1792 Special Mark
The Lizard, the Ox, and the Eagle were the three leaders who did not wish to fight.
The Swan, the Elephant, and the Deer absolutely wanted to fight to get revenge on the person who killed their ruler.
It was needless to say the Lion wanted to fight as well.
4 out of the 7 leaders of the beast colonies wanted to go kill the Dragon Emperor. However, all decisions from the leaders must be unanimous or else the beasts couldn't act.
Each of the beasts sat back down and started talking amongst themselves to try and convince each other why they had to do the same as them.
"He was our ruler. We have a requirement to avenge him," the Deer said. "How can you just stay by and give up on such an opportunity to kill him?"
"It is useless," the Lizard said. "We have no clue how strong the Southern continent's army is, but we know for a fact how strong the Azure Empire's army is. The Dragon Emperor will have prepared for the army long ago. And he had nearly a hundred thousand different soldiers.
"He won't have that many," Pearl quickly said. "The Dragon Emperor doesn't know that an army is coming. He isn't prepared for whatever is happening right now."
"Listen to him," the Deer said. "We have a chance."
"Sister Lu, even if we have a chance, we can't possibly have enough beasts to fight against the Dragon Emperor. If he chooses to run away, how are we going to keep him trapped? We would have no choice but to let him go. Then, he will come back a day later after gathering his army of a hundred thousand strong soldiers and then we will just die."
The ox turned around toward Pearl. "Young lord, we wish to help you, but you can see just how bad an idea this is. Beating the Dragon Emperor is difficult."
"If he runs, we can follow him. How difficult would that be?" Pearl asked.
"That's not so easy. That man killed both your grandmother and grandfather the day he was injured by your father, the Azure Dragon. And they were both just as strong as us right now," the Ox said. "He's strong. It is better to not act at all."
"I will be honest," the Eagle spoke, turning to the Lizard and the Ox. "I would join the young lord if I or any of my beasts were capable. But we are weak, so going there for us would be suicide."
"It would be suicide for us too," the Lizard said. "I don't think you guys understand just how dangerous fighting the Emperor is, even with all the help we would get."
"But you don't have to fight the Emperor yourself," Pearl quickly said. "You will be fighting regular soldiers, who should be all weaker than you at the current time. The Emperor himself, we have people who can handle him."
A wave of nods and looks passed throughout the room as the beasts nodded toward each other as they heard Pearl speak.
"Does the Southern Continent have strong fighters?" the Lion asked. "Should we move quickly to help them?"
"Yes!" Pearl shouted in an exasperated tone. "We wasted so long with just me coming here, and then waiting for all the leaders to arrive. I thought that would be all, but you guys are wasting even more time."
"What is there to think about? If you are worried about the soldiers behind the Dragon Emperor, don't be. They too will be in the same situation as you. They will have found out about my father's death and will be making their choice to turn against the Emperor."
"Even if not all of them choose to defect from the empire's army, enough will so that the Emperor's army will be too weak to do anything."
"And we can make it stronger by you joining them," Pearl said. "And if you are worried about the Emperor running away, don't be. There is no place in this world that the Emperor can run off to that my brother won't find him."
"And if he dares to run out of the Eastern Continent, he will only be putting himself into my grandfather's maw. So, the best course of action for you all right now, no matter if you are weak or strong, is to help my brother."
"This is both a request and command on my part."
The Lizard and Ox hesitated a little.
"I… I accept," the Ox said after a little while. "I will help you, young lord."
Pearl nodded and turned toward the lizard. "What about you?" he asked.
"No," the Lizard said. "I still believe this is a bad idea. We are already doing fine. The Emperor won't come for us as long as we don't do anything reckless. But if we attack him and we somehow fail, the entire beast paradise will be in danger. I cannot allow that to happen."
The Eagle took a deep breath and said, "I shall help you. My colony will not be of much use to you, young master, but I alone shall help you."
"Thank you," Pearl said.
The Lizard looked toward the Eagle with wide eyes. He then looked toward all the other beasts.
"You guys have lost your mind. Why are you choosing to throw away peace for nothing?" the Lizard asked.
Pearl's eyes sharpened.
"Nothing?" he asked. He couldn't believe just how easily the lizard was treating his and his family's life to be. Anger filled Pearl that very instant.
It was very rare for him to get angry, but today he was. He was so angry that he ignored the warning Bai Jingshen gave him that day.
He took a step forward. "Are you saying the life of my grandparents is nothing?" he asked, fire burning behind his golden eyes.
The Lizard hesitated. He wanted to say something but something caught his eyes. He looked at it for a moment, wondering if he was seeing it correctly.
"Are you saying the life of my parents is nothing?" Pearl asked, coming even closer. As he moved, the lizard felt a rather oppressive aura all of a sudden, and the thing he had noticed had become stronger and more noticeable now.
Pearl stepped forward again, arriving next to the Lizard.
"Are you saying that my life and the life of my brother and his people is nothing? That all the hardship we go through, all the pain and sadness, it is nothing? Our tears are of no value to you, is that what you mean?"
The oppressive aura in the room had grown to a strong enough level that all the Leaders showed grimaces on their faces as well as looks of surprise at the thing that they saw.
On Pearl's forehead, where it had previously been empty, a small golden mark had appeared. The mark looked like some sort of word, but no one in that room could read it at all.
"Speak!" Pearl said, sending shivers through the Lizard.
"I…" he stared at the mark on Pearl's forehead and the oppressive aura that surrounded him as though he was in front of someone who could kill him with a single glance.
"I…" the lizard saw no choice anymore. "I will do it. I will gather beasts to help you, my lord."
Pearl stared into the eyes of the Lizard for a long second before withdrawing his aura. The glowing mark on his forehead vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared.
Pearl could imagine how angry his great-grandfather would be if he found out that he had used the mark. He had been scolded before when he had nearly used it inside Alex's mind in the presence of his family.
Bai Jingshen had told him what it was and had taught him to control it. but just because he could control it didn't mean it was something he could use as easily as he had done just now.
'That was necessary,' Pearl told himself. He had to use the mark for intimidation, even though that was not its primary purpose.
Once the mark vanished, Pearl's head snapped back toward the Lizard. "Good," he said and looked to everyone. "Go and gather your beasts. We will be leaving as soon as possible. The way back is long as well. We cannot waste any more time."
The beasts nodded and quickly ran out to go back to their Colony. Since they were already in the Lion colony, the Lion could take things slowly.
Pearl went to talk to the jaguar, but before he could, the Eagle came to talk to him.
"Senior Ying," Pearl said with a small bow.
"Young Lord," she gave a small bow in greeting as well."
"Why have you come to see me? Do you truly not have any beasts that can help me?" Pearl asked.
"I have a few, but I've already told them to gather through my talisman. they should be preparing to leave as we speak," the Eagle said.
"I see. Then go on ahead. Why did you come to seek me?" Pearl asked.
"You mentioned something at the end there about how we would be late and the journey ahead is long," the Eagle said.
"I did," Pearl said. "Why? Did I say something wrong?"
"You said what you know to be true, so I came to add my piece of knowledge to yourself," the Eagle said.
"What knowledge?" Pearl asked.
"Our journey ahead doesn't necessarily have to be long," the Eagle said. "There is a way to make it short."
Pearl's eyes flashed with intrigue. "Go on. I'm listening."
