1816 Coming to an End
"When should I use it?" Zhou Linfan asked with the pill in hand.
"As late as possible," Alex said. "I do not know how long you can handle the energy in that pill. So the later you do it, the better."
"So you don't have a time frame?" Zhou Linfan asked.
"Senior, truthfully, I don't even know what that pill does exactly," Alex said. "All I can be certain of is that it will draw from you and itself to bring out the powers of an Immortal. That is the only pill that exists in this world, so it is hard to tell exactly how it will work."
Alex had some idea of what would happen by looking at the ingredients and how they were working. His Alchemy God's Knowledge allowed him to internally visualize what the pill would do.
But with 9-veins in the pill, he had to amplify everything
overall, making his understanding of the events from the pill
not match the reality. He had a feeling that such issues would
be solved when the Alchemy God decided to let him learn a
few more things in the future.
"You should move back, Alex," Hannah said. "You need to get to
safety."
Alex looked at the battle that raged out there and nodded.
He had known since before he came, since before he sought
to bring war, that he would most likely not be the one to kill
the Dragon Emperor.
He not only knew it wouldn't be him, he knew that it couldn't
be him. He had suffered at the hands of the Emperor, but not
as much as the other's hand.
Yan Yating had lost soldiers and friends following the Dragon
Emperor's commands when he did not want to.
Hannah had been made to live a torturous life without any
senses for 70 years.
Zhou Linfan had his entire family killed by the emperor.
These were men who deserved to kill the Emperor. Everyone
else, including him, came nowhere near to be as deserving to
kill these people.
He wanted to kill the Dragon Emperor for the dead soldiers
and Yao Ning, but even so, he found himself accepting the fact
that the Dragon Emperor was not his to kill.
Even Pearl, who was more deserving, had let others kill the
man, so Alex could only do the same.
He walked away from Hannah and Zhou Linfan, returning to
his army who were defeating more and more of the Emperor's
soldiers to bring the war to an end.
Alex met up with Whisker and his father who were together
handling the army in the absence of Yan Yating.
"How is the fight going? Does it look winnable?" Graham asked
his son.
Alex nodded. "There is a good chance we will win," he said and
turned back toward Zhou Linfan. He could tell that the man
was looking for an opening to attack and Alex wondered when
that would be.
"Any minute now," he said softly.
He then turned back to his father and Whisker. "How is the
situation here? What are our losses like?" he asked and
readied himself for the answer.
Graham gave a saddened look and gave the worst of the
information first.
"We've lost 4 elders," Graham said. "2 are critically injured, but
it is possible they will make it through. As for the remaining 3,
they are still fighting out there."
Alex felt immediate pain when hearing the numbers. 4 elders
had died aside from Yao Ning. That was 5 in the span of 2 or so
years.
Alex looked around at the battlefield and noticed Qiu
Jianhong, Gong Liuxian, and Ren Guanting among the many
who still fought, despite being wounded.
"Who are the two injured?" Alex asked.
"Elder Liang and Hou," Graham said.
"I see," Alex said.
'So Liang Shufen and Hou Xinya are still alive,' Alex thought.
'That means senior Huang Chen, Kang Xuefeng, Tan Yang, and
Lei Zhong died in this war.'
Alex couldn't help but develop a sour feeling at the thought of
them dying. But that wasn't even all the information at all.
"Who else died?" Alex asked.
"From our soldiers, we have confirmed the death of 900 right
now. There are most certainly more dead than that, but that
information will take time to come," Graham said. "The war is
still ongoing."
Alex nodded. The war was still ongoing.
"You guys handle things here, I'll go check on the wounded
and see if I can do anything for them," Alex said and rushed
toward the ship.
Alex walked in and saw his aunt helping the others under Zhou
Luoyang's guidance.
Long Huan stayed brooding to the side, not looking anywhere
at the moment, lost in his own thoughts.
Alex wanted to go talk to him, but he hurried to the two
elders who were hurt.
He saw both Liang Shufen and Hou Xinya lying next to the
phoenix flames, healing. They were awake, but at the same
time not very conscious of the world around them.
Both of them had lost body parts that they hadn't generated
yet and seemed to be in extreme pain. He quickly sat beside
them and checked their situation.
The good news was that they had stabilized and their situation
was under control, but he didn't understand why they were
still hurt.
"I just gave them a pill to heal their soul a while ago," Zhou
Luoyang said. "Once that energy is gone from their body, I will
give them the healing pill."
"I see," Alex said. "Do you have enough pills?"
"For body, yes. but not for the soul," Zhuo Luoyang said. "I'm
already low on them despite what you gave me just a while
earlier."
"They should have a few," Alex pointed toward the elders.
"Have them give you theirs once they are conscious again."
Liz walked up to Alex. "How is it out there?" she asked. "How
is Hannah?"
"Sister is fine," Alex said. "The war itself is concluding, but the
Emperor is still alive and well, and until he comes down, I'm
afraid it won't be over."
Alex looked toward the prince to the side and gestured a
question.
"Don't worry about him," Liz said. "I won't let him do anything
stupid."
"I won't do anything stupid," Long Huan said in a grim tone.
His eyes were red with hatred, and there was a tension in his
face from him constantly gritting his teeth. Stains marked his
cheeks where his tears had yet to dry.
He looked up at Alex.
"Is my father yet unhurt?" he asked.
"He was close to getting killed earlier, but he ate a pill to heal
himself," Alex said.
Long Huan's eyes moved as his mind raced to get information.
"You have to be careful. My father has the accumulated
fortunes of the Azure Empire at his side. While not everything
is with him, he is sure to carry many lifesaving treasures with
him. Killing him outright will be difficult."
Alex nodded. "He's used a few already I believe," he said.
Long Huan got up from where he sat. "Then he must be close
to dying. Let's go," he said. "I wish to be there to see him die."
