When I went back to the army camp, the sky has darkened very quickly. I sat on the basalt rock and looked at the messy starry sky, dazing out. The swordsmen were singing and it made me think of Liao Jian, I had once heard him singing the sad song while we were at the snow mountain. I looked at the black cloud in the sky, wondering if his soul was there or not.
I looked at the tired faces of the swordsmen around me, and then I looked at all the scattered ice swords, ice shields and star staffs.
Someone came back with his body full of blood, his hand was still holding on to a dream. He was being carried towards me and handed me the dream before his hand fell down forever.
“Bury him.” I said.
Chao Ya and Die Che died in Li Tian Jin’s hand. They created that dream.
In the dream, Chao Ya and Die Che had recorded every single illusion move of Li Tian Jin and I knew they were trying to know more about him. But in the dream, I could see how perfect his illusion skills were. Other than Yuan Ji, I have never see such accurate and glorious powers. It was like a soaring phoenix in the sky.
At the end of the dream, I saw those shattered images - Die Che and Chao Ya were lying on the ground and Li Tian Jin was standing in front of them. I saw him stepping on Chao Ya’s face, and I cos feel a tearing pain in my eyes. My palms were bleeding because I was clenching my fists so tightly that my fingernails cut my skin till it started to bleed.
And then he just moved his right hand when Chao Ya and Die Cha’s bodies just turned into ashes, dispersing into the wind.
I started to tear and my tears turned to ice very quickly.
—
The entire army was split into two - one to be led by Yue Shen and Huang Tuo, the other was led by Li Jing, Jian Tong and myself.
Right before we went our separate way, Huang Tuo and Yue Shen came to me. “My king, no matter what happen, you must continue to be strong.”
But three days after our separation, I received a dream that Huang Tuo was killed.
Yue Shen was the one that gave me the dream; she told me Huang Tuo died because he was protecting her. Their army was defeated after facing Li Tian Jin. When they were fighting against Li Tian Jin that time, Huang Tuo was being carried high up to the sky in flames and he disappeared into the sky after being dragged for a distance high up.
Yue Shen told me that Huang Tuo wouldn’t have died if he didn’t cast all the protection enchantment on her. I could see Yue Shen crying in the dream; I have never seen her being so emotional before, it just made me feel so bad.
—
Nightmare . Huang Tuo . Yue Lian
“Yue Shen, I know that I’m about to leave because I can feel my spiritual power leaving my body.”
“It just that I’m so worried about you because you haven’t been a happy kid.”
“Please forgive me for calling you a kid because I am so much older than you. In my eyes, you are a person that deserves to be cherished. No matter how cold you look on the outside, I know you are soft on the inside.”
“I know that you learnt a.s.sa.s.sination skill is because of your older sister. You love her very much so you wanted to protect the people you love in future.”
“I’m just like you so I give you all the protection I have.”
“Because I like you.”
“Do you know why did I know about your sister? Because my tribe has the longest relation with your tribe and your sister was engaged to me in the first place but your sister pa.s.sed away before I could give her happiness. When I became an adult that time, your sister and you were still a kid. I always felt very happy when I saw the two of you because both of your smiles were so innocent and bright just like the brightest cherry blossom flowers of Ren Xue Cheng.”
“But I didn’t like you because of your sister. Because you are Yue Shen, you are who you are. Hence I like you. No one can replace anybody, you are the one and only Yue Shen.”
“But I didn’t dare to tell you that I like you because I feel that I am not good enough. I am so much older than you. I feel thar you should find a young man that can give you happiness and also protect you so that you don’t have to use your cold appearance to fight against the danger out there.”
“By that time, I know you should be smiling happily like the time when you’re still a kid, so innocently bright.”
“Do you know that the period when we are all at the snow mountain was the time that I misses most? I always get see your smile, your serious look while you are in deep thought; I always suspect you are one of them from the snow mountain but you are not, you are the Yue Shen that I doted the most.
"I hope you will continue to stay strong for the rest of your life. I cannot take care of you anymore. I have already planted a protection enchantment on you so whenever you are in danger, it will open automatically to protect you. This is the only thing that I can do for you.”
“Yue Shen, please forgive me for not being able to protect you anymore.”
“I had once heard from others that the souls would live on the clouds and I guessed I would be up there as well. The only thing that I wouldn’t know is whether I would get to see you everyday or not. If it’s possible, I guess I wouldn’t be afraid of death anymore because I still get to witness you finding your own happiness.”
“Yue Shen, don’t seal yourself away from others. Your indifference is another layer of lock to you. I need you to break free. I want you to break free.”
“Yue Shen, please stay strong and carry on my life for me. You cannot be unhappy anymore.”
“Yue Shen, I have to leave… I’m very very sad because I have to leave you. I like you because you are the one and only Yue Shen. I like you because you are who you are…”
I couldn’t estimate the limit of Li Tian Jin’s power because his powers seemed infinite and invincible. I couldn’t help but to feel sad when a large amount of lands had fallen into enemy’s occupation.
I looked towards the sky and thought of my father; if I were to die at the battlefield, how was I supposed to face my father? If Ren Xue Cheng were to collapse in my reign, how was I supposed to face my lineage?
The strong wind blew past with snow came falling down and when they touched the ground; they couldn’t get acc.u.mulated because the entire land was burning in fire. I could even foresee Ren Xue Cheng being swallowed by the flame with women and children crying, the unicorns’ sad cries and the snow sleet birds’ crowing…
I stood on the cliff, looking at the sky. I thought of my brother all of a sudden, I saw his face appearing in the sky. “Shi, maybe gege won’t be able to see you again.”
—
The next one to die was Yue Shen. The power of the Ice Tribe has crumbled.
the remaining army was led by me but they were decreasing as well and we had almost retreated back to Ren Xue Cheng. Suddenly I thought of the holy war during my father’s times, when the Fire Tribe had attacked all the way to the city wall.
But would it mean that Ren Xue Cheng was going to collapse this time round?
In the dream that Yue Shen had entrusted the soldier to send to me, I saw her peaceful and gentle smile. In the past her face was always full of murderous aura and she barely smiled. But now, her smile was as beautiful as the cherry blossom flower in the city.
“My king, I know that I will die because Li Tian Jin’s skills are something that I cannot fight against. I have never seen such powerful skills before; he is even more powerful than you, my king. But I’m not upset at all because I know Huang Tuo’s soul is waiting for me up in the clouds. He once told me to continue living happily but I had disappointed him. However I am still happy in a way. In the past, there has no one been so concerned about me before because I specializes in a.s.sa.s.sination skill and I have been a bad kid so everyone just looked down on me. I have never wanted them to love me as well. I always have this stubborn thought I never needed their love because I only loved my older sister. But Huang Tuo made me realized the n.o.bleness and selflessness of love. I have had Huang Tuo’s protection enchantment over me and everytime if I were to meet with any danger, that enchantment would be activated to protect me. It made me feel warm and I know Huang Tuo’s life energy is within me, but I failed to keep our lives together. When Li Tian Jin’s crushed Huang Tuo’s enchantment, it was like a flame sword cutting my throat. I heard the sound of my blood flowing out. I looked at the sky and thought of Huang Tuo. He must be very upset. He said I’m the one and only Yue Shen; he likes me and he will watch over me but in the end I fail him.”
“My king, please stay strong. Huang Tuo wanted me to tell you this and this is also what I wanted to tell you as well. Because there’s someone in the world waiting to reunite with you. You possess their memories in you.”
