The Last Victory

12. The Fallen City

A long way from the powerless, white peacock away, but still within sight, another figure sat on a platform and watched him. He had noticed the thundering avalanche from afar and looked down at the former proud lord with some satisfaction.
"Shall we kill him?" Guo asked.
The blue peacock shook his head. "No, he's exactly there where I wanted him to be. It couldn't have gone any better."
He turned away. "No, he won't come to me until I allow it. And he will come to me."
Guo let him walk past him and scratched his ear. "But I still don't understand the point of your plan yet."
"Destroying their lives. That's my goal." The blue peacock folded his wings together and his eyes darkened. "Even if I should die."

In the meantime, it was in the evening. In the city it became quieter, only in the palace it was impossible to find peace.
After the argument, Yin-Yu didn't retreat back to her room, but into one of the many common rooms. Soothsayer, her confidante Xinxin and her two children, were the only ones who keeping her company. They didn't talk much. Mainly it was Yin-Yu, who blamed herself and the others had to comfort her.
"Maybe it was a mistake talking to him after all," she muttered.
"Do you think, we should look for him?" Xia asked. Because by now everyone knew that Shen had run away from town.
But the soothsayer shook her head. "Shen cannot be forced into anything. He has to deal with it alone."
Xia was skeptical about that. "And how long can that take?"
Nobody could give her an answer.

Nobody knew that an army was getting ready outside the city area. An army of at least 200 men and more. Not much to raid a city, but it was enough for his plan.
The ox Guo wasn't quite so sure. "Are you sure it will work?"
The blue peacock smiled. "According to Ryuga, there are still not many soldiers in his city yet. And if he knocks off some of the soldiers and, as discussed, if he renders unusable their weapons, it will be easy." A bitter smile crossed his face. "And then the rest will be a waltz."

"I'm tired for today," Sheng said and yawned uninhibitedly.
His mother nodded to him. "Yes, it's been a tough week for all of us." She stood up from her seat on several pillows. "Maybe your father will come back soon."
"Hopefully in a better mood, too," Xia hoped, which she said very quietly.
Sheng was about to open the door when it was suddenly thrown open and two rams rushed in.
"Lady Yin-Yu! We are under attack!"
Everyone in the room looked at them in shock.
"What do you mean?" the peahen asked cautiously.
But then she was interrupted by loud screams from outside. She hurried to the window with the others. But all what they could see were strange black-clad oxen storming over the wall. Anyone who stood in their way, they knocked them down.
"Why is no one defending the wall?" Yin-Yu asked, completely shocked.
"The cannons don't work!" the guard reported.
"What do you mean that they don't work?" Xia chopped indignantly.
But there were no further questions. At the next moment, there was a commotion outside in the hallway. Two more big goats stormed into the room. But before either of them could say a word, they were knocked out by oxen.
The two rams tried to defend themselves, but they were knocked down immediately, too. Shortly afterwards, four black-clad oxen ran in.
Yin-Yu, Xia, Soothsayer squeezed into the far corner of the room. Only the vixen Xinxin hid herself under the pillows. And Sheng had no intention of surrendering. He jumped at them and attacked the intruders.
But then suddenly another ox appeared and hurled the young peacock against the wall. Yin-Yu rushed to him immediately. But the shock that followed was not lessened when she realized who had broken into the palace.
As she leaned over her son, who lay groaning on the floor, she looked intimidated at the attacker.
"Long time no see, huh?" Guo didn't seem to be surprised by her reaction. "But your son is really not good for a fight yet."
He laughed. Normally, Xia would have scolded someone like him, but Guo's appearance did not suggest anything good to anyone. And this fear promptly came true.
"Oh, by the way," Guo continued. "Someone wants to speak to you in front of town. If you don't want that anyone will be hurt, then I would advise you to come with me."

There were screams around them. But no one had the opportunity to follow these screams. Yin-Yu was dragged through the city with Xia, Sheng and Soothsayer, accompanied by several mercenaries. Here and there a house was on fire. Because of the darkness of the night, no one could say exactly how great the damage was.
She was brutally pushed forward a few times. The whole thing went on until they were less than one kilometer away from the city limits. Then the peahen was simply thrown on the floor. But before she could straighten up, a voice let her froze. "Ah, Yin-Yu, my dear. How nice to see you again after one year."
She had hoped never to hear that voice again. But when she raised her head, the man was just a few steps in front of her, who she never wanted to see again.
Xiang grinned when their eyes met. Immediately, the peahen backed away and bumped against her two children. They were deeply dismayed, too. The blue peacock, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy her fear. Yin-Yu unconsciously pressed her children closer to herself.
"If you want to kill us, just kill me! But let them go!" she cried.
Xiang smiled mockingly. "You've got pretty cheeky within a short time, and I don't like that sound."
He took a step forward, but his ex-children would not allow any further and stood protectively in front of her.
His gaze wandered between the two siblings with scornful facial expressions.
"What are you doing here?!" Xia snapped at him.
"Shouldn't you be in jail?" Sheng joined her.
The blue peacock shrugged. "So many questions without asking my permission. You really weren't well-educated during my absence. But pleasure. You should get answers. But we can also discuss them on the way."
"What do you mean?" Xia asked in a firm voice.
But at the next moment, they were grabbed by several oxen while Xiang explained his statement. "That means that we will make a little journey - as an ex-family."