In the training room, I swing the sword with my might, slashing through the air and thinking of making my enemies pay what they did to me, my family, my friends and my child! The wind blew the leaves, heading straight towards me as I sliced the leaf in half. The leaf fell on the ground as I took a deep breath with a sweat over me.

I sat on the chair and rested for a while. When Sheng left the Song mansion my father told me that the wedding will be started until I'm 18 without telling him.

Father didn't want the wedding to be rushed because Sheng didn't want some men to get near me... Staring at the sky was very peaceful and quiet.

I remembered my childhood life where my mother told me the bedtime story about our ancestor... the Crimson king.

Flashback

My mother tucked me in with a blanket and tells me the story about the world was full of chaotic war and led the people into depression and despair by destruction but the strange girl who came from a faraway clan who saved those people from destruction with the help from her 6 strongest warriors, "I used to read the story when I was about your age. About the people who have suffered from the war and chaos but was saved by the legendary Crimson king who restored the world in balance along with her warriors." She opened the book as I looked at the page.

"Long ago, a sovereign who descended from the heavens onto the land. According to legend, it became the sun, bathed the world within its sunlight and healed life. One day, a small village where a baby girl named Chuan Juan had an unknown illness as an infant, being still and quiet as though asleep, so her parents feared she would die. As her condition was critical and the doctor could not cure her. Her parents prayed to heaven in desperation and to give their daughter a second chance to live as their prayer spoke. A phoenix appeared to them out of nowhere and gifted their daughter with part of its own life force, saving her life and turning her hair red as the side effect. She opened her eyes and cried, her parents were happy to see their daughter alive."

"Chuan Juan turned 18 and became a beautiful girl with curly red hair. She's a slender girl with fair skin with violet eyes and facial features unlike other girls in the village. She lived in a peaceful land of joy and happiness with her family but one day, their emperor was killed by his uncle who wanted the throne from himself. He became a new emperor of the Suo kingdom and tyrannies the people from the land under his rule as the darkness rose upon the world."

(New emperor Suo)

"He was a very strict man and his people were afraid of him because of his harsh judgement. Thirty thousand people were judged and punished in one year. His capital punishment for failure to pay taxes, missing work due to illness and putting the child to death for stealing a bun. The people of Suo were hopeless and were forced to watch their families get killed."

"Why did he kill his own nephew and do something so cruel to these people, mommy? When I first entered the palace and met Sheng and his family. They were very good royals and love their people for their sake." I pouted to her in a soft voice as I snuggled in the blanket.

"Xiao family are good people because their soul is brighter as the sun and they will do anything to protect their people with compassion but some other royal's heart is filled with greed and selfishness because they wanted more power than others even wealth." My mother explained while stroking my hair as she continues to tell the story.

"The Suo army invaded the village and kidnapped them all as their home burned alive. All her people, friends and her family were taken as slavery for the Suo kingdom. They spent working in a field day and night with little food to eat and drinking the dirty water from puddles as the tragedy came. Chuan Juan's parents were beheaded by the soldiers of Suo because they have to take care of her younger sister who was very sick and missed due work."

"She has no choice but to protect her sister as she turned 15, Chuan Juan's sister and other young slave girls were forced to enter the palace to become concubines of the emperor Suo. Chuan Juan tried to save her younger sister as she sneaked into the palace and killed all the guards with a sword."

"It was too late, her sister was already dead by the emperor who killed her and threw her body in the forest where the wolves could eat her corpse. Her mind went blank as she held her sister's corpse and cried in tears for failing to protect her."

"Her hatred grew, and Chuan Juan will never forgive the emperor for killing her family and her sister. She promised herself that she will never let her people suffer and protect them with her life. Chuan Juan became the rebel leader and armed resistance against the emperor Suo as they called her the Crimson king because of her empathetic nature, her people have the courage to stand and fight against them."

"But Chuan Juan and the resistance were defeated and captured by the Suo army as the emperor ordered them to execute her at noon. All her people were captured and forced to watch her dead as her friends pleaded with them to let her go."

"She was not afraid to die and prayed to heaven to give her strength to lead her people and restore the world from darkness".

"Before the execution starts, the cloud turns into the darkness which frightens everyone as the lighting struck. The phoenix, the one who gave the life force to Chuan Juan when she was the baby, has came down from the heavens to assist her."

"Chuan Juan, I heard your plea as I came here to willing give you strength with the powers so you may lead your people without sorrow and restore the world in balance."

"In order to protect Chuan Juan, It gave their blood to human warriors and granted their power then strength. 6 warriors chosen by the gods and grant a devastating ability to protect her...We called it... The innate powers."

"One was given vision that could see across great distance. One was given a body which is gentle as a feather. One was given a leg to leap as high by great jumping the size like flight. One was given the voice that has ability to sing which is very good to hear. One was given sharp claws that could anything apart. One was given a strong body that could never be injured."

"From this day forward, you shall be our avatar. We have granted you, our powers so you may protect the crimson king. It is your duty to defend her life with your life, never betray her and to stay with her to the end."

"A phoenix reborn from the ashes, and rises as they renounce themselves from love and returns full of hatred!"

"Those people who cannot march their power as a rebellion started in the Suo kingdom, Chuan Juan and her phoenix warriors made allies of the lords from each province who's no longer tolerant of the emperor's harsh punishment and sent their soldiers to attack the palace of Suo."

(Lord Kie)

"After the Crimson king along with her warriors had cleared the kingdom free of evil, their mission had ended. The people watch Emperor Suo and his people brutally tortured from the method that he uses on his people. He was finally executed by Lord Kie who was the previous emperor's brother and escaped from his uncle assassins. The people were happy and lived peacefully with Lord Kie who became their next emperor with his beloved empress, Chuan Juan."

I was stunned to hear, "Lord Kie takes Chuan Juan as his empress!? Why? I asked in an excited voice as she smiled.

"Lord Kie fell in love with her when he first met her in the battle. He admired her strength and her beauty, that's why they fell in love with each other as they were loved happily in the kingdom with their children." She closed the book as I was wondering what happened to the phoenix warriors?

"Mommy, what happened to the phoenix warriors? The story didn't say anything about them in the end."

"Who knows? Most of them vanished in the thin air when the Crimson King passed away." She answered.

"Do you think the Crimson King will rise again?" She stopped and looked at me with surprise and then smiled.

She spoke with a soft voice, "When the soul of the phoenix awakens. Its radiance shall become that light and ascend the heavens. The people of yore would deem the very visage of the crimson phoenix as the warrior who ascends the heavens, the goddess of war." I do not understand her words as she gives me a goodnight kiss.

When she left and closed the door as I crawled toward my window and smiled at the sky, "Chan... Juan... One day I will be like you someday and make sure nobody will suffer... as the goddess of war."

Flashback ended

This story reminds me that she wanted to avenge her family's death and protect the people she loved, what Xiao Wen did to me in the past life and he will suffer someday.

I looked at the sky and it was cloudy... Mother, you told me that I was born in the red star... Were you talking about me? Did you know that I have a life of the phoenix that destinies to become an empress?

Wondering how much secret she kept from me and my father. Was she trying to protect me? Questions in my mind as Li Qin came with a blush on her face.

"So how's your date, Li Qin?" I tease her with a smile as her face begins more blush as tomato.

"It was good..." Her voice sounded happy. In my last life, Xu Jeng and Li Qin were supposed to get married when he returned from the mission but he was ambushed by the enemies of Hou. They tortured him brutally with tools then later the enemies held his head in front of us as Li Qin passed out with blood on her gown.

After the incident of Xu Jeng's death, the doctor said that she's pregnant but got miscarriage which I was shock and felt guilty. Not only she lost her husband but her child when Li Qin woke up and I have to tell her that she had miscarriage. When I told her about her miscarriage as she was shocked to hear my word and cried in disparate on my arms.

She tried to kill herself for being a failure for her family but I stopped her by knocking her down. 2 week later, she visited Xu Jeng's grave for 5 years and I thought she could move on but she refused and told me that Xu Jeng will always be in her heart. Maybe this time, she will not lose them both.

"Mmmph..." I hum with a grin, "Maybe you should get married!"

Li Qin looked at me with a shocked expression as she covered her face, "Miss, please don't tease me." She mumbled as I put my arm around her neck with a smile.

"Li Qin, you are so cute which makes me want to tease you more." I pinch her cheek with a devilish smile.

"Miss, have you heard the rumors?" She rubbed her cheeks.

"What rumors?" I asked.

"Rumors about the village have been attacked by the unknown bandits but they are not alone, the red lotus is with them. They kidnapped the children and even young maidens, their family were killed brutally. it's very horrible." She said in a low voice as I sighed in disbelief.

The people in the Xia kingdom are getting more afraid than usual. More children and young girls from villages have been kidnapped as their families were slaughtered. The emperor ordered all the officials to protect the people from the village and put them secure.

I remember the people said the red lotus made an ally with the spider clan, "Miss..." Li Qin called me as I looked at her.

"Yes, Li Qin what is it?"

"It's about Qui Yue... You were right about her, she's working with someone and planning to meet her master." She whispered as I nodded.

"Investigate the person that she is meeting with and what are they planning?" I said in a stern voice, it seemed that the spy was going to meet Qiao Lian.

"Yes, Miss..." Li Qin left as I looked at my hand and clench it.

I will make sure that spy is dead for good by forcing her to drink the poison. Like she poisoned my father... No, Even worse then death!

Qui Yue, you will die soon enough!

@@@@

At night where a young girl with a cloak sneaked out of the Song mansion and made sure nobody followed her but Li Qin worked in black clothes, followed her quietly as they reached the Qiao mansion.

A young girl with a cloak went inside by climbing the wall and saw a woman with a red dress which revealed her slender shoulder, sitting on the comfort chair as she bow, "Greeting, Miss Lian..."

Qiao Lian looked at her and was stunned to see her spy's cheek covered with bruises, "Qui Yue, what happened to you?" She asked.

Qui Yue removed her hood, "Song Xue, punish me for disobeying her because I told her the medicine doesn't need sweetness. She slapped my face very hard and got punish with plank in 60 counts. But not only I got punished, she made me do all the chores without having a rest until I finished all of them. I didn't recover from my injury until laying on my bed." She hissed and felt her injury wasn't healed enough, "I thought she saw me putting the drug in the medicine."

Qiao Lian never realized that Song Xue has punished her very harshly. She never punishes the maids and always kind for them but it doesn't matter, "Don't worry about her. When I kill her and you'll certainly get your benefits"" She said while drinking her tea.

"Really!" Qui Yue said happily.

Qiao Lian nodded as she leaned back on the chair, "Tell me what happened at the Song mansion."

She is a daughter of Qiao Dan and Kaka, a powerful family in Qiao Clan and enjoyed the luxury life but it wasn't enough until she met Song Xue and her family. She was so jealous of her because her family were the most powerful family with status even, they got attention from everyone in the Xia kingdom because the emperor flavors them.

When Song Xue's mother died by hands of the red lotus and visited her in funeral. She pretend to be her friend with her but Song Xue is naive and stupid... Soon she will use her as her puppet.

"I heard gossip from the maids that the 3rd prince came and proposed a marriage with Song Xue." She answered which made Qiao Lian shock.

"The 3rd prince may be powerful but a foolish person... He chose a woman who is nothing but a tomboy." She chuckled, "Song Xue must have rejected him because she's only thought of him as a brother." Qiao Lian knew Song Xue has a feeling with 4th prince.

Qui Yue shook her head, "You're wrong, Miss Lian. Song Xue accepted the marriage with the 3rd prince."

Qiao Lian snapped as she slammed the cup on the table and was furious to learn that Song Xue is going to marry the prince then she will become more powerful then her, "That slut should reject the prince... I can't let it happen and I must change her mind before it's too late." She gritted her teeth in anger and knowing the 3rd prince is the most powerful noble in the Xia kingdom. She knows he has feeling with her.

"What must we do, Miss? She's going to the imperial palace in 2 weeks." She asked.

She smiled evilly and held a rouge from her pocket, "This rouge is deadly poison which makes the victim have red rashes all over their face and it itches very badly. Her face will be disfigured soon... Put it in her room and do not fail this mission. Also make sure you poison her father next time."

"Yes, Miss Lian I won't fail you." She left.

Qiao Lian imagine Song Xue will be embarrassed in front of everyone when they see her face, "Song Xue, you always naive and it was easy to manipulate you from the start. I will destroy you and your family name when I became an empress and nobody will stop me." She snickered evilly but she didn't notice someone watching her as she returned to the Song mansion.

####

Author note: I watched 'Yona of the dawn' which brought me a great idea to write the story about the legend of the crimson king and 4 warriors so I decided to write a different story about the crimson king and the 6 warriors. 3 girls and 3 boys beside me can make any fan fiction story just like others would do.

P.s. I borrow the words from the anime cartoon called 'The 12 kingdom.' even the picture I snipped and wait for another chapter to update.