A wave of fear crashed into Jingrui as she walked with Prince Zhanying, Yuansong, and Xiao to deliver the news of the army to the Phantom Lord. Although she couldn't fathom the situation, she knew it was serious if there were such a thing as war involved.

Her heart raced as they entered the large hall, and she gulped at the sight of the Phantom Lord. He always sent uneasy feelings down her spine.

The Phantom Lord's heels thumped as he descended from his throne. "What is it this time, coming to me in such haste?"

Prince Zhanying stepped forth, his expression brooding. "The Heavenly Emperor Yihuai has gathered men to wage a war against your sect."

The Phantom Lord whooshed towards Prince Zhanying in a flash. His chest pounded so hard that Jingrui thought she could hear his heartbeat from where she stood.

"What did you just say?" His voice croaked out like rusty metal grinding against each other.

"Emperor Yihuai has decided that he wants to take over the Jade Dragon Mountain and claim it as Heaven's property," Prince Zhanying stressed his words, while his eyes were as calm as the sea.

The Phantom Lord took several steps back as he placed his hand over his mask. A barren laugh shrilled into the air as he bent over, clutching onto his stomach. "That son of a bastard! Just as despicable as his father!"

Jingrui inched back behind Prince Zhanying, taken aback by the wildness that took over the Phantom Lord. She didn't think the Phantom Lord held so much disdain towards the Heavenly Royals. With each syllable he spat, he poisoned the word with substantial spite.

"Like father like son," the Phantom Lord sneered. "I will definitely bring full force to fight those heavenly bastards. They have looked down on my sect for far too long. Although my disciples are fewer than the army, each of us had been trained for a day such as this. And God of War, you are a Celestial Deity, so you better not get in my way, or I will kill you too."

Prince Zhanying's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "I'd like to see you try." Before the Phantom Lord could boil up with fire at the dare, the Prince continued, "As a Celestial Prince and the God of War, my duty lies in protecting Heaven and the four seas and eight deserts. I would never breach my code of conduct. But Phantom Lord, have you ever heard of making friends with your enemy's enemy?"

When the Phantom Lord didn't speak, Prince Zhanying let out a chuckle. "No matter how competent you have raised your folks in this nest, they wouldn't be able to withstand an army of a thousand high immortals without any aid." His words were like a blade, coercing and threatening, and his smile was like ice, cold and merciless.

The Phantom Lord swallowed. "What do you want?"

A sense of victory flitted in Prince Zhanying's eyes, and without warning, he shoved Jingrui in front of him. "You'll answer her questions," Prince Zhanying told the Phantom Lord. "This mountain of yours hides the secrets of the past. It is time you let them all come to light."

The Phantom Lord was just as confused as Jingrui, and when she turned to the Prince, he gestured for her to go ahead and ask what she had to.

She shifted in her spot, not daring to look up at the Phantom Lord. Her hands clutched her hanfu as she pressed her lips into a thin line. "D-Do you know of Master Li Yu?" Jingrui whispered, and immediately, the Phantom Lord choked out a laugh.

He shook his head, chuckling. "Which Li Yu are you implying, little immortal?"

Jingrui tensed her body and gulped. "The one that used to be a disciple at this mountain. . ."

At her words, a laugh rattled the place, echoing throughout the hall and vibrating against the candle flames. Jingrui stumbled back behind the shield of the Prince who stood in a stance, ready to fight. His sleeve was held up in front of her as she clutched onto it in fear.

"Has he lost his mind?" she breathed, furrowing her brows.

After what felt like long years, the Phantom Lord's manic laughter receded into faint chuckles and he breathed hard. "Our sect has one very strict rule: no one is allowed to love. I indeed know Li Yu very, very well, little immortal. That brat, Li Yu, was the first to break this rule along with a female disciple. They were sleek people; cunning like foxes. I would never have caught onto their affairs had the female disciple not gotten pregnant and refused to abort.

"I had them hunted down to be killed. They fell off a cliff—or so I heard—and I had thought them to be dead. Who could have thought. . ." The Phantom Lord shook his head and made tutting noise with his tongue. "Where did you meet him then, little immortal?"

Jingrui's grip tightened around the Prince's sleeve. "I was his disciple in the secluded Red Valley, located near the mortal's imperial city."

The Phantom Lord snorted. "He fled half the world to escape me, very impressive. So, how is he now? Well?"

Jingrui tensed up again and her gaze lowered. "He's dead."

The Phantom Lord nodded and slowly clapped. "Great karma."

She immediately flared up at his words. "It's no sin to love."

"No sin? You are a youthful, little immortal, of course you would say that. But, young one, did you know this beautiful thing called love can create a weakness and bring atmost pain? I made that rule up to protect my disciples from falling corrupted like me, and Li Yu, that foolish boy, didn't heed it. For him to meet his doom serves him just right. . ." he trailed off, his voice left bitterness in the air. "What about the female disciple? What was her name again? She was such a good child . . . Chen. That's right Chen."

Jingrui shook her head. "I've never seen her in the Red Valley."

Although Jingrui had never met Chen, she knew that this female disciple must be the one Master had been missing all this time. The sorrow he hid behind his façade and drowned behind the fragrance of wine was due to her. Jingrui didn't know her Master had been through such an ill-fated love and she felt solemn just at the thought of it.

Prince Zhanying broke her solemnity when his hands shook frantically. He reached into his sleeve and grabbed out a Jade Knot he claimed to be given to him by his mother. A torrent of bleak rain wavered in his eyes, and his face darkened as if a storm was forming within him. Slowly, he ran his thumb across the carved letter of the knot.

Chen.

"Impossible," he muttered, shaking his head. The grasp on the knot tightened in his palm, and Jingrui was sure his strength would tear it apart.

"Former Heavenly Emperor Yunyin is my father, Emperor Yihuai is my brother, and Consort Chen is my mother." He placed his hand over his face and ran it into his dark hair. A bitter chuckle left him and clung heavily within the air. "What a great lie. What a great lie." His voice broke into sheer laughter as he stepped forward, swaying a little. "That's right, I am a bastard prince. It is no wonder the Empress Dowager always told me since I was young that the throne cannot be mine. I am a bastard, one without a royal bloodline."