Chapter 84 - The Ambush

The Demon realm was never in a better shape in the first place.

The demons were more focused on getting their hands on the Heaven realm than developing their own realm.

After the peace treaty, both the Demon Princes took over the command of their provinces and finally started the work on getting the Demon realm in a better shape.

On the other hand, the Heaven Emperor had healed completely and the Heaven Realm was overflowing with happiness.

Not only they had finally found a way to keep the three realms at peace but the Princess1 of Heaven Realm was also getting married to the Water Immortal.

Just when everyone was finally thinking about a peaceful future, the darkness took over their happiness and everything changed in just one night.

*********

"What happened?" Li Ming asked after Ruoshan had gone quiet for a long time.

She had tried to keep silent and let him continue on his own but he suddenly spaced out and didn't speak for a long time.

She couldn't control her curiosity anymore and asked him while trying to gain his attention.

A chuckle left Ruoshan's lips as he snuggled the girl closer in his arms. Assuring himself that she was really there with him. The dark past was threatening to take over his mind.

"First tell me what you think about the story so far," Ruoshan said as he took her small hands in his own and started softly rubbing her delicate fingers.

"What's there to even think about? Both parties had their own faults and mistakes. The Deities were or maybe still are too overconfident of themselves and the demons were or maybe they too still are too greedy." Li Ming replied with a shrug of her shoulder.

"It was the Deities who wronged the First Demon Emperor. They not only killed his mother because of their prejudice against the demons but also kept a small child deprived of all the happiness and rights that he deserved. He just wanted to take the revenge of his mother's death and prove to the Deities that he can also be a part of the Heaven Realm. Then why are you saying that he was greedy?" Ruoshan asked.

Rather than anger, his tone was filled with curiosity. He wanted to know her opinion about the entire situation. 

"I agree that the Deities and the Heaven Emperor were wrong but that doesn't mean the Demons were not at fault. Every single day thousands of children face similar situations like the Demon Emperor where they were also wronged, but if every single one of them decides to take revenge then this world will become a war zone, where one person would be bathed in the blood of another one."

"I'll not say that taking revenge is completely wrong. I can't comment on something about which I have no idea. I don't know the pain, and anger behind the emotion of revenge. Only the person who had lost something and had been wronged knows best about these feelings. But taking revenge doesn't mean that you end up being a killer yourself."

Li Ming took a deep breath before continuing. "The Demon Emperor wanted to take revenge and he attacked the Heaven realm. That day so many soldiers and deities died in that fight. But why? Just because they were protecting their Emperor and realm from the Demons? Have you ever thought about the families of those that died in the fight? At first, the Demon Emperor only wanted to be the Crown Prince of the Heaven Realm, in short, he was aiming for the position of next Heaven Emperor but slowly it transformed into greed. I actually agree with the two Demon Princes whom you mentioned in the story. Rather than snatching away Heaven Realm from the Deities, why not build your own realm into a lovely place? Won't that be better? The fruit of your hard work."

A small smile appeared on Ruoshan's lips as he heard her words. "So you are in support of the two demon princes?" He asked curiously.

"Of course. They were the only ones who appeared to have a brain and they actually used it or at least tried. The so-called revenge had long transformed into greed and competition. There was no point in continuing the rivalry between the two realms when both of them were at the losing ends." Li Ming replied.

"I never knew that it will be so easy to impress you. If I have known, then I would have told you this story a long time ago and have impressed you with my intelligence." Ruoshan said in a dramatic tone.

"Don't be so...Wait, your intelligence?" Li Ming looked at him with raised eyebrows. Her neck was starting to ache due to the uncomfortable position in which she was looking behind her at him.

When she didn't receive any reply from him, the locks finally clicked in her mind and she said in a shocked tone, "Are you one of the two Demon Princes?" 

Somehow she already knew the answer even though she couldn't read his mind. But she still waited for him to answer and confirm her doubt.

"En!" Ruoshan lightly nodded his head. "The Ever Night Province is the previously known Northern Province of the Demon Realm." He explained after a few moments and let the information sink in.

"How old are you exactly?" Li Ming asked suddenly.

Ruoshan was shocked as he wasn't expecting her to ask such a question. He scratched his neck as he tried to find a way to answer.

"Not too much. Just a little bit." He finally said when he realized that she was still waiting for his answer.

"Exactly what's the meaning of your little bit?" Li Ming wasn't going to let him go easily.

He didn't appear a single day older than a young man in his early twenties, maybe twenty-three or twenty-four. But her instincts were telling her that she's being deceived by the cover of the book.

"It's rude to ask a man his age," Ruoshan said as he gave her a chastising look.

"Wait, when did this rule got applied on men? Last I heard, it was considered a bad manner to ask a lady her age but not a man." Li Ming glared at him.

"How can you be such a sexist? If it's a bad manner to ask a lady's age then why the same rule does not apply on men?" Ruoshan asked with a frown.

"...."

Li Ming was completely speechless. What Ruoshan had said actually made sense. Did it mean that she couldn't ask him his age anymore? But, she would definitely find out in one way or another.

"Alright, I won't ask questions related to your age anymore...for now. Now tell me what happened next in the story." Li Ming said with a small huff.

Ruoshan sighed but continued the story.

**********

The two Demon Princes were planning about starting an Academy in the Demon Realm. They were in the study room of the Palace of Southern Province of the Demon Realm when the calamity hit them.

During all those times when both the Demon and Heaven Realms were busy in killing each other, none of them realized that a new enemy had entered in their world and all that they wanted was darkness, sorrow, blood bath, despair, and clash between the three realms.

But a peace treaty between Heaven and Demon realm meant that all those things were gone. There would be no more war between the realms and no more blood bath. So, when the timing was perfect, they struck. 

Just when the Heaven Realm was celebrating the Grand wedding of the Heaven Princess, the dark powers ambushed the cheerful Grand Hall of the Heavenly Imperial Palace. But this time the damage was far more than those from the past.

Once again the Deities were caught off guard, though they fought with all their might the damage was done.

The attacker's main targets were the Heaven Emperor and his family and they succeeded in their mission.

Just as they completed their mission, all the attackers, which were merely a hundred in number, disappeared in the thin air. Leaving a bloody hall and the dead bodies of the Rulers of the Heaven Realm behind.

The only one alive from the lineage of  royal blood of the Heaven Realm was the crown prince who was still completing his punishment of underwater closed-door cultivation.

Whether this punishment was a blessing or a curse, but the Crown Prince had reached the Grand Hall too late that day. He was supposed to be there for his sister's wedding before resuming his punishment but he was attacked by another group of assassins on his way.

It was not clear what was more shocking, the fact that some mere assassins had murdered the Ruler of the Heaven Realm or the clues that were gathered which pointed at the Demon Realm as the mastermind behind the ambush.