Showdown

“That’s why our army disappeared,” Murong Zhiyu says.

“She leaked our plans. She… she worked with them all along. Even when—”

“Yes, even then, it seems.”

“So you would trade me for Xiyang’s safety,” Zhu Chun says and her voice is close to tears. “My whole life, I’ve worked to be the best I can be for you. I trained, I complied. I led your guard and protected the palace. I fought off bandits for you and secured trade routes. But you never treated me better than Zhu Dong. Am I less than her just because she was born first? She doesn’t do anything! She lazes about the whole day, resting on her guaranteed crown! At least Er-jie takes her mission seriously! Even our useless younger brother shows more effort than Zhu Dong!”

“Why is no one else here?” I ask.

Murong Zhiyu sighs. I didn’t even know that was possible in thought. “Zhu Dong will have been sent away to protect her. The bloodline cannot die out. My brother… well. He’s been sickly for all his life. I suppose he is hiding in a remote corner of the palace, hoping for us to sort it out.”

“Your father?”

“He’s in the southern capital.”

Oh. I actually thought he was dead, since he never appeared in the drama.

“You seem… calm about this.”

“I can’t say I don’t understand San-mei’s frustration. I just never thought… to side with an enemy of the empire. I cannot forgive her.”

Zhu Chun and the queen are staring at each other, daring someone to make a move. Gu Shuai seems content to step back, letting them fight it out for him. I wonder what he promised Zhu Chun for her help. Did he seek her out? Did she find him? I don’t think we’ll ever know. Still, I don’t think the love she showed for Murong Zhiyu was all fake. I feel bad for her, but I cannot help her now. This is the path she chose for herself.

The moment Zhu Chun rushes forward towards her mother, Murong Zhiyu catapults us out of hiding. Her sword is so cold, it hurts just to hold it. She is so fast, Gu Shuai can’t even properly turn around before she stabs it through his back. He screams and collapses. She shifts into her half-dragon form and opens her mouth to breathe an icy blizzard into his face, crystallising on his fur, clouding his eyes. She draws the sword out again and holds it to his throat. He is panting in pain, shivering from the cold. Around us, everyone is frozen in shock. Even Queen Zhu and Zhu Chun have stopped, staring at me in complete surprise.

“Order your people to retreat from Xiyang,” Murong Zhiyu says with a growl, the tip of her sword digging into his flesh.

“I will never surrender. There is nowhere we can go back to. We will not survive in the desert.”

“You will not survive here.”

Gu Shuai barks a laugh. Murong Zhiyu repeats her demand, but he doesn’t respond anymore. With a rush of air, suddenly Queen Zhu is at my side. She isn’t as merciful. She rips the sword from my grasp and stabs it though Gu Shuai’s heart. He goes slack, his body shifting in front of my eyes from a large fox to a regular human, who lies motionless, his life already ended.

“No!” Zhu Chun screams.

Then, in an instant, everything happens all at once. Zhu Chun shifts as she lunges, attacking her mother with claws and teeth. Queen Zhu still holds on to the sword she killed Gu Shuai with and pulls it out of his body as she dodges, blood flying in an arc, splattering the ground. They fall into the milky waters together, sinking under the surface, waves first violent, then calm, as the water swallows them whole.

A cloud of red rises from the depth and disperses through the water like ink. After a moment, a figure rises, breaking through the surface until she is floating above it. It’s Queen Zhu, cradling the lifeless body of Zhu Chun against her chest. Water runs down her face, and I don’t know if she is crying. The room around us falls silent.

“Your leader is dead,” the queen says into the silence, and her voice carries, echoes in the space. “Lay down your arms and surrender before I slaughter every single one of you.”

The noise following is unmistakable. All around the room, the attackers let their weapons fall to the ground, metal ringing out against stone. Someone runs from the room, bringing the news to the rest of the troops. With their leader dead, with no one to follow, the distributed men will likely surrender. Everything will be—

“Shijie!” Dai Xuan screams from the other side of the room. “Come here, quickly!”

I almost fall over my feet, running, dodging people and bodies to cross the room. I find Feng Yu sitting on the floor, holding Liu Renqing, tears streaming down his face. When he spots me he sobs loudly, his voice shivering.

“He tried to save his mother. He failed.”

I look around. Liu Zixuan’s lifeless body lies some distance away, her armour melted around her body, clothes charred. Liu Renqing’s robe is burnt as well, though not as badly.

“He failed?” I stammer. “He isn’t…”

“He is dying. He tried to take the curse meant for her, but it didn’t work. It backfired, it… I don’t know. Please… I can’t lose him…”

I reach out, but at the last moment, my body stops on its own. Murong Zhiyu. It’s her.

“What are you doing? We have to save him!” I hiss.

“Taking on this curse will most likely kill you. Gu Shuai’s magic is too strong.”

“But then he will die.”

“I’m not telling you to stop. I’m telling you to leave.”

“Leave?”

“If you stay, it will kill us both. If you leave, it will only be me. Gui?”

Time freezes. Above the body of Liu Renqing, Gui appears like a holy vision, flowery robes fanning out around him. He smiles indulgently, happy even.

“Your mission is over,” he says. “Well done.”

“No! I’m not done!”

“You are. The threat is removed. The city and thereby the world, is saved. The factions are aligned in tragedy. They survived and will come back stronger. Eliminating the enemy at this juncture will ensure lasting peace for hundreds of years.”

“I don’t care about any of that! Liu Renqing is dying!!” I scream.

“I will send you back now. In a week, I will visit you to ask you about your wish. You’ve earned it.”