When King Shen Zhang entered the room and saw what was happening, he was stunned. His grandson and the Emperor were both eating a slice of cake while glaring at each other. Shen Zhang sighed. This was supposed to be a small party for his grandson's birthday and now Emperor Qin Liuxian was here. He didn't have the means or the time to organize a banquet worthy of the Emperor. It was quite rare for him to leave Qin City, the capital, and every time he did, it was because of an important meeting, a major crisis or an amazing event, something that commoners and nobles would pay attention to, and remember for the rest of their lives. At the thought of everyone remembering how he didn't even welcome the Emperor his face started to burn from the shame. King Zhang felt extremely frustrated and unhappy at this moment. Today was supposed to be the day when Little Lu displayed his talent, as well as prove that the halo of mystery around him was only a misunderstanding. After all, he sacrificed a lot of his personal treasure to come in possession of that ring, an item that could hide his nature, even from the eyes of the other clans' experts. Adding a pocket dimension to it wasn't easy either. However, he wasn't sure if its power was enough to deceive the Emperor too.
"Disgraceful! What do you think you are doing? Bow in front of our Emperor!"
His voice thundered in the Hall and, while everyone already greeted the Emperor, no one dared to utter a word. They could see that the King was in a bad mood, so it was better to do as he said, unless you had a sudden urge to meet your ancestors.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Shen Zhang watched as all the people bowed, satisfied. He then started to kneel, but Qin Liuxian rushed at his side to block him.
"Brother Zhang, stop, you know you don't have to kneel to me, you're like family!"
"It's not right, Your Majesty. I am your subordinate now, it's not like back in our days."
"Nonsense, come here you old thing!" reassured the Emperor as he trapped him into a bear hug.
In the past, Qin Liuxiang and the Four Kings fought in a heaven-shaking war against the Ancient Empires, their hands were stained by the blood of countless warriors and innocents. Since the day of his coronation, he was always too busy to visit his dear four brothers.
Shen Zhang "The Red Sword", he was the eldest of the five. His sword and his wicked plans saved their lives too many times to be able to count them. The only reason he wasn't the one sitting on the throne was that his fear of responsibilities was even stronger than his greed and hunger for power. There was a rumour in the Empire: on the day of his marriage, the other Kings had to chase him down across half of the continent and seal his cultivation, after beating some sense into him, to convince him to attend the ceremony.
Feng Chang "The Grey Eagle", the Second Brother. A calm man who resembled a Buddha in more than one way. However, despite how tranquil he always seemed nowadays, when he was a young man and fought alongside his Brothers, he was a bloodthirsty demon, more beast than a man, who ripped the heads of his enemies with just his bare hands.
Wu Shikai "The Monkey", the Third Brother. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was a loyal man, someone who could always be counted on. He may have been naive and gullible, but a lot of enemies lost their lives under his staff because they underestimated him. He had a lot of wives and concubines, so many, it was a common saying in the Jade Prefecture, where he ruled, that just walking around in a populated city, you could find at least one of his descendants.
Huang Di "The God Hunter", the Fourth Brother. Despite his title, he was the weakest of the five monsters, but also the most friendly. A formidable archer with a legendary aim. During the war, the rebel forces almost got destroyed because of the interference of an Immortal. In the heat of the battle, Huang Di managed to kill him with the luckiest shot ever in the history of the Emerald Wolf Continent. Since then, the group jokingly nicknamed him "The God Hunter".
Qin Liuxian "The Silver Lightning", the Fifth and youngest Brother. The fastest swordsman in the Empire, his white shadow on the battlefield was an omen of death. His mysterious origins and his heavenly talent soon turned him into a legend. Everybody suspected he was about to break through to the Immortal Ascension Realm.
Shen Zhang glanced at the Emperor and sighed. He couldn't think of many reasons why he came, but most likely it was to make arrangements before his Heavenly Tribulation. After all, it was obvious that after he suppressed himself at the Nascent Soul Realm for so long he would face this dangerous challenge as soon as he'll ascend.
'Little Brother, you really surpassed us in the end…'
Of course, these bitter thoughts never surfaced to his face and he kept smiling and chatting with his old friend, while those other bootlickers tried to butt in the conversation, and catch the attention of such mythical figures. Soon, the "party" was over and the Emperor even wished a happy birthday to Shen Lu.
Late at night, a guard was running through the woods without making a sound. Like always, it was time for the change of the guards. He saw his senior ahead, unmoving. 'So skilled, I could barely see him. Look at him, he's so still he seems a rock. A rookie like me has a lot to learn.' While he got closer he started to worry. The senior was too still. Even when he was a few steps from him he didn't react at all. Maybe he was dead, but who would be so reckless and bold in the Shen Mansion? Cold sweat was dripping down his back. It had to be a formidable opponent, but, regardless of his chances to survive, he would fight. He was a Jade Guard, and he couldn't let down his corp on his first day. He touched his senior's shoulder. Suddenly, loud shouts and laughter broke the quietness.
"Huh- What? Who woke me up?"
The rookie, who almost died of heart attack, threw up a few mouthfuls of blood when he heard his senior's words. It wasn't an invasion, but a few of the guests who had a little too much to drink. After a moment of confusion, their training kicked in, and they ran in the direction of the noises. It was always best to check and not accept assumptions. Also, both of them wanted to vent their anger on the bastards who almost made them shit their pants. When they saw who was so presumptuous in the King's garden they swallowed back all their grievances. The King and the Emperor were completely wasted and were struggling to walk in a straight line, while they were beating each other on their backs, trying not to choke on their wine because of their hilarity. They looked like two rough soldiers returning from a brothel instead of two nobles. It seemed like the Drunken General inherited his bad habit by his Royal Father. The shocked guards returned to their places.
"Ohi, kid. We didn't see anything, got it?"
"Nothing," acknowledged the rookie.
The two old comrades were strolling in the garden of the mansion while drinking wine and laughing. They arrived in front of a run-down shrine invisible to the eyes of ordinary mortals. It was dark inside, but a row of luminous grey stones feebly lighted up the place. Spirals, sword slashes and grotesque carvings were all over the wooden walls. A golem servant poured some tea in two cups at the low table in the centre of the room. In a corner, a miniature waterfall was coming down from the ceiling, and a stream flew out of a big window.
"You always had a weird taste, Old Zhang" commented Qin Liuxian sitting down and taking a cup.
"Little Brother, why did you come?" asked Shen Zhang. His brother always had the annoying habit of talking too much, so it was better to go straight to the point from the beginning. But to no avail. The Emperor saw through his intentions and smirked.
"You have an interesting grandson."
The calm atmosphere in the room became tense and heavy in an instant.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm surprised by your lack of trust, Brother. The Illusion Spell on that ring is so powerful that even I couldn't see anything but a normal child. I don't know what you're hiding but... I'm disappointed."
For a moment Shen Zhang's face showed a hint of embarrassment, before quickly returning to normal.
"Your Majesty has too many secrets. I wondered in the past where did you come from and why did you start that war. I don't know what this Empire means to you, I only know that there must be someone behind you. I trust you, but I have to protect my clan."
Qin Liuxian stood up and punched him in the face. He was so angry, his whole body was shaking.
"How dare you!" he roared.
On the floor, King Shen didn't even move. He looked at his friend with a mixture of conflicting emotions. Blood slowly dripped from his lips.
"You paranoid old fool! You think I care about who's behind me? They aren't my family! They are nothing! They only come when they want something when they have to give me orders! All I did, I did it to protect us!"
Qin Liuxian fell to his knees beside him panting. He felt like a massive rock was lifted from his shoulders. He didn't say much, but he said enough for someone as intelligent as Shen Zhang to fill the voids. He turned on his side and raised himself on his elbow, sighing.
"So it was like that. It was hard on you Little Brother."
"Don't change the subject. I want the truth about your grandson."
Something between them broke. Shen Zhang closed his hand into a fist.
"Is it... an order?" he asked, his voice filled with frustration and coldness. He regretted immediately saying it, but it was already done.
Qin Liuxian took a deep breath and with a bitter smile, he nodded his head, too ashamed to pronounce the words. He closed his eyes waiting for a fist or a sword slash that never came.
"Shen Lu... is an Asura."
The silence which descended in the room after the revelation was astounding and unreal. Its implications were too heavy and the shock too sudden, even for the Emperor.
"I didn't think it was possible... An Asura in the Mortal World. It will be chaos regardless..."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm preparing for my Ascension."
Once again his words shocked the King. He expected this to an extent, but to actually hear it from the man itself was still surprising. Without a pillar like Qin Liuxian, the entire continent will fall in a war for supremacy. The situation was already unstable, with wars being fought every few years, borders regularly changing and powerhouses falling and rising, but this would be the last feather that'll break the horse's back. Perhaps a World War, like the one against the Ancient Empires, was not a too exaggerated forecast.
"Are we going to have a reunion?"
"Yes, I just sent the message to the others."
Shen Zhang hesitated. The last time they were all together in one place it was His Majesty's marriage, in the capital. He remembered those happy memories and he thought about when all five would soon be together again. All five. In the same city. His city. Sweat drenched the palms of his hands. He knew his Brothers too well to not know that the whole thing will turn into a mess.
"Why did you call them HERE?"
The Emperor looked at his friend's mortified face and burst into a loud cackle of laughter.
"It will be fine, it's good to see each other again after so much time! Don't worry!" he said while writhing on the floor barking.
"☠@✴#*&$£?!"
The news of the Kings leaving their cities and the appearance of the Emperor at the Shen Mansion rocked the whole continent. Nobody knew what was happening, but one thing was sure: if the five monsters were having a meeting, something big was about to happen.