A-yoong nuzzled against my hand. I heard Fu Yao yelling something. I looked up and saw him jump down. A-yoong stood beside me. Kiyoshi still hasn't been noticed yet. He let go and hid behind Kohana while Fu Yao landed. She nudged her head against mine. She must have become a ghost.
"I waited so long for you to come back." Fu Yao said while dusting himself off. I noticed everyone was glancing at A-yoong. "What's going on?"
"Weren't you watching the caravan?" brother asked, still glancing at me while Honger smirked like he just saw his sister off with someone he approved of. "And uh, aside from an old friend of Snow Lotus' showing up, we found more information."
Fu Yao looked at me and froze for a moment. Do they really not recognize me as a general?
"I drew them an array and had them stay in it," he said hesitantly while looking at me and my love, who was hiding her flame face in my hair. Fire won't hurt me, a part of my ability. "So the other two? Who's who?"
He asked after looking at Ban Yue and Kemo. Kemo was shaking her by the collar and shouting at her. I was about to rush to her when A-yoong stopped me with her hand across my body on my waist. I looked at her, and her real eyes sparkled. The dark crimson eyes I remember were boring into my winter blue ones. She spoke low and made my heart shudder.
"Let me handle it, A-mei." A bang came from Kemo, who is hurting Ban Yue! A-yoong rushed to him and clawed him. He stumbled back, letting go of Ban Yue, and A-yoong threw him against a wall. She lifted ban Yue and brought her over. I knelt beside Ban Yue, who was now sitting in the dirt and cleaned her up. Flower sword came closer to ask something when she called him a name I had heard a few times when I was in Banyue.
"General Hua?" I looked to my brother and became livid.
"Flower sword," I said with very little emotion aside from restrained aggravation. "Were you in Banyue a little over two hundred years ago in the army?"
Brother gave a face and began to explain. So he was in the army for an opposing army of Ban Yu, and in the end, he was protecting Banyue and had to play dead, and he ended up back in Yong'an. I explained that I went back after some years of Ban Yue's disappearance, and I ended up meeting Ban Yue and her Yong'an friend.
"So both of you were here at the same time and didn't know?" Kohana asked, baffled. Kiyoshi hid, and Kemo was detained and trying to get out of the heavenly restraints.
"Unfortunately, otherwise things might not have been so hard for us both," his brother answered.
"You don't say?" I asked with a sassy voice. My brother was surprised by my tone. Then Fu Yao began interrogating her.
"You opened the gates, why?" he stepped forward, only to be blocked by A-yoong. I stood and helped Ban Yue up. She refused to answer. "Were you alone? no accomplice?"
She shook her head and shut her eyes.
"Speak."
"She's not a dog, Fu Yao," I said in a general tone again. he was taken aback. "Ban Yue, does this have to do with what happened the day my brother was trampled?"
"Yes, and no," she said as she didn't make eye contact with anyone. I thought for a moment, then I remembered something.
"The Yong'an boy, he said that it would be the best way to stop everyone's suffering, right?" I asked. She looked up fast like a shot. Pleading dark eyes met my blue ones. "It was him."
"he isn't a bad person," she said while the others, aside from Honger, looked puzzled.
"I know, you said he has helped you many times in the past," I said as she stood behind us.
"he doesn't regret the result of the war," I told her. She looked up to me. trying not to believe what I am saying. "The only thing he will ever regret about that day is losing you."
She looked surprised by my words. Honger's eyes changed just slightly, knowing the feeling.
"You aren't the person summoning the snakes, are you?" I asked.
"They don't listen to me, only sometimes," she said.
"Summon a few, and we'll see," Xie Lian said. I glanced at Kohana, who surrounded herself and Kiyoshi with void energy. Ban Yue began to whisper something. A little way away, a bright red scaly tail began to slither into view. The snake was hiding in the pile of bodies. I knew Ban Yue didn't summon it. It sprang forward towards Flower Sword before being surrounded by smoke and exploding. Honger stood between them. I looked up as something off was happening.
"Trying to kill him? fool." Fu Yao said with his teeth bared.
"It's not me!" she shouted.
"Then who is it if it's not you?"
"Someone else is here," I said. These snakes have potent venom that I can smell. Wafting from above the pit was the pungent smell of hundreds of these things. both above the pit and in it. I looked back, and Ban Yue was trying to send them off. But they weren't listening. crap, I should have brought a snake. But she can protect both the caravan and Mu Yoong Yoong from these snakes. Fu Yao was fed up with the snakes. I saw them avoid my brother and me. A-yoong and Honger were staring them down as they turned away from us. Fu Yao sent a fireball out and killed the snakes.
"Fu Yao," I ordered. He was silent when he turned. "Create a ring with fire around us. It will keep the snakes away."
He bit his thumb and sent out flames with his blood before clawing the air to create the ring that formed around us. He turned to Ban Yue, Honger, and A-yoong.
"Someone is lying and is causing all of this!" he shouted and pointed to them.
"A-yoong has nothing to do with this," I said with a dark turn to my voice. The white of my eyes turned black again. "And they are not lying."
Fu Yao was silent. He wasn't expecting this side of me. Hardly anyone sees this side of me.
"Why are you taking their side? Both of you," he tried to regain composure, only to be slapped with a reality check.
"Maybe because it's the side without snakes," I said, folding my arms. Fu Yao looked defeated after that.
"Hey," his voice cracked. Oh, just like Qing Qing. I felt Honger and A-Yoong laugh for a moment before sensing something. A-yoong pulled me back while Honger stepped in front of Xie Lian with his arm outstretched. Battle-ready. I looked up, and a snake was falling. Fu Yao caught it by it's tale. His eyes widened, and he threw it to Ban Yue, who only caught it.
"It was you!" he said as the snake did not attempt to hurt her.
"No, it's the Yong'an boy," I said as more snakes came down like rainfall. "he's close."
A-yoong held on to me and created a barrier of fire, while Honger held up an umbrella I recognized from a long time ago. I turned to look for Ban Yue, but she wasn't where she originally stood!
"Ban Yue?!" I called. No reply. I looked to my brother, and he had the same worried expression on his face as I did. The one thing a mask can successfully hide is expressions. Even with A-yoong's flames aren't enough to see the surroundings. only enough to see a small area. I shut my eyes and listened. I could hear my brother asking Fu Yao to make more fire since the circle went out. But I couldn't hear anyone moving aside from Fu Yao, avoiding the snakes and using techniques to send them flying. I could hear another's breath. This one belonged to the Yoong'an boy. Snapping my eyes open, I turned my head to the direction I heard him breathing. he ascended.
"There," I said aloud. Brother looked in the same direction. A-yoong and I ran to the source. Brother and honger followed with the umbrella over them. Before a sword came flying. Honger noticed at the same time I did.
"There's our uninvited guest," Honger said.
"Wait for me here," A-yoong said as she connected our foreheads. She left the flame barrier around me before rushing off, extinguishing her flames and hiding in the shadows.
"Wait here, I'll take care of this." Honger followed close behind her. They both began fighting the Yong'an kid. I stood beside my brother. He began to think aloud. Fu Yao started saying something. Then he mentioned Xuen Ji.
"Wait," I said to him. "Repeat that?"
"She can't be trusted!" he said, still blocking snakes.
"No, you mentioned Xen Ji, right?"
"So what?"
"No snow lotus is right!" brother said as I looked around. A red whip was slashing against something silver. E-ming is also working on the fight.
"This place is ignored..." I began to think. Kohana and Kiyoshi were safe behind a veil of void energy. "Pei Xue ascended after a massacre... didn't Zhou jump down even though he would have been protected? He jumped after seeing Ban Yue over the sinners' pit."
Both of them looked at me in shock, making this connection. Before long, I called out the name I remembered.
"Pei Xue!" I called as I turned. My voice grew loud and stern as a general would when giving a command. He continued to fight. feeling enraged. I remembered how he clearly didn't care if so many of Banyue died, as long as he was victorious. "Or would you rather be called Zhao?"
A light glowed behind us. Fu Yao was able to access his mana. A-yoong was covered in flames again. Honger was back to his teenage appearance. Pei Xue was carrying Ban Yue over his shoulder. I slipped away and went to Kiyoshi. Kohana brought him to me. I knelt and hugged him.
"You okay, little one?" I asked, and he nodded. burying his face into my shoulder. I lifted him and turned to see that Ban Yue had fainted. Poor girl must be exhausted. I walked over, and I only heard something about the war that happened two hundred years ago.
"When we are at this level of discussion, you can see why we turned to violence." Pei Xue said as I stood near my brother with Kohana beside me.
"I prefer discussion," brother said as he and Honger tended to Ban Yue.
"I agree with brother," I said as I watched the others before me.
"Violence is fine with me," Honger said with a mischievous smirk.
"Honger," I said, snapping my head to him. he just smiled and looked away like nothing happened. Kemo and Pei Xue continued to argue. A-yoong slipped behind me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in the back of my neck. I leaned my head back. I enjoyed her embrace while the two were still arguing. I tuned them out. I am not sure how long I was out of it when I heard someone above.
"My, what a cold heart you have," the woman's voice from earlier. I looked up from the bliss I felt. Kiyoshi was hiding from A-yoong. "And what about the merchants you killed over the years?"
I recognize the voice, but I can't place it. A gust of wind lifted us out of the pit. A-yoong wasn't letting go of me anytime soon. I saw that Flower Sword and Honger were side by side as we were lifted away. I could just barely see that Honger was holding brother's hand. He opened his red umbrella and floated out. while A-yoong held on to me before shifting into a larger flame and flying out with the winds. We were out in no time. I shifted my clothes using mana to go back to what I was in before. I really need to check on these scars when we get back to the Puqi shrine. We landed with a tap. And A-yoong went back to the flame creature she arrived as.
"General Xie!" Mu Yoong Yoong and Feng Ling both cheered. They looked like a mess.
"Yoong Yoong, I thought you stayed," I said.
"I did, until I saw Song Yoong fly here. I thought something had happened, so I came here only to see Nan Feng and Feng Ling fighting the two from earlier, so I helped where I could."
"Ah."
"Hello, your highness." I turned to the voice. No wonder I recognized her.
"Hey Shi Qingxuan," I greeted. She beamed. "I'll guess you sent A-yoong?"
"That I did," they responded. I heard a thud behind us.
"Lord wind master." Pei Xue keeled over in respect. I stepped out of the way. My brother gave me a look.
"The wind master and I are... friends?" I said I was unsure. "I'd like to think we are, at least."
I turned back to A-yoong, who now looked really upset. I held onto Kiyoshi, who's been really quiet since A-yoong found me.
"You have to leave," I said with a frown. Sliding my mask away from my face. "Don't you?"
"I wish I could stay with you, A-Mei," she said, cupping my face. "But I am needed in ghost city."
"I'll meet you there," I told her. She leaned close and left a kiss on my cheek. I felt tears fight to get out. She backed away hesitantly before leaving. I sighed as Shi Qingxuan went to speak to her brother. And I looked to the sky where A-Yoong flew off.
We made it back to Puqi shrine, and I am so exhausted. Brother knew Honger was Hua Cheng. Shi Qingxuan had created the sandstorm to try to keep us from Half Moon, but failed. Ban Yue is in a pickle jar now, and I am lying with Kiyoshi while Kohana is in her horse-sized fox form. I heard my brother talking to Ban Yue outside. I fell asleep not long after. memories just played in my head. The girls are heading off to either new Xianle or the heavenly court to talk to their family. When I woke up. Honger was in his real form and was about to leave.
"Honger, hold it." I sat up, avoiding waking the others. "Leaving without saying goodbye now?"
He laughed.
"ShieJie is wrong," he said as he turned to me. I stood and admired his appearance as an adult. He does look different, but I can still see him from so long ago. Though the hair being set perfectly in place doesn't really seem like it's him. just to keep up appearances. "This would not have been goodbye. I will not be long before seeing you again."
"Honger, the promise," I said as we walked outside in the early morning air.
"I will keep this promise. I-"
"Forget the promise you made," I told him. He went stiff. "I want you to make a new one in exchange. I promise to hint to my brother who you are. not just as the little boy from so long ago."
He was surprised for a moment, then smiled again.
"Of course. I can never say no to promising this to you," he stood tall. I walked up to him, and I hugged him, and he hugged back.
"One more thing," I said, looking up as we separated. "Tell her I will come to ghost city soon."
He smirked.
"Of course, ShieJie," with a gentle wave, and a heavy heart, Honger left. I walked back to Kiyoshi and lay down to rest. dreaming of the reunion in ghost city.