Rise of The Demon General

No sound was heard for a long time. Everyone felt like they were in a dream. They found it hard to believe what they had just witnessed.

The stupor was only dispelled when Di Ying seemed to lose whatever was holding her afloat. She lost all her strength and fell to the ground.

”Ying Er...!” Di Yu exclaimed. She forgot all about Mo Wang and rushed to her daughter.

Mo Wang still hadn’t moved on from his shock. He remained still, unable to accept what had transpired. Ling Dau, the multi-headed dragon, had been killed? Just like that? He had revealed himself because he thought he had a chance to take out the thorns in his life, which were Di Yu and Thien Huo. With Ling Dau gone, his chance to defeat Di Yu went down a notch. Not to mention, he would have to bear the wrath of the other noble dragons if he did the killing strike.

However, the most baffling aspect was Di Ying. Never did he expect the young dragon to possess such an incomprehensible power. She seemed to have lost her strength, but did she? Should he take the risk and continue trying to eliminate Di Yu?

After some contemplation, he decided it was not worth the risk. He took out a long-range teleportation talisman, activated it, and disappeared from there.

Di Yu landed where Di Ying had fallen. She panicked as she checked her daughter’s condition. If Mo Wang had decided to attack her now, he would have had a high chance of succeeding.

After a few seconds, Di Yu let out a relieved sigh. Di Ying wasn’t in any danger. She was simply unconscious due to exhaustion. She couldn’t imagine the mental and physical strain that her daughter had gone through. To control that kind of power, which she only attained recently, must be tremendously taxing.

Of course, she knew the true power that defeated Ling Dau was not Di Ying’s. It was Thien Huo. Di Ying had somehow drawn the power from her fallen uncle and directed it onto a target. The fact that the target was the one who killed Thien Huo further amplified the power. It was no different than a spirit being given the chance to avenge its death.

*

”Is it over?” Krassazh asked.

”If you ask about the battle here, it is,” Yao Ai answered.

Krassazh turned to Venal Virtuous City. The surviving Cryanids from his horde were still wreaking havoc inside the city.

”I will go assume control of the Cryanids,” he said and flew away.

Yao Ai watched him leave. She was conflicted. He understood why Amon allied himself with these nonhumans. He needed a force, but would he truly let these Hyanids into their territory?

She gritted her teeth. If things were left to her, she would have used this chance to rally the humans in all three domains. She could frame the invading Hyanids as a common enemy to all humanity. This should have made it easier for her to unite everyone in the three domains, effectively making her their leader, considering the other two domain lords were no more.

Unfortunately, she was not in charge. Not with this bomb threat inside her head. She was frustrated. To have such a golden opportunity, but couldn’t act on it. She wondered if Amon had the same plan as the one she had thought of.

*

Lin Li landed near Di Ying. Di Yu growled at her when she did.

”I’m a friend of your daughter,” Lin Li told her.

”You are that fiend’s minion. You are no friend. Back off!” Di Yu threatened.

Lin Li complied. She stepped back but didn’t leave.

After a while, Di Yu finally noticed that Amon was not around. She wasn’t aware when Yuka ambushed Amon. She was busy fighting Mo Wang at the time. She paid attention to her senses now and located him.

She turned and saw him walking toward them. The direction he came from was Ling Dau’s charred corpse.

”Where have you been?” She asked curtly.

”Away from danger, of course,” Amon answered. ”You don’t want me to get accidentally killed by your battle, not unless you want your daughter to suffer a permanent mental scar.”

Di Yu growled. Though Di Ying had prematurely grown into a mature dragon, the mental backlash from losing her beast tamer would still be significant enough for her future growth.

Di Ying stirred. She began to open her eyes.

”Ying Er!” Di Yu called.

Di Ying pushed herself up slowly. She seemed disoriented. She wobbled a little when she rose to her four legs. Di Yu caught and supported her. She turned to her mother and stared at her silently for an uncomfortably long time.

Finally, she uttered, ”Mother.”

Despite the word, Di Yu didn’t feel the warmth that should have come with it. She felt a strange coldness instead.

Di Ying looked around. She appeared to be trying to recall what had happened. She asked, ”Where are our enemies?”

”You killed one. The other had fled,” Amon answered.

Di Ying turned to Ling Dau’s charred corpse. She said, ”I didn’t. Uncle was the one who did it... So, does this mean we have won?”

”For now,” Amon replied, before adding, ”Good job.”

Di Ying nodded absent-mindedly. ”I am tired. I wish to rest. Mother, I will see you another time.”

Di Yu was speechless at her daughter’s lack of emotion. She watched her walk toward Amon. She didn’t even glance at her before she vanished into his black space ring.

She was aware there would be a change in temperament when a noble dragon matured. Dragons were solitary beasts. That’s why it was rare to encounter two adult dragons simultaneously. The case where Di Yu and Thien Huo travelled together was unusual. They did that out of their shared concern for Di Ying. If not for her, they would have gone their own way. Hence, a dragon always drifted apart from their parent once it matured. Even so, the change in Di Ying’s disposition was too extreme. It should have happened gradually rather than abruptly like this.

Di Yu wondered whether it had something to do with her premature growth.

”You have honored our deal. We are done here. We will do this two more times, and you will have your prize.”

Amon’s words tore Di Yu away from her thoughts. She hissed at him. ”Your request has cost my kind a respectable dragon. It is a loss too high to bear!”

”You can blame Mo Wang for that,” Amon replied. ”My request is for you to deal with Ling Dau. If Mo Wang hadn’t interfered, Thien Huo wouldn’t have fallen. Also, did you expect me to call for your aid for an easy task? If you did, then I hate to break it to you. The next time I call you, it will be for an even harder task than the one I have asked here. I will only call you for things I can’t deal with. Be prepared for it!”

”Tch! Screw you!” Di Yu slammed her foot on the ground in frustration. She then flew toward Thien Huo’s corpse. She grabbed it, then headed toward Ling Dau’s and did the same. ”I know you greedy humans will defile their remains if given the chance. I won’t let you! Noble dragons deserve proper burial, even this stray one.”

There was no doubt that her words were directed at Amon. Amon only responded with a grin. He watched her fly away, carrying the two giant corpses.

Yao Ai landed before him. ”What now?” She asked.

Amon answered, ”We will go negotiate with Krassazh. You will accompany me, but give me a few minutes first.”

”For what?” Yao Ai asked.

Amon didn’t answer. Yao Ai was vexed by such disrespect. She stepped toward Amon, but Lin Li came in between. They exchanged no words, but Yao Ai could read from Lin Li’s expression that she would regret it if she took another step forward.

Yao Ai swallowed her pride and stepped back.

*

Inside the black space ring, Di Ying remained in her dragon form. She was standing beside the lake, watching the reflection of her new look. Her face showed no expression.

”You shouldn’t repress your feelings, you know.” Amon’s mental image appeared beside her.

Di Ying glanced at him before replying, ”I don’t know what you are talking about.”

”We are mentally linked. I know how you feel, no matter how you pretend. You act coldly toward your mother to discourage her from coming again when I call the next time. You don’t want her to end up like your uncle. You should know that it was pointless. She will come regardless of how you treat her.”

”Don’t you act as if you know me!” Di Ying hissed. ”This is all your fault! My uncle’s blood is on your hands!”

”No. Your uncle’s death is Ling Dau’s fault, and you have avenged him. End of story.”

Di Ying growled menacingly.

”Stop it. You know you won’t do anything that will threaten me,” Amon said. ”You’d better learn to familiarize yourself with your new power.”

”I will need blood for that. Want to volunteer?” Di Ying asked.

”I will send you materials,” Amon replied and vanished.