The Story of Dusk 248 SCHEMES AFTER SCHEMES

Luckily, Xiao Jun was fine, though he was injured, but it wasn't something serious.

With that news, Xiao Tianyao was in deep thought about his brother and felt ashamed on himself who could do nothing for him.

Both of them were brother who only had each other to rely on, and all this time, Xiao Jun had been protecting him well.

Even when he was under attack by Misty Cloud Clan, Xiao Jun came when he was still unconscious and Xiao Tianyao regretted that he couldn't have a proper conversation after the thing that had happened in the resort.

Xiao Jun didn't kill Luna, because she was pregnant with his child.

To see his own brother to be with the daughter of their enemy must be hard for Xiao Jun. The feeling of betrayal and the disappointment that chewed his heart was something that Xiao Tianyao only thought about it now.

It was understandable if Xiao Tianyao was with Luna when he was still under her control, but after that, it was Xiao Tianyao own decision to be with Luna.

The decision that he had decided it with awareness of their situation. If Xiao Tianyao was in Xiao Jun's shoes, he wouldn't guarantee that he could receive it as well as Xiao Jun did.

Probably he would have killed the woman without a second thought.

He shouldn't be with Luna right? but… it didn't feel right for him either…

Xiao Tianyao caressed Luna's cheek.

And now, here he was, taking care of the daughter enemy, who had just given him an heir, save and sound while his brother was in the battlefield with assassins lurking his back, ready to bite him to death.

Xiao Tianyao should be with him now and supported him like what he always do, fight alongside each other, back to back.

"If only you are someone else…" Xiao Tianyao whispered softly.

"Will you love me more?" Luna suddenly opened her eyes, her eyelashes fluttered before they showed her beautiful black eyes.

She had been awake since the moment Xiao Tianyao touched her cheeks with regret. Luna felt his emotion.

And Xiao Tianyao was reek with regret and self deprecation. Luna understood what it was and she felt the same…

Only if she was someone else daughter and not Modama…

"Will you love me more?" Luna repeated her question one more time as a single tear fell from her eyes.

"Maybe…" Xiao Tianyao whispered to her.

***  

"It has been eight months!!!" Xiao Zi screamed in anger while throwing books on his table. "It has been eight months and he still couldn't overthrown both Kingdom!!?"

Xiao Zi expected the war would last only for four or six months, however, up to these eight months, still there was no progress. The three cities that they could conquere was the only progress that he received.

"Jun is playing with you father." Xiao Wang Wei stroked his chin with his thump. "He doesn't really want to win the war that was why he prolonged it. Right now, he must have something planned in his mind." He analyzed.

Upon hearing that, Xiao Zi stopped for a while as he was deep in thought. There was nothing wrong with Xiao Wang Wei's words. Actually, it was quite make senses.

Ever since Xiao Zi's attempt to kill Xiao Jun, after Azura's army managed to take over the three cities, failed, there was no more significant news regarding the war, the only thing that he got was letter by letter of their demanding supply.

He had purchase many things for the soldier without a worth it progress!

Actually the idea to send assassins toward the northern fortress was Xiao Wu Xie's idea, his second son, and his personal greed.

It would be easier and less suspicion if Xiao Jun was killed in the fortress, near the battlefield. People would think Xiao Jun was unlucky for being killed by the enemies' assassins while in truth, it was the Emperor behind all of that, however who would have think that it was him? There wouldn't be a thing that could relate to him.

"Why don't we kill him?" Xiao Wang Wei suggested cunningly.

"Kill him!?" Xiao Zi raised his brows angrily as though that word was agitated him. "I will have done so if I could!"

"So, why you couldn't?" Xiao Wang Wei asked ignorantly, didn't notice that his question had annoyed his father.

"If this attempt was failed, Jun wouldn't be generous enough to give me the result that I want about the war! He will turn his back and help Rockstone Kingdom instead, that what he said!" Xiao Zi blurted out. He really didn't understand why he always a step behind his first cousin.

"Do you really think Jun will turn his back against us, father?" Xiao Wang Wei didn't quite get it, from where this logic came from? "Jun loved this country, this the only part that is left by his parent to take care of, his right birth actually, if you failed to take the throne by blackmailing the other minister." He explained the fact.

"So, what is your point?" Xiao Zi didn't have time for theory. He wanted a plan about what he had to do now.

"Kill Jun and let Tianyao leads the army." Xiao Wang Wei said simply, he was smiling with his own idea. "I heard both of them relationship didn't go very well because Tianyao demanded to keep that woman."

No one knew Luna's real identity except the Emperor, not even Xiao Wang Wei would have thought that the woman was a mind controller and a daughter of Modama.

"I heard that woman had given birth a son to Tianyao, why don't you want to come and visit?" Xiao Wang Wei added. "Maybe you can drag Tianyao to our side? After all he was less competitive than his brother, the throne has never attractive enough for him."

In another words, Xiao Tianyao was safe enough to be put in the palace, as he wouldn't figth over a power because during these years, all he was doing was to help Xiao Jun.

However, Xiao Zi didn't agree with the idea, he knew how strong the bond between the brothers, though they were not in the same page now, didn't mean Xiao Tianyao would easily turned down his brother.

Not to mention there was no guarantee of this plan would be success as Luna had crossed the bridge and was in Xiao Tianyao's side, the success rate of this plan was low.

However, Xiao Wang Wei's words had sparked another plan inside Xiao Zi's mind. He had another idea.

"You can leave for now." Xiao Zi waved his hand and went back to sit on his throne.

In front of him, Xiao Wang Wei tilted his head, didn't understand the sudden changed of mood of his father, one moment ago he was all rage and now he was contemplating something.

"You have something in your mind father?" Xiao Wang Wei asked curiously, he wanted to involve to whatever his father's plans were.

He wasn't come from military and had never been so close to the battlefield, though he trained a remarkable group of archers, but he had never involved himself in military matter.

This thing was seen as a weakness by many ministres who went against him and support his brother, Xiao Wu Xie instead.

He was crowned as the crown prince because he was the first born, but he had to do more than this to prove himself.

"I said you can leave." Xiao Zi ignored him and spoke sternly, he indeed has something in his mind, but this wasn't something that Xiao Wang Wei could do, so there was no point of telling him.

"I will leave…" Xiao Wang Wei lowered his head and gave Xiao Zi a respect, but the moment he turned around his eyes were icy cold. He didn't like to be treated like this.

Once Xiao Wang Wei had left, Xiao Zi called his eunuch.

"Give me a list of soldiers who is stationed to guard Jun's barrack." Xiao Zi said, his eyes glimmered devilishly.

The eunuch didn't understand, but he still did what he had told nonetheless.

If outside force couldn't kill Xiao Jun, then let's see if this came from both sides.

*** 

Xiao Tianyao and Luna were walking in the backyard garden while talking about trivial things.

Ever since the attack of Modama failed and caused Luna an earlier birth, there was no more attempt of murder that came to them.

They could be a bit relaxed but couldn't put their guard down. Albeit, Xiao Tianyao was still busy with his own matter.

He was still looking for more news about the Elder in Zodasian Kingdom and Rockstone Kingdom. It wasn't something easy, giving to their current situation.

Xiao Tianyao also aware about Xiao Jun's plan to prolong the war, Xiao Jun and Elder Dam didn't move forward and stayed in defensive state.

The three cities that they conquered was the supply for Rockstone country's grain, hence Rockstone Kingdom was having hard time to feed their soldiers and people, now they were relying on Zodasian.

This was only a matter of time before the alliance between them fell out.

It took time, but the result would be better when they started to attack each other instead of focused on their plan to take down Azura.

"The carnation flower at the resort must have blooming at this time." Luna said while looking at the clear sky, she had never seen her brother anymore, last time she had tried to ask Xiao Tianyao to find out about her brother's whereabouts, Xiao Tianyao did, and the result slightly confused Luna.

Apparently Gong Xu stayed at the Mountain Sui Sword Sect and did something so secret there, he was also guarded by no less than four men, Xiao Tianyao knew about this because he had been spying on that place for more than a year now.

Luna didn't know what was that, but like Xiao Tianyao, both of them were aware this wasn't something good.

However, Luna couldn't ask more, as long as his brother was alive, there was still hope to bring him out from there, when everything was over.

But, when all of this would be over?

"Shall we take a look?" Xiao Tianyao suggested.

"I would love to go." Luna smiled brightly. This was something that she had only dare to dream about a year ago, but now everything seemed alright in her eyes.

She had a husband, a son, a small family that she cherished the most.

Suddenly she felt slightly bumped on her legs and before she could see what was that, Xiao Tianyao had bent his body and lifte a small boy in his arms.

The kid was so small, probably smaller than the child around his age, his bright eyes looked at Xiao Tianyao impassively as if he was trying to say to put him down.

Like he could understand his son, Xiao Tianyao put his small body down and once the young boy's feet touched the ground he raised his small hand up to his mother, asking to be carried by her.

"He really likes you." Xiao Tianyao commented while looking at Luna who happily carried him in her arms.

"He likes you too." Luna said lightly while kissing the boy chubby cheeks.

Xiao Mugi looked exactly like his father, as though there was no trace of Luna in his featured, but Luna didn't bother about that.

Now, he was a year old, but very active though he didn't really talkative, he took after his father in that case.

"Where we will go?" Xiao Mugi asked with his childish voice. Apparently he heard their conversation.

However, before either Luna or Xiao Tianyao answered him a guard ran toward Xiao Tianyao and suddenly knelt before him.

He wasn't in good shape and panic that exuded from him was palpable.

"What is it?" Xiao Tianyao asked in stern voice, something wasn't right must have been occurred.

Chapter end