Lord Shadow

CHINA

YUE DYNASTY

FORMER BEIJING

It was chaos. That is how Wang Jian could describe what is happening right now.

Another man came to him and with heavy heart he slashed his guandao and slices the man into two.

The man that attacked him was young and could be considered a teenager. His heart bled and his eyes were welling with tears of reluctance.

He was killing kids.

Wang Jian on the first year of the second month of the Yue Dynasty is now being besieged. Peerless general under heaven rivaling that of Bai Qi and Han Xin.

The Wei dynasty feared him so much that they would think twice before engaging this man.

They likened him to Yuan Chongyuan that guards the Shanhai Pass in the Ming Dynasty; remain impenetrable even if Hong Taiji attacked.

His strength in battle is likened to Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, raging in the battlefield like a starving wolf.

Leading armies like Xi Chu Ba Wang, the Overlord of Western Chu, Xiang Yu unstoppable and valiant.

But now, standing in the center of the battlefield, circled by his former allies and friends, this sight saddened him.

The few that is loyal to him screamed in pain, clutching their grievous wounds as bows twang sending snakes of deaths into the never ending army.

Still with his guandao he stood high defiantly in face of such series attack, his proud back straight.

On the distance Chen Wu looks at Wang Jian and sighed. Scaring the heavens, making the spirits cry!

This is the effect of Wang Jian. Even when besieged by thousands of soldiers, Wang Jian still stood straight.

To be honest, Chen Wu admired Wang Jian.

He was the first to follow the Emperor and collected many merits but his accomplishment garner jealousy.

‘Haish’ he sighed. But an order is an order. And since Wang Jian is not the same faction as him, he could not really leave mercy for such a fierce tiger.

He does not want to be like Xiang Yu letting Liu Bang live only to be defeated later by him.

Then he put his hand up and yell.

FIRE! Suddenly the skies were filled with colorful streaks of colors.

The fire ball color the sky red while the ice shot looks like a sharp sword flying towards the encirclement.

The impact shakes the ground, unleashes waves of death piercing the armour of Wang Jian soldiers and burning his men.

Seeing this Wang Jian yelled

‘STOP THIS!!!’ But the madness continued. Wang Jian steeled his resolve; grip his guandao and his eyes were red like a demon clawing his way out from hell.

Wang Jian then charged alone at thousands of men. With his guandao, he swings left and right, killing anyone in his path.

‘ARGHHHH!’ He yelled, his yells was full of anguish and despair, full of loneliness and regret.

His yell pierce the skies and evokes a feeling of solitude to his brothers in arms. His eyes were red and his armor was full of people blood.

Each step he takes was marked by blood of his former brothers in arms, sweeping through ranks of soldiers like an unstoppable typhoon, mountains of corpse behind him, painting scenery of Hell.

Slashing to one of the approaching soldiers, the soldier get his upper body slashed and die immediately.

Blood covered the green grass, bodies covered the ground. The corpse of the death piled like a hill, obstructing the living.

With one slash, the hill of bodies evaporated. Looking at the white clouds up in the air and the blue sky, he wishes to flies on the clouds again, away from the killing.

Yet, the Emperor did not leave him with a way out. Wang Jian cannot fly because his boots was grabbed by the Emperor.

But even then, he could not bear to kill Yue Xing.

Yue Xing! Yue Xing! He cried in his heart.

He was loyal to him. Even when he put him inside the prison he obeyed.

But when his army tries to break him out of prison, and Chen Wu army come charging, he knows that Yue Xing does not remember past gratitude.

With the birds gone, the bow is put away. Yue Xing, you want to kill minister who did you a great service!

Then a yell come from the other side of the battlefield.

‘Wang Jian, let this general challenge you’ and then a man jump from his Ice Horse and then flies through the air as he charged to him like lightning.

Wang Jian sense the dangers and then deflect the man sword strike and the man was thrown to the left but maintain his flying as he floats ten meters from the ground, looking at Wang Jian like he was superior.

The army circled Wang Jian cutting his path of retreat while his army was cut off from him and being slaughtered.

Hearing his brothers in arms crying in pain and screaming in anguish, Wang Jian slash towards the circle of soldier in his rage, creating a 12 meter energy wave that resembles a white tiger.

The wind howls and the clouds in the sky parted apart, the ground shakes and cracked but then his strike which as unstoppable as the tide of tsunami was broken by one slash of Chen Wu strike that was as domineering as heaven itself.

The energy clashed and a wind tornado was formed for five second before exploding, making the soldiers near the blast fly away hundreds of meters from the points of clash.

‘CHEN WU!!!’ Wang Jian yelled this time his anger truly reached the Heavens. His neck veins was bulging and his eyes was full of killing intention.

It is fine to kill him! It is fine to torture him! But killing his brother? That he could not accept!!

‘CHEN WU, IF YOU DARE COME DOWN AND FIGHT FOR ME!’ he yells and his voice could be heard in each corner of the battlefield.

Chen Wu could see that Wang Jian is right now like an angered lion. Why would he come down and be mauled to death.

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He could also feel the feeling of madness rising from Wang Jian eyes. And Chen Wu felt shiver looking at that eyes

The boots that he wears right now is the flying boots of Wang Jian. The Emperor after confiscating Wang Jian possession gifted it to him.

The Cloud Walking Boots, War God Gold Chain Armour, and Phoenix Feather Cap makes him a lot stronger than before, so much so that he could contend with the peerless White Tiger Wang Jian.

‘ACCEPT YOUR DEATH!’ Chen Wu said as he release his slash that was filled with fire.

The fire strike the ground and scorched the soil black but Wang Jian slashed through the big flame and an image of White Lion appeared, as big as a hill clawing with his paw, creating a path of safety among the flames enabling Wang Jian to keep his lives.

The people encircling him however were not as lucky.

Chen Wu treated his army like straw dog, sacrificing them when needed.

The people encircling was immediately turned to ashes leaving only Wang Jian and Chen Wu to battle like Immortals in the ground.

When Wang Jian guandao clashed with Chen Wu swords, the clash created shockwave repelling anyone in two kilometer radius.

Chen Wu slashes to Wang Jian neck with extreme speed bringing a hail of flames accompanying his sword strike.

As fast as Chen Wu, Wag Jian is not slow either

Wang Jian lowered his neck and performed a lightness skill dodging the hail of flames while positioning himself on the left of Chen Wu and uses a stab movement.

The stabbing movement creates a pulsating vortex of compressed air on the tip of his guandao and Chen Wu who saw this could felt his heart shrink.

He knows that if he was hit with that he might not be able to keep his life.

But as the stab was about to reach him he lowered himself and stomping the ground he manages to fly to the sky.

But then the vortex of compressed air exploded and wind gale as sharp as sword manages to slices Chen Wu neck while the other turns the nearby soldiers into mincemeat, their flesh turned into a mess and the smell of blood filled the field.

Chen Wu on the clouds quickly check his neck and realizes while Wang Jian strike did manage to slice his neck it was only a thin cut and not a deep cut.

He sweated in his back.

He manages to keep his head.

On the ground, as Chen Wu is trying to regain his calm heart, Wang Jian manages to broke through the encirclement and began turning the enemy soldiers into mincemeat while rejoining his army.

But even as they were reunited inside the battlefield, they were still encircled and reinforcement is coming.

Wang Jian is already panting.

As an Orb Condensing High realm his vitality is extremely powerful but even against this onslaught, he could not always maintain his prowess and stamina.

He knows he is approaching his limits. He could not believe that his friend would treat him like this.

Not one of his friends inside the court comes to help him.

He bitterly smiles. But just because others have the disposition of a scorpion, I will keep the disposition of the frog.

He manages to reunites with his right and man, Zhang Ye.

‘General, we’re being overwhelmed’ Zhang Ye said the moment he found Wang Jian among the soldiers as they keep fending off the Yue army.

‘Me and our brothers has decided to hold of the advance. General need to quickly get away!’

He said in alarm while still looking left and right, his hand is actively deflecting the arrows and the magic attack.

Wang Jian looking at Zhang Ye smiles and feeling content. And he thought to himself.

Yue Xing you might kill me today, but I do not regret!

With his personality he thought, that is why he was being abandoned today. If he was ruthless, then the person sitting on the throne right now would be him.

But he did not regret! To have subordinate like this, he is satisfied enough. Even Yue Xing might not have a subordinate like this.

But to Zhang Ye question, he shakes his head.

‘You and the other captain must survive this. You are all my brothers. When we began Yue Xing campaign, I promised you all to have long lives, a lot of wives, never fearing to eat and drink, living in prosperity for hundred years to come. I fulfilled none of my promises. I could not let you do this for such a failure of a general. I will hold of the advance.’

‘But general-‘

‘They want me.’ Wang Jian calmly answered. Zhang Ye however disagreed.

‘General!’ Zhang Ye said as he tries to grab the General hand and force him to stay but Wang Jian is stronger and he push Zhang Ye hands away.

Wang Jian has made his decision.

Rather than prolonging this battle in which he has no chance of winning, it is better to surrender and let Yue Xing kill him.

At least, in this way, he would let his subordinate survives.

On the clouds Chen Wu has begun descending again and the enemies cheered again.

‘This is the end’ Wang Jian said as he accepts his fate.

‘I WILL NOW COME FOR YOU, WANG JIAN!!!’ yelled Chen Wu as he was about to once again charge from the skies with his sword like a Heavenly Guardian of the Heavens.

But then suddenly laughter reverberates around the area. This laughter not only reverberates but also instills an instinctive fear.

And it poses and imposing pressure that make Wang Jian and Chen Wu both felt their Orb rotates even faster than before to repel this pressure from their bodies.

‘HAHAHAHA….’the laughter is still continuing like an echo in a long cave.

Then suddenly the soldiers who were at Body refining Stage kneeled to the ground and the expression on their face was abject terror.

It was almost like they were being pressured by the earth to remain kneeling. Like a Celestial being is descending, and mortals all kneel to accept him

Then the voice speaks

‘Ah.’ That one word Ah however elicited a response from the Body Refining Stage soldiers and they coughed up blood as their internal organ felt like they were burning.

One word and it gives so much pressure.

Then the voice speak, though this time not with the same intensity of pressure like the voice has decided to relent his pressure from the soldiers.

‘Truly, the Heaven does not have eyes. Should I then be the Heaven for this one day? Yue Xing, an idiot King, fearing talents, proving he is inferior man. Killing such a good man, if I don’t step in and help this injustice, truly I will not feel at ease. HAHAHA. ‘

Chen Wu who was hearing this creased his eyebrows but he did not act rashly, even though the voice insulted his liege.

His captains who were at the ground, hearing the unidentified voice scolding their Emperor, trying to gain Chen Wu attention yelled back in an effort to show loyalty to the emperor of Yue Dynasty.

‘WHO ARE YOU? DO YOU NOT FEAR DEATH! THIS IS THE TERRITORY OF YUE’

‘HMPPH! IDIOTS WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE IMMENSITY OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!’ he said as he keeps insulting the voice while Chen Wu who was on the sky, his face is getting even paler.

The captain does not fear the voice because in the end doesn’t he is in the center of the army

But then the sound of a woman voice broke through the battlefield like a thunderclap. The wind howls as her voice pierce through all the noise.

‘SHUT UP!’

And the voice almost act like a soul piercing attack as the captain was thrown back from his Ice Horse and was rolling around the ground two time before coughing up blood and his eyes were bleeding because of the pressure of the shouts.

The captain could felt four of his pillars cracked, while the other four shattered and he screams with pain as energy leaves his body and then with another cough he fainted because of the pain.

This time Wang Jian was thoroughly shocked. Chen Wu on the other hand feels his heart beating even faster and fear crept inside his heart.

Both Wang Jian and Chen Wu were thinking the same thing. Only one kind of existence could make a Pillar Formation expert almost dies with one shout.

An Energy Dispersing Stage level existence like Raymond and Katarina.

Right now, there are three thousand soldiers of Yue dynasty. Adding the reinforcement there is six thousand soldiers.

But even with that, Chen Wu knows they could not contain an Energy Dispersing Stage existence.

They have iron skin, their flesh is like the hardest copper that not even his fire could melt, and their bodies emits golden aura that could pressure Body Refining stage to die only with their casual swish of their hands.

Chen Wu who has finally realized the crisis right now quickly yelled to his army

‘STOP YOUR ATTACK!!’ and his army quickly stop.

To be honest, they have already stopped the moment the laughter reverberates through the battlefield.

They already felt it then. That the man who was laughing was not ordinary.

Then Chen Wu cupped both of his hand and pointed towards his front since he could not see the expert.

It is clear that there is not only one but two expert.

‘May I know, how did the Yue Dynasty offend venerable expert?’ To Chen Wu mind people who are Energy Disperse stage could be counted by one hand.

To gain EXP to reach that level will require many hunting, raids and large quest.

The only organization he could think of is Revolutionary Army or the World Government. But their emperor maintains good relationship with both organizations.

‘Offend us?’ The woman said like she didn’t know what Chen Wu was talking about.

The man voice however laughs.

‘Yue Xing did not offend me or her. We came here for sightseeing then seeing a bunch of people playing with stick and stones, we came here to join. Who would have thought I could see the famed General Wang Jian here being bullied. His Cloud Walking Boots on the feet of someone unworthy, his Phoenix Feather Cap on the head of an idiot. So, I want to interfere. Do you have a problem with that?’

Chen Wu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He had heard that people of Energy Disperse stage is very hard to handle since their power level makes them as almost as powerful as the immortals in the stories.

Chen Wu however did not want to give up and said

‘General Wang Jian commits a treasonous act towards the empire and this is a matter of China. I, as one of the General in Yue dynasty respectfully ask for expert not to interfere.’ His word was polite but there is also a hint of anger in it.

‘Not to interfere? What if I want to interfere?’ The woman voice said as her voice is tinged with annoyance.

‘Then I will not be polite.’ Chen Wu sternly answer

‘HAHAHA’ the woman voice laugh.

‘YOU? YOU DARE!’ She yelled and roaring sound filled Chen Wu ears as his hand bones break and his orb dims in colors and almost shatters.

‘OH. YOU WANT TO BE IMPOLITE? THEN I TOO WANT TO BE IMPOLITE.’ The woman voice yelled

Saying this suddenly it was like a fierce energy envelops the battlefield and the people of Pillar Forming all fainted in the ground.

But the people from Wang Jian side all stand straight like they were not affected.

Wang Jian on the ground knows that the expert was helping him.

He truly does not know what to say. Only gratitude fills his heart. He already thought he was going to die.

Then the sky lights up.

But it did not bring any feeling of cheerful mood like the way fireworks bring laughter but fills the people of Yue soldiers with dread and fear.

Then, fiery arrows rain down towards the battlefield making it look like the area of the battlefield were rained down fire from the heavens

The Yue soldiers screamed as the arrows struck them down and they turn to ashes.

The arrows was made of pure energy and each time it stuck flesh the flesh disappears, the bones melted and lives is taken.

And it never missed.

Chen Wu who was seeing this could no longer have the bravery to say and was about to run when the male voice from before said.

‘Want to run? Not that easy’ when suddenly a huge stick coming from the nearby forest slams him down.

The width of the stick was like a mountain while the length was like the length of 24 floor hotel.

It elongated from the forest to him and slam him down with such a force that four of his rib bones broke and his internal organ injured.

The rains of arrows lasted for three minutes before it ended.

What was left was an empty battlefield leaving only Wang Jian and his army which was protected by the homing system of the arrow energy and Chen Wu who was shielded from the arrows because of the gigantic stick on top of his back.

The battlefield lay quiet.

The corpse of the death could not be seen, only ashes of their former husk. The expert did not even left any corpse for people to bury.

Then suddenly the gigantic stick disappeared or to be more accurate, it shrinked.

Then coming out of the forest was a woman of peerless beauty with an elegant bow full with runic markings behind her back, each of her steps was full of power.

The man beside her was lanky and thin but like her, each of his step was full of power.

Chen Wu could be seen near death. His breathing is slowed and blood fills his mouth signs of internal bleeding.

The War God armour was dented. But Wang Jian did not rushed to Chen Wu and kill him but instead waited for the expert.

Wang Jian has heard of the people in the Energy Disperse Stage and hears of how terrifying their powers are but he never witnessed it properly.

Today, he was truly enlightened. Who would have thought it only take two Energy Disperse Stage to destroy a 6000 soldier in a mere three minutes?

Wang Jian thought he was strong enough to contend with Heaven. There is always a sky above the sky. He mused

Wang Jian felt extremely grateful for the help and quickly cupped his hand towards the two experts when they arrived in front of him.

‘Wang Jian extends his thank to the two expert!’ He said enthusiastically.

Today he thought he would not see the tomorrow sun, who would have thought his life still burns brightly.

The man then said.

‘Dispense with the formality. I’m Loki. She is Sofia’ the man said as he smiles looking at Wang Jian.

Hearing the two expert names, Wang Jian was shocked. Loki the Trickster. Sofia the Divine Archer.

They both are famous. Or to be more correct infamous.

Just a few weeks ago, they create headlines at the World Government headquarters by breaking out Sina the Alchemist from the World Government prison, robbing them blind and burn their facilities.

They even left their name.

Lord Shadow.

Loki the Trickster.

Sofia the Divine Archer.

Sina the Genius Alchemist.

They wreck chaos on the World Government headquarters at the Island of Peace and bounty was posted.

Who would have thought Wang Jian is saved by them.

Even though, Wang Jian worked with World Government before, he worked there because of his loyalty towards the Yue Xing and not because he agreed with World Government Policies.

‘Have you heard the name of Loki the trickster and Sofia the Divine Archer before? That’s us’ Sofia nodded her head.

Loki looks at Wang Jian and he smiles widened.

‘So, this is what is left of Wang Jian White Tiger army? When you were fighting and holding of Feng Jing in Jiangdong letting Yue Xing escapes from his death how valiant you were back then! Now, here you are, almost at the edge of life, if not for our intervention. How the mighty have fallen!’

Wang Jian could only nod. His soldiers behind him also look down, bearing the shame. They were once proud soldiers of Yue dynasty.

They might not be the China republic men anymore but at least with Yue Xing they thought they could escape Feng Jing clutches of power.

Who would have thought Yue Xing envies even his own general and tries to cut their beloved commander.

These soldiers are all loyal soldier of Wang Jian.

They eat together, drink together, and bled together. Even though they commit treason to Yue Xing, so what?

Yue Xing throne is a shaky throne only a couple of months have passed by since his coronation, and he is already killing loyal ministers.

This is not the making of a wise emperor. Rather than living and following that kind of leader, they would rather die following Wang Jian

‘I trusted the wrong person.’ Wang Jian while sighing

‘That is fine.’ Loki said

‘Because, I come here to propose something to you. To be more accurate, I come here to propose something to all of you if you would renounce your loyalty towards Yue Dynasty. I assure you if you agree with my conditions, then the White Tiger Flag will once again soar proudly in the battlefield. Wang Jian…..do you not wish to be King?’

Wang Jian did not seem to be excited with the prospect and Loki smiles widened. A man of honour.

‘What are you proposing?’ Wang Jian said, standing as proud as the mountain, looking straight at the tall man in front of him who was radiating a pressure of a celestial being.

Loki smiles are like dagger and his glares are blindingly poisonous.

Sofia the Divine Archer stood beside Loki, looking as innocent as an angel, so much so, that nobody would believe that she just annihilated 6000 men in three minutes.

‘We are putting a team together’ Loki said, his face now has erased all of his usual playfulness and instead turns serious.

His aura spread out enveloping his army like a snake that is about to gulp them all in one mouthful.

Wang Jian gulped. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and opens it back after he calm his heart

Looking behind him, he sees his soldiers, his brothers, bleeding and in pain, some who needs to be buried, some suffers from severe injury and he remembers his promise before.

To give them prosperity, glory and good life.

He then looks back at Loki the Trickster and asks.

‘Who’s we?’

***