The Jade Concubine

The words sliced through the air like a dagger, leaving the hall in a stunned silence.

Lin Yue felt her breath catch, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Daughter of the Jade Throne? The accusation hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, yet she could not deny the sharp jolt of recognition that coursed through her veins.

The intruders fanned out, their movements calculated and silent, like shadows come to life.

Each figure bore weapons forged of black steel, their blades gleaming faintly in the dim lantern light.

At their center stood their leader, a tall, commanding figure cloaked in midnight, their face obscured by a hood.

General Wei Han stepped forward, his sword raised and his stance unyielding. "You dare to invade the Celestial Palace," he said, his voice like the growl of a storm. "Do you think you can leave here alive?"

The leader chuckled, a low, rasping sound that sent shivers down Lin Yue's spine. "We did not come here to leave, General. We came for her."

The leader pointed the glowing blade directly at Lin Yue.

She stepped back instinctively, her mind racing.

How could they know her name?

How could they call her the daughter of a throne she had never known?

Her eyes darted to the Emperor, who stood unmoving, his expression a mask of cold calculation.

"Who are you?" Lin Yue demanded, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to appear calm.

"We are what remains of the Jade Dynasty," the leader said, their voice laced with both reverence and fury. "The rightful rulers of this empire, betrayed and cast into the shadows by the ancestors of this false emperor."

They gestured toward Zhao Long, whose expression darkened but remained silent.

The leader's gaze returned to Lin Yue, burning through the shadow of their hood. "And you, child, are the last heir to our throne."

Lin Yue's blood ran cold.

The words felt like a noose tightening around her throat.

She wanted to deny them, to dismiss the notion as absurd, but the jade pendant at her neck seemed to hum with a life of its own.

"You're lying," she said, though her voice wavered.

"We are many things," the leader replied, stepping closer. "But we are not liars. That pendant you clutch so tightly? It is the Seal of the Jade Throne, passed down through generations of rulers. You were hidden from us, taken from your family as a child to ensure the Jade Dynasty could not rise again."

Lin Yue's mind reeled.

Her memories of childhood were fragmented, a blur of faces and voices she could barely piece together.

Could it be true?

Could she really be the heir to a throne she had never heard of?

"You will say anything to sow discord," Zhao Long interjected, his voice like steel.

He stepped forward, his towering presence commanding the room. "Do not listen to them, Lin Yue. They are nothing more than traitors who seek to destroy all we have built."

The leader laughed darkly. "Tell me, Emperor, what did you promise her when you brought her here? Safety? Power? The truth?" Their blade tilted slightly, pointing toward the Emperor. "Have you told her of the blood that was spilled to bring her here? Of the countless lives sacrificed to ensure she could stand in your court?"

Lin Yue's gaze snapped to Zhao Long. "What are they talking about?"

For a moment, the Emperor said nothing. His silence was a void, vast and consuming.

Then he turned to her, his eyes heavy with something she could not decipher. "This is not the time for explanations."

"That's not an answer," she said, her voice rising.

Before he could respond, the leader raised their hand, and the intruders sprang into motion.

They moved like a tide of shadows, their blades cutting through the air with deadly precision.

General Wei Han was the first to engage, his sword meeting the intruders with a clash of steel that echoed through the hall.

He moved like a tempest, his strikes precise and unrelenting.

But for every enemy he cut down, two more seemed to take their place.

The chaos erupted around Lin Yue, and she felt herself being pulled back by a firm hand.

She turned to see Lady Zhen, her face a mask of fury and fear.

"Stay behind me," Lady Zhen hissed, drawing a dagger from the folds of her ornate robes.

Lin Yue's pulse raced as she watched the scene unfold.

General Wei Han was outnumbered, the Emperor stood unmoving, and the leader of the intruders was now only a few steps away from her.

The leader's blade gleamed with an unnatural light as they advanced, their gaze locked onto Lin Yue. "Come with us willingly," they said, their voice calm amidst the chaos. "We will protect you, restore you to your rightful place. Or stay, and die as a pawn in their game."

Lin Yue's throat tightened.

The room seemed to tilt, the air thick with the weight of her decision.

Before she could respond, General Wei Han's voice rang out. "Get behind me!"

He surged forward, his blade slicing through the air as he positioned himself between Lin Yue and the leader.

Their blades met with a deafening clang, sparks flying as they clashed.

Lin Yue stumbled back, her heart pounding.

She felt the weight of the jade pendant at her neck, its cool surface pressing against her skin.

It was a reminder of the truth she could not yet face—a truth that now threatened to tear her world apart.

The leader snarled, their blade pressing against Wei Han's. "You cannot protect her forever, General. She is ours."

Wei Han's jaw clenched. "She belongs to no one."

As the two fought, Lin Yue's gaze darted to the Emperor.

He had drawn a blade of his own, its hilt adorned with jade and gold, but he made no move to intervene.

Instead, his eyes were fixed on her, as though he were waiting—expecting something.

And then it happened.

The pendant around her neck began to glow, its light faint at first but growing brighter with each passing moment.

The warmth spread through her chest, filling her with a strange, unfamiliar energy.

The leader froze, their eyes widening beneath the shadow of their hood. "It's awakening," they whispered, their voice trembling with awe.

"What's happening?" Lin Yue whispered, her hands clutching the pendant.

No one answered her.

The light from the pendant intensified, casting long, eerie shadows across the hall.

The air crackled with energy, and Lin Yue felt something within her stir—something ancient and powerful, something she could neither control nor understand.

And then, with a blinding flash, the light exploded outward, engulfing the hall in a radiant glow.

When the light faded, Lin Yue stood alone in the center of the hall.

The intruders, the Emperor, Wei Han, even Lady Zhen—everyone had vanished.

But the pendant still pulsed with light, and a voice echoed in her mind, low and commanding:

"You have awakened, child. Now, you must choose."

...

To Be Continued...