144. Possessed
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"That might not be a bad idea..."
Tianlong's words rang in the silence of the throne room, casting them all in shock.
Feng Yuexia hid a smile. 'Hmph. It wasn't for nothing that I've groomed him all these years!'
Fei Yun looked like he had swallowed an entire hot egg. He knew Bailong would never allow this, and he wondered what it would cause!
Bailong remained calm, his eyes only slightly narrowing.
"A-Tian. Are you really fine with killing thousands of innocent immortals simply because they are part of the Snake Clan?"
"A-Bai, I know you have a good heart, but hear me out... These snakes have already proven they are untrustworthy! Not just my father, but both realms suffered from their hands!
"Killing them will prevent future troubles and serve as an example, and with the recent plague and talks of the Demon King's return, won't this calm the people a little?"
"A-Tian, that would only establish you as a cruel emperor, void of conscience."
"Pah! It would make the Immortals respect him!" Feng Yuexia cut in.
"Respect him, or Fear him?" Bailong questioned. "Do you want the Sky Emperor to be a tyrant? One of whom it would be said, 'What is the difference between him and the demons?'"
"They dare?!" Feng Yuexia demanded.
"They would dare, if their Sky Emperor suddenly makes such a move." Bailong calmly replied.
"Hmph! High Grand Immortal Yin, call it what it is! You will frown on anything that brings A-Tian the respect he deserves!" Feng Yuexia huffed. "It's not like we're killing innocents here... The Snake Clan is guilty!"
"Oh? Then what about the Peacock Clan? They had more crimes on their hands during the war and also killed thousands of Immortals... Shouldn't we also kill them all?"
"You-!"
"Hmph, instead you were even trying to get them into Central Sky Realm, but because you have no relation to the Snake Clan, you can easily destroy them all? Wasn't the Sky Empress praised for her kind heart?"
"You-!!" Feng Yuexia was so enraged that she coughed blood.
"A-Xia!" Tianlong took her hand, patting her back. "A-Bai! Must you really oppose me at every turn?!"
"A-Bai...!" Fei Yun ran over to Bailong. "Please! Let him have his way this time!" It was clear that Fei Yun did not like the idea of harming innocents either, but he could clearly see the new lines that might be crossed and what it would mean for their circle of three.
But Bailong simply linked his thumbs and bowed. "A-Tian, I only oppose you when it's not good for you or the lives you rule over... Please, I beg you to reconsider!"
"Hmph. 'Beg'?" Tianlong scoffed. "Why not simply say you refuse?! You would rather side with the enemy than do my will!"
Bailong straightened. "A-Tian, this isn't you speaking. You've not sat on that throne long enough to completely lose your empathy! Who is really speaking behind you?" Bailong didn't need to look in Feng Yuexia's direction for Tianlong and Yun to know he was speaking about her.
Yuexia's features turned sad, and she took Tianlong's hand.
"Husband, let's drop the issue... I only care about you, but I wouldn't want to put you on the spot or harm your friendship."
"Mei mei... You've been wronged." Tianlong squeezed her hand, but she shook her head prettily.
"I'll bear it. It's my fault for getting so angry." She said, then faced Bailong. "It's indeed good that the mighty Sky Emperor has friends close enough to even challenge his orders. Since you hold this much power over your friend, we'll do things your way for now!"
Bailong simply linked his thumbs in a salute. "Sky Empress, I thank you for agreeing... However, must you endlessly make these remarks? Is there still a need to pretend here?"
The Empress looked like she had swallowed an entire vat of severely bitter tonic, but Tianlong shot to his feet.
"Yin Xiaolong! Leave the Empress out of this and speak clearly! Are you going to do my will or not?!!"
Bailong did not miss Tianlong's change in address. Still he knelt, linked his thumbs, and bowed his head.
"A-Tian, I will only refer to you like this for as long as you permit." He said to his friend. "We are brothers... There's no way I do not respect you. Our rifts occur, not out of the absence of respect, but because I don't want you to take steps which lead down the wrong path.
"This time as well... The blood of thousands will be on your hands if you touch the Snake Clan! Even if I can swallow my conscience and hand them over to you, I wouldn't for your own sake!"
"Yin Xiaolong!"
"Sky Emperor!"
There was heavy silence which threatened to choke all present.
But then Fei Yun hastily fell to his knees.
"A-Tian! Calm down! Please l- let me convince him!" He said quickly. "Please permit us to leave for now!"
"Hmph!" Tianlong swivelled, flinging his sleeves. "Leave! Don't show your face here until you repent!"
Bailong sighed and rose to leave with Fei Yun who hurried ahead. But Bailong paused at the doors.
"I should say this before I leave, as we may not see each other for a while... Congratulations. The Sky Empress is pregnant with a prince." And then he left, the heavy gold throne room doors shutting behind him.
Tianlong's and Feng Yuexia's eyes widened in surprise.
After their marriage, Feng Yuexia had convinced Tianlong to hold off on having a child until his reign was steady, and then she had convinced him more recently, stating there were still too many enemies to risk having a child.
So met with this news, Yuexia couldn't resist a frown, which she promptly disguised upon seeing Tianlong's joyous face.
"Hao! I'm going to be a father!" He declared, rushing to her side and guiding her to sit more comfortably. "A-Xia, you've made me so happy!"
Yuexia presented an equally joyous but demure smile.
However, she was raging within.
'No! Didn't I take measures against this?!'
Clearly the usual seals which prevented conception could not hold up against Dragon Aura!
'It's not a good time...!' She hadn't wanted to have this child!
And yet, her hand moved to gently rest on her own stomach, a warm feeling creeping into her heart...
'So be it...' She thought. 'So be it!'
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After that incident, Bailong and Tianlong did not see each other for almost a year.
Tianlong spent most of his time with Yuexia, who surprisingly began speaking for Bailong...
"Will you really not reconcile with High Grand Immortal Yin? Thinking about it now, wasn't he right? And you've been friends for so many years, haven't you?"
"A-Xia, don't wrong yourself by saying this... The one you're speaking for hasn't even tried to meet me!" Tianlong had since realized he had been wrong.
Sheer grief over his father's death, coupled with his own pride, had made him flippant towards the innocent and let things escalate.
But...
"Despite what I said, A-Bai could always come back through Fei Yun as usual, yet he has chosen to stay away!
"Even if he is right and I am wrong, is this any way to act? Can't he trust that I would listen to him eventually...?"
However, Bailong had not deliberately stayed away.
Since the plague incident, he had been looking into the black aura, but now there was more at stake.
The recent fall out with Tianlong made something clear.
The enemies were moving in more dangerous ways, and their determination to tear him away from Tianlong's side was higher than ever.
Which was worrisome because, when added to the knowledge that the recent plague had specifically targeted Circle members...?
'These enemies are either one and the same, or have allied in some way!'
He wasn't sure to what extent the Sky Empress was involved, but he at least had a starting point.
Yin Zhi!
His second elder brother was the only enemy he knew who had somehow escaped involvement during and after the Civil war.
This was because he had somehow washed his hands clean of any trail, and then hid behind the Mermen.
Since Tianlong took the throne, Bailong had carefully watched Yin Zhi's moves, and how he drew close to those in power, like Immortal Jin and the rest.
Bailong had countered most of Yin Zhi's attempts, either by removing would-be allies, or replacing them with Tianlong's own people...
Like how they had made Fei Yun the Fate Immortal.
However, through the years, there was no hint of Yin Zhi's involvement with the past enemies.
Until now...
Determined to uncover whatever ploy was slowly unwrapping around Tianlong, Bailong doubled his efforts to trace the black aura and monitor Yin Zhi.
And his guess paid off.
He could never trace the Black Aura to Yin Zhi himself, but Yin Zhi suddenly began visiting a certain city in the Mortal Realm...
This was Jinyu City, a large and beautiful city, rich, elegant, and bustling with life and talent.
At first Bailong could sense nothing of the Black Aura within the city... In fact, Jinyu City looked and felt the same as most prominent cities, and yet, there was a strange pressure in the air...
It was one day, as he strolled. The instant his foot crossed into a small arena at the City's Center, the black aura instantly washed over him- the most powerful he had ever felt it, and a dense demonic aura followed.
'Here!' But the aura vanished as swiftly as it had appeared. 'Something's indeed wrong with this place!'
Bailong searched high and low, but found nothing, and even after he created numerous clones to comb through the city, nothing tangible was revealed about the Black Aura.
He could sense the demonic aura mildly swirling around, but it was as if it was simply a part of the air itself, with no clear origin.
He returned to Jinyu city a few times, pretending to be a mortal, and once he even went with Liwei, which led to the memory Xu Weiyan witnessed in the courtyard some thirty-thousand years afterwards.
But after Bailong and Liwei disappeared from Jinyu City that night, something devastating happened.
The two returned to Sky Realm without issue... "I'll stay at Central Sky Realm." Bailong had said. "I must meet and warn A-Tian tomorrow, whether he likes it or not!"
And Liwei had warmly responded that she would stay with him.
But the next morning, Bailong awoke to find Liwei staring at the edge of the high balcony with a blank expression, the black aura mildly swirling around her.
"Weiwei...?" He ran over to her, but her lips bent into an evil smile and she suddenly swivelled and attacked him with swift arcs of black flames.
"B- Black flames! Not good! Weiwei! Come to your senses!" Bailong tried to reach her as he evaded her attacks, but she twisted in a grotesque way and dove at him, her sword in hand.
She sent crisscrossed arcs of black aura at him- attacks powerful enough to shatter most of Bailong's Villa, and the chaos drew multiple onlookers.
'Not good!' Bailong realized.
This villa had been assigned by Tianlong himself, a location envied by many because of its close proximity to Sky Palace.
Of course this was so the three friends could meet more easily, but now, it was more harmful than good as curious eyes settled on Liwei who was now clearly surrounded by the Black Aura.
Bailong acted swiftly, using his seal on Liwei to flood her with his aura, and she suddenly froze, before falling into a faint.
He caught her in his arms, but it was too late.
By noon, news of the Possessed Golden Phoenix had spread all through Sky Realm...
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