A System That Beats Death

As this was the first time, he had requested something substantial, his request was readily granted. That and the fact that the request aligned with both their own interests and were something they were eventually going to do anyways.

Upon hearing the situation, Xin felt compelled to take action. As Shen was not actually him and Riri believed him to be her biological brother, there was a chance that their relationship might become genuine and she would forget about him. He even realized that he could not fault her for this as she might even believe him to have already died and might as well settle for someone that reminded her of him to relieve the heartache. Driven by the d.e.s.i.r.e to prevent this from happening, he wasted no time with excessive preparations and focused solely on the necessities.

After a week, all the preparations were completed, and he would be ready to head to Long along with an envoy.

As he entered his chambers to rest and mentally prepare for the long journey ahead, he was interrupted. He had taken off his outer robe when he then heard a muffled clamor next to the window. Wary of an intruder, he immediately grabbed the sword next to his bedside.

With weapon in hand at an angle ready to retaliate and a cautious gait, he neared the aperture. A figure then jumped in and Xin pounced. Immediately, the figure apparated a blade out of thin air and parried the blow.

Xin immediately stilled his shaking hand and thought that he might not be a match for the individual in front of him.

"Greetings, supposedly deceased Prince", the figure quipped.

"And you are?", Xin inquired in a threatening manner.

"Someone that wonders when you will retake the throne"

"So, the Emperor has finally decided to assassinate me?"

In response to Xin's question, Shen paused. He then smirked and stated, "If I was the assassin, you wouldn't even know that you died"

"...Then what is your motive?", Xin cautiously said while examining the person in front of him. They looked like twins but had minor differences. Shen had sharper features and a more intimidating disposition while Xin had a broader face and seemed upright and bold.

"Something that is beyond your comprehension", Shen stated. He then tossed a human-sized sack towards Xin and vanished.

Xin caught the bag but froze when he saw the person within. He watched Riri adorably struggle for a minute before she finally noticed him. She then lifted her head and stared in shock.

"Xin?", she inquired wistfully yet hopefully.

[C-Rank Quest Completed:

Reward: Dash

Points Gained: 2000]

____

"It is done. Other than the Princess, the Imperial Family is no more", the Lieutenant reported to the Great General.

"Good. The plan can finally commence", the Great General stated. He then pried open the bars of the prison cell that was supposed to hold him for eternity.

"What about the Princess?"

"She is not of their lineage and is not worth the effort", the Great General stated indifferently.

As expected, a greater being's plans wouldn't fail. His plan had succeeded without too much of his own intervention as the Emperor had lured in Shen who voluntarily and willingly went towards his demise.

The Great General then looked around the prison with a smirk that kept widening. With the Emperor's rise to power being so sudden, many ministers and officials had opposed him and refused to acknowledge his authority. The dissenters were then immediately detained and left starved and beaten in this place of festering rot and resentment.

Walking up to a previously arrogant and skeptical inmate, he stated, "You are welcome to watch this nation burn"

The once righteous minister lowered his head in response and did not speak. There was no reason to speak as he believed the end to be near. Especially with someone like this leading the cause.

The Great General then left without the political prisoners as they had long since lost the will to fight or even live and bringing them along would literally mean carrying dead weight. They might welcome the newly established rebellion if they had any semblance of their former cunning or maybe not since they were once proponents of peaceful reform.

With the explosion as the signal, his troops immediately stormed the palace. The guards had intended on heading to the Palace to check on the Emperor but were unable to as the commotion began. Amidst the chaos, brigands and former military breached the palace gates. The metal clang of contesting swords and the feeble cries of men could be heard in the watchtowers which were subsequently lit on fire.

As the horn of battle blared in the distance, the palace guards could only mentally prepare themselves for the following onslaught. The invaders were fierce and unrelenting with seemingly zero regard for their own safety. With every invader downed, at least 3 guards followed. After all, these were people that resided on the edge of life and death while the guards had uneventful lives.

Even if they were more formidable than the average guard, their skills had considerably dulled due to lack of opportunity and resolve to improve themselves and they grew accustomed to a less hostile lifestyle. One could say that a more peaceful life meant progress and greater prospects but that is not always the case.

The Great General watched pridefully as his troops massacred the palace guards. The former palace had been warped into a type of hellscape as corpses and severed limbs littered the halls and courtyards while the soil began to take on a deep red color. The once clear and blue ponds containing luxurious fish were tainted with a murky brown hue. The residences once reserved for powerful officials were torched and in shambles with the servants abandoning ship.

Now, the Imperial Family was truly finished, and it was time to raze the nation to prepare for a new rebirth. With the completion of this conquest, he could cement the Vermilion Bird in the hearts of the populace and once again, attempt to ascend to the level of a true phoenix.

The Great General then narrowed his eyes. The presence of dragon blood.