A Failed Attempt

A large dust storm swirled behind the horses' steps. It was fast, steady, and powerful. If someone looked from above, they would see an arrow speeding through the land, cutting its way directly toward its doom... unaware!

Zhang You was not good at horseback riding, so the prince abandoned the idea of giving him one and made him sit behind Liu Yang instead. At the front of the procession, specifically in the second line, nothing stood out except for that strong, fast black horse among them. It galloped as if the wind itself split before it.

On it, adding to the grandeur of the horse, was the massive figure of a man. His eyebrows were thick like the darkness of night, long like the threads of dusk. His eyes were firm, narrow, with only one goal, as though the whole world was fading away before them. The man was neither pale nor black, but his distinct tan gave him a unique aura.

From the shoulder armor of his suit, two dragons roared with majesty and fear. His movements synchronized with his horse's rise and fall, enough to shake the confidence of anyone standing in his way, causing their legs to betray them and make them fall. This general was Liu Yang.

Behind him, Zhang You felt a strange sense of ease, not knowing why or how. Just happily, every hair on his body danced behind his head. The dark strands of night, resembling charcoal, seemed to rejoice as they distanced themselves from him. The light breeze gently brushed his face, and he relaxed slightly... as though comfort had been denied to him, and effort was the only thing written for every moment of his life.

"Stop."

Suddenly, the carriage shook. The entire procession came to a halt in an instant, but the dust continued to rise and spread... yet no one dared to cough. The prince's voice echoed once again, a breath-catching command, as though the very space had stopped! The soldiers felt pricks in their bodies, signaling hidden anxiety. No one dared breathe audibly, for the prince's voice was lifeless, as though the frost itself spoke! Trying to hide a sleeping monster with its cold.

"Your Highness, what happened? Is something wrong?"

Fang Bai stepped forward, as usual from the generals, without showing any reaction. It was as if they were sharing a chessboard with the prince, already knowing what was going to happen. But inside his chest, a disturbing tightness formed. He thought, "This is unbelievable…! Has his senses reached that level?!! He's a monster... simply terrifying!"

A hand extended from the carriage, and a dragon emerged from it. It gazed directly at Fang Bai, as if inspecting his intentions and thoughts with precision. Fang Bai showed no expression, only allowing the hand to extend and touch his chin, still maintaining his stance. "Fang Bai... Do you think I don't know what you're thinking...?"

"Your Highness? If you doubt me, my head is in your hands. Take it, this lowly one doesn't deserve to live if he has disturbed his lord."

The blue color materialized and shone in the darkness of the carriage, a single eye... a single eye appeared, enough to paralyze Fang Bai completely. It was as though he had just been struck by a powerful lightning bolt!

For Fang Bai, there was no sound, breath, or space. Even time stopped as he looked into that eye. He became disoriented, blood covering his field of vision. The world turned crimson for him, and he realized immediately that the only thing separating him from having his head torn off... were just a few seconds!

"Do you want to kill me? Keep dreaming!" Fang Bai thought as the lines of space distorted where the prince's hand was, and a deformation occurred. Fang Bai appeared on the left side of the procession. The prince attacked with his hand, his intention to rip Fang Bai's head off. Although he had escaped, he had not fully avoided the prince's strike.

He stood straight, his left eye bleeding, still showing no reaction, despite the deep claw marks on his face. He resembled stone, unyielding, no matter how much he was hit, carved, or wounded.

"Fang Bai? Didn't you, the obedient general, say you'd give me your head? Why do I see you running away?"

Fang Bai lowered his head, clasping his hands in respect. "My lord, I just felt that there were spies communicating here, so I wanted to offer my life to you with some benefit." At the same time, he thought to himself, "Hmph, do you think you'll get it all by yourself? I'll remember this injury!"

Silence... The procession fell into silence, and it seemed as though the air itself had frozen. Zhang You wondered if silence was a habit of the prince, as he repeated it often. The soldiers observed, and they had no choice but to observe, not daring to move a finger. Clearly, the prince was angry, but who would want to bear the brunt of his wrath? No one!

Even those who respected Fang Bai as a seasoned general, who had accompanied the prince since childhood, knew that if the prince said "dead," then he was dead. No discussion, no personal comforts!

Inside the carriage, the prince was enraged, his hands clenched tightly! His nails nearly pierced his hand. A slight scorching aura rose, and he thought, "I swear... I swear that if it weren't for my father, half of you wouldn't have made it! Wait for our arrival, when I get what I want... wait!"

Not much time passed, perhaps enough for the sun to set. Finally, a reaction came. The carriage shook, and a low laugh echoed from it, a chuckle, if you will. The atmosphere changed, and birds chirped, singing along with the prince. "I was just teasing you... Fang Bai, don't take it seriously!"

At the same time, at the back of the procession, there was a soldier who could no longer resist, struggling to not fall. But... he failed. In the end, he collapsed, unconscious. He couldn't handle such an environment. All the soldiers gasped, feeling as though their insides would explode. What they feared most was about to happen! Sweat poured down from them heavily! "Damn you, son of a bitch! Go and die alone, why drag us with you?!"

"No... no, no! He's coming... he's coming!!"

"Why did I serve the prince... why did I serve this madman?!!!"

Indeed, as they expected, the prince stopped for a moment. The veins in his head throbbed, he was looking for an outlet for his anger, and this opportunity came at just the right time! His face wrinkled, his eyebrows slowly furrowing.

He waited a little, trying to calm himself, but couldn't, his anger only increased, yet he still controlled it. He raised his hands slightly, and suddenly, slapped them together. In the blink of an eye, a thick sonic layer formed. It shot from the carriage and attacked the procession! It was almost like an explosion of a tightly compressed wave.

The soldiers tried not to tremble, but the sound was deafening and intense, causing some to bleed from their ears. They tried as much as they could to remain unaffected, but it was in vain. In the end, they became the prince's outlet for his anger once again. As for the generals, the wave had little impact on them, just scratches on their armor.

The strange part was that Zhang You felt nothing. He only shivered lightly. "Did... the prince protect me...?" Zhang You wondered in his mind. He didn't know how to handle it now. Should he feel gratitude towards the prince? Caution? Loyalty...? In the end, he was still young. He wouldn't understand until he experiences it, whether it's molten lava or ice, and maybe he will go through an entirely different experience... entirely!

"Generals, if I see or feel the slightest attempt at rebellion, you know what I am capable of. And if you flee to the furthest west of the earth and the east, no sky or air will bind you with me. I will search for you day and night until I steal death from your eyes, and you will never find it!"