Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 271

Swells of tears would occasionally form near his eyelids, which then Li Sheng would sniff quietly as he
wiped them off with his trembling hands. His lips trembled, muttering incoherent words, eyes twitching
with pain and anger.
"It's all because of you! Why... why couldn't you just be a man for once, and keep your promises? You are
the King! Who could act against your words? You liar... Ten years! We waited for ten years! We didn’t ask
for much, yet you couldn’t fulfil it with your almighty power? I rather not have a father like you!” Tears
uncontrollably streamed down his face, and his face flushed red. What caused his rant and rave? Was it
anger? No, that wasn't accurate. Was it sorrow? That wasn't it. It was disappointment and hopelessness. He
had adored his Father, even though they didn't meet much. His father had an unfathomably high position in
his heart, comparable to an image of an omnipotent Deity. But now? Everything had crumbled, and only
hatred remained.
"Zhu Di... Zhu Di! You're a liar! Mum truly loved you, but what did she get in return? The Great Emperor
of the Ming Dynasty? What a joke! You don't deserve her love; you don't even deserve to live!"
Soon it was already dusk. The room now was impeccably clean and tidy, and Li Sheng could finally plan his
revenge. Sneaking into the storage room with dazzling treasures, he recorded the layout of the room. By
igniting the ridiculous amount of alcohol here, it could definitely cause a unceasable fire. As long as he could
time the explosion perfectly, this voyage ship was bound to be reduced to ashes. However, Li Sheng was
more ambitious. Destroying one ship was not enough for him to vent his anger; he wanted to thoroughly
ruin this operation which will require the cooperation of the heavens’ wind as he waited patiently for
everyone to let their guard down.
"Midnight, it is then. No one would expect an accident to occur on the very first day of the operation. The
wind seems to be quite strong as well, and it's blowing towards the east side. It probably wouldn't burn all
seven voyage ships, but burning four of them shouldn’t be a problem. Father, you can finally experience
powerlessness and disappointment that Mother and I felt...”
The silvery moon crawled out from the endless horizon as Li Sheng made some final preparations.
Surprisingly, it went smoother than expected as the sailors didn't give Li Sheng any trouble. The guards at
the Treasury were also fairly lax, probably due to the influence of alcohol. Everything was ready, and
everything seemed to be in Li Sheng's favour.
Li Sheng was sweating as his hands trembled, holding the flint and steel. His resolution from before
disappeared as he continued to hesitate. After all, this fire would kill hundreds of sailors, and his heart
wavered. He was stuck in a dilemma. He didn't want to put all his effort to waste, but he didn't want to
harm the innocents either.
"That bastard must not live eternally... how would I face my mother in the Underworld if that actually
happened!? As long as I'm alive, I would not allow that to happen! But the majority of these sailors have
done nothing wrong, and they do not deserve their deaths either. Just what should I do!?" Li Sheng growled
as he continued to ponder. Towards his father and those bullies, he wouldn't mind being merciless; towards
the innocents, he didn’t want to drag them into his personal grudge. Li Sheng's morals wouldn't be easily
swayed, despite his deep abomination towards his father.
"I'll just burn one ship... and I'll notify the innocent sailors before the fire spreads too much. If I burn the
treasures and sink this ship, he wouldn’t be able to accumulate enough karma for his transcendence. This
wouldn't kill anyone either. Hm, I guess I will make do with this plan. If Zhu Di still manages to transcend,
then at least I've done all I can. Mum, I'm sure you'll agree with my method, right?"
He knelt in front of a tinder bundle that he had prepared beforehand as he struck the steel rock onto the
edge of the flint, followed by a quick downward motion. The small spark landed on the bundle as it glowed
silently. Wisps of smokes started to appear, and he patiently watched the fire swallowing the fibrous
materials. Then, he started pouring litres of alcohol onto the floor nearby, and Li Sheng left the treasury
stealthily.