"It was necessary, my lord. As far as the matter of Liuxing is concerned. I was not aware that he would arrive. However, he saved our life." Kenji answered.
"Why would Liuxing save you Kenji? He is the rival of our realm…. Do you have something else to explain? Are you hiding something from the divine court Kenji?" Superior Guardian asked.
"I am afraid I do not have an answer for that, my lord. I do not dare not hide anything from the divine court." Kenji answered.
The court burst out into hushed murmurs.
"My lord, may we speak...." Chao Xing and Shen asked for permission.
"Go ahead!" Superior guardian allowed.
"My lord, we think Liuxing saved his highness on purpose, he has ulterior motives." Shen's voice was confident and steady.
"Elaborate." Superior Guardian furrowed her eyebrows slightly.
"We think that Liuxing harmed the ghost princess in purpose, he must've analysed that you would send lord Kenji to any critical investigation ahead, so he could lure lord Kenji and use him to enter the divine realm. He must've had some ulterior motive and this is why he is even challenging the divine realm to a war." Chao Xing answered.
"Also my lord, it seems as if he is specifically targeting his highness Kenji. Isn't that why he would ask my lord to have a war with her best warrior, everyone is well aware that my lord's best warrior is his highness Kenji." Shen added.
"I order a delay in this case for now. Kenji, as soon as you recover I want you to consider investigating the disturbances in the west." Superior Guardian ordered.
"The strange creatures are still hovering towards the border...….." Chao Xing said.
"I believe my lord-"
"Let us start our investigation tomorrow." Kenji interrupted, "I need to return to my kingdom. I will meet at the border of west tomorrow."
"My lord, are you okay?" Kai rushed.
"I am okay but I need to meet Liuxing." Kenji said.
"My lord?" Kai asked, his brows furrowed in shock.
"Send a messenger to the demonic realm." Kenji ordered.
"But my lord, the heavens will come to know of it. Especially, the situation right now. The realm thinks you are siding with Liuxing."
"Send a mist walker, the heavens will never come to know of it. Only you and I are aware of my creation — Mist walker."
"But my lord, it is not safe-"
"Follow the orders Kai!" Kenji said firmly.
For a moment Kai seemed perplexed, in fact he was in a state of perplexity.
"Yes my lord."
Kenji did not seem too concerned about others opinions, what he was concerned about was Liuxing's real identity. He wanted Liuxing to stop this. He wanted to atleast make a simple request to Liuxing so that he would withdraw the upcoming war. Kenji moved his gaze towards the garden of looming flowers clearly visible from his balcony. He set his hair loose. The air seemed still, melancholic and aching.
'A part of me wants Liuxing to be him...but a part of me wants him to be just Liuxing.' Kenji was lost in his thoughts.
Suddenly, the light dimmed, the air felt heavy and cold. Kenji knew who it was, Liuxing.
"You are here." Kenji said.
"You asked for me so I had to be here." Liuxing's voice felt like a wave absorbing into Kenji.
"Are you ...….." Kenji tried to ask but his voice felt stuck, his eyes welled up with tears and he felt as if his words formed a knot in his throat. Kenji controlled his sob and tried to speak again.
"Lee….is it you?" Kenji's forced out, his voice a bit shaky.
Kenji did not dare turn back and face Liuxing…what if Liuxing is really the child whose prayers he listened in the past and it turned out to be the reason of his banishment, what if he is the child in whom he saw himself, his desperate and helpless self ?
"Yes!" A single word, a steady tone, a low voice.
Kenji turned to face him.
"You are him....."
"But then my lord, what difference does it make? We are rivals anyway…" Liuxing said turning his back.
"How did you ascend ? What happened to you Lee?"
"It doesn't matter, your highness…you should not send me messengers like this. I have suppressed my presence today otherwise it would've been known by the heavens till now. You are again the frame of criticism because of me….again…." Liuxing said, his tone growing heavier with sorrow this time.
"No no no! Liuxing please, stop this. Don't proceed with this war. I do not want you to get harmed anymore, the whole heavens will rise up against you and-"
"Your highness, I have to do this. I cannot stop now."
"Why are you doing this Liuxing, nothing will come out of it. Please Lee, listen to me. This war will not result in anything, we both know a duel between demonic realm and divine results in the loss of demonic realm. I do not want you to be sealed, I do not want you to get harmed, kid. Please." Kenji said, his voice reflected pain, an unknown pain.
"Your highness, I'm not the same kid anymore. Afterall, I am the demon who is the rival of heavens, I am the hostile beast. You are a heavenly guardian my lord. You should never, never ever favour a demon like me. Please come back to your senses my lord... I'll take my leave."
Kenji wanted to stop him but those words, they felt like a stab, it was the truth. Kenji was a heavenly guardian no matter what and Liuxing was a demon. They are rivals and he should always, always refrain from letting emotions or any of his past incidents become a hurdle for his path ahead. He was a heavenly guardian afterall, what was he doing? And why ?
"He's right….I should really come back to my senses." Kenji murmured to himself.
Everything that occurred in the past was over now, it held no significance…right?