👑 MASTER AND STUDENT 👑

“How’s it my fault?! Your thing stared at me first!”. Jade snapped back pointing at the Emperor’s rod and his eyes widened as he shielded it more.
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“You speak so informally to me! Do you want to die?!”. The Emperor sneered gripping Jade’s necksgsin even more tighter and she began choking as her face turned red.

Then Kai suddenly appeared in the room his head bowed as he made to speak but frowned seeing the scene before him as he brought out his sword pointing it at Jade’s neck and Emperor Damien let go of her, making her gasped out in half relief.

The Emperor’s grip was worse than anything, she could feel her head almost disconnecting from her neck.

“What are you doing in the Emperor’s chambers dressed as a guard?!”. Kai questioned his sword pressing deep into her neck causing a slight cut and the Emperor stood his dark angry gaze fixed on Jade who’s eyes widened.

“Em..Emperor?”. She stuttered facing the emperor but Kai instantly kicked her from the back of her knee and she fell on her knees instantly. Then Kai forced her to bow her head at the Emperor.

“How dare a mere commoner like you look straight into the Emperor’s eyes?!”. Kai snapped almost slicing her head off her neck but the Emperor’s raised hand brought him to stop.

“I…swear on my late father i didn’t know this was the Empror’s room…I..I..really missed…my way….

“ki|| her”. Emperor’s Damien stern voice came then he turned his back on them, his hands behind him and Jade’s eyes widened.

Kai raised his to Jade’s neck but she instantly stood up making to run out the door then Kai used his powers to shut the door lock and Jade sighed out looking cornered, before tightening her fist in anger and walked back to them, with Kai dangerously ready to slay her, she walked straight to the Emperor making forcing him turn to face her she stood glaring right at his face and Kai raised up his hand to ki|| her again when the Emperor raised up a hand to stop him again and he stood calm.

The Emperor’s scary gaze was still locked with her angry ones.

“Now tell me why he should ki|| a blind orphan like me?!! I need a good reason now!!”. Jade requested stomoing her foot to the fine wooden floor that looks like a golden tile or maybe it was a golden tile.

“Blind? You still dare lie to my face?”. Emperor Damien asked his gaze arched and Jade gulped down.

“You…you don’t know me that’s why! Everyone calls me a blind girl and that’s who I am!…

The rest of Jade’s words got stuck in her mouth, when a force from the Emperor pushed her and she flew backwards, using her back to the wall before landing helplessly on the floor, spiting out blood.

“A mere witch. Raising her squeaky voice at me?”. The Emperor asked no one in particular as he strode slowly towards her while Jade sat on the floor her head lowered and her bloody mouth shut.

“I apologize….

“You lie a lot. And I h@ťě it”. The Emperor’s suddenly calm voice cut her off, he was now in front of her staring down at her as she forced herself to listen.

“How old are you?”. Emperor Damien asked.

‘You’re able to detect my lies but not my age? Such a joker!’. Jade spat in her head before opening her mouth to speak.

“100. I’m a hundred years…

Jade couldn’t finished when the same force threw her across the room this time and her back hit a huge iron wall before falling to the floor and she coughed out more blood.

“Ahh my back!!”. Jade screamed as she rolled on the floor hoping it would reduce her pain.

“More lies. You’re fifty and this stupid?”. Emperor Damien said looking completely pissed.

“If you knew then why ask again?!!”. Jade snapped and the Emperor bending right in front of her.

“Cause I’m a joker. And I couldn’t detect your age on time”. The Emperor smirked and Jade’s eyes widened.

“You…heard me? You read minds too?”. Jade mumbled and then when the Emperor stood turning her back on her once more she quickly gripped his leg hugging it tight.

“Oh please oh handsome Emperor!! Don’t ki|| me!! I promise not to lie till i die in a thousand years to come!! I haven’t made money yet!! I just want to live a happy life that’s all! I meant no harm!!”. Jade scream pleaded all at once stopping the Emperor from moving an inch and he twisted his neck to face her.

“Let go”. He said, but Jade only hugged his leg tighter.

“If i let go you’ll tell your wicked guard to slay me!”. Jade said and the Emperor tried removing his leg but Jade hugged it even more tighter.

“Just tell me you forgive me and I promise to disappear from your sight for ever….

“You think you have the right to do that?!!”. Emperor Damien suddenly yelled and Jade flinched in fear.

“Isn’t that what you want?”. She asked lowly.

“Your majesty. Should I end her?”. Kai asked stepping forward.

“What kind of question is that?”. Jade asked with a look of disbelief.

“Get up”. The Emperor said to Jade who instantly stood up from the floor, her head bowed as she stood right in his presence.

“What level of cultivation are you?”. Emperor Damien asked and Jade blinked contemplating whether to lie or not.

“I…I’m…I don’t have any level”. She finally replied and Kai stared at her in disbelief.

“Who lives in Yongxi with zero level of cultivation?”. Kai gasped.

“A witch or a cheat”. The Emperor answered his full gaze still on Jade who bit her lower lip.

“I’m not a witch…

Jade was caught unaware when the Emperor took her hand and without delay, they disappeared and appeared in the forbidden forest right in front of the rock where the sword was, then he let go of her and the girls already there waiting for the Emperor before they start trying to pull out the sword gasped out loudly in shock as they immediately went on their to greet while the Queen Mother bowed her head instead.

The Emperor was surprisingly now dressed in a black robe as usual, and his hair covered with a black cloak while his face covered with a black mask. His sharp beautiful blue eyes being the only visible body part parts of his, as he wore a black hand glove also. All this just to shield him from the sun or he burns to ashes.

“Good morning our supreme”. Everyone chorused and Jade Instantly covered her eyes so no one would notice she sees but a Emperor made her put her hand down.

“Dont try that while standing next to me”. The Emperor warned and Jade nodded. Kai then appeared also, his deep blue senior guard garment on him.

👥 His finally here!!

👥 He’s so handsome upfront! Even though his face his covered!!

👥 Ever since the war 500 years ago only Kai has seen the Emperor real face!

👥 Kai’s been also rare this days!

👥 Why’s he with the blind girl from earlier?

👥 She doesn’t look too blind now?

👥 Why’s her lips bloody?

Everyone mumbled as both Hani and the Wang sisters stood in shock staring at Jade who stood more like a prisoner.

“Her blindfold’s gone and she doesn’t look blind Mina”. Cherry said beside Mina who’s sharp gaze moved from Jade to the Emperor who stood facing the rock.

“Seems she lied so as not to get ki||ed for being a witch”. Hani smirked from where she stood her hands wrapped and Mina balled her fist.

“She…fooled us?”. Mina muttered deadly.

“Everyone silent!!”. The Queen Mother said before walking straight to the Emperor whose back kept on facing the crowd as he stared at the rock while Jade stood beside him her eyes widening instantly noticing the sword on the rock.

“Your majesty you’re here”. The Queen Mother said with a smile but the Emperor ignored her facing Jade.

“Step closer”. He ordered and everyone’s mumur grew louder annoying the Emperor as he faced Kai who casted a spell on them to seal their lips from speaking.

“Did she perhaps do something to annoy you? I remember leaving her behind cause of her lack of sight and inability to counter evil spirits on our way here”. The Queen Mother said and Emperor Damien finally faced her.

“Does she looks blind to you?”. The Emperor asked and the Queen Mother glanced at Jade and her eyes widened seeing the girl could see properly and she became mad.

“You unfortunate lier!!”. The Queen Mother snapped making to ki|| Jade with her powers but an hindrance from the Emperor’s sent her staggering backwards.

Everyone else couldn’t believe the fact that Jade could see but they couldn’t speak so they held it in.

“I told you make to sure every maiden in this whole tenth province participated in the selection but you left her behind?”. The Emperor asked and the Queen Mother instantly bowed her head.

“I’m sorry your Majesty. I made a mistake”. She apologized and Emperor eyed her before facing Jade who avoided his gaze.

“Remove the sword, the same way you did last night”. His stern authoritative voice came and Jade’s eyes widened same as everyone else’s.

‘What’s the Emperor saying?!!’. Hani gasped in her mind.

‘This snake had actually removed the sword before?! Impossible!!’. Mina screamed in her head.

‘I must have misheard. She removed what?’. Asa remarked.

“She’s the woman from last night?”. Kai muttered surprised and Queen Mother only stood staring in puzzlement.

“What are you waiting for? Do it!”. The Emperor sneered and Jade fearfully touched the sword handle with shaky hands she tried pulling out the sword but surprisingly it won’t come out and her eyes widened while most of the girls heaved a sigh of relief thinking they had lost the competition without even starting and her sisters smirked in satisfaction.

‘She’s more useless than poop. What was the Emperor thinking asking her to remove such powerful sword’. Nazia scoffed in her head.

‘Here i was thinking I lost the Empress title to a mere former blind thing’. Hani heaved a sigh of relief.

“Your majesty. I think she’s just a con who deserves to be executed”. The Queen Mother said and Jade’s eyes widened.

“You can’t remove it? How? Why? Or was it cause I forced you to?”. Emperor Damien asked and Jade held the sword handle again.

“I’ll try again”. She muttered trying to uproot the sword again but all to avail and she fell to the ground in shock.

“How’s it possible? But..I removed and returned it also”. Jade muttered.

‘Just give up and get lost. You useless thing’. Hani sneered in her mind.

Then Kai stepped forward to the dazed Emperor.

“I think she’s really a con your Majesty. She tried stealing the sword last night that was why the heavens didn’t stop sending the lightening last night after she removed the sword. If she was really the chosen one there wouldn’t have been any lightening”. Kai said and the Emperor gaze landed on Jade who was still confused on the ground, then he faced the Queen Mother.

“Get every one of them to try to remove the sword also”. The Emperor said turning to disappear.

“What about the snake who lied about her sight. Should i disqualify her?”. The Queen Mother asked.

“She came here with an invite like everyone else and must train along with them also”. The Emperor said before disappearing and Kai followed suit after unsealing everyone’s lips and Bae walked closer to her and slapped her hard across the face.

“That’s for tricking us into believing you were blind so we wouldn’t ki|| your witchy self!!”. Bae snapped in anger and everyone nodded in approval.

“No…No! Don’t leave me here!! What if they bully me”. Jade mumbled the last statement and the Queen Mother walked up to her.

“No one’s going to bully you. But that doesn’t mean you won’t get punished for tricking us…

“No!! I shouldn’t!! I don’t want to participate in this contest!! I want out of it!!!…

“You think it’s by choice you silly thing!!! It’s an order from the Emperor that must be obeyed and it seems unlike other candidates who will likely be disqualified for their wrong doings, you’re an exception! Without the Emperor’s orders you can’t leace or get disqualified! Plus if you still end up with no spiritual powers after this whole selection has come to an end you will be executed since it would only mean that you’re nothing but a witch!”. The Queen Mother said and Jade shook her head.

“No!! I’m not a witch! How many times will i scream it to you all! And the Emperor, Take me to see him!! He has no right to decide that for me!!”. Jade screamed and everyone broke into laughter still not believing she was this bld.

“Drag her back to the palace and give her sixty strokes of an horse whip for lying and deceiving us all!!”. The Queen Mother snapped.

“Yes as deserved!!”. Everyone else agreed as they glared at Jade who scoffed at them, before forcefully being carried by the Queen Maids.

“Now whose coming first to try out removing the sword and freeing Emperor”. The Queen Mother said and almost immediately many young ladies ran up to her fighting to be the first.

<MINISTER WANG’S CASTLE>

“We shouldn’t have let her go! Now she has successfully brought us shame by making the whole city knows she’s not blind but faking”. Mistress Yeri said.

“Everyone are pointing fingers at us thinking we hid it from them to protect her!”. Mistress Gora said.

“They’re just waiting for her to get disqualified and return back so they ki|| her”. Mistress Soni said.

“And once that happens, you’ll have to step down from your position as the prime minister! What will happen my children’s reputation amongst their lowly friends? Are you sure you really didn’t know about her ability to see?”. Lady Wang asked her husband who threw her a sharp gaze as he stood up from his seat.

They were all currently in his study.

“You think I’m that despicable?! How could i have known?! She tricked me also!!”. Minister Wang snapped at his wife who only moved closer to him.

“Then ki|| her yourself once she returns, right in front of everyone in this coty so as to proof to them that you’re innocent and then you can retain your position as the prine minister. Many will even respect you more for being so strict”. Lady Wang said and Minister Wang sighed pacing round the room.

“What’s with the delay in thoughts minister?! My Cherry is still young to undergo humiliation!”. Mistress Soni snapped and the Minister walked back to them.

“I was also considering such thoughts after finding out. I worked hard to become who I am today, I won’t let a mere child of a slave ruin all my decades of hardwork”. Minister Wang said and his women heaved a sign in relief.

<THE EMPEROR’S STUDY>

“What if the old deity up there is playing games with me?”. The Emperor muttered taking another book from it’s shelf to go through.

His mind was completely clouded with so much thoughts as to why Jade wasn’t able to remove what she had earlier removed.

His cloak that was once on his head was now on his, shoulder his mask removed as he ransacked the whole bookshelf. Two strands of his long hair stood right in front of his pretty face.

Then Kai appeared before him, bowing.

“Any news?”. The Emperor asked his face buried in a book.

“None of the women were able to remove the sword your majesty”. Kai relayed a diappointed look on his face, but the Emperor seemed to have no reaction as his gaze never left the book in his hand.

“And?”. Emperor Damien asked.

“All of them have safely returned to the palace and have been showed their various rooms and roomates. Training fully starts very early tomorrow morning”. Kai comtinued but still no expression from the Emperor as he closed the book with him, returning it back to the shelf he walked out of the Library instead of disappearing as usual and Kai blinked in puzzlement before following him from behind.

The Emperor continued his journey back to his room, ignoring the greetings of anyone he came across.

Then he finally walked into the room after dismissing Kai.

He stepped in shutting the door only to feel a presence in it already and he frowned instantly knowing who it was.

“Come out”. He said and Jade limped towards him her glare capable of breaking glasses.

“The guards should be punished for weakness. 60 lashes and you can still walk”. The Emperor said turning to walk to his wardrobe.

“You’re the cause of my misfortunes!! The reason why I’m powerless and can’t remove that useless sword is all because of you!!”. Jade suddenly shouted and the Emperor stopped on his track turning to face her.

“Really? How come I have no memory…

“500 years ago! When you ki||ed all the demons and left nothing left for anyone to train with so as to improve their powers!! Many parents went into the demon clan to capture a demon each for their children to ki|| so they could boost their already natural powers into a supernatural one, even my fake parents did! But since no one cared about me!! They couldn’t risk their lives to get any demon for me to slay and reveal my annoying powers! Even my wicked step siblings got their own demons but not me!! Now I’m getting taunted for being powerless by even you?! What right do you have you annoying Emperor?!!”. Jade snapped and shockingly the Emperor super sped towards her, his face very close to her and for some minutes cause of fear her breath seized.

“I caused it and it seems I’m suffering for it”. The Emperor said and Jade only stared not understanding a word.

“From the looks of things, you’re the only one capable of removing my cursed sword from it shambles but then, your powers are really annoying it comes and goes”. The Emperor said.

“Huh?”. Jade mumbled.

“So to be even and for my future gain of you releasing my sword. I’ll personally train you to find and improve your spiritual powers all through this Queen selection ritual”. The Emperor said and Jade’s eyes widened.

“You…will train me? Really?”. Jade asked.

“I h@ťě lazy people and won’t condone any form of laziness or setbacks from you, you’ll be punished if you by any means bring shame to me and I don’t do silly lashes as punishment so think twice before accepting my offer, cause becoming my student means accepting me as your master and i would personally ki|| you myself if after all the my time spent on you, you still can’t remove the sword or show any little improvement”. The Emperor said and Jade immediately went on her knees.

“I accept. I really want to stay alive and it seems this is the only option I have to prove to everyone that I’m not a witch”. Jade muttered, bowing her head before looking up at the Emperor whose gaze was also on her.

“Do you really accept me as your master?”. The Emperor asked in a more slower but firm tone and Jade nodded, bowing.

“I do. Please train me to be better than you!”. Jade suddenly said instantly hating herself for it and the Emperor gave her a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve just acquired an ingrate for a student”. He muttered and Jade bit her lower lip, her head still bowed.

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《TBC》