qi inside his body began to answer his intent, creating a ripple of air and qi around him, one that created several blue colors that flickered into reality and vanished as soon as they materialized.

"Do you want me to kill Yan Yu?"

Those words came from the depths of his heart. One that, if Yang Liangyu answered with an implied yes, he would pursue it no matter what happened. This was a heavy decision, one that he made without knowing the full story about what actually happened. He intended to find out Yan Yu's side of the story, but, regardless of her answer, once he decided to kill her, he would certainly make it a reality. This decision didn't come entirely from logic, but one that came from his heart. It was a blend of several emotions. Some of it was threat, some of it was lingering resentment, some of it was a desire to free Yang Liangyu from her enslavement, and many, many more. Unraveling this feeling probably would take time, and there was a chance that once he understood it fully, he would regret it. Still, his offer stood.

"No," Yang Liangyu answered instantly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I don't want you to kill her. After all, as I said, she left a boon within me, one that I intend to use to become strong." She smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile, nor an expression to convey happiness, but one that felt cold, as if her smile intended to mock the world. This smile, Liu Xing thought, felt like a predatory smile. Her next words made it make sense. "If I want her dead, I want to kill her myself."

***

Along the way, people greeted them and praised them and offered them many, many gifts. News about Liu Xing had spread far and wide, and he suspected when tomorrow came, the entire empire would know about him. Most of the people focused entirely on him even if they acknowledged Yang Liangyu. This was one thing that he would make straight later. After all, while he killed half of Wei Yi, Yang Liangyu killed the other half. She also deserved credit.

They had entered the giant tent, and inside, people ate, while dancers moved elegantly on top of the stage. When they entered, like before, people gathered around him, and people invited him to eat with them and offered many, many gifts, one of them, a man who looked ancient, even offered him his granddaughter. Liu Xing only flashed a smile, said that he had matters to attend to, and flashed his qi to make it clear that he didn't want to be disturbed.

But, to his surprise, they exited the large tent, moved for several more minutes, circling the grassland, and found the Prince and Yang Suyin sitting on top of a log that was freshly cut. A bonfire danced between them, creating long shadows behind them. Their expressions were a contrast to the people dancing and partying inside the big tent; there, almost everyone looked happy, here, it felt as if they expected the world to explode in several minutes.

"We're here," Yang Liangyu said.

Her voice snapped the two men to look at them, and when they saw him, they flashed brilliant smiles. The Prince asked where Liu Xing had been, and Yang Suyin said that he missed the tastiest food at the party. Liu Xing just answered that he just wanted to clear his mind. The conversation that followed along was merely banter. One that everyone knew was not the main topic of the conversation, but still followed along with it. After around ten minutes, the prince finally said the reason why he had asked Yang Liangyu, a girl who needed to rest—the Prince seemed to know her situation—to retrieve him.

"It's because the future of my empire once again hangs in the balance," the Prince said gravely. "I think you understand that not all people inside that," he pointed to the main tent, "are my allies. Some are opportunists that are always watching to see which way the wind blows. Others were outright hostile, their loyalties tied to the Wu and Hei clans. Having lost their backing, they now face significant threats, primarily from those that they had wronged in the past, especially the Yang clan."

Liu Xing glanced at the tent, and still heard faint music from there. When he entered the tent, all of the people there greeted him, but not all of them came to him and offered him gifts or anything. He didn't mind about the people who didn't come to him, but he noticed that two or three young men were actually not so polite, with some narrowing their eyes when seeing him, as if sizing him up and looking for weaknesses. Now, he understood why.

"But, the threat is not them," the Prince continued, "it's our neighbors. Now, since our army has been annihilated, it's prime time for them to attack."

"They would wait," Liu Xing said. "I'm still here, and news about reinforcement from the Purple Moon Sect is already spreading. At the very least, they would wait for us to leave before attacking your empire."

"Indeed," the Prince nodded. "But, it's only given us a little bit of time to plan and make some moves."

"Liu Xing," Yang Suyin called to him. "The truth is, I already have a plan that would guarantee the continuation and even improvement of the empire. I actually suggested the Prince hide it from you, but he decided to tell you about it anyway. It's a foolish move, but hey, it's the decision of my emperor."

The prince sighed and caressed his temple.

"What?" Yang Suyin said. "We fought together. Even if it was brief, this experience let me know Liu Xing more than mere acquaintances. They say that in a battle of life and death, people would show their true colors. I already said that he would not mind."

"Still, to casually admit you suggested deceiving him…" The prince sighed another time. Then he focused his eyes toward Liu Xing. "The truth is, there are lots of threats for the foreseeable future, but we already have a solution for that."

"And that solution has something to do with me?" Liu Xing pinched his chin.

"Yes," Yang Suyin answered.

Liu Xing paused, considering, then suddenly recalled that Yang Suyin went quite deep into the earth looking for the third ingredient Wei Yi had mentioned. This third ingredient must be the solution that Yang Suyin was talking about. At first, he suspected this was some kind of powerful treasure, but soon he revised his thought. A strong treasure alone, while useful, would be hard to become the ultimate solution to their situation. Yang Hongyin possessed a treasure that was quite strong, and yet, it didn't come up in this conversation. This third ingredient must be something else.

Yang Suyin bent his back a little and placed one hand near his mouth. Liu Xing knew that a talisman had been planted to make their conversation secure, and yet, Yang Suyin whispered nonetheless.

"The third ingredient is a dragon vein."

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