The battlefield after Feng Yuehuang's declaration felt strangely different.
Still full of fire.
Still full of ghosts.
Still full of soldiers making terrible life choices.
But now—
There was also emotional damage.
Far more dangerous.
The Crimson Guard had collapsed.
Half were unconscious.
The other half were reconsidering loyalty, religion, and probably their childhood dreams.
Feng Yuehuang stood at the centre of it all, golden flames dancing behind her like heaven itself had chosen favourites.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
And unfortunately—
very quotable.
"I am his."
Wonderful.
Just wonderful.
I stood on the ridge trying to look like a calm future emperor and not a man whose love life had just become public military strategy.
Hu Mei stood beside me, smiling like a fox who had found divine entertainment.
"Master."
I sighed.
"Yes."
"If I write that on your wedding invitation, will Phoenix approve?"
I looked at her.
"If you survive asking, let me know."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"Fair."
Very fair.
Below—
The Third Prince finally moved.
Chen Lie walked forward through ghost flames and broken soldiers as if the battlefield had personally agreed to stay out of his way.
No rush.
No panic.
Just that calm, terrifying confidence that made palace ministers age faster.
His black-and-gold robes were untouched by ash.
Rude.
Very rude.
He stopped at the centre of the valley and looked up at me.
Then—
His eyes shifted briefly toward Feng Yuehuang.
Ah.
There it was.
That expression.
That tiny, dangerous, older-brother judgement.
I knew it.
I hated that I knew it.
He raised one brow.
Just one.
And somehow—
It was more insulting than an army.
I decided immediately that diplomacy was dead.
I stepped forward to the ridge's edge.
Smiled.
And called down—
"Third Brother."
My voice carried beautifully through fire and poor decisions.
He answered calmly.
"Fifth Brother."
I spun the ancestral spear once.
I then tilted my head.
"Are you jealous?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the Ghost Legion paused spiritually.
Hu Mei fell to her knees laughing.
Yue Lian looked at the sky like she wanted divine patience.
Feng Yuehuang actually turned toward me.
Dangerously.
But not enough to stop me.
Because if death were coming, I preferred a memorable death.
Chen Lie stared at me for several long seconds.
Then—
for the first time in years—
I saw him look genuinely offended.
Excellent.
Truly excellent.
His voice was colder now.
"I came to end a rebellion."
I smiled wider.
"And found family drama instead."
That one landed.
Good.
Very good.
Even Chen Yao, standing behind our lines, covered her mouth to hide a smile.
Traitors.
All of them.
My people were terrible.
I was proud.
Chen Lie took another step forward.
The spiritual pressure around him deepened.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"Do not mistake my patience for weakness."
I answered immediately.
"Do not mistake my flirting for surrender."
Hu Mei screamed somewhere behind me.
"HE SAID IT!"
Honestly—
I should have banned witnesses.
Too late now.
The Third Prince's calm smile returned.
Ah.
That was worse.
Much worse.
He looked toward Feng Yuehuang.
Then back at me.
"A Phoenix Goddess."
A pause.
"Your taste improved after exile."
I placed a hand over my heart.
"Finally."
I looked skyward dramatically.
"Brotherly approval."
Feng Yuehuang sighed behind me.
"Why do I stay?"
Hu Mei answered for her.
"Because he's funny."
Correct.
Probably.
Hopefully.
Chen Lie's hand rested on his sword.
The valley answered with silence.
This was the dangerous moment.
The joke ending.
The blood begins.
He spoke softly.
"Then let me ask seriously."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"If I kill her…"
Everything stopped.
The wind.
The fire.
Even Hu Mei.
"…will you finally kneel?"
Ah.
There it was.
The real threat.
Not armies.
Not politics.
Personal.
Cold.
Sharp.
The reason Chen Lie was terrifying.
He did not attack what you protected.
He attacked why you protected it.
Feng Yuehuang's flames rose instantly.
Bai Wuchen stepped forward.
Even Yue Lian's spear lowered.
No one breathed.
I smiled.
Slowly.
Because anger was easy.
But I wanted him to hear this clearly.
I stepped down from the ridge.
One step.
Then another.
Until I stood in the valley between armies.
Snow under my boots.
Ghost fire at my back.
The empire in front of me.
I pointed my spear directly at Chen Lie.
And answered—
"If you touch anyone under my banner…"
My voice was quiet.
Which made it heavier.
"…I will burn your entire future to the ground."
Silence.
Real silence.
No jokes.
No teasing.
Only truth.
Because this—
This was the line.
Not territory.
Not pride.
Mine.
My people.
My kingdom.
My monsters.
My women.
My responsibility.
Chen Lie looked at me for a long moment.
And for the first time—
Something shifted.
Not amusement.
Not annoyance.
Recognition.
He understood.
This was no longer the discarded Fifth Prince trying to survive.
This was a sovereign.
And sovereigns were dangerous.
He smiled once.
Small.
Sharp.
"Good."
He drew his sword.
Silver-black spiritual light split the battlefield.
"Then at last…"
The pressure crashed down like heaven itself had made a bad decision.
"…you sound like a king."
I spun the ancestral spear.
Ghost flames rose.
Behind me, ten thousand dead soldiers waited.
Beside me, a phoenix goddess was absolutely planning arson.
Above us, snow fell like the world was trying to pretend this was normal.
It wasn't.
This was brother against brother.
Not for the throne.
For the right to decide what kind of throne deserved to exist.
I smiled.
"Third Brother…"
I lowered my stance.
"…come test your jealousy."
And then—
The valley chose violence.