Dragon's Soul: An End's Beginning

by Tony Tran

  So far only people with a lot of influence and manpower have been able to obtain a flag which meant that this mean was very lucky.

  “I will give you one hundred gold coins for that flag!” A man yelled.

  “One hundred? I’ll give you one thousand!” Another man yelled.

  “All of you piss off Prince Ming Jiang wishes to obtain this flag.” Yet another man yelled. Behind him a youth in golden robes could be seen walking toward the man that found the flag. He was being escorted by many people and gave off an air of nobility.

  “I will give you thirty thousand gold coins. I think that will be enough to live out the rest of your life and have enough for the next few generations of your family.” Ming Jiang said.

  Hearing the words thirty thousand gold coins made the man awestruck. This amount of money to him was a huge sum that would allow him to stop being a farmer and become a rich man with many beautiful wives.

  “Deal!” The man who found the flag yelled.

  “Alright I will have someone deliver the gold to you.” Ming Jiang said as he gestured to his men. Normally he would simply overpower this man and snatch the flag however if he did that here then with so many other people around they would try to snatch the flag from him.

  “This means that bastard won’t make it to the second stage.” Ming Jiang sneered in his mind. He knew who had the previous flags and since he had the last one it meant that Zhang would be left without a flag.

  “Watch how I shame you in front of everyone tomorrow.” He thought as one of his men handed the man a huge sack of gold and took the flag from the man’s hands.

  Many people looked at the man’s sack of gold with greed but before they could do anything a voice rang out from behind him.

  “Escort that man out of the forest and back to the city.”

  Once they looked back they could see Zhang standing there and alongside him were three very beautiful women.

  When Zhang had saw the looks on the people’s eyes he felt pity for the man who found the flag. From the looks of it the man was very poor having what was close to rags as clothes. One can tell from the callouses on his hands that he did lots of manual labor and this money would change his life.

  Although he was not the only poor person present Zhang felt that if he did nothing this man would be killed for no reason and he could not just ignore that. In war everything was fair game. But outside of it he could not just sit by and watch a huge mob gang up on one poor man for his wealth.

  After Zhang’s words a few of his soldiers came and helped escort the man out of the forest. The man had noticed the gazes of those around him and was very thankful for this.

  “Ah if it isn’t the next lord of Aurora.” Prince Ming Jiang said with a sneer.

  “Prince Ming Jiang it’s been a few days since we last met. How’s your leg feeling? My wives keep telling me to not attack weaklings but I can’t help but do so when some weaklings think they are strong.” Zhang said with a smile on his face.

  “Ha say what you will but I have the last flag now meaning that you won’t have a chance to move forward. How does it feel be to lose?” Ming Jiang replied with a sneer.

  Without saying a word Zhang, the three beauties, and their men left.

  Seeing this a huge smile appeared on Ming Jiang’s face. From the looks of it Zhang was shamed by his words and left.

  Chapter 45: Surprise!!!

  While walking away from Ming Jiang a slight grin could be seen on Zhang’s face.

  “Just you wait for tomorrow.” Zhang thought as his grin grew wider.

  “Let’s go back to camp everyone.” Zhang said.

  “How about we go on a stroll for a bit?” Ling asked.

  “Yea there’s nothing to do at the camp.” Ai added.

  “A stroll might be nice, where do you guy want to head to?” Zhang asked.

  “I heard from one of the soldiers that there is an open field of flowers not far from our camp how bout we go there.” Yuying said.

  Thus the group of four headed in the direction of their camp in search of the flower field. Simply spending time together was very enjoyable for the group.

  They continued walking and chatting with each other leisurely until they walked into an opening in the forest. The opening was filled with many kinds of different flowers.

  “Ah it’s beautiful.” Ai said as she run into the flower field.

  Soon Yuying and Ling both joined her. The three beauties played in the flower field and picked the beautiful flowers.

  “Yet another scene from heaven.” Zhang thought as he looked for a spot to sit down. Once he found a place to sit Zhang began picking flowers. He then made them into three bracelets.

  “This will do. If one had free time, then it is best spent wooing women.” Zhang chuckled in his mind.

  “What do you have there brother?”

  When Zhang looked up to see three smiling faces looking down at him.

  “For you three.” He said as he showed them the three flower bracelets.

  “Oh that’s very pretty.” Ai said as she reached her hand out in front of Zhang waiting for him to put it on for her.

  Moments later the bracelet was on her hand and ray of energy was shooting out of Zhang’s fingertips. He was using the power of the Underworld Heart to change the flower bracelet. Slowly the fresh looking flowers turned into crystal. The bracelet sparkled under the sunlight and looked extremely unique.

  After Ai get her bracelet Yuying and Ling got theirs.

  “Brother what would other people think if they found out you are using a treasure like the Underworld Heart to make bracelets.” Yuying laughed.

  “They’d be jealous of me.” Zhang said.

  “Why you they be jealous of you?” Ling chuckled.

  “They’d be jealous because I have three very beautiful women to give these bracelets to.” Zhang said as he pulled Yuying and Ling down onto himself. After Yuying and Ling fell Ai soon followed. By now the three beauties were used to this and laid down beside him.

  “If only moments like this can last forever.” Ling sighed.

  “Moments like this won’t last forever but that doesn’t mean we can make more of them.” Zhang said as he pulled her in closer to himself.

  “I’ll be sure try my best to make you three happy.” Zhang murmured.

  The four of them laid in the middle of the field of flowers looking at fluffy clouds floating in the sky.

  “Sis that one looks like a heart.” Ai said to Ling as she pointed at a heart shaped cloud.

  “Yea it does. That one over there looks like a fish.” Ling said.

  “That one there looks like a flower.” Yuying pointed out.

  Zhang truly felt that even if someone offered him the world to trade places with him right now he would decline.

  “The lucky man in the world does not have pretty wives. But wives that get along. I truly am the luckiest man alive. My future wives will be very beautiful and will get along.” Zhang thought as a silly grin appeared on his face. He felt that he was truly blessed to have these three women with him.

  Because even if a man had many beautiful wives, if they didn't get along, then there would never be a happy home to come home to.

  “For Yuying, Ai, and Ling to get along so well was a gift from heaven to me.” Zhang thought.

  “Brother so we are only going to get one flag?” Ling asked while still in Zhang’s embrace.

  “Yes we are only going to get one flag, I already have made plans to make the last stage of the tournament be highly favorable for us.

  The lovebirds laid in the flower field and watched the sunset and be replaced by countless twinkling stars in the sky. The Demonic Forest had been made into a couple’s getaway by this group of four. With the Titanic Golden spiders roaming and hunting down many of the demonic beasts in the forest this place made the perfect getaway.

  “That there is the constellation of the north called the black tortoise. And that is the conste
llation of the east called the azure dragon. Over there is the vermillion bird of the south.” Zhang said as he pointed to some stars in the sky.

  “Brother you forgot about the white tiger of the west.” Ling said as she pointed up into the starry night.

  “Have you guys heard the story of the cow herder and the lunar goddess?” Yuying asked.

  “What’s that about sister?” Ai asked.

  “Yea tell us.” Zhang.

  “A long long time ago there was a cow herder by the name of Niulang who met a very beautiful girl named Zhinu. Zhinu was a fairy tasked with weaving heaven’s silks who had come to the mortal plane out of boredom. After meeting each other the two quickly fell in love and even had two children together. However, this was a taboo that was not meant to be broken. Mortals and the heavenly beings were not supposed to be together. So Zhinu was forced to return to heaven leaving her husband and two children. However, fate would have it that they would meet again. Niulang came to possess a magical cloak that allowed him to travel to heaven. He traveled to heaven to meet his wife while bringing along his two children. But fate also played cruel tricks on people. He was found before he could meet his wife and was expelled back down to the mortal plane. But pitying the two lover’s heaven allowed them to meet each other for one night on seventh night of the seventh moon.” Yuying said.

  “But this is just a story I’m not sure if it’s true or not.” She added.

  “This story just goes to show us that we must treasure every moment we have with each other.” Zhang said as he cuddles with the three beauties.

  From his interspatial ring Zhang made a large blanket appear.

  “How about we sleep here for tonight?” He said.

  No one replied to his question nor did anyone get up. So thus the group slept outside in the flower field.

  In the morning Zhang woke to find the three beauties still sleeping in his arms. Today would be the last day of the first part of the tournament.

  Overnight all of the Titanic Golden spiders gathered in the flower field. They could be seen hiding under the bushes of flowers.

  Zhang opened the Ruler's Domain and with a whistle the spiders all crawled into the portal that was created.

  Later in the day king Huang He arrived along with his entourage. A large stage was put together outside of the forest. On the stage a large hourglass was placed and ten flag holders could be seen on top of that stage.

  Once the stage was set up many of the people who had golden flags began leaving the forest and heading for the stage. When they got to the stage they would walk onto the stage and stick their flag into the flag holder.

  One by one these people came and eventually ten people were sitting on top of the stage.

  “Everyone is here your majesty should we move on to the second part of the tournament?” A middle aged minister asked king Huang He.

  “No not yet not until the sand in the hourglass all drops to the bottom.” Huang He replied.

  There was roughly two more hours’ worth of sand still left in the hourglass and once that was gone then the first part of the tournament would end and Huang He would initiate the second part.

  On stage the ten people with flags were waiting for the end of the first part of the tournament while chatting amongst themselves.

  “What’s the point of this waiting all of us are here already.” Ming Jiang complained to another young man sitting beside him.

  “Ming Jiang as impatient as always. Waiting a bit longer won’t kill you. I suggest you just bear with it and not make a scene.” The young man said.

  “Hpmh we can’t all be as a patient as like you Shu Shang. But then again I’m not second in line for the throne like some people and have to bid their time and pray an accident happens to the first in line.” Ming Jiang sneered.

  “What do you mean? Are you saying I want to take the throne from my brother?” Shu Shang replied with a glare.

  “Aren’t I right? You're always telling people to wait patiently and shit. So I would think the same about yourself.” Ming Jiang said in a mocking tone.

  “Hmph even if I don’t become the next king I will still be a duke and my territory in the Shu kingdom will still be bigger than your entire kingdom. What’s the point of fighting with my brother over something that’s not mine?” Shu Shang sneered at Ming Jiang.

  “So what if your territory will be bigger? You’re going to live under someone your entire life.” Ming Jiang said mocking Shu Shang.

  “And you’re not going to? I heard that your father fancies your little brother very much maybe he will replace you and have him as the crowned prince.”

  “Shu Shang quit acting like you are so righteous.” A third voice appeared.

  “Hmph if it isn’t prince Liu Pi. You still sucking up to Ming Jiang?” Shu Shang sneered

  With a third participant the three argued back and forth as the sand in the hourglass continued to pour down until almost all gone with roughly a few minutes’ worth of sand left inside.

  Huang He seeing that said had roughly a few minutes left stood up and walked to the center of the stage to speak.

  However, before he could start talking from the audience a black vine shot out toward the stage straight at prince Liu Pi. In a blink of an eye the whip smashed into Liu Pi knocking him flying off the stage.

  And in an instance a figure jumped out from the crowd and grabbed that flag that Liu Pi had possessed.

  “Your majesty I apologize for the commotion.” The figure said.

  This person would be recognized as Zhang and the person that used the whip in the crowd was Ai.

  “I would like to announce that the first part of the tournament has come to an end.” King Huang He said as if no paying attention to what Zhang did.

  While many people were watching in confusion. Everything happened so fast they were not able to fully process it. Ming Jiang was the most stupefied because he was the closest person to Liu Pi at the time

  The entire time Zhang and the three beauties were waiting in the crowd for the perfect opportunity to act. Once the hourglass was nearly empty Ai pulled out the Black Thorn whip and attacked Liu Pi while Zhang jumped on stage to claim the flag. At first they had planned to attack Ming Jiang but decided against it once they saw that Liu Pi and Ming Jiang were ganging up on Shu Shang. Taking out Liu Pi first and saving Ming Jiang for later would be more fulfilling.

  After Liu pi was hit by the whip he was knocked off stage and smashed into the ground knocking him unconscious. The attack had taken him totally off guard since he was busy helping Ming Jiang argue with Shu Shang.

  As many people came to realize what had happened they felt a hint of pity for Liu Pi who came so close to advancing to the second stage of the tournament.

  “Without further ado let's being the picking of teams. Each team will be composed of one thousand people since the final part of the tournament will be somewhat like a mock war. All participants pick wisely when choosing who will join you for the final battle.”

  “As you pick people I will explain the rules for the last part of the tournament. In the colosseum there are ten towers and each person with a golden flag will guard one tower. The golden flag they possess will be placed at the very top of the tower. Each team will be assigned a color and their tower will emit that color showing they have ownership of the tower. But once someone makes it to the very top of the tower and touches the flag it will change colors according to the team the person who touched it belongs to. How will we know which team the person is on you might ask? That will be simple everyone participating in the final battle will have to use weapons and armor supplied by the kingdom. These weapons were made by a saint level mystic that was invited from the Golden Lotus. These weapons will not physically harm anyone when used to attack however when people wear the armor provided the pain of the attack will still register.” King Huang He said.

  “Each set of armor has a glass plate in front of them and once these glass plates are broke
n then the person wearing the armor will be taken out of the battle. At the end of the tournament whoever still has a tower under their team’s control will be a victor and will have a chance to enter the treasury of our Heilong kingdom and pick out one item to take home.”

  After the king’s explanation everyone hurriedly went to pick out members to serve under them. Zhang casually left and headed back to his camp. As Zhang left someone was watching him. Ming Jiang was currently glaring at Zhang and if he could eat Zhang’s bones and drink his blood then Ming Jiang would.