"Sparrow God's Divine Judgment…" Fang muttered.
Whoom! His energy multiplied manifolds while his cultivation base increased rapidly.
"There it is again!" Koldorus' eyes gleamed in wonder. "How does he do it? What technique is it!?"
Whoosh! Two illusory sparrow wings emerged on Fang's back and he took flight!
Swoosh! He flew past Koldorus in a split second and multiple sword lotuses flashed around Koldorus, cutting him over and over.
Sproof..!! A fountain of blood burst out from his entire body.
"Gaah!" Koldorus exclaimed, barely keeping his limbs and neck from falling off. He felt a great surge of strength along with great pain but he could certainly rival level 3 Sage realm already.
"Gahahaha! What a vicious technique, Fang! You truly amaze me! This is how you matched me in the last fight but you know what happens next!" Koldrous spat his words, stowing away his halberd and clenching his fists.
Whoosh! He appeared before Fang who remained unfazed.
"Herculean Gatling!" Koldorus roared, hurling out hundreds of punches within seconds. Fang parried some and dodged some with rivaling speed.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Clang! Clang! Clang! Swoosh! Swoosh! The two of them fought speedily while thunderous sounds echoed from the collision of their weapons. One's a sword, the other's bare fists. Their bodies seemingly turned invisible while only shockwaves revealed their quickly shifting positions in the battlefield. Everyone gawked at this incredible speed!
"Damn! Even with my Empyrean grade technique all I can see is blurs!" Plant King palpitated. He was deeply moved by the display of this prowess of his King and his adversary. A truly fascinating fight!
Bam! Bam! Clang! Clang! Swish!
"Sword Shredder! Sword Lotus! Sword Rush!" Fang used signature moves in a flurry.
"Herculean Punch! Herculean Smash! Crimson Kick!" Koldorus parried and fought back hard, using bare fists and kicks reinforced by energy, but he took ample damage too, whether willingly or helplessly, remained unknown but his strength increased with each new injury.
"Herculean Whirlwind!" Koldorus roared, spinning rapidly with his leg protruded forward, whipping up the winds around him and using large amounts of energy.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Twang! Fang parried with his sword until it broke and then took a kick to his face, spinning from the impact but landing agilely before Koldorus emerged in front of him again.
"Herculean Punch!" BAM! A powerful punch sent Fang flying, breaking his forearms which he had crossed to defend himself.
Swoosh! He soared through the air like a cannonball, vomiting blood before falling on the ground; body bouncing a few times before skidding to a length and stopping with no further movement in it.
Koldorus sauntered towards Fang, wondering if the fight was over. "Now-now, you were quite full of surprises but it still ended the way I have foretold, Fang!" He exclaimed. "How about you beg me for mercy now hmm? "
Koldorus reached Fang and upturned him with his foot. His smile paused. Fang's skin was turning blue. This wasn't an effect of any of Koldorus' moves. "Oye-oye, don't tell me you ate poison to die quicker?" He frowned but Fang did not respond. His eyes were blank as he stared into the sky. He could almost see the images of Xu Lei, Xiao and even Yuxian in the clouds. Soon his sight turned blurry and he passed away.
"Victory is yours, mighty King." Plant King spoke, appearing beside Koldoruus and taking a knee.
"Hmph! Give me that woman and go dissect Fang's body. I want to know all the secrets you can glean from it." Koldorus commanded. "Have our doctors assist you in this."
"Understood, my king." Plant King said and summoned Xu Lei. She was all healed up & awake. Immediately she fell to her knees as she saw Fang's corpse. Her eyes watery and wide; her body shaking as she crawled towards him.
"Fang… Fang…! No… This can't be…" She cried. "You can't die, Fang! Get up!"
Bam! A powerful kick struck Xu Lei in the vagina from behind, making her jump and fall on her face, yelping in pain.
"Bitch, your man is dead. Carny has lost this battle." Koldorus snarled. "You belong to me now. Come, serve me with your body and tell me all the secrets of Carny that you know, and I'll let you live."
"You…monster!" Xu Lei spat. "Fuck you! Fuck you to hell, you bastard!"
Thwok! Koldorus stomped on her face, breaking her nose. Xu Lei covered her face with both hands and cried, rolling on the ground in agony. Plant King watched with pity. A brave warrior had died and now his woman was suffering. There was no justice in this wretched world. Plant King stepped forward and warped Fang's corpse into his ring. Xu Lei sensed it and opened her teary eyes, crawling toward him.
"No! Give him back! Give him to me!" She cried, hand outstretched. Koldorus gripped her hand and pulled her up viciously before clutching her throat and sneering.
"You dare ignore me like Fang did? Truly you Carny folks have no manners! I must punish you properly." Koldorus snarled. Plant King turned and left; ignoring the sounds of thrashing and painful yelps coming from behind.
---
In a marshy land, two armies were fighting.
Shew-shew-shew! Arrows and spears flew, raining down everywhere, some blasting upon contact, some paralyzing the target, some piercing through the bodies, some parried or hacked down. This had become a battle of marksmen as a close quarter battle would be highly stupid. Carny troops still knew their way around the marsh to great extent but Kol troops would definitely fall into mud wells or succumb to sneaky beasts in shallow waters.
This was the case until Kim arrived to take charge. He used his earth element technique to solidify the ground, providing the platform for his army to advance upon. He could have made it all entirely solid and then have a straight battle but he had other plans. He wanted this to be a slow-paced battle, shifting into Kol kingdom's favor. It would also lessen their losses while they continuously gained ground and Carny troops retreated.
Battle stratagems apart, the differences in numbers of the soldiers and prowess of the leaders were also large. Kim was a Master realm warrior, a seasoned General while his opponent Yan Ning was merely Commander in Advanced realm. Her saving grace was her Valkyrian technique and body, and a team of loyal Valkyr sisters.
Kim saw his army inching towards victory without harm and smiled. Suddenly water broke through the ground and spurted like a fountain beside him before taking the shape of elder Ling.
"I misjudged you Kim." Ling smiled. "You enjoy toying with the prey just as much as I do."
"There's nothing to enjoy. I'm merely using the most suitable tactic. Kim said. He was of a rather serious nature. Ling chuckled, not believing him.
"Ah, those Valkyries though. Have you seen them?" Ling said in fascination. "How beautiful they are. How strong… I can't wait to get my watery tentacles into them and break their minds! Hahaha!"
Kim stayed stoic and glanced afar, using an observational technique. His gaze met with Yan Ning's who was staring at him too, coldly. They did not change their expressions but revealed their intentions of continuing the battle, both unwilling to spare the other.
"We will need a new tactic." Yan Ning said to her Valkyrian friends. She was a medium-height woman in her early 30s. Her skin was fair and face oval shaped with pretty black eyes and dark brown hair tied up in a braided bun. Her body was hourglass shaped with generous breasts and hips. This was the body of a prostitute-turned-warrior, still maintaining its charm. She wore skin-tight clothing and a tunic. A short spiked ball-head mace was slung at her waist. Her expression was grave. The war had not been in Carny's favor at this battlefield. Earlier, Ling had toyed with them. Even though Carny troops knew the way around the tricky marsh, Ling used his water element constitution to continuously ambush them and destroyed their supplies. Then Kim appeared, making the very ground solid and taking away their advantage while advancing slowly. This was humiliating for the Carny army.
"Sister Ning, this is our first war. You shouldn't be too upset. We haven't been warriors for long." A Valkyrie spoke. Some man scoffed nearby. Yan Ning felt her face burn in embarrassment. She was aware of how much she was lacking. Her prowess was limited to her physical strength. She knew jack shit about war and tactics. The usual soldiers, 99% of whom were men, didn't like these Valkyries who always acted mighty but offered little in war.
"Fate of our Carny state lies in our hands, sisters." Yan Ning spoke slowly. "So does the lives of brave men who put their faith in us, however begrudgingly." The man listening in, felt serious. At least Yan was mature in her mentality.
"We have to win the lost grounds and maintain the stalemate. That's the best we can do given our opponents are 2 Master realm warriors." Yan Ning continued. "Since the enemy is sneaky, we must not be righteous either. I have a plan, although crude. There will be sacrifices."
"We are prepared to die." One of the Valkyries said and others nodded.
"Okay, here it goes…" Yan Ning began.
---
"Hold your positions, move the camp from behind." Kim ordered the commanders. The army had advanced a quarter mile. Tension was high. More than half the marsh had already been covered by the Kol army. Carny would attack anytime, if they were going to.
But Carny troops began retreating instead! This surprised Kim and Ling & they would be fools to not take advantage of this chance.
"Forget camp. March ahead!" Kim announced and led the way, using his earth element technique to harden the marshy ground for his troops.
After several minutes of peaceful march, Kim noticed movement up ahead. A lone warrior was racing towards his army. He was amazed to see that this warrior was Yan Ning!
"What the hell?" Kim smiled. "This makes no sense. What sort of tactic is this? Don't tell me you had a breakthrough into Master realm?"
By the time he finished mumbling, Yan Ning was already upon him.
"War Dance of Valkyrie!" Yan Ning roared, swinging her mace. She used a combination of numerous moves which resembled a furious dance!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swish! Her mace struck at Kim, infused with energy. Kim dodged agilely and spun on his heel landing a round kick on Ning's stomach.
Bam! She was flung away but landed gracefully. Kim frowned. He had managed to scrutinize his opponent.
"Level 7 Advanced realm. She didn't level up at all!" Kim thought. "Then what's her plan?" He gestured toward the troops to surround the lone Valkyrie. Ning's expression was stone cold as she charged ahead, clubbing a few enemies out of her way and unleashed another set of moves upon Kim who dodged, retreated and finally fought back properly.
"Stone Spear!" He shouted, pushing his palm in Ning's direction. A large spear made of stone shot up from the ground, scratching Ning's cheek as she dodged it.
"Stone Spears!" Kim pressed on. This time multiple stone spears shot up, each capable of piercing through any nonmetal. Yan Ning was forced to retreat several feet back while the surrounding Kol soldiers began attacking her too. Arrows were shot at her, spears were hurled.
Swish-swish-swish-clang! Clang! Clang! Yan Ning dodged some and deflected some with her mace. Kim got the chance to use better moves.
"Stone Prison!" Stones arose around Yan Ning and enclosed her within, curving on the top to secure all exits. "Stone Skewering!" Kim shouted and the inside of the stone prison morphed, jabbing sharp-tipped poles at Yan Ning from all sides. Escape was impossible.
"AHHH!!!" Yan Ning's painful scream rebounded in the stone prison, barely leaking out from the slim crevices between the stony walls.
BOOM! At this point, the ground trembled and the solidified ground cracked open. The cracks spread everywhere like spiderwebs and the hard platform Kim had prepared for his troops crumbled, revealing the original marshy wet ground underneath.
Kim used his observational technique to discover that a group of women had struck at one single point on the ground. Seeing them destroying the ground barehanded, it was obvious that they were Valkyries. They had snuck into Kol ranks, wearing the uniforms of slain Kol soldiers.
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh! The Valkyries retreated immediately while the unbalanced, astonished Kols failed to catch them.
Fwip! Fwip! Fwip! Suddenly watery tentacles emerged from the ground, capturing the Valkyries and lifting them into the air.
"Kyahh!" "Ahhn!" "No!!" The Valkyries screamed as the tentacles quickly snuck into their clothes, and began violating them! Despite their superior strengths and efforts to repeatedly break the watery tentacles, the Valkyries failed to free themselves as more and more tentacles emerged and the broken ones simply rejoined.
Fwap-fwap-fwap-slosh-slosh! Wet lewd sounds occurred as the tentacles went back and forth inside the Valkyries' vaginas and assholes, raping them in front of the amused recovering Kol troops.
Ling emerged from the ground, smirking. He had the appearance of a 10-year-old boy but his expression was depraved.
"Hahah! Hand it to our elder Ling! He got those Valkyries!" A soldier praised aloud. Others echoed.
Fwap-fwap-slosh-slosh-slosh-spurt! Spurt! Spurt!
"Ahhn! Ahow! Hyannh!" The Valkyries exclaimed erotically as they felt their wombs and asses fill up with semen. Their bodies limped in defeat while Ling pulled them into his spatial ring to exploit them more later.
Meanwhile Kim had opened up the stone prison to ascertain that Yan Ning had died, skewered with sharp pikes. He pondered a bit before saying to a deputy. "Take her to the doctor. Have her turned into a fuckdoll. That'll send a message to Carny troops hmph!"
"Yes elder!" The deputy warped Yan Ning into his spatial ring and moved away speedily.
Bwoosh! Kaboom! Suddenly there was a thunderous explosion of energy.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Thick cracks spiderwebbed to the entirety of the solidified ground and beyond, revealing the original marsh underneath. Mist was rising up in a large plume and a large shadow could be seen in it.
Kol troops had all fallen out of their formations, no longer standing. They watched dumbfounded at the shadow which revealed itself to be a beast king!
Grrahh!! The crocodile beast king growled. It was large like an elephant and actually standing on its muscular hind legs like a humanoid. Its arms were similar to humans too. Its intelligence, barely so. But it was a formidable threat at Master realm level.
"Hmph! So that was your plan eh, Yan Ning?" Kim thought, narrowing his eyes. "You distracted me while your bitches wreaked havoc at the spot where that beast king slumbered under the ground. Now that you've awoken it, it's our problem eh? Smart. But look at the price you paid." He shook his head, smiling.
Swoosh! Kim leapt towards the beast king. Ling joined him and the two of them started fighting it immediately. The ground turned stony again and all forms of it morphed and moved; spears shooting up from below, pikes and claws stabbing, gripping the beast king but failing to injure its tough scales. Ling was almost useless with his water element technique.
While the 2 elders had their hands full, the Carny army emerged, barrelling towards Kol troops with a fierce momentum.
"Kill! Kill everyone you can before you die!" The leading warrior shouted. He along with others had always scorned the Valkyries. These men had lusted after them, hated them, craved them; and now that the Valkyries had perished for Carny, these men finally respected them.
"Don't let the Valkyries' sacrifice be in vain! Charge!!!"
"Horaaah!" The army's morale was high. The enemy was shaken. Their Generals occupied with the beast king. This was the best chance Carny warriors were going to get!
The battle commenced immediately. It was a skirmish. It was a bloodbath. All sorts of techniques were used. Weapons sang in the air, splashing blood and flinging limbs and heads of their victims around. Sword Lotuses bloomed everywhere. Warriors fell left and right, mixing their blood in the dirty water of the marsh.
By the time Kim & Ling managed to kill the fierce beast king at the expense of most of their energies, the kol army had been nearly wiped out!
"Damn!" Kim hissed, glaring at the armies. "Well your plan worked, Yan Ning. Bravo…!"
"Why the fuck are you talking to the dead?" Ling scowled at Kim. "Get a grip. Retreat if you like. I still have more energy left in me than you. There's water all around me to manipulate too." His eyes glinted and his energy splashed around him, causing waves of water to form and crashed around.
Kim got up and took a step back. Then he paused and his mouth gaped open.
"I think it's too late to retreat now." He muttered, staring in a direction. Ling looked at him, followed his gaze and spotted a group of cultivators swiftly approaching. The one leading them was none other than Xiao!
"Shit! Signal the king! She's here! She's finally here!" Ling shouted while Kim summoned a token & crushed it.
---
Koldorus had just finished pissing on Xu Lei's decapitated head while the rest of the corpse was still being raped by his soldiers, when he felt a token crush inside his spatial ring. Immediately information flashed in his mind.
"Xiao! She's arrived in the marsh!" Koldorus' eyes gleamed. "Hahahaha! Ah, she's back! She's finally back!" He shouted aloud and the hubbub around him quietened as all his soldiers looked at him silently. "Follow me to the marsh! Be prepared to greet your future Queen!" He shouted ecstatically before dashing away, not bothering about his troops which scrambled into formation, gathered their equipment and under the lead of Plant King, marched ahead.
---
When Koldorus reached the marsh, the battle had already ended. The Kol army had apparently been wiped out!
"Xiao… Xiao! Where are you!" Koldorus cried out like a lover. He splashed through the water, ignoring his dead soldiers, and scouted the area for Xiao.
"M-my king…" Kim uttered weakly. He was lying pitifully in a patch of tall grass stained red with his blood as his body was badly mangled and cut. He had lost his three limbs and only one leg remained. His skin was badly burnt as well. Nearby, a half Ling was floating unconscious on the water. He seemed almost dead.
"Where is Xiao!" Koldorous shouted as he approached him. "Where did she go? Why didn't you stop her?"
"…" Kim grimaced. Whenever it came to Xiao, their King would lose his marbles and act strangely. Instead of grieving troops, & trying to save his dying Generals, he only cared to know Xiao's whereabouts.
Kim fainted before he could reply. Koldorus ignored him and went on to scout the whole marsh. He found clear tracks of an army's march towards the mountainous area. His jaw tightened and his gaze became determined. Ignoring everything he simply walked on, slowly this time, knowing where the woman he wanted was waiting for him. A mild smile rolled on his lips. "Xiao…I'm coming for you." He murmured.
---
"And where is General Fang?" Xiao asked with a frown as she sat in a chair, resting an elbow on the armrest; her fingers on her temple. A frown seemed permanently embedded on her forehead as she took in the updates of the war. Nearly 30% of the Carny's troops had been wiped out. All the Valkyries were on the move again because of Xiao's return, joining the army and making up for the lost force somewhat, but the fact remained that Kol army was still large.
"There's been no news of General Fang." The warrior relaying information to Xiao spoke. "The army he was leading the last time definitely perished. There is now a large crater on that battlefield with corpses littered here and there. No sign of General Fang. We… We fear the worst, Mistress."
Xiao sighed, her shoulders drooping. There was pain in her heart which won't go away. "Oh Fang…" She sighed again.
"Xiao… Prepare for the worst." Deodomus suggested. We must make the final stand here. The previous tactics need to be thoroughly revised as well."
"No. The time for planning has passed." Xiao spoke. "We ride the tide as the battle storms. And yes, of course." She looked at the warrior and spoke, "Have everyone assembled here. Every warrior who can lift a weapon. This is the final hour."
"Understood!" The warrior bowed and quickly left. Messengers were sent. Signals were given. The armies gathered quickly.
Meanwhile the Kol troops also converged. Koldorus was already in the mountainous area. One of his armies arrived and set up camp. Tens of thousands of others were still coming on, kicking up dust clouds.
"My King, of all the 11 elders, only 2 remain capable of fighting. Pyrus and myself." Plant King spoke. "If you'd let Chloe join us…"
"Sure. But she must be pregnant by now. Hmm…no good. But you and Pyrus can use her for stress release." Koldorus said casually.
"My lord, Chloe is one of us. A comrade, an equal warrior." Plant King asserted, demanding some respect for the General. But Koldorus merely scoffed.
"A woman is a woman. She exists to support men and birth children. She can entertain herself with ideas of warriorhood and empowerment, but at the end of the day she'll still be in someone's bed, getting plowed and eventually bearing children and then spending her whole life raising them. Stop bothering me with stupid ideologies of equality." Koldorus snarled. "I want Xiao. I have no mood to think of anything else. Handle the damn troops."
"…As you command, my king." Plant King gritted his teeth, glaring at Koldorus angrily before walking away.
---
It was a noisy night. The jungle echoed with footsteps and murmurs. Numerous torches were lit everywhere, moving, as did the troops on both sides. There were no acts of ambush. Carny troops kept climbing up the mountain, gathering, hopeful for victory now that their Mistress had returned. Kol troops gathered at the base of the mountain, camping, excited for their pretty obvious victory.
—
Xiao walked toward a small bed, sighing. She removed her clothing one by one, revealing her flawless body before falling on the bed; her voluptuous body jiggling, especially her huge hips, creating a lewd scene. Her husband stood nearby watching as another man climbed on Xiao's bed, naked with his penis throbbing.
"Deodocuck, could you please pass that oil?" Xiao asked tiredly. Deodomus smiled, fetching the oil bowl and sneakily dripping a few drops of an elixir in it. He was looking forward to watching his wife get fucked. He could barely hold it in!
The unknown man, a soldier, accepted the bowl and started pouring it on Xiao's back, massaging her slowly but firmly. His hands roamed all over her sexy back and then on her attractive slim waist before he paused to pour more oil on her huge hips and began massaging them.
"Ummh…" Xiao moaned erotically, enjoying the massage. She had been rather stressed out with everything and needed a quick relief.
Soon the man was rubbing oil on Xiao's asshole and vagina, rubbing them, and eventually slid his fingers inside, oiling up the lewd cavities.
"Ahhn… Haah…" Xiao continued to moan; enjoying and relaxing. Deodomus watched with a burning gaze; his penis erect in his pants.
The man moved down to massage Xiao's thick seductive thighs and legs and eventually turned her over, reaching for her huge breasts, pouring oil and kneading them excitedly.
"Hehehe…" Xiao giggled, watching the man's expression. She lifted her hand and caressed his face lovingly before pulling him down for a hot kiss.
"Damn Xiao…" Deodomus muttered. "You debaucherous slut, kissing another man in front of your husband!"
"Hehehe." Xiao chuckled, breaking the kiss and letting the man continue to massage her. She didn't respond to Deodomus' further lewd comments, enjoying them instead as she was called whore, depraved fuckdoll and whatnot.
Once Xiao was all oiled-up, she folded her legs up, displaying her sexy shaven vagina to the man and inviting him to fuck it. The man thanked the heavens before plunging into the milf.
Fwap-fwap-fwap-fwap! Lewd sounds occurred as Xiao was fucked speedily. For some reason, she was feeling very hot and sweat beads were emerging and flowing on her sexy body while her lust spiked every now and then. This was apparently an effect of the elixir Deodomus had mixed in the oil. It was a mid-level aphrodisiac; just powerful enough to turn on any woman, but not enough to make her notice the unnatural lust.
Fwap-fwap-fwap-fwap! The man continued to fuck the milf while groping and squeezing her huge dense breasts.
"Ahhn..! Ahh! Ummh!" Xiao moaned and exclaimed, letting the pleasure ripple throughout her body.
"Oh, Mistress…! I'm- coming!" The man grunted and released his sperms.
Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Warm semen flowed into Xiao's vagina and entered her womb as well, filling her well. But Deodomus shook his head from the side.
"Pathetic. Finished so quickly? Don't you know how to fuck a woman?" He muttered.
"M-my Lord, forgive me." The man apologized. "Mistress' vagina is just so…good!"
"Hahaha!" Both Deodomus and Xiao laughed at this. The former forgiving the man, nodding his head.
"Alright, you may leave." Deodomus said, and as the man left, Xiao narrowed her eyes at Deodomus while smiling, wondering if he wanted to fuck her now, but she found his expression rather grave.
"We've got a guest." He mumbled.
---
Plant King waltzed into Xiao's camp. The security was so lax that he could not believe his eyes! There were only 2 guards outside and they were snoring. Even earlier, the troops had simply failed to recognize him. Although indeed it'd be difficult to, as he was wearing a Carny uniform taken from some slain Carny soldier. But reaching Xiao's tent was a walk in the park!
For once, Plant King did not show courtesy and simply walked in. He wanted to make a point to Xiao that she shouldn't be so lax. He was expecting her to be sprawled on a bed, but he found her sitting on a chair instead, looking at him calmly. A handsome man was sitting beside her. Both of them were garbed in noble attires. Xiao's was black and Deodomus' was red.
"Welcome to Carny's camp." Xiao said playfully.
"You knew I was coming?" Plant King was taken aback.
"Yes." Xiao smiled, looking over at her husband. "We noticed you coming from a mile away." Deodomus completed the sentence with a scoff. He obviously had mastered a better observational technique.
Xiao gestured towards the only other empty chair in the tent right across her. "Please have a seat."
Plant King nodded and settled down. He now had a better understanding of the lax security's reason. Carny troops didn't necessarily have to be high-strung when their Mistress was with them, awake and watching over them like a protective mother. That was the kind of ruler Xiao was. Plant King couldn't help but compare her with Koldorus who was nothing but a cruel brute now.
Xiao had some impression of Plant King. Many of her memories had returned due to the medicines. Though the medicines still failed to retract the ones regarding the Consulate. Shyaren's self-destruction was caused by Chaos technique passed down by Chaos God. It was profoundly powerful. The damage it had caused to Xiao and Deodomus seemingly couldn't be fixed.
Xiao remembered that Plant King had always taken a diplomatic stance and had collaborated with her to try for peace between Carny and Kol. Thus now she was being a good host hoping he had come with good intentions.
"You look even more beautiful than before, Mistress Xiao." Plant King praised genuinely. His eyes feasting on Xiao's mature beauty but not revealing any lust.
Xiao smiled mischievously. "Thank you. You look as handsome as I remember." She said.
"I'm flattered." Plant King smiled before glancing at Deodomus. "I believe we haven't met before. I'm Plant King, an elder of Kol kingdom."
"Deodomus, Lord of Carny." Deodomus introduced himself after a nod. Plant King looked visibly surprised.
"I thought you had perished!" He said before looking at Xiao for an explanation.
"Yes, long story. He turned out to have survived." Xiao said. She herself didn't know 'how' Deodomus had survived because that part was related to Shyaren and the Consulate, and her memory had thus refused to spark up. But she had made up some story with Deodomus at some point to explain this overly asked question. It didn't need to be told to Plant King though.
"Now we're finally together, braving all odds." Deodomus smiled looking at Xiao, touching her hand. Xiao smiled back at him before gazing at Plant King who seemed rather unsettled. He hadn't expected Xiao's husband to be alive. This made things rather tricky for Kol.
"Would you like some tea? Or liquor perhaps?" Xiao offered courteously.
"Tea sounds better." Plant King smiled and Xiao summoned a pot embedded with a tiny heating strategy installed in it that kept the water hot. She poured hot water into summoned cups and sprinkled some tea leaves. The water turned green and gave off a sweet aroma.
The three of them then picked up their cups and drank in silence. There was a lot going on in their heads. Xiao mostly just waited patiently for Plant King to speak his agenda.
"Great tea!" Plant King praised, emptying his cup. "Thank you." Xiao replied.
"I was hoping we could end this war in a peaceful manner." Plant King finally began. "But seeing Lord Deodomus alive, I don't think that's a possibility."
"No. War is what we shall have." Deodomus spoke. "I want Koldorus dead."
"Well, our king indeed has harmed Carny on more than one occasion." Plant king said, nodding.
"That's not the only reason why I want him dead." Deodomus snarled.
"Pray tell." Plant King became curious.
"It seems you don't know about our history. Remember about that beast king hunt a few years back?" Deodomus asked.
"I wasn't around, but I heard a beast hunt was conducted with the help of mercenaries. It was a success but unfortunately the mercenaries perished." Plant King said.
Deodomus laughed mirthlessly.
"It's a good thing you don't know the truth. Otherwise I'd have lopped off your head right now." He said.
"Something terrible must warrant this anger of yours." Plant King said tactfully. "Though you'd find it hard to kill me with just decapitation." He boasted his healing ability at the same time. He was the only human being to have ever existed with a wood element constitution! Plant King's regenerative ability was on a superhuman level. He could keep himself alive even when cut into pieces. And of course he could regenerate or reattach his body parts.
"Koldorus is responsible for my brother's death." Deodomus cut to the chase. "It just serves well that he came picking a fight with my wife. Now I have every reason to kill him."
"I understand. My condolences regarding your brother." Plant King said humbly. "I pray his soul went to the heavens."
"Hmph!" Deodomus snorted. Inwardly he already had formed a good opinion of Plant King now. This person was strong, confident yet level-headed and humble. If he weren't an enemy, he could have easily been a friend!
"Sigh, what do you have for me, Plant King?" Xiao asked, leaning forth, resting her elbows on her thighs. "Or have you come with some request? I'll do my best to fulfill them, knowing you as a friend."
"…" Plant King was humbled. Xiao addressing him as a friend was a great gesture. It went beyond reason. It spoke volumes about her magnanimous character.
"I…only have brought somber news for you." Plant King said with a sigh. "General Fang, although you must already have presumed; is dead. He perished fighting King Koldorus."
"…" Xiao's face hardened. She inwardly knew it but had no evidence. Now learning it from Plant King gave her a sad closure. Her heart ached for her General and friend. Her eyes moistened. A fact that Plant King didn't fail to notice. Here was a ruler, deeply sad about a fallen General. There was a king not batting an eyelid as his Generals bled to near-death in front of him. More and more Plant King wondered what if he had not chosen to serve the Kol kingdom all those years ago. Could he have stumbled into Carny and followed Xiao instead. How would his life have turned out then? It was a pleasant daydream for sure, but he somberly gathered his thoughts and focused on the bitter present.
"I was given the command to dissect his corpse." Plant King said. "To glean his secrets from it. A truly disgraceful thing to do to a brave warrior like Fang, but an order from the King needs to be fulfilled."
"Can we have his corpse back now? You must be finished with your…" Xiao faltered; her voice shaky as she choked back tears. Deodomus was startled. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she sobbed before regaining her composure. Plant King felt deep pity for her.
"I could not heal a corpse and you wouldn't want to see him in that state." Plant King said with regret. "Rest assured, I gave him a proper burial, hoodwinking my King with pieces of some other corpse instead."
"…" Xiao wanted to thank Plant King but couldn't.
"Then there's another…" Plant King faltered this time, summoning Xu Lei's head. "I had to steal it. But the body… I'm afraid is being used as a fuckdoll by the Kol troops."
Xiao looked at Xu Lei's head in shock and stared at Plant King with an ashen expression.
"Apparently this woman loved Fang and vice versa. Their end…could bring tears to anyone." Plant King said emotionally. "But of course, not to our king. He finds joy in disgracing others. He wasn't like this before but…people change."
"No need to explain things about him. I'm well aware of the kind of person your king is." Xiao spoke. "Let's not forget the thousands of my citizens he had his elders massacre for fuel."
Plant King looked at her in shock. Deodomus meanwhile gleaned much from his expression and snorted derisively. "Just how much in darkness are you kept, Plant King?" He asked.
"…" A muscle moved in Plant King's jaw as he calmed his expressions & then summoned a small notebook.
"This was found in Fang's spatial ring. I believe it'd be useful to you." Plant King said, sliding the notebook towards Xiao who took and opened it.
"Ah…" She uttered, seeing the familiar handwriting of Fang's & ran her fingers on the written words, as though caressing her friend.
"These are his notes on Sword Sparrow technique." Plant King said. "Our king was very curious about the moves Fang pulled in his 2 fights with him. I wonder if the notes would help you learn about them."
"…" Xiao put away the book and looked at Plant King deeply, waiting for him to finish with all of his agendas but the latter had fallen silent.
Xiao sighed and leaned back in her chair. She moved her hand, warping Xu Lei's head into her spatial ring to bury later, then glanced at Plant King.
"Won't you join me?" Xiao offered. "You should be with Carny; with me."
"I pledged loyalty to King Koldorus." Plant King grimaced.
"I'll give you anything; everything…!" Xiao said, almost begging him. She didn't want to fight him in battle, not after everything he had done for her.
"I pledged loyalty, Xiao." Plant King remained determined. Xiao arose and kicked the table away, startling the two men. Then she stomped forth and clasped Plant King's face in both hands, looking at him with a wild, almost crazy gaze.
"Betray him!" She growled. "I'll give everything you could ever want. Everything that I have!" She gazed at him like a beloved, taking him by surprise. Even Deodomus was stumped. When was the last time Xiao was ever so emotional about him?
"…" Plant King clasped Xiao's hands and slowly slid them away from his face. He drew his lips closer to Xiao's, breathing against her face, struggling. Xiao exhaled against his, waiting for him to kiss her and seal the deal, but he didn't.
"How would you ever be able to trust me if I were a betrayer?" Plant King asked, sighing against her lips and then pulled back. "I wouldn't be worthy of you if I betrayed anyone."
Xiao smiled bitterly, letting go of him and stood to her full height, glancing down at him tenderly. "You're too good a person to exist in this world." She said.
"So are you." Plant King complemented.
"The world will ruin you in time."
"You seem to speak from experience."
"I do…"
The two of them locked gazed silently for a minute.
"Please…" Xiao requested one last time.
"We should have met before. Before Koldorus, before Deodomus." Plant King said. Xiao scoffed dryly.
"Yes, we should have." She turned around and walked away.
"See you in the battle tomorrow." Xiao said.
"See you. I'll try my best to kill you." Plant King said.
"Please do…" Xiao nodded, not looking back at him as he left.
"What the hell was all that?" Deodomus barked.
"You wouldn't understand." Xiao said hollowly. "Begone. Leave me alone."
"…" Deodomus felt insulted for the first time. He scowled and left the tent. He hadn't expected to see so much love pouring out of Xiao upon an enemy. On any man for that matter. He thought she only loved him but apparently that wasn't true. Then he realized something Xiao had said a long-long time ago. He could not even remember when. But the memory came with a searing pain in the head.
"Don't regret it if some other man steals me from you someday." Xiao had spoken. Only now Deodomus realized that it was highly possible. With him being a cuckold, constantly getting Xiao fucked by other men, why won't she succumb to someone who was respectful towards her?
The very thought of Xiao leaving him, mortified Deodomus. But he clenched his teeth and shook his head.
"To hell with all this. I will take my time breaking her again; this time, permanently!" Deodomus muttered. "For now, I should just focus on the war. Revenge is so close at hand! Koldorus, just you wait!"