Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

She looked around, even using sensing her surroundings but found that she was all alone. 

"Has something happened?"

Ming Yue immediately left and quickly made her way to the Yao Clan. As it entered her view, she felt the tense atmoshere and saw two groups facing against each other. 

None other than the full forces of the Yao and the Mu, they stared daggers at each other, wielding their weapons in hand. At the front of both sides was Ling Xue and the Ancestor facing Mu Jing and a heavily armored but young man. 

"Bitch, I know you and your clan laughed at me. I'm not going to leave until you go on your knees and beg."

Mu Jing called Ling Xue out almost in a pouting fashion, like a angry little child. The young man by her then stepped forward, his expression was icy as he looked at the Yao Clan. 

"You've heard what my fiance said. We will not leave until this wrong has been righted."

His voice was charismatic, heroic even. His armor began to glow in a radiant glow as he revealed his strength, activating his bloodline. The third eye was surrounded by feather shaped marks as the pupil turned golden. 

If it were anyone else, perhaps they would kneel. 

But not one person in the Yao Clan did, none of them even twitched at his show of force. 

"To think you would be willing to do this for her. Risking war on whim? You infatuated fool!"

The Ancestor pointed at him, barking out one insult after the other. 

Ling Xue walked right to Mu Jing's to be husband before looking at her. 

"Really? First, you send the Ironclad King after me now this? Were you expecting me to die that easily?" she asked, enunciating each word. 

Each word was like a poisonous blade stabbing into Mu Jing's ego. 

The Mu Clan's princess faltered as she gripped her fiance's shoulder. 

"Stop it, you dare talk to her like that?"

He spat at her and Ling Xue turned her attention to him. 

"Mu Yunfei, as it is now, the Mu Clan will die in your hands. If you really dare to start a war now, then come."

Her aura exploded forth as crimson hair donned her head. She was a tall woman, just a inch or so taller than Mu Yunfei. And with her current display, she seemed absolutely towering to him.

"She's become much more stronger", Ming Yue noted, finding the aura denser but under control. 

It seemed like a fight could break out any moment, a fuse that was already lit. 

Just as was said, this would bring about war between the two clans. After being at each other's throats for so long, neither group wanted to back down now. 

Ming Yue watched from afar, thinking back to the words the Lunar Executioner left. 

"Don't take either clan's side..."

Slowly rolling over each word, she pondered on what she should do.

"I suppose I understand what he meant. There is no doubt the Yao Clan will be curious as to where I had gone. On the off chance, perhaps both clans will put aside their differences to go after me."

Such a thing was possible. After all, the crux of this situation was the secret realm which contained the supposed key to controlling it. From what Ming Yue understood, the secret realm was of the highest priority for both clans. For her to have vanished and returned, it would raise suspicions. 

In the end, Ming Yue decided her course of action. 

"For them to fight here and now, I'd rather not be a part of it."

"You could just abandon them. They think you've vanished so just do it" Xue Yue chimed in, finding this alternative quite enticing. 

"Then how am I supose to get Hei Yue and Xiao Yin then? Do you want me to sneak around until I find them? That's be wasting time."

Ming Yue shot back.

"And what you're thinking is better? I am you, do you think I don't know what you're trying to do?" 

Xue Yue's voice had a tinge of disdain for she found Ming Yue's idea to be too much of a hassle.

However, the latter ignored those words. She then looked out and moved, releasing a long whistle for her two beasts. 

As the two clans grabbed their weapons ever so tightly, a rather mysterious black fog emerged, slowly crawling through the the roads, blanketing the air. 

"What? What is this? Is this one of your tricks?"

The ancestor shouted out at the Mu Clan as the other clan members also believed so. Versed in illusions, it was not unlike the Mu to produce something like this. Only Ling Xue recognized this black fog as she looked around. 

"Step back, Ancestor. We should stay close."

She looked at him, holding his body back and ordering everyone to stay close.

But the Mu Clan was in disarray for a moment as none of them had expected this fog to appear. 

"This must be an illusion from the Yao Clan! We must dispell it quickly!"

Mu Yunfei tried to calm the clan, using his third eye to try and break the fog. Unfortunately, he could not, in fact none of them could. This fog was no illusion, not a mind trick, but real charcoal colored fog emanating from Hei Yue's body. 

Not even seconds passed before Mu Yunfei heard a yelp as he felt his fiance's grip disappear. At the same time, Ling Xue felt a hand grab her and pull her away. 

"Follow my lead."

Ming Yue's voice turned cold, sending a chill down Ling Xue who allowed her capture to happen. 

And as quickly as the fog came, it vanished revealing Ming Yu in between the two groups with the Pearlstone Knife on Ling Xue's neck and her donned Zephyr Claws just millimeters away from Mu Jing's.

"Princess!"

"Princess!"

Both clans shouted out as they watched Ming Yue put them under her control, some were about to lunge forward before she gave them a deathly cold gaze.

"One more step and both of their heads fly", she warned.

All of them swallowed their tongues and chose not to move. In their mind, there was no doubt that Ming Yue would do it. 

"Get her off me, kill this bitch! Ugh! Yunfei, save me!"

Mu Jing cried out for her fiance, who could not help but point his glaive at Ming Yue. 

"Release her now! If you do, the Mu Clan will be light on your punishment!" he threatened. 

But that threat did nothing for Ming Yue merely moved the Zephyr Claws closer to Mu Jing's neck. 

"You-"

She then looked at Mu Yunfei. 

"Utter one more word form that mouth of yours..."

He silenced himself immediately but you could see his eyes grow more and more furious at this sight. 

Looking at the two clans, her eyes shifted from one side to the other and back. 

"I understand that you two clans are ready to kill each other at this very moment. Convincing you otherwise would be wasted effort, I'm sure you all understand that this is the only way for me to do so."

"By taking them hostage, that is despicable!" 

One of the clansmen yelled out, followed by shouts of agreement from both sides. 

"Would you rather just fight each other so that I or perhaps, someone else can clean up whatever remains of your clans?" she retorted. 

Her words shut those voices down. 

"I understand that the Yao and Mu Clan hate each other to the bone. But surely, you both understand that entering a war with each other would mean the death of both clans. Despite having taken sides in the war between Kong Zhi and the Five Armies, I'm sure that such matters mean little to you.. But, should your clans be reduced to nothing, your lands and history will be washed away by the tides of blood. Do you truly want that?"