Prince Jin sat there frozen in his room, the letter his father left for him…crumpled in hand. This can’t be so, He thought painfully, trying to hold back tears. My father is dead…my brothers are dead…mother.
A tear bead bubbled in his eye, then slowly caressed his cheek as it slid of his face. He inhaled deeply trying to calm his racing heart, but Shi Xiu’s words were unfathomably for him to keep his cool.
A few minutes passed and he eventually calmed himself down. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of the royal responsibility settle upon his shoulders, but he was only seven years old…what power could he really hold at that age?
“Shi Xiu, are they truly dead?” he whispered, “My brothers… my stepmothers…”
“I’m sorry to repeat myself your Highness,” Shi Xiu replied, calmly. “But yes, you are the last living member of the imperial family.”
Prince Jin balled his hands in frustration. The warmth of Prince Jin’s tears, pricked his eyes, but he forced them back. He couldn't show weakness, not now
“Your highness,” Shi Xiu said, realising the melancholy that exhumed from the young prince. “We have to leave the capital. The men that did this will ensure word of the coupe doesn’t reach the emperor’s vassals, they will cover up their deaths.”
“What are our options?” he asked, his voice firm, trying to reclaim some form of semblance.
Shi Xiu straightened his posture, trying to alleviate some stress from the prince’s anxiety. “We have two choices, your highness.”
“And those options are?”
“Flee the city and seek refuge in a nearby stronghold…”
“And the second option?”
“We stay, lay low, gather intelligence on the situation.”
“Shi Xiu,” Prince Jin said annoyed, “I understand that you’re catering to my whims. I know I am seven, but you know and I know, that second option serves no purpose. So, I will ignore it…what are our options for refuge.”
Shi Xiu’s lit up, surprised by the prince’s boldness. He knew that the prince was right, he just wanted to please him. “My apolog—“
“I don’t want your apologies. I want to survive this. Do you understand?”
“Yes my prince.”
“Good now what are our options…”
“We only have one option, Faizou”
“My father has mentioned that barbarians are trying to invade. Give me a better option.”
“There’s none your highness, The Emperor left instructions if he is assassinated, all living members must make their way to Faizou where Prince Liang will provide protection.”
Prince Jin stared out the window, the silence between them growing heavy with the weight of his newfound reality.
As his heart pounded within chest, his mind began to sharpen, focusing on the immediate danger. He knew he had little time to grieve, and every second spent here put them both at risk. “What preparations do we need for the journey?” Prince Jin asked.
Shi Xiu shifted his gaze toward the door, checking for any sign of eavesdroppers. “We must leave by dawn, at the latest. I’ve already secured supplies—disguises, horses, and provisions. We will travel light, your highness, to avoid drawing attention. Our route will be through the forest paths, skirting the main roads.”
“Will anyone be accompanying us?”
“No one can know, your highness. The more people involved, the more dangerous it becomes. It’s just you and me.”
“Faizou…” Prince Jin repeated quietly, recalling the distant province. He had never been there before. “How far can we get before dawn?” he asked.
“Far enough if we leave now,” Shi Xiu replied. “But the roads will be watched. I suspect that by tomorrow, they'll have guards at the city gates. We must take the hidden paths known only to the imperial scouts. They’re treacherous, but they’ll lead us out unnoticed.”
“And what then?” Prince Jin asked. His voice hardened with resolve. “We reach Faizou… and then what?”
Shi Xiu took a slow breath, choosing his words carefully. “Once we reach Faizou, we will need to assess the political climate. Prince Liang will offer you protection, but he is a cautious man. He may not be willing to act against the new regime until he’s certain of his position. We will have to gauge his loyalty and his willingness to shelter you openly.”
Prince Jin fell silent for a moment, the weight of his choices becoming clearer with each passing second. “If Prince Liang doesn’t support me, what then?”
We’ll find allies elsewhere. But you must understand, your highness, this is only the beginning. To reclaim what is rightfully yours… it will take time.”
The young prince clenched his fists, the cold, biting reality of his situation sinking in. His father’s empire was in ruin, his family wiped out by betrayal, and his own survival now depended on secrecy and cunning. He wasn’t just fleeing for his life—he was fleeing to survive long enough to fight back.
“We leave now,” Prince Jin said firmly.
Shi Xiu bowed his head. “As you wish, your highness.”
Shi Xiu gathered their things, stuffing provisions and a change of clothes into a simple cloth sack. He handed the prince a hooded robe, far from anything the young boy was used to wearing. Prince Jin slipped it on without complaint, understanding the need for disguise.
They moved swiftly through the corridors of the estate, keeping to the shadows. Every creak of the wooden floor beneath their feet felt deafening in the quiet of the night. Shi Xiu led them through a back entrance, slipping past the guards who were still loyal but unaware of the coup that had taken place.
As they stepped out into the night air, a chill breeze met them. The city beyond the estate was quiet, but tension hung thick in the air, as if the people of the capital could feel the disturbance in the balance of power. The streets were lit by the occasional flicker of lanterns, and distant voices echoed through the winding alleys.
Shi Xiu led Prince Jin toward the stables, where two horses stood ready. The prince hesitated for a moment, gazing back at the palace—his home. The place where he had spent his childhood, where his family had lived, was now a place of death and betrayal. But there was no time for sentimentality. He forced himself to turn away, mounting the horse with Shi Xiu’s help.
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“Hold on tight, your highness,” Shi Xiu whispered as he mounted his own horse. “We must move swiftly and quietly.”
They urged the horses forward, galloping through the back streets, avoiding the main avenues where imperial patrols would be stationed.
Shi Xiu led the prince through back alleys, avoiding the main thoroughfares patrolled by guards.
They finally made their ways to the secret passageways beneath the imperial city. The plan, infiltrate the pathways then make their way out of the city, without worry.
Shi Xiu led Prince Jin toward the nearest entry point. It was a discreet stone door, concealed by a wall of vines and shrubbery near the palace gardens.
Shi Xiu pressed his hand against the hidden mechanism that should have opened the passage, but to his dismay, the door didn’t budge. His heart sank as he realized something was terribly wrong. It had been sealed.
Undeterred by this revelation, Shi Xiu altered their course, guiding the prince through narrow corridors and additional alleys. They reached a second passageway, this one hidden beneath a large statue on the outskirts of the city, leading directly out of the city walls.
Shi Xiu rounded a corner and froze. Damn it, He hissed internally. He raised his hand stopping the prince from following. The statue toppled over, the entryway was completely caved in.
The collapse was recent, as debris was still smouldering around the area. Likely the result of the coup that had left the imperial family slaughtered. Shi Xiu clenched his fists in frustration. “There’s no way through here either,” Shi Xiu muttered, casting a glance at the prince, whose face remained impassive despite the mounting pressure.
The boy had endured more in a single night than most would in a lifetime, but his composure remained steadfast.
Time was running out.
Each failed attempt, the risk of being discovered grew. Every path he had considered—a system of old tunnels that had once served the imperial family in times of danger—had been blocked, either intentionally sealed or destroyed in the chaos that engulfed the city.
The realization dawned on him that whoever orchestrated the coup had been thorough, leaving no path unguarded, even the path he used to enter the palace was gone now.
Leaving his only option, brave through one of the city gates.
“My prince, we can’t use the secret pathways anymore,” Shi Xiu said quietly, his voice laced with frustration but tempered with resolve. “We have no choice but to go through the gates.”
Prince Jin nodded, his young face grim but determined. The weight of his family’s destruction and the burden of survival pressed heavily on him, but he trusted Shi Xiu to get him through this.
They doubled back, making their way toward the city’s outer gates. The city walls loomed ahead, casting long shadows across their path.
Shi Xiu led them toward a small, hidden gate used by traders to avoid the tariffs at the larger entrances. Shi Xiu halted noticing six guards holding firm at the gate.
He signalled to Prince Jin, telling him to remain hidden. Shi Xiu stepped forward, his eyes scanning each man’s face. He saw no one he knew, but he knew what language men understand best.
Gold.
“Gentlemen,” Shi Xiu called out, his voice steady but laced with urgency. “I seek passage through the city gates. I must leave before dawn.”
The guards exchanged glances, but the captain, a man with a black-bearded turned staring him down. “The city is on lock down,” he said gruffly. “No one passes, not until the culprits that burned the Dragon Palace are found.”
Shi Xiu dipped his hand into his cloak, retrieving a heavy pouch that jingled with the weight of its contents. “I’m sure we can make an exception tonight,” he said smoothly, tossing the bag to the captain. “Twenty gold taels. This should be enough…for your troubles.”
The captain caught the pouch, and a gleam of greed sparked in his eyes. He hefted the weight, feeling the coins within. For a moment, it seemed the transaction was complete. But as he held the pouch in his hands, his face hardened. He glanced at the other guards, their expressions equally suspicious.
“No exceptions,” the captain said, his fingers tightening around the leather pouch but not moving toward the gate lever. “Return home, citizen.”
Shi Xiu's eyes narrowed. He could feel the shift in the air. The men weren’t going to let him pass, not even with the gold. He had miscalculated their fear of the fire and the imperial orders. His voice dropped to a whisper, cold and sharp. “This is your final chance.”
The captain’s lips twisted into a smirk. “We don’t take threats lightly. Go home.”
“As you command,”
Shi Xiu ignited his Core Dantian and swirled the Qi within it. He surged his Qi through the meridians that led to his legs and performed an Instantaneous Step.
He appeared in front of the closest guards, and release a palm full of Qi, bring his hand down like lightning. The Qi shattered the halberd held by the nearest guard.
A loud groan of splintered wood echoed in the still night, and the guard stumbled backward, stunned…his eyes full of fright.
Shi Xiu buried his hand into the man’s chest, ripping his heart free, then danced to his right, his feet barely touching the ground as he moved like blur attacking the second guardsman.
The second guardsman skipped back, raising his halberd in a defensive stance. Shi Xiu appeared to his left, rocking his hand bring it down across his chest. The guard evaded the attack, then pivoted to his right, trying to catch Shi Xiu off-balance.
Shi Xiu’s counterattack missed the second guard, but he recovered instantly. The guard pivoted and Shi Xiu used another Instantaneous Step, reappearing behind him. He drove his elbow into the base of the guard’s skull. A sickening crack echoed and the man crumpled to the ground.
The remaining four guards, including the captain, had shaken off their initial shock. They fanned out, forming a semicircle around Shi Xiu. “TAKE HIM DOWN YOU FOOLS!” The captain roared.
Two guards charged forward from opposing sides. Shi Xiu stopped, watching them to the very last second. He dropped low, the guards’ weapons whistling past his head. The guards almost struck each other, but that was Shi Xiu’s aim.
He surged upward, his hands enshrouded in Qi. He struck both guards in the chest and their chests caved in as if boulder had just struck them. They flew thirty meters back, before hitting the ground the ground., dead.
“SOUND THE ALARM…SOUND THE ALARM!” The captain screamed. A guard drifted off, running toward the guard hut where the rope that led to the bell was. Oh no you don’t, Shi Xiu thought, He surged Qi from his Core Dantian into the meridians leading to his legs.
He didn’t use an instantaneous step this time, as it would’ve shrunk his meridians due to the stress.
He swept the man’s legs out from under him. He rolled midair, gripping the man’s throat he surged a handful of qi into his hand, crushing his windpipe.
“SONG LIN!” The captain cried out. He’d drawn his sword and danced toward Shi Xiu, “You’re a MONSTER!” he growled.
“If only I were,” he whispered thinking of all of his fellow dingshe brothers that were killed.
The captain lunged forward with a desperate cry, his sword aimed at Shi Xiu's heart. Shi Xiu sidestepped the thrust and grabbed the captain’s sword arm, twisting and breaking the man’s wrist.
The sword dinged the moment it hit the ground and before the captain could react, Shi Xiu placed his palm on the man’s chest. “You should have taken the gold,” he said softly. Then released a massive surge of Qi directly into the captain’s heart.
The captain's eyes widened in shock, then went blank. He fell to the ground, joining his men in death.
Shi Xiu stood amid the carnage, his breathing steady, his Qi still swirling within him. He glanced at the gate, now unguarded. Without a backward look at the bodies strewn around him, he strode forward, pushed open the heavy doors. “Come, your highness,” Shi Xiu said, his voice gentle but firm. “We must leave before more arrive.”
They passed through the gate, the cold night air washing over them as they entered the forest. Behind them, the gates closed once more with a dull thud, sealing off the city that was no longer their home.
The charged through the road, making their way into forest. The pathway was narrow, winding, and dark, but with his Qi-Enhanced eyes, he guided his horse and the prince’s horse through the overgrown branches and underbrush.
This wasn’t Shi Xiu’s chosen route but it was an imperial scout trail, known only to a few, and rarely travelled by anyone who wasn’t familiar with it.
The darkness was suffocating, but Shi Xiu's confidence never wavered. Prince Jin, though exhausted, held firm in his saddle, his mind racing as he considered what lay ahead.
After hours of riding, they finally slowed their pace, the horses breathing heavily from the exertion. Shi Xiu brought them to a stop in a small clearing, sheltered by towering trees.
“We’ll rest here for a few hours, your highness,” Shi Xiu said. “We’ve made good progress, but we’ll need to move again before dawn.”
Prince Jin dismounted, his legs trembling from the long ride. He sat down on the damp ground, his thoughts swirling. “Do you think they’ll follow us?” he asked quietly.
Shi Xiu shook his head. “Not for a while. By the time they realize you’ve escaped, we’ll be long gone. But they will come, eventually. We can’t afford to let our guard down.”
Prince Jin nodded, knowing that Shi Xiu was right. He leaned back against a tree, closing his eyes for a moment, allowing himself a brief respite. He had no choice but to trust in Shi Xiu's plan, even if the future felt uncertain and filled with peril.
Tomorrow, they would continue their journey toward Faizou. But tonight, as the cold wind rustled the leaves above them, Prince Jin couldn’t help but wonder how long they could stay one step ahead of those who sought his life.