Ni Tianxing's face darkened at that.

Prince Rui studied Feng Qizheng a while, then looked down at Ni Tianxing. "He's the man you told me about?"

Ni Tianxing nodded. "He was born with a god's strength, and he wears the jade pendant Prince Qi left behind. There can hardly be any mistake."

Prince Rui turned to Feng Qizheng. "You are Prince Qi's descendant. We're close kin. By the generations, you should be calling me Imperial Uncle.

Child, in those days your Imperial Uncle Prince Qi was cruelly framed, and the entire household went to the sword. Only your father came out of it alive by no more than a hair. How can a blood feud like that go unavenged?

Your Imperial Uncle can help you take the realm back. That realm should have belonged to your line."

Feng Qizheng laughed coldly, with contempt all over his face. "You old rogue. You betrayed the Great Xuan, set yourself up as emperor, robbed your own family's graves, even took your own father's remains apart... I'd have to be mad to work with an animal like you.

Enough talk. Get down off those horses for your father, all of you, and kneel and surrender. Anybody who says no, your father takes his dog's head off."

Prince Rui's face went dark as iron.

Ni Tianxing said angrily, "You aren't fit to be Prince Qi's descendant!"

Feng Qizheng looked disgusted. "It isn't that I'm not fit. It's that I've got no interest and no use for it... A rabble like you wants to overturn the realm of the Great Xuan? Your father could die laughing!

Your father is counting to three. Kneel and surrender by then or don't blame your father for what happens next!"

Prince Rui's face went still and heavy. He wiped the rain off it and said to Zhouji Daisuke, "General, give the order to charge, quickly. Any longer and we'll never get out!"

Zhouji Daisuke nodded.

Feng Qizheng's contempt was total. "A charge, is it? Come on, then... If one man of yours gets through, your father lets the rest of…