Rebirth As The Demon Wang's Wangfei

Prologue

West Mainland, State of Qi

She stood on the edge of the cliff, tall and proud, like a bamboo unaffected by the wind, her chin raised arrogantly, the hem of her green robe fluttering in the breeze. Her waist-length black hair was let loose from its usual ponytail, and they sway slightly whenever the cold autumn breeze blew. While in prison, she had sustained a lot of gashes and wounds brought upon by the interrogation department, and there was both dried and fresh blood on her arms and legs. Her pale face was caked with both blood and dirt, and her green robe was in tatters and was soaked in red – whether its her own blood or her enemies', it doesn't hold any significance at the moment – but neither of these aspects make her look any less regal.

She looked beautiful even with the many wounds marring her once flawless skin, even if she was bathed in blood from head to toe. Qi Yuan's cold heart undeniably stirred at the sight, however his hatred for her, this woman who had been his wife for a whole decade, was greater than this sudden fascination, so he could only stare at her coldly as he brandished his sword.

"I knew this day would come, Husband," she said, her voice neither soft nor cold, yet he could clearly hear the animosity colouring her tone. The affectionate endearment wasn't lost on him however, but he knew she was just mocking him. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his anger. Even in the face of death, only this woman dares to anger him to this extent!

The woman next to him stepped forward, gripping his arm in a comforting manner as she did so. "Don't let her get to you, Your Majesty. Remember, what we came here for wasn't for her, it was for the Dragon's Heart in her grasp. We should bring it back with us at all costs, since without it, His Majesty's position as the Emperor will be threatened."

Qi Yuan nodded, his eyes softening for a mere second as he looked at her. "You're right, Xiao Li Yue." He turned towards the green robed woman, lips curled into a sneer. "Hand over the Dragon's Heart, Wāng Ying Yue. Or else –"

"Or else what?" interjected the woman, who was grinning at him. However, there was no mirth in her eyes. "You'll kill me? Like how you framed and killed my father, and threw him on the streets for the rats to feed? Like how you poisoned the Crown Prince to get the throne? Like how you managed to fool the former Emperor with your facade, lulling him into a false sense of security, blissfully oblivious that he's going to be murdered by his favored son's own hands? Or..." Her eyes flickered to Wāng Li Yue, her very own blood sister. "Like how you killed the unborn child in my womb?"

Wāng Li Yue only smiled ruefully. She subtly raised her left wrist, which was a signal for her men to prepare for their attack.

"My beloved sister, since you have no intention of giving up the Dragon's Heart you've stolen from Imperial Father, we have no choice left but to take it from you by force."

Wāng Ying Yue barked out a laugh. It was soft and elegant, like wind chimes tinkling in the gentle breeze during summer, but at the same time, it was cold, detached, and devoid of feeling, that one could not help but shiver at the sound of it.

"Since when did Little Sister Li Yue become so filial? Calling the late Emperor in such a familiar way, when you've treated our own blood father as anything but. A filial daughter would never have fed her own father to the wolves...and yet you did exactly that. My, how utterly shameless."

The lady in snow white robes only tilted her head, the seemingly permanent smile etched on her face, showing no signs of being bothered by the other's words. The two women stood a few feet from each other, twin smiles plastered on each of their faces, eyes ever calculating, ever scheming, silently aspiring for the other's downfall. These pair of sisters, who share the same father but were not born of the same mother, nevertheless had always been close as children, even closer than any other pair of siblings. Who knew that the day would come when one would turn on the other, betraying her sister so heartlessly in order to pursue her own raging ambition?

Wāng Ying Yue. Wāng Li Yue. One has beauty that could overthrow cities, the other has a fragile, pretty face that can soothe the coldest of hearts. Two sisters, different fates.

Wāng Li Yue significantly glanced at the young general in charge of the Imperial Army, who understand her silent message almost instantaneously and began barking orders to surround Wāng Ying Yue, their blades and shields raised, both armour and swords glinting cruelly in the moonlight.

Seeing this, Wāng Ying Yue just smiled mysteriously. "Since you covet what isn't yours so much...naturally, this humble one won't surrender it to you no matter what." Her eyes glanced towards her husband, gaze as cold as ice. Qi Yuan, albeit reluctantly, couldn't help but be reminded of the time when she used to stare at him with affection and warmth. Now that the passionate fires of love has been extinguished from her once clear and limpid eyes, it was now replaced with both hatred and indifference. "Not this time."

As the soldiers swarmed around her, she closed her eyes, a serene smile on her face as if resigning to her fate, her long, lustrous hair dancing with the wind. Red, orange, and gold leaves that seemed to have fallen from their branches swirled around her, appearing to be dancing to a tune only nature can hear; painting a vivid picture in their hearts that would undoubtedly last forever, so breathtaking the sight was.

Seeing the former Princess Consort in such a manner, even the soldiers who had long since hardened their hearts when it comes to beauty such as hers, couldn't help but feel enraptured, their eyes transfixed to the woman seemingly in a peaceful state.

No one predicted that in the next second, she would unsheathe her sword and stab her own chest, blood soaking her already tainted clothing. When she finally opened her eyes for the last time, a trace of mockery could be seen clearly in her dark, smoldering eyes. With blood pouring from her lips, she uttered these words, expression composed and blank as ever as if she wasn't staring at death in the face, "Qi Yuan, Wāng Li Yue, the next time we meet...I promise I'll show you the pleasure – "

As she let herself fall from the cliff, she could hear her beloved husband bursting in fury and massacring his 'useless soldiers who let that wicked woman slip away', and Wāng Li Yue's soft voice, willing him to calm down. A laugh, half in sarcasm, half in insanity, bubbled up her throat, slipping from her bloodstained lips as she fell.

"– of a living hell."