Chapter 3 The Beginning

A short distance ahead, there were some white walls and black tiles. Under the wavy eaves, some red columns with paintings were standing there. Two powerful words "Jicong Mansion" were written on a huge plaque that was hung high under the eaves over the front door. The golden lettering on the white background looked extremely majestic. It was obvious that these words were written by King Yun. This place was simple but solemn and dignified. It's easy for people to know that this was a majestic general mansion. However, all this was just a joke for Yun Zhi.

In front of the door, this handsome and young Senior General did not dismount. He stared at the plaque with two big characters "Jicong Mansion" and clenched his hands grabbing the reins. His eyes were full of irony.

The pageboy beside him asked him hastily, "General, don't you get in?"

"No."

While they were still talking, a middle-aged man in servant costume of the Kingdom of Yun came over. He bowed to the horse of Yun Zhi, "General."

"Uncle Yi, please stand up." Yun Zhi still did not dismount. He only told the pageboy, "Show Uncle Yi around. From now on, Uncle Yi will be the housekeeper of Jicong Mansion."

"Yes." "Thank you, General." Both of them bowed again.

"I still have something else to do, so I will not go back to the mansion now. I don't want anyone to follow me." Yun Zhi finished his words and whipped his swift horse.

"Yes." The two people were still bowing after he left.

Along the way, Yun Zhi had a mixture of feelings in his heart—King Yun, you were such a calculating man... you gave me a mansion called "Jicong"？ "Jicong" meant nothing but "obedience". You wanted my absolute obedience to the Kingdom of Yun, but who would avenge the Kingdom of Xuan?

Yes, truth would come to light sooner or later. King Yun would never expect that Yun Zhi had known everything. Most importantly, he had been a kid who couldn't hide his emotions, but now he could bear everything patiently.

This young and handsome Senior General was the orphan taken in by King Yun when he was little. He had regarded King Yun as his savior since childhood. However, the King was actually his enemy and he had been a fool for so many years.

Thanks to the encirclement and suppression of the rebellion, he met the surviving general of the Kingdom of Xuan, Li Yi. He had planned to capture Li Yi alive himself while Li Yi used a trick for driving him from his troops. Coincidentally, they managed to have a private conversation.

In the conversation that day, Li Yi told him that he was the youngest and favorite prince of King Xuan. When he was three years old, King Xuan knew the prophecy, so he secretly sent him out of the palace to hide. However, he was still found by King Yun.

In the beginning, Yun Zhi was not willing to believe what Li Yi had said. After all, if it was true, his life would be so cruel. As a matter of fact, King Yun conquered the Kingdom of Xuan first together with him. King Yun even taught him to use a sword and kill people hand by hand. Yun Zhi had decapitated two people who were very likely to be his own parents. That year, he was only six years old. Yun Zhi was trembling, looking at the heads rolling on the ground and the scarlet blood. If the Kingdom of Xuan was really his homeland and they were really his parents, how could he accept the cruel truth?

However, truth would never change. After he went to investigate and verify, he still had to bear the cruel truth even though he had collapsed. Now, he finally understood why King Xuan's eyes were filled with tears and why he refused to close his eyes until death at that time.

In the bamboo forest, Yun Zhi screamed like crazy. He took the sword that King Yun gave him as a present to chop everything. King Yun sent the sword to him before he went to suppress the bandits. Now the sword also looked like a joke. This man once had elegant and calm eyes, but now they were filled with overwhelming hatred. He couldn't stop his tears trickling down. Since he knew his family background, he had been enduring the unspeakable agony. Now he could finally vent it out desperately.

This was a lush and green bamboo forest full of vitality. Bamboo fragrance filled the air. It was a beautiful place, but now Yun Zhi was destroying it. Innocent bamboos were scratched or even chopped down. Flying bamboo leaves were everywhere. He was really ruining the environment.

But when he was chopping desperately, he almost hurt a girl in a dress as white as snow. The girl's face still looked childish, but it was beautiful and pure without a flaw. Her empty eyes were staring at the bamboo forest in front of her. Her eyes were hollow, and people might have a feeling that she was staring into the distance.

Originally, the girl only wanted to appreciate this beautiful bamboo forest. She did not expect anyone to disturb her. When she turned around, she was almost hurt by his sword. The sword had touched her neck and her skin as white as jade. Fortunately, she was not injured. Under such circumstances, the girl was still not panic.

In this way, they held this strange position for a long time. Looking at the girl in front of her, the man was stunned. There were still some tears on his face. Until some bamboo leaves fell in front of him, he came back to sense and the sword fell from his hand, almost hurting the girl in front of him again. He scrutinized her in a hurry, and then stooped down to pick up the sword from the ground and put it in the scabbard at his waist.

Yun Zhi apologized, staring at this calm and indifferent girl. However, the girl completely ignored him. She turned around, and then continued to look blankly at a particular place which she had been staring at before.

The young man walked to another place so that he could see her face. He stared at the pure face of the girl. Although he thought she was strange, she was still kind of familiar to him. He was familiar with the girl's hollow eyes. However, he couldn't remember where he saw them, but it did not affect his appreciation of her.

Time passed by. Flying bamboo leaves in the forest were like green fairies. The two people were like in a painting. If the girl's eyes were not so hollow, their faces would be so matching and gorgeous—green leaves and beautiful petals flying all over the sky; a young general and a gorgeous beauty; stunning people and conquered countries; love and hatred...