Author's Note: Sorry for the hiatus and not posting for a while >.< . Had a lot of stuff happening in real life, and also wanted to take some time off so I can think about the story. Anyways, going to try to post more often now! ::)
P.S. I changed the story to mature content because of this chapter, had some things to add into it. I felt conflicted for a while because I didn't know if I wanted to add this in or not, but I needed to because it is part of the story that I couldn't sugarcoat or anything like that. Anyways, thanks for reading.
“Su Mei!” Tian Kong called out as he bent down next to Yo Mei, who had the girl in her arms. He grabbed the girl’s thin arm and placed two fingers on the girl’s wrist as he felt for her pulse.
“What’s wrong? Is she alright?” Yo Mei asked. After a moment Tian Kong let out a relieved sigh.
“Don’t worry, it seems like she just fainted. Her pulse is still strong, let’s bring her inside to rest.” Tian Kong picked up the Su Mei and started to head inside her home. Chief Chu, Sen Feng, and Yo Mei looked at each other for a moment before following Tian Kong inside.
Tian Kong laid the girl down on a dirty blanket that sat on the ground. Su Mei furrowed her eyebrows as beads of sweats trickled down her face however her eyes remained shut. Tian Kong and the rest sat down next to the girl.
“This girl, who is she?” Chief Chu asked. Tian Kong had a conflicted look on his face before he opened his mouth.
“She is a gifted one.” Tian Kong replied in a quiet voice. Chief Chu and Sen Feng’s eyes widened, however Yo Mei sat there confused.
“A gifted one? What is a gifted one?” Yo Mei cocked her head to one side.
“A gifted one is one born with talents, or other powers that normal people do not have. They have the ability to see the future, or past.” Tian Kong answered. Yo Mei nodded her head, understanding. ‘That was why she knew…’ Yo Mei had a distant look in her eyes.
“Then, how will this girl help us find the witch?” Chief Chu asked. Yo Mei snapped out of her thinking and concentrated back on the conversation. Tian Kong glanced at Su Mei before looking back at the group.
“This child, she is blind.”
“Blind? How will that help us?”
“Because she is blind, she memorizes the paths that she takes to certain places so that if she needs to, she can go there again. She was also one of the first chosen individuals to be healed.”
“Is that so? I see… but will her parents let us take her?” Tian Kong brushed Su Mei’s hair away from her face.
“She’s an orphan, both of her parents… they were murdered by that witch. I was with them… there in that cave... ” Tian Kong’s lips trembled as he held tears back. Chief Chu looked at Su Mei with sad eyes. ‘So young, and she’s already lost both her parents.’ Chief Chu felt anger rising as he thought of all the injustices the people of the village had to face.
“But it’s good now that we have both Su Mei and Lady Yo Mei here.” Tian Kong breathed out.
“Me?” Yo Mei was shocked.
“Yes. In the cave there was a red ball. At first we didn’t know what is was, however the town’s historian was with us at that time and he told us it was a Yunxu stone.”
“Yunxu stone? The stone that was used to protect treasures in the past and only allowed specific chi energies to activate it?”
“That right. The stone that was kept there most likely only allowed red chi energy and blue chi energy because it did not work for us when we input our chi energy into it.”
“Then, how did you get out?”
“We tricked one of the trolls and got him locked up in the cage we were locked in. Afterwards we waited for the other troll to return and we ended up ambushing him before running away. This is one of the reason I decided to help you. I thought with you, we would get a chance to enter the cave.”
“I see…” Yo Mei nodded her head understanding.
“Anyways, we should stay here for the night and watch over Su Mei to make sure she is alright.” Tian Kong took out a handkerchief and wiped the trickling sweat off Su Mei’s forehead.
“Yes… let’s do that then.” Chief Chu said and the other two nodded along with him.
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Yu Lin smiled as she waited for Chang Sheng Huo’s reply, however Chang Sheng Huo was rendered speechless.
“Tha-tha-that plan, how sure are you that it’s going to work?” Chang Sheng Huo stammered out.
“If everything goes as I predict, it will work for sure.” Yu Lin replied confidently.
“And what if it doesn’t work?” Chang Sheng Huo nervously asked.
“Yah! Why are you thinking so negatively? As long as everything goes according to plan then it will be alright! Believe in me!” Yu Lin yelled out. Chang Sheng Huo thought for a moment before coming to an agreement with himself.
“I understand. I will do as you say.” Chang Sheng Huo had no other choices. Yu Lin nodded her head before a dark look showed in her eyes. ‘Just you wait, you witch. Things will not go your way. Never.’
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Yo Mei opened her eyes and she got up from where she was sleeping. She stretched her body as she looked around the room. She smiled when she saw the three boys sleeping soundly however her eyes widened when she didn’t see Su Mei where she was laying the previous night. She quickly pulled on her hood and rushed out of the house.
“Su Mei!” She called out. She turned her head back and forth looking around the house. “Su Mei!” She called again as she ran around the house.Her heart started pounded nervously as she ran back inside the house. “Wake up everyone! It’s an emergency. Su Mei is gone!” Yo Mei shouted. Chief Chu and Tian Kong immediately got up alerted as Sen Feng rubbed his eyes confused.
“What? Su Mei is gone?” Tian Kong exclaimed as he stood up as fast as he could.
“I woke up and she was gone.”
“What? Did you check around the house?”
“Yes bu-”
“Were you looking for me?” A voice perched into their conversation. Yo Mei turned around to see Su Mei holding a tray with four cups in front of her. Yo Mei let out a relieved sigh and so did the others. Yo Mei bent down so she was eye leveled with the child.
“Where did you go?” She gently asked.
“It will be rude of me not to offer any tea for my guests, so I went next door to borrow tea.” The little girl smiled as she replied.
“The next time you go, please tell big sister here, okay?” Yo Mei patted the girl’s head. Su Mei nodded.
“I understand. For now please take some tea.” Su Mei sat down while setting the tray on the ground. The four of them looked at each other before picking up a cup of tea. Tian Kong wanted to get straight to business as he opened his mouth.
“Su Mei, we need your help. The dark witch too-”
“I know what you came here for elder brother.” Su Mei calmly said as she wiped her hands on her robes. Su Mei then grabbed onto one of Yo Mei’s hand as she turned her head towards Yo Mei’s direction, her eyes unfocused. “Lady Yo Mei, you have two choices to choose from.”
“What?” Yo Mei was shocked.
“The first choice is to go and save your daughter and the other little boy now with a guaranteed success, however by doing so millions of people will die, and dark with prevail. The second choice is to save them later, however it will not be a guaranteed success but millions of lives will not be loss, and light will have a chance of prevailing.”
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Yo Mei looked back at Chief Chu, Sen Feng, and Tian Kong. Of course, she herself, knew which answer she would pick. She would pick to get her child back with a guaranteed success as her mother instinct roared in her, however when Su Mei mentioned light and dark she had conflicting emotions as faces of dead elves flashed through her head.
“What do you mean by this Su Mei?” Chief Chu asked as he was confused.
“Only Lady Yo Mei knows, and only Lady Yo Mei can answer.” Su Mei calmly replied, her head still facing Yo Mei. Chief Chu looked at Yo Mei and saw sadness in her eyes, and so he kept quiet. Although he would have preferred the first choice due to his grandson also being taken, when he heard that million of people will die he also felt conflicted. A long time passed as the three men waited for Yo Mei’s answer.
“How high are the chances of saving them if I choose the second choice?” Yo Mei finally asked.
“That… I do not know…” Su Mei answered. Yo Mei’s spirit fell as she took a sip out of her teacup. ‘What… should I do? My daughter…’ A scene flashed through her head.
Tears streamed down a paled skinned, black haired, and golden eyed young woman as she held onto an older lady who looked just like her. The old lady had a trail of blood coming out of her mouth as tears streamed down her face.
“Mother! Mother do not leave me!” The young woman yelled. The old lady looked at woman and reached her hand up to caress the woman’s face.
“Yo Mei,” the old lady’s hoarse voice called out, “live Yo Mei. Live and get revenge for all of us. If there’s even a little chance of winning, then take that chance. For me, for your father, for your brothers, and for your fiance.” The old lady’s skin started to turn grey and the roots of her hair started to turn white.
“No, mother don’t leave me. No!” The woman called out. The old lady gently smiled at the woman.
“Live for us Yo Mei. Li…” The old lady’s eyes closed as her hand fell down from the woman’s face and landed on the floor.
“No! Mother!” The woman called out as she tightly hugged her mother. The old lady’s skin turned a dark grey and when all her hair turned white, she disappeared from the woman’s arms.
The woman sat there her arms empty, her jaw dropped, as sadness overflow her face. Tears continued to stream down her pale face as her gold eyes looked as if they were in disbelief. Her mouth trembled before she let out a cry.
“Aahh! No!” The woman cried out as she slammed her fist into the bricked ground. She punched the ground several times as she continued to cry her heart out.
“Yo Mei.” A low voice called out from behind her. The woman stopped crying and she slowly got up. She turned around and she saw a light skinned, dark haired man with blue eyes standing there.
“You… Lan Hei Kong!” She screamed as she picked up her sword and ran towards the man. She picked up her sword and swung down however the man just lifted his hand and the sword flew out of her grasp. The woman let out a grunt before balling her fists and she swung in front of her, however the man easily grabbed her wrist as if it was nothing and pulled her into him.
“Yo Mei.” The man said.
“Let me go you wretch. You monster, you traitor. Let me go.” The woman screamed as she tried to get out of his grasp however he was too strong as he wrapped his arms around her body.
“You’re mine Yo Mei. You’re now mine, now and forever.” The man tightly embraced the girl.
“Let me go you monster. I will kill you! I will get revenge! I will kill you! You dirty dark elf!” The woman yelled as she punched the man’s chest. Fury grew in the man’s eyes when he heard the words ‘dark elf’ as he then threw the woman over her shoulder.
“Let me show you what kind of monster I am then!” The man roared as he walked into a house.
“Let me go!” The woman tried to get out as she punched and kicked the man however it had no effect on the man.
The man threw the woman on the bed and the woman screamed as she got up to run away however the man just pushed her down on the bed again. The man pushed the woman’s face down so he turn to woman’s face to the side.
“Look who’s here with us.” The man hissed and the woman grew stiff as her eyes landed on a decapitated head with its lifeless golden eyes staring down at her.
“Jin Tou.” The woman breathed out. “Jin Tou.” Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she reached out for him. The man pulled the woman’s arms back and smiled.
“Yo Mei, let me show you what a monster truly is. Let me show you what I wanted this whole time.” The man hissed as he began to pull away at the woman’s clothes.
“Let me go! Jin Tou! Aahh!” The woman struggled under the man however her struggle was useless as the man continued on.
The man pulled on his robes as the woman laid lifeless in the bed.
“Stay here… I will get you something to eat.” The man said before exiting the house. After the man left the woman sat up and picked up the head. She wrapped her arms around the cold head as she pulled it into an embrace and rested her chin on top of its black silky hair.
“I will get revenge for you Jin Tou… I will kill him… No matter what...” The woman hissed as she closed her eyes.
Yo Mei felt a hand on her shoulder and she snapped back to the situation. She looked down to see droplets of water on her hand. ‘Huh?’ She thought before looking up.
“Mrs. Du, are you alright?” Chief Chu asked as he bent down.
“I am… alright.” Yo Mei answered. The back of Chief Chu’s fingers swiped across Yo Mei’s face.
“Then, why are you crying?” Chief Chu gently asked as he swiped Yo Mei’s other cheek.
“Huh? Oh. I’m alright Chief Chu, thank you.” Yo Mei said as she pulled back from his hand. Chief Chu looked at Yo Mei as a father looked at a hurt daughter and he patted her shoulder.
“If you say that you are, then alright then.” Chief Chu didn’t want to pry into her personal matter as he sat back down.
“What is your choice then Lady Yo Mei?” Su Mei asked. Yo Mei turned to face Su Mei.
“I… I choose the second one.” Yo Mei said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Even if your daughter may die?” Su Mei asked with an edge to her voice. Yo Mei swallowed hard. ‘I must do this… I have to… for all of them...’
“Yes.” Yo Mei firmly answered. Su Mei closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them and gently smiling.
“Then we will leave in seven days time.” Su Mei let go of Yo Mei’s hand. “In the meantime please get make yourself at home.”