Legacy of Blood: Reclaiming the Lost Throne

“Kneel!”

His voice crashed through the broken jade pillars like thunder splitting stone.

Emperor Rong Zhen stood above them, his eyes were filled with disdain. That was the gaze of a man who saw them all as nothing but irritating beasts beneath his feet.

Beside him, his daughter sat upon one of the throne chairs, Kaien could see a trace of disgust curling on her lips. They made eye contact for a brief second, he could see her mocking smile clearly. Then she looked elsewhere like he wasn’t worth more than another minute glance.

Kaien stood among the corpses of his kin, the throne of Spirits now stained red. His father, Emperor Li Fengxian of the Yuehua Dynasty was on his knees, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. His mother, Empress Han Yuyan, had been bound in soul-suppressing chains of black iron.

But Li Kaien, the Crown Prince of Yuehua did not kneel.

Even as a hundred armored soldiers of Chiyan surrounded him and the ancestral qi of their bloodline was sealed by forbidden cursed talismans. He refused to bow to such a disgusting vicious man.

“No!” he said through clenched teeth, blood trickling down his brow. “I will only bow to the heavens, and never to thieves like you. You don’t deserve it.”

His mother’s voice was hoarse with panic. “Kaien, no! Just do as he says please..”

Everyone knew of his ruthlessness but Kaien would rather die than submit to him. He stood strong even though he was severely injured.

Emperor Rong descended from the throne that once belonged to his father. He walked like a god, his crimson robes swept the shattered floor.

He took one step at a time. It was filled with both authority and power.

He stopped before Kaien. His eyes filled with murderous intent, it was clear he didn’t like being defied.

“Actions,” he said slowly, “have consequences.”

Then without warning he stepped forward and crushed Kaien’s father’s hand beneath his feet.

Crack.

“FATHER!”

Kaien surged forward, but four guards slammed him down. His qi was suppressed. His werewolf bloodline, the Moonfang Spirit, was sealed by a binding rune that was forced into his chest.

Rong Zhen’s lips curled into a mocking grin. He unsheathed a black-forged saber filled with heavenly fire.

Then

Schhk.

Kaien’s father’s hands fell to the ground. Severed. Still moving a bit due to muscle retention.

“This,” he said coldly, “is the price of disobedience.”

Kaien’s knees trembled. The fury in his chest was volcanic. But still, he did not kneel. He wanted to rip his heart into shreds. But he barely had any power left.

“Kaien, please,” his mother cried out to him. “Before he does much worse than this.”

He raised the saber again.

Kaien didn’t care about dying but he didn’t want to hurt the ones he loved the most.

So he threw his pride away and knelt.

“I submit,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

But it came too late.

A scream pierced the air. “Xiao Lian!”

She’d thrown herself between him and the incoming sword.

Lian’er!!!! his maid since childhood. His friend. His protector.

The blade sliced straight through her chest.

She collapsed into his arms, her blood soaking into his royal robe. She smiled so gently at him, still trying to reach for his face as she was dying. “Don’t blame yourself, promise me that you won’t. I…. It’s an honor to die for you, my crown prince.” She said and then lost consciousness.

He held her tightly, refusing to let go.“I I knelt…” he choked. “I already knelt!” You

“Why? Why did you still—”

Rong Zhen didn’t answer. He calmly wiped his blade clean on the robes of a nearby guard, as if the blood was an irritating thing to him.

Then he walked over to Kaien slowly and then he knelt down until they were face to face.

“So much hatred,” he whispered, gripping Kaien’s jaw with his cold fingers. “Do you wish to kill me? Do you so badly want to make me pay for everything I’ve done to you and your family?”

Kaien glared at him with rage.

He wanted to do that so much right at that moment.

Rong Zhen smirked. “What can you do? Your wolf is chained. And your flame is dim. You’re just a caged cub. If you really want to hate someone, hate Wei Lan for her betrayal. I mean if she didn’t feed you all with the elixir of moonsign. How would I be able to easily crush you all?”

He turned without another word and walked back toward the throne.

As he reached the final step and sat back down, Princess Rong Mei rose gracefully from her seat. Her voice came out, cold and detached.

“Father, I’m tired of watching this boring spectacle. Can I leave now?”

Kaien’s vision narrowed. She reduced his entire family’s suffering and his dead people to a boring spectacle.

His fists were balled into fists.

Her father gave her a slight nod of approval.

Then she began to descend from the dais. She even yawned a bit.

But as she passed beside him—

Kaien lunged at her.

He slashed his claws across her flawless face.

A long red gash bloomed on her flawless cheek. The injuries made by the claws of a werewolf were only curable by the werewolf that left the mark. He hated her so much at that moment but since he couldn’t directly kill her, that’s what he could do temporarily to avenge the humiliation of her words to his people.

She screamed loudly, holding her face in pain.

Qi surged around him then shattered him.

Another burning talisman lit across his spine, and he fell.

He could hear his mother’s voice breaking. His father was in total silence. His head was still bent down towards the floor.

Guards tore him from the hall like he was filth.

Then as the darkness claimed him, he heard her voice.

The princess’s voice.

“Make him suffer,” she whispered. “I’ll carve Yuehua’s name from this world.”