Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

The Heavenly Tuberose.

In the entire universe, there was only one woman who owned this bewitching scent which could influence the human and animal behaviours and control their emotions- Bai Yue, the forgotten lunar goddess. 

The intoxicating scent which permeated into the air on countless full moon nights, cutting deep into the wounds of the human vessel of the Wolf God and turning him into a wild beast who yearned for his mate,

Under the reflection of moonlight, in front of his aroused beastly instincts, every woman reminded of her, 

But no one, no one could heal the deep wounds left on his soul and calm his inner turmoils.

The heavenly tuberose which is imprinted on his soul, why it is arising from this woman who is dying before his eyes?

It took a moment for Wei Sheng's wolf genes to recognise her,

Bai Yu Yue, the white Jade moon.

It is her, the moon.

His moon.

All of sudden, with a loud bang, a dark metal ball fell and exploded right in the middle of Wei Sheng and Bai Yu Yue, blowing them backwards.

Even before one could figure out what happened, numerous metal balls showered on to the battlefield like meteoroids, exploding and turning the entire place into a giant pyre.

Through the raging flames, those who regained their footing, clearly saw a majestic black stallion rushing towards the first city gate, which was now engulfed by the humongous fire.

"Yue!!!!!" A powerful masculine voice echoed in the chaotic battlefield,

A man resplendent in a golden dragon robe jumped down from the horse and ran towards the place where the Queen previously stood, 

Within a moment, a troop of soldiers wearing black armour tumbled the molten boulders which blocked the passages in the southern borders and marched onto the burning battlefield.

At the front of the troop, a youth who was still green in face drove his horse fast as the wind. On his heavy armour, a majestic golden dragon engraved,

The same golden dragon of Guan empire which symbolized the supreme and unparalleled authority of the south-western regions of the mainland.

"Who are they?" One of the Wei soldiers asked in panic. 

"Its...its...Guan empire, their iron blood-army..." He immediately recognized the army clad in black armour.

They were the widely feared and reputed ferocious legion of warriors who were trained for a single purpose- chopping the heads of the enemies.

"Iron-blood army," 

The deadliest legion of the Guan empire was the only reason why their Emperor hesitated to conquer the Southern region of the mainland. Even though the Wei army was a powerful striking force, they couldn't stand against the war machines which were only trained to kill. 

Any soldier picked from the Iron blood army can easily take five grown men in a battle. 

"That woman, she is... she submitted the devil's army," The soldier trembled in horror. 

Who would believe that the mightiest iron blood army would come in rescue of the Yu clan?

After conquering the Yu kingdom and owning the moonstone the Wei army was prepared to strike the Guan empire which was undergoing the preparations of the enthronement of their new Emperor.

When the Wei army departed from their country they believed that they will come back as heroes who conquered the entire mainland, but none of them had expected that they will end up getting slaughtered in a holocaust occurring in a tiny kingdom.

"Those who attack the sacred land of the Yu clan will be asking for the wrath of the Jade Emperor," 

The axiom which was hammered on to the minds of people in the mainland has finally proven true.

"Kill," Huo Yan roared.

Once the order to kill had been given, and the Iron blood army charged like an unstoppable tidal wave. They were disciplined soldiers who did not need to know the reason, but to only carry out the ruler's command.

A howling gale suddenly kicked up within the battleground. 

In an instant, heavy pungent stench of blood exploded in the air.

"Under the name of the Guan empire's Dragon Emperor, I shall send thee on the way!"

Huo Yan rode his horse towards the city gate, slicing down the heads of Wei army men who were trying to disrupt his way. 

He couldn't wait to meet his sister in law, the mighty Phoenix of the glorious Guan Empire.

"Yue," Huo Jin shouted at top of his lungs and hysterically searched for Bai Yu Yue in the pile of dead bodies. 

It was only yesterday he enthroned as the Dragon Emperor of the Guan Empire and the first news he heard was the Wei Empire's invasion on Yu kingdom. After commanding Huo Yan to lead the Iron blood army through the Southside of Yu kingdom, he rushed to save his woman.

When Huo Jin saw her getting captured by the Wei army, he didn't think for a moment to throw the metal bomb on to the emperor to save Bai Yu Yue as well as signalling the iron blood army to enter the battlefield.

"Save..," a low voice heard near the debris of burning city gate,

Huo Jin rushed towards the direction which he heard the voice and scooped the body of the woman who is injured by the explosion.

"Yue," He called frantically, 

"Save mmnn...she clenched her teeth in pain, "my family,"

Save her family?

"They went to Mu sect,"

Huo Jin raised his gaze at his brother, without even mentioning a word, Huo Yan understood what his brother wants,

"Yes, brother." Huo Yan tightened the reins and rode away from his horse from the battlefield alone.

Bai Yu Yue looked at the face which is illuminated by the flames with her eyes half-opened.

"You came," her voice was feeble.

"Yue," Huo Jin's eyes were filled with tears as he stared at the Jade pin pierced onto her chest. He carefully tried to pull it out, but the moment his hand touched the pin, Bai Yu Yue spat a mouthful of blood onto his robe. 

Somewhere next to the city gates Wei Sheng laid unconsciously. The impact of the explosion was huge and it has knocked him out of conscious.

"Ah Sheng, open your eyes," Yang Gongren who barely managed to survive from the explosion, frantically tried to wake up his cousin. "You can't die here,"

With a heavy breath, Wei Sheng opened his eyes and held on to Yang Gongren.

It was a complete catastrophe, the sky seems to be falling,

"Where is she?" He turned his heads towards the burning city gate, only to witness a tall warrior kneeling on the ground. In his arms, he held Bai Yu Yue carefully and tenderly.

Huo Jin carefully carried her to his horse. his primary priority was to rescue Bai Yu Yue. He placed her on the top of the horse and looked at the Wei army who were fighting the Iron blood army.

"Burn them all," Huo Jin's eyes narrowed, his frosty eyes brewing with insatiable murder and rode into the burning city gates in a flash moment.

Looking at the man who is taking his woman away, Wei Sheng rose into his feet, despite his injuries.

"Moon-" 

"Let's go," Yang Gongren helped him to mount on to a horse and followed the man who went inside the city gates with Bai Yu Yue. 

Wei Sheng glanced at the man who rode next to him,

Yang Gongren, his elder cousin, his family...he promised that he will follow his brother even on death.

Huo Jin rode his horse into the empty streets of Yu kingdom. Unlike the chaotic battlefield, the vast land of the Yu clan was shrouded in silence. 

The city walls have been lit, in a moment or few, the whole place will be burned into ashes.

In the entire Jade land, there was only one place where Bai Yu Yue will be safe. The valley of Eternal love, from there it won't take any longer to Mu sect. 

"Yue," Huo Jin called the girl who held onto his robe with frail fingers. "Is there any way to reach the eternal valley?"

The blood had dyed her entire chest a garish scarlet, her once bright and lustre eyes has lost its life and stared at him back.

"Hang in there, Yue!" Huo Jin reminded her.

"Senior Jin," she called him in a choked voice. "I cannot leave this land."

She tilted her face which appeared pale like a ghost.

"I have made the blood sacrifice,"

"Blood sacrifice,"

In order to propitiate the heavens, it was the crudest and effective way. On the verge of defeat, she could only think about blood sacrifice.

She sacrificed her blood and made a soul binding vow to protect her home from the enemies.

"I should protect my land,"

Huo Jin's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the woman huddled on to him,

She herself was severely injured and was just a step away from death's door. The Bai Yu Yue now was in a dire situation, she no longer had any strength to stand up, what more to protect?

"Yue, what are you saying?"

"I have failed everyone."

"No, you are not."

"Leave me here, in this Jade land. When Dragon River takes our land, let me perish with it."

"No, I am taking you with me.' He adamantly said.

"Tell me, is there any way to reach the eternal valley?"

"Leave," 

"No,"

"I don't have much time, you leave," She said with begging eyes, "please,"

"Master can save you," Huo Jin tried to assure her, as long as her heart beats any injuries can be cured.

"I will take you to your family. Your home is where your family are, I will take you there,"

This woman, she did everything to protect her family and people. She sacrificed her soul that her people could live peacefully.

How can he leave her alone in this burning pyre? She must live...

listening to his uncompromising words, Bai Yu Yue finally let down her guard and slowly spoke.

"Follow the river on the west, the waterfall, there is a passage,"

Huo Jin rode his horse to the west side of the Kingdom as per her directions, quickly he reached the waterfall.

Besides the waterfall, there was a cave-like opening, Huo Jin carefully led his horse to the cave.

Neigh!!!!

He heard the sounds of the horses following them.

He stepped into the cave with Bai Yu Yue and closed the mouth of the cave with a large boulder. The thunderous sound of waves resonated in the cave.

The dragon river,

The day the queen fails to protect her people and land, the sacred soil of the Yu clan will turn red with blood and the Dragon river will wash it off.

Every single one of Bai Yu Yue's words were coming true, 

The surging rivers and the fierce flames,

The end of Yu kingdom was nearing!!!

------------------------------------

Huo Jin gently placed Bai Yu Yue under the plum tree in the valley of eternal love to bandage her wounds.

His face was full of tears, his pained eyes revealed a heartbreak on her devastated state, he was gentle and cautious, afraid that he will bring great pain to her.

"Yue," Huo Jin called Bai Yu Yue whose consciousness was slowly fading. 

Once again he tried to pull out the pin from her bleeding chest, however, a trembling hand stopped him,

"Yue," He begged her, he must stop the bleeding otherwise she won't be able to reach Mu sect alive, "Honey,"

"Leave," She repeated her words. 

"No,"

"I am bound to this soil, you cannot take me," She exhorted him in a weak voice.

"I don't care, I am not leaving without you."

"I am a queen who led my people into death." Bai Yu Yue tried to speak but a mouthful of blood came out between her words. "I cannot let them take my ho-," 

"Don't…" Huo Jin wiped her mouth with trembling hands, "It was me who arrived late."

He went back to his home to enthrone as the Emperor so that he can formally ask her hand in marriage...If he stayed here, with her...this wouldn't have happened.

Huo Jin could only curse the moment he decided to leave her... 

The tranquillity of the valley was broken by sudden horse cry.

A spike has killed Huo Jin's horse.

He turned around and found that two men followed them to the valley of eternal love.

Wei Sheng and Yang Gongren, the emperor of the Wei kingdom and their commander in general.

Guan Tae Yang took his sword and attained an attacking position.

He wanted to the end this man who hurt his woman in the battlefield itself. But for the sake of Bai Yu Yue, he left this wretched man alive and he followed them to this valley.

"You took something from me, return it to me and I will let you live." Wei Sheng arrogantly said. That woman, she was his moon and how can he allow some else to take her away?

"How about I let you live and you crawl back to the hole where you came from?" Huo Jin gnashed his teeth.

"Warrior, that lady is betrothed to the emperor, you cannot take her." Yang Gongren advocated.

"She is my wife! The empress of Guan Kingdom, I don't need anyone's permission to take my wife."

Empress of the Guan kingdom!

Yang Gongren's gaze fell on the golden dragon symbol on the man's armour.

"The Dragon emperor," he mumbled,

"She is my moon," Wei Sheng rushed towards him with an unscathed sword."I won't let anyone take her away from me,"

Huo Jin took his sword and charged towards Wei Sheng.

The calm and serene valley echoed with the continuous clattering of swords.

In the brawl, both of the warriors were on the same level and insisted on wounding each other for the woman who was on the brink of the death.

Suddenly Yang Gongren meddled in and tried to strangle Huo Jin from behind.

"Kill him and take your moon," he bellowed at Wei Sheng.

Just as the streak of a silver blade was about to run through his chest, a heavy blow pushed him along with Yang Gongren to the ground. Huo Jin took the opportunity to slice down his capitator's head.

A slender figure draped in bloody clothes blocked Wei Sheng's heavy stroke.

Wei Sheng's amber irises trembled in incredulous disbelief as he looked at the person who had blocked his sharp sword.

It was Bai Yu Yue, his moon.

The sword tip has pierced through her body. She had flung herself forward in an attempt to use her body to protect her man.

Fresh crimson blood dyed the entire surroundings red, her pair of eyes stared at Wei Sheng unwaveringly,

He hurt his moon, he hurt his woman-

"My moon," Wei Sheng reached out to hold her body,

Even before he could touch her, Huo Jin's long sword pierced his neck and kicked him down.

Huo Jin caught the collapsing body of Bai Yu Yue.

"Yue," Huo Jin carried her fragile body, "Why did you..." his words were lost in tears,

"Dai Yu... I should protect my beloved husband.... the Emperor of Guan kingdom, from every evil. Her chapped lips curled into a melancholic smile.

Huo Jin held her delicate body in his arms as tears fell down from his eyes.

"Don't cry, this is the valley of eternal love and we are…"

She couldn't finish her words.

"Yue!!!!!"

Under the lightening, seeing Bai Yu Yue lying in a pool of blood shattered his mind. 

The woman whom he admired the most,

The woman whom he loved the most,

She laid in the blood pool, her beautiful face appeared calm just like the way it appeared the first time he met her in the forest.

At that time he never thought that the arrogant warrior who refused to bow down would be tied him to in fate.

Her indifference, her ignorance, her smile, her strength everything flashed in his mind and he could not bear to forget them.

Those big black eyes which have never shown any fear or panic for all these stared at the sky.

With a loud noise, the rain started pouring down from the skies, 

A giant chunk of a glacier slid down from the snow-capped mountains.

The wind was howling, under its effect, the plum tree has flowered it is flowers on their beloved queen.

He took a golden pin from his robe and placed on her thick hair,

The Golden pin which was adorned with a phoenix wielding the sun,

Bai Yu Yue, the pride of the Yu clan, she might've born as a princess of Yu kingdom, but she will die as the Empress of the Guan Empire.

She requested him to leave her in the sacred soil of Yu clan,

Huo Jin embraced Bai Yu Yue's lifeless body and closed his eyes.

"I promised you, I will never leave you..."