After Fu empire was conquered by Shaodian empire, Long empire had to walk the safe route to avoid annihilation and kept good relationships with Shaodian and Zhi even if it was only on the surface.
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3 days after the fall of Fu
Shaodian empire
Youqin
Shaodian kingdom
"We were ratted out to the Fu empire" Shaodian Tong told his brother as he sipped from a cup of water in his room.
"Who told on us?"
"No one knows"
"Any suspicions?"
"It was definitely someone in the planning room"
" Most definitely "
" That's all we know"
" It isn't enough"
" That, we know as well"
" Our empire isn't safe unless we can uproot that bastard "
" Hmm"
" How did you pull off the siege anyway. Fu Yan wasn't a weakling. He vanished from the battlefield you say? Defeated?"
" By a certain pink flash of light he was"
" Lotus??"
Tong nodded
Sigh
"Only you and I know of his power Tong, he should be less flashy. We having an executor vigilante is disturbing enough"
" He can't officially take part in any military expeditions because he hasn't been assigned a rank, he helped from the shadows." Said Tong
"Nevertheless he shall be punished"
"You've never liked that boy since he was born"
" That boy is an abomination"
"That boy is your son!"
" I refuse to give him that post! My son wouldn't waste his day either sipping mijiu in some old bar or defiling himself! "
"He wouldn't if you would just gave him a little attention''
"I think you've given him all the love and care he needs even showing him the portal against my orders"
" You know what's coming don't you"
"He cannot be of any difference in the coming war"
"He can, you've been hating him since we took him to Lady Chu haven't you"
" A boy with his power and character will only destroy the peace of the third dimension which the Shaodian clan has kept for ages! "
"Ichyksius said there was nothing such as true peace provided mortals live"
" Ignorance is bliss Tong. It's better if he doesn't unlock his potential"
" Oh yes that's why you sealed his Jishu! "
" Yes! Because he is MY son!"
"He is more than just that. Don't you remember what that Lady Chu said"
" I very well do, which is why I will never let him smell true harvestation"
" You're only stalling the inevitable "
Ching gave Tong a nasty glance
" That boy will fulfil his destiny" Tong continued
Ching stood up and stared right at Tong
" I would love to see him try"
Knock knock
" Who might that be?"
"Major Yan your honor"
"Come in!''
"Sir the Power Rankings will take place in two days time"
"So..?"
"We need a go ahead to finish our preperations"
"My stamp?"
"Yes sir"
Yan presented the emperor with a scroll which he carefully read before stamping it
"You may go" Ching said
The major bowed and walked out.
"Is Lotus taking part"?"
No one answered
''Tong?"
Tong had exited the room before the major even entered
Sigh
"Lotus Shaodian. He is too strong, even without unlocking his Jishu, he was able to defeat Fu Yan. He leveled the leveler of an empire. He is definitely attracting too much attention to the third dimension, more than it can handle with it's current level of harvesters. If I see him at the power rankings, I'll make my announcement. I'll make The announcement" Ching said as he sipped from his cup
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"How did this thing go empty? How fast do I sip anyway?"
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The Red Lamp Bar, Youqin
" Another cup of mi-mi-mijiu"
Barf
"Young master, you are too drunk" said the bar attendant
" Nonsense " replied Lotus. " Another cup I say!"
" I'm sorry your majesty, I cannot do that"
"Really? No prob___"
Barf
" I think you need immediate attention " the bar attendant worriedly said
" Ah need booze man"
"You need first aid"
Boom
The door was smashed down
" It's General Tong!"
"General Tong?" Lotus said still drowsy
" I say Lotus, you are not looking most flashy. Now are you?"
"Nope "
"You're so uselessly drunk.'' Tong shook his head " Come on let's go"
"Alright Uncle __"
Barf
" Whoof, I am definitely not drunk"
"Yes yes I know"
3 hours later
" Lotus, the power rankings are in 2 days "
"Not that again uncle" Lotus said, having sobered up just recently.
Now Lotus was a young man aged 19 with light skin, pink eyes and long black hair which he always packed in a ponytail.
He had a little facial hair growing already. He was always draped in a robe, wearing trousers of matching colour and with his all too famous slippers. He always wore a conical hat when he went out. That was not to exclude the small brown gourd wrapped with a red ribbon at the centre he always hung on his hip, and the twin daggers that he always carried along with him.
"I already know I'm S+ and those military stuff just ain't my style. Besides I need to find out what exactly the hell is wrong with my Jishu" Lotus said packing his hair upwards
" I suspect a seal. And I think you as well know it. I always shout Rosé and know it gives me some damn awesome speed but I don't even know what it is. But I'm sure that it's tied to that blindness- as you guys call it anyway. Cause it wasn't blindness. I mean I could___"
"Woah woah slow down" Tong said chuckling " Yeah, your powers were sealed from birth"
"By whom"
" Your Father"
Lotus was surprised indeed. The shock was written all over his face like the myths of the Faterealm.
"Fa-father?"
"He says whatever. But in truth, he fears you. And I know it"
"But why?"
" I don't know if Hua ever told you. But you were born well, blind and with TPC"
" I know"
" So on the recommendation of Dr Ru"
"Ru Ming"
" Yes, on his recommendation we took you to a certain Lady Chu"
''Okay.."
"She saw great power in you, so great that it rumbled the mountain ranges"
" Heck! But why are you telling me all this?"
" Don't trust your father Lotus. I believe he wants you dead"
"What!?" Lotus was disenchanted
" At the Power Rankings, your life will change"
" He has something to say. But as I told you, never let your guard down. You may be faster than light, but that Jishu blocking technology is not something the Fu clan should have been able to create"
"You're saying .."
" Yes, Ching gave it to them. I'm also very sure that he told them about our plans"
" Why would he want Shaodian to fall?"
"Lotus, I don't have the answer to everything"
" Whatever, this power ranking thing is becoming more interesting. I might just go"
" You'd better" he paused" Lotus, if all goes well, I'll show you how to jump"
"J-jump "
" Dimension jump. You certainty possess the speed. But there are beings who are way faster than you. I should know, I've been to other dimensions before"
Lotus locked his interest
" There are good people, bad ones, monsters, Harvesters, Races, Monarchs. Some can be trusted, some can't. When you jump and I'm sure you will, don't trust everyone you meet, only and only seek power"
" Uncle Tong, I know all this, but the way you're saying this is quite ominous"
"Don't mind me Lotus, come for the rankings"
" Where are they holding it anyway?"
"Di province, west of Youqin"
" I'll be there"
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Di stadium, named after the province was where all the power rankings were held annually. It had thirty thousand seats and fifty pillars.
The royal family always sat on the highest seats, to observe the spectacle below from what they believed to be 'The King's Angle' as Ching would always call it.
The Power Rankings as explained in the class by Tong is an event conducted to discern the rank of young harvesters in Chi.
It was a simple process actually. Every year around three hundred young harvesters with a minimum age of 18 gathered to have their rank assessed. How did they get assessed? They stepped before a device called a Qi drum, activated their Aura and beat the drum with the corresponding drumstick. The lesser the sound made by the drum, the more the drummers Aura and thus the more their rank. The sounds were measured in Beats and the guard who stood by the drum measured the beats with a reader. After each reading,the drummer's rank was announced.
Tong re explained the same to Lotus
"Oh, it reminds of the saying"
"Which one"
" Empty barrels make the most noise" Lotus said coldly
" Eesh Lotus. That's cold" said Tong
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Lotus was dead bored now. So many harvesters had come to bang the drum repeatedly. If Lotus hated one thing, it was repetition. And worst above all, they were so noisy, so he thought
"How can these rascally children just come and be showing their lack of flair, they should have practised repeatedly rather than coming out here to literally echo out their imperfections"
Lotus laughed at the way he used echo in the sentence.
Then suddenly, a man dressed in a black cloak went on to bang the drum. The silence that followed was deafening
"Zero beats" the guard shook as he spoke
" This dude is upper S+" he thought
"S+" he announced
People were curious as to who this hooded man was, but nevertheless,he had no plan of dilly dallying around.
Whoosh
He was gone, faster than light
"Heck no that's supersonic" Lotus thought " Who is this curious creature?" He thought licking his lips.
" It's your turn nephew"
"Alright", Lotus said as he let himself fall from the top seat and curved out a beautiful arc as he descended, causing a slight chasm.
"Its, it can't be" murmurs started
"But why it is!"
" Second prince!"
" Prince Lotus"
Ching wrinkled his nose in an ugly way
"Show off" he thought "Your hubris will be crushed soon enough"
Lotus courageously and proudly went to grab the drumstick which he wound in his fingers before hanging it over his back.
The drumstick in particular was 180cm long in modern measurement and Lotus was 182cm
"I shall put you to sleep O Qi drum of Di" Lotus thought
But as he swung the drumstick, the echo that filled the air was almost as fascinating as an orchestra
Lotus' face was beet red at the incident
"Heck" he thought "How quiet of this drum" he thought self mockingly
The laughter that filled the air was as resounding as an explosion.
Lotus could not bring himself to understand "How in the world?___"
"They say Shaodian Sun's drumbeat was as quiet as death"murmurs began
''Yeah, but his brother is really lacking in quality isn't he?"
" Look how ever so eager he was to put his family to shame" they mocked
"Yeah didn't you see his landing"
"He's just a bloody show off"
" Didn't you hear, they say he was impaired at birth''
"Really"
''Well he's so complete now!"
Laughter filled the stadium once again
Ching rose
"Old man Ching has gotten up" he thought
" Both Lotus and Tong are fools. The Qi drum measured the intensity of your Jishu. And his Jishu is sealed" he paused" However, as this was a part of my plan, it is time to kill his hopes forever!"
"Silence please" Ching said
Silence immediately ravaged the entire stadium
"In light of the disgrace the second prince had brought to the Shaodian empire, he has relinquished his right to the throne and the next in line to the throne after him will be his younger brother Shaodian Jin. This is to ensure strictness, discipline and good conduct in the house of the emperor" he paused " In light of that, he is still the second prince and any more mockery directed his way will warrant a death penalty in the form of Life Force extraction"
Ching sat
" Proceed with the ceremony" he announced
Hua and Tong wanted to protest but they could not publicly challenge the emperor as it would undermine his authority.
"Why was Ching so much in a hurry to punish him. Things would've been different but he knows Lotus is the Executor. Is this what he wanted all along? Is this why he sealed his Jishu?" Tong though to himself and see
Lotus left the auditorium feeling down.
''Lotus the of the twin daggers huhn? There is obviously something wrong with that drum or some elaborate scandal because Shaodian Lotus is nothing less than S+ rank" these were the thoughts of the mysterious cloaked man as he watched Lotus vanish from sight as he was a safe distance away from the stadium
"That speed just goes to solidify my point. He's probably landed at some bar now. The red lamp I reckon" he thought once more, grabbing his scabbard "Beware lil flower, I have come to take your life" he said revealing sn evil, twisted grin.