"Shut your mouths! Can't you see that my wife's sleeping?"
A cold voice rang across the entire dark, spacious, and luxurious room. His voice emotionless and lonely.
" 'Sleeping'? Please stop deceiving yourself, Your Majesty. Young Master is already dead"
Another voice sounded. It was muffled and low, afraid of angering the 'beast'. As soon as the words escaped his lips, there was a loud crash accompanied by a strong and heavy breathing. Crashes sound everywhere, tables were overturned with missing arms and glass shards scattered everywhere.
"Shut your foolish mouth! What rights do you have to say that?! He's not dead, he's not..." The man in long black robe said anxiously. His lips trembling as his tears welled up, "My Ah Yu is not dead... he's just asleep"
"Yes, he's only sleeping..."
The man in black calmed his breath, approached the beautiful and lifeless man lying on the majestic bed and knelt down while holding the man's long and slender cold fingers.
"My little Ah Yu, wake up quickly hmm? Even your dearest friend thinks you're dead" he whispered softly, laced with sweetness and love.
His sharp eyes examined the dead man's body and stopped at the doll beside the man, his eyes softened and his lips upturned, forming a smile.
"Look, Ayu. Our son is really naughty," He said as he lifted the doll that looked slightly like him, "Don't disturb your mom's sleep, son"
Gu Yuanqing, the Emperor's confidant and friend, glanced at the scene before his eyes and couldn't help but lower his head. It's been ten years since the Empress died. The body was preserved well thanks to the magic crystals embedded all over the palace.
But their Emperor had gone mad, claiming that his Empress was still alive. The Emperor have done everything; Calling all great cultivators to check the Empress' body, even Ghost cultivators and Evil Cultivators weren't spared.
Yet the results were the same, even the greatest taoist cultivator couldn't revive the dead. His Majesty didn't gave up and called all great sages across different realms, still no one could help him.
He even relied on dark arts, killed countless cultivators in order to ascend to immortality to revive the Empress. But a dead is a dead, no matter what you do, they'll never wake up again.
The woman beside tugged his sleeve and whispered to him, "Yuanqing, today is 'that' day" she hesitated, "Lord Wen kept insisting of taking back his son and return him to the temple."
Gu Yuanqing pursed his lips and said nothing. In the silent room, he could hear the harsh wind attempting to penetrate through the rice paper window that was tightly closed. The weather was gloomy and it was snowing heavily.
Suddenly, Emperor Xing's expression froze, "W-wife...?"
He quickly stood up, eyes lingering with fear as he felt the man's temperature rapidly decreased.
Gu Yuanqing and the lady, Li Ran, stood motionless and tried to reduce their existence. Li Ran couldn't stand it anymore and quietly slipped out of the room, Gu Yuanqing tried to stop her but it was too late. Li Ran found Minister Wen, Empress Sheng's father and quickly told Lord Wen to go to the Emperor's chamber.
There, they found the proud and almighty Emperor crying with his hoarse voice, his eyes full of panic and disbelief. Emperor Xing's knees gradually weaken, he fell on his knees and muttered slowly, "It can't be...no, no"
He crawled with his bare hands. His handsome face distorted, as pale as paper.
"Ah Yu, my Ah Yu..." he whispered weakly, eyes out of focus, "His head is bleeding and his body's getting cold"
Xing Zishao stared at his wife, his trembling hand slowly caressing the smooth yet cold white cheeks. Then suddenly, tears fell from his right eye.
Lady Li Ran whispered quietly, "Please stop his Majesty, My Lord"
"Surrender his body, Your Majesty. No matter what we do, he can no longer open his eyes, He's already dead."
Lord Wen said without any emotional entanglement but deep down his heart, guilt and regret keep overflowing. Regret for not being a wise father and guilt for not being able to give his son a peace even after death.
Emperor Xing's face turned gloomy and fierce, insanity surging his eyes. Lord Wen's words were like daggers that pierced his heart again and again.
"No, you can't die...you can't leave me...." he muttered crazily, "You can't leave me until I say so, you're mine and you can't leave me!"
Tears streaming down, he greedily held Empress Sheng's cold hand. He grinned dangerously and placed the cold hand on his cheek.
"Do you think you can escape me through death? No, Ah Yu... you're still mine."
His face changed again, "Why, why do you have to leave me?"
He lowered his head and sobbed, his heart wrecking cry sounded throughout the majestic room. Lord Wen stood silently, watching the great Emperor's agony. As much as he want to pity him, he couldn't. Because his son was the real victim, or does he even have the right to call him son.
"L-lady Sheng...! We beg you, you must not enter the Emperor's chamber!"
The tightly closed door was pushed open heavily by the lady in red with embroidered red flowers. Her cold piercing gaze was directed at the Emperor. She stepped into the room in a dignified manner.
"A bastard like you have no right to mourn him" she said lightly, not even caring about His Majesty at all.
"Sheng Qiang Wei! Don't make trouble"
Lord Wen said, although he dreads the young lady, he had expectations on her to take his son away from the crazy Emperor.
Sheng Qiang Wei glance at him and smiled coldly.
"I came here to take my cousin's remain. After all, he belongs to the temple and it is our responsibility to protect our saint's corpse..." she said as she looked into the Emperor's eyes, then she laughed mockingly, "Not yours...."
Xing Zishao stared at her warily and tightly hugged Empress Sheng's body, "Unless you want war, go on...I won't let you."
Sheng Qiang Wei took a breath and smiled gently at him, but her tone was impatient and ruthless, "My cousin died because of His Majesty's negligence. Now, even my cousin's corpse have to suffer because of His Majesty again?"
"I am his husband!" he roared, his voice dripping with venom and uneasiness, "What rights do you have to separate us?!"
Sheng Qiang Wei's smile faded and her gaze sharpened. Empress Sheng's body slowly floated and vanished. Emperor Xing reacted violently but was held back by an invisible force.
"Yes. You're indeed his husband," she snapped, " But you're not worthy of him."
Her words cold and ruthless. She didn't let him speak, she vanished and what was left was the slowly fading dark purple magic particles.
"Sheng Qiang Wei!"
XING ZISHAO, tied by chains, sat motionless. His eyes dull and empty, his long majestic hair was disheveled.
"No, this isn't supposed to happen. Both he and I were supposed to be together, happy... Yuchen, my Yuchen..."
His whisper echoed faintly inside the dark room, Xing Zishao bit his nails and frantically muttered.
"He's been like this for several months, aside from muttering Empress Sheng's name, he no longer speak. I'm afraid his condition is getting worse, Your Majesty"
A beautiful lady spoke worriedly, her fluttering brown hair flow alongside its owner's movement.
The former Emperor looked at her and sighed, "I've noticed, but what can we do about it?"
"Then, Your Majesty...how about we ask Lady Sheng for help?" the lady suggested.
Xing Zishao listened silently, his eyes turned bloodshot at the mention of her name. Just as the conversation was about to continue, a wisp of dark purple mist floated on the surroundings and Sheng Qiang Wei appeared.
Her Majestic cerise colored eyes emitted a faint glow in the dark, it was dangerous and alluring.
"You called me, Lady Xing... what is it?" She asked calmly.
"Qiang Wei, I know this is an absurd request but, please help us... I can't bear to see His Majesty suffering."
Xing Yanze pleaded, her eyes full of worry. Sheng Qiang Wei smiled gracefully, she strode to Xing Zishao and looked down on him.
"Only this time, Lady Xing...since I owed you a favor back then," she sighed, "I would love to see your nephew suffer more, but you're a soft-hearted person...."
A massive magic circle appeared in the entire room, from floor to wall, 10...13...17...23, big and small magic circles glowed and flickered. It was also cerise colored, the same color of the caster's eye color. Dark mist rose from the magic circles and covered the unknown and unreadable runes. Sizzling sounded occasionally, it was eerie yet at the same time, an enchanting voice would blow in their ears to come and go inside the magic circle.
" What is it that you desire?" She whispered, her eyes narrowing.
Xing Zishao raised his head, his dull eyes seemed to regain clarity. He shook the chains binding him with a weak force.
" Yuchen...I want to be with Yuchen. Yuchen must live... Build a family together, Yuchen..."
His words were incoherent that Sheng Qiang Wei barely understand. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and raised her hand, a dark purple mist curled in her fingers.
"Okay. Now give me some peace, seeing your face makes me sick." She spoke coldly and turned her back.
Chains rattled loudly as he tried to move, desperation could be seen in eyes, "Y-you have to keep your words! My Yuchen..."
Qiang Wei stoppped at her track and let out a chuckle, though ut sounded displeased.
"A devil never backs down when it comes to deal. Xing Zishao, are you willing?"
Xing Zishao didn't hesitate and answered immediately, "Yes, I am."
Sheng Qiang Wei walked out of the palace, each step heavy and unwilling. She looked at the palace and vanished.
"You're the reason our clan suffered, do you think I'll let you go easily?"