Chapter 22
Burnt Bridges (Part 1)
— Chengtang Pass —
Ao Bing paced back and forth on the same sandy beach that he and Nezha had first met five years ago. The now 18 year old Dragon Prince glanced around him every now and then to check if he was still alone on the shoreline, sighing as he realized that Nezha was once again running late, and then deciding to take a seat on the rocks nearby to make the wait more comfortable for himself.
"BOO!"
"AHH! OH MY GOODNESS!" Ao Bing yelped as he tumbled from his seat headfirst into the sand, the familiar sound of loud, mischievous laughter audible in his ear as the Dragon Prince got back up to his feet, spitting sand from his mouth and wiping dirt off his robes.
"Seriously Nezha?" Ao Bing grumbled as he turned around to face his best friend, "Even after all this time, you still insist on sneaking up on and scaring me like that?"
Nezha sniggered as he helped pull his friend back up on his feet, "Well you started it by startling me out of nowhere the first time we met, so I'll make sure to pay you back every chance I get!"
The Dragon Prince rolled his eyes as he gave an exasperated chuckle, "You're seriously still sour about that Nezha? That was FIVE whole years ago, just let it go my friend."
Nezha flashed a cheeky smile as he stretched his arms, "Ah, what can I say Ao Bing, I've got a long memory!"
"So," Ao Bing said cheerfully as the two settled down to talk, "How has things been going on with you, Nezha? Still giving your father a hard time I suppose?"
Nezha guffawed at this, "Yeah the old man is still giving me grief for every mistake I make, says that I never take things seriously, and I don't know what I'm doing with my own life. How about you buddy? Your pops still got a stick up his ass as usual?"
Ao Bing gave a snort of laughter at that, "You're only saying that because all the extra tutoring father has me attend means that we get to spend less time together than before. I know my father can be... Unreasonable at times Nezha, but he's doing it all for my sake to ensure that I will be fit to inherit his throne. You don't need to get so worked up on my behalf all the time."
"Okay, okay," Nezha said whilst rolling his eyes, "But just because I get it, doesn't mean I have to like it. Anyways, I got something for you buddy!" He said as Ao Bing just realized that Nezha had been holding something behind his back the entire time.
"You do?" The Dragon Prince asked, confused, "T-thanks! But what for?"
Now it was Nezha's turn to look confused, "Seriously Ao Bing? You of all people forgot what day it is today? All that tutoring your dad has you undergo must have fried your brain or something!"
Despite this, Ao Bing still wore a confused look on his face as he racked his brains hard, trying to remember what sort of important event might possibly be occurring today.
Nezha struggled not to laugh as he gave Ao Bing a knock on the head, "You idiot! It's your BIRTHDAY! How does someone FORGET their OWN birthday of all things? And people say I'm a scatterbrain."
Ao Bing's eyes widened in realization as his face turned red from embarrassment, the Dragon Prince then proceeded to give himself a few knocks on the head for forgetting something so important.
"I KNEW something was wrong when all the palace servants were stopping to greet me more than they usually do! I must have been too caught up in my books and scrolls to properly register what they had said! ARRRGH! They must have been so offended when I didn't respond to their well wishes!"
Nezha sighed as he gave his friend a few pats on the shoulder, "Whelp, seems like you've got a lot of apologizing to do when you get back home. But didn't your dad wish you a happy birthday though?"
Ao Bing sighed, "No... I think he might have forgotten about it as well. But, UGH! This is SO embarrassing! How in the world did I forget about my OWN birthday?"
Laughing at his friend's expense, Nezha brought out the gift he had prepared for his friend from behind his back, "Well luckily for you, your BEST buddy over here DIDN'T forget about your special day! TADA! What do you think?"
Ao Bing's jaws dropped slightly as he lay his eyes on Nezha's present, in the boy's hands was the most beautiful spear he had ever seen, a long silver tip with aqua blue accents, dragon motifs carved into the oak handle, but what was most amazing of all, was the fact that this spear was no ordinary human weapon.
"This... This spear is a Divine Weapon!" Ao Bing gasped as he admired the craftsmanship of the weapon," H-how on earth did you manage to find such a treasure Nezha?"
"It's called the Fire-tip Spear, was a gift from my master Taiyi Zhenren," Nezha answered, beaming with pride as he saw his friend's delight, "Had to work my butt off training twice as hard as I usually do to prove I was worthy of it, but seeing you so happy makes it all worthwhile bud!"
"It's a gift from Taiyi Zhenren?" Ao Bing yelped when he heard Nezha's reply, the Dragon Prince then tried handing the spear back to Nezha in a panic, "T-then you shouldn't be giving it to me! You earned this spear through your own merit Nezha! I can't just take it from you, even as a gift, that would be an insult to your master AND your efforts!"
"Calm down bud!" Nezha laughed as he refuted Ao Bing's attempts to hand him back the spear, "Didn't your tutors ever tell you that it's rude to refuse a gift? Don't worry about it Ao Bing, seriously! I already have enough Divine Weapons for myself, gifting one to you ain't sweat off my back! Plus, it makes it harder for your dad to just dispose of it, unlike all those other spears I gave you."
"R-really?" Ao Bing stammered, still racked with disbelief, "V-very well then, so... Uh, How does it work?"
Nezha struggled not to burst out laughing again as he watched the flustered Dragon Prince fiddle with the spear, the scene reminded him too much of the first time he had handed Ao Bing his training spear to practice with.
"Does it do anything?" Ao Bing asked as he finally held the spear with proper form.
"Uhmmm, I don't know..." Nezha replied as he motioned for Ao Bing to hand the spear over, "My master didn't really tell me much about the spear, but he DID show me THIS!"
With that, Nezha willed the spear tip to burst into orange flames, causing Ao Bing to stumble backwards as he gasped in amazement.
"Cool isn't it?" Nezha said as he extinguished the flames and handed the spear back to Ao Bing, "And it's all yours! So, Who's your best buddy?"
Ao Bing chuckled softly at his friend who wore a wide grin on his face as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"Thank you, Nezha... This… This is the best gift I have ever received."
"Of course it is!" Nezha said enthusiastically, "It's literally the coolest spear either of us has ever seen! You're gonna be a way tougher opponent to beat in our sparring matches from now on!"
"No, Nezha," Said the Dragon Prince with a soft smile on his face, "I mean it is an incredible weapon for sure. But what truly makes this the best gift I have ever received, is knowing that my closest friend went through so much effort just to give the fruits of his labor to me, I... I cannot even begin to tell you how much this spear means to me."
Nezha gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Aw, thanks! That was really nice of you to say, you really have a way with words Ao Bing, glad you like my present so much!"
Ao Bing gave a broad grin in return, before going back to admiring his newfound weapon.
"Such craftsmanship!" He remarked with sparkles in his eyes," And the way the light bounces off the metal! It's just so beautiful!"
"It's also MUCH stronger than any of the other spears I lent you, if you catch my drift." Nezha replied, barely containing his excitement as Ao Bing slowly realized what he meant.
"You don't mean?"
"Try it out, see if it works this time." Nezha said, hopping more foot to foot in anticipation.
Ao Bing then held the Fire-tip Spear right below the it's point, and shockingly, his wrist and the arm attached to it began fluidly twisting and turning all over the weapon's handle. The Dragon Prince's entire arm also seemed like it were some sort of serpent coiling around a tree branch, slowly constricting the spear till the entire length of his arm was coiled tightly around the spear's handle.
Dragonoids like Ao Bing you see, had the uncanny ability of having extremely flexible limbs due to their true dragonic nature, that made them capable of contorting their arms and legs in many poses that would have been otherwise deemed impossible, without breaking their bones.
As soon as the Dragon Prince showed off his strange ability to his friend, Nezha being Nezha, immediately came up with many wacky ways they could use it for their entertainment, With their favorite one being Ao Bing coiling his entire arm around a spear and essentially maneuver it as though it were one of his own limbs. Perhaps using it to jab at his opponent, or even spinning it within his coils almost like a drill of sorts.
However, their numerous attempts to do so always ended in failure sooner or later, as the normal man-made spears they used simply could not withstand the pressure applied on them, causing the spear's wooden handle to burst into numerous pieces and leaving quite a few splinters in Ao Bing's arm. Though this did little to deter the two friends from trying again on many other occasions.
But now that they had a Divine Weapon, perhaps they could finally make it work? And so, Ao Bing held the spear within his coils and began expertly jabbing it towards the many rocks and boulders littered around the shore, breaking apart many of them with a single blow while Nezha whooped with excitement from behind his friend.
"Do the drill thing! Do the drill thing!" He cheered excitedly which made Ao Bing snicker at how childish Nezha was acting at the moment, still nevertheless, he obliged.
Slightly loosening his grip so that the spear had space, Ao Bing began to slowly twirl the weapon within his coils, causing it to spin in a circle similar to a drill tip. As he continued to do so, the Dragon Prince began spinning the spear faster and faster till the spear head resembled a spinning cone-like blur.
Wasting no time, Ao Bing thrusted his weapon into a boulder. Without hesitation, the spear dug itself deep into the rocky surface, popping out of the other side within just a few seconds, leaving behind a perfectly circular hole that extended from one side of the boulder to another.
Nezha clapped like a madman after seeing that the hare-brained idea the two of them had dreamed up when they were only kids, finally worked after so many years.
"That was AWESOME! Do it again! Do it again!"
Ao Bing chuckled at his friend's excitement, "I wish Nezha, but unfortunately it has now come to my least favorite part of our meetings, I'm afraid that I have to leave for home already. My father will be expecting me back home to the palace for my philosophy class before we have dinner. You already know that if I'm even a minute late, he will give me a long lecture on responsibility and punctuality."
"Uggggh," Nezha groaned as he just realized that the sun was beginning to set, signaling that it was indeed getting late," Just when things were getting fun. But we both know how ratty your dad gets when you're even just a second late, so you'd better get going before he's all over your case. Happy birthday once again bud, and I'm glad you liked my gift!"
Ao Bing grinned whilst waving farewell to his friend, one foot already submerged underwater as he prepared to dive back down into the ocean depths," Thank you for the well wishes my friend, this has been the best birthday I ever had! Hopefully we both can find time to meet again here soon!"
With that, the Dragon Prince disappeared beneath the waves with one final goodbye, leaving Nezha alone on the sandy shore, still smiling from ear to ear after seeing the joy on his best friend's face after receiving his birthday present. After a few more seconds of admiring the beautiful sunset and the tranquil waves moving in the sea, before he too began his trek back to his home.
…
A week or two after Ao Bing's birthday, Nezha found himself once again on the sandy beach around midday, seated atop a rock and fiddling with his ring as he gazed at the beautiful seaside view with an absence of mind.
Even though Nezha had seen this same scenery countless times as he waited for Ao Bing to arrive at their usual meeting place to hang out, Nezha found that he could never grow tired of watching the waves crash into the shore on a cloudy day like this as he took in the salty sea breeze.
However on this particular day, Nezha was not here waiting for his friend to come and play, as Ao Bing had already sent a message earlier that week, stating that he would be unable to come and meet for the next few weeks due to his increased workload back home. Thus Nezha now sat alone, bored out of his mind as he whiled away his time.
"Brother Nezha! Come look at what we found!" The enthusiastic voice of a young child suddenly interrupted Nezha's thoughts.
"Ah yes," Nezha reminded himself, he wasn't just spending time here at the beach to kill time, he also had an important job to do.
Getting up from his seat, Nezha walked over to the two children that were currently playing in the sand, siblings, one a boy and the other a girl.
"Ooh! What did you guys find Ming?" Nezha said with forced enthusiasm as he peered over their shoulders.
"We found this really cool shell, brother Nezha! Isn't it pretty?" The sister, Zhen answered, holding up a rather beautiful looking seashell for Nezha to see.
"Mhm, that's nice." Nezha smiled," Keep up the good work you little treasure seekers! But just make sure not to wander too far away from where I can see you, ok?"
"We will, don't worry!" The two siblings said earnestly before continuing their search for other pretty seashells.
Nezha sighed as he returned to his seat, ever since he became old enough for his parents to entrust him to be alone, his father had suggested Nezha go and babysit the younger children living in Chengtang Pass and learn to become more responsible. Hence, anytime Nezha wasn't having any lessons or going out to play with Ao Bing. He found himself going to his neighbors and offering to take care of Zhen and Ming, who oddly enough, seemed to be the only other youths living in the village, while their parents worked.
Even though Nezha had been forced to do this, he wasn't that bad of a caretaker, often keeping a watchful eye on the two without fail, and returning them back home safe and sound. It was just that today, Nezha was feeling slightly bummed out by the fact that he himself couldn't hang out with his own friend, on account of their respective responsibilities. Still, it was nice to see those kids have fun like the both of them used to when they were younger.
As Nezha started to daydream once more, becoming lost in his own thoughts. He didn't notice the two children slowly moving further and further away from where he sat, now out of sight, but still quite far from where their caretaker was.
The sibling's search for seashells had led Zhen and Ming closer and closer into the surf, their ankles in the saltwater as they looked around for any shells they might have missed buried under the waves. When suddenly, a large shadow was casted on top of them, blocking out the sun.
"WELL, WELL, WELL!" A cruel booming voice bellowed above them, "Just WHAT do we have here?"
The siblings slowly tilted their head upwards and what they saw nearly caused them to faint.
In front of them stood a massive burly man, bare chested with long mercury red hair and unkempt facial hair of the same color. He wore a black skirt with blue polka dots that was secured by a thick rope dyed yellow, and by his side he held a massive black trident.
The most frightening thing about the man though, was his skin that was a putrid dark green, glistening with slime as his lips pulled back into a creepy grin, showing off his sharp protruding canines and underbite.
"Bathing in the waters of the Dragon King eh? Tsk, tsk, tsk! Don't you kiddies know that is a serious crime? Looks like a lucky day for old Li Gen it seems! I get to bring TWO naughty children back to the Dragon King's palace for dinner! C'MERE YOU!"
With a roar, the yaksha known as Li Gen swiftly lunged forth, grabbing the two screaming children by the collar and bellowing with laughter at his catch of the day. The loud commotion made by them brought Nezha's head out of the clouds and back to reality, and upon seeing what had occurred, Nezha leapt up with the Qiankun ring in hand, letting out a roar of protest as he rushed over to rescue the two children under his care.
"HEY! FISH FACE! Let go of those two RIGHT NOW!"
Li Gen glanced around confused on who had just dared to order him about like that, before his eyes settled on Nezha, who was much shorter and smaller than the hulking brute he was.
"PAHAHAHAHAHA! Well how about that! ANOTHER dumb kid comes offering himself up! His majesty will be very pleased with today's catch! You've got moxie little boy! So tell ya what, I'll give you a three second head start to start running back to mommy and daddy before I have you join your two friends over here on the Dragon King's dinner plate!"
Nezha growled confused, "Those kids are going NOWHERE except back home to their parents, and I must commend your bravery for daring to use the Dragon King's name as an excuse to kidnap and eat children! For that, I think I'll cripple your arms and legs!"
This caused the Yaksha to bellow with mocking laughter, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! IDIOT BOY! Do you not know who I am? Well then allow me to introduce myself, I am Li Gen! Number one enforcer of his majesty, the Dragon King of the East Sea Ao Guang! And today, I have been tasked by the Dragon King to round up some juicy succulent kiddos like these," He shook Zhen and Ming around roughly to prove his point, making Nezha grit his teeth with fury.
"For he and his subjects to eat since the people of Chengtang Pass have failed to make the appropriate yearly sacrifices to his majesty!" Li Gen finished with a condescending smirk before his expression morphed into something more sinister, "And right now, you're getting in my way, so I think I might just eat you right here, right now to make up for it. After all, what his majesty doesn't know won't hurt him!"
Nezha's mind swarmed with questions, this didn't make any sense! His father had always said that their village sacrificed their livestocks and fruits to the Dragon King for rain! Not sacrificing their own young every year as though they were paying taxes! Had he been lied to his whole life? Was that why he rarely saw other youths in the village? And most importantly of all, had Ao Bing known about all this? If so, why didn't he ever tell him?
Unfortunately now was not the time for questions, for Li Gen rushed forth without warning, one arm outstretched preparing to grab him as Zhen and Ming cried out a warning to their caretaker.
With incredible agility, Nezha dodged the attack, jumping to one side and leaving Li Gen staring confused at the muddy sand which was all he had managed to successfully grab. How had one mere child managed to evade a seasoned fighter like himself?
"Over here ugly!" Nezha taunted from the side, causing Li Gen to snarl as he turned to face his prey.
"Impudent BRAT!" The yaksha snarled," Just who do you think you're dealing with!"
"Definitely not someone equal to my skill, I'll tell you that! Here some advice dumbass, how about you put those kids down so you can just BARELY have a chance in beating me?" The boy smirked as he flipped off the yaksha.
As planned by Nezha, the prideful Li Gen dropped Zhen and Ming to the ground to get rid of the dead weight that was slowing him down, so that he could fight better. Allowing the two of them to get up on their feet and quickly dash away to the safety of the village.
"Nice going genius, you literally just let your prey get away. Looks like the Dragon King will be going to bed on an empty stomach, and better YET..." Nezha's eye's blazed with righteous fury," I can focus solely on KICKING your ass to kingdom COME!"
Li Gen's eyes narrowed in anger realizing that he'd been fooled, "FOOLISH CHILD!" He roared," You want to play the hero? Well now I'll feast on your BONES!"
With that, the yaksha raised his trident and the two of them engaged in battle, Li Gen using his polearm to send forceful jabs and swings in Nezha's direction, with the boy gracefully parrying every attack with his ring, leaping from side to side, slowly tiring his opponent out.
"H-how the hell are you..." Li Gen panted as Nezha parried a blow so hard that the yaksha was sent staggering backwards from the recoil, "This shouldn't be POSSIBLE! How can one scrawny child humiliate ME! The Dragon King's top enforcer!"
"News flash buddy, in case you haven't already noticed, I'm no ordinary kid." Nezha taunted as he dodged yet another attack from the yaksha, simultaneously smacking him on the butt with his ring and sending Li Gen crashing face first into the sand.
"Why you little!" Li Gen snarled as he spat sand from his mouth whilst getting back on his feet," You will learn RESPECT!"
The yaksha then proceeded to hurl his trident like a javelin towards Nezha with all his might, intending to skewer him like a shish kebab. However, Nezha simply smirked and cracked his neck.
"And you will learn to bite the DUST!" Nezha roared as he hurled his own weapon forth to counter his foe's.
"CRASH!" The two projectiles met in midair, but immediately upon impact, Li Gen's trident shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Allowing the Qiankun RIng to continue on its path, straight towards the yaksha's head!
With a resounding "CLANG!", the ring met its target, smashing the yaksha's skull in, leaving Li Gen's forehead a bloody mess. The Dragon King's top enforcer stood stock still for a few moments, before collapsing to the floor dead.
Nezha scoffed as he prodded the corpse of his dead opponent, suddenly Li Gen's body began to shrink, revealing the yaksha's true form being a large green toad.
"Well how about that? After all that boasting, he was just a lame little toad."
Picking up the deceased amphibian, Nezha steadied his arm before hurling the corpse back into the waves from which it had come from. Watching it slowly bob on the surface before sinking down into the depths below.
As he did so, Nezha's mind returned to the questions he was asking beforehand, when did Ao Guang begin demanding human sacrifices from the residents from Chengtang Pass? And more importantly, did his best friend know about this?
As Nezha sat there racking his brain, he didn't expect his question to be answered so quickly, dark clouds gathered in the sky as lightning flashed and thunder boomed above head. The waves in the sea separated as a figure dressed in full battle armor leapt from out of the waves and landed heavily right in front of Nezha.
"Hold it right there!" The warrior shouted in a voice Nezha knew all too well as he raised a spear that looked incredibly familiar," By orders of his majesty, Dragon King of the East Sea Ao Guang, you are under arrest for the assault and murder of his subordinate Li Gen!"
"A-Ao Bing? Is that you?" Nezha questioned as the warrior did a double take upon realizing who stood before him.
"Wait, Nezha?" The Dragon Prince gasped in shock as he removed his helmet," W-what are you doing here on the beach today? Oh no... Don't tell me that you were the one who..."
Before Ao Bing could finish his sentence, the saltwater churned once more before splitting to reveal a small battalion of shrimp soldiers and Crab generals emerging from under the sea. And standing right in the middle of them all, much to the two friend's horror, was the Dragon King of the East Sea Ao Guang himself.
Ao Guang had bushy eyebrows and a neatly trimmed beard. He also shared his son's curling horns, with the right side having been broken off, scaly skin and striking green eyes. However, while Ao Bing's scales and hair were blue in color, the Dragon King's were a mix of emerald green and lime. He wore an ornate crown atop his head and expensive royal looking outfit befitting someone of his status, and carried a bejeweled gold shortsword by his side.
The Dragon King's right eye meanwhile, was covered up by a strange eye patch that resembled a monocle, with a golden case and jade lens. And seen running from his cheek to under his eyepatch, were faded old battle scars.
"So," The Dragon King spoke as he raised his blade to point at Nezha, "You're the one who murdered my subordinate and threw his body at my doorstep, are you? Either Li Gen's reflexes were at their worst today, or you were just lucky. For I simply cannot imagine any way that you could have been able to kill one of my elite guards."
"Father," Ao Bing said quickly as he turned to address his king, "I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding! Like you said, there's no way a young boy like him could have been capable of defeating Li Gen, perhaps the true assailant has already made haste to flee the crime scene, and this boy was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time!"
This attempt to throw his father off Nezha's scent ended in failure however, as Ao Guang raised an eyebrow at his son's words while the cogs in his brain started to turn. Before all the dots in his head eventually connected, he realized who this boy actually was and why Ao Bing was doing his best to defend him.
"Ah... I see," He smirked as he stroked his beard, "This must be the human child that you have been sneaking out to go fool around with for the past few years, isn't he Ao Bing? Nezha was it?" He said now addressed the boy
"So nice to finally be able to put a face to the name," Ao Guang said in a condescending tone, "My son has long been distracted from his proper duties as a prince because of you. Ah... You do know the proper etiquette when you're standing in the presence of royalty, I hope?"
Nezha growled a little as he realized what Ao Guang meant, even though this was the first time he was actually meeting Ao Bing's father face to face, years of hearing how strict and imposing the Dragon King was on his friend had already caused Nezha to dislike him. And now seeing how condescending and snide he actually was, Nezha felt his resentment for Ao Guang skyrocket.
Reluctantly, the boy got on one foot, kneeling to Ao Guang as a sign of respect, "Greetings your majesty." He said through gritted teeth, "It is an honor to be in the presence of the Dragon King of the East Sea Ao Guang himself, please excuse my lack of manners."
"Splendid!" The Dragon King said mockingly, "Now I will not tolerate being lied to, boy. SO! Did you or did you not kill my top enforcer and throw his corpse into the sea? Think carefully before you give your answer."
"Father please," Ao Bing begged, "You don't have to–"
"SILENCE!" Roared the Dragon King, "Keep your mouth shut, my son, and let the human boy speak for himself!"
Nezha growled as he raised his head defiantly to speak, ignoring Ao Bing, who wore a pleading expression on his face, "I will not lie to you, mighty Ao Guang, your subordinate Li Gen was indeed slain by my hands. However, I did not do this without good reason."
This was met with mocking laughter by the Dragon King, "Hohoho! Good reason you say, eh?" He said whilst turning to his soldiers and signaling for them to start laughing as well, to which they dutifully obeyed.
"Very well then! Let it not be said that the Dragon King of the East Sea is unfair in his judgment, I shall allow you time to explain yourself before I decide whether or not to punish you." Ao Guang said with a sneer that highly suggested that regardless of how good of a reason Nezha had for his actions, there would still be serious consequences in store for him. Nevertheless, Nezha went ahead with his defense.
"Venerable Dragon King," Nezha said, clasping his hands together, "On this day I was entrusted with the care of two young children who live in my village, and was responsible with looking after them whilst their parents worked. However, as we were on this very beach, your subordinate Li Gen, came out of the sea and attempted to kidnap the two children to make into a meal, all whilst using YOUR name as an excuse for his evil. Hence that is why I fought back against and eventually killed him, all to protect the children under my care."
The Dragon King wore a look of surprise on his face at Nezha's words, bringing some relief to the boy, perhaps Li Gen had indeed been acting on his own evil impulses rather than under the orders of Ao Guang like he claimed, meaning that Ao Bing hadn't been lying to him all this time! This prompted Nezha to continue talking.
"Of course I knew that he had to be lying, for I'm sure that a wise and benevolent ruler like yourself would have NEVER ordered such a heinous act to be committed. Thus, I humbly beg for your forgiveness for what I have done, and apologize for any inconveniences I have brought upon you."
As Nezha finished speaking he saw that Ao Guang and his soldier all wore a strange look on their faces, looking as though they were about to burst. Were they about to say something? Perhaps an apology? Nezha thought to himself. His heart rapidly plummeted however, when the Dragon King and his entourage began loudly howling with rambunctious laughter.
"AHAHAHAHA! What a stupid kid!" Mocks a Shrimp soldier as his colleagues pointed at Nezha and laughed even louder than before.
Nezha turned to Ao Bing with a mixed look of confusion and distress, but the Dragon Prince now stared silently at his own two feet in shame, not daring to look his friend in the eye.
"Oh ho ho ho! No no no no no, little boy." Ao Guang chuckled as he wiped a tear away from his eye, "So sorry to disappoint you like this. But I DID indeed order Li Gen to go out and catch some children to bring back to the palace to eat, I had quite the hankering for sweet tender human flesh today after all!"
"W-what?" Nezha whispered as his head turned from his friend to the Dragon King in shock," W-why? Don't we already sacrifice our best livestock to you in exchange for rain? Why do you demand my people to sacrifice their own CHILDREN? That's barbaric!"
Ao Guang merely scoffed at Nezha's outburst, "Is that the lie you were told? Well, sorry to be the one who burst your bubble, boy. But the people of your village have ALWAYS been sacrificing their youths to me and my people, after all you humans are supposed to pay proper tribute to the gods, less we punish you for your disrespect. And I was kind enough to give you peasants rain in exchange! Honestly, you should be thanking me! If it weren't for the fact that my son took a liking to you, as well as the fact that your father is somewhat significant military personnel, you would have been on the menu AGES ago."
Nezha was too stunned to speak properly, his mouth hung agape as he processed this horrifying revelation," No... It can't be..."
Ao Bing gulped seeing his friend, who was once filled with so much energy and fighting spirit, now on his knees, uttering not even a single word. Tentatively he approached his friend with one hand raised, "N-nezha, a-are you okay?"
"Did you know about this?"
Ao Bing frozed at the sheer coldness and spite that filled Nezha's every word, he had never seen nor imagined the usually cheerful and easy-going Nezha to have ever sounded so angry before.
"I... Well, I mean..." The Dragon Prince stuttered
"TELL ME!" Nezha suddenly roared with such ferocity that Ao Bing stumbled backwards from sheer fright. The Dragon Prince felt his soul slowly withering away under his friend's intense gaze which radiated pure rage, hanging his head in shame, Ao Bing slowly nodded his head, confirming all of Nezha's worst fears.
"W-why, how..." Nezha stuttered on every word due to the shock and anger that had overtaken his mind, "So, you're telling me... That all this time, whilst I have treated YOU, as my only friend, my BEST FRIEND. You along with all your people, have been taking the children of MY village behind my back, and EATING THEM?"
"For the record," Ao Guang suddenly interjected, a small hint of nervousness in his voice "My son never did touch, much less EAT any flesh from your village youths. I tried to make him, but he never did have the stomach for it, so I suggest you refrain from directing your little temper tantrum to him, less you dig yourself an even deeper hole."
"Is THAT supposed to clear you of any faults?" Nezha said in a low voice, his eyes never once leaving the Dragon Prince, "I am supposed to forgive you just because you refused to let daddy force your dinner down your throat? Is that supposed to make up for all the times I spent playing, laughing and enjoying ourselves with you, when you KNEW for a FACT! That my people were getting GUZZLED DOWN BY YOURS! IS THAT SERIOUSlY YOUR EXCUSE?
Ao Bing cowered in fear seeing how angry Nezha was as the boy advanced towards him, "Nezha please! I... I didn't mean to lie to you! I was just trying to protect you from the truth!"
"LIAR! You didn't hide the truth from me to protect me! You did it to protect your own selfish ass! You were afraid that the MOMENT I learnt that you just stood aside and allowed your people to indulge in their crimes, I would have cut off all ties with you! Well guess what? I would, and I am! I can't believe that I ever thought that YOU WERE MY FRIEND!"
Without warning, Nezha let out a deafening battlecry and dashed forward at Ao Bing with his Qiankun Ring raised above his head, the Dragon Prince barely had time to react before he felt a heavy blow dealt to his forehead, sending him crashing to the floor, blood pouring from his wound and groaned loudly in pain.
Ao Guang roared in fury, "How dare you strike my child? That is yet another offense to your long list of crimes! And I shall see to it that you pay with your LIFE! MEN! CUT THAT BOY DOWN LIKE THE FILTH HE IS!"
Before the Dragon King's forces could even leave the surf however, Nezha turned to face them with a piercing gaze, his golden eyes now a sinister blood red color. And to Ao Guang's absolute horror and rage, all of his soldiers had decided that they would prefer to disobey their own king rather than face off against a royally pissed off Nezha. The Dragon King could only sputter and choke on his own anger, as Nezha turned to face his former friend who was desperately struggling to get back up on his feet.
Suddenly Nezha's eyes focused on the Fire-tip Spear, which had fallen from Ao Bing's hands after being knocked to the floor, seeing the heartfelt gift that he had given to the Dragon Prince as a show of their now broken friendship only added more fuel to the burning hatred he now felt for Ao Bing.
"You remember this?" He snarled as he picked up the spear, shoving it right in front of Ao Bing's face, "The present I worked my ass off to get for your lying ass on your special day. I still remembered the look of pure joy on your face after receiving it, and I still remember the moment you told me that it was the best present you had ever received... Let me tell you, I never felt happier when you said that. Now though... I know the truth, all of what you said? It was all BULLSHIT. And even though I can take the spear back from you, all the lies and good memories you've given me can't be as easily returned... However, I think THIS more than even things!"
Raising his spear, Neha prepared to stab Ao Bing right in the heart, but right as he was about to do so. The wounded Dragon Prince weakly raised his arm, coughing up blood as he struggled to speak.
"N-Nezha... I... I know you will never forgive me for what I did to you, and I know... I know I can't make things right, I know... I hurt you. B-but, I still have to say this or I will never be able to die in peace... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for lying to you... I'm sorry for being so selfish, I'm sorry for hiding the dark truth from you just because I was too afraid that I might lose your friendship. I know, words will never be enough to justify what I did... But... But I hope that one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me..."
Nezha stood still, the Fire-tip spear still raised high above his head, his face turning from one of fury to conflict. But in the end, anger and hate trumped mercy and friendship.
"Apology... Not accepted."
In a flash, Nezha plunged the tip of the spear deep into Ao Bing's chest, causing the Dragon Prince to scream in pain as Nezha willed fire to ignite on top of the spearhead, which increased the damage being inflicted upon Ao Bing to increase tenfold.
Ao Bing continued screaming in agony as his father and soldiers could do nothing but watch on in horror at the sheer brutality of Nezha's actions. Slowly but surely, the struggling Dragon Prince's body began to lose energy, his screams dying down and his legs ceased kicking. And with one last shuddering breath before his entire body went stiff, Ao Bing lay dead at the feet of the person who had once called him his closest friend.
Ao Guang let out a strangled gasp at what he and his subordinates had just seen, it wasn't possible, how did one human boy manage to slay his heir? He must be some sort of demon!
Nezha slowly turned to face his terrified foes, revealing his blood splattered shirt and arms, the sinister, almost demonic expression plastered on his face, and his blood red eyes that were devoid of any emotions.
With shrieks of horror, all of Ao Guang's entourage ran helter skelter, pushing past one another as they dived right back into the sea. Not caring which of their comrades they trampled over, just so long as they put as much distance as they could between them and Nezha. However, in the ensuing chaos, one of the running soldiers accidentally pushed past Ao Guang as they fled. Knocking the Dragon King into the surf on his back, while the rest of his men didn't even so much as look back as they left him at the mercy of Nezha.
"You... You massacred my boy!" Ao Guang roared at the approaching Nezha, mustering up what little courage he had left in the hopes that he'd looked intimidating to the boy that had just single handedly murdered his son in front of him, and then scaring off all his best soldiers with just a single glance.
"Oh, so NOW you actually give a damn about your son? Isn't that just heartwarming." Nezha said spitefully as he leaned over to look down at the fallen Dragon King whose entire body was now shivering with fear.
"You... You can't do this!" Ao Guang pleaded desperately as he fruitlessly attempted to find a way to escape, "I am the Dragon King of the East Sea! Killing me had grave consequences! My brothers will come for your head when they find out about what you've done! You'll live to regret it if you follow through with what you're planning right now!"
Nezha's arm shot forward, grabbed the Dragon King by the neck, causing Ao Guang to yell in pain as Nezha pulled him closer till they were face to face.
"Oh believe me, I know," Nezha said in a sinister tone," But killing you isn't going to bring back all the children you've eaten, so guess what? I'm going to let you go free, completely unscathed!"
"W-what?" Ao Guang breathed, not daring to believe his luck just yet.
"Oh yes, your decrepit old ears aren't deceiving you, I'm letting you get away without even so much as a scratch! And you wanna know why?"
The Dragon King whimpered in fear as Nezha's face broke out into a evil grin
"Because the worst thing I can do to a guy with a stick up his ass like yourself, is to strip away their pride. And that is exactly what I have just done, I've humiliated you in front of all your troops, I have you by the throat begging for mercy, and I've killed the heir to your throne... So let this be a lesson, 'Dragon King' you're nothing but a big fish in a small pond who just got its first taste of reality. Now why don't you run away with your tail between your legs and have someone come and lick your wounds?"
With that, Nezha let go of Ao Guang and roughly kicked the Dragon King away from him, the mighty Dragon King of the East Sea landed on his back for a second time that day. Quickly getting back up on his feet, scrambling away from Nezha as he prepared to dive into the sea and back to the safety of his palace.
"Mark my words Nezha!" The Dragon King yelled, his cocky nature returning now that he was no longer pinned down with a hand on his throat, "I'll be back soon with my brothers and their armies, and when I do, I'll make sure you will regret everything you have done today!"
And with that, the Dragon King's head disappeared beneath the waves, leaving Nezha standing alone on the beach.
"Coward," Nezha scoffed as he turned to walk away, only to see his father and a few of his soldiers standing not too far away. Zhen and Ming had probably told the villagers what was happening and got Li Jing and his troops to come help him.
However instead of praising Nezha for freeing them from the tyrannical subjugation of the Dragon King, Li Jing and his soldiers all wore horrified looks on their faces, for they knew that Nezha had just incurred the Ocean's wrath, and there would be hell to pay.
"Nezha..." Li Jing whispered fearfully, "What have you done?"
Nezha gazed at the body of Ao Bing, now crumbling into cosmic green dust and floating away into the air. His heart felt a small twinge of regret, seeing his only friend dead and knowing that he was the one who had murdered him in cold blood. But just as quickly he banished those thoughts to the back of his mind, none of this was his fault, Ao Bing had brought all of this upon himself.
Without even looking his father in the eye, Nezha pushed past him as he walked back to the village.
"What you were too cowardly to do, father." He answered spitefully as Ao Bing's body fully disintegrated, and so too did the bond between the two that both had once been thought to be unbreakable.
…
Unfortunately for all parties involved, Li Jing's fears would indeed come true, as Ao Guang would indeed make good on his threats. Calling upon his three other brothers as well as all their armies to storm the gates of Nezha's home to confront him.
Upon doing so, the Dragon Kings demanded Nezha take his own life as repayment for the death of Ao Bing, less they flooded Chengtang pass, killing everyone else who inhabited it. And so taking up a sword, Nezha slit his own throat, killing himself so as to ensure the safety of his family and people.
However, this was not the end of Nezha's story, for hs master, Taiyi Zhenren would use Lotus Roots to construct a new body to house Nezha's soul when it reached the heaven, granting Nezha godhood when he reincarnated, as well as another Divine Weapon, the Fire Wind Wheels.
With his new form, Nezha stormed the Palace of Ao Guang, catching the four Dragon King's off guard in the midst of them celebrating their victory of Nezha. Forcing them into submission and making them swear never to threaten Chengtang pass ever again.
Afterwards, Nezha returned home to his parents, expecting to be met with gratitude and praise. Instead, the moment he laid eyes on Nezha, Li Jing flew into a rage.
"You vermin! When you were my son, you brought untold calamites! Why choose to reincarnate and disturb the peace again?"
Angered by this, Nezha attacked his father, causing a battle to unfold between the two. But Li Jing soon realized that his mortal form was no match against his son, thus he fled, with Nezha not far behind.
Before Nezha could strike his father down, the heavens, who felt that Nezha's rage had to be contained soon, less it became a bigger problem, interfered. Saving Li Jing and forcing Nezha to submit to his father, he would later be taught the Golden Tower art so as to trap Nezha within a burning tower if he ever acted out again, Nezha's entire family would later be granted godhood as well. And Li Jing, because of his newfound abilities, would receive the title of Pagoda Bearing Heavenly King.
Though this somewhat helped control Nezha's temper, the animosity between father and son still remained, and the now Third Lotus Prince never forgot the sting of betrayal which he had experienced three times. His father berated him even though he sacrificed himself for his home, the Heavens sided against him during his clash against Li Jing. And worst of all, the many happy years he had spent together with Ao Bing, which in the end he told himself, had been nothing more than lies.
As such, even though Nezha became quite popular with many of the younger gods in heaven, all of whom respected him despite his origins on earth. Nezha only ever saw them as supporters and entourage, and thus, treated them as such. Sure they could come and enjoy themselves at parties he threw behind Li Jing's back, sure he would let them swoon over and compliment his impressive fighting skills. But other than all that, none of them deserved anything more from him.
