ROAR OF THE JADE DRAGON

CONVERSATION WITH A USURPER

"There has been enough death," Li Yan announced while sitting on the throne of Jade heaven. "It is not my wish that I should have your blood on my hands, Liu Chang."

"What is it that you want, Li Yan?," asked Liu Chang defiantly standing between two guards.

"You have always served the crown loyally," said Li Yan. I am giving you another chance to continue serving."

"Why don't you ask Kai Shek?," Liu Chang challenged. I 'm sure that traitor will be glad to accept."

"I am asking you, Liu Chang," said Li Yan.

"Never!!", boldly declared Liu Chang. "I am no traitor!"

"That is exactly why I want you because of your strong sense of loyalty, Liu Chang", Li Yan declared. "I want people I can trust around me."

"Where of Kai Shek?"asked Liu Chang.

"There is no need for you to concern yourself about him? You said it yourself he is a traitor. I took the liberty to have him executed on the charge of treason against the crown. Imagine that," said Li Yan.

"You forgot one more person?" announced Liu Chang.

"Ooh?" exclaimed Li YanLi seemingly puzzled.

"You," calmly replied Liu Chang.

Li Yan chuckled briefly before proceeding in a more serious tone

"I 'get bored with this conversation. Tell me where is my Wang Wei?" Li Yan asked.

Liu Chang just quietly stared at her as though she had lost her mind.

"I really admire the fire in you, Liu Chang, but even you must realise the futility of the situation. Jade heaven lies in ruins, there is desolation everywhere," announced Li Yan.

"Thanks to you and your treacherous father," Liu Chang angrilly hissed.

"I will say it again, that I admire your boldness." "But there is a limit to everything. Keep in mind that you are at my mercy. I would advise you weigh your words carefully before you speak, Liu Chang," Li Yan threatened.

"You don't scare me, I will never tell you where crown prince Wang Wei is. Go ahead and execute me," Liu Chang boldly challenged.

"Such brave words", observed Li Yan. "You may not like me..."

"I despise you," Liu Chang declared defiantly.

"But I know you love jade heaven and you want to see it restored to its former glory," said Li Yan.

Liu Chang kept quietly gazing at Li Yan.

"I also want the same thing", declared Li Yan almost sympathetically.

"Are you offering to step down from the throne?", Liu Chang asked with a hopeful tone.

"Now why should I do that when I have only got here?," asked Li Yan in a playful tone.

There was a brief pause of silence before Li Yan proceeded. I know Wang Wei trusts you. You will convince him to marry me..."

"Never!" snapped Liu Chang.

"Wang Wei...", Li Yan began.

"That's crown prince Wang Wei to you", Liu Chang corrected.

"Noted, the coming together of crown prince Wang Wei and myself will restore harmony to the celestial realm. Jade heaven will restart again under a new dynasty," said Li Yan.

"Under the rule of the red dragon?", asked Liu Chang.

"Yes, now you get it, Liu Chang," Li Yan acknowledged.

"Crown prince Wang Wei has already rejected you. Nothing I say will change his decision and for your information, I fully support his position."

"Then your life is of no use to me," declared Li Yan coldly.

"So be it", said Liu Chang "The jade dragon can never live in the shadow of the red dragon."

"Take him outside and execute him," Li Yan ordered the two guards watching Liu Chang.

The guards made to lay their hands on Liu Chang.

"Don't you dare lay your filthy paws on an imperial adviser!," Liu Chang declared proudly shrugging off their hands. "I can walk on my own."

"Let him be," Li Yan ordered. "At least we can allow him that final dignity becoming of his status."

It meant the imperial adviser was still alive. Chan Jun needed to find Liu Chang fast so that he could get back to crown prince Wang Wei. He was worried about his master. The condition in which he had left him in was not good. He was hoping that the crown prince would still not have been discovered by the mortals.

Looking around as soon as his feet touched down in the celestial realm the only dead bodies he found lying on the ground were those of the rebel soldiers he had killed earlier.

If Liu Chang 's dead body was not lying around, it could only mean one thing. That Liu Chang had been taken prisoner. It meant Li Yan wanted him alive.

Chen Jun set off for the jade palace at a jog. He just hoped he would arrive on time to save the life of the imperial adviser.

It must have because Liu Chang had been the emperor's close confidante and most trusted adviser. Li Yan would want him to her restore some kind of normality after taking over the jade palace.

Liu Chang could be useful to her in that regard.

He also knew Liu Chang could be as stubborn as he was wise. Once he set his mind. He would not consider a compromise even to save his own life.

Chen Jun also understood that Li Yan would not hesitate to have him put to death if she could not use him.

It only stressed the urgency of the situation on Chan Jun's part if he was going to get Liu Chang out of the jade palace before his stubbornness got him killed.

Liu Chang stepped out of the jade palace with the two guards in tow. He knew for what must be the last time but he was not afraid. If anything he felt an immense sense of relief that the crown prince was safely out of the red dragon's clutches. He took comfort in the knowledge that one day the jade dragon would roar.

On that day without a bird in the sky, with desolation all around. He was drawing his last breath, but somehow he felt light hearted even almost at peace.

"Prisoner, kneel!", ordered d one of his guards.

Taking one last look at the jade palace, Liu Chang got down on his knees.

"Prisoner bow your head", ordered the guard.

Liu Chang bowed his head and waited for the fatal blow as the guard raised sword to strike. Suddenly there was the clash of metal against metal.

"Get up Liu Chang", Chen Jun's familiar voice rang out while fending off the two guards with his sword. More rebel soldiers charged towards them with swords drawn.

"Run!", Chen Jun called out to Liu Chang while wielding his sword with practised ease.

Chen Jun felt a sense of relief that he had arrived just in time to save Liu Chang. He felt an immense sense of relief that the imperial adviser has alive. Liu Chang's knowledge would be useful in retaking the jade palace.

Though for the time being, the main concern was getting away safely.

After sometime running through desolate landscape of the celestial realm, Chen Jun called out, 'there seems to be no one behind us. I think we can stop running."

Panting with exhaustion they stopped running and broke into a comfortable walking pace.

"I 'm glad to find you in one piece," Chen Jun remarked .

"Had you arrived one moment later, you would have found me in two pieces," replied Liu Chang.

I wonder why those rebel soldiers gave up the chase so quickly," remarked Chen Jun.

"I think it has to do with your sword play," said Liu Chang.

It was true that Chen Jun had cost a number of rebel soldiers their lives. It therefore came as no surprise to him that they had become reluctant to engage him in combat.

"What happened to you after we left?" Chen Jun asked.

"The rebel soldiers would have killed me but then there was a violent thunderstorm," replied Liu Chang.

"A thunderstorm here in the celestial realm?," Chen Jun repeated.

"Crown prince Wang Wei is not called the peace of the jade palace for nothing. His departure from the celestial realm is not without consequence," replied Liu Chang.

"You mean his departure set off the thunderstorm?" asked Chen Jun.

"Had he been conscious and gone of his own accord at the time he departed from the celestial realm, nothing would have happened" said Liu Chang. "The rebel soldiers were terrified and decided to take me back with them to the jade palace. They wanted me to explain to Li Yan why there was a thunderstorm in jade heaven."

"Maybe they thought you could stop the thunderstorm," added Chen Jun.

"That's what they thought", agreed Liu Chen.

"Then you being Liu Chang, you had to insult Li Yan and make her want to take your head off," Chen Jun teased light heartedly.

"Chen Jun if you're here, where is crown prince Wang Wei?" asked Liu Chang.

"He is safe for now," let us quickly go and meet him," said Chen Jun, remembering his master's condition and picking up the pace.

"I will show you," said Chen Jun as they both went over the edge of the celestial realm and glided gently to Earth.

"Where exactly did you say you left him," asked Liu Chang as they landed in the forest near the big tree where he had left crown prince Wang Wei unconscious.

"He was right here, I promise," said Chen Jun looking around.

Chen Jun, do you think that maybe, someone could have found him?"

"If they did it would mean the mortals would have taken him," Chen Jun replied.

"What are you saying Chen Jun, what condition was he in?," asked Liu Chang.

"Wang Wei was unconscious. He had been wounded as he fell over the edge of celestial realm. One of the rebel soldiers struck him with a sword on the shoulder", Chen Jun explained.