The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1408: Evereth

Drops of red blood splattered onto the cold ground, bit by bit, and each one struck the floor with a dark red color. Zhao Li Xin felt his entire body tremble, and his vision suddenly became blurred.

For a moment, it felt as though his chest were being crushed under an invisible weight. The pressure grew more intense with every heartbeat, like the world itself was trying to squash him.

Then, all of a sudden, the weight on his chest vanished. In its place came a wave of warmth, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. It started in his chest and radiated outward, spreading through his limbs, calming the tremble in his fingers, and easing the pain in his muscles. His breath, once shallow and ragged, became slow and steady.

The oppressive silence around him seemed to part, and before his mind’s eye, he saw a vast, open space, it was limitless and bright. The sensation was overwhelming, as if the heavens for a second open up before him.

Zhao Li Xin’s eyes widened, a second later his lips curled into a smile as he realized he had successfully broken through to a Monarch level. It shouldn’t have been possible, not without years of training and, of course, sheer luck.

Well, Lory always said he was lucky guessed she was right, as always. Zhao Li Xin lifted his head as he bathed in the afterglow of a miracle he had just had.

[Fire Spirit...] Zhao Li Xin whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible.

Not long after, a spark flickered to life in the air before him. It danced for a moment, like a tiny star, then expanded, swirling into a flame that slowly took shape. Within seconds, the fire condensed into the figure of a small boy, his entire body engulfed with flickering red and gold flames.

[Master, you’re forcing yourself again,] the fire spirit complained, his little voice laced with anger and concern.

Zhao Li Xin didn’t reply. Instead, he allowed his back to fall on the ground with his arms spread wide across the dark grey ground. His body trembled slightly, drenched in sweat, every inch of him soaked and chilled despite the warmth that still lingered in his core.

His lips had lost their color, turning pale and dry; it was a clear sign that he had exhausted his body more than he could handle. The cost of his breakthrough was steep, and his life force had been dangerously drained. But despite the pain, despite the weakness, a small, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

As long as his goal was achieved, nothing else mattered.

The Fire Spirit floated closer, kneeling beside him, and he sighed helplessly. [You push yourself to the edge again, Master,] then he murmured. [Madam wouldn’t be happy if she knew about this.]

[As long as you don’t say anything, she wouldn’t know] Zhao Li Xin warned him.

[Yes, Master,] the fire spirit answered helplessly.

Zhao Li Xin closed his eyes, seeking a moment of rest. But just as sleep began to creep in, something flashed through his mind. His eyes snapped open. He turned to glance at the Fire Spirit, who was still crouched beside him like a poor child waiting for his father to rise.

[Hey,] Zhao Li Xin muttered, his voice rough with uncertainty. [When I was meditating... I heard a little girl’s voice. She spoke to me. Was that an illusion... or was it real?] He thought the fire spirit would sense it if that voice was just a mind’s trick or real.

The Fire Spirit tilted his head, his flame flickering slightly. [I sense a faint presence lingering in this place. Could it be... a spirit?]

Zhao Li Xin clicked his tongue in annoyance and closed his eyes again, muttering under his breath, [Tsk. I hate spirits. They are always troublesome.

The Fire Spirit was quiet for a moment before replying, [But I don’t feel any malice here. Maybe she only wanted to test you. Did she say anything?]

[She said my scent was familiar,] Zhao Li Xin murmured, his voice fading as sleep tugged at him once more.

[What scent? Master?...] the Fire Spirit asked, but Zhao Li Xin had already drifted off, his breathing soft and even. He must’ve been completely exhausted. The Fire Spirit sighed, rising to his feet and scanning the area cautiously.

His mind drifted in the depths of darkness until, suddenly, a jolt ran through him and his eyes snapped open. For a moment, he lay still, his gaze sweeping the world around him in quiet confusion.

Somehow, he had been transported to a vast green field surrounded by rows of grey mountains that loomed in the distance and crowned by lush green forests that swayed gently in the breeze.

The scent of fresh grass and morning dew carried on the wind, crisp and pure. There’s no doubt, someone has pulled him into someone’s dream again.

Yes, he was certain this was just a dream because this wasn’t the first time he had experienced something like this. Where he was pulled into a dream, because apparently the spirit can only communicate freely from a dream.

Just like he thought, it was troublesome.

Zhao Li Xin remained calm; he wasn’t worried, just a bit annoyed cause someone dared to cross his boundaries again. However, whatever entity dared to enter his subconscious mind must have a good reason, and if they don’t, then someone will get in trouble, and it wouldn’t be him.

A breeze swept through the field, brushing past him and lifting his long hair into the air. It was then that he saw a little girl in a frilly white dress, sitting alone on the grass.

She looked no older than twelve, her hair a striking shade of orange that shimmered like flame in the sunlight. Long and wavy, it danced down her back as she stared silently at the sky.

Zhao Li Xin had a hunch she was the same girl who had disturbed his meditation earlier. And now, here she was again. Zhao Li Xin walked calmly toward the mysterious little girl.

As he got close, he stopped his steps then looked down at the girl, curious to see her reaction, but the little girl remained indifferent. Whether she hadn’t noticed his approach or simply didn’t care, who knows?

Zhao Li Xin studied the little girl’s features. By Lory’s standards, the girl was quite cute, but if it were for Zhao Li Xin, he rarely held opinions about other people’s appearances and seldom paid attention to them at all.

Still, there were very rare moments, special circumstances, when he did take notice, and this was one of them. The girl had delicate features: fair skin dusted with faint freckles across her small nose and round, chubby cheeks. Her eyes were large and bright, the color of fresh spring grass, shimmering with life.

She remained silent, her gaze fixed on the endless blue sky above. There was a spark of excitement in her expression, tinged with a hint of impatience, as if someone, or perhaps something, was about to descend from the sky at any moment.

Intrigued, Zhao Li Xin sat beside the little girl, then he threw his gaze in the same direction as the little girl. He wondered what it might be.

All of a sudden, the silence between them was broken by a soft, almost musical voice.

"Thank you for coming," the girl said gently.

Zhao Li Xin responded in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. "It’s not like I had a choice."

"I’m sorry," she murmured, lowering her head, her voice tinged with remorse. But Zhao Li Xin remained indifferent. He had no intention to offer comforting words.

The girl glanced up at him with a pleading look. "I called you because you share the same scent as my friend... though you also carry the same foul stench as that creature." Her small nose wrinkled in disgust, and she pouted. "But I had no other choice. You’re the only one who can help me."

Suddenly, she clasped her hands together and looked up at him pitifully. "Would you help me, kind sir?"

Zhao Li Xin remained unmoved. "Depends. If it’s too much trouble, I might just pass," he replied flatly.

"..." The girl’s smile twitched. She hadn’t expected her only potential savior to be so mean.

"Oh, here, he comes!" Her pout immediately replaced with a bright smile, the girl jumped to her feet, she waved her hands and shouted excitedly, "Evereth, I’m here!"

A deafening roar shattered the calm of the blue sky, sending tremors through the earth below. Suddenly, a dark shadow streaked across the heavens, moving with blinding speed like a bullet through the clouds.

A fierce gust followed, tearing the sky apart and scattering the clouds like dust in the wind. Then, emerging with majestic power, a colossal azure dragon soared into view, its wings slicing the air as it flew with breathtaking grace and beauty.

Zhao Li Xin rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on the dragon whose glittering blue scales shimmered beneath the bright sunlight. The little girl waved her hands eagerly, and moments later, the great beast descended, landing gracefully on the grassy field not far from where they stood. The dragon turned its golden eyes toward the girl, the dragon’s gaze filled with warmth and tenderness that felt strangely familiar.

Zhao Li Xin had seen that gaze before. It was the same look Girsha gave to Lory, and the same warmth in Huo Long’s eyes when he looked at him. It was fierce, protective, and filled with the primal love of a beast for its cub, it’s a look of the guardian beast.

"He’s your guardian?" Zhao Li Xin asked the little girl, his voice low with curiosity.

The girl turned and beamed. "Yes! Evereth is my family!"

A faint smile unconsciously formed on Zhao Li Xin’s lips. Lory used to say the same thing. And that irritating dragon also liked to treat him like he was his kin, calling him boy, and everything, he also nagging him endlessly, nevertheless, he was always watching over him, guiding him like a protective elder.

"You called me here because of him?" Zhao Li Xin guessed.

The girl’s smile slowly faded, replaced by a sorrowful look. "Yes..."

"Is he the one who needs help?" Zhao Li Xin asked, his eyes flicking toward the majestic blue dragon.

The girl shook her head, her gaze fixed on Evereth with quiet grief. "No... I called you because I want to repay a debt. Especially to her... to that girl, After everything her family did for Evereth, in the end, what they got was destruction and tragedy, so many lives were lost, so much destruction and chaos happened... All because of that Black Serpent lies."

The girl finally gets all of Zhao Li Xin’s attention. "A Black Serpent?" a tension rising in his voice.

Pain, anger, and sorrow filled the girl’s eyes. "Yes. He deceived Evereth, he poisoned his mind, twisted the truth. He made him forget, made him believe lies. Because of that, Evereth killed the descendants of the very person he owed everything to... the Lucient."

"The Lucient?" Zhao Li Xin’s expression darkened. "Are you talking about the Lucient family?"

The little girl gave a firm nod. "Yes. I came to warn them."

Zhao Li Xin stepped closer, his voice low and steady. "Tell me everything."