Chapter 12

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The fierceness in the man’s eyes eased a little.

Then, all the black shadows flew over. This time, they landed slowly on the ground. The moment they landed, they said in unison, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Although Mu Yao had woken up, the wounds on her body were still there. She hadn’t recovered all of a sudden. Therefore, it was very likely that she would pass out or even die.

Mu Yao opened her eyes blearily and frowned. “Your Highness?”

Could it be that she was really the daughter of the Emperor? If so, why did they call her a jinx?

Mu Yao had a lot of questions in her head, but she didn’t have the energy to say anything. In fact, she nearly passed out yet again.

The general of the black shadow army immediately replied, “Yes!”

Seeing Mu Yao’s reaction, he immediately shouted, “Soldiers, listen up! Release your soul power and gather it into a pill for Her Highness to consume!”

However, the tens of thousands of black shadows behind him did not move immediately. Instead, they hesitated slightly, not daring to move nor refuse.

The man and Mu Yao exchanged looks but remained silent.

The black shadow general was immediately enraged. He raised his voice and shouted, “Are you trying to rebel?”

One of the black shadows spoke first in a soft voice, “General, we’re not trying to rebel against you. It’s just that our souls will scatter at any moment if we don’t control our soul power well.”

Each black shadow could spare a bit of their own soul power, and if thousands of soul power converged into one pill, Mu Yao would immediately recover if she consumed it.

However, because every black shadow’s soul was too weak, they were almost unable to control the expenditure of their soul power. Therefore, there was a high possibility that they would overdraw their soul power, resulting in their soul disappearing.

With the first person speaking up, tens of thousands of black shadows rushed to voice their concerns. “General, our souls are too weak. Once we lose control, we will…”

“That’s right. Once our souls are scattered and we can’t enter the cycle of reincarnation, our last traces in this world will cease to exist!”

“It’s such a huge risk. What if we… What’s the point of living so carefully in the Heavenly God’s territory then?” The soldiers expressed their displeasure.

The black shadow general was choked with emotions and said, “But we ought to stay true to our mission as soldiers of Tianlong. Don’t you know how well the Emperor treated us? How could our powerful army have existed without him! We should do our best to save Her Highness for his sake, and the sake of Tianlong!”

Hearing this, Mu Yao couldn’t help but get choked up with emotions, clearly tasting the blood in her mouth.

Then, she thought of her death on the execution platform in her dream, and the sounds of the people’s cries. She then thought about the stone monoliths that recorded the stories of the warriors before their deaths.

If she was really the princess who had ruined the country, why did this person who claimed to be a general not hate her but try to save her after knowing her identity?

Wasn’t this a paradox?

Mu Yao moistened her dry throat and asked doubtfully, “Am I not known as a jinx by the people of the country? Why do you want to save me? Just because I’m the Emperor’s daughter?”

The general was stunned. Even the black shadows behind him held their breaths. They suddenly realized why the princess was here.

The general then sighed and said slowly, “18 years ago, when you were born, strange astronomical signs were seen. Not long after, the sorcerer came to tell the Emperor that he had to get rid of you. The reason was that you were an ominous omen who would bring misfortune to Tianlong. Of course, the Emperor did not agree to it. You were the fruit of his love with his Imperial Concubine and their only daughter. He loved you so much that he could not bear to put you to death. Hence, he rejected the sorcerer’s demands.”

“However, not long after, the sorcerer used his own powers to let the citizens know that the princess was a bad omen. For the sake of their own safety and Tianlong’s, the citizens even went to court to testify about all the unfortunate happenings that had taken place after your birth. It’s only natural that you don’t know anything about this because you were still young at that time,” the general explained.

She opened her dry mouth with difficulty. “General, what happened after that? Why wasn’t I executed?”

The general continued, “Your Highness, you were executed soon after. However, the Emperor ordered me to find a servant to replace you. The Emperor really loved you. I know that because I know how much he loved Tianlong. He actually took such a huge risk to save you. Princess, think about it. Who would dare to risk the safety of the citizens to do such a risky thing? After all, the commoners were all saying that you were someone who would bring disaster to our country and its people. Even the Emperor was worried and didn’t dare to not believe it.”

Mu Yao then asked, “Then why didn’t you kill me secretly? Because of the Emperor’s order?”

The general was silent for a moment. “Partly,” he said slowly. “But not entirely.”

Mu Yao looked at the general with determination and clarity.

“Because I didn’t believe it. Every time I want to make a move, your young and innocent smile will appear in front of me. I still remember that when you smile, your eyes are like crescent moons, and your eyes are as clean and clear. How could such a child bring disaster to the country and its people? That was why I followed the Emperor’s orders and sent you to the Imperial Preceptor’s residence to be raised by Xia Guoyong. From then on, you were no longer the Emperor’s child but the Imperial Preceptor’s eldest daughter.”

The general continued, “Not long after, the Emperor and I continued to live each day in fear. We were constantly worried that we would really bring harm to Tianlong. However, the Emperor and I were surprised. Because the commoners thought that you had been executed, everyone led a good life. No one ever went to court to report any misfortunes anymore. Hence, the Emperor suspected that the sorcerer was up to no good and ordered his men to investigate in secret. From there, the Emperor discovered that there were more people coming and going from the sorcerer’s residence than usual. Not long after that, the sorcerer even bought himself a newer and more magnificent mansion!”

“At that time, the emperor understood that the sorcerer had simply deceived people. After all, the princess was still alive, yet Tianlong was prospering! In fact, the sorcerer’s life was getting better by the day too. The Emperor wanted to take action against the sorcerer, but unexpectedly…” He stopped mid-way through his sentence.

Mu Yao’s stomach lurched and she coughed.. “What?”