Arrival

Three days later

These past few days, Long Aotian is really feeling bored. Shen Manshan who is a frequent visitor to his place was busy these days and couldn't come to visit him. Although there are some servants in the palace where he can lay his hands on. He felt no excitement with them so he wasn't interested in them.

With that, he had been staying inside the palace doing nothing.

As for the Luo family, they have been keeping silent all this time. And Long Aotian can't do anything and just let his men watch their move.

After what happened to Luo Tianjian, he thought that Luo Zhongshan would lose himself and act recklessly. But to his disappointment, the old man just stays inside his house and never came out.

"Crown prince, everything is already prepared. We can go anytime"

While he was pondering on himself, a voice sounded behind him. It was Mu Cheng wearing a complete set of armor.

For Mu Cheng, these past days were something he really didn't expect. The crown prince accepts to be his follower. Because of that, his status in the Mu family rises and so with his prestige. One must know that following the crown prince means following the future emperor.

He was so thankful to his mother for what she had done to gain the crown prince's favor. Even though he didn't know what method she uses. It doesn't really matter that much to him.

At this moment, they were supposed to go to a small town in the north of the kingdom. It was a town bordering between the Black Dragon Empire and the Falling Star Empire.

The people of the two empires knew about the conflict between the two empires. It started when the current emperor Long Huang assault the imperial carriage of the Falling Star Empire 20 years ago. After attacking the carriage and killing every guard defending it. Long Huang finally gets what he came for.

It was the eldest princess of the Falling Star Empire. And he brought her to his chamber in the palace and didn't come out for several days.

When the emperor of the Falling Star Empire knows what happened to his daughter. He immediately declares war against the evil Black Dragon Empire and its villainous emperor.

At first, some suggest that it is a good chance for the two empires to enter an alliance by marriage. But Long Huang the emperor didn't want an alliance. What he wants is to let the Falling Star Empire become under the rule of his empire.

The overbearing emperor obviously didn't want to talk anymore and marches his army towards the territory of the Falling Star Empire. And so, the first battle between the two empires happened.

Back to Long Aotian, he really wasn't the one who should go there. But something unexpected happened. The system inside his head suddenly issues a mission forcing him to make a move.

Mission: Defeat the enemy army attacking Cloud Town!

Rewards: Random Soul Imprint from Naruto!

- - - - -

Although he didn't know what soul imprint is and the system didn't want to tell him. He still accepted the mission.

"Alright, I will follow you shortly" he plainly said to Mu Cheng.

"Yes!" Mu Cheng answered before retreating.

After Mu Cheng left the room, a figure appeared in front of Long Aotian.

"Crown prince, the attack of the enemy empire in the Cloud Town is connected to the Luo family. Steward Qin is spotted sneaking around in the Cloud Town before the attack happened" the figure said.

"Did you find where all of them are staying?" Long Aotian asked with a chilly voice.

The figure felt a tremble in his whole body and answered, "Yes, they are all being monitored by our men. Just a single command and they will kill them"

"Don't kill them, just capture them all. Father had become too lenient towards his enemies. It is my job as the future emperor to punish them all" a murderous intent spread out from his body making the temperature inside the room fall drastically.

After he received several more information. Long Aotian with Mu Cheng and some imperial guards head out the capital.

Cloud Town

Cloud Town is just a small town in the north near the border between the two empires. Because of its location, many merchants use this town to trade goods. So this town becomes a trading route which makes this small town very rich in resources.

Even with its small number of people, the guards in this town are strong and well trained. However, with the sudden siege of the Falling Star Empire and the clear number disadvantage. The town was slowly falling apart.

Buildings and houses were burning everywhere and fights were happening in every corner of the town. Dead bodies were lying everywhere and their blood dyeing the cold ground red.

"Defend! Don't let them advance any further! The empire will send reinforcement and help us kill these bastards!" a middle-aged man holding a bloodstained sword shouted full of glory.

He was the mayor of this small town and the strongest warrior here. His eyes were bloodshot looking at the once-beautiful town. But because of the enemy attack, the town was transformed into a battlefield destroying everything.

"Father, the enemy is advancing fast. With their current pace, we will be overrun by them in just a couple of hours. Please issue a retreat, and when the reinforcement from the capital arrived. We will clean them in one swoop!" a man said looking at his father the mayor. Although he didn't want to leave the town, they couldn't do anything.

The enemy is too strong and too many. If this continues, everyone will definitely die.

"No!" Duan Donghai rejected his son, "The Cloud Town should not fall in the hands of the enemy. If that happens, even if the reinforcement from the capital arrives. It will be very hard to reclaim the town"

Duan Donghai turn around and glance at the people of the town behind them, "If we retreat, the people of the town will definitely get slaughtered by the enemy. So what we need to do right now is do our best to defend until the reinforcement arrive"

Listening to his father's words, Duan Juze knows that he was right. If they really retreat right now, everything will be lost to them.

Duan Juze gripped his sword tightly and seriously said, "Don't worry father, I understand. We only need to last until they arrive, we have plenty of strength to do that"

Several hours later, the people of the town were really getting desperate. The soldiers remaining is only over 50. While the enemy has at least 500 of them. Even knowing that their death is about to come. They all started to fight like a wild beast. Ignoring the cuts in their bodies, they fight like a madman.

"Look! What is that thing in the sky!" a shout came out from the people in the back.

Duan Donghai who was surrounded heard the shout and lookup. There, he saw several creatures flying in the sky. Behind them were people releasing carrying spears and swords in their hands.

His eyes immediately brighten and he waves his sword to his enemies blasting them away and shouted, "The famous griffin army from the capital have arrived. Everyone! We are safe now!"

Like a little kid, every member of the town who heard that the reinforcement from the capital arrived suddenly shouted in joy with tears running down through their eyes.

A figure landed in front of Duan Donghai and it was Long Aotian.

Duan Donghai started to shake as he stared at the young man in front of him, "B...Black armor made of dragon scales. Carrying the banner of the empire"

Thud!

Duan Donghai immediately falls to the ground and kneel before shouting, "This servant has seen his highness the crown prince!"

When the people of the town saw their mayor kneeling in front of a young man. They were startled, but when they heard what he called the young man. Their hearts started to beat faster.

Crown prince?

The young man in front of the mayor is the crown prince?

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Slowly, everyone falls to their knees and shouted in unison, "We've seen the crown prince!"

"We've seen the crown prince!"

"We've seen the crown prince!"

The shout echoed and the enemy stares at Long Aotian who just arrived with confusion in their eyes.

Everyone in the Fallin Star Empire knows who Long Aotian was. Because he also has the blood of their imperial family because of his mother. But the current emperor didn't acknowledge his existence and hail him as a sin.

A sin that should be washed out from this world.