The world was not ruled by a single throne or Emperor alone,Though the Emperor stood at the apex of rulership , beneath him the land was divided among seven vast dominions. Territories governed by the Seven Sovereigns of...
Fire.
Water.
Earth.
Wood.
Ice.
Lightning.
Sword.
Each Sovereign ruled absolutely within their domain and led the most powerful sect of their element. And though they pledged loyalty to the Emperor, none could mistake the truth:
They were Kings and Queens in all but name.
Sovereign of Fire "Lord Hu Lee" master of the Scorched Mountain Sect, whose stronghold was carved into the heart of a living volcano.
Sovereign of Water "Lady Tei Lai" ruler of the Undersea Palace, a sect constructed beneath crushing ocean depths where pressure alone could kill ordinary cultivators.
Sovereign of Ice "Lord Ting Wu" whose disciples trained upon frozen peaks where blizzards never ceased and the night never came.
Sovereign of Wood "Lady Azure Rose" leader of the Lionesses, a sect composed almost entirely of female cultivators known for ruthless discipline and steadfast ideology of Survival of the Fittest.
Sovereign of Lightning "Lord Zi Za" whose sect cultivated speed and annihilation in equal measure, havd warriors that were the most boastful.
Sovereign of Swords "Lady Ann Ill" whose disciples were said to be born with blades in their hands. And lived and die with said sword.
And finally...
His uncle the Sovereign of Earth.
Lord Chi Li leader of the Earth Dominion sect
Whose determination and strength are compared to that of diamond and jade.
Also his known as the Elder brother of General Yu Shang Li.
The title of Sovereign was not inherited. It was earned, through strength, merit, and the endorsement of one's sect.
Yet it was widely known that had Shang Li competed for leadership over the Earth Dominion Sect…
He would have won in a landslide.
John appreciated the pun internally.
He lay quietly in Yue Li's arms, his enhanced hearing picking up the frantic murmurs of servants preparing the estate.
Through snippets of gossip and fragments of his mother's past stories, he assembled a clearer picture of the political landscape and the rulers of his new reality.
The Emperor.
The Four Grand Generals.
The Seven Sovereigns.
The balance of power.
The Four Generals were rarely discussed openly. Their names alone carried weight.
General Shou.
General Jin.
General Ki.
General Shang.
And above them all...
Emperor Marcus?
John blinked.
"Marcus?" he thought dryly.
In a world of Hu Lee, Tei Lai, and Zi Za…
Marcus?
He felt an inexplicable sympathy for the Emperor to have such an outlier for a name, His parents must be incredibly dull thinkers.
Servants rushed about the Li estate with visible anxiety.
Tapestries of crimson and gold were hung from balconies. Silk ribbons wrapped pillars and staircases. Incense burned in tall bronze braziers, scenting the air with sandalwood and something sharper beneath it.
Power was gathering here.
And Yue Li stood at the center of it all.
Today she wore black robes trimmed with a deep red sash, golden spider lilies embroidered along the hem. The flowers looked almost alive against the dark silk.
She leaned close to John when no one was watching.
"Be grateful you cannot speak yet,"
she whispered conspiratorially.
"It saves you from mingling with that dreadful crowd. I would rather duel every single one of them than exchange pleasantries."
Her lips curved into a sweet smile for the passing servants.
Her eyes did not.
John stared at her.
She truly meant that.
A clan physician approached carefully, offering medicinal pills on a lacquered tray.
Yue Li swallowed them without complaint.
But her crimson eyes burned.
The air sharpened around her, thin, cutting, and oppressive.
The physician bowed so deeply his forehead nearly struck the floor before retreating as though fleeing a battlefield.
John watched the exchange with growing concern.
She was unstable.
Not weak, atleast not physically.
Not frail.
Just plain unstable.
"And you..."
Yue Li murmured, pressing her forehead against his.
"If any of those creepy old men or women...try to touch you during the banquet, then you have my permission to bite their fingers off. I will handle the rest."
She kissed his forehead repeatedly.
John blinked slowly, while Internally...
"Holy hell...She's completely unhinged."
He imagined her sword Jade Cutter flashing through silk, bone and armor alike.
Blood pooling across polished marble.
The Sovereigns scrambling in panic.
While the Generals draw their weapons.
His stress spiked.
What kind of man marries someone like this?
Then again…
What kind of man becomes a Grand General?
Perhaps sanity wasn't a prerequisite.
And ambition was a necessary requirement.
"I am far too sober for this,"
John lamented internally.
"Curse my infant body."