Chen Jing and Zhen Yi were escorted back to the castle by the group of guards remaining from the fight with the assassins leader. As they walked, Zhen Yi couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.
"I can't believe we survived that." he said, wincing as he shifted his weight to avoid aggravating his injuries.
"I agree," Chen Jing said, nodding. "The battle was unexpected, but we managed to achieve victory, although not without suffering heavy losses. We are fortunate to have survived."
As they approached the castle gates, they were met by the captain of the guard, who had been informed of their situation. "We'll have you both seen by the castle's healers right away," he said, motioning for them to follow him.
As they made their way to the royal infirmary, they were unaware that an assassin had been watching them leave. The assassin had been part of the group that had attacked them earlier, but had managed to escape in the chaos. Now, the assassin was on a mission to report their failure to Chen Sheng, the first prince of Frosthold.
Upon arriving at the Kingdom of Frosthold, the assassin quickly made his way to Chen Sheng's chambers. "I have bad news, your highness," he said, bowing low.
Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
"Our mission was unsuccessful. Chen Jing managed to evade us with the aid of the Avalorian kingdom," the assassin reported to Chen Sheng.
Chen Sheng narrowed his eyes. "That's disappointing. But as long as he is not in the kingdom nor has any support, he is no longer a threat."
After dismissing the assassin, Chen Sheng motioned for a shadow guard to approach him. "You know what needs to be done," he instructed with a stern voice. The shadow guard simply nodded before silently disappearing to carry out the task at hand.
Chen Sheng allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction as he watched the shadow guard go. "With this, Chen Jing won't have any evidence or witnesses to accuse me of sending him assassins," he thought to himself. He had always been one step ahead of his enemies, and he had no intention of stopping now.
Chen Jing, Zhen Yi, and Zhang Yitian were lying in their hospital beds, recovering from the wounds they sustained during their last battle. They were sharing the same room, and as they looked at each other, they knew that they would be lifelong friends.
Chen Jing let out a sigh. "This is not how I pictured my day going."
Zhang Yitian raised an eyebrow. "How did you picture it going, then?"
"I don't know, maybe a little less stabbing," Chen Jing joked weakly.
Zhen Yi chuckled. "Well, we did manage to take down some assassins. That's something, right?"
Chen Jing shrugged. "I suppose. But I could do without the pain."
Zhang Yitian suddenly sat up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Hey, guys, you want to hear a joke?"
Chen Jing and Zhen Yi looked at each other warily. Zhang Yitian's sense of humor was infamous, and they weren't sure they were ready for it.
But Zhang Yitian didn't give them a chance to back out. "Okay, so there's this farmer who has three sons. And one day, he's on his deathbed, and he calls his sons to him and says, 'Boys, I don't have much time left, but I want you to have my land. But there's a catch. I only have two oxen, and I want you to divide them among yourselves. But here's the thing - one ox is strong and healthy, and the other ox is old and weak. So how are you going to divide them up?'"
Chen Jing and Zhen Yi looked at each other, confused. "I don't get it," Chen Jing said.
Zhang Yitian grinned. "Exactly! The sons didn't get it either, so they ended up giving the strong ox to one son and the weak ox to the other. And the moral of the story is, don't be stupid."
Chen Jing and Zhen Yi looked at each other, dumbfounded. "That's it?" Zhen Yi said.
Zhang Yitian shrugged. "Hey, I never said it was a good joke."
Chen Jing and Zhen Yi laughed weakly, wincing as their wounds reminded them of their recent battle. But in that moment, they realized that they had formed a bond that would last a lifetime. They were brothers in arms, and nothing could break that bond.
As they lay there in the hospital, trading jokes and stories, they knew that they had each other's backs. And when they finally left the infirmary, they did so with a newfound sense of camaraderie that would carry them through many battles to come.
Mengting lay on her bed, her body aching from the battle she had just endured. She winced as she touched the wound on her arm, grateful that it wasn't too deep. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," she called out, and in walked her younger sister, Yu Mei.
"Hey, Mengting," Yu Mei said softly as she approached the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing okay," Mengting replied, managing a small smile. "Just a little sore."
Mengting's transformation from a shy little girl to a strong and brave warrior filled Yu Mei with admiration as she gazed at her younger sister. In the midst of battle, Mengting had come to her rescue, and Yu Mei couldn't help but feel grateful for having such a courageous sibling by her side.
"I just wanted to come and thank you again," Yu Mei said. "If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened."
Mengting smiled. "You're my family, Yu Mei. I'll always protect you."
Yu Mei's eyes filled with tears. "I know," she whispered. "And I want to be strong like you. I want to learn how to fight and cultivate like you."
Mengting was surprised at her elder sister's request. She had always thought of Yu Mei as the softer, gentler one, But maybe it was time for her sister to step out of her comfort zone.
"I'd be happy to accompany you in your cultivation journey elder sister" Mengting said with a smile. "We'll start as soon as I'm healed up."
"Sure, that would be great. Thank you, little sister," Yu Mei replied, feeling touched by Mengting's willingness to train with her. "Take all the time you need to heal, and then we can start our training together."
Mengting nodded, feeling excited about the prospect of helping her elder sister. "I'll make sure to be in top condition when we start," she said.
Yu Mei smiled warmly at her sister. "I have no doubt about that," she said. "You've always been a hard worker, and I know you'll give it your all in our training."
Mengting blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, elder sister," she said. "I won't let you down."
Yu Mei chuckled. "I know you won't," she said. "And who knows? Maybe we'll even discover some new cultivation techniques together."
Mengting's eyes widened at the thought. "That would be amazing," she said, feeling a rush of excitement. "I can't wait to get started!"
The two sisters continued to chat and make plans for their training, feeling a deep bond of sisterhood growing between them. Even though they had been through a harrowing experience, they knew that they could always count on each other for support and strength.
Zenki sat at his desk, deep in thought. His two wives, Meiying and Zhenyue, sat beside him, waiting for him to speak. Zenki and the others had just returned from the forest where they had fought against the assassins to rescue Yu Mei, who had been taken hostage to lure Chen Jing into a trap.
Zenki inhaled deeply and addressed his wives with a serious tone. "My dear Meiying and Zhenyue, our recent encounter with the assassins made me realize that we need to enhance our military power. We must focus on developing our cultivation abilities if we wish to protect our kingdom from future threats."
Meiying and Zhenyue shared a concerned look. They were aware of Avaloria's struggles with resources necessary for cultivation, and they knew that their kingdom was not as strong as others in the region. However, they also sensed that Zenki had a plan up his sleeve.
"What do you have in mind, my lord?" Meiying asked, her eyes fixed on Zenki.
"We must find a way to enhance our cultivation resources," Zenki declared resolutely. "We cannot afford to lag behind other kingdoms in the region, especially given the growing security threats our kingdom is facing."
Zhenyue nodded in agreement. "But how can we do that? We've been struggling with this for years."
"I know, but I have an idea," Zenki said confidently. "We can establish a trade agreement with neighboring kingdoms to acquire the resources we need for cultivation. In return, we can offer our military support in their conflicts."
Meiying and Zhenyue exchanged another look, this time with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. "That's a great idea, my lord," Meiying said with a smile. "But how do we go about it?"
"We'll start by sending envoys to our allied kingdoms like your home country the United realms of Ardenia, to negotiate a trade agreement," Zenki replied. "We'll also need to focus on training and recruiting more soldiers to bolster our military power."
Zhenyue nodded in agreement. "It won't be easy, but I believe we can do it together."
Meiying smiled, feeling a newfound sense of optimism. "We will support you every step of the way, my lord."
Zenki grinned at his wives. "That's what I love about you two. You're always willing to face challenges head-on."
As they continued to discuss their plans for strengthening Avaloria's military power and cultivating resources, Meiying and Zhenyue felt their bond with Zenki grow stronger. They knew that their kingdom faced many challenges ahead, but they were ready to face them together as a united force.