XI YUAN’s SOVEREIGN

The sword

Xi Yuan's eyes widened, his hands shook on the sword vigorously. He looked at his chest where the sword just pierced. Xi Yuan gasped as blood gushed out of his chest and his mouth, collapsing in the water - he just killed himself.

The sword attached itself to the original source for the third time. Xi Yuan's body stood up, his spirit and his body already in one accord. "Cultivation deity!" The sword shone a silver lightning as Xi Yuan removed it.

He waved it in the water and the power radiating from it created a pathway in the water before it closed back. "Time to challenge cultivators." Xi Yuan's eyes looked like they held something, something sinister.

Xu Ye had screamed his master's name endlessly, he was already getting tired. "Save your strength. It's possible he won't survive in that water." The woman kissed her teeth, shaking her head sadly, the words in her mind as she watched from a not -  so - close distance.

"What's with the water?" Xu Ye had to ask, he has always known the wing area to be forbidden as it belonged to the king's first empress who was already banished. Did she cast a spell into the water?

The woman chuckled, "The spirit of a cultivation deity resides in that water. Those who entered never came out, neither was their body found." She explained, her lips never opened as she looked into the water.

Xu Ye was confused even more, the story of the water has never been told before. "The emperor forbade this area to prevent more deaths but it didn't stop that young man from jumping in." She shook her head, turned and left.

After a whole day, the accidents and deaths in the city were reduced to minimal ones. Until the sixth hour in the second day, the water started to rumble again, more violently than the first. Prince Xi Yuan walked out of it, alive.

Xu Ye who has been awake all through, his eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. "By the light of the gods, what happened to you?" Just one look from the prince made him shut his mouth. His eyes looked as if they were empty, void of any feeling whatsoever.

Prince Xi Yuan mounted on the horse and rode back to the palace, he glanced at everywhere in his wing and scoffed. "I want everything to change to black color." He commanded. Xu Ye couldn't say anything, he only nodded and left.

The sword shook in his hands and he removed it from the sheath, each scene replaying in his head. "Changxian. I rename you Changxian." Blue light shone in the room, he nodded satisfactorily and he closed it back into its sheath.

The prince took short strides into the bathroom. His clothes were removed and he stepped into the bathing pool. 

Xu Ye just arrived, he followed him into the bathroom. His brows wriggled in confusion, looking at the prince's back. Deep drawings that hold not - yet - known meaning but it looked like a tattoo. 

Prince Xi Yuan's eyes were closed, his necklace in between in his chest, half of his body buried in the pool.

 Xu Ye walked around him in a circular motion until he stopped in front of him, there was a huge scar right on his chest - the scar of a sword. What exactly did he encounter in that water?

The pool water began to rumble and Xu Ye darted backwards. "Cultivation?!" Xu Ye muttered surprisingly. His eyes bulged out of its sockets. What is happening here? 

The prince doesn't know how to cultivate since he reached the age others did and that was why he was always bullied by the crown prince, by everyone else.

Prince Xi Yuan raised his hands, just above the water level, those hands bent upside down. Slowly, he raised the water up his neck level until it started boiling. Vapour filled the bathtub until it cooled down again. In the next second, the prince controlled his sword - the removal of the sword sheath and the sword pierced down into the water, it became iced.

Xu Ye was shocked, "Ice and water cultivation?" Only the high masters have been able to master that element of cultivation but he hasn't seen anyone that could cultivate using ice.

Prince Xi Yuan relaxed into the ice, waved the top of it with his sword and it became water again. "What are you doing here?" The prince shouted, walking inside the water.

"Master, what happened to you?" Xu Ye had to ask, his eyes on the huge scar on his chest as he pointed. 

"It was just to teach me." Prince Xi Yuan answered nonchalantly like it was nothing. Who would see such a scar and call it nothing?

Xu Ye was confused. That's definitely a sword scar, it looked like it had been there for a very long time but he knew the prince since he was a kid, the prince's body was as smooth as a baby's.

"Forget about it, Xu Ye. It's just practice." The prince replied, taking his sword and walking out of the bathroom.

Xu Ye followed him like a puppy but he was sure he knew what he was saying. That burnt scar - he has to find out more about it, not from the prince but from someone else.

"The emperor summons you." Xu Ye informed, dressing his master up.

The Prince didn't reply at first, sighed and then turned. "Is it just me?" He asked, tying the knots of the robe together.

Xu Ye bowed, "Not just you, alongside your brothers and -- you are already late." He responded, bowing again. He tried not to look at his master's face - it held some kind of emotion he was yet to decipher and he couldn't sacrifice overstepping his boundaries as he was just a servant in the palace.

EMPEROR'S PALACE ✓

The Royal family meeting has been called in for almost an hour and Prince Xi Yuan still hasn't arrived yet. "What is keeping him this long, Xu Ye?" The Emperor was getting annoyed and impatient.

Xu Ye tried not to tremble. He made sure he informed his master of the meeting as early as possible but only the gods knew about the sudden attitude of the young prince.

"Academia has started taking registrations. If Xi Yuan gets here within the next five minutes, he will be able to attend and learn how to cultivate." Emperor Xi Jeguk announced.

The first and crown prince weren't bothered, they only wanted to leave as quickly as possible. "Maybe he is held up with something, I'm sure he will be here very soon." The second prince supported, smiling.

Xu Ye fondled his hands, why was his master behaving this way? He was never like this before. He was always the first to get to meetings even though he'd still end up being bashed and bullied. He was very active and simple.

Finally, the door opened and Prince Xi Yuan walked in gracefully. His clothes were changed and his hair was styled differently. "Did he change--?" Xu Ye muttered, blinking his eyes rapidly. 

The young prince walked high in honor and with pride. He sat down on the available seat which was beside where Xu Ye was standing, spaced away from his family.

"No apologies for being late?" The crown prince threw the question, looking at him. 

"I owe no one any apology." Prince Xi Yuan replied calmly, looking around the palace like he just came there for the first time.

The Emperor searched the young prince's face, "Do you know why you are here?" He asked and Prince Xi Yuan looked at him with dark eyes.

"Getting admitted to academia. We are already in, there's no need to talk about registration." Prince Xi Yuan answered, rearranging his robe.

"What do you mean?" The second prince asked, trying to figure out the truth in what he said.

Prince Xi Yuan stood up, "There's no need for us to register like others because we are the emperor's sons and he already bought his way through it." He explained.

"Was that why you came late?" The crown prince asked, raising his eyes to look at him. 

Meanwhile, the answer was already obvious - Xu Ye thought. He sincerely hoped a fight wouldn't break out today and the crown prince wouldn't leave Prince Xi Yuan wounded like he always does.

Prince Xi Yuan slowly turned to him, "And what if I came late? You are not yet the emperor, brother." He fired back with a calm expression.

The first prince was angry, he grabbed his sword but the emperor's lifted hands stopped him. "Cultivation festival will be held before the date of admission." The emperor announced, he sighed into his chair.

The others bowed deeply while Prince Xi Yuan only bowed halfway. "Why did you lose your respect so suddenly?" The crown prince stepped closer to him, picking a fight again.

"We have a lot of things to do, Xu Ye." Prince Xi Yuan ignored him and turned to walk to the door. Xu Ye quickly followed him. 

The crown prince chuckled, "Are you angry because of yesterday? How's your wounded stomach by the way?" He grinned sarcastically with smiles all over his face.

Prince Xi Yuan's anger doubled but he later relaxed. If the crown prince didn't wound him, he wouldn't think of drowning or going to that particular water.

"Now, I understand why your cultivation is weak. Your mother is a concubine to the king, you don't even know who your father is and your sister can't walk." The crown prince walked towards him again.

Prince Xi Yuan was getting annoyed with his trashy attitude, he still listened.

"You know, if your sister could actually walk.....she's beautiful enough." The crown prince licked his lips, closing his eyes in ecstasy.

The young prince placed his hands on the sword and it started shaking vigorously.

Xu Ye's eyes widened, the sword had a dull red light at the middle of the sword handle. If the crown prince doesn't stop talking, the sword will control prince Xi Yuan to kill him.