"The curse of immortality, that one curse that will be passed descendant by descendant. The never ending curse that haunts the whole royal family born from the Jade phoenix." said RuoMin as she sat beside the sword-struck Wei Yue.
She touched the fresh wound and it healed like it was never been impaled. Jade-colored blood from Yue's wound scattered on the ground as he got up and held his hands beside his waist.
"Does it hurt?" FeiXian said as he helped Yue in standing up.
"I wonder why it really doesn't hurt at all. I was struck by a sword but yet, I never even felt any pain or sting." Yue said with befudling look on his eyes.
"Ah yes, the curse of immortality manifests. Your blood is not your blood now, it belongs to the Jade Phoenix now." RuoMin said.
"You said that your kingdom has been conquered right? Then, you must find the Jade Phoenix himself to reclaim your kingdom." she added.
"It is impossible Meimei (young sister)... The Jade Phoenix is just a myth made up by our people from long ago and passed to us through ages." FeiXian protested against her since he does not want his master to believe in false hopes.
"Honestly, after what I had witnessed today, maybe the Jade Phoenix was rather true, General." Yue cut off RuoMin and FeiXian's conversation.
"If so, we should find that Jade Phoenix quick because if we don't our people might stop believing that our emperor exists." FeiXian said.
"There is no restriction with the journey. Carry as many servants and loyalists as you want, but be warned, the journey of reclaiming must last only 21 days. If you can't reclaim your kingdom, then the Jade phoenix shall fall forever." RuoMin said informing Yue about the journey he was about to take.
"21 days huh. Will three of my best men will do?" Wei Yue asked.
"If that's your choice, Wei Yue." RuoMin replied.
"Brother. I have something for you. I sense a premonition concerning about your future." she said with worry in her eyes.
"The dogs said that they smell the stench of death upon your wake so, I have something for you to bring on your way."
RuoMin handed him a jade sword with a dragon carving.
"What do I need this jade sword for? Do you think my swords are uncompetitive for any of the battles I will enter?" FeiXian clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in anger.
"No. It's not that. On your way to your journey, you will meet a woman having the same blade that you have. She will lead you to destruction and ruin. Make sure that you will kill her with this blade. Only then, the prophecy of your death will stop." RuoMin said with a serious look.
"Is that woman of such beauty that she could be the death of me? Only a beautiful woman can bring me to my knees. If she's as beautiful as the midnight moon, then I'll be glad to die on her arms."FeiXian said while blushing.
RuoMin slapped his brother straight on his face. "Brother, I suggest that you take the prophecy seriously. If you die, then we'd all be trampled underneath the feet of the conquerors but if you'll kill her, then peace will be returned to the land." RuoMin angrily said.
"Alright." FeiXian then turned his back and headed outside the cave to meet up with his men. Yue bowed to RuoMin and said "I think we should get going." He smiled at her and she also returned the gesture. "Be careful Emperor." that was the last words he heard after he exited the cave. The cave sealed itself once again and the three carvings held in its place when it was there before.
As Wei Yue approached FeiXian, he heard FeiXian talk with his men.
"Friends, the journey that we would go through might be rough and there is a big possibility that I could die along the way. I have already talked with Lieutenant Li An and I will need only her to accompany me on the mission. In other words, you could all go back to the barracks that had been set up for the refugees and keep a tight security there."
The men started chattering with confusion. FeiXian cleared his throat and the atmosphere was replaced with silence.
"I cannot risk putting all your lives in great danger. Our enemy is a big kingdom and we are at war with it. They will not tolerate defeat, they will kill whatever they want to kill. So, in order to save your lives, I humbly ask all of you." FeiXian knelt and put his hands and head to the ground facing his men. "Please save yourselves."
His men started muttering and most of them are crying. His men really wanted to fight with him side by side and wanted to stick with him till the end but as RuoMin said, his death will happen most likely at the start, middle or end of their journey.
"We will do as you wish Sir!" his men shouted. FeiXian then dismissed them all and they immediately rode away.
Li An stayed behind. Yue came closer to them and started talking. "Where should we start looking? We don't even have clues where the Jade phoenix is?" Yue frantically scratched his bird shaped head.
FeiXian looked at the blade that his sister gave him. Maybe, the dragon from his sword may mean something. He looked again at the sword closely. It glowed even more. "Step aside!" FeiXian shouted. He impaled the jade sword in the ground and a floating map showed.
The map then revealed a secret passage leading to mountains in the east.
"I never knew that this thing could show a map." FeiXian said with his eyes growing wide.
Wei Yue moved closer to the sword and a light floated above it. The sword glowed more brightly than before.FeiXian, Li , and Yue covered their eyes and when the sword stopped glowing, they opened them.
Beside the sword, laid a staff made of gold with a jade gem at it's edge.
Yue picked up the staff and the phoenix from his jade crest swirled upside down then a dragon appeared and joined the phoenix. They were intertwined together with the phoenix below and the dragon upwards.
"My lord, your royal crest." FeiXian was about to restrain Yue but Yue gestured that it's alright.
"It's alright General. I know where we should go." He set off an assuring smile to them.
"Let's go." Yue got up the horse. Li and FeiXian rode their horses too and they all set off a route due east.
On their way to the mountains, rain started pouring and the mountain path became harder to see with every minute that they walk. FeiXian stopped and rested beside a rock. Li also stopped and rested beside a tree and pulled out her water jug that's made out of hard dried gourd and started gather water from the rain.
"We should stay until the rain pass." Yue exclaimed. The rain poured harder and it's very difficult for them to hear if they will not shout or talk loudly.
"Look, there's a cabin up ahead. Maybe we could stay there for a while." Li pointed at the cabin a few meters away from them.
"That's a good idea Li." Yue agreed with her and so does FeiXian. They walked for a few meters and then reached the cabin. The cabin was little but it was too shabby for an abandoned one.
"I think someone lived here." FeiXian turned back to look at Li. She nodded corresponding what he meant and unsheathed her sword.
Yue was about to get inside the cabin when FeiXian stopped him by barricading his hands.
"Be careful your highness. We don't know if the ones who live here are friendly or hostile."
Li roamed inside and squinted her eyes. Her jade sword became large and she took a peek behind the dust-covered drapes. "There's only one way to find out."
She uncovered the drapes and found a man clothed with rag with a sword and a flute by his side.
"I can clearly see that this man is no ordinary man. He belongs to some sort of organization. People like his are trained inside a dojo." Li's sword returned to normal again and she sheathed it to her back. "This man is not hostile your highness."
"Your highness?" The man then woke up upon hearing Li mentioning about Yue.
"Bow before your highness, Wei Yue the 127th heir to the Jade Phoenix throne." FeiXian instructed the ragged man to pay respect at Yue but the man suddenly got up and started crying.
"Our village, our people, my family... They were all slaughtered to death by them. They were looking for you, your highness." The man shed tears of sorrow. Perhaps this man really came from one of the villages where Wei Yue's kingdom reigned.
"What do they want with his highness?" Li asked.
"His crest. He wants the jade phoenix be reunited with the dragon blade."
Li and FeiXian's eyes grew big.
"If that's so, then..."
The man laid his eyes to Wei Yue.
"You're in big trouble your highness."