Volume Four: Winds Sweep the Clouds Away, The Four Continents Sink Chapter Fifteen: Wielding the Sword

“Very well! I will help you!” Zhuo Hua declared after reading the letter.

With that, he took the Cangyue Pearl, which had been suspended in midair, and placed it before Lin Bai. “In a moment, I will press this Cangyue Pearl into his body. The pearl will release all the vital energy within him, granting him three more days of vigor. However, once the Cangyue Pearl enters the dragon’s body, it will react with dragon’s blood and can never be retrieved. It will fuse with the black dragon, becoming a part of his body, absorbing all of his consciousness, and turning An Chen Yu back into a mindless ancient dragon. The Cangyue Pearl will then become the dragon’s own pearl.”

Hearing this, Lin Bai let out a long sigh. “Our dragon ancestors, illuminated by the Nine Heavens’ new star, received the first spark of consciousness from the heavens. A million years have passed since. Now Chen Yu will become a dragon once more—is this truly the cycle of fate?”

“This is how the world is! The sun and moon renew themselves, the way of heaven turns in endless cycles, and we are but specks of dust within it,” Zhuo Hua replied, as he cupped the Cangyue Pearl in his palm, sending a gentle surge of energy into it. The pearl immediately glowed with renewed light.

Then, Zhuo Hua flipped his palm, letting the Cangyue Pearl drop slowly into the black dragon’s abdomen.

Instantly, a sheen of silvery-gray light enveloped the black dragon’s body. Its chest began to rise and fall once more; its expression, which had been contorted in agony, gradually softened into peace.

After the span of ten heartbeats, the faint silver radiance faded. Looking again, the black dragon had assumed the form of An Chen Yu.

“Chen Yu!” Lin Bai called softly.

An Chen Yu’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes, confusion filling their emptiness.

“Am I dead?” An Chen Yu asked.

“No! No!” Lin Bai wept with joy.

“Still alive, after all that?” An Chen Yu was incredulous.

“You truly have not died! Our lord has used the arts of renewal to bring you back,” Lin Bai said, patting his shoulder.

“You have only three days left,” Zhuo Hua interjected.

Lin Bai turned to glance at Zhuo Hua, shaking his head to signal he should say no more.

“So I can live for only three more days? And then I’ll die?” An Chen Yu asked Zhuo Hua.

Zhuo Hua hesitated, looking first at Lin Bai, then back at An Chen Yu, but said nothing further.

Seeing Zhuo Hua fall silent, An Chen Yu turned to Lin Bai. “Third Prince, what will happen to me after three days?”

Lin Bai wavered, uncertain how to explain.

An Chen Yu spoke calmly. “Though I came here to deliver a message and have fulfilled my purpose, my parents and children are still imprisoned. If Lin Xiaoyun remains, I cannot rest in peace. For these three days of life, I am deeply grateful. No matter what happens after, I have no regrets. I only wish, within these three days, to return to the Dragon Palace, rescue my family, and then I can rest content in the afterlife.”

He looked up at Lin Bai. “Third Prince, do not hold back. Tell me the truth, so I might be prepared.”

Lin Bai sighed deeply, forced to respond. “Our lord has used a forbidden art, embedding the Cangyue Pearl in your abdomen in exchange for three days of life. But when those three days end, the pearl will drain your consciousness. You will become a mindless beast once more—an ancient dragon, in every sense.”

“To become an ancient divine beast? How strange! Is this a blessing in disguise?” An Chen Yu remarked with wry humor.

“This transformation is highly unpredictable. Once you become a dragon, you will have no memory of your former self. Even if Lin Bai stands before you, you would devour him without hesitation. Moreover, the Cangyue Pearl in your belly will turn into a dragon pearl, fusing the essence of the golden sun with your burning dragon’s blood. Should you spit it out, it will scorch heaven and earth. Use it with care,” Zhuo Hua explained.

“Then kill me before I change,” An Chen Yu said, fixing his gaze on Lin Bai. “Third Prince, promise me—end my life before I lose my mind. And protect my family.”

Lin Bai nodded fiercely, the once-fearsome Lord of the Azure Dragon Palace—third prince of the Kunpeng Dragon Clan—reduced to tears before his childhood companion.

Zhuo Hua gave a soft sigh and turned to leave. At the door, he handed a tiger tally to Qin Ying. “Transmit my command: the central army of Yun Palace is to assemble. In one hour, the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird Palaces will march with me against Lin Xiaoyun.”

All present responded in unison.

Kunpeng Sea, within the Dragon Palace.

A herald in flying fish robes knelt before Lin Xiaoyun, reporting that the commander of the imperial guard, Liang Shengwu, had led the troops back to the palace to deliver his report.

Lin Xiaoyun set down his wine cup, puzzled. “Who ordered his return? Has he wiped out the An family? Bring him in at once.”

After a long summons and the sound of armor clashing, Liang Shengwu strode into the great hall, lifted the hem of his armor, knelt on one knee, and declared, “Your servant Liang Shengwu, by the order of the Dragon King, has returned with the army to report.”

The Dragon King, somewhat confused, asked, “Has the An family been captured?”

Liang Shengwu replied, “The Duke of An produced an imperial pardon granted by the late king, preventing your servant from arresting him.”

Lin Xiaoyun grew angry. “That was the late king’s decree—what has it to do with me? Why did you return empty-handed?”

Liang Shengwu answered, “Just as I was about to inspect the imperial pardon, I received your urgent command to return with the troops, so I left immediately.”

Lin Xiaoyun was furious, slamming the table. “When did I summon you back? You’ve been deceived!”

Liang Shengwu was bewildered. “Your Majesty, I inspected the grand seal on the edict myself. It was genuine.”

Lin Xiaoyun brooded for a moment, then smashed the armrest of his chair. His voice was venomous. “Consort Chen, I did not pursue you for slaying a concubine, yet you dare betray me, steal the imperial seal, and issue false decrees in my name. A crime deserving death!” He spat out the last words through gritted teeth.

Liang Shengwu glanced up at Lin Xiaoyun, saw his face twisted in rage, and instinctively shrank back.

Lin Xiaoyun raged in the hall for a while longer before barking, “Liang Shengwu, hear my command! Muster your forces at once—arrest Consort Chen and the entire An family. Anyone who resists is to be executed on the spot!”

Liang Shengwu bowed his head. “Your servant obeys.” Then he hesitated and asked, “Your Majesty, what should be done with the imperial pardon?”

Lin Xiaoyun’s voice was cold. “Liang Shengwu, do you wish to serve the late king, or me?”

Liang Shengwu shivered and kowtowed, “Of course I serve Your Majesty. Of course I serve Your Majesty.”

Lin Xiaoyun waved him away in disgust, and Liang Shengwu scurried out, bowing low.

In the Duke of An’s residence, Consort Chen and An Chenfeng stared at the tiger tally on the table, turning it over in their minds for half the night without finding a solution. Three days ago, when Consort Chen learned that the city commander had defied her command and wounded An Chen Yu, she foresaw Lin Xiaoyun’s impending move against the An family.

Thus, she began plotting how to weather this crisis and hold out until reinforcements arrived from the Cloud Palace. That very night, she invited Lin Xiaoyun to her chambers for a banquet and to watch the newly rehearsed dancers.

Both harbored secret motives, feigning affection as they drank. Consort Chen pretended to be tipsy and excused herself to rest. As she left, she assigned one of the dance girls—long coveted by Lin Xiaoyun—to serve him wine. Lin Xiaoyun accepted with delight.

Back in her room, Consort Chen quickly changed into martial attire and, guided by an insider, slipped into Lin Xiaoyun’s study to stamp the imperial seal on three blank edicts. She then returned to the feast and accompanied Lin Xiaoyun until late into the night.

Later, two of these edicts were used—one to rescue the Duke of An’s household, the other to obtain the tiger tally now before them. The last, was it given to An Chenfeng?

An Chenfeng slapped the table. “Consort, there’s no time to lose! I’ll take this tally and rally the old troops. You must remain here in the Duke’s residence—do not return to the Dragon Palace.”

Consort Chen sighed. “I cannot bear to see dragon kin turn against each other, but it seems unavoidable now.”

An Chenfeng bowed. “Great deeds demand hard choices. Compared to the countless dragon kin slain under Lin Xiaoyun’s tyranny, any losses now are justified.” With that, he saluted and left with the tiger tally.

In less than an hour, Liang Shengwu led the imperial guards to surround the Duke of An’s residence, sealing it tight. Battering rams were set before the gate, ready to smash through and storm the inner hall.

But he underestimated his opponents.

The An family had fought for generations, waging hundreds of battles and mastering the art of war. Their residence was built like a fortress, easy to defend and hard to take. Every able member of the clan—man or woman, young or old—donned armor to prepare for battle. At the front lines stood Consort Chen herself, resplendent in martial array.

Liang Shengwu, seeing their readiness, realized it would not be easy to subdue them all. He prepared siege engines while urgently requesting reinforcements from Lin Xiaoyun.

At Liang Shengwu’s command, the enormous battering ram crashed through the waves toward the mansion’s gates and walls, echoing with deep, thunderous booms. Massive stones were hurled high, landing with heavy thuds in the inner courtyards.

From the outset, the fighting was fierce. Though the An family suffered heavy losses, years of battlefield experience taught them to stay calm in the face of danger.

Yet they knew, with so few defenders, the fall of the Duke’s residence was only a matter of time.

A single question echoed in every heart: When will the reinforcements arrive?