The next day, the creature's ragged figure walked into the barren street until a passerby in a veiled carriage pulled him over. Out from the carriage peered the eyes of a sharp bearded visage, waving a fan while looking at the starry sky. In the hastiest speed, he quickly pulled that ragged figure into his carriage, shaking the fugitive who was staring blankly.

"You...are you the Prince Xiong Xun? How..are you still alive..."

Xiong Xun lifted his head, whispering "Don't call me Prince." He grabbed the collar of the old man and said "I'll have the former prime minister know that I found a set of divine martial arts."

The elder gazed at the dirty figure questionably, thinking for a moment before saying, "Well let's test that out."

The old man suddenly attacked Xiong Xun who was still sitting in the carriage with his fingers, but Xiong Xun's wildly contorting movements deflected and stopped every attack with precision. A bead of sweat rapidly dripped down from the old official's face. "How...this martial art."

Xun smiled and laughed loudly, "The gods have not forsaken our Zhurong (Fire God) Lineage. The dead brother of King Xiong Qu is alive! For 20 years as a fugitive, I am back."

The royal family of Chu descended from the Yellow Emperor's grandson, the successor Zhuanxu. His great-grandson Wuhui was put in charge of fire and given the title Zhurong. Jillian was the grandson of Zhurong, his descendant Yuxiong had a great-grandson, Xiong Yi. Building the very city, the first capital Danyang, in which the two were traveling in the carriage. Xiong Xun laughed wildly as he thought back to how his brother Xiong Tong overthrew his position as the crown prince, the rightful heir of Xiong Yi's existing regime.

He had all the martial arts training, scholarly education, and connections, yet he still failed to ascend to the throne. Xiong Tong proclaimed himself king, establishing Chu's full independence from the Zhou dynasty. Xun still remembered that moment as he was escaping the kingdom. The loud, celebratory decree resounded through every street and alley. Just a day before, Tong had assassinated Xun, the heir apparent of the State of Chu.

Every night, he was tormented by nightmares of that glimmering copper blade which Tong had attacked his "body" with. Sitting in front of a table of fruits and candles, Xun only managed to survive because it was not him who was killed, but a body double intentionally put there by the old prime minister. Powerless. He felt powerless against the Mi Family, the Qu Clan, the Supreme Oracle, and the Minister of Works.

Xun looked at the old minister again and said, "You, as the 27th descendant of the Dou Branch, should immediately contact the chief general Sima. I will get my revenge. I will gather my former advisors and create a cult for the Demon God of Serpents. He gave me this martial art, and I will rule everywhere beneath the sky. My hatred towards Tong is mind-eating, I will have my revenge one day." The old man slowly turned his head towards Xun and then once again towards the starry sky.

"You're too late." The minister pulled out a dagger and lunged at Xun, stabbing him in the shoulder.

Xun quickly knocked out the minister and escaped through the allies of the city. The old man had called the city troops to capture him under the guise of being a traitor. Rushing up to the city walls in an attempt to escape, Xun looked at the river below and the approaching troops.

Ka! The troops toppled the city wall which collapsed into the banks of the river, bringing Xun into the rushing currents of the Yellow River.

...

The Old Patriarch smiled as he entered a tavern, cloaked in a long, hooded black robe. He entered a room with three other cloaked figures. Raising his arms into the air, he began chanting the scripture he had obtained from Xiong Xun.

"We...curse Xun with...a daughter". They laughed wildly, the Old Patriarch exclaiming, "That's the evilest thing I could ever think of!"

They suddenly croaked, their eyes opening wide like saucers. Their color was draining from their skin into the ritual table as they were the sacrificers and sacrifices.

....

Xun woke up to the ceiling of a thatched hut. He felt a warm breath by his ear, and as he turned around to see what was breathing in his ear, he saw a little girl.

"Dad! Are you alright?"

Xun blankly looked at her face in confusion. "I don't remember anything. Who am I?"

The girl laughed, "You are a doctor. Don't you remember?"

Xun looked down at his hands and slowly stood up. He saw rows upon rows of books lining the walls of the hut's room.

"I think I rememb-"

A loud explosion resounded in the distance.

As Xun exited the hut, he saw a blazing forest. Smoke and debris impregnated the air, covering up the sky with a bloody hue of red. Everywhere between heaven and the earth was pure red.

"This...this is Hell on Earth." Ten thousand steel-clad troops marched closer to the settlement where the hut was located. At the front of this army and this offensive push was Xiong Tong, his brother who he didn't recognize.

The little girl came out and joyfully said, "Don't worry! Look how I deal with them,"

Her mouth just kept on expanding and expanding until it covered the sky. In one fell swoop, all the troops with Xiong Tong were eaten. Silence once again reigned over the land.

The townspeople of the 100 Pu Tribes congregated in front of Xun's hut, worshipping the little girl who just defeated the army.

Xun looked at his daughter, whispering "Who are you?"

She replied, "Don't worry."

He looked at the hundreds of people gathering and shouting, "The Holy One! The Holy One!" Everyone was celebrating as the sun came out and shone on his head, illuminating his figure.

From the closest person, he grabbed their sword and pointed it towards his daughter.

"Who are you?"

The little girl smiled and answered, "I am you."

Xun felt water starting to drip onto his head in the middle of the arid town. The earth gave way from his feet, and he fell through into a seemingly endless vertical hole.

The next moment he woke up, he saw a temple. All the people were just red ants. His daughter was a deer. He was sitting in front of the stone statue, the downpour leaking through the roof and splattering on his head.

He gazed down to his hands, he saw the robe on his body, he felt his white beard. He was the old monk.

"What happened?"