Yu Di winced when the guard grabbed his arm. His body was still raw and repairing itself. That was when a new plan hit him. It had no dignity, but that’s just how Yu Di wanted it.

  Yu Di dropped to the ground, wrenching his arm, and cried out. “Ow, that hurts. My whole body hurts. I can’t move.” To sell it, he used one of his hidden techniques to make his body one thousand times heavier than it was. “What did you do to me?”

  The guard looked down with a frown. His white robes shifted as he pulled at Yu Di.

  Yu Di cried out in pain. This time it was genuine pain as despite his technique, it didn’t prevent a man from the second realm from popping off his arm. That still hurt no matter the level of cultivation.

  “Please stop, please let me go,” Yu Di begged. “I’ll give you anything. I’ll give you everything. This is too much.”

  Abbot Lokenatha gave a cursory glance before glaring at Kutan. That look was all the high priest needed. The abbot walked away.

  “Get him up already,” Kutan said. He walked over and tugged at Yu Di as well.

  Yu Di could almost laugh through the pain. A cultivator had trouble lifting him. This mortal thought he could do better?

  The other guard came as well and tried to lift Yu Di by wrapping his arm around his body.

  “Why are you torturing me?” Yu Di cried. “Is this how you treat your guests?”

  “We can kill you now,” Kutan said. “We don’t need you alive to cut you into small pieces in the public square.”

  “Please, you’re hurting him,” Vimala said. She had frozen when Yu Di first hollered in pain. Maybe having the Goddess’ words might convince them. “If you hurt him anymore, I won’t do what your Abbot wants.”

  Kutan looked up at those words. “You’ll willingly perform the ritual of transference if we don’t kill him?”

  Vimala nodded.

  With a nod from Kutan, the two guards released Yu Di.

  Yu Di hit the cold marbled floor with a thud. His arms hurt from all the twisting. He released his technique, trying to conserve as much of his Qi as possible. The first part of his plan was accomplished. A time to stall.

  “Are you okay?” Vimala asked. She pressed a hand onto his chest, pushing Goddess Qi into his body, reigniting Arzu’s technique again.

  Yu Di covered her hand with his. “I am now that you’re with me.”

  That made Vimala blush.

  She knew that Yu Di was playing, right? If he made another woman pregnant, he didn’t think he could handle another Yu Lin.

  Wait, why was he thinking about this again? Had Fatima’s technique affected his mind that much or had he gone senile?

  A loud crash interrupted those thoughts. It came from outside, as if someone had broken into the Pavilion of Goddess’ Grace. But that shouldn’t be possible with all the wards up around. Even Yu Di had trouble breaking in over twenty years ago.

  Then again, there was a Goddess protecting it. He glanced at Vimala as she pulled her hand back. His shoulders felt better, but the warmth on his chest didn’t dissipate.

  Yu Di had to get his head together before something as silly as these feelings and emotions get him killed.

  “You two, protect me at all costs,” Kutan said.

  “Yes, high priest,” the two guards said.

  “Leave them.” Kutan picked up his pristine white robes and ran out of the room. For the first time, Yu Di saw the man flustered. He didn’t flinch when Fatima attacked him in the desert. Whoever crashed into the Pavilion must be powerful.

  Maybe even a Demigod.

  Had Shah al-Rahman been hiding a Demigod and has finally activated them to attack the city? But if he had one, he could have taken the city by now, without its Goddess to protect it.

  “Can you get up?” Vimala asked.

  Yu Di got up slowly, in case Kutan came back. It was a little paranoid as he heard the mortal running away faster than his chicken legs could carry him.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Yu Di said. “That might be Fatima and she wants my head.”

  “Who’s Fatima?” Vimala helped Yu Di up.

  “One of Shah al-Rahman’s powerful lieutenants. I took off her mask to see her face and she didn’t like that one bit.”

  Vimala slapped Yu Di over the head. “You don’t do that to a woman! That mask is supposed to protect her dignity and purity.”

  “So does that mean you have no more since you unmasked?” Yu Di laughed. He couldn’t help himself. He could still clearly remember her masked face when they first fought.

  Vimala slapped him on the head again. “You did that to me. You’ll pay for that one day.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “I hope it’s not to marry you.” Yu Di peeked out of the Abbot’s office. No one was around, but heavy footsteps echoed in the empty hall. All the soldiers probably went to fight off the Shah’s army.

  “If he doesn’t want to marry you, then I would gladly do so to protect your reputation,” Ying Fusu said.

  Yu Di scrambled backwards. “What the hell?”

  Ying Fusu slowly glided down from the ceiling. Of course he would. A prince surrounded by his powerful bodyguards. That brat.

  “What took you so long?” Yu Di asked.

  “What do you mean?” Ying Fusu said. “You two disappeared after the teleportation out of that warehouse. I thought you were dead until I heard the news that the Goddess was found along with some Jade Empire idiot.”

  Yu Di glared at the boy.

  “Those were their words, not mine.” Ying Fusu motioned to the four guards with him to spread out. Each of them wore the same sand-colored robe. Only Ying Fusu had his yellow scarf around his neck.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Yu Di said. “I don’t want those bastards to come back.”

  “Vim, are you alright?” Ying Fusu walked up to the woman.

  Vimala cowered as he approached. She bowed her head deeply. “I apologize if I ever offended you.”

  “What? You could never do that. Please raise your head. We have to go.” Ying Fusu took another step while Vimala took a step back.

  “No, you are the prince of the most powerful empire. I can’t intrude on your space.”

  Ying Fusu looked to Yu Di. “You told her?”

  “No, Your Highness.” Yu Di cupped his hands. “Abbot Lokenatha told us right before threatening her and sentencing me to death. But I think I remember you.”

  Ying Fusu put on a crooked smile. It was probably the first Yu Di had seen since he had met the boy. “Well, now that you both know, then I don’t have to pretend anymore.”

  “He also told us you were a spy for your father.” Yu Di’s words made Vimala flinch.

  “That abbot talks too much. We should go either way. I estimate the distraction coming from the invaders won’t last too long. This is their center of power after all.” Ying Fusu extended a hand to Vimala.

  The woman glanced at it before skirting around the prince. She grabbed onto Yu Di’s arm instead and practically pulled it out again.

  Yu Di shrugged toward Ying Fusu.

  The prince’s features grew dark, just like his father. A word from him and Yu Di would watch his head roll before he stepped out of the pavilion. But his face fixed itself right after before taking the lead.

  “We created a distraction with the explosion so we should still have some time before they can catch up to us,” Ying Fusu said.

  “Not if they have third-realm cultivators hunting us down,” Yu Di said.

  Ying Fusu grimaced before looking back toward the same Qi pressure Yu Di felt.

  These were at the first stage of the third realm, but instantly stronger than anyone in their party. From what Yu Di could tell, there were at least five of them headed toward them. That Kutan must have sent them to secure their important prisoners.

  “Then change of plans,” Ying Fusu said. “Can you teleport us out of here again?”

  “The pavilion has wards to prevent that,” Vimala said more to Yu Di than to Ying Fusu.

  Ying Fusu waved his four guards over. “You four, distract them for as long as you can. I will make sure your families are cared for as my own.”

  The four guards nodded before staying behind. They each swallowed a pill.

  Yu Di recognized them. They were life-severing pills that increased their cultivation by a few stages. But that wouldn’t be enough when they faced opponents an entire realm above them. He hated to do this but he reached into his storage ring.

  “Take these.” Yu Di threw four more pills at the guards. They swallowed them without question.

  They were Qi-severing pills. This forced them into the next realm for the next hour before destroying their cultivation. It wouldn’t matter much anyway, as the life-severing pills would kill them after the effects wore off.

  “I’m sorry about your guards,” Yu Di said.

  “They serve their Emperor above all else.” Ying Fusu led the group into a small network of tunnels within the pavilion. They took twists and turns until he stopped. “Which way, Vim? I’ve only ever been in here once.”

  Vimala hesitated before pointing to the right. There was something odd about the woman. They were being chased by people who planned to end their existence, yet she didn’t rush forward with information. Was it because she hadn’t come back in a while?

  Vimala led the way this time, taking many turns. She kept up despite both Yu Di and Ying Fusu running with a cultivator’s body.

  There was a small side door they reached after running for so long. It was blue, completely clashing with the white and gold theme they had.

  “This door leads back out into the city,” Vimala said.

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Yu Di pulled the door open.

  “Wait!” Ying Fusu shouted.

  Right outside stood an army of soldiers. Everyone of them wore white and gold and turned to the trio.

  “Sorry, this is not the bathroom,” Yu Di said. He slammed the door shut. Coincidentally, he found a plank of wood to bar the door.

  Banging and shouting happened immediately. Ying Fusu turned and led the way out of there.

  “This used to be the exit for the Goddess,” Vimala said. “They’re now using it to allow soldiers to enter and walk all over these sacred floors?”

  “Which way, Goddess?” Yu Di said. “There has to be another way out of here.”

  Vimala twitched. “Not with him around.”

  Ying Fusu stopped. “What do you mean?”

  “It all makes sense now. Why you saved me all those times. Why are you always asking me about my past? You want the Goddess’ secret just like Yu Di. Only he was straightforward about it.”

  In truth, Yu Di did a lot of spying back in the day before his impatience got the better of him.

  “I…” Ying Fusu looked to the ceiling and took a deep breath. “You’re right. At first, I was only after your secret. I hoped that you would have told me, allowed me to regain my position as crown prince, and been home for dinner. I never expected to...”

  “To what?” Vimala said.

  “To fall in love with you. Ever since you disappeared after the teleportation I have been scouring the city looking for you. You are… important to me.”

  “You’re still lying. You still want the secret.”

  “I don’t need it anymore. My brother’s army will be here in a few days and all of this will be resolved. My Imperial Father has become impatient with me and will probably exile me permanently. I have nothing else but you.”

  Vimala stayed quiet.

  “I love you both, but could we get out of here first?” Yu Di said.

  “No, I will not show this prince where our deepest held secrets are,” Vimala said. “This is where we part. Come on Yu Di.”

  “You will show him, but not me?” Ying Fusu said. “After all that I have done for you? After risking my life to save you?”

  Vimala glared at the prince. Her hateful green eyes said it all.

  A rush of footsteps echoed through the tunnels. The soldiers broke down the door and were rushing to them now.

  “We don’t have time for this Vimala,” Yu Di said. “We need to go now. Ying Fusu won’t tell anyone about the secret. I’ll make sure of it.”

  Ying Fusu made a fist and palm salute toward Yu Di. “Elder Yu, you have saved me once and now you honor me with your trust. However, I know Vim. She would rather we all die than show me the secret. I will hold them off for as long as I can. Take her to safety and please protect her.”

  Yu Di returned the fist and palm salute. “I will try, but she’s too pigheaded.”

  Ying Fusu chuckled before running back through the tunnels, toward the soldiers.

  “Can we go now?” Yu Di asked. “Let’s not let the prince’s sacrifice be in vain.”

  Vimala stared listlessly toward Ying Fusu until he turned a corner. Her mouth twitched at the corners as if she wanted to call him back, but she didn’t.

  Yu Di grabbed Vimala and moved. He corrected his previous notions in his head. Government and sect politics moved down a point on his list of things he hated. He added mortal love to the very top.

  He already dreaded the time when Yu Lin hit a certain age.