Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 69

Fuzangloong flew swiftly through the clouds, headed to the Heavenly Realm at top speed. Much time had passed in the Mortal Realm, but in the Heavenly Realm the day would not yet be over. Mother and Father were waiting for him, awaiting the army that he escorted.

Uncle Linyou had said that the army was needed to quell civil unrest. Fuzang could not imagine what that would look like. The Heavenly Realm had always been peaceful in his life.

Outside the gates of the Heavenly Realm he stopped, waiting for the army to catch up to him. As the soldiers landed, having flown squad by squad, they arrayed themselves in a formation that was better for marching. Rows and columns in rank and file, Platoon by Platoon, in Companies to Battalions to Brigades, until finally the entire First Division was mustered.

The army was truly a wondrous sight, resplendent in their pearlescent shell armor, which covered the calm blue and sea green of their uniforms. A tall pole carried the flag that represented their division. One half blue, one half green, a white circle in the middle, like a pearl.

Fuzang placed himself at their head, allowing Uncle Linyou's trusted Sargeant to call out the orders. It never occurred to him to give a speech to the soldiers. He had never gone into a battle before.

As they passed through the gates, the noise of the soldiers' stomping feet attracted attention. The Shangshen and Fairies on the outskirts reacted with fear, running back into their homes and businesses, grabbing up the little Immortal children who stared in awe, and protested being dragged away.

Fuzang ignored them, his sights set on the central district of the Heavenly Realm. Civil unrest would most likely be concentrated around the Empyrean Cloud Palace. He would head straight there.

Soon he began to hear sounds in the distance, faint at first, but growing louder and louder, the closer they got to his destination. Screams. Curses. Magical explosions. Rushing wind. The clash of swords.

Fuzang's eyes widened, now feeling afraid of what he was going to see. He thought of his Mother. He thought of Kun Ji. What if he had arrived too late? How could Father have allowed this to happen?

He picked up his pace, hearing the soldiers behind him move faster as well. He swept into the park that lay before the Empyrean Cloud Palace, total chaos in the streets. The soldiers of the Heavenly Realm were arrayed before the entrance to the palace, battling Shangshen who were trying to get past them. Some Shangshen were fighting each other. Behind the line of Heavenly soldiers, in his flashy golden armor, Mother battled the General Pojun alone. Not only were the Heavenly soldiers not helping her, they were preventing help from getting to her.

Fuzang's vision misted around the edges as he watched that traitor attack his Mother, and a cold rage filled his heart. He forgot about the army behind him, and he leapt to the line of Heavenly Soldiers alone. The fools had the audacity to block him! Fuzang glared at the impudent soldier who held a spear tip to his throat.

"Your armor" Fuzang commented, deigning to flick a glance in his direction, "is made of Metal."

The soldier looked confused. Fuzang stretched out magic tendrils, feeling the quality of the steel armor. When he had infused his magic through every inch of the armor, he suddenly contracted it, squeezing the armor into a small steel ball. Blood spurted out in all directions, spraying Fuzang's face and robes, as well as the surrounding soldiers.

The Heavenly soldiers protested, pointing swords in his direction. Fuzang closed his eyes, feeling the Metal all around him, expanding and expanding his reach, infusing his Magic into more and more. Their swords flew out of their hands, and hovered high in the air, awaiting his command. Soon the soldiers were also hovering in the air, lifted by their armor, helpless to free themselves from his grasp.