Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 401: Picking fights

Chapter 401: Picking fights

Xiang Yu stepped through the ornate doors of his imperial palace. The imperial guards stood at attention, their faces unreadable, tension thick in the air. With a gentle sigh, he walked up the stairs fully aware that this had become his prison and not his home.

As he entered his bed-chamber, a shiver crawled down his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. This was his room, yet an invisible weight pressed against him. His lips curled into a smirk as he strolled over to the mini bar, opening a bottle of water with an effortless twist. "Come out," he called, voice steady and unyielding.

At that moment, the air grew taut. A split second later, something rushed at him, a force unseen. Xiang Yu sidestepped, instinctively throwing the bottle of water. It struck a figure squarely in the face.

"Peng Xiu," he growled, barely surprised as she recovered, revelling in the chaos, her eyes shining with wild fury. She disengaged the invincibility setting on her suit, a dark shimmer enveloping her as she lunged forward. He barely had time to react.

The clash of plasma weapons erupted in the room. Xiang Yu wielded a plasma whip, sleek and deadly, while Peng Xiu brandished a plasma blade that sliced through the air with an ominous hum. She moved like a tempest, spinning and slashing, each strike intended to draw blood.

Xiang Yu felt the sting of her blade graze his arm. Pain startled him but didn’t stop him. He fought through it, determination hardening in his chest. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent his whip snaring toward her, twisting the blade out of her grasp. She let out a shriek, fuelled by rage.

"Die you bitch!" she screamed, pulling out a plasma dagger, her movements wild and erratic.

Outside, the guards pounded on the door, desperation in their shouts. Peng Xiu had infiltrated the system, locking them out. The sound of their efforts echoed, but they were powerless to intervene. They struggled to break down the door in a panic.

Xiang Yu turned, finding an opening. He parried her strikes with his whip, landing blows that sent her reeling. Blood trickled from her forehead, staining her furious expression as he pressed the advantage. The room was a whirlwind of light and sound, fury and vengeance colliding.

He fought against his own injury, relentless and unyielding. With a final manoeuvre, he pinned her against the balcony’s ledge, his plasma dagger poised at her throat. They both panted, hearts racing with adrenaline.

"You made him mark you you bitch! How dare you?!" she hissed through clenched teeth, rage spilling from her.

"Yes," he answered coldly, pressing the dagger deeper against her skin. "I forced him, and now he is mine."

Peng Xiu struggled, fury burning in her eyes. But he was stronger, a wall against her wildness.

Just then, the door broke open with a crash, the guards flooding in, eyes wide with shock. They quickly scrambled to separate the two of them.

"What’s happening?" one imperial guard shouted, assessing the scene.

Xiang Yu, breathing heavily, wiped the blood from his cheek, slumping onto the couch. "Let my father know. Tell him to come get his bastard child."

Peng Xiu, now free, screamed back, venomous words pouring from her lips. She cursed him, her eyes glistening with tears, calling him every name she could summon in her anguish.

Moments later, the imperial lord strode into the room, his presence a sinister storm. His gaze darted between his two children, assessing the destruction. Regret clouded his thoughts. Having only two children felt like a curse now. One was rebellious and the other a raving lunatic. And what were they fighting over? The unlucky star, Han Xin.

The imperial lord’s jaw tightened. Han Xin needed to be eliminated, and soon. He had hoped to deal with him after securing the marriage for Xiang Yu, but he was a threat that seemed to stir trouble even in his absence. With a decisive wave of his hand, he cast Peng Xiu aside, sending her crashing into a glass table.

She lay there, pain ricocheting through her body, teeth bared in defiance.

"I exiled you," the lord intoned, cold as steel, his gaze piercing. "Yet you have the audacity to defy my orders."

Xiang Yu rubbed his bruised temples. "You both should settle this outside. I have injuries to heal and treatments to attend," he said his tone relaxed yet harsh.

The guards looked to the imperial lord, awaiting orders, the tension thick enough to slice. Soon after they left leaving Xiang Yu alone in the room.

He sank into the plush couch, the cushions enveloping him like a soft cloud. He sighed, rubbing a palm over his face, feeling the remnants of tonight’s chaos etched in the bruises on his skin. The door burst open, and the steward hurried in, his face a canvas of worry. He looked as if he were an old father anxious over his wounded cub yet he was powerless to change its fate.

"Your Highness!" the steward exclaimed, his voice laced with urgency as he grabbed the medical kit from the side table.

Xiang Yu lifted a glass of liquor to his lips, taking a slow sip. "You worry too much. I am fine," he replied, attempting to sound nonchalant, but the strength in his voice wavered.

The steward shook his head, unconvinced. He pulled out antiseptic wipes, the sterile scent cutting through the air. "Hold still," he ordered gently, pressing the wipe against the dried blood streaking Xiang Yu’s forehead.

Xiang Yu winced, the sting sharp yet familiar. "And you said it doesn’t hurt," the steward chided softly, frowning as he began to clean the wounds with care. "Why did you have to go and anger the imperial lord? You have barely recovered!"

"I wasn’t picking a fight," Xiang Yu insisted, his tone growing defensive. "I was just protecting the person I love."

The steward’s hands fell, a sigh escaping his lips. "You really let him mark you," he whispered, disappointment lacing his tone.

Xiang Yu curled his lips slightly but remained silent, the weight of unspoken words thick in the air. The steward, at a loss for a moment, finally found his voice again. "Would you like me to get you your back up communicator?"

"Yes please." Xiang Yu nodded, with a hint of urgency.

The steward walked toward the hidden safe. "His Majesty took your communicator away. You aren’t supposed to have one. You must be careful, Your Highness. If they see you..."

"Don’t worry about it," Xiang Yu interrupted, a steely resolve rising in him. "I need you to initiate our escape plan."

As the steward closed the safe door, worry etched across his features, he replied, "Your Highness, this isn’t a good idea. What will happen to the people if they don’t have a future heir to the throne?"

Xiang Yu accepted the communicator, his hand steady. "You don’t have to worry about that. It won’t be unsafe here for a while. You must prepare everything."