Robotically, Qin Yifan woke up at the break of dawn. He stretched his arms above his head, his back aching from sleeping on the floor. He looked at his father, his body in deep slumber. Holding his fingertips against his own palms, Qin Yifan pumped the magic into his veins keeping the king alive.
He looked at the spot he slept on the floor, his mind at peace. This was not enough of a punishment for his deeds, he felt he needed something more severe. He left the Chambers in a rush, heading to his own.
Dressing up quickly, he went to the sparring grounds where the guards protecting the palace trained. He called for the strongest warriors to come and face him in a fight. Restraining the use of his magic, he stood in the middle of the four men waiting for them to attack. Two of his opponents came after him almost immediately, aimlessly swinging their fists at him. He let the land their advanced on him but was disappointed by the lack of firmness their jabs possessed.
'Pathetic,' the prince thought as he took a different stance. These two were just weaklings and he hated letting himself get beaten.
Fear of the prince overpowered men so every time they made a move, they could only falter. The prince had enough of of their cowardly strikes so he intensified his advances, fighting more fiercely.
"Fight back you cowards!" he growled, his feet moving off the ground, hitting the man's chest and then resting on both sides of his shoulders. He turned his body around so that his leg were twisted. Resting most his weight on the man's neck, be let them both fall to the ground but placed his arms forward so that he would not land on his face. This move happened so fast that the onlookers stared in awe, their jaws slacked.
Unsatisfied, the prince stood up and dusted his clothes, a frown visible on his face. As he got up everyone on the sparring ground got down to one knee and bowed in respect.
"LONG LIVE THE PRINCE!" a voice sounded from the crowd.
"LONG LIVE!" all the guards echoed along with some palace staff that witnessed the scene.
That was the problem, he did not want to live long. His heart harbored guilt which his body channeled to anger, this exhausted Qin Yifan, he just wanted it all end. But I'll fated was he that everything he hoped for got the opposite outcome. His features became stoic and expressionless as he looked upon the still bowing subjects waiting for his dismissal.
"Rise!" he said and the entire ground came to it's feet, but in the prince's presence, they still kept their heads lowered.
Han Xulian walked briskly towards the prince and the prince felt as if a worthy opponent had arrive.
"Fight me!" he demanded.
"But-" he started but he was cut off by the prince.
"Do not test me Han Xulian," he warned his anger surfacing, he let his aura freely encircle him as he commanded, "Fight!"
Han Xulian's pupils dilated as he felt his mind loosing control. He had to stop the prince before he got out of control, he needed to submit. The beast inside Qin Yifan needed to be contained, this had happened before, the prince almost control and the outcome was fatal.
"Yes sire," he said getting into stance, the suffocating presence of the prince in his mind slowly leaving.
The prince's pupils which changed from the dark seamless pool turned back to its normal hazel color. He got into stance and waited for Han Xulian to attack him. Han Xulian wasted no time in attacking the prince, he had learnt from experience that the prince liked to be attacked first.
Light on his feet, he zig zagged in the distance between them launching an uppercut to the prince's jaw.
Qin Yifan did not block the obvious attack, rather he let himself get hit over and over again. Han Xulian was getting tired hence his advances became weaker, his body was moving robotically, his moves rehearsed.
The prince was getting annoyed, the intensity of the pain he was feeling was not enough. He glared at Han Xulian who visibly shuddered, his punch faltering in mid air. Snarling he grabbed his throat mid air as he fell sending a hard jab to Han Xulian's ribs.
The young man staggered backwards and fell to his knees. Even though Han Xulian was a worthy opponent, there was still a huge difference in strength between them. Qin Yifan was stronger.
Knowing that the prince would beat him to a pulp. Han Xulian put up a defensive front but Qin Yifan had other plans.
"Get up lad," the prince said coyly, "I have to choose a wife tonight."
"Yes brother," he said gratefully dropping all formalities, getting up on his feet. Han Xulian could not help but marvel at the strength of the prince, no matter how hard he tried he could not leave a scratch on him but with one hit from the prince and he was already down.
Qin Yifan was annoyed on how easily Han Xulian would easily falter after one of his attacks. He made a mental reminder to take him training the following day.
"Xulian," he called.
"Yes sire," he answered lowering his head.
"Training tommorow, before the break of dawn. Don't be late." he commanded.
"Yes sire,"
"What time is it, do you reckon." he said looking at the sun looming high above them.
"It surely must be around eleven in the morning." Han Xulian guessed.
"Send a jug of warm water to my Chambers," he instructed "Do not disturb until an hour before the ball."
"Yes sire," he said again moving towards the kitchen to meet with the prince's request, meanwhile the prince moved at an unexpectedly slow pace his aura growing, making people squirm in his presence. When he finally reached his room, he found a tray was placed on the small side table with a jug and a small teacup in it.
Relaxing his muscles, he poured the warm water into the cup and drank it in one gulp, he repeated this action again until he finished all the water. He went over to his desk and sat in the chair his fingers drumming the table top.
His eyebrows were scrunched indicating that he was in deep thought, he took off his shirt and set it aside, his fingers aimlessly tracing his mark.
'Who was this girl?' he thought, her face looked so innocent and young, just like angel yet her features held maturity and strength. He had pestered master Lee countless times to tell him who this girl was but he could not be swayed. He eventually gave up, upon hearing the same rehearsed sentence that master Lee said everytime.
'You need to wait young prince, in due time all your questions will get their answers.'
Qin Yifan stood up abruptly hating the emotions the woman tattooed to his chest arousing alien emotions. Walking into the training room, he went over to the wooden dumy, his arms expertly hitting the wood with as much force as he could conjure from within him.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four hours now passed and he was still assaulting the wooden dumy which was now reduced to shards of wood which he easily broke using his hard advances. He let out a frustrated sigh as he watched the splinters of wood that scattered along the floor.
"Sire?" a voice boomed throughout the other room, the voice move towards the the heavy panting of the prince in the other room. Once the person saw the prince's disheveled state alarming sounds penetrated through the maidservants mind as she looked down her cheeks tainted crimson.
His hair was disheveled as it framed his face, his sculpted upper body undressed revealing his alluring mark. His hands were colored red with his own blood seemingly swollen. The prince looked at her in disgust, deeming her mannerless, barging into his Chambers like that.
"Leave!" he ordered not sparing her another glance as she visibly gulped but did not move. She was frozen to her spot, unable to will her legs to move, his domineering presence making her tremble.
"I-I-I love y-y-o-ou Q-qi-n Y-yi-f-fan," she stammered, her eyes roaming all over his body.
The prince snarled as he looked at the young woman who seemed to be in her early twenties. She was indeed beautiful but nothing compared to 'Jade' as he called her tattoo. The seamless pool in his eyes grew
darker at the disrespect and the nerve this girl had, first she barged into his Chambers and now she confessed her love for him? What did she take him for?
"Do I look like I care?" he asked his voice edgy.
"B-bu-t I--" she started but could not finish as her body trembled and fell to her knees, an external force taking over.
How dare she call him by his name!
All the blood in her body froze, her body was soon off the ground and twisting in the air against her own will. Qin Yifan just stood there, his body idle but his eyes at it's work.
Her body was in excruciating pain, she wanted to scream in agony but her voice seemed to have been taken from her. She felt as if life was seeping out of his body, slowly and painfully. At that moment she regretted her decision, against her friends advice she had approached the prince telling him how she felt. She thought he'd think about it or maybe consider and spare a longing glance at her just like all the men at the marketplace but all she got was excruciating pain and was going to die. One thing she could control were the tears streaming down her face.
"Brother!" Han Xulian called upon seeing the horrid scene, the girl was dying. The prince blinked once and the girl fell to the ground panting heavily, clutching her chest.
"Get her out of my sight!" he shouted, glaring at the girl his eyes turning back to their soft hazel color. Han Xulian rushed to the girl and held her up but her body collapse her legs were worn and not in the position to stand. He then resulted into carrying her out of the rooms to the maids quarter, leaving her at in his own room which was a few doors from the wing that held the prince's Chambers.
Meanwhile, the prince cleaned himself and got ready for the ball as if nothing happened but his aura was more domineering and dangerous..