The two prince's, Wu Chen and Wu Nanming is sitting in disgrace, scolded by both the Demon King and Lady Hwang
"…"
She looks at both of them with quiet yet heavy look, 'disappointed' is an understatement
"You two…"
She said those words in the same gentle voice, yet the pressure it gives off is unbearably tight and heavy, both of the prince was shuddering at mere words of their mother
"I apologize to Lady Hwang for not taking the rule seriously"
Nanming was the first to apologize. Chen quickly acted the same way and utter the same word
"I too, apologize to mother to dare and defy the rule of her manor"
But Lady Hwang just sighed, rubbing her temple as she looks at them with a worried face. She then closed in and hug both of them. The smell of fragrance she uses hit their nose in a pleasant and calming scent
"Im not angry because you broke the law, im angry because you both had just face great danger…" She said with great care
"I don't care if you are strong enough or mighty enough. First and foremost, I am your mother. And as your mother…"
Suddenly, the hug intensifies to the point that it was suffocating
"I forbid both of you to face great danger until you finish the Seven Bird Descend Trial"
Lady Hwang said, both of them can only nod, in which the Lady responds by smiling warmly
Feeling dejected, Chen could only lower his head and accept punishment, Nanming who doesn't know anything, follow Chen's lead and copy his movement
"Yes mother…" Chen mutters
Both of them were then told to sleep even though it was already morning. They can't do anything to refuse it though, so they comply and try their hardest to sleep
About 3 hours later, a knock in the window leading outside from Nanming room. Nanming was instantly awaken and rushed over to see. It was Chen, hanging by the edge of the manor
"Phew, I thought you were still asleep" Chen said as he climbs inside
"Well, I am asleep until you came just now…" Nanming sit on a chair nearby and decided to prepare a tea to sleep.
"Woah, you can make tea too?" Chen said, Nanming ignores him and continues to do what he did and then pour a cup of tea. The smell is but an ordinary hot water
"Let me try it" Chen immediately snatches the cup away from him
"Wait—" Nanming tried to warn him that the tea is still hot
Chen immediately draws away from the cup, his mouth is swelling hot. He lolled his tongue out to cool it down
"…Idiot" he said, but there is no real weight behind those words
He then took one cup for himself and pour a tea. Unlike Chen, he takes his time cooling it down before taking a sip
"…" Nanming carefully taste the tea, letting it lingers in his mouth before gulping it down. It tastes like a water that has been soaked in someone's sandal
"…Its bad" he said, in an uninterested look as he pours the tea down from the window
"How did his lordship manage to make it so delightful"
Nanming observed the tea leaves, carefully looking at it, licking it and even biting into it. Only tasting bitterness, he soon stops his pointless action
"Never mind that, you should return Chen"
Nanming turned his head towards Chen
Chen, still lolling his tongue out, said
"Im bored, I can't sleep"
Chen said as he changed his posture to be more regal
"We are a Demonic Prince, since when do rules shackled us?"
Chen said with confident words
"…Rule don't bound us, mother did. Are you saying you want to defy mother?"
Nanming said as he returned to his bed. Leaving Chen alone
"Hmph, you're a coward brother, you are clearly powerful and smart. Why would you stay put with all that might?"
Chen said, his back turned to Nanming
"Brother… Sometimes, you need to retreat before advancing. Even wave's roll back"
Nanming said before he falls asleep almost instantly
"Brother?" Chen calls out, only to be ignored.
Realizing that he was asleep, Chen let him be
"…"
He ponders the words Nanming mutters. Never before had he heard such a profound quote. 'Retreat to advance' Those words repeat in his head.
He then got out of the window, closing it and returned back to his room. Unknowingly, outside Nanming room. Is the Demon King and Lady Hwang, silently eavesdropping their conversation
"Since when did Little Chen become so brave? 'No rules bound us' spoken like a true Demon King"
The Demon King smirk, unsure whether he was supposed to be happy or mad at his son insubordination
"…"
Lady Hwang looks concerned, as if she was sure that Chen will receive another punishment
"What will you do my lord?"
Lady Hwang said, The Demon King then turned his face towards the Lady, admiring her beauty. He then cups her face with his callused hand
"I overlook this, besides. 'Retreat before Advancing'? You continue to surprise me with that little smart brain of yours"
The Demon King smiles with satisfaction, while Lady Hwang looks angrily at him. Lady Hwang then crossed her arm and walks away
"Wife?"
The Demon King said, realizing that Lady Hwang is moving away from him, he jumps up chasing her down but soon stopping
He then sighed
"Haaaah, well. It's time to get to work, Elder Nang you rat dare sell your Sect! You will soon know just how generous I could be in repaying a favour" he said as his face darken with malice
.
.
.
Midnight Palace, Lady Myung Manor. 5 hours earlier
A figure, wearing a black veil. Walks down the candle lit wall, the inside of the manor is eerily similar with Lady Hwang Manor. The way she walks, the way she acts. All in accordance to how Lady Hwang do
Then, the figure walks inside a room, inside is an elderly man with aging hair and beard yet his complexion is of someone of incredible youth with fair skin and lively eyes
"Long time no see, Lady Myung…" The man said, the figure. Lady Myung, proceed to take of her veil, revealing a jade-like beauty that could bring a nation to its downfall
"Elder Nang, how have you've been?" Lady Myung asks
Elder Nang is one of the Demonic Sect Twelve Elder who guides the Sect and advice the Demon King, they're influence is not to be trifled with.
"Terrible, ever since that white haired brat destroyed my entire Ghost army. My cultivation was brought down to the level of Mortal Realm. The LOWEST OF THE MARTIAL REALM!" the man, presumably Elder Nang, shouts
"I SWEAR UPON MY PLASMATIC HEART THAT I WILL BRING PAIN AND SUFFERING TO THAT BRAT!!" He curses
Lady Myung become delighted at this revelation and decided to inquire further about this 'brat'
"About that brat, does he use a red sword?" She asks, Elder Nang immediately jumps from his seat
"YES! THAT IS HIM! Have you met him?" Elder Nang wished to inquire further
Lady Myung smiles even brighter "Then you should exchange good news with another good news" she said, in which Elder Nang could only grumble
"I forgot that you are a Demon. Fine, what do you wish to inquire" He sits back down
"The spirit from the Ghost Sect has been sent, is that correct?" She asks
"Successfully, those folks from the Spirit King Sect fulfil their promise. For the last 8 days the spirit has been roaming around Lady Hwang Manor. It's only a matter of time before it finds her and kill her" he said with a cruel grin
Lady Myung was even more delighted at this news
"Excellent! This way, if it were caught, the Spirit King Sect will take the blame" she said with an unending smile "But can you guarantee it?"
"But of course, the hair that you've send has been of great help. I bind my souls to that thing. It won't be free until It kills Lady Hwang" Elder Nang explained
"Hahahaha! Delightful. In the past, I could only dream seeing that wretched bitch face in pain. Now it's almost a reality!'' She said as she makes a dramatic gesture.
'Fool! That spirit was caught by a Ghost sometimes ago, but there is no need to tell her that' Elder Nang thought
'It's all just a part of my plan to get back on this accursed Sect! Mi'an, one day… One day, I would make all who burns you suffer a fate worse than you!'
Elder Nang endlessly cursed the Demonic Sect.
"Now, about that child" Elder Nang is getting impatient as he shakes his leg
"Ah, forgive me. That child is here in the Demonic Sect" she said
"…Ha…hahahahahaha" Elder Nang instantly imagine the 1000 way he could do to make him suffer for wasting 30 years of his life creating the Ghost Army
"Where is he?" But he calmed his anger, he cannot afford to be reckless in the Demonic Sect, here, he was just a mere Elder. Though is influence is great, it doesn't mean that he can do whatever he wished to do.
"In Lady Hwang manor, as the Demon King adoptive son that is" Lady Myung words cause an echo of loud voice as Elder Nang smash the table
"…The Demon King… Adoptive son?" he said in disbelief, now all of his plan was thrown out of the window.
"So that's the source of all the commotion, To think he would adopt another child…" Elder Nang frowned, now its impossible to get him
"Relax Elder Nang, I have a way…" Lady Myung said, Elder Nang face immediately lights up
"Oh? And what is it?" he asks
"Its…." Lady Myung whispered into Elder Nang ear, he instantly makes a delighted face
"OHO, I AGREE, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE! WHAT A GENIUS YOU ARE LADY MYUNG!" Elder Nang praise Lady Myung to the sky
'See that husband? I am much smarter than that bitch Hwang' Lady Myung makes a satisfied smile
"So, in order to do that I must—"
Elder Nang suddenly collapsed to the ground, vomiting a dark blood that smells absolutely horrid
"Elder Nang? What—mmgh" Lady Myung instantly closes her nose in order not to let the foul stench hit her
"Cough cough cough" Elder Nang coughing got worse; he clutches his heart as his eyes seems that it was about to burst out of his eyes
'Shit, the spirit die? But there is no way it could damage me this much if it was merely devoured by the Ghost. Someone killed it, but there is no way im telling her about that' Elder Nang tries his hardest not to pass out
Lady Myung face turns grim "You failed, aren't you?"
Elder Nang face drops 'shit, she knows!' he said as he closes of his mouth with his hand
"Husband, why must you get in my way this soon?" She said as she bites her nail
"Elder Nang, it's not your fault. The Demon King calls the Netherstride Sect to deal with the Spirit and the Ghost" Lady Myung said
'Wait, she knows about the Ghost?' Elder Nang thought
Then, Lady Myung inches closer towards Elder Nang. "I hope that you won't lie to me again next time, I have eyes and ears everywhere…" She said with a low voice, to which Elder Nang could only nod
"Excellent, I will be taking my leave. You should wait in your manor, I will deliver a letter under the name Hu Latang" she said as she exits the room, leaving Elder Nang to be completely alone
"…" Elder Nang slowly rise up and wipe the viscous black liquid out of his mouth
"Hmph, I was careless and thick-skulled. To think that she would predict this"
He clutches his heart again
"Yet Sect Leader Va Tua failed to predict this? She said that the Ghost will just devour the Spirit. Someone else must've been interfering…"
Elder Nang then look out of the window
"Could it be that white-haired boy? Or the folks from the Netherstride?"
He gazes back at the door where Lady Myung just left
He then shifted his focus at the impending dawn and the subtle orange the rising sun gives of in the horizon. Terrified yet oddly curious about what the future might hold
.
.
.
.
'It's cold, It's damp, it's dark…. It's scary.'
A though rang out but never spoken. Mere sentence destined to once again falls
He sees a deep crimson colour in a snow; a figure was lying. Something is coming out of her…. her?
'Who is she?'
She?
'That's what I say'
I?
'Who am i?'
I am you
'Who are you'
You are me
'Then who is she?'
Someone dear to you
'Dear to me? What is 'dear'?'
It means someone important
Important, Important means something that is great of value
This person with White hair and soft face, is....
'…'
'Mom?'
Took you long enough
'MOM!'
'MOM! WAKE UP!'
That's right
'MOM! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!'
Suffer more!
'MOM!'
Cry more!
'I WONT RUN AWAY ANYMORE! PLEASE! LET'S RETURN TO THE HOUSE! I WONT RUN AWAY. NOT ANYMORE!'
Hate more!
'ITS ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!'
Blame more!
'DIE!'
Be Wrathful!
The boy stabs his own heart with a wooden stick; he stabs and stabs and stabs. The bloodied snow turns redder and blacker
Then his ribs opened up, he pushed away his lungs. Unbothered by the pain, he digs deeper and deeper until he could feel a wriggly mass of flesh beating. He grabbed it and he instantly vomit blood
Suddenly, countless corpses spawn. The carpenter, the sweet seller, the medicine broker, the baker lady, the woodsmen, the hunter…. The little girl all is but a corpse.
'GET… OUT OF ME!'
Be Hateful!
He grabbed it even tighter, pulling it out
'GET OUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT'
'Be Wrathful!'
He started pulling, again and again and again. Each time he was in pain, but it was muffled by his grief
'I SAID GETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT OUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT'
Shunned them with Contempt!
And with final pull, he ripped it out. The gushing of blood is like a rain of blood
'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Kill…. Every….one! You a….re...a........
The boy stops, in his hand. A beating heart. In his chest, a hole, empty. As it should be
He never wants this, he never wished for this, why does it have to be him? Out of Fucking. Million. Other?
Why should it be him?
Why is it have to be me?
Why is it that this hand can only take?
Why is it that I cannot save?
Why is it that I could only kill?
Why am I Wrathful?
Why am I Hateful?
Why am I Contemptuous?
Why am I like this?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
"Why me?"
Is it my sin to wish?
If this is my fate, I better off never exist in the first place
A thought was ringing in his head, like a scream that only he could hear, this is insanity, why does it have to be him?
"SHUT UP!"
And so it will be, this young boy, bind by fate is lucky to be the strongest, but he didn't choose this, he didn't wish for this, he didn't ask for this
All he wanted is to live a peaceful life, happy and with the one he cares for, and he took them all
With his own hand
He burned them all
"NO!"
He killed the lady who makes that delicious moon cake
"NO!"
He killed the old man who always makes him toy
"NO!"
He killed the girl who always plays with him, eat her hearts and pulled her eyes
"SHUT UP! IT NEVER HAPPENED!"
He burns them all
He is the only one alive, simply because he kills everyone
Rotten to the core, he is a Demon
Demon
He even killed his own Mother
"NO! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!"
She always arranges a poet for him; her syllable went out once more from her dying mouth
'A small bird take flight.
Struggle more.
Out of this cage is freedom you never have,
A world you never see,
Or perhaps this cages your own making
Is the world itself?
Your wings stretch infinite,
Yet its blind to the whole,
Destined to never know peace,
Until the end.
Perhaps you are the flawed one,
So, sleep and dream.
Dream to wilt Wicked Flowers, rest now
Let this calamity end
Kill The Past'
And her face, contorts nigmarishly as a word rings out. DIE
Nanming wakes up from a terrible dream. His body covered in sweat. His face paler than even ghost. Yet not a word leaves his mouth. Only unspoken terror, and a name he forgot
Die Me. Wilt and Rot you foul Demon