Li-Rong guffawed, the sound ringing through the iron bars and walls, he shook holding his chest and had to clean the side of his eyes with his thumb at the streaking tear. The emperor gazed at him, sneering, his nose scrunched up like the show was stinky "You…you want me to shut up?" he pointed at himself "you want me to shut up? Well I've been doing a good job with that."
"Wei is a powerful kingdom, Li. They would destroy us in a heartbeat if we ever cross them and they wouldn't hesitate to do that—"
"Because you do just that. You piss them off at every single turn. You are in a competition with them!" Li-Rong threw his hand up in the air in exasperation. His father was an egoistic man that only thought about himself.
He had a spy in Wei that monitored their every new invention and machinery and then he comes to them and constrains their brain to a level that would have to take years to attain such knowledge they have.
As said, they weren't good at producing machines and there was new equipment going into the market. A new system was emerging and Wei was in the lead, Wu wasn't part of this new world and was his father fuming, hunting and in the great look out for ways to enter such trade? Yes.
"Everyone is in competition with them, Li. You aren't a child anymore. You know enough to know that kingdom is very powerful!"
And he needed such power, to wield and destroy the world. No thanks. He shuffled out of his seat, dragging his robes together and stepped down his throne stairs. He wouldn't sit and watch his father cry about not being included in the developments of other kingdoms.
He was out.
"Where are you going?"
"Out" he said over his shoulder, didn't try to turn, he knocked on the door and slowly it opened from the outside.
"What do you mean, out?" He could now see the long stretch of the hallway and was eager to flee the room but didn't notice his father backtracking to stand in front of the open doors.
Li-Rong clenched his jaw, his hands closing tight in a fist behind his back. He exhaled a long weak breath "you said i should greet your guests. Didn't you?" He gritted out, skirting around him, the guards bowed their heads as he passed.
The faint steady voice of his father followed him "Stay away from her Li-Rong." He left the court and was moving through the halls, deciding to detour through this place instead of following out the front, intending to go to his chambers first.
The cold wood underneath the rug seeped into his dress shoes, the soft sound of them on the ground imitating the echo that filled his head. Noiseless but deep enough to have more sounds.
Lost in thoughts and oblivious to his surroundings, the lanterns clinking with no light since it was daytime, he missed the shadow behind him. The whole palace was entwined, a place may lead to another.
This part of the palace led to a long line of hallways with curves alongside, the palace was wound round with a long passage. Guards normally never stayed here, people didn't come here. Who would? Only people that had things to hide followed this route and raised brows.
He came down the stairs and the alcoves by the sides holding large lanterns flicked with a silhouette and that grabbed his attention but he masked his reactions. There was no reason to show he saw them when he'd missed the last by the fountain.
He dragged his robes together, his fingers slipping in to feel his dagger he always had beside him. He felt it and rolled his neck, whosoever was after him just had it coming, he passed by a passage.
It looked so dark, lanterns were supposed to be lit there, it held no windows, just a long way in which he stood at the entrance and another at the far end which wasn't in use either.
Everything looked suspicious as though they knew he was going to pass through this place. But they didn't know he came prepared, he made his way past the silent and lonely passage.
Another flicker caught his gaze and he discreetly pulled out his dagger, holding it by the sides. No windows or much natural light yet no light lit from the lanterns.
A premeditated plan, a low dark chuckle eased from his lips and it was so hollow and sinister that whosoever was following halted in their way. Their silhouette steady from his peripheral view and he too stopped in his tracks.
"You must be foolish to follow orders from the person that couldn't come fight me themselves but send you. Pathetic". He tsked, waving the dragon head dagger in the restricted light "You shouldn't take orders from cowards that can't—"
"I don't take orders from you too" the silhouette shifted from where they stood, the voice muffled, probably the mouth was covered with something, making their voice inaudible for him to make out.
"I don't need to order you around when I can command you to do my biddings for me. Ordering sounds stupid. I don't order people, I command them"
"You entitled—"
His dagger swung so fast, his attacker didn't see it coming but he always saw his enemy before they saw him and knew this one was a weak assassin. Real assassins don't speak to their target.
He learnt from the best, there was none to him. Clean and savvy to look out for his environment and target but this man was not anything close to those lines. He plod his way to the gurgling man, writhing on the floor.
Blood spurting out, his clothes were already soaking wet. So beautiful. He inclined his body first before going on his haunches, his eyes tracing the attacker's body.
Before the man could strike his obvious sword, clutched tight in his hand at his back he had seen the swinging of the blade in the air. Never let your shadow out to the open, especially in the light. Stay away from lights.
They could have your enemies making an art out of you. He smirked, dipping his hand into the neck of the soaked clothes, the man was covered in layers of clothing but the blood was far more heavier that clothes.
"I told you. Never work for a fool. They would make a fool out of you and you all would all be fools." The gurgling increased like he wanted to say something. He smiled, wishing he had the capacity to speak so he could fish out some information.
But no, he had to die fast. Li-Rong sighed, twisting the dagger's blade deep into the assassin's neck, he leaned in, getting into his face. He wanted him to die watching his face. Alive and well and…also handsome.
Xin-Yi wanted him handsome, no one was coming close to his face with any weapon. He pulled out the dagger with force and the man jerked thrice, blood spilling to the side of his lips before falling back.
His sword clinked away, rolling to the side. The man's head, shifted folding into itself, he tsked. "I wish you were a better match. I was craving some blood" he cleaned the dagger's blade on his body. "But not this type of blood. A special blood"
He stood, staring down at the body. He glanced up at the hallway of which the both of them came. Far and auspicious enough to gain a few attention.
He had people that did such dirty business for him. People he commanded because he was in power and did not order them around. He had the power not them.
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