Chapter 246: Before Grand Storm

~~~

From afar, the Grand Storm looks like a pillar of black abruptly rising from the land and piercing the clouds. The storm clouds it is made of are so thick they almost look solid. Only the occasional flash of lightning breaks the illusion.

From up close, it looks like a wall.

Whether you look left, right, or up, it is impossible to find a beginning or end. The Grand Storm is simply there. It is this unnatural phenomenon that has kept the palace safe all these years, and it is in the shadow of this storm that the two armies that have been cutting a path through General He Bin’s territory finally meet.

One of the armies brims with bloodlust. Their formation is sloppy, and its soldiers constantly shuffle about, unable to contain their eagerness. They cannot wait for the battle to start.

The other army is nearly silent. Its soldiers are ordered in perfect lines. Their posture is without flaw. They look straight ahead, diligence in their eyes and duty in their minds.

Murong Bang and Nie Dan.

The two generals stand in front of each other for the first time in over a decade, their armies a fair distance behind them. Though they both wear the black and gold armor of the Heavenly Generals of the Storm Dragon Empire, they could not look more different.

“You’ve gotten old,” Murong Bang says. “Does that make you feel mature?”

“Looking at you does that,” Nie Dan replies. “You call yourself a Heavenly General, but all I see in front of me is a common vagrant.”

Murong Bang laughs. “Well, you might not be wrong about that.”

“Naturally,” Nie Dan says. “I have never once been wrong about you,”

“Oh? Is that why you finally show your face in front of me? Are you so confident I won’t try to fight you?” Murong Bang scratches the inside of his ear and spits to the side. “After all, we’re both here with our armies. It’d be a shame to waste them on someone like He Bin.”

Despite their casual tone, the clash of their aura is like two bulls locking horns. Neither one is exerting their full power, but the presence of two Emperor Realm cultivators is enough to make the soldiers light-headed. More than one faints.

Nie Dan sighs.

“Enough games,” he says. “We’re here to kill He Bin. We can kill each other later. Even you are not stupid enough to make He Bin the last Heavenly General left.”

“Ah yes, the Heavens would weep if that happened.” Murong Bang says, faking a shudder at the possibility. He turns to the Grand Storm. “How do you want to do this?”

“I imagine cooperating to fight He Bin is out of the question?” Nie Dan asks.

“You imagine right.”

“Very well,” Nie Dan says, not sounding too bothered about it. “Whoever gets to He Bin first gets to kill him.”

“Perfect,” Murong Bang says, rubbing his hands together. “We’ll settle our fight immediately after.”

Nie Dan shakes his head.

“No,” He says. “Let’s have a two-day truce after He Bin is dead. We’ll use that time to recover from whatever wounds he managed to inflict. We can kill each other after that.”

Murong Bang snorts and crosses his arms. “Always so timid. Are you sure two days licking your wounds is enough?

“Me?” It is Nie Dan’s turn to snort. “I’m saying this for your sake. I’m sparing you the pain of dying a sore loser.”

Murong Bang laughs loudly.

“Oh, I almost missed you, you know?” He says.

General Nie Dan looks at him in silence for a moment.

“I almost missed you too.” He looks to the side. “What do you think of him?”

“He’s soft like a baby’s belly.”

“True enough, but…”

“Yeah…”

~~~

A fair distance away from the two generals, but still much closer to them than the rest of their armies, stood a group composed of the generals’ closest aides and allies.

For some reason, Liu Jin is there.

“You look well,” Mud says. He is standing beside him along with the rest of the delegation from General Nie Dan’s side. “I must admit I was worried about how you’d fare in Murong Bang’s lands.”

“I thank Senior Brother Mud for his concern,” Liu Jin says. “To be honest, it was a very trying experience. However, all the members of the Eternal Flame Clan who traveled with me are alive and well.”

Mud does not smile at him, but his eyes become a little brighter. “I am glad to hear that.”

“Regarding the children I sent over with Brother Ten…”

This time, Mud does smile. “Rest assured, they are in good health, albeit a little rambunctious. Perhaps too much. City Lord Chu has his hands full lately.”

So they had not been able to send them over to the Eternal Flame Clan, then? Not entirely unexpected. In fact, it would have been surprising if they had.

It does make him feel bad for City Lord Chu, though.

“I’ll have to gift the City Lord something next time I see him,” Liu Jin says before moving his gaze over to the person to Mud’s left.

“Young Master Feng Zhi…” Liu Jin begins hesitantly. “I…”

“I am not speaking to you.”

Liu Jin blinks.

“Huh?”

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“I am not speaking to you,” Feng Zhi repeats. He does not even bother looking in his direction. In fact, Feng Zhi has been trying very hard to not look at him all this time. “I have had a fantastic time lately, and I am not in a hurry to end it by being reminded of your face.”

“You must forgive him,” Mud tells him. “News of your bloodline has rattled him greatly.”

Feng Zhi fiercely ignores those words.

“Ah…” Liu Jin grimaces. “I see. To be honest, I had hoped news of that hadn’t reached you just yet.”

A foolish hope, obviously, but what’s one more foolish hope for someone who carries so many of them?

“It’s true then?” Mud asks him, though Liu Jin gets the feeling he’s not really asking for confirmation. Nevertheless, Liu Jin nods.

“My father was the Black Dragon,” Liu Jin says.

A very odd sound comes from the back of Feng Zhi’s throat. The tips of his ears have become aggressively purple.

“Impressive,” Mud says. “I assume this is why you felt the need to go to Murong Bang to plead General Dan’s case. Is that not so?”

“I suppose you can say that,” Liu Jin says, wondering if Mud is trying to help him by phrasing his question like that. “Am I in trouble with the Eternal Flame Clan?”

It takes Mud several seconds to answer.

“I cannot presume to know the thoughts of the Elders or Lord Feng Gui,” he says. “I imagine this has made them very interested in you. Whether that interest is good or bad will depend on the results you produce.”

In other words, if all this goes well, the Elders won’t be too harsh on him. Maybe.