Accompanying the Phoenix

Chapter 11: Xiao He's Resentment

The young man was about to speak when the guard next to him moved forward, "Be careful Lord Fu Sheng, this person..."

The crown prince was uneasy but his trusted aid, Fu Sheng, sneered at Shen Li. "The emperor only has seven sons. I know all the kings. How is it that you claim to be a king as well?"

Shen Li's smile was even colder than his. "I am a demon king!" She cut through the air with her silver spear. Those below felt a cool breeze as their belts fell down in unison. A slight panic ensued as they bent down to grab their pants. The only one not affected was the crown prince. His belt was different from the others, a strong and reinforced type. Shen Li was just enjoying herself and smiling when a pair of warm hands covered her eyes.

Xing Yun said, "Don't look. It's inappropriate."

Shen Li was so surprised she forgot to give him attitude. Despite the many things she'd done, he insisted on treating her like a regular person, like a woman whose eyes were innocent.

The crown prince looked at Shen Li thoughtfully no longer saying a word, instead he turned and walked away leaving the burning house behind. Shen Li retracted her spear but did not pry Xing Yun's hands away, she only said, "Come on I'll bring you to Rui palace." After that she would leave.

"Yeah OK," Xing Yun answered loudly, letting go of Shen Li as he did so. Glancing around he said, "But let's wait for bit."

Shen Li looked at Xing Yun and saw the fire reflected in his eyes. Suddenly she remembered what he said yesterday at Rui palace about wanting to stay in his little courtyard because it was his home. Now he had to watch as it all burned down. She could only imagine the sense of loss he felt at the moment.

Were it not for the fact she needed to conserve her energy in order to evade her pursuers, she would have settled the score with the crown prince once and for all. But recklessly using her energy in the situation would only complicate things and allow those chasing her to pinpoint her location. Her heart felt stifled as she looked at the small courtyard turning gray in places as the ashes settled down. She could not stay any longer.

"I don't know how long the fire will burn for. I wonder if the fish in the pond will still be edible. It's a shame after all the time I spent raising them." Xing Yun sighed thinking about his lost fish.

"You-- this is what you're thinking about?"

"Yeah. What else would I be thinking about?"

Shen Li glared at Xing Yun before taking a deep breath and grabbing him roughly by the collar. In a silvery flash they reappeared in a quiet garden. Xing Yun looked up at the moon and sighed. "Wow... a transporting spell sure is convenient. But why did you send us to this deserted garden?"

"You think I wanted to? I don't know the exact location of Prince Rui's residence inside the palace."

"Xing Yun laughed. "Well we're gonna have to find it then." He barely took two steps forward before Shen Li yanked at his wrist.

"Don't move. Can't you sense how strange it is here?"

"Strange? What strange?" Xing Yun couldn't detect anything odd. The sounds and sights were all ordinary night time sounds found in any garden - the insects were chirping, the flowers were swaying in the breeze, the leaves were rustling. Nope. Nothing strange here.

Shen Li waved her hand and grabbed at something in the air. "I didn't see it before during the day, but this Prince Rui, to raise so many unformed demon spirits..." She opened her palm to show some condensed light as tiny as fireflies.